Louis Van Gaal; the Julius Caesar of Football?

   Last night saw another lacklustre and diminishing united performance turn into yet another away defeat, and this time at the hands of a side who had just formed in 1999 a few months before United won that memorable Champions League at the Nou Camp. It is reminiscent of the Roman empire collapsing under the rein of Julius Caesar, Louis Van Gaal's United reign.  In the first season, there were signs of obvious improvement from the terrible previous season under David Moyes, but there were signs then of the paper papering over the cracks. This has transcended into this season, and Louis Van Gaal now boasts a shocking win percentage of just 49%, which is far worse than David Moyes, and this makes him the worst Manchester United manager in 35 years (Mail, 2016). 

(Louis Van Gaal looking like a broken and lost manager after loosing in Denmark.)

   However, before I start outlining where that Dutchman has gone horribly wrong, firstly I think its important to state what he has done right, which may be little but its still important nevertheless. Firstly, the signing of Anthony Marital, many mimicked Louis Van Gaal when he parted with nearly £60M for a relevantly unknown teenager playing his trade in a French league which is considered as fairly poor in comparison to the Premier league's quality. However since the first minute of his début against Liverpool, Martial has silenced his doubters and showed the football world that he will certainly not be the next flop and the next youngster to fail at United, and has scored an impressive 10 goals and 6 assists in 30 appearances for United. In years to come people will forget that he was indeed a Louis Van Gaal singing and many people thought it was another moment of madness, however all the evidence is there to suggest that Martial might very well one day, be amongst the worlds best. 

(Anthony Martial has been a positive aspect of Louis Van Gaal's reign.)

   Another big positive for me has been the way in which youth has extensively been given a massive chance this season, even though it may be a forced chance, we could have bought in January but instead Louis Van Gaal blooded youth and its great to see. Players such as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Guillermo Varela and Jesse Lingard have all hugely impressed this season when largely filling in the starting 11 due to a string of injuries, and it could be suggested that Louis Van Gaal has given the youth more of a chance than even Sir Alex Ferguson did back in his reign. So credit must be given where credit is due, and he has been brave in his fielding of many youth players this season, and these players will continue to grow and hopefully improve because of this trust implemented largely by the manager. 

   Furthermore, for me one of the main issues that I and many fans alike have with Louis Van Gaal is his lack of motivational presence or skills. He simply has none. Players want to see their manager on the sidelines giving them encouragement or issuing them instructions in time of struggle. When Untied conceded to Sunderland last weekend, Louis Van Gaal should have been on the touchline issuing instructions to his troops and trying to get a reaction out of them and reassuring them that there was still something left to gain from the match. But instead he showed no emotion and sat back in his chair working on his mystery novel in which he seems to spend most of the time he is on the bench doing. The best managers in current football, the likes of Arsene Wenger, Mauricio Pochettino, Jose Mourino and Jurgen Klopp spend the large majority of the time on the touchline encouraging and making players aware of what is expected of them and keeping them focused, and I feel this is sometimes the epitome of the reason why untied drift in and out of games and eventually lose. 

   The injury list for me is not to blame. Louis Van Gaal regularly blames united's bad luck and always references the injury list, but this is not a good enough excuse. In an era where injuries are a common occurrence and with the pace of the league, injuries are going to happen more and more and the manager in the summer should have paid more attention to this and not let as many players go as he did. I think its a very lazy excuse and in January more extensive efforts should have been made to sign players, even on loan in order to fill in for the injuries. The bad luck thing is the very epitome of a lost and finished manager. The constant references to bad luck and this being the reasoning of all the poor performances and results is the sign of a manager running out of ways to turn the ship around. Teams can have bad luck, but the ones in which normally have bad luck also comply this luck with equally good performances and you somewhat agree with the bad luck claim. However this is far from consistent with the terrible performances in which we have seen from untied this season, thus dispelling Louis Van Gaal's obvious bad luck message he continuously portrays to the media. 

(A beaten man?)

   Lastly, where is this this tactical genius that lead the Dutch national team to third place at the 2014 world cup? Because Louis Van Gaal certainly isn't that, very rarely this season have we seen a change of tactic and formation that has been executed well and lead the team to picking up points. This may very well be down to the team not being as good as Louis Van Gaal is used to, but in my opinion it is instead down to the fraud and the false tactical genius name tag that has been successfully applied to the Dutchman. Many fans and pundits were amazed that Marouane Fellaini, a player who for me wouldn't get into any other Premier League side was about to start 10 games in a row and perform badly in every one. At the same time leaving Ander Herrera, a player who normally makes a massive difference when he is involved, on the bench. Decisions like this and other strange tactical choices that Louis Van Gaal has made has led United to a massive demise and it very much looks like United are set to finish outside the top four and condemned to another trophy less season. Which is simply not good enough for a club the size and stature of Manchester United, 3 years without a trophy.

