Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (November 28-29)

The last month has been very busy with some big changes coming up in my personal life which had taken away some of my focus and time to put up the posts I have wanted to.

Things are settling down somewhat at the moment and that should present more opportunities for me especially with the College Football season winding down and the tennis Tour on a break until the new calendar year.


Another round of Premier League fixtures are in the books in November and now the teams will be looking 'forward' to the big December and January schedule which means a lot of games are going to be played over the next six weeks. There are final European matches for the 2015 year to be completed as well as League Cup Quarter Finals, a number of quick rounds in the League before the FA Cup Third Round in the first week of the New Year.

Busy times ahead, but here is a quick look back at the action that took place this weekend.

Have Aston Villa Already Left Themselves With Too Much to Do to Avoid Relegation?

After going down to a 2-3 home loss to Watford, the Premier League table doesn't make for good reading for Aston Villa fans. The side have managed to earn just five points all season and that leaves them seven points behind Sunderland in 17th place and some of the fans must be looking at The Black Cats with some envious eyes.

I was not convinced of the Remi Garde appointment as manager simply because he has had no Coaching experiences in England. Yes he is a former Arsenal player, but that doesn't mean he understands the inner workings of the Premier League and I think most Aston Villa fans would have preferred someone like Sam Allardyce who has experience and the resume to back up his ability to keep teams in the top flight.

Allardyce might not be to everyone's liking, but his performance at Sunderland would just have underlined what he can do with limited squads who look completely out of the required quality to stay in this League. Most thought Sunderland were doomed when Allardyce took over but the manager has guided them out of the bottom three while Aston Villa have remained as terrible as they were before Garde took over.

A 4-0 loss at Everton followed by a 2-3 defeat at home against Watford has left Aston Villa in a very difficult spot in the League table and there are little signs their new manager is going to help them turn things around.

The next few weeks are crucial for Aston Villa and perhaps already for their manager- they play at Southampton, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Sunderland in that time with home games against Arsenal and West Ham United. Anything less than 8 points from those games might not be good enough and see teams moving too far in front of Aston Villa.

A lack of experience in the squad, which was pointed out by Micah Richards this week too, doesn't suggest Aston Villa have the characters to get out of their current predicament and this could be a club that becomes one of a host of 'sleeping giants' struggling to get out of the Championship.

Is Steve McClaren's Position as Manager of Newcastle United Untenable?

Last week we heard reports that Steve McClaren had got into the faces of a number of the Newcastle United squad after the 0-3 home loss to Leicester City. Most notable of the names was the Captain Fabricio Coloccini and McClaren didn't dispute the reports later in the week.

The former England manager would have been hoping for a big reaction and must have been pleased to see his side take a 0-1 lead at Crystal Palace this weekend.

That was as good as it got for McClaren though as Newcastle United slumped to a 5-1 defeat, the second time they had led an away game only to lose by at least four goals this season.

The former much maligned manager of Newcastle United sat in the opposition dugout and must have felt a huge amount of sympathy for McClaren after hearing the fans turn on him during this loss. It was the same fans that effectively made it easy for Alan Pardew to return to Selhurst Park, this time as manager of Crystal Palace, and I am not sure how long McClaren is going to get.

I do believe he is a capable manager, but the last few months have been difficult for him first at Derby County and now at Newcastle United. Falling out with the players might mean they have given up playing for McClaren and the fans have certainly turned against him now with a number of heavy losses behind him.

You have to feel another home defeat this weekend to Liverpool might see Mike Ashley make the move at manager having seen Sunderland respond impressively to their new manager, but I have no idea who would want to take this job. There is no investment being made to further the club on the pitch and it is all about the bottom line off it which is resulting in another relegation scrap.

It isn't good enough for the fans and relegation would be a huge blow from a financial standpoint for Ashley which may result in McClaren being the fall guy.

Wayne Rooney's Position in the Manchester United Team Finally Under Threat

There has been a clear downward trend in the Wayne Rooney performances over the last couple of years to the point that David Moyes' biggest mistake as manager of Manchester United might have been to ignore Sir Alex Ferguson and offer England's leading goalscorer a new contract.

