United Corner- Papering Over the Cracks (October 19th)

United Corner- Papering Over the Cracks (October 19th 2018)

Things were looking pretty bleak two weeks ago when Manchester United trailed Newcastle United 0-2 at half time of the final Premier League game before the international break.

Rumours had been rampant that Jose Mourinho was on the brink of being sacked and the atmosphere turned pretty toxic inside Old Trafford.

My stand is the East and things turned from shock to anger through the course of the first half, but importantly that anger has tended to be focused on the board and especially 'Dick 'Ed Woodward' who looks to be the main cause of a lack of investment made in the playing staff this past summer.

That is not something that will be lost on the manager, who it has been suggested leaked the rumour that he was about to be sacked, and I think it will have given Mourinho a real boost.

Coming back from 0-2 down at home to win late in the game will help, but it is always going to paper over some of the cracks and in the cold light of day it has become clear that this is going to be perhaps an even tougher season than the most negative of United fans would have imagined.

Mourinho warned this was going to be the case if he didn't get the players he wanted and it is still surprising to think Woodward didn't think Toby Alderweireld was going to be an upgrade on players like Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. However I do think Mourinho was talking from the point of view of challenging for the Premier League title and he would not be expecting Manchester United to fall out of the top four in the table.

Instead there is the feeling that even a top four place is going to be tough to achieve for the club with the current group they have. Unlike last season, David De Gea has not made the stunning saves to prevent Manchester United dropping points in games and the overachievement of finishing 2nd in the League table may actually have been a long term detriment to Mourinho and the club.

It certainly gave the board more optimism than they should had as they try and 'cheap' their way into the Champions League. That has almost all been eroded and things could look that much tougher by the end of this next set of games leading up to the November international break.

In that time Manchester United have to visit Chelsea, Bournemouth and Manchester City in the Premier League and all three clubs are above United in the League table. There is also a double header with Juventus to come in the Champions League and I can't help think Manchester United should have made more from the fixture list they had over the first couple of months of the season.

With that in mind it does feel the win over Newcastle United in early October is going to be little more than one of the last 'good' days under the management of Mourinho. Barring a real upturn in form I can see the pressure reaching a intolerable high by the time the next international break rolls around and I won't be surprised if the manager is gone before the end of this calendar year and perhaps as early as mid-November.

I don't really blame Jose Mourinho for the misfortunes of United as much as I do the players who are trying to exert their power much like the ones at Chelsea and Leicester City have done in recent years.

However I am not of the belief that Mourinho doesn't at least deserve some blame for how this season has begun.

Regardless of what his supporters think, I do believe his tactics are out-dated and the manager is simply not able to cope with the high press that so many clubs are playing with these days. The defence is not good enough for the way Mourinho wants to set his teams up, but the lack of cohesion in the final third between his players is on the manager.

I am not someone who looks back on the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era with rose-tinted glasses because there were a number of times when the football wasn't great, but that group of players had a winning mentality instilled in them. That allowed United to turn around games when they fell behind, but this current crop is simply not good enough and not supporting Mourinho in the transfer market just seems to be a completely baffling move from the board.

If they don't want to support him they should sack him, but instead the club is left in some kind of limbo as they continue to fall some way short of the marker set by Manchester City.

That's a gap that looks like it will only get bigger this season with 7 points already between United and what looks to be progressive rivals in Liverpool and Manchester City... And personally I only see that being a few more points bigger by the time we hit the November international break.


One reason I don't want Mourinho to be sacked is I don't want the players to feel they can down tools whenever they are upset with a manager in the future. That would be the biggest mistake in an era of mistakes made by Dick 'Ed, but the situation may be untenable if United suffer through the tough fixture list coming up over the next month.

It still feels like a matter of time before Mourinho is moved on and Manchester United will be back to square one with their haphazard recruiting, which seems to be based on tracking players Manchester City have been linked with, and also Dick 'Ed will be picking his fourth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

I do think Mourinho would have had considerably more success if he had taken over immediately after Sir Alex retired and the transition from the long-term manager into the new era may have been more comfortable. Now United fans have had to support three managers who look to have been out of their depth or past their sell by date.

