Time to take United seriously again

It has been a while since United fans have been able to confidently talk about their team.
Last season was a disaster under David Moyes as he took the reds from 1^st to 7^th place. Louis van Gaal eventually took over, and United have just won their fourth game in a row. That is not exactly a mind blowing statistic, but the recent performances suggest Manchester United have finally got their mojo back.

It all started on a Saturday night at the Emirates. Arsenal controlled most of the first half, but De Gea who turned out to be one of the stars of the show kept United in the match. Valencia ended up drilling a deflected shot into the back of the net, and from that point onward it was a case of defending well and picking Arsenal off on the counter. Di Maria and Rooney linked up devastatingly and it could have ended 0-3. 

The classic counter-attack ripped Arsenal to ribbons.

Hull City next, and United passed them to death. It was arguably one of United’s most dominant performances since Ferguson departed. The fans are beginning to watch confident performances which were non-existent last season. 

Considering there have been 41 different injuries since van Gaal took over. United have coped miraculously and with them comfortably sat in fourth spot already, what is going to happen when a fully fit squad is available?

The biggest mystery this season has been the defence. More defencive injuries have occurred than any other season. It is impossible to build a solid defence without a consistent back four. According to most experts, the back four is United’s weakness. Maybe so, or is that just a scapegoat?

When you have van Persie, Falcao and Rooney up-front, with Di Maria on the wing, how can other departments in the team live up to that. Since that strange game against Leicester City, United have conceded 0.88 goals per game. Hardly a crisis. 

What defensive crisis?

In terms of momentum, the Stoke win was a huge one. It was a hard fought victory, grinded out right until the end. In the past, the best teams have grinded out victories to win the title. This season United will not get near the title, because Mourinho has had a whole year to build his team. They are miles ahead. 

My argument is how good will this United team be once van Gaal has had a year to build. The good signs are certainly there and it is time to take United seriously. Under Moyes United would get rolled over but Old Trafford is a fortress again. I am confident this team will only go from strength to strength. The good times will be back soon.  

United are back and they have not abandoned their philosophy

The David Moyes experiment was a disaster from start to finish, with only a few moments of joy. Inevitably after failing to secure transfer targets in the summer of 2013, it was going to be a struggle. Failure of progression causes stagnation, and missing out on key targets was a major problem. Although Moyes acquired a team of champions, he was not able to inspire the players anywhere near the levels that were demanded by United’s predecessor. Moyes was successful in keeping hold of Wayne Rooney, now United’s captain, and persuading Adnan Januzaj to sign a five year contract which should be praised. He also prized Juan Mata from Chelsea, a fantastic asset for the side, when played his favoured number 10 role. Unfortunately for Moyes, taking one of the biggest clubs in the world from top to mid-table is going to have its consequences, and he was eventually sacked.

Louis van Gaal is taking United back to the top.

Temporarily Ryan Giggs took over, but United have now entered a new era with Louis van Gaal.

First of all, van Gaal is a winner. He has achieved great success with every team he has managed, and won the league with all of them. In Europe he has also won the Champions League, so it is clear that he can deliver triumphs and trophies. Van Gaal took an average Holland side to the World Cup Semi-Final and United had a great pre-season defeating Real Madrid and Liverpool. It should not be startling that the Manchester United fans have regained their belief. There is a new sense of optimism. The transfer window has just slammed shut, and it is hard to believe the players that have been signed after the disaster that occurred last summer. United signed six excellent players, with two in the world class bracket, Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria. Incredibly, Manchester United are still being criticised for their actions. There has been talk of United mirroring Real Madrid’s ‘Galactico’ philosophy, and disapproval on United abandoning their traditions and losing their emphasis in youth. These claims are wrong.

Wilson scored twice on his debut in the Premier League.

The Manchester United philosophy is about winning and succeeding at the highest level.  Change had to happen because this was not the case last season. The other big clubs in the country had stormed ahead. United were miles behind in terms of quality. Success in this transfer window means they are back and they can compete at the top again. Many argued their beliefs have been thrown away with the sale of Danny Welbeck, but if you had the choice of playing Falcao or Welbeck up front, who would it be? Fans need reminding that Welbeck forced the move, understandable as he was not shown enough faith from van Gaal. He felt his chances would be even more limited this season with only 35 league games and the FA Cup fixtures to play in. 

How far can Radamel Falcao take United this season?

 United gave James Wilson and Tom Lawrence their league debuts at the end of last season. Jesse Lingard and Tyler Blackett were given their debuts this season. There are currently 12 home-grown players in the squad, but United have supposedly abandoned their youth. Ultimately, the youth system cannot be relied upon and quality was and has always been needed. If a mid-table position became a regular occurrence, then the top youth players might avoid joining the club, causing further problems. It was surprising to see United compared to City and Chelsea, when both clubs have only 2 home-grown players in their squads. There is also this dispute that United have overspent. £31.7m has been spent per major trophy in the last 10 years. Chelsea spent £53m, Liverpool £60m and City £132m. United have not abandoned their philosophy, or their youth, but have addressed key areas which were not amended by David Moyes. The fans now have a team and a squad that they are happy with again, and once this team gels, will surely challenge near the top of the table. It would be hard to imagine a team full of so many great players produce another season of failure. To get back into the Champions League would be a great achievement and anything else a bonus.