Perhaps Sir Alex saw this downward spiral coming and he recognised that Rooney's best days were behind him, or perhaps he was settling an old score, but it has reached this point where Rooney's position in the team has been openly questioned by many.

Anyone who has watched Manchester United play will recognise that there have ben problems.

Forget all the media who make excuses that he is not a Number 8, 9, 10, 11, and forget others who want to blame Louis Van Gaal for all of Rooney's problems and just look at the basic attributes of the player.

The first touch has never been great, but it looks a lot worse when the pace has disintegrated to the point that he can't recover those mistakes. The passing in the final third to create chances have been wayward on too many occasions and Rooney is struggling to find the space in the box to try and fashion any chances.

That has resulted on him getting deeper and deeper, but so many attacks have come to an end with the ball at his feet- either a misplaced pass to no one or losing the ball to the opponent has become a far too common feature of his play and he is clearly not a top class footballer any more.

When the best argument people have for Rooney is 'how effective he was five years ago', you know those same people are recognising a spent force but are unable to separate their emotions from the performances they see.


So the result at Leicester City wasn't the best, but for the first time Louis Van Gaal yanked an ineffective Wayne Rooney from the field of play at a point in the game where Manchester United didn't have the game won.

It has been a long time coming to put it bluntly.

Too often it has felt his Captain privileges meant his poor performances were being overlooked while the likes of Anthony Martial and Ander Herrera were being forced to play in unfamiliar positions or left on the substitute bench.

Van Gaal spoke of a small injury being carried by Rooney, but I am hoping he has seen the problems being caused by a player who has been far below average for far too long. Maybe having some time spent out of the first eleven would help Rooney rediscover some of the energy that has been sorely lacking in his play even if I personally think he is finished at this level and needs to be moved on in the summer if that is possible.

Maybe Rooney goes on a big run over Christmas and silences some of his doubters? Personally I think it is more likely he will continue struggling to influence the play while being a chief culprit in the poor Manchester United performances in the final third, but hopefully Saturday has proved to be the point when Van Gaal has said enough is enough and EVERYONE should be responsible for their performances, Captain or not.

Has the Diego Costa-Jose Mourinho Relationship Broken Down Irretrievably?

I am using words you may find more common when you read of reasons for a divorce, but that might be where Diego Costa and Jose Mourinho are effectively heading too.

After being left off the bench through the entirety of a goalless draw at White Hart Lane, Diego Costa was caught on camera at what looked like an attempt to throw his bib at Jose Mourinho.

That comes just days after Mourinho admitted they had a half time 'kiss and cuddle' following an argument coming off against Norwich City.

It is clear that Mourinho has tried his best to get his players to rally in what has been a poor campaign for them to date and one that leaves them looking unlikely to get back into the Champions League through their League position. Diego Costa has been a figure that has taken a lot of criticism because he is no longer scoring the goals that had people forget his tendency to wind up opponents and get into the greyer areas of what you can do on a football pitch.

Without the goals Costa is nothing more than a wind up merchant and that isn't going to be enough for Chelsea.

Perhaps now that attitude is beginning to rub Mourinho up the wrong way and what looks like a falling out between two stubborn characters is unlikely to be resolved quickly. Diego Costa showed last year he can be a very good player, but he has been set back by a niggling injury which never seems to be fully healed and I am not surprised Chelsea are being linked with bring in replacements.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Costa heading back to Spain at the end of the season too as he has become a player that is more of a problem for his own team than he has been to opponents.

Who is the Premier League Title Favourite Heading into December?

Some people might think it is disrespectful I have an image that doesn't include Leicester City but does include Chelsea.

To be fair Chelsea would only be in as the current Champions, but it would take something special for them to win the title from the position they are in.

In terms of Leicester City, if they are still within touching distance going into the New Year, I will change my mind about a team who have overachieved but have big challenges ahead.

Both Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur would perhaps take a top four berth ahead of a title challenge this season but there is only 6 points between Liverpool in 6th and Manchester City leading the Division as teams fail to put a consistent run together.

Despite my questions about Wayne Rooney, Manchester United have a set of fixtures prior to Christmas that can see them lead the way as long as they take the points expected. If there is a genuine title challenge brewing at Old Trafford, Manchester United have to win home games against West Ham United and Norwich City and also win at Bournemouth before tougher tests on Boxing Day and December 28th.

