Manchester United's Weighty Hopes for Young Adnan Januzaj

The sound that's being sneezed out of just about everyone's mouths these days is that of "Adnan Januzaj". What before was just a blending of vowels and soft sounding consonants has now become the prodigal son which Manchester United have already hurled their hopes and dreams upon for the season. While Januzaj's second goal could be considered "one-of-a-kind", I can't help but feel some mystical sense of déjà vu as this Manchester United youngster has burst into the side with a fantastic performance. That feeling was present throughout the match, during his gliding runs, winning goals, along with his now forgotten dive. Moyes will be glad that now he too has a speedy, diving, goal-scoring phenomenon to take care of, just like the many his predecessor Ferguson had.

And speaking of the red-nosed retired manager, the young Belgian/Kosovan/Albanian was basically a parting gift from Old Saint Ferguson, and now it's up to Moyes to use him properly. There's been a fair share of Fergie-bred players which have left their mark on the world of football, the notable ones being: David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet it's all too easy to remember the youngsters which had the weighty label of superstar flung on a bit too hastily and ended up tripping on it: Federico Macheda, Bebe, and Obertan being a few of the recent cases. Right now, Januzaj is profiting due to the fact that he's the latest Manchester United winger who's able to score right now. While he's shown some definite talent in his goal-scoring, it's remarkable how good Januzaj's been playing when compared to the dismal performances Ashley Young has been putting in.

So while the desperate outcries of an England future are already being contemplated by Roy Hodgson (with Jack Wilshere sparking up his own thoughts on the matter), perhaps the most important thing to remember about Januzaj is that he's earned David Moyes three important points. For now he'll be training, eyeing how England (and Wilshere) face the international break's final two tests of hosting Montenegro and Poland. Januzaj will have his chance to show his consistency when the Premier League returns and United host Southampton, and there will be plenty of time to judge how well the 18 year-old deals with the high expectations being pencilled into his future.

What are your thoughts on Januzaj's performance? What do you expect from the upcoming international break? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Ashley Young Secures Manchester United Move

This article was written by Pete South, follow him on Twitter @peterwsouth.


Aston Villa winger Ashley young has finalized his move to Manchester United in a five year deal believed to be worth around £17 million. The 25-year-old passed his medical at United’s training ground on Thursday before putting pen to paper to sign for the reigning Premier League champions.

Football bets had long linked Young with a move to Old Trafford, while Arsenal and Chelsea were also said to be interested. Young had only one year left on his contract with Villa meaning they could do little about his desire to play Champions League football next season, with the former Watford man saying the opportunity to join United was too good a chance to pass up.

Young said this to MUTV:

“The opportunity to come to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world is one I couldn't turn down... It is a chance to hopefully become part of history by helping them to win their 20th title... It's a prospect I always looked at from being a child - to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world. I've got that opportunity now so I've just got to take it with two hands."

Club captain Rio Ferdinand took up the chance to welcome Ashley Young to the club on his Twitter.

“Welcoming Ashley Young to Manchester United - another top, hungry and young player joins the ranks," 

he wrote.

Football betting backed Young to leave Villa Park earlier this season after the player signalled his intent to leave Villa with the Midlands side briefly battling with relegation before easing away from danger under the guidance of new boss Gerard Houllier. Now we'll have a chance to see what young can do surrounded by a new set of teammates at Old Trafford. He'll surely have someone to give assists to in Javier Hernandez, who has be lighting up the Gold Cup with goals.

How will Ashley Young's first season at Manchester United pan out? Is this another perfectly timed "Ferguson signing"? Share your thoughts and comments below!

Nani Wants Berbatov to Stay at Manchester United

This article was written by Pete South, follow him on Twitter @peterwsouth.

Manchester United winger Nani has begged with striker Dimitar Berbatov to stay at Old Trafford after the Bulgarian was left out of the squad which lost to Barcelona in the Champions League final. Speculation surrounding the future of the former Spurs forward began to increase after he was repeatedly left out of the United team, with youngster Javier Hernandez taking his place in the line-up. Adding to this, Michael Owen was given a surprise inclusion on the bench for Saturday’s final at Wembley.

Nani was a substitute as Man Utd were out-classed by Barcelona in the final two days ago, eventually going down 3-1 thanks to goals from Pedro, Lionel Messi, and David Villa. With a host of English and Spanish sides said to be interested in the services of Berbatov this season, Nani believes he still has a future with Manchester United.