My England XI

The England squad for the 2014 World Cup has finally been announced by Roy Hodgson, and it's fair to say there haven't been any huge surprises. Michael Carrick was probably the biggest shock. We'll start in goal, with one of the easiest selections. Joe Hart will be England's goalkeeper at the World Cup. After a rocky start to the season, Hart has come back fighting and put in some fantastic performances, finishing the season strongly, with two clean sheets and a Premier League winners medal. Hopefully he can take this form into the World Cup. As for England's defence, the biggest disappointment for me, was Terry and Cole being left out. When you look at strong teams in the past, for club and country, they've all been very strong in defence, and built from the back.

Joe Hart will be England's number 1 this summer.

John Terry retired in late 2012 from England, due to personal issues, but when you look at how great his partnership has been with Cahill this season, it's a shame no one will get to see that partnership in Brazil. I would have taken Cole as well, he hardly played for Chelsea this season which eventually cost him his place, but his experience is invaluable, and only a few weeks ago he put in a sensational performance at Anfield, showing football fans that he's still more than capable. The best English right back this season has been Glen Johnson, so my back four would have been Johnson, Cahill, Terry and Cole. An experienced back four, most of whom are used to playing with each other at club level.

The England partnership most fans wanted.

 Unfortunately, England will have to make do with a different back four. Johnson and Cahill will start, and Leighton Baines has had a brilliant season at left back for Everton. Having played a number of games for England already, his experience will secure his position over Luke Shaw. So who will pair up with Gary Cahill? Based on European experience at the highest level, defending against some of the best teams in the world including Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, I would go with Phil Jones. Someone who kept Frank Ribery in his back pocket this season. Not to mention, his brilliant performance in man marking Cristiano Ronaldo last year.  If Phil Jagielka had an extra yard of pace in him then he would have been my pick. Chris Smalling can also play at centre back, but I think most would agree Jones is the better player at the moment.

Phil Jones with another defensive masterclass.

 The midfield players that Roy Hodgson has chosen brings a good balance to the squad. Not only is there the experience of Gerrard, Lampard and Milner, but there have also been a good number of younger players chosen. Gerrard is captain of England, and everybody knows he will start, in fact I think he is the only player that is really capable of protecting the back four. That is why I was surprised Carrick wasn't included. Who will play in the defensive midfield role if Gerrard gets injured? Hopefully that doesn't happen, as I mentioned in my second paragraph, I am all for strong partnerships. This is why I would pair Henderson with Gerrard. He has no doubt been one of the best box to box midfielders in the Premier League and Liverpool suffered without him this season. I did not rate him at all last year, but he's come on leaps and bounds and deserves to play. It's so important to have hard working players off the ball.

Gerrard and Henderson had a fantastic midfield relationship for Liverpool this season.

On the wings, I've gone for someone who is really underrated and an up and coming talent. Raheem Sterling has been one of the most exciting young players in the Premier League this season and he has produced some unbelievable performances for a 19 year old. He's also built a partnership with Glen Johnson at right back. With Walcott injured, the only other serious contender for the right sided spot is James Milner. I'd argue he'd be a more suitable player if England needed to defend a lead, but if England want an exciting attacking team, Sterling has to be picked. On the left I'm going with Danny Welbeck. He may not be a world class striker, but he's regularly shifted out to the wing and his contribution to the team is often overlooked. He is known as a big game player, and possesses a strong drive and determination, with his tracking back and fight for the team. Off the ball, Welbeck and Henderson are England's best players, this is why they have to start.

Welbeck scored a crucial goal for England at Euro 2012.

 The strike force, will by far be the easiest selection for Roy Hodgson. Rooney and Sturridge scored 38 Premier League goals between them this season, and that speaks volumes. Hopefully they can build up a partnership and fire England to glory at the World Cup. Sturridge will play as a number 9, with Rooney in his favourite number 10 role. Rooney can play as a midfielder as well, which means this starting eleven can work perfectly in an attacking or defensive formation. The front four, all have goals in them, but Welbeck, Rooney and Sterling can tuck in to defend as a midfield five if they need to.

Can Rooney and Sturridge build a partnership this summer?