However, I am not sensing United will have enough goals and I truly can't look beyond Manchester City to reclaim the title at this point of time.

Manchester City have the deepest squad and they might be getting healthier now at a time when the whole squad is going to need to be utilised. I place them above the rest of the League in terms of quality at their disposal, while they seemingly have more character than Arsenal who are fighting through injuries and dropping points they shouldn't be.

There are only 2 points between Manchester City and Arsenal and they do have a big game days before Christmas at The Emirates Stadium, but the latter have just slipped up of late.

I have had a look at what the League table may look like when the FA Cup Third Round weekend is played and I think there is a chance that things are as tight as they are the moment in terms of points differential. I have Leicester City slipping down the table from their current heady heights of 2nd and have the side down in 7th place, and have the top of the table in the same positions other than Leicester moving out.

With the quick turnaround of fixtures during December and the turn of the year, it is easy for things to change through injuries, suspensions or simply tiredness, but it does set the Premier League up to be an exciting five months to decide the title.

It is just still hard to look past Manchester City as being the team to beat.

Weekend Football Thoughts 2015 (October 24-25)

Another domestic weekend is in the books and there have been many stories coming out of the games that were played this weekend. With ten fixtures been played by each team, the Premier League table is beginning to take shape and there has to be some real concerns developing at some clubs while others are perhaps looking forward to what could be the most memorable of seasons.

Tim Sherwood Unfortunate but Relegation is Too Costly for Aston Villa

Tim Sherwood has overseen a really poor run of form for Aston Villa, but I still think he deserved a bit more time to try and get things right at the club. However you can't argue against the fact that there are clearly some issues between the manager and the transfer committee of the club which has transferred onto the pitch and left Aston Villa in a disastrous position.

They are far from doomed and that is why I would have given Sherwood a little more time to get things turned around, but the Premier League is about to receive a huge investment in terms of money next season. That has clearly played a part in the decision to sack Tim Sherwood at this stage of the season and it is no surprise that financial matters are being considered by every club in the Premier League.

Is it any wonder that two of the three teams in the bottom three places of the Premier League have made moves in terms of replacing the manager that began the season?

With the money coming into the Premier League, relegation for teams like Aston Villa won't just be an issue in the short-term, but also the long-term and I think a team that has been flirting with relegation for some time will find it very difficult to recover their place in the top flight. The squad hasn't been given the kind of experience that Sherwood had been demanding in the summer and that also adds to the sense of misfortune in him being sacked at this stage.

Aston Villa don't look very good and it will take some real work from the new manager being appointed to get them out of a difficult spot. It is a shame Sherwood hasn't been given the opportunity to push the team on after helping them avoid relegation at the end of last season, but money talks as they say and Aston Villa can't afford to miss out on the big financial pay outs expected in the Premier League next year.

Where do Aston Villa go? I'd pick someone who has experience of managing in the Premier League and perhaps they are a little gutted they didn't move for someone like Sam Allardyce before he took the Sunderland job. It isn't the most attractive of jobs though with their transfer structure likely to put some off, while others might not feel they can get the best out of a squad that looks limited.

It's going to be a big call whichever direction Aston Villa take and one that might be crucial to the future of the club and their long-term prospects of being a Premier League club and not joining the likes of Leeds United and Nottingham Forest as 'sleeping giants' in the Championship.

Are Chelsea's Top Four Ambitions Now Under Threat?

That was a fantastic image captured from the West Ham United win over Chelsea this weekend and the question about The Blues defending the title they won last season looks to be answered.

I can't see how they get back into the title race being eleven points behind after only ten games played and I don't care that there are eighty-four points still to play for.

The bigger fear for Chelsea is doubts that might begin to crop up surrounding their place in the top four as they continue to lurch from one disastrous result to another. They have no momentum and every time it looks like Chelsea have taken a step in the right direction they end up taking two steps backwards.

Jose Mourinho is definitely under some huge pressure with reports that he will be sacked if Chelsea fail to beat Liverpool next week in the Premier League, while the League Cup game at Stoke City has taken on a whole new level of importance. I wouldn't begin to think of the direction that Chelsea would take if they do dispense of Mourinho mid-season, but perhaps someone like Guus Hiddink would be willing to come in and complete the season for Chelsea.