Here's what  Nani said regarding Berbatov:

"I don't know what he has in mind but everyone knows he's a fantastic player... He has scored a lot of goals for us, finished as the top scorer in the league, and I would like him to play for Manchester United again next season."

Manchester United's top scorer, Dimitar Berbatov

The Portuguese winger then added:

"I don't know which players will be coming in but most important is that the ones who stay fight for us."

Berbatov’s absence from the bench on Saturday paved the way for rumours suggesting he had stormed out after not being picked, something the players agent described as “nonsense” however.

With rumours about an impending bid from the Premier League champions for Aston Villa’s Ashley Young, Berbatov may find his chances with the first team limited. As before Saturday’s final, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spoke of a desire to sign some additional players to help his side secure a 4th European title next season.

Another name linked with the Old Trafford club is Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero, who is interested in leaving Atletico Madrid. But having worn more that his fair share of Copa America shirts in the past and with the 2011 tournament falling mid-way through the 2011/12 Premier League season, Ferguson may be put off from the Argentine.

Barcelona Win Champions League With 3-1 Domination

Barcelona have won their fourth Champions League. It's their second in the past three years, and it was won with an amazing display of dominance. While Manchester United offered some resistance in the first half, by the end of the match we saw why Barcelona's ideal style of playing is loved by so many around the world.

The match started with Manchester United piling on the pressure. Sir Alex Ferguson had obviously prepared his players to disrupt Barcelona's passing in the first ten minutes, and while they did that well, they weren't able to keep the work rate up throughout the entire game. Yet the first few minutes looked shaky for the blaugrana. The passes were off their mark, players seemed slow to react, and the ball wasn't in their possession as they wanted it to be. The central defensive partnership of Pique and Mascherano wasn't looking very solid, especially against an energetic Hernandez and a fiery Rooney.

While United pushed well their strong spell soon ended, and Barcelona became familiar with keeping the ball. Slowly, Barca made their way up the field, always keeping the ball from a now tired Manchester United team. Xavi and Iniesta were both brilliant in their display of passing, each one weaving magnificent attacks together with their pinpoint passing. The Barcelona system was slowly beginning to tear Manchester United apart. David Villa was distracting the defence, Messi was mesmerizing the crowd, and Pedro got the first goal.

Rooney celebrates his equalizer

Xavi's lightning quick through ball arrived perfectly for Pedro to control, and then slot past Edwin van der Saar for the opening goal. Manchester United had given Xavi too much time with the ball at his feet, and everyone seemingly forgot about Pedro, except Xavi. The 27th minute opener seemed fitting as the possession stats constantly rose towards Barcelona's favour.

But United flared up with a reaction. Their incessant pressing returned as they were able to put Mascherano, the weak link of the Barca machine, under pressure. Rooney spearheaded the attack, and a quick pair of passes between him and Javier Hernandez put the Barcelona defence into a bit of trouble as United equalized. Hernandez's square ball to Rooney was perfect for the Englishman to slap into the Barcelona net in the 34th minute. But Barcelona weren't very worried. They kicked off and continued playing, coming close to scoring several times before the halftime whistle blew.

In the second half, Barcelona's passing was the spectacle. It's difficult to explain how instrumental Xavi and Iniesta were in just about anything Barcelona did. The two players were omnipresent, keeping possession, and winning the ball back with immediate pressure if they lost it. Abidal was also immense for Barcelona. His shifting to the center of the defence when Dani Alves pushed forward allowed Barcelona to play with three at the back, giving the team plenty of players when going forward. It's his movement and cover which allowed the Barcelona system to seamlessly operate.

Villa celebrating his goal which sealed the final at 3-1

When the pieces fit perfectly in the system, individual brilliance can shine through. Lionel Messi who had been brought down by a frustrated Valencia plenty of times, decided to make his mark on the game. A darting run through the middle of the field was topped off with a low finish past the United keeper. The goal was magnificent, and the Argentine showed us yet again why we should be lauding him as the best player in the game.

After Messi's amazing winner, David Villa produced some magic as well. In the 70th minute he stopped the ball on the edge of United's box and curled the ball into the top-right corner. It was a magnificent goal which even if Edwin van der Saar tried to stop it, he had no chance of touching the perfectly placed ball.