So where would I go from here? If it was a short term appointment I would actually consider Arsene Wenger who could instil a positive brand of football at the very least.

However like Louis Van Gaal and Mourinho, Wenger may have seen his best days pass him by and instead I would perhaps consider Roberto Martinez as someone who could be prized away from his current team.

Diego Simeone would be a popular choice, while Antonio Conte has had success in the Premier League, but I don't see the former leaving Atletico Madrid and the latter may not want to work in the constraints that saw his time with Chelsea strained at the end.

Martinez is a manager who likes to play attacking football, although his defensive work can be questioned. However this looks to be an era when attacking football is paying off spectacularly and Martinez could employ a style where attack is the best form of defence for Manchester United.

He has experience of the Premier League in his time with Wigan Athletic and Everton and while he didn't have the best success with the latter Martinez could have learned from the mistakes he made. Importantly he has won silverware in England unlike David Moyes and the work being done with Belgium has to be respected.

I am not sure Martinez would get the excitement levels of the fans moving too much on his appointment, but the style of play will quickly erase the doubters around him. For the first time in years the football would be enjoyable and the Spaniard would be my surprise choice to take over.

The next manager has to be someone who knows the Premier League and plays the kind of football the fans are craving. Martinez does tick both boxes and I think he could have some real success with United especially with some of the young, attacking players already at the club.


Ideally this will all be a moot point and United can win at Stamford Bridge, the Vitality Stadium and at the Etihad Stadium while doing the double over Juventus in the Champions League.

I would love that to be the case.

It feels more like a hope than a real belief though and the pressure could return on Mourinho immediately out of the international break if United were to lose at Stamford Bridge.

Things do need to change at Old Trafford from the very top of the club, but at this time it is the manager who is going to be the scapegoat for the performances and it does feel the Newcastle United win only papered over the obvious cracks.

Hopefully Jose Mourinho is going into the November international break with some real positive momentum behind him, but the manager looks unhappy, the players look lost around the tactics and the fans are getting more and more irritated by the performances of the board.

It all feels toxic around United despite the win last time out and I can only see it all coming to a head in the weeks coming up.

United Corner- Avoiding Third Season Syndrome (August 17th 2018)

United Corner- Avoiding Third Season Syndrome

Let's face facts, that was a pretty miserable summer transfer window for Manchester United and I don't think anyone would have been that surprised when hearing the reports of Jose Mourinho's discontent at the club.

It is his third season at Manchester United after all and his 'football heritage' suggests this is the time when it all goes wrong for Mourinho as fans, players and, most importantly, the decision makers at club begin to lose their belief in the manager.

This is a huge season for Mourinho to change the narrative on his career and see if he can get even more out of his squad of players who finished a huge way behind rivals Manchester City last time around. I can feel for the manager in some ways as there are some clear gaps in the playing squad that need to be filled with the right wing and the full back positions looking like particular weaknesses.

However I don't think Mourinho has any right to be complaining about not being allowed to spend a fortune on yet another centre half when big money signings like Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof have not been given the opportunities they should have. While some belief those two are not good enough to play at centre half for Manchester United, I simply don't think either has been given enough time and it might have made more sense for Mourinho to have played them together down the stretch once the Premier League title had long gone.

Injury might have been a factor for Bailly, but Lindelof was fit and he has showed he has plenty of potential in his performances for Sweden over the last twelve months. We know what we have in Phil Jones and Chris Smalling (and not much if you ask me) but Mourinho persisted with two players who are clearly some way short of the level required at a club of this size.

The rubbish Mourinho insisted on telling the media that he would only play those who could be going to the World Cup made even less sense with Smalling no where near Gareth Southgate's plans while Lindelof was going to start for Sweden. Players coming into the Premier League have regularly needed time to discover their best form so the board had every right to not want to spend a big price on defenders like Harry Maguire and Yerry Mina who may not be much better than Lindelof and insist the manager gets more out of the pieces he has in those defensive pressures.