Something is certainly not right at Stamford Bridge and it looks like they haven't made half the investments that Jose Mourinho wanted this summer to keep the Champions moving forward. It is beginning to look more and more doubtful that Mourinho will finish the season though and Chelsea could have to face the same issues as Manchester United after David Moyes in needing someone to come in and have a huge investment to refresh this squad of players that have some ageing issues throughout.

Are Arsenal Ready to Challenge for the Premier League Title?

With Chelsea struggling mightily and Manchester City yet to have a full season with a clear bill of health, Arsenal might just feel they have their best chance in years to end the long wait for the Premier League title. This is a team at their peak in terms of confidence and another win at the weekend has kept the momentum behind them.

I have been a pretty harsh critic of Arsene Wenger in the past, but I was impressed with the tactical set up of the team to beat Bayern Munich and he really has the team playing well after some early season stumbles.

Results this weekend mean Arsenal are only behind Manchester City thanks to an inferior goal difference, but the next two weeks can tell us all we need to know about their title credentials. A trip to Swansea City followed by a home game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League are two tough tests for Arsenal and made a little more difficult knowing they have a big game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in between those fixtures.

I'd make Arsenal a pretty strong favourite to win both of those League games though, but I still think there is a vulnerable side to the team that would see them drop points in previous years. So winning those games would make me sit up and really think Arsenal could stay the course if they can maintain health.

Keeping Mesut Ozil performing at his current level will be difficult too, but the German international is a top player who might just have found his groove in the Premier League. Alexis Sanchez, Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud give Arsenal enough goals and Gabriel looks a solid partner to Laurent Koscielny at the back.

Petr Cech made some big saves again and highlighted his importance to the club and Arsenal could be flying before they play Manchester City in December. The Gunners meet Swansea City, Tottenham Hotspur, West Brom, Norwich City, Sunderland and Aston Villa before the clash with Manchester City and picking up 16 points from a possible 18 might have them going into that game as the team on top of the Premier League.

One of the North East Premier League Teams will be Relegated

Both Sunderland and Newcastle United are in a big trouble when it comes to potentially being relegated this season from the Premier League and I would be more than a little surprised if both managed to escape the bottom three again.

Last season I was convinced one or both were going to be relegated going into the final couple of months of the season, but they found enough form to get out of trouble at just the right time.

I saw the highlights of Sunderland's win over Newcastle United this weekend and I think both teams will have a very difficult time getting out of trouble this season. Out of the two I definitely think Newcastle United have more quality in the ranks that will see them find a way, but Sunderland's luck may have run out.

I do actually rate Sam Allardyce as a manager and the 3-0 win over Newcastle United will give his players a boost in confidence and while the November games are difficult, they do also give Sunderland a chance to pick up some vital points. However, I can't ignore the lack of quality that is in the squad and the fact they were outplayed up until Newcastle United had Fabriccio Coloccini sent off at the end of the first half.

One of these teams will be relegated in my book and I would still think Sunderland are most in danger of being that team if only one was to go down and that despite the 3-0 derby win.

Wayne Rooney Has to be Taken Out of the Firing Line

Louis Van Gaal might be fed up with answering questions about Wayne Rooney's form, or lack of form I should say, but the fans are also getting a little tired of what are sub-standard performances from the captain.

I'll never be a fan of Wayne Rooney myself, but I'm not foolish enough to say that he did give Manchester United some pace and power and was a threat for them through the years.

Did... Past tense.

The pace and power have diminished significantly from the player he was in 2008, which isn't a surprise considering he has hit 30, but the rest of the game is quickly following suit. The first touch is outrageously bad and was the cause of a number of attacks falling apart in the Manchester derby, while even the much vaunted passing, mostly from members of the media, was pretty disastrous too.

He isn't a Number 9 though is he? That's the latest from the media, but then again he hasn't been a Number 8, Number 10, Number 11 either despite members of that profession regularly pointing out he isn't in his best position. However, they then will point to the other four positions as he is best before changing their mind again and the situation seems simple to me.

Wayne Rooney has to be taken out of the starting eleven and allowed to try and rediscover some form and confidence which is clearly lacking at the moment.