   Moving forward, I cannot believe that Louis Vaan Gaal has not yet been sacked. Any other organisation, company or employment position in the world he would have been relieved of his duties. This failure can only be put down to Ed Woodward, and his apparent lack of bottle, and his primary focus being on securing various sponsorship and money motivated deals for the club, which is great, but balance must be achieved between sponsorships and endorsements and actual team affair. It certainly looks as if Jose Mourinho will be arriving in the summer but for me that will just be the beginning of another transition phase in the club, and as we know, he is unlikely to be here for the long haul. For the sake of Champions League football and the reputation of the Football club I think action needs to be taken now, and to be specific, Louis Van Gaal should be removed of his duties with immediate effect.

Are Louis Van Gaal's methods Outdated?

   Many pundits, ex-players and supporters alike have recently expressed their sincere disappointment in in the way in which Louis Van Gaal has been supposedly setting Man United up to play. Manchester United has always been about fast paced, attacking football with the aim to always take opposition defenders on and exploit the wings with a high tempo style of play. However, recently it seems like the style in which the team has been playing could not be further apart from the Manchester United way in which we have known to love and admire. With four 0-0 draws emulating from the start of the 2015/16 season this shows the apparent defensive and largely conservative style of play that Manchester United have displayed thus far this season. A complete contrast from Sir Alex Ferguson's last draw under control of Manchester United, which ended against West Brom with a score of 5-5, a true representative score of a Manchester Untied era set on on playing entertaining and fulfilling football. 

   This style of play now seems a very long time ago, and as matches go by, even when Manchester United win, myself and fellow supporters are bored to tears at the conservative style and defensive front. The manager, Louis Van Gaal, when confronted with the questionable style of play seems to always say " we could have scored 3 goals" and that " we created many more chances than our opposition". But for me this explanation simply is not good enough. Any side can create chances and any side can create more chances than an opposition, however it appears that under the current management, he seems to be choosing almost to guard against losing matches instead of blowing sides away that we should be comfortably beating. At the 2014 World Cup, Holland under Louis Van Gaal played a dominative but attacking brand of football which led them to the Semi-Finals in an impressive style, scoring an impressive 15 goals in the tournament, the second highest total amongst. With this style of play that Louis Van Gaal implemented with the Dutch national team it had myself and other Manchester United fans full of excitement ahead of him taking over Manchester United and playing a similar style as to the one played at the 104 World Cup.  

   However, as we know things could not be more different, and as previously mentioned this season has seen fans become increasingly frustrated with the system and the boring style in which Louis Van Gaal has instead implemented. So where does the problem lie? For me its in the players that he has at his disposal. The attacking players simply are not good enough to play the system in which we as Manchester Untied fans are so used to. However some blame has to go down to Louis Van Gaal, he strangely let go players such as Javier Hernandez in the summer, himself blessed with a natural goalscoring aura and blistering pace. Also the sale of Di Maria, one of the best attacking players in Europe has to be questioned, and the possibility that more could have been done to convince him to stay and to find his place  in the team.  People may then form the argument that we have replaced these sales with Memphis and Anthony Martial, and yes I do feel that they will be huge players for Manchester United one day. But as of now, they are young, naive and not established players in which we need in order to be successful and play an attacking brand of football that will not only win games, but win in style. 

   The defensive side of performances has however dramatically improved and this must be recognised as a great feat by Louis Van Gaal. Under his predecessor, David Moyes Manchester United looked like a team who would always be leaky at the back, and conceded many goals every match, this has improved and Louis Van Gaal has transformed Chris Smalling into one of the best centre backs in the country, if not Europe. However he now needs to focus less on improving the reliability of attack and more on the level of threat that the attack can pose to opposition defences. I do feel that in January the manager must go out and by a fast paced, attacking winger such as Saido Mane or maybe even Gerard Deulofeu, who have both hugely impressed this season and the back end of last season. Both are proven Premier League players and I feel would hugely benefit the side and the attacking threat in which the side has. I also feel as if a proven world class striker would be a good purchase in January, as although Anthony Martial as previously mentioned has huge potential, I worry about the lack of competition and feel he could become stale. I see no reason why a striker like Karim Benzema, Alvaro Morata or Pierre Emerick-Aubemayang could not come to Old Trafford and bring the goals with them.

   I do still have faith in Louis Van Gaal. He has without a doubt improved the teams fortunes and after all we are still 2nd in the table, and have a good chance of going into the last 16 of the Champions League, so things are not as bad as some people think. However something does need to be done about the way we play, less backwards passes, more gamble in the balls we put forward, a higher tempo and a more attacking DNA needs to be implemented. I wand the older United style back where the aim is simply to score more than the other team and to focus on attack and then defence. Louis Van Gaal will get it right and as previously mentioned as massively improved the defensive vulnerabilities, and we can look forward to a hopefully successful second half of the season. 

Time for Wayne Rooney's doubters to reflect

   Tuesday 8th September 2015, Wembley stadium is rocking. Chants of: "Roooooney, Roooooney" are louder than ever and the star from Croxteth, Liverpool has just become the nation's leading goal scorer at the age of just 29.  The primary debate amongst pundits, ex-professionals and fellow supporters has asked the question; Is he the greatest player ever to pull on the England shirt?