It was a blow missing out on another attacking player though as I think that could have helped bridge some of the gap to the top. I know many who really rate the likes of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford, but personally I think both need to improve significantly to really help United take the next step while Anthony Martial doesn't seem interested to fulfil his obvious potential.

That means more pressure on Alexis Sanchez to deliver having underwhelmed since being signed from Arsenal, while Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba also have to improve in the coming season.

Things have not been helped by what has been an obvious falling out between Pogba and Mourinho and there are all sorts of signs that United are going through what Chelsea did three years ago in the months leading up to the second sacking of Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

Jose Mourinho has to have learned that the power is with the players these days and his constant digging of all and sundry in the press is getting tiresome. The shot at Antonio Valencia in the days after his pre-season injury shows no player is safe, but it looks like the decision to undermine Pogba's performances at the World Cup has gone against Mourinho.

However while United win the boat will not be rocked too much... Or so I would hope!

The problem is really going to develop if United lose and it was so important they managed to beat Leicester City by hook or by crook on the opening weekend of the season. Jose Mourinho seems determined to blame anyone but himself whenever United underachieve but this time I can see the dressing room completely turning on the manager.

I think Mourinho is smart enough to see there will only be one winner if he continues to pick a fight with someone who is liked as much as Pogba is in the dressing room and in the boardroom, but I also have a real belief that he will be looking for a way out if United hit a poor patch of form.

That means it is critical for this club to keep the wins coming and keep the problems from escalating into something that could see the club implode in the 2018/19 season. Finishing out of the top four would be a huge blow to the stature of Manchester United and how they are perceived by other clubs, but that is a real fear for me if they suffer a poor result and things reach a head between the manager and the players.

Beating Leicester City has at least settled the fans even if the reports suggest Pogba and Mourinho have had a second falling out over the past few days. You can't help but worry when you see how things have ended for Mourinho with Chelsea (twice) and Real Madrid but Manchester United can at least put those issues to the back of the minds for the fans if they can put another three points on the board at Brighton this weekend.

This is not going to be easy but United have more players returning to the fold after their World Cup exploits and there were some positives from the win over Leicester City that does make me believe all is not completely dark around Old Trafford. Fred and Andreas Pereira were both comfortable on the ball and it certainly helped United look like they could play with a little more tempo than they produced for much of the season, while both were happy to take the ball in tight places and then move it FORWARD.

Pogba's goal and performance was a boost, and the return of Lukaku this weekend and likely Ashley Young to come in at right back may just give United a team good enough of winning at the Amex Stadium.

It is definitely something to build upon, but everything could come crashing down if United lose here like they did a few months ago.

After the trip to Brighton Manchester United face their first really big test of the season as they host Tottenham Hotspur on Bank Holiday Monday. Having some momentum to take into that fixture will be important for the club else it could be a long eight days between games with more reports likely coming out of the unhappiness of key players as well as Mourinho's own discontent with the board.

That whole situation is overshadowing everything at Manchester United at the moment, but winning games is the best remedy for getting everyone back onto the same page.

Right now performances are not a massive concern for me, United just have to show enough to suggest improvements are not far away and also have to keep winning games. The fixture list certainly gives United the chance to really put themselves in a good position in the League table by the time November comes around (remember Mourinho said we will know who are title contenders when that month comes around) and at the moment winning games is all teams want to do as players continue their recovery from their World Cup exploits.

A bit more positivity from Mourinho will also ease the feeling that this partnership between the manager and United is heading towards a terrible conclusion. It seems someone has got in his ear about that in the last ten days or so, but the best way to keep everyone happy will be continuing to win games.

United Corner- Time for Big Decision for Mourinho (February 15th)

United Corner- Time for Big Decisions for Jose Mourinho (February 15th)

Valentine's Day is a time to spend with loved ones, but those who love Manchester United will still have been dissecting what has gone wrong in the last couple of Premier League away games at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United.

The results is one thing, but the manner of the defeats hurt all the more as Manchester United didn't play anything like how we would have expected.