From here, Barcelona gave the world a lesson in passing and pressing. Josep Guardiola's ideal style of play materialized itself beautifully on the field, with Xavi as the professor, showing us all the importance of passing. And as the clock ticked away, Manchester United almost resigned themselves to the loss. While Sir Alex Ferguson tried putting in Nani to inject some pace and renewed fight, the Portuguese winger was unable to motivate his teammates. Barcelona on the other hand substituted Keita, Puyol, and Afellay in the final five minutes, as Scholes was also subbed on for United.

Abidal lifting the trophy for Barcelona. A wonderful touch by the Spanish club to let him lift the trophy first.

It was a final well disputed, but Barcelona's brilliance was unstoppable. Manchester United did their best in the first minutes, trying to contain Xavi and Iniesta, but the pair of Spaniards were unfazed. Their passing was what gave Barcelona the majority of possession (68% Barcelona, 32% Manchester United). This 3-1 victory has helped define a team which stands the test of time, and can be considered the greatest club side in at least the past ten years. Congratulations to FC Barcelona for the amazing victory.

Sir Alex Ferguson Red-Faced at Media Black-Out

Written by Pete South. Follow Pete on Twitter@Peterwsouth.


Sir Alex Ferguson tested his relationship with the media, refusing to speak after his team’s 3-1 defeat to the hands of Liverpool on Sunday. While still refusing to speak to the BBC after they aired a documentary on his football agent son seven years ago, Ferguson also declined the offer to speak to host broadcaster Sky Sports, radio rights owner TalkSport, and Manchester United’s official TV station MUTV.

The Scot’s actions came after he was reprimanded for remarks made about referee Martin Atkinson after the 2-1 loss against Chelsea last week. The Scot said he “feared the worst” when Atkinson was put in charge of the game at Stamford Bridge, and went on to criticise the decision to award Chelsea a late penalty.

Ferguson said this regarding Atkinson:

“You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that."

He would have also been unimpressed with the decision to let Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher off with a yellow card after his tackle which left a horrific gash on Nani’s leg. A tackle which should've warranted with a straight red.

Ferguson still has a two game suspension for comments he made about referee Alan Wiley last season, which is likely to be taken into consideration when his personal hearing for improper conduct takes place later this month. The 69-year-old also cancelled his pre-game conference with the media prior to the game against Liverpool in protest of the coverage of Wayne Rooney’s elbow to the head of Wigan’s James McCarthy last weekend.

His on-going boycott of the BBC contravenes Premier League rules and he faces a fine for each game he refuses to speak to them, but has so far gone publicly unpunished. His latest refusal to speak to the media came after his side lost their second Premier League game in a row for the first time since 2009.

A Dirk Kuyt hat-trick defeated an under-par United side as Liverpool managed to put the brakes on United's 19th title aspirations. The Hernandez United Shirt will be one of the only shirts worn with pride by fans after the games as “Chicharito” managed to secure a late consolation goal for his side - his tenth Premier League goal already.

Now, with Arsenal just three points behind the league leaders with a game in hand, the title race has come alive once more. Manchester United looked to be cruising in the Premier League, but now things could be getting a little trickier for a red-faced Sir Alex Ferguson.

Chelsea Defeat Manchester United In 2-1 Comeback

This victory was slowly being formulated in Chelsea's subconscious. After the 2-0 victory in Copenhagen, things were starting to turn around following an arid spell of poor play from the English champions. And while there have been off-field altercations, Ancelotti's men stepped up and faced Manchester United with heart.

The first half wasn't the best for Chelsea. Manchester United created chances thanks to a vivacious Rooney supported by a strong midfield. In the 30th minute the English forward completed his own personal comeback, a low and sizzling shot from out of the box flew into the back of the net. It's Rooney's first goal from outside of the box since February of 2008 (thank you OptaJoe), and it helps to answer the omnipresent question, "Has he returned to form?".

But Chelsea weren't to be undone in front of their home crowd, and a much more convincing display was put on by Chelsea in the second half. Just under ten minutes into the second half, Chelsea found a way to score an equalizer. David Luiz was in the United penalty box and when the ball dropped to him, the Brazilian fired a wonderful volley into the near bottom corner. It was a truly wonderful piece of skill from the defender. One which highlights ability to deliver when he decides to move up the field and in front of goal.