 

Wayne Rooney celebrates his 50th goal for England, a new record.

   Firstly, no one can take away the fact that he is now the country's all time top goal scorer. Many claim he is overrated, not world class or that he has never fulfilled his potential. Nevertheless, his record now speaks for himself, and great credit should be given to Wayne Rooney, especially as he beat the record set by Sir Bobby Charlton with 4 years to spare of his predecessors record (Sir Bobby Charlton was 34 years of age upon getting his 49th England goal). However what went through my mind is the fact that if you look at the goal records of other International players, such as Miroslav Klose (71 Goals in 137 Caps), Ferenc Puskas (84 Goals in 89 Caps), Ronaldo (62 Goals in 98 Caps) and of course Pele (77 Goals in 92 Caps), in comparison with Wayne Rooney's current record (50 Goals in 107 Caps) he seems so way behind what are considered some of the best International strikers of all time.

   Consideration must be given to the fact that Wayne Rooney is of course only 29 years of age. I believe, fitness permitting that he has at least 5 years left of being a regular in the England side. So far he has averaged 4.1 goals a year over a spell of 12.2 years of International football. If he carry's on his current level of goal projection for the national team he will bag at least 70 goals, and thus, put him in the same bracket as International legends as Miroslav Klose and Pele, and would certainly make him the greatest England player ever. Or would it?

   Sir Bobby Charlton and Jimmy Greaves famously contributed to England winning their only ever World Cup back in 1966. It seems that the majority of the debate is split between Wayne Rooney and Sir Bobby Charlton as to who is the best England player of all time, and football fans have frequently stated that Wayne Rooney's England tally has come mostly from 'Easy Friendly's'. However if you look at the amount of goals that both have scored in terms of tournament qualifiers, it tells a contrasting story. Wayne Rooney's tally of 30 goals in comparison with Sir Bobby Charlton's 12 (FourFourTwo), put the debate that Wayne Rooney's England tally has mostly been compromised by friendly goals to rest. I do not want to be miss lead here, Sir Bobby Charlton's achievements for England are of the highest possible for any International. But I  do feel Wayne Rooney has contributed more in a goals sense, and I also feel if the players around Wayne Rooney had been consistently better within his time as England's main man, he to would have led England to an International Trophy.

   England players are always overrated and over pressured by the English media, and supporters and analysts rarely have anything positive to say about the national team, and maybe rightly so. But for me Wayne Rooney needs the recognition he deserves, since being made captain in September 2014, Wayne Rooney has guided England to 8 wins out of 8 in the qualifiers for the 2016 Euro's. In Conclusion there is a certainly a degree of silent expectation amongst some England fans as France 2016 looms ever closer, and the fact that Wayne Rooney has the pressure off him to achieve the goal scoring record will hopefully allow us to see the best of the striker at the Euro's.

  

Is Pedro a good solution for Manchester United?

   It looks as if Manchester United's record signing from last season Angel Di Maria could already be leaving the club. Problems such as settling into the local area, combined with failing to consistently impress in the starting eleven has left little to no reason to suggest that next season Angel Di Maria won't be wearing the red of Manchester United. 

   However recent reports have hugely linked Manchester United with already finding a replacement, in Barcelona winger Pedro. With a release clause of an estimated £22 Million it seems like a justifiable solution to Di Maria leaving for P.S.G. Pedro has always been a consistent performer for Barcelona, in 175 appearances for the current Spanish champions he has netted an impressive 94 goals (Soccerbase), with an average goals per game ratio of 0.36, a very impressive haul for a player who regularly switches between playing on the wing and in a forward position. If you compare these stats to Di Maria, the Argentine comes up short with a goals per game average of only 0.16. Pedro also has a huge amount of honours he has won with Spain to add to the impressive Spaniard's CV. World cup and European Championship winners medal's provide the winger with an added impotence over Di Maria. To win the World Cup especially you have to be consistent, work in a team with huge cohesion and of course have a little luck, but by winning the World cup this can give a player vital experience needed to improve overall ability and vital experience. 

(Is Pedro Louis Van Gaal's 'superstar'?)

   The versatility that Pedro possesses could also be key to the possibility of the transfer. He is capable of playing in a number of different positions, such as Left/Right wing, Striker or a false no. 9 position. This could be a favorable factor for Louis Van Gaal, as he has always had a philosophy of having players who can play in different positions across his teams. With Man United in far more competitions next season it will be key to have players who are versatile and can play in different positions in order to maximize the quality of the starting eleven. Some Man United fans will be doubtful in selling the Argentine International, but the fact that he looks to be perusing a move away from Man United, and specifically to a team like P.S.G, who play in a far poorer standard league in comparison with the best clubs in Europe, might indicate that he is not up for the challenge that Louis Van Gaal expects of his players. Being educated by Barcelona is also a positive in relation to joining Man United, Louis Van Gaal favours players who can play the ball very comfortably with their feet, and adopt excellent technique, an element which is very present in Pedro's game. 

(Pedro scoring against Man United in the 2010 Champions League final.)