It means big decisions for the manager ahead of a very important week for Manchester United with an FA Cup Fifth Round tie followed by the resumption of the Champions League and then a big Premier League game against Chelsea next Sunday.

At this stage you would have hoped Mourinho would know the best formation and system for his team, but the signing of Alexis Sanchez in the January transfer window has provided another option for the attack. However the lack of real cohesion in the attacking play at Wembley Stadium and St James' Park has to be a concern for the fans.

Ultimately the choice is going to come down to Mourinho and how he wants to play his team, but I have to say I am stunned that he has not found a way to get the best out of the likes of Paul Pogba who has been at the club for eighteen months.

As much as I have admired Mourinho's work down the years and at Old Trafford, I have to say the time has come where you have to wonder if he can get this team taking the next step in his development. My concern comes out of the fact that he seemingly is not finding a way to get the best out of the best players he has at his disposal and that has to be a negative over his reign.

The best players United have are David De Gea, Pogba and Alexis and the team should be built around them.

One of my more recent criticisms of the United tactics have been the way Anthony Martial has been shifted into an unfamiliar position to accommodate Jesse Lingard.

And the bottom line for me is that Lingard is not good enough to be a Number 10 for any top club, let alone Manchester United.

I don't hate Lingard like some supporters seem to do, but I do recognise what he is. For me he is a player that seems to find a big goal and is in the right place at the right time, which is a positive and not a criticism, but picking a pass and making the right decisions in the final third are not his forte.

A real Number 10 has to be able to do that and Alexis has made it clear that he would prefer that spot in the team so why is Lingard starting in that position?

Play your best players in their best positions!

If Jose Mourinho is insisting on sticking with his 4-2-3-1 system, then that is much more like how I would have United line up in Sevilla (assuming Bailly is not fit to play).

I don't think Chris Smalling or Ashley Young are playing well enough to start that game with Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo (or Bailly) ready to come in and it puts Alexis and Martial into positions where they feel they can contribute their best.

And you want those two to be at their best rather than Lingard who can still play well enough on the problematic right side of the team. If he isn't comfortable, Juan Mata can play that position and I just think it makes United look more effective going forward.

Does that get the best out of Paul Pogba though? Not as far as I am concerned and I think Jose Mourinho has two other options for the game in Sevilla and perhaps even the home League games against Chelsea and Liverpool to come.

These two teams are essentially the same with minor differences, but both have the three man midfield which can open things up for Pogba to operate much further up the pitch.

Pogba's best performances for both club and country have been in that position where he can turn and run at the defensive players while finding options all around him. His best 

game for Manchester United recently came in that position in the 0-2 win at Goodison Park and I have no idea why Jose Mourinho would not want to play the best centre midfielder in a position where he would be most effective.

I love Anthony Martial, but he would have to be sacrificed in this system because he isn't a right winger as far as I can see. However he could be used if Mourinho wants more movement and quality right up top with Alexis replacing Lukaku and then using Martial from the left side.

Having that option would make United very, very dangerous on the counter attack while also having the strong defensive base that Jose Mourinho wants.

I don't mind Lukaku as the focal point either, but Alexis does give you options and is someone who feels more threatening in the middle of the park. Sometimes you have to accommodate that by also keeping Paul Pogba in a strong position and that means making sacrifices.

Mourinho has spent a lot of money on Lukaku so using Alexis in a position on the left where he has thrived since coming to England is feasible to me. I just don't want the rest of the team to be shoehorned into unfamiliar positions and then asked to be very comfortable in big games.

Martial as an impact player is not a bad option off the bench and I prefer that than him starting on the right side where he has never looked his best.

Out of the three options above I would most definitely go with the second and then look to Pogba and Alexis to produce their best. It's also one that can be changed if United need to bring in another attacker in games against 'weaker' teams, but over the next week I would play that formation and personnel against the likes of Sevilla and Chelsea.

It gives Mourinho the strong defensive shape, while also opening things up for the top players in the squad to make the big positive impact we fans are all hoping for.