Chelsea were slightly aided by the referee, Martin Atkinson, who awarded a relatively soft penalty for the home side. While maybe by the rules it would be a penalty (Zhirkov was impeded on his way to the goal), it didn't seem like a proper goalscoring opportunity was improperly halted. Yet Atkinson awarded his 11th penalty of the season (more than any other referee in the Premier League. Thanks again OptaJoe), and Lampard smashed it into the roof of the Manchester United net.

A comeback complete, yet there was more to come. In the final minutes, Vidic earned a second yellow card when he dragged down Ramires. While the suspension of the captain isn't a good one, Sir Alex Ferguson was still seething regarding the penalty awarded to Chelsea. On the other hand, when asked about the penalty Carlo Ancelotti simply said, "It was a penalty".

A great victory for Chelsea, which could spur them onto a strong run in the Premier League. Manchester United will be without Vidic when they travel to Anfield to face Liverpool. Could they concede more points to Arsenal on Sunday against Liverpool?

Wayne Rooney's Magical Goal Wins Manchester Derby 2-1

Is Rooney finally at peace with himself?

Watching Manchester City this season, they've grown on me. They aren't the most likeable of clubs, yet somehow they have an amiable feel about them.

Maybe it's because they make everything more interesting, with their big spending accompanied by big aspirations. At least, that's what they were supposed to do this weekend. They were supposed to make the Premier League a little more interesting in this Manchester derby, with many fans willing Roberto Mancini's side to dish Manchester United their second defeat of the season.

While Manchester City went to Old Trafford with a relatively attacking mentality, it was Manchester United which claimed the Manchester derby. While Manchester United won, Manchester City were probably the more convincing of the two sides, with a historic goal winning the game for Manchester United.

In the first minutes, Manchester City created some great chances, with the Old Trafford crowd holding its breath too often for their tastes. United held out well, and before halftime they found the lead. Nani was quickly played through the City defence, and Pablo Zabaleta let the winger slip by and finish past Joe Hart. This first goal can almost be wholly attributed to Zabaleta's poor positioning and defending. The left-back didn't come back to form a rigid defensive line, instead he left a hole for Manchester United to exploit. From there, he gave Nani a free run towards goal, not covering Manchester United's Portuguese star.

The first half came to a close with a dominant Manchester City held back by poor incisiveness in front of goal and a defensive lapse of concentration.

In the second half, Manchester United are barely competent, doing their best to hold off Manchester City's constant forward pushing. Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and surprisingly, Micah Richards, were all fantastic in combining to create chances. The 22 year-old full-back was solid offensively and defensively, always first to the ball and covering the right flank with endless running.

In the 65th minute Manchester City's efforts are repaid with a goal. Subsitute Shaun Wright-Phillips crossing low from the right wing for Edin Dzeko in the middle. The Bosnian shoots towards the right hand post, but the shot deflects off David Silva's back, leaving Van der Sar to watch the ball spiral into the left side of his net.

After the equalizer, Manchester City realize that they could win the derby with a bit more persistence. Mancini's side puts Manchester United under heavy pressure, forcing Van der Sar to make an outstanding save and Vidic to make some breathtaking interventions.

Yet somehow, this unconvincing Manchester United found the winner. Manchester United widened the field, giving the ball to Nani who crosses a high looping ball towards the middle of the box. Rooney has a bit of space around him, and produces a magnificent overhead kick, with the ball flying into the top right corner. Certainly a contender for "Goal of the Season", and the goal could easily win the 2011 FIFA Puskas award.

Wayne Rooney's spectacular winner

With this 2-1 victory, Manchester United overcome last weekend's loss to Wolves with a historic derby win. This unconvincing Manchester United side has been saved by Wayne Rooney and his fantastic goal. Roberto Mancini has admitted that Manchester City is out of the title race, and that Rooney's goal was fantastic. Yet the Citizens deserved more from this Manchester derby. What do you think? Share your comments below!

Berbatov's Hat-Trick Gives Manchester United Important Boost

An imperious display from Dimitar Berbatov

The Bulgarian is a goal machine. Dimitar Berbatov has scored another hat-trick, his third this season in the Premier League. It was another routine home-win for Manchester United, a 5-0 thumping of Birmingham City with all of Old Trafford revelling in Berbatov's predatorial grace.

But it wasn't a one-man-band, although he didn't score, Wayne Rooney provided two wonderful assists in his excellent display. The English striker was instrumental in almost all of Manchester United's build-up play, linking up wonderfully with his flowery touch. The only reason he wasn't on the scoresheet was because he missed a header about a meter from the goal, but Rooney's return to scoring seems imminent in this form.