   So is Pedro definitely coming to Old Trafford? The situation at Barcelona seems untenable for Pedro, and with Sky Bet pricing him at 1/8 (28/07/2015:17.02 GMT) it looks very likely. With a front line of Messi, Suarez and Neymar consistently performing and starting every game for Barcelona, a place in the starting eleven every week seems very unlikely. Having spent last season mostly on the bench it is well documented that Pedro is unhappy with the lack of playing time. Pedro himself has been quoted in April saying his time in Barcelona has been "difficult" (Marca). His team mate and compatriot Gerard Pique is also a huge admirer of his qualities and has expressed his opinion that he would not be surprised if Pedro left the Nou Camp, mainly as he is not getting the game time because he has the best three players in the world ahead of him. 

   So a move to Man United would only be a positive one for the English club, Barcelona have already admitted they don't like the idea of losing Pedro, but they cannot guarantee him a lot of game time, so Barcelona have limited options. However the move will only materialise if Di Maria leaves, and thus I then expect Pedro to come in soon after and Man United to sign Pedro by activating his release clause within his current contract at Barcelona. 

Could La Liga's new TV rights seriously harm Real Madrid and Barcelona?

   For years in the Spanish La Liga, Real Madrid and Barcelona have always dominated the allocated TV rights money, leading to other sides in the league struggling to stay financially afloat, or having to sell their best players on a regular basis. This has led to the league being fairly noncompetitive and on times predictable. Teams like Valencia in recent years have arguably been hit hardest by this lack of fair TV rights money distribution. For example Valencia have been continuously forced to sell their best players over the years such as Juan Mata, Jordi Alba and David Villa in order to not stray near to administration. Also clubs like Atletico Madrid have also been forced to sell star players such as Fernando Torres and Radamel Falcao. On times it may be because a player wishes to move on, however it is not a coincidence that it is generally only Real Madrid and Barcelona who have the final say on whether they want to sell their best assets. This is because they possess financial domination within the La Liga, and yes, they might be the most successful sides in the league, but a huge portion of their income is from the unbalanced distribution of the TV rights. However on the 27th April 2015 a legislation was passed which provided a definitive rule in which the money from TV rights that La Liga retains every year was from the 2016/17 season to be distributed evenly throughout all the leagues clubs.  

The two Spanish giants.

   However this is all set to change, and clear the way for a fairer and more competitive Spanish La Liga. From the 2016/17 season, the Spanish La Liga TV rights will far more evenly distributed to all the sides within La Liga, and not just Real Madrid and Barcelona (The Guardian, 2015). The structure will be similar to the current method in which the Premier League pays out finance from TV deals, and will be evenly distributed across all 20 teams, no matter how popular or successful they are. For example Q.P.R, the side who finished bottom of the Premier League in the 2014/15 season earned more money from TV rights than

Atletico Madrid, who finished 3^rd in their division, Cardenal said (The Guardian, 2015). This reflects the in balance in the way that the TV rights money in La Liga is distributed. Most clubs in Professional football heavily rely on TV money in order to keep financially stable. Without this financial stability within the La Liga, well performing teams such as Malaga F.C, Villarreal C.F, and Real Betis have on time found themselves relegated, due to not being able to keep their best players, as a result of financial restrictions.

A revealing diagram showing the unbalanced state of affairs. (Euros)

   So how will this actually affect Real Madrid or Barcelona in a negative way? When the legislation passes and gives equal TV rights to all sides in the league it will leave Real Madrid and Barcelona with roughly £120 - £140 million less a year. And considering financial fair play is beginning to take effect, this could furthermore restrict the two Spanish super clubs from spending big money, buying the latest ‘Galactico’, or poaching young stars from within minnow clubs. Will this lead to cuts in wages or financial power that the big clubs have in the transfer windows? It must, Barcelona are already very careful with their distribution of wage, with only two players within their respective squads who are above the £200k pay threshold, and a majority of the players earn £130k a week or less (TotalSportek). Taking the imminent TV rights implementation on La Liga this will lead to the two super clubs in Real Madrid and Barcelona having to look elsewhere for that extra £100 million that they would normally receive from the allocation of TV rights money. This will result in further wage cuts, which could then have a huge impact on the players who are at the top of their respective teams like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The modern day footballer is short of loyalty and if Barcelona or Real Madrid cut their wages further and say they cannot make as many marquee signings, the best players will up and leave.

  In conclusion as a result of the imminent new TV rights legislation's being implemented in the Spanish league, this could provide clubs in England such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City with an huge advantage going into European competition. It will also lead to the La Liga becoming a more competitive and entertaining league, as most football fans would not want to watch a game like Real Madrid vs Eibar, as they know it will be like a training game. Clubs will be able to retain their good players easier and therefore will be able to build decent squads, like the clubs in the Barclays Premier league. 

"Juventus can beat Barcelona in the Champions league final"

   As the largest competition in European club football comes to its penultimate climax, it is hard to come to the conclusion of who is a clear favourite to lift the famous trophy in Berlin on Saturday. After Barcelona's crushing of Bayern Munich in the Semi-Finals, they are the apparent favourites to win the tournament, with Sky Bet offering them at 4/7 to lift their 5th Champions League Trophy. However standing in the way of them, are Juventus, who managed to beat Barcelona's arch rivals Real Madrid in the Semi-Finals, and in no way will the task be easy for either side to emerge victorious. 