I am just praying Mourinho does not start the same XI that have played so poorly at Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United in the last couple of weeks as that won't inspire confidence.

Instead of dragging Pogba off and giving the critics more to sink their teeth into, I hope the manager can put him in what has clearly been his best position for United and France.

These are big decisions for Mourinho to make, but ultimately they could determine if this season is a success or a real failure with the top four far from secured.

United Corner- The Arrival of Alexis Sanchez (January 26th)

United Corner- The Arrival of Alexis Sanchez (January 27th)

I refused to get carried away when the news first broke that Manchester United were interested in signing Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

It was almost universally accepted that Sanchez was going to Manchester City either in this window or on a free in the summer having seen the move to the Etihad Stadium pulled from underneath him in the summer transfer window in 2017.

But then the story developed.

And developed.

And Manchester City pulled out with the 'financial package' one they were not prepared to pay and that opened the door for Manchester United to bring in one of the best players in the Premier League.

What a transfer and the right choice to take over the famous Number 7 shirt which had been left vacant to be filled by a name of the magnitude of Alexis Sanchez.

This was the player I wanted United to bid for when he was leaving Barcelona in the same summer the club spent more to bring in Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid. At the time I thought Sanchez was the better fit at the price and the style of play, although Di Maria was also a player I admired, and it turned out to be the case with Sanchez thriving in the Premier League and Di Maria lasting just a single season before moving on to Paris Saint-Germain.

But now finally United have their man and I have to say there are so many positive feelings about the transfer. Alexis Sanchez is the kind of special player United have been missing in the final third, someone who can change a tight game in an instant with a brilliant pass or a fine shot and the Number 7 shirt is fitting for him.

I have little doubt Sanchez is going to be a success at United and now I am feeling glad that Chile have missed out on the World Cup, purely for selfish reasons. I do enjoy watching Chile play, but they, and Sanchez, haven't had a summer off for a number of years due to World Cups, Confederations Cup or Copa America commitments.

Sanchez can help United achieve big things in the second half of this season, but I am looking forward to a rested and settled Sanchez taking off next August as a stronger bid to win the Premier League title will be expected of the side.

Do I think this makes Manchester United a threat to win the Champions League? While not a favourite, Sanchez is the kind of signing that can change tight Knock Out ties in Manchester United's favour and I definitely think United are a dark horse to go all the way to Kiev in what looks a remarkably open Champions League.

Sanchez can also play in the Cup and I don't see any downside to this deal with the obvious talent the Chilean brings to the squad.

I am sorry that Henrikh Mkhitaryan had to be sacrificed to get the deal done, but it had become clear that our midfield Armenian didn't have the full temperament to play for Manchester United. I think he will thrive in the less pressurised atmosphere of playing for Arsenal, but the expectations of Manchester United wore heavy on Mkhitaryan's shoulders and he was almost certainly going to be leaving in the summer.

To swap him for Sanchez was an absolute no-brainer as far as I am concerned.

The big question most Manchester United fans had in the cold light of day once the excitement of the Sanchez transfer was completed was where Sanchez was going to play- Jose Mourinho has made it clear that he feels Sanchez can play anywhere in the front four of his favoured 4-2-3-1 system, and I don't agree with the critics of the deal who suggest the Sanchez signing is a hindrance to some of the young players in the squad.

The most notable is Anthony Martial who has been in stellar form this season and looks to have seen off Marcus Rashford as the starter for Mourinho on the left of the three chief supporting players to Romelu Lukaku. That left side has been an effective position for Alexis Sanchez and neither the Chilean or Martial are as comfortable on the right, but I still believe both will be accommodated in this team.

Ever since it was becoming clear that Sanchez would be arriving at Old Trafford, my feeling has been he will chiefly play in the 'Number 10' spot in the team with some creative license from there.

Jesse Lingard has been playing fantastically well in that position, but I do think Lingard is going to be shifted to the right side which remains the real problem position for United. I would expect Lingard and Mata to fight for that place, while Martial and Rashford battle for the left side.