For the life of me I am not sure why Louis Van Gaal has moved Anthony Martial out from the Number 9 position... Martial has everything Rooney doesn't and that's the kind of skills that would scare almost every centre half in the world. He has pace, fast feet that can see him beat a man and comfortable holding up the ball as well as making runs over the top of defences that might want to press up the pitch.

Martial would have been all that Rooney wasn't and challenged both Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi on Sunday, but instead they had a pretty easy afternoon.

Wayne Rooney is unlikely to play his part against Middlesbrough in the Capital One Cup, but Louis Van Gaal has a big decision to make in whether his captain is going to be allowed to continue to get away with his poor performances. I think it has been going on for too long already and maybe the return of Ashley Young from injury to play on the left and moving Martial to his favoured position will spark that change being made.

United Corner- Community Shield 2013 (August 11th)

 United Corner- Community Shield 2013 (August 11th)

There are still times when I have woken up at times this summer and sat down to see what Sir Alex Ferguson has said about upcoming matches/transfer targets/injury reports and then remembered the greatest manager this country has ever produced is no longer in charge of the club.

I have been up and down many times since the announcement was made last May that Sir Alex was stepping down- at times I just can't quite process seeing United play at Old Trafford without the man who transformed the club in 26 years being in the dugout; But I then think this is also an exciting new time in the history of the club.

Many others out there will be just as excited and intrigued about the new season and we all knew that Sir Alex would have to step down sooner rather than later, especially with the rumours in the fanzines about his chances of being in charge in the next couple of years being clear for all to read.

The first big decision was appointing David Moyes as manager and I know there are plenty of fans and critics getting ready to pile down on him but all the fans would do well to remember what was advised by Ferguson in his farewell speech to the crowd at Old Trafford- 'your job now is to stand by our new manager'.

The fixture list has given Moyes a real test to open the season with games at Swansea, Liverpool and Manchester City and a home game against Chelsea in the first five fixtures and I think that would have been a tough period for even the great manager we had to negotiate. I really hope the fans realise that Moyes will need time to stamp his authority on the team and how he wants them to play and there will be some teething problems. It will be up to the senior players to try and maintain some sort of easy transition, but I am expecting tough times this season- you have to remember, United had a number of comeback wins last season and those games can easily go the other way, while I expect both Chelsea and Manchester City to put in a full Championship challenge under new managers.

Obviously I think both Ed Woodward and David Moyes would have hoped to have had a couple of new signings enter the club since the latter officially took over as manager on July 1st, but two high profile players we have been linked with have not been forthcoming.

I think it is a lesson to a new Chief Executive and a new manager that a public chase of a player can lead to egg in the face if it doesn't pan out- the last thing United need is to look like a club that can't attract the talent they are after, which is an angle the media will surely be running if they haven't already. Woodward and Moyes may be better served following the David Gill-Sir Alex Ferguson approach of conducting business behind closed doors, unless of course that has been the whole plan all along and the Fabregas chase was a mere diversion.

Personally, I always thought Maruoane Fellaini would be coming along with Moyes so I wouldn't be disappointed if the Belgian is indeed one of the summer signings, although I will also understand those who may feel underwhelmed after United were linked with both Thiago and Cesc Fabregas of Barcelona. I am of the belief that Fellaini can at least give us a presence in midfield when it comes to battling the midfield that City can put on the field, although my biggest concern would be playing the Belgian behind Robin Van Persie in a similar manner Everton employed him last season.

That position could be open if the sale of Wayne Rooney does take place in this transfer window, although the story has been rumbling on ever since Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he didn't use him in the squad for the game against Swansea because he had asked for a transfer.

I don't think keeping an unhappy player, who has requested a move twice in the last three years, is worth it, especially not one whose contract is running out in two years from now. However, selling him to Chelsea just looks like a move that would end up biting United in the backside and I can see Rooney having a big season there, even if he has already hit his peak as a footballer. Many thought last season that the signing of Van Persie would determine which of the Manchester clubs would win the League and I have a nagging feeling that something similar would happen if Chelsea do get their man, as I expect they will come September 2.