Juventus Captain, Gianluigi Buffon celebrates Juventus key goal at the Bernabeu.

   Juventus put in a truly remarkable defensive display in the game against Real Madrid in the second leg at the Estadio Bernabeu, where their opponents failed to score a second goal they needed in order to force extra time. This was some achievement if you look a the sheer attacking force that represent Real Madrid, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, it would be hard for any side to limit opportunities to score, however Juventus prevailed. They must do the same against Barcelona on Saturday if they are to stand any chance of winning the tournament. I think the task they face is greater than what they accomplished against Madrid. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar have a incredible 120 goals between them this season, and one would be a fool to suggest that one of them won't find the net in Berlin on Saturday. In order for Juventus to stand a chance they must attempt to limit Barcelona from playing their free flowing and elegant football as best as they can, not an easy task. 

   In previous finals against Manchester United, when Barcelona where being limited in terms of their free flowing football, all Barcelona did was change their tactics accordingly, into a more counter attacking style and managed to win the games. So even if Juventus do limit the possession and elegant play that Barcelona always display, they have to also be aware of the pace on the counter attack that Barcelona often use to crush teams, as they did in the Semi Finals against Bayern Munich. As soon as the German side got back into the game and pushed forward, Barcelona through Neymar and Suarez, stormed the pitched and before Bayern knew it they where behind in the game, and out of the tie. Where I fear for Juventus is they often like to play within a 3-5-1-1 formation, With Patrice Evra and Lichtsteiner as wing backs, and if they where to deploy this against Barcelona, I don't feel that Evra or Lichtsteiner would stand a chance against the flair and pace of Neymar and Messi on either wing.

The Three Musketeers. Suarez, Neymar and Messi, celebrate 1 or their 120 goals between them this season.

   Each teams key players, and the way in which they perform on the night will also pay huge dividends to who eventually wins the final. For Juventus, players like Vidal, Pogba, Pirlo and Tevez will be of great importance and will star if Juventus win. For me, although I've seen a lot of quality displays from young Paul Pogba, he is yet to set a big game alight, and there is no bigger tie than the champions league final, its his time to shine. Andrea Pirlo loves the big occasions, he is a natural born winner with an unbelievable arsenal of technique and natural raw passing ability, the occasion will not phase him. However he was largely disappointing at the Bernabeu and will be desperate to put that right in the final, certainly a player to watch even at the ripe age of 36. Carlos Tevez has arguably had the best season of his career, with a total of 29 goals in all competitions, this tally puts him in within Europe's elite goalscorers, and I expect him to pose his usual threat. He could cause the sometimes stationary Barcelona defence huge problems with his pace and power. Looking at Barcelona, the threats are endless, the obvious ones are, Neymar and Suarez. But then you have of course Iniesta, Alba, Sergio, and Rakatic, who has shown huge improvement as the season has progressed. The is no one that you can highlight as the main threat for Juventus, and this is what makes Barcelona so special, so unique, the fact that every player in the team has huge talent, ability and togetherness, as well as of course the outrageous individual and out of this world ability of Lionel Messi.

But who is going to win the final in Berlin? Its been a difficult last 10 years for Juventus, expelled from the top of Italian and subsequently European competition due to a match fixing scandal, but that is now in the past and they look like a side who can cause huge trouble to any side. And for me Barcelona appear to be a completely rejuvenated side. Over the last 2 years they have somewhat struggled, teams figured out how to play against them and they were being beaten by some of Europe's elite such as Bayern Munich. But now, under Luis Enrique they are stronger than ever. I think they will edge the final, it will be a tight affair and I don't expect buckets of goals, Juventus will put up a hard fight but in the end Barcelona will break their mould, with the likes of Suarez, Neymar and Messi likely to form a front 3, no team in the world can shut them out for a full 90 minutes, in the form they are in.

Prediction: Juventus 1-2 Barcelona (a.e.t)

"Louis Van Gaal has recaptured the spirit within Manchester United"

This season has well and truly been reminiscent of another roller-coaster ride for Manchester United. After a stuttering start and only managing 10 points from 13 games, aligned with a very average Christmas period, this resulted in some uncertain questions in the direction of Louis Van Gaal, and specifically the idea that not a lot has really changed since the arrival of the Dutchman. However as the season came to a close, Louis Van Gaal has proved he is more than capable of getting United back to the top. With fantastic, enthralling displays against Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester City, Manchester Untied were able to grab a well needed  position within the top 4 and with relative ease. Is this Mission Accomplished For Louis Van Gaal?

Louis Van Gaal leading United out at Anfield. 