 Based on individual talent, they might not be anywhere near the 'Golden Generation' of 2006. However, that team didn't deliver and arguably this England side could work better as a team. They have a tough group and most fans will be very impressed if they get through. If they manage to do it, England will no doubt gain confidence and kick on from there. The toughest team they can face in the last 16 is the Ivory Coast, so a few positive results and England could be in the Quarter Finals. Considering no European team has ever won the World Cup in South American territory, I'm not betting on England's chances, but I'm hoping to see some positive results, with exciting attacking football.

My England XI:

Joe Hart

Glen Johnson
Phil Jones
Gary Cahill
Leighton Baines

Raheem Sterling
Steven Gerrard
Jordan Henderson
Danny Welbeck

Wayne Rooney
Daniel Sturridge

Why Big Sam should stay and the Hammers will survive

It has been a tough season for West Ham United. The Hammers fans have seen some humiliating defeats and as a result have been sucked into a relegation dog fight. In August I predicted them to have a strong season and the aim was to finish in the top 10. But for a number of reasons it hasn't swung their way. West Ham have their star players coming back, Allardyce is the right man for the job, and with some decent transfer business, I believe they will stay up.

I've kept a much closer eye on West Ham this season, because I've been lucky enough to do some commentary at Upton Park, a phenomenal experience which will hopefully continue. In the first few months, I was wondering what Allardyce was up to. Fair enough their main man Andy Carroll was injured, but I failed to understand how that was an excuse to play a 4-6-0 formation. The fans started to get on Allardyce's back as the results weren't good enough. Everyone was crying out for a striker to be played. It looked like the humiliation at Nottingham Forest was the final nail in the coffin. But I admire West Ham for sticking behind their manager and not following the sad trend of rich owners jumping the gun and sacking the boss. Allardyce has never taken a team down, so what was the problem and although he's not going to take you into a European position, he provides stability.

There is still a lot of work to do but if they keep their main players fit they'll be fine. Signing Antonio Nocerino will no doubt strengthen the midfield, he's an Italian international, and Marco Borriello will bolster their attacking options, no more 4-6-0 this season.. Roger Johnson also adds quality to their defence and it certainly seems that Allardyce has got more strength in depth now. The key to staying up will be getting the goals. Although West Ham have had a decent amount of clean sheets this season, they've lacked the goals to gain them crucial points.

Getting Andy Carroll back will be pivotal in doing this, he's been completely overshadowed by the big price tag and half decent career at Liverpool. He's a monster at the right end of the pitch, would you want to defend against him? Nolan has had a poor season but his partnership with Carroll will change that and I believe this will spur on the rest of the team. It's so tight at the bottom and anything can happen, but a few wins and you're getting close to the better side of the table.

If the Hammers keep their main players fit, they'll have a strong finish to the season and of course they'll stay up. Allardyce has plenty of experience from being in this situation following his days at Bolton. His laugh after the Chelsea game gave me the impression of a man in control. I sensed although he felt huge success from outwitting Mourinho, he is in total control, and will steer West Ham to safety.

Where do Manchester United go from here?

You can't win the title in your first ten Premier League games, but you can certainly lose it, and that is exactly what happened with Manchester United. They were unfortunate to have such a tough run of fixtures. United had to face Chelsea, and then Liverpool and Manchester City away so early on. United took one point from those games, below their normal standards, but it was their failure to bounce back that cost them. Dropping points at home to West Brom and Southampton were catastrophic.

United were blown away by Manchester City.

Traditionally United are known to score late goals to gain crucial points. This season, their failure to see games out, notably against Southampton and Cardiff, has cost United crucial points. I remember these matches and it wasn't because the manager made a mistake, the players were missing easy chances to kill the game off. After a poor start to their title defence, and seeing things I'd never seen before, such as booing at Old Trafford, David Moyes started to get the team going. It was always going to be tough for whoever took over. But United went on a run of six wins in a row in all competitions, a run that stretched through December and in and out of the Christmas period.

Adam Lallana snatches victory away from Manchester United.

The final hurdle was Spurs at home and the luck just wasn't on their side. United defended poorly, having said that they absolutely battered Spurs in the 2nd half and had seven attacking players on at one point, extraordinary. The referee was poor, but United can't look at this game and say the title was lost here. United lost at home to Spurs last season but still won the title, it was always a tough fixture. United's mistakes at the start of the season blew them away. I think David Moyes had probably hoped the teams further up the league would drop more points, but it just wasn't to be. So where do United go from here because it's not all doom and gloom, they had the perfect month in December.

United's form in December was almost perfect.

To climb the table, Moyes has to maintain the standard that has been set in the last month. The midfield desperately needs strengthening and signing players in this transfer window is crucial. If December's form can continue, they'll certainly climb the table and get into the top four. The title has long gone unless the top teams capitulate, which looks extremely unlikely. It was always going to be a transitional period but I believe Moyes will have built a top side by next season, if not the season after. Young players such as De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Cleverley, Jones, Januzaj and Welbeck shows that United have a bright future. With some key signings, this team will be up there with the best in the country, make no mistake about that.