Rotation will play a factor, but I imagine if all of the players are available to Jose Mourinho then his team would look like this:

De Gea, Valencia, Young, Jones, Bailly, Matic, Pogba, Lingard, Martial, Sanchez and Lukaku.

In big games where Mourinho wants an extra body in midfield it may be Martial sacrificed to be used as an impact player with Sanchez moving over to the left. The counter attacking options are improved too as Mourinho could choose to use Sanchez up front with Martial and Lingard in support in those games and use Lukaku as the impact player instead if United need a goal.

For me this makes Sanchez an excellent signing to give Mourinho the options he is craving and I really can only seeing this being a successful signing for the side.

There has been one negative around the Sanchez deal but it is one being pushed by the media and nothing to do with the player being signed. This whole situation of it being a decision to win trophies or sign for money when it came to signing for United or City is laughable.

I must have been asleep during the time that Manchester United have stopped being the most successful English club and one that is clearly improving. Yes City are ahead at this moment in time, but I honestly think United have as good a chance to win the Champions League and with one more transfer window I would expect Mourinho to get us much closer to the leaders next season.

The other element of the deal was the way the fees have been reported- I am not sure when the media started reporting deals including every cost because it sounds like United are paying millions while Arsenal are paying nothing to have Mkhitaryan arrive (who has become their highest paid player by all reports).

Liverpool just paid £75 million for Virgil Van Dijk to Southampton, but I didn't see a report mentioning how much all his wages and agent fees and signing on bonuses were going to cost them over the course of his contract? I can imagine it will be much closer to a £140 million deal if reported the same way as the Sanchez deal.

But you know what, that won't matter if Mourinho can create another United versus the World atmosphere around the club. That has proved to be very successful in the past and this is the kind of signing that will put all the ABUs on notice that Manchester United are taking another step back towards the top of the English and European game.

United certainly look to be making the right moves and I just hope Mourinho is backed again in the summer transfer window to really get things right at the club. His new contract to extend his time at Old Trafford keeps the positive vibes coming out of the club and hopefully United can back that up with a couple more big results to end the month of January.

The signing of Alexis Sanchez could be a catalyst for a really strong end to the 2017/18 season and then a rested Sanchez can help Manchester United produce a huge Premier League title push next season.

A special player wearing a special number is what has been missing at United in the last few years and I am looking forward to seeing Sanchez with the famous red shirt on.

United Corner- More Positives than Negatives (January 11th 2018)

United Corner- More Positives than Negatives (January 11th 2018)

The last post I wrote about Manchester United came in the days after the Manchester derby defeat so it might be a surprise to headline this one 'More Positive than Negative'.

It's been a tough road since that loss to Manchester City with a League Cup Quarter Final loss at Bristol City and some poor dropped points in the Premier League meaning Manchester United have two trophies they can realistically win (assuming most think the Champions League is a realistic aim) and being dragged back into a top four battle.

While obviously disappointed with some of the results over the festive period, there is no doubting that Manchester United have taken a big step in the positive direction under Jose Mourinho in his second year at the club. Mourinho's history of achievement in his second year at previous clubs might have gotten the fan base a little over-excited at the start of this season with talk of a Premier League title challenge, but that wasn't accounting for how far United were behind Manchester City when Mourinho and Pep Guardiola took over their new positions at the end of the 2016 season.

In a normal season the United record would have certainly had them in the mix for the Premier League title, but it's been difficult when Manchester City have won 18 straight League games and pulled clear in a similar fashion to what Chelsea did last season.

And that is why I feel more positive than negative- I see a Manchester United team improving and another big summer transfer window will see the gap closed even more. I also like the fact that Mourinho is challenging the board to not only make the one big flashy signing, but pushing them to really back him in the transfer market.

In a day and age where Liverpool have just spent £75 million on a central defender and Barcelona have spent £142 million on an attacking player to replace one that was sold for £200 million it has become clear that Manchester United have not spent enough money. A really poor squad was taken over by Mourinho and you can see the improvement when you look at the starting elevens that have played this season compared to the ones Louis Van Gaal had been picking in his final season.