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville recently described the charismatic speech by Louis Van Gaal at Manchester United's player of the year speech as the "best and funniest 20 minutes". The speech really was entertaining, almost mirroring some of the great speeches and interviews done by the great Sir Alex Ferguson, I feel the magic is back at Manchester United. Not just within the playing side, the squad looks more United and together than ever, and more determined to get right back at the top of English and European football. For Louis Van Gaal, his success it is all about respect of his philosophy, hard work, and team work. This has been well transcended within the squad as they all seem to be embedded with the belief that the possibility of a record 21st league title is close. Wayne Rooney was recently quoted as to saying "the team feels close, we are not to far off mounting a serious challenge for the title". 

It would take a very brave soul to disagree with the fact that United are close to competing for the Premier League title. However Jamie Carragher was quoted saying that United were conversely actually ."far from the title".

Celebrations lead by captain, Wayne Rooney in United's 4-2 victory over neighbors Manchester City. 

To seriously mount a challenge for a title you must be able to take as many points off the top 4-6 teams. As we have seen in previous years teams like Arsenal, Southampton, and spurs have played some great football, arguably some of the best football in the league, but their essence of failure when playing the teams around them is there for everyone to see and has stunted their abilities to be able to mount a serious challenge for the title. This is the primary reason that United are closer than people think to another title, their record this season against the top 6 teams has been pretty admirable, considering factors such as a devastating amount of injuries to first team players, and of course it being Louis Van Gaal's debut season. If you look at Manchester United's record against teams in the top 6 this season, out of a possible 30 points from 10 games, they have taken 18 points from the top 6 clubs (BBC Sport) which is a very impressive total. Arsenal have only taken 11 points of the top 6 and interestingly only 6 points off the top 4, with Manchester United managing to take 8 points from the top 4 clubs. However in contrast United have been rather poor against the bottom 10 sides this season, and this is the reason they have fallen well short of the title. The deficit was only 18 points (4 wins & 3 draws) and the title could have been very much theirs. You look to the double over United completed by Swansea, and poor losses to Leicester, West Brom and Southampton at, these are all games you must win to become champions. So United are close, this is obvious to see, but next season how much damage are they capable of conflicting on Chelsea's attempt to retain their Premier League title?

Experts are saying that United need 6 or 5 world class players in order to compete for the title next season, I disagree, they only need 3, even if De Gea does leave. Valdes for me is a good keeper, in his game against Hull he make some truly world class saves, his shot stopping in second to none, and I put the couple of mistakes he made down to nervousness. I expect business will be done early by Louis Van Gaal and Manchester United, and this is in order to allow the players time to integrate into the managers philosophy and the tactics of the team. The position of right back is one that needs improvement, yes Antonio Valencia has performed admirably, and I think he can be a very good back up right back. As for Rafael, Van Gaal does not fancy him at all, I think he likes consistency in his positions within the team, and Rafael is not consistent enough. I would like to see Nathaniel Clyne at the club, as I have said in other blogs, there is a lot of potential there, and he is English and knows the Premier League well. Daniel Alves is available on a free transfer and I do think he would make a decent second choice as he still has a couple of years at the top. Center back has been something of a reoccurring issue for years at Old Trafford, a world class defender is needed. I would like Dortmund's Mats Hummels, but it looks like Valencia's Otamendi could be the one to come into the team, a physically strong, acrobatic leader, and I think he would be perfect for the role needed. Then there is the need of a true combative defensive/ box to box midfielder. I think this will be Gundogan, the deal is done in principle and unless the player changes his mind he will be in the red of united next season for sure, and he has proven this season he is fit again and gradually showing signs of excellence he has previously shown in his time at Dortmund under Klopp.

Louis Van Gaal at the Player of the year awards, where he delivered a passionate and motivated analysis of the season. 

I don't think a new striker is necessary to be honest. Louis Van Gaal plays with a lone striker, and the best position for Wayne Rooney is without a doubt as a centre forward. Nothing is more frustrating as an onlooker than seeing the Englishman lingering like a frustrated puppy within the heart of the midfield area, his full potential can only be fulfilled at the top of the pitch. I would also like to see Robin Van Persie stay, but he has to be okay with being the back up striker and that will be the decision if he stays of goes in the summer, with Juventus, Milan and PSG reportedly interested. A lot of players will be sold this summer, but I do think chances should be given to Adnan Januzai, James Wilson, Andrea's Perieira, and Patrick McNair, they all have great potential, and production of quality youth players is what Manchester United is all about. 

So how far can Manchester United really go next season? Can they challenge or even win the Premier League? Or potentially mount a serious challenge for another domestic or European trophy? Yes I believe they will, I struggle to see United going without a trophy next season, having not won one for 2 years now some of the long serving players such as Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick will want silverware again. With a good summer transfer window, and more progression next season I expect United to finish at least 2nd in the league and to mount a serious challenge in the cups, with a minimum of a quarter final in the Champions League. 

Is Gareth Bale on his way to Old Trafford?

   In recent weeks it has been apparent that Gareth Bale is showing signs of being highly unsettled within the Spanish capital. There have been incidents of fans abusing him, and even attacking his car. For me this is strange, all you have to do is look at his form this season to wonder why he is subject to fans dismay. The Welshman has notched an impressive 13 goals and 9 assists this season, and that is only in the League. This form is good for a wing player, and I feel where the criticism is stemming from is the way in which Real Madrid fans, naturally are comparing him with Ronaldo. Of course in comparison with Ronaldo, on paper Gareth Bale is no where near, but as I have stated in previous blog's, its hard to compare a player with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, they are simply on another planet.