Regardless of what the squad looks like once the transfer window closes, there will be some pressure on David Moyes to try and get the best out a team that won the League comfortably last season. I just hope we will stick by him and all those that attend Old Trafford give the team the full support that they will likely need at times. The season kicks off on Sunday with the traditional curtain raiser and it is a good chance for Moyes to at least help United pick up some silverware before the big kick off next Saturday.

Manchester United v Wigan Athletic Pick: I think most people would have expected Manchester City to be playing Manchester United in the Community Shield, but the former failed to beat Wigan Athletic in the Final of the FA Cup and it is the latter that will play at Wembley for the second time in three months.

It is a season of firsts for Wigan as they will play in their first Community Shield after winning their first FA Cup, while the fans will also enjoy their first foray into European football, but at the end of the day they are a team that are in the Championship after not being good enough in the Premier League.

The Latics have lost Roberto Martinez as manager for this season too and there are a number of players that are still at the DW Stadium that will certainly be tempted to move on before the end of the transfer window. However, the side have made some good purchases likes James McClean and Grant Holt, but there is still a class difference between themselves and Manchester United.

I expect a full squad, bar Wayne Rooney, to travel to London for United this weekend and I expect a team that will be very similar to the one that starts against Swansea next weekend in the Premier League opening game. David Moyes will be aware that this gives him a great chance to show that it is business as usual at Old Trafford and that means winning another trophy- it would also ease any talk of him not having won anything in his career as a manager, something that will be brought up again if United fail to win this game.

United have dominated Wigan in their meetings, winning 16 of 17 including a couple of 4-0 wins last season. Owen Coyle also oversaw a 5-0 and 3-0 loss against Manchester United when he last managed against them as Bolton Wanderers manager. It has to be kept in mind that teams do still see this as a last pre-season game, although Wigan have begun their Championship campaign with a 0-4 win at Barnsley, but I expect United to make a statement about their chances for the season and I like United to win by a couple of goals at least.

MY PICKS: Manchester United - 1.5 Asian Handicap @ 2.05 Pinnacle (2 Units)

United Corner (August 26 2012)

And just like that, we have got through the first week of the new football season and you can hear those fans that are disappointed, those that are satisfied and those that have been given new hope as to how this year will develop for their club.

In my first 'United Corner' last week, I wrote that I was looking forward to the new season after the signing of Robin Van Persie, but I still have some concerns about the engine room of the side and whether we have enough in the midfield area to really make progress.

However, I was also of the belief that the options we have in that area were going to be good enough for the Premier League, but perhaps see us come short in Europe. I also thought a 4 point return from the first two games of the season would have been a good start to build upon.


The game at Everton on Monday night was largely disappointing for United in that we never seemed to get into the game and really sit out to control the tempo. We had a couple of half chances here and there, but there was always the fear that Everton were going to be the ones to get the breakthrough and they did look the better team on the night.

Injuries obviously played a big part in the team selection, but it looked a side that was going to need a bit of luck to get away with a win although I still believed it was going to be strong enough to avoid defeat.

To be honest, that may have been the 'opening game' positives spreading through the heart which eventually blocked any thoughts in the mind that Everton were a good enough side to take advantage and go on and win the game.

At the end of the day, losing a game at Goodison Park which is due to start in the evening can happen (read Citeh losing there last season on a Wednesday night), but the manner of the loss is what will determine the mood and feelings I take from it.

On this occasion, I was vastly disappointed with the performance and felt there were too many lacklustre performers in the team that needed to question themselves and truly ask if they had given enough.

One of those was Nani, a player that seems to divide the United faithful into two camps that think he is good enough and those that think he isn't... I can't really fit into either category with any conviction, although I will fully admit to tearing my hair out when watching him play. Nani continues to be frustratingly inconsistent, and he doesn't seem to have any middle ground in his performances- he will either give you an 8.5/10 or a 1.5 but never a game where he is between those numbers.

Unfortunately for us, we saw one of his 1.5 games on Monday night when he can't cross the ball (how many times did he hit the first defender in open play and from set pieces?!), makes the wrong decision when he is in a promising position and generally looks like someone who wouldn't be out of place in a Non-League side.

Some of this could be down to him really wanting to prove himself in the light that he hasn't been offered a contract extension despite seemingly want to commit his future to the club, but it's not the first time he has been a let-down for United and his inconsistencies mean it surely won't be the last (unless sold in the transfer window as some suggest).