These aren't just another three points for Manchester United. Manchester City lost away against Aston Villa, with new signing Darren Bent scoring on his debut for Villa. His tap-in decided the match, with Manchester City trying very hard to overcome a defensive Aston Villa team which ultimately held on to the 1-0 victory. Although Manchester City kept the ball well, and were ominously circulating around Villa's box, they weren't incisive enough to create many opportunities.

He missed a penalty,  but RVP still scored a hat-trick against Wigan

Meanwhile, Arsenal defeated Wigan Athletic with a simple 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium. Robin van Persie scored all three, missing a penalty on the way to his hat-trick. It's important to note that Wigan's keeper, Al Habsi was fantastic, keeping the score slightly respectable for Wigan.

Now the table has a slightly different look to it, with Blackburn hosting West Bromwich tomorrow and Chelsea still having to travel to play Bolton Wanderers on Monday. With a two point lead over Arsenal, Manchester United are looking more and more comfortable in first place with two games in hand. While they do have to play some tough games in the future, Sir Alex Ferguson's team doesn't seem worried about anything right now. As long as Berbatov continues shining alongside an ever-blossoming Rooney, the title is in Manchester United's hands.

Manchester United And Inter Milan Thrive With Goals Aplenty

This weekend might be slightly overshadowed with El Clasico coming up, but Manchester United and Inter Milan made sure to hit the headlines with goalfests in their league matches. Manchester United go top of the table with this win, especially after Chelsea only managed to draw 1-1 away against Newcastle, and Inter Milan rise up to fifth in the Serie A after their 5-2 win over Parma. Here's a look at both teams, how they're doing, and how they'll do in the future.

Manchester United

I've always said that Manchester United would be good this year, and I predicted that they'd win the title. Sir Alex Ferguson has an excellent mix of young and energetic players along with expert veterans to guide the team during tough times. And while some say that the team is missing a creative presence in the center of midfield, even if it's needed, Sir Alex Ferguson can splash some cash in the January transfer market to strengthen the team.

The 7-1 victory over Blackburn was easy for Manchester United, with Berbatov being assisted by the Blackburn defence's incompetence. And while Berbatov scored five, some will notice that Wayne Rooney scored zero, but you have to put things into perspective with the England international. Rooney assisted two goals, was part of some excellent build-up play, and instead of taking a crack at goal many times, he decided to be selfless and pass the ball for teammates. Just like Berbatov scored five, if this match was replayed Rooney could've scored just as many.

So what's next for Manchester United? They'll be travelling to West Ham on Tuesday for the Carling Cup and Blackpool next week in the Premier League for a couple of "easy" games, and after that they'll host Arsenal at Old Trafford, and then travel to Stamford Bridge to play against Chelsea. They also have a midweek game with Valencia at home squashed in there, but as long as Ferguson's side manages not to lose, they'll qualify for the knockout rounds in first place. So can Manchester United win the Premier League this year? It's a big question which I think has the answer, yes, but share your thoughts below by commenting!

Inter Milan

Inter Milan have been recovering from a spell of poor form, and a 5-2 victory against Parma is probably the best way to announce that you're on the way up. Rafa Benitez has been heavily criticized in Italy because of his defensive style which scored few goals in the past, but this weekend everything seemed to click for the Spaniard.

While the 5-2 win is interesting in itself, the more interesting thing is that Inter Milan had to play without a proper striker, and while Goran Pandev could be a supporting forward, he's certainly not a target man like Diego Milito, or a striker like Samuel Eto'o. But this way of playing seemed to free up Sneijder, Stankovic, and Biabiany, and all three players were excellent in this match, especially Stankovic who scored a hat-trick.

But Parma were dangerous to Inter, and they went ahead first with the former Inter player Hernan Crespo scoring aganist his former side. Inter would then go on to score three goals to make it 3-1, and then have Crespo score again to make it 3-2 at halftime. But in the second half substitute Thiago Motta scored along with Stankovic who finished off his hat-trick to make the final score 5-2, and earn Rafa Benitez three important points.

This win helps raise Inter up to 5th in the Serie A table, and they're seven points behind first placed AC Milan. But Inter have some tough matches coming up: next week they travel to face 2nd placed Lazio, and then they have a midweek Champions League match in Germany against Werder Bremen before they have to travel to Fiorentina next weekend. And if that wasn't hard enough, the week after they have to host 4th placed Napoli at the San Siro.

