The Canadian Stretford End

Manchester United desperate to keep Vidic

2010-07-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

Manchester United are so desperate to hang on to Nemanja Vidic that they are willing to make him one of the best paid players at the club to ensure they do their premier league title odds justice.

The Serbian defender has been strongly linked with a moved to Real Madrid and he did his chances of a big money move no harm when putting in a solid display at this year's World Cup.

However, United are keen to hold on to him, not least because there are growing concerns about the fitness of some his colleagues in the back four.

A report in the Guardian states Vidic has now been offered a £90,000-a-week deal and a two year extension to his current deal which is set to end in 2012.

Vidic put in 24 league appearances for his club last season, while the Rio Ferdinand could only muster 13, so it seems logical that United would want to keep a hold of him.

However, despite reports he has been offered a new deal, Sir Alex Ferguson remains cagey over the player's future.

When asked about stories suggesting the Vidic was planning a move away from Manchester, Ferguson said: "I can't clarify it at all."

He also seemed far from certain that the defender would remain at the club this season, saying nothing more solid than he believed this would be the case.

Of course, when it comes to contract negotiations, getting a straight answer out of Ferguson is as tough as wrestling a pint from the hands of Dean Windass and right now there seems little reason to believe Vidic is on his way.

Still, if he does end up leaving Old Trafford it will be a serious blow for the club and unless a suitable replacement is signed it would add further weight to the growing believe that United are on the verge of a period of decline.

Elsewhere, be sure to check out the championship title odds in the next few weeks. Middlesbrough are currently favourites to lift the trophy after a busy summer in the transfer market.

Smalling makes rocky start for United

2010-07-19T09:04:00.000-04:00

Manchester United fans got their first sight of Chris Smalling on Friday night and the new defensive signing made an auspicious start.

Despite glowing praise from Sir Alex Ferguson after the 3-1 win over Celtic in Toronoto, the former Fulham centre-back had a less than convincing debut and the signs are that he might need time to fit into life at Old Trafford.

The 20-year-old, who signed a pre-contract agreement from Fulham in January, partnered Jonny Evans in a new-look partnership at the back with Rio Ferdinand absent through injury and Nemanja Vidic on a break after the World Cup.

Premier League betting pundits note that the pair had a tough time against a lively Celtic frontline of Georgios Samaras and Marc-Antoine Fortune. It was Samaras who scored for the Hoops to cancel out Dimitar Berbatov’s opener.

Samaras netted from the spot after Smalling had bundled over Joe Ledley. United though fought back and goals from Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley sealed the victory.

But it was tough bow for Smalling, who struggled with his form at Craven Cottage towards the end of the season and ended up with only 12 Premier League appearances. It might even be an idea to place a football bet on the youngster going out on loan before long.

Ferguson though refused to criticise Smalling, who was playing non-league football with Maidstone only 18 months ago.

Ferguson said: "I was pleased with Chris. We know he is good footballer, we know he is quick and is a good passer of the ball.”

Still, all the signs are that Smalling might need some time to get up to speed with playing for one of the Premier League’s big guns.

Is reliance on youth an admission of poverty?

2010-07-19T07:11:00.002-04:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has always been the master of the media. He knows what to say and how to say it in order to put pressure on opponents, referees or even control the headlines by blasting the journalists he is being interviewed by.

He will do his best to make sure United are always shown in the best possible light. He knows the game and plays it well.

But I can't help but question some of his assertions this summer with the evidence to the contrary becoming more and more overwhelming with each passing day.

His declaration is that it is the Manchester United way to rely on youth and develop young players is one example. That is certainly an admirable sentiment but is funny how Ferguson decides to tell us this now, with United barely making a ripple in the transfer market compared to previous years.

I don't remember this being a priority when Berbatov signed on for £30 million or Rio joined for £28 million.

The cynical side of me thinks that Ferguson is relying on his young players because the river has run dry. With just £20 million spent last year and £19 million so far this you have to wonder about the state of Man United's finances, especially as the sale of Ronaldo netted £80 million.

Can a side that fared relatively poorly in Europe last season really expect to justify its Champions League betting odds without investing in its squad?

Ferguson tells us the money is there, but he chooses not to spend it, though the £69 million a year on interest payments must surely burn a huge hole in his transfer kitty.

It can be argued that Ferguson was only two points away from winning the league last season so there is no need to panic. But last year was a strange year in the title race, with each contender conceding their advantage time after time. If one team had taken the league by the scruff on the neck United wouldn't have come close.

The Premier League 2010/11 betting suggests the club will be in with a chance of winning again, but they could be in danger of being blown away.

The same problems still remain, the reliance on Rooney and an ever aging squad - 12 players 29 or over is not a healthy squad balance -mean the seeds of squad development need planting now, not when Giggs and Scholes hang up their boots.