Another who didn't impress on Monday night was Wayne Rooney, so often a match winner for United but a player who continued in the fashion that I have become accustomed to in the last twelve months. There hasn't been much competition for Rooney in the starting line up in that time and while the goals have kept coming, there has been a lack of energy (for want of a better word) in his play and almost a lethargic attitude.

It's almost like Rooney had fallen into a comfort zone knowing he would be playing in all the important matches and perhaps he even began thinking that he was 'too good' to be dropped with the lack of competition for him (these are just theories on my part and I have no concrete evidence to suggest they are true). With the introductions of Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, there is now some real options to bring into the side and, as it turned out, Rooney can now be given a 'rest' when the performances are not quite up to scratch.

It wasn't all doom and gloom at Goodison though, with Kagawa looking like a neat and tidy player that will be a positive to what we already had in the squad. With Fergie so often playing a 4-3-3 in the big games, Kagawa will be an upgrade to the position that Ji Sung Park so often took up for United and he looks a player much more comfortable on the ball and a little cleverer with the passes he plays.


Despite all the disappointment of the defeat at Goodison Park, I was still pretty positive about United's chances this season (how many other teams are going to win at Everton after all was the thinking) and the only surprise from the United team sheet on Saturday was the fact that I had predicted all but one of the players- try playing that game every week and guess the team Fergie will start and see how many times you get it right this season(!)

It was great to see Van Persie and Kagawa both get off the mark in their Old Trafford careers, especially the former as you just know the media were itching to get on a 'witch hunt' like the one they enjoyed when Torres couldn't hit a cow's backside with a banjo in his early Chelsea career.

However, I am a glass half empty kind of guy and the sloppiness of the two goals we conceded against Fulham were disappointing, while we were kind of hanging on at the end for the three points. The injury to Rooney will be a big miss, especially if he is missing for the game at Anfield on September 23, while I still have big reservations about a midfield that can't get a grip on a match.

I know a lot of United fans are high on Tom Cleverley and what he can do for our team, but I just can't see it... He played pretty well when we got in front and he was happy to have the ball at 3-1, but before that (OK fine it was only ten minutes) and after Fulham made it 3-2, he no longer demanded the ball, he was careless in possession and he refused to get forward with the ball.

He gained a lot of respect for his early season form last year, but I don't think he is the solution to the problems we have had for over four years now. As I say, he does do the little things well, but he doesn't do enough for me when we need a midfielder to take the ball on.

I barely noticed him at Goodison Park and I really wasn't that impressed with him yesterday- it's far too easy to want a ball when you're leading by a couple of goals, but it's a different story when you need someone to take the ball and get some composure in the side by leading possession.

In the second half, Cleverley and Anderson (I can't be the only one that thinks he has put on the pounds since he was last in action for us) both allowed too much space for the Fulham midfield to exploit and that leads me to the impressive Moussa Dembele.

Dembele has been linked with United in the transfer window and he looked like a player that would really bring some much needed dynamism into our midfield- he was comfortable bringing the ball forward through the midfield and linking up with the forward men, while he could also beat players with his quick feet. There were at least three occasions he beat a couple of men in the middle of the park and had United on the back foot and would give Fergie a different look in that area of the pitch.

We just don't have a player that is comfortable driving with the ball and forcing defenders to make decisions whether to go to the man or track the run of the forward players and we have even fewer players that can actually beat a man- even the likes of Ashley Young have been almost scared to try and take their man on in a dribble and these are all elements that could improve our side in my opinion, elements that Dembele would bring.

Do I think we will get him? Probably not at this late stage, but you can't blame me for believing that someone will see that we need to bring in someone into the midfield.


Finally, the strangest thing I have head all week about United is that Fergie has been banning hacks for getting a news story RIGHT- huh? Three journalists have been banned from future press conferences because they had written Rio Ferdinand would be missing at Everton and it just continues to see the press conferences becoming a bunch of 'Fergie cronies' that won't dare to ask anything of interest in fear of not being invited back.

Personally I don't see how this to the interest of the fans who are keen to hear about some of the bigger issues at Old Trafford (not related to Glazers who are clearly off the agenda), but I am guessing the 'real fans' are the only ones invited.