   However, fierce rumors have also been spreading around Europe of late about the future of Gareth Bale, with a lot of sources saying that he is destined for a move to Manchester United this summer. What must be taken into consideration within this rumor is the fact that Real Madrid without a shadow of a doubt want David De Gea, there also is no point at all in in condemning the De Gea roomers as just rumors, there is one hundred percent substance to that story. Thus, I feel this already puts the ball firmly in Manchester United's court as regard to the potential changing of clubs of Gareth Bale and David De Gea. United don't particularly need Bale, with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Adana Januzaj and Ashley Young having a rejuvenated season, and of course the new addition of Memphis Depay. So I feel United should really use this to their advantage, either make the Spanish giants break the bank for De Gea or swap him in a deal straight for Bale, a simple swap deal no money involved from either party. 

   But realistically how likely is this deal to happen? And how likely are Manchester United to do the deal, and get rid of by far their best player for the last two years in David De Gea? I think circumstances such as De Gea's desire to go to Real Madrid will eventually be the deciding factor in this transfer saga, if he was going to stay at United I honestly think he would have signed a brand new contract at least a few months ago, after all he has been offered reportedly £200k a week to stay at Old Trafford, and out of respect he has responded in a 'thinking about it' tone. Also the shaky form of Casillias over the last 2-3 seasons has left Madrid in need of a World class goalie, and as I've said before, De Gea fits the job description in abundance.

   So yes, I am 80% sure he will be a Real Madrid player at the start of next season. If this is indeed the case I would love to see Gareth Bale make a stunning return to the Premier League at United. He is used to the Premier League, is proven in the league, and looks like he could indeed want the move. A source close to the Bale family, and a guest on MUTV this week said that "the deal is almost done", and this for me gave a huge impression that there could be substance to this transfer rumor. I and other United fans should be hugely excited about the prospect of Gareth Bale arriving at the club due to him having attributes like electric pace, power, shooting ability and great free kick ability. Very similar to the latest recruit in Memphis Depay, yes and the thought of Depay on the left side of the midfield and Bale on the right is enough to scare the life out of any team that comes in the way of Manchester United next season. As for the futures of Di Maria and Adnan Januzaj, they remain very unclear, even without the potential arrival of the Welsh wizard. Di Maria is subject to a lot of speculation linking him with a move to P.S.G. Personally I hope he stays, and plays in a more central role, especially if Bale arrives, I think Di Maria could have a very good season next year, now that he has vital premier league experience under his belt. As for Januzaj this has been a very difficult season for the Belgium man, and I feel the best thing for him, with the new season approaching would be to get some loan experience at a club like AC Milan, Sevilla, Lyon, Everton etc...so he can continue to develop, as I feel his chances of first team action next season may be even more limited than this current campaign.

Paul Pogba, What next?

   Its October 7th 2009, and a 15 year old Paul Pogba had just signed for Manchester United from French minnows Le Harve. The transfer itself causing huge controversy over a tapping up allegation, little did Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson alike that in less than 5 years time, the Frenchman will be one of the hottest properties in European football. (MUFC.com) described Paul Pogba as "Skillful, Powerful, and a Creative player, with an eye for the spectacular". However after not getting a real chance to have an impact on the first team, and  when Paul Scholes came out of retirement in 2012 to aid united's weak midfield, the midfield giant decided it was time to move on to Juventus F.C. Could this be the biggest mistake Sir Alex has ever made?

Juventus's captain now, in 2015 said "Only Pogba can do what Pogba can do, alike Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo" (SkySports). A huge praise in Paul Pogba's direction, and it truly highlights the phenomenon the player is. In a 'defensive' mold, the lively Frenchman has managed to score 12 goals for club and country this season, and chip in with 6 assists, which makes him an out-lier within the other best defensive midfielders in world football. But what is truly special about Pogba is the way he scores his goals, and they are often in a hugely emphatic manner. The link below is an example of just one of Pogba's many wonder goals in which he scores.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L80UJbRlxMM

   The question on many Paul Pogba fans lips is where is he going next? Is a move to the Spanish capital Madrid on the cards? Will he end up in the Catalonia region of Barcelona? Or perhaps a move to England, a reunion with Manchester United or a short trip across the city to neighbors Manchester City? No one can rule out any of the above possibilities in the world of football of today. Especially taking into the consideration that he may even chose to stay at Juventus, who appear to be getting back to their glory days in terms of European and domestic domination. Pogba has also often stated his desire to prove his doubters at Manchester United wrong, if any.