Generations of youngsters like the one that came along in the mid 90s don't come through very often and it is hard to see the current crop of young Red Devils doing the same as Beckham and co 15 years ago.

Just don't tell Alex Ferguson I said that.

Ferguson backs Rooney for more glory

2010-07-19T05:44:00.001-04:00

Wayne Rooney's club form will not suffer as a result of his poor showing at this year's World Cup, according to his manager.

Rooney looked out of sorts in all four of England's games and failed find the net during a disappointing tournament.

Many blamed the striker's lacklustre performances on a tough club season but now Sir Alex Ferguson has backed the player to fire on all cylinders once the domestic season gets underway again.

Discussing the chances of Rooney's performances suffering as a result of the World Cup, Ferguson said: "I don't expect a hangover. But I think there'll still be disappointment in the lad."

Whether that disappointment leads to a positive response from the striker remains to be seen, but it seems highly unlikely according to Online football betting pundits that the player who dominated Premier League defences for the most of last season will fail to do so again.

Indeed, one of Rooney's biggest problems in the World Cup seemed to be his constant desire to link up with Steven Gerrard, no matter where the Liverpool man was.

With Gerrard occupying a left-wing role for much of the tournament, this often saw England's leading striker dropping back to a similar position, instantly blunting any attacking threat the side might have posed.

It's hard to see Ferguson standing for that, especially as he has previously expressed his concern about the player's habit of dropping deep. A bit of added discipline should ensure it's something that doesn't happen too often.

Rooney will also benefit from the more porous defences of the Premier League and football betting odds will be backing him to score plenty of goals again.

At the World Cup sides like Algeria and Slovenia are able to grind out results by staying well organised and keeping things tight at the back, it's hard to imagine Blackpool putting in a similar shift against the United.
So Rooney will bounce back, but that doesn't mean the next major tournament will be any easier for him.

Should United be worried about Rooney's lack of form?

2010-07-02T04:58:00.001-04:00

One of the biggest disappointments of England's World Cup was the performance of Wayne Rooney.

The striker is a talisman for club and country and, although he wasn't alone in being well under par in South Africa, it was worrying to see someone of his immense ability struggle so badly. After all, the World Cup 2010 odds made him one of the favourites to be top score, but he never looked in danger of finding the net.

David James said it was tight marking by defenders that saw Rooney struggle, with opposition players earmarking him as a threat and making sure there were three players around him at every opportunity.

But Rooney has been used to that sort of attention for years, why has it now become an issue? To me he looked unfit and low on confidence.

I think this is down to a long gruelling season with Man United, who at times relied solely on his goals to drag them to victory. An ankle injury suffered at Bayern Munich, compounded by a rushed early comeback, didn't help either and you have to wonder how much the injury was bothering him.

The confidence issue, on the other hand, is down to the rumblings of discontent within the England dressing room. Thomas Mueller, the young German who ran rings round England last Sunday, suggested that there were "too many chiefs and not enough Indians" in the England dressing room.

A clash of egos is certainly conceivable looking at the big name players in the squad. Life in a split dressing room can't be good for any player.

But, now the World Cup adventure is over and the players are set to return to club duty, will this nightmare three weeks have a long term affect on Rooney?

He failed to score for the remainder of United's season after the Munich injury so his poor form isn't restricted to international duty. The Premier League 2010/11 betting odds suggest the Red Devils are in with a chance of winning title, but Rooney will need to find his scoring boots.

United fans will hope a well earned break followed by a few quiet words from Sir Alex Ferguson within the confines of experienced and largely harmonious dressing room, will coax the best out the striker again.

Fantastic Fabiano

2010-07-01T06:44:00.001-04:00

One of the Europe’s most prolific strikers in recent years, Luis Fabiano, has finally announced himself on the international scene. The Seville forward has scored three goals in his four games in South Africa this summer.

Football betting experts have stated that he has now attracted the interest of some big teams throughout Europe with Manchester United and AC Milan being mentioned. His form won’t be a shock to many. In last year’s Confederations Cup, Fabiano finished as top scorer with five goals.

With Ronaldo past his best and Adriano left at home, the pressure was on Fabiano to lead the line on his own. His two goals against Ivory Coast, proved his quality.

His first, was a thunderbolt of a shot which nearly took the Ivorian goalkeeper’s head off. His second had an element of luck in it, after getting away with two handballs in the build up, Fabiano brought the ball down sublimely before finishing clinically in the bottom corner. His third goal of these finals was in the last 16 match against Chile, when a nice through ball from Kaka played in Fabiano, who finished coolly.

Brazil world cup betting odds have them as favourites at the moment as they have looked typically deadly in attack so far in South Africa, Kaka and Robinho have been given the responsibility of supplying their striker with chances.