If Rafa Benitez can get his team to win all of these matches, he'll be a king, but if his team begins to crumble yet again, he could be facing unemployment soon. While I don't think he'll manage to win all of the matches, I think he'll be able to make it through this tough run with some positive results, and from there he'll be able to focus on regaining the top spot of the Serie A. What are your thoughts on how Inter will do? Share your comments below!

John W. Henry finally buys Liverpool only to Watch the Team Fail

The steely gaze of a winner...

Well, I've decided that after this weekend's action I'll be focussing on Liverpool a bit. Of course they'll be some coverage of the other leagues, but a little less than usual.

And before I begin, just in case you haven't already seen these posts, you should because they're getting insane amounts of views! I posted a Lightweight Soccer Cleats Review over the weekend comparing speed cleats on weight, price, durability, and anything else you can think about. And if you're interested in FREE STUFF, you probably want to check out the competition over at Soccer Cleats 101 to win a pair of Nike Mercurial Superfly II's.

A new era for Liverpool... which starts next week

But moving on to other things, Liverpool are (supposedly) moving on to better days now that John W. Henry has taken over with his New England Sports Ventures (or NESV) for 300 million British Pounds. Things are looking rosy for the red side of Merseyside now, especially because the new American is really trying to mend relationships with the fans which were undoubtedly damaged under the reign of Tom Hicks and George Gillet.

John W. Henry even went out to talk to fans and local MPs, and although he has surely reassured them, he didn't reveal anything regarding transfer funds, or a new stadium. Here's what he said regarding his meetings:

"It was great to finally get to work, we met with supporters' groups. No, we didn't give any assurances. We are here to listen and to learn from them and we learned a lot today. I think the biggest issue was a sense of disenfranchisement and their sense of not being part of their own club and that is what we discussed. This was a big first step today."

And so Liverpool fans now have an owner who will listen, all that we were missing was for the actual team to spank Everton in the Merseyside derby, but alas the situation isn't that perfect. Liverpool were defeated by Everton 2-0 at Goodison park, and while John W. Henry went to the match to learn more about this "soccer", he'll have understood that the team played pretty badly.

Tim Cahill smacking in the first goal

Everton who have been playing well this season, but not getting results, finally got an important win which drags them up to 11th in the Premier League. They wen't ahead with Tim Cahill smashing a volley from close range, and then Mikel Arteta scored from outside of the box after a corner. After the two goals, Everton conceded possession to Liverpool, and while you'd expect Roy Hodgson's side to do something with it, they didn't.

It was undoubtedly a bad performance from Liverpool, one which some might say was lacking heart and spirit, but I think that maybe they're just lacking a lot of things in general. Starting with their manager, Roy Hodgson who could only stare at his watch instead of actually telling his team to do something with the ball.

Roy must've looked at his watch the whole game...

If you disliked Benitez's defensive style back when he managed Liverpool, Roy Hodgson is taking it to another level. But I should stop talking about Liverpool's performance, and share with you what Roy thought about his side's performance:

"In the second half that's as good as I've seen a Liverpool team under my management play, that's for sure... and in my opinion from what I saw we dominated the second half. I thought the shape of the team was good, I thought the quality of our passing and movement was good, but we didn't score the goals and Everton did. But I refurse unfortunately to sit here and accept that we were in any way outplayed or in any way inferior."

Now even if you watched about 40 seconds of the match, you'd have had a better idea of how the teams played than Roy Hodgson did. And while he can talk about his team's "quality of passing", the point of the game is to score, and if you don't score, you don't win. Everton scored and Liverpool didn't, that should be enough to explain to Roy Hodgson that his side played poorly, but I guess it takes a new American owner who just watched his first match of soccer to explain that to him...

Manchester United - West Bromwhich Albion

Moving on to other things which happened this weekend, in the Premier League we saw Manchester United crumble to West Bromwich. While Ferguson's side took a 2-0 lead before halftime, Roberto Di Matteo inspired his side to pull back two goals and get a great 2-2 draw at Old Trafford. This result comes in a very bad time for Ferguson, especially because Wayne Rooney has decided to explain that he isn't injured, the manager just doesn't want to play him.