   So could this perhaps open up the possibility of a return to Manchester, but not the red side, in the form of Manchester City. It's a possibility that scares me and many other United fans around the country to death, but it makes complete sense. He would have the opportunity to prove himself in the premier league right under the nose of Sir Alex Ferguson, and also be given the opportunity to make himself one of the best defensive midfielders if not the best in the premier league, an area that Manchester City desperately need a summer recruit. Also the presence of Patrick Viera at the club may make him feel like he could move to the blue half of Manchester and be able to settle in well, with also an array of French players at the club, such as Samir Nasri, Bacary Sagna and Gael Clichy. 

   The question of who can afford him will also come into play, with financial fair play restrictions really  starting to hurt various teams around Europe, and in particular Barcelona, other clubs around Europe may have to tread carefully before I believe having to potentially break the huge world record transfer fee for Paul Pogba. I think you can rule out Manchester United. IIkay Gundogan is all but a confirmed transfer, and being in the defensive position and therefore i highly dount that Man United would need another defensive midfielder, and I don't think Pogba would contemplate a return to the club in which let him go on a free transfer back in 2012. Barcelona will as I've previously stated be treading carefully within this window, but should they see it able to get Pogba, it may be a possibility for them, considering Xavi and Iniesta are not getting any younger in the midfield. It's likely that Real Madrid will yet again complete another marquee signing after going this season trophy-less, and Pogba could be the one for them. A lack of a real out and out defensive midfielder could see them battle the transfer out with Manchester city, literally pound for pound for his signature. 

   In conclusion I feel it is hard to come to a concrete opinion on where exactly he will end up. However I think it will be a hard fought battle between Real Madrid and Manchester City for the signing of Paul Pogba, and shall he go to City this would leave a huge bitter taste in the mouth's on Manchester United fans and Sir Alex Ferguson alike. 

Messi vs Ronaldo, the end of a debate?

   Wednesday night saw Barcelona entertain Bayern Munich at the Nou camp, and contesting for a place in the Champions League Final. Never did I expect that by  the final whistle my opinion and beliefs of the Messi vs Ronaldo debate could change so quickly. It was almost painful to see the way Messi made Boateng look like your average Sunday league centre back, the way in which he have the German jelly legs. I was gobsmacked watching, then I realised after years and years, that Lionel Messi was on another planet to any other footballer. 

   It's been an argument that has and is still going on; who is better, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi? If we look at it from a Balon D'or perspective, Messi has 4 and Ronaldo has 3, so Messi takes the lead within this argument. If we look at career goals the argument strays towards Ronaldo, who has an impressive 413 career goals. Messi has 371 goals in all competitions for Barcelona respectively, and what we are comparing here is two phenomenons of the beautiful game. No player will ever I think be able to reach the heights these two have already achieved, and they both still have at least 5 years at the very top level in my opinion.

   I was always of the opinion that Ronaldo was better than Messi overall. However it is very hard to compare them as they are such different specimens of player.  For example Ronaldo's game is largely based on power, pace and trickery, he is also a athlete in his physical stature. Whereas Messi's game is based on technique, dribbling skill, and precise body movements that always have defenders falling around his feet. I also feel that Messi was born with a skill and a gift to play football, and Ronaldo has worked everyday of his life to be able to be at the level he is now. This is why it is so difficult to compare the players, they are both so different and unique, and the best at their own attributes. This season i have watched both superstars very very closely. Ronaldo clearly is not happy at Real Madrid, his body language and attitude look as if he is fed up. But I'm not writing this blog to fuel incorrect transfer roomers, however I feel his apparent low level of happiness has really affected his form in the Spanish capital, and this season whenever i have seen them both it seems to me as if its Lionel Messi who is on top once again. 

   Ronaldo may be the best on this planet, but for me Messi is on another planet entirely. The way he scored that goal against a world cup winner least we forget was borderline criminal. There is no bigger admirer of Cristiano Ronaldo than myself, I've been lucky enough to have seen him in the flesh in a life performance at Old Trafford many times. However I think you have to be realistic when talking about football in this modern day. Too many people cannot see the clear truth about heated football debates, and there is no doubt that Lionel Messi is the best player, forget in world football, hes the best ever. For me there is also still room for improvement, he is only 27 years of age. This is the outstanding thing, the fact that he has broken nearly every record there is to break in the footballing world and he is still more than 2 years off his 30th birthday. 

   It also comes down to who would you rather have in your side. Messi or Ronaldo. I think this is hard for United fans alike as I would always say Ronaldo, because of his fantastic legacy at United. But without being subjective in this viewpoint you would have to say Messi would be of more value to most European clubs. Recently I have noticed Ronaldo does not have any desire for anyone else to score Real Madrid's goals, everyone saw two weeks ago when Ronaldo became incensed when Arbeloa 'Stole' a goal from him. Messi is more of a team player and has recently continued to work harder at this feat to improve his overall performance.

   Personally, Ronaldo is still my favourite player of all time, and that's far from likely to change anytime soon. But after watching what Messi did to Bayern Munich on Wednesday night it truly made me and I believe more football fans around the world the continued belief that Messi is the benchmark for every other player in world football. But lets get one thing straight, what we are seeing in this modern day, and by Having Messi and Ronaldo performing as they do week in and week out will never be repeated, and we will only truly be grateful when both magicians have retired.