Kaka and Fabiano played together a decade ago at Sao Paulo, that understanding has been key to Brazil’s success. If Fabiano carries on with his current form then his goals could help Brazil on their way to lifting the World Cup trophy for the sixth time.

Bradley's men capable of causing stir

2010-06-28T05:20:00.000-04:00

After topping Group C the USA have put themselves in the favourable half of the World Cup draw and have given themselves a chance of reaching the World cup quarter finals.

Bob Bradley's men will be looking for a repeat of their performances last summer when they reached the Confederations Cup final in South Africa.

Bob Bradley's men, 14th in the FIFA rankings, defeated Spain 2-0 en route to the final against Brazil. The USA were leading Brazil 2-0 in the final, but eventually lost 3-2, however the USA came of age last year and at the World Cup they have shown their credentials.

The 1-1 draw with England showed their spirit and determination and they eclipsed that coming back from 2-0 down to hold Slovenia 2-2. And in their final group game they left it late to finally earn a 1-0 triumph, but they created a hatful of chances.

With a well-drilled rearguard and Michael Bradley driving them forward from midfield they are hard to break down and with pacey forward players such as Landon Donovan, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey in attack they are capable of scoring goals against the best, just ask Spain.

If the USA can impose themselves on last-16 opponents Ghana and maintain their defensive shape and discipline then they could find themselves in the quarter-final against Uruguay or South Korea. Holland or Brazil are likely to lie in wait in the World cup semi finals for the USA, who are 33/1 shots to win the trophy at Soccer City on July 11.

Spain, Argentina, England and Germany are all in the other half of the draw and the other finalist is likely to come from that quartet, but USA won't worry about those teams just yet until they can edge through their half of the draw. But Bradley's men have the right mentality and they could just be the surprise package of the World Cup.

Evra controversy at World Cup

2010-06-22T07:31:00.001-04:00

Other than being one of the best full-backs in the Premier League, Manchester United defender Patrice Evra normally stays away from the spotlight.

However, this has been far from the case during the World Cup so far. The France captain has been at the centre of a massive fall-out in the French camp which has led to the players refusing to train.

Raymond Domenech - who was far from popular even before the tournament – sent Nicolas Anelka home recently and this didn’t go down very well with Evra or the rest of the squad. It followed a 2-0 defeat to Mexico to leave France on the brink of an early exit too, so all is not well.

The latest news is that Evra didn’t turn up for a press conference ahead of today’s game with South Africa and he could even be stripped of the captaincy.

When it comes to World Cup betting France are hardly in with a chance of progressing to the next round, but surely they are even less likely to do so without their captain?

It would probably be another Domenech decision that caused unrest in the camp and considering what has already happened, this wouldn’t help their chances either.

Basically, France’s desperate situation has made the England and Italy world cup betting odds look realistic despite the slow starts these two teams have made.

As for Evra, there is no doubt that he will return to Manchester United next month feeling the effects of an eventful summer. Whatever happens from now, it is going to have been emotionally draining for him.

Sir Alex Ferguson may well have a job on to get him focused again on club matters, but you would back the Manchester United manager to say the right things to his first choice left-back. Something France boss Domenech clearly finds hard to do.

Tosic latest youngster to leave Old Trafford

2010-06-18T04:23:00.002-04:00

Serbian international Zoran Tosic left for pastures new this week, aiming a parting shot at the club's management in the process.

"Manchester United didn't give me a chance to prove myself," was Tosic's assessment of his time at Old Trafford. Despite being a regular in the Serbian national side, the 23-year-old has only featured five times for the Red Devils in his 18 month spell in Manchester and was shipped off to Cologne for the second half of last season.

The German club were interested in buying Tosic but lack of funds allowed CSKA Moscow to step in and take the winger to Russia, for a fee believed to be close to the £7 million United paid for him in January 2009.

His transfer was meant to be part of a double deal, which also included Adem Ljajic, however United pulled out of that move in January.

Currently, Tosic is with his national team, hoping to upset the World Cup 2010 betting in a clash against Germany and it does seem slightly odd that an international class player has left United so young.

Sadly Tosic is just the latest youngster at the club to be shipped out after showing initial promise. Ben Foster left earlier in the summer for Birmingham, 20-year-old midfielder Tom Cleverley has attracted the interest of Newcastle, while United are also currently considering sending Danny Wellbeck and Mame Biram Diouf out on loan.

I know the scouting of young players does involve a fair amount of guesswork - you can never know for sure whether a player will make the grade. But given United's current financial restrictions, there is more pressure than ever on the club's extensive scouting network to find and nurture exciting young players.

United fans were spoiled in the mid-90s when an almost unparalleled group of young players came through - David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers all came into the team at roughly the same time, playing a key role in United's success over the next decade.