So the question is, Ferguson first decided not to play Rooney to protect him after the prostitution scandal, but now it seems like the Scotsman has taken things to another level. And doing so, Rooney has decided to look at other options instead of renewing his contract with Manchester United. It seems very possible that he'll be out of the club when January rolls around, with the main buyers being either Real Madrid or, wait for it... Manchester City!

So will Rooney join up with Ronaldo under Jose Mourinho over in Madrid, with Benzema possibly going the other way, or will he decide to truly betray Manchester United, just like Tevez did, and go to Manchester City. We'll just have to wait and see, whether the relationship will mend between player and manager, or whether it'll be another superstar which leaves Old Trafford.

Serie A time!


But it's not all English Premier League here, I've decided to talk a little about the Serie A. Especially since there was a match this weekend which was temporarily stopped due to racist chants. Cagliari at home against Inter Milan was filled with racist chants from Cagliari fans towards Samuel Eto'o, so the referee Tagliavento stopped the match, got the racist fans to stop chanting, and resumed the match. Well, the home fans got what they deserved, because the match finished 1-0 for Inter Milan, with a spectacular goal from  Samuel Eto'o.

Now Rafa Benitez can look forward to Wednesday when he'll have to face Tottenham in the Champions League. Inter Milan will surely be missing Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso, but the Spurs will be missing Rafael van der Vaart, so I guess both sides will be slightly weakened.

If you're interested in more coverage of the Serie A, I'd advise you to visit Serie A Talk, where I write a weekly Five things to Note from Serie A this weekend.

La Liga time!


In La Liga we saw two interesting matches, played out by guess who? Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Catalans faced Valencia in a tough game where they came back to win 2-1 with a beautiful give-and-go by Xavi and Iniesta which ended with the latter slotting home an equalizer. The second goal was also impressive with Carlos Puyol showing us all how to do a bullet header, the caveman captain had his hair flying everywhere as he arched his body and headed the ball home for the winner.

But there's some bad news for Barca fans even with this win, it's that Xavi probably won't play in the Champions League midweek against Copenhagen. The midfielder has had recurring problems with his achilles tendon, and he hasn't been recovering very well. I hope this won't seriously jeopardize his career considering that he's the best passer of the ball which exists in the game today. We'll just have to wait and see.

Real Madrid on the other hand had a pretty easy win against Malaga with Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo scoring doubles. Ozil assisted both of Ronaldo's goals, and Ronaldo assisted both of Higuain's goals, so I guess Mourinho has really developed a working system over in Madrid.

But the true test for Real arrives on Tuesday against AC Milan in the Champions League. This is going to be a fantastic match, and I can't wait to see whether Jose Mourinho will win against his former rivals, or whether Ibrahimovic will teach his former coach a lesson by scoring a couple of goals.

I hope you've enjoyed this wrap up of some of the weekend's news and results, please share your thoughts by commenting below!

Lyon Knock out Real Madrid and Bayern Edge past Fiorentina plus Europa League results

And epic first week to the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, epic matches that showcase some fantastic young talents. Not only this, but the first leg of Europa League round of 16 ended with some interesting results...

Europa League 1st leg results:


Juventus get a 3-1 win against Fulham, but Roy Hodgson's side has a crucial away goal.

Panathinaikos slip up at home against Standard Liege, losing 3-1 at home.

Valencia and Werder Bremen fought out a 1-1 draw which had Valencia play without Banega for over 30 minutes after the promising young midfielder was sent off.

Hamburger have little trouble against Anderlecht winning 3-1 at home thanks to Mathijsen, Van Nilsterooy, and Jarolim.

Rubin Kazan and Wolfsburg drew 1-1 as did Benfica and Olympique Marseille.

Atletico Madrid and Sporting Lisbon battled out a 0-0 draw, Sporting had two men sent off and Atletico failed to capitalize.

Liverpool fall poorly against Lille losing 1-0, the reds will hope they can win back at Anfield, very similar to the Real Madrid - Lyon tie in the Champions League...