I'm hoping that will be the case in the summer, but the current squad certainly has the capabilities of having a deep FA Cup run and finishing in the top four in the Premier League. Some of the silly points dropped over the festive period will have frustrated everyone connected with the club, but the football has tended to be good to watch and Manchester United certainly look more capable than last season of maintaining the spot in the top four.

That is likely to be a fight to the finish with little separating United in 2nd place and Arsenal in 6th although The Gunners may soon be out of contention if they lose Alexis Sanchez in this transfer window without replacing him. In reality I do think it will come down to three out of four teams with United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all closely matched.

That game at Wembley Stadium against Spurs looms large for Manchester United at the end of the month and so it is important the momentum from the Everton win is taken into the home games with Stoke City and at Turf Moor against Burnley. Both should be winnable fixtures with Stoke in disarray at the moment and Burnley having lost to both Spurs and Liverpool over the festive period at home.

However it is not about how the fixture looks on paper and it is up to the players to show they are big enough to compete in the Champions League again next season. With the injuries in the squad beginning to clear up, Jose Mourinho has more options now and I am hoping United can put a strong January in the books.

I am not one to go overboard by transfer rumours which come thick and fast in January before the media has a break ahead of the bullshit-o-meter being ramped up again in May ahead of the summer transfer window. This week it was Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain who has been the name most frequently linked with a move to Old Trafford and it may not be a bad one if United can get him for the right price.

More interesting was the link with Alexis Sanchez, although I will be very surprised if Manchester United have made a move for a player who looks pretty determined to move to Manchester City. I have a feeling someone close to the player has leaked the rumour in the hope that Manchester City will increase their bid and sign the Chilean now rather than wait for his contract to expire in June.

At the time of writing Jose Mourinho has not had his weekly press conference, but suffice to say he will be asked about Sanchez and I am expecting the manager to dismiss the link out of hand. More important is likely going to be the comments Mourinho makes about Antonio Conte describing him as a 'little man' in what has become a very personal war of words between the two managers.

There are three Premier League games to be played in January, but also one FA Cup Fourth Round tie and the television companies have stitched up the match going fans once again.

No one will surprised that the Yeovil Town tie has been picked to be broadcasted, but to move the game to a Friday seems unbelievably wrong. It's a 4 hour drive from Stretford down to Yeovil, without traffic, and is asking those going to the game to have to take extra time off work rather than the game being played on a Saturday afternoon.

The club won't mind having a few extra days to rest for the Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, but it's those who wish to travel to support the team who are affected negatively.

It's been a big reason I have never liked the idea of Friday night football in England where fans travel in far greater numbers than in most European Leagues. However the television deal and all of the money invested means there isn't a lot to do about it and the next TV deal will see the 7:45pm Saturday games come into play which will mean more headaches for those who want to follow their teams at home and away.

Hopefully United will have a good remainder of January to back up the wins over Everton and Derby County and perhaps we will be treated to some transfer activity if the rumours are to be believed. After a tough December when we fans perhaps were disappointed with the results, United look to be on the right road and there are more positives from the first half of the season than there are negatives.

Picking up 7 points from the next three games against Stoke City, Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur and progressing in the FA Cup would give United plenty of momentum for when the Champions League gets going again too. I am feeling good about this season, although it is finely balanced at the moment, and I am looking forward to what is coming up with plenty of big games set to get going.

United Corner- Derby Day Disappointment (December 13th 2017)

United Corner- Derby Day Disappointment (December 13th 2017)

The reality is that most of us Manchester United fans would have accepted that Manchester City have the superior eleven starting at the moment, but that doesn't mean we have to accept being second best as we were at Old Trafford on Sunday.

It has taken a couple of days for the defeat to really sink in and the stories of the tunnel fracas and subsequent press conferences both Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola has kept the wound a little fresher than I was hoping.