The Premier League 2010/11 odds suggest United will be strong title challengers next season, but they really need to strengthen their squad.

It would be greedy to wish for a similar crop of youngsters to come through the ranks, but with big money signings looking unlikely, another golden generation would come in very handy.

Is Rooney's temper a World Cup worry?

2010-06-09T06:51:00.000-04:00

It is perhaps typical of the English press that they managed to grab sensationalist back page headlines from what was a largely uneventful FIFA World cup 2010 warm up match.

The game between the Three Lions and South African side Platinum Stars was never going to be a thriller, it was clearly a simple run out aimed at ensuring the squad got another 90 minutes of fairly competitive football under their belts before the big kick off.

However, the game still managed to stir up some controversy after Wayne Rooney was booked for swearing at the referee and the official even suggested that had the incident occurred in a World Cup match then Rooney would have been given his marching orders.

So are the press right to whip themselves up into a frenzy about Rooney's inability to control his temper? Well, yes and no. It's true that the Manchester United man does flare up from time to time but his antics are mild compared to some others. Look at what Didier Drogba gets up to when things don't go his way.

However, it's equally true to say that if he doesn't keep a lid on things in South Africa, it could all backfire in a spectacular manner just as it did against Portugal in the last World Cup. Those betting on england 2010 world cup wise, will want Rooney to remain calm, that’s for sure.

Rooney is an aggressive, hardworking player and there can be little doubt that his success on the pitch his linked to his fiery passion. Despite this, Rooney must understand that if he is unable to curb his temper during tough matches then it will inevitably detract from his performances.

The USA have already revealed they will be looking to wind up the striker in their opening group game and if Rooney does bite and get sent off, the Three Lions could have to cope without their star man for the remaining two fixtures.
Let's hope Fabio Capello can get the striker to turn the other cheek.

Why we can’t keep relying on Rooney

2010-06-08T12:51:00.000-04:00

Everything was going our way. We were flying in the league and heading for a third successive Champions League final.

Then Wayne Rooney picked up that injury in Munich and the wheels fell from both our domestic and European campaigns.

It hardly came as a surprise. Though it was brilliant to watch Rooney in the form of his life and almost single-handedly keeping us in the race for honours, you couldn’t help wondering what would happen if he were out for a length of time.

Next season we must be in a position where we can rest Rooney and not fall to pieces should he succumb to injury. He’s going to be playing at World Cup 2010 over the summer and it is natural for players to return from such a tournament feeling tired.

Will our options be better than last season? If Berbatov is still at Old Trafford, there’s little to suggest that he will go from scoring the dozen goals a season, to the 20+ goals that we need from him.

Michael Owen is likely to be mostly used as an impact substitute and his fitness can never be guaranteed. Macheda and Diouf show promise, but are they ready to step up to the plate and deliver? I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one went out on loan next season to gain experience.

All of which will put a lot of pressure on Javier Hernandez if he’s granted a work permit and joins us. Can we really expect that much of him in his first season?

What we’re crying out for is another experienced striker, but we’re also crying out for the same type of quality in midfield and money is tight.

I for one will be watching the World Cup and praying that Rooney comes back in one piece. World Cup Betting suggests England could go quite a long way in the tournament, so fingers crossed.

Mexico World Cup star Javier Hernandez can shine for United

2010-06-02T05:17:00.001-04:00

With tales of United's financial woes littering the back pages, the summer transfer window looks set to pass the club by, so perhaps it would pay to look a little closer at a player who has signed for the Red Devils.

Javier Hernandez became the first ever Mexican signed by the club when he agreed joined from Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara for £7 million last month.

The 22-year-old will join up with the players after playing at the World Cup with his national side, who face South Africa, Uruguay and France in a tough looking group. The World Cup football odds suggest Mexico could progress though, so the United man could be lighting up the biggest stage.

Hernandez joined his home town club at the age at nine before making his debut in 2006. Overall, he hit 26 goals in 64 appearances for the club, though 21 of those came in 28 games last season.

He made his international debut on September 30th 2009 against Colombia in Dallas. Despite failing to net in that game he has since established an astonishing scoring record at international level. His brace against Gambia in a recent World Cup warm-up brought his tally to seven in just 11 appearances, a record which must have brought him to the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson.

It is hard to tell whether Hernandez will settle in at Old Trafford. The footballing culture is very different in England as it is in Central America. However, the recent success of the likes of Wilson Palacios and Hugo Rodallega have shown that imports from that part of the world can prove to be shrewd acquisitions.

United clearly needed another goalscorer last season to ease the burden on the exemplary Wayne Rooney. Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov were neither fit nor consistent enough to provide adequate support, so it is no surprise Fergie swooped quickly. The Premier League