Champions League 2nd leg results:

Real Madrid - Lyon: Aggregate 1-2

Probably one of the greatest upsets in French Champions League history, Lyon was able to nab a 1-0 win back in France, but going to the Santiago Bernabeu is a much different thing. Real Madrid dominated the first half, a fiery Ronaldo along with a quick Higuain put Lyon on their heels, just 6 minutes in Guti plays a fantastic pass to Ronaldo who steams his way past a defender to slot it through Lloris' legs at a tight angle. It seems like it would be target practice for Real, but after many wasted opportunities and selfish decisions (Higuain hits the post on a completely open net etc.), Real Madrid only went in one up after the first half. Claude Puel decided to make two key substitutions at the half, putting Kallstrom and Gonalons for Makoun and Boumsong, these two gave an attacking spark to the Lyon side that was slowly growing in confidence. Govou misses a good chance in front of Casillas, but eventually, in the 75th minute, Lisandro Lopez flicks up a ball in the 18 for Pjanic to volley into the goal. Real Madrid break down completely for the rest of the match, players are greedy and Kaka' is eventually taken off much to his anger. Lyon break down Real Madrid a couple times and find themselves 1 on 1 against Casillas, but they don't need to score, wasting fantastic opportunities to humiliate Real further, the two teams draw 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Fiorentina - Bayern Munich: Aggregate 4-4 Bayern through on away goals


After the refereeing injustices that Fiorentina suffered in the Allianz Arena, the Italian team was ready to make an impact at home, it took Fiorentina 28 minutes to make the breakthrough, Vargas leaps onto a ball out on the left wing and blasts it past Butt letting the Viola take the lead. In the second half, Jovetic helps lengthen the lead by sliding it past Butt after a clever back-heel from Gilardino, but Bayern react with a low shot by Van Bommel heavily affected by the windy conditions in Florence. Jovetic scores again after a loose ball in Bayern's area was badly cleared, but Fiorentina's hopes were halted by a phenomenal shot by Robben, after dribbling past two defenders, the Dutchman cuts in and blasts the ball into the top left corner. Even though Bayern lost, they were equal in score letting the Germans go through on away goals.

Arsenal - Porto: Aggregate 6-2


What should've been a shaky evening for Arsenal without Fabregas and Gallas turned out to be an homage to Wenger's beautiful football, all of Arsenal's players were fantastic, working to demolish a mediocre Porto side. Arshavin was deadly along the wing, providing Bendtner with fantastic service twice, which the striker tucked away quickly putting the gunners two up by halftime. Then the Nasri show began, the young Frenchman playing in Fabregas' role goes on a fantastic slalom dribbling past three Porto players before tucking the ball into the far corner at an impossible angle. Soon after Eboue followed after rounding Helton and passing the ball in the net, and finally Bendtner grabbed his first hat trick in his senior career after slotting a penalty into the back of the net, making the final score 5-0 for the gunners.

Manchester United - AC Milan: Aggregate 7-2


It seemed inevitable that Manchester United would breeze past AC milan, but the careless meandering fashion which the English champions accomplished the feat was amazing, it took a Rooney double to put the game to bed, a fantastic header and a good finish. Ji Sung Park then slotted one home right before Rooney was replaced by Berbatov, the Englishman did what he needed to do, and Sir Alex Ferguson wanted to make sure he kept his wonder-boy far from any possible injuries. AC Milan had some possession of the ball, but United let them have it where there was no danger, and eventually the fourth came, a diving header from Fletcher completed the great United night which brought memories of the 7-1 thrashing against Roma.

What do you think of this week's action, Beckham's return, and next week's Champions League action? Comment below!

Ferguson Receives Fine and Ban, and Cudicini Injured in Motorcycle Crash

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has received a two-match touchline ban for his comments about referee Alan Wiley's fitness. The Football Association handed the 67-year-old a four-game ban, with two of those suspended until the end of the 2010/11 season.Ferguson has also been fined £20,000 and warned about his future conduct.

Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini has suffered "potentially life-changing injuries" in a motorbike accident in east London, police said. He has fractured his wrists and injured his pelvis but a spokesman for the north London club said they were still waiting for hospital test results.

Quote of the Week: Sir Alex Ferguson

This week's QOTW is a very controversial quote by Sir Alex Ferguson, head honcho at Manchester United. After a 2-2 draw Sir Alex Ferguson commented on the fitness levels of the referee Alan Wiley, here is his quote so you can see what the scottish boss said about Alan Wiley.

"He just wasn't fit enough for a game of that standard," Ferguson said. "The fitness of the players, the pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He took 30 seconds to book a player, I think he's taking a rest writing down names on his card."

- Sir Alex Ferguson

What do you think about Sir Alex's comments? Should this be allowed? Should Fergie be fined for these comments? Comment below!