The thing that really grates is that, despite being second best, and despite the feeling United are not as good as City at this moment in time, United should not have lost in the manner they did. Two horrible mistakes from set pieces and the game was gone, but looking back it was only when United began to chase the game that City really had the openings to put the game away and I can't think of too many great chances created before that.

I'm not saying United were playing better.

But I am saying that City were mainly kept at arm's length and those two mistakes from set pieces are haunting me in a game where I feel United could have got a result.

Even with that in mind, there are clearly some way to go before United can really match those lot across the way and I think the next summer transfer window is going to be a really big one for Jose Mourinho. A legitimate number 10 and another wide player have to be the priority, but it can't just be a functioning player but one that can really turn a game.

That would seriously help with the maintaining of possession against a City team who try and starve teams of the ball, while also providing a more effective counter attack.

Some of the tactics may need to be questioned with the long, direct ball clearly not working bar one mistake from the City defence, but that can be a decent plan if mixed in with a little more courage to take the ball down and get around the press.

It can happen and that extra quality will help, while I still believe Paul Pogba was a huge loss for the team and one that may have turned enough in our favour to get something from the game.

This season it is tough to get the ball down and play when you see some of the starters from Sunday, but I do hope the entire team plays with a little more belief in what they are doing the next time we meet City.

That might not be too long with both clubs progressing in the League Cup which reaches its Semi Final Round after the Quarter Finals are played next week. Both United and City also have decent Champions League draws and a chance to open up in the FA Cup with home wins so there is every chance we have to meet again to determine more silverware later in the campaign.

A bit more bravery and a better performance from set pieces and I think United will be closer, especially as City begin to rack up the games and the fatigue later in the season.

Some of that will depend on the title rivals getting closer than the 11 point gap which currently exists. I think United just have to do what Mourinho has been emphasising and that is take each fixture as it comes and see how it plays out.

Games against Bournemouth, West Brom, Leicester City, Burnley (twice), Southampton, Everton and Stoke City represent a good chance for Manchester United to get back on the horse and see where they stand when they head to Wembley Stadium to play Tottenham Hotspur at the end of January.

It is very much within the realms of possibility that United can win all 8 game League games in that time during which Manchester City host Tottenham Hotspur and have to visit Liverpool and suddenly the gap may look more manageable.

I am clutching at straws somewhat, but we have seen United both reel in and blow big leads after Christmas in the last twenty years and I don't want to be handing any prizes to City just yet.

It was also nice to hear from Louis Van Gaal in the aftermath of the loss to Manchester City- a good time for the overrated Dutchman to try and stick the knife in.

Unfortunately the suggestion that his United team were the 'great entertainers' went down faster than a lead balloon, while the fact he thinks he has his 'best year' as manager, despite the money he was handed, is laughable.

One, I've never been as bored watching United as I was under LVG when goalless home draws were the absolute norm as he put spectators and his own players to sleep.

Two, best year? The last two years have shown how important it can be for teams to produce their best in the Premier League without European distractions. Both Leicester City and Chelsea have won the League without European commitments.

Louis Van Gaal took United to 4th and 17 points off the eventual winners Chelsea.

We also lost 4-0 at MK Dons in the League Cup and a home loss at Arsenal meant United ended up without silverware.

The next season the great LVG couldn't get United back into the top four.

Best year? He honestly must have been at the Christmas wine again.

And every day he should thank a broken fax machine for being the reason his only real legacy at Old Trafford would have been selling David De Gea to Real Madrid for Keyler Navas and a bag of crisps!

The fixtures will come thick and fast during the remainder of December with United playing twice a week and that could continue through January depending on whether we get through to the League Cup Semi Final and any potential FA Cup Replay.

It's a tough time but Pogba is back next week and the squad has the depth to cope with the fixtures. I am hoping United can kick on with the wins to really put the Manchester derby defeat behind us and I am sure there is enough character in the squad to do that.

There is plenty of football and silverware to be played for and Sunday is not going to hold back the team. United can't afford to slip up though with the top four chase looking like one that could go down to the wire, but I believe the boys will get back to winning ways on Wednesday and that will help build some momentum to take into the new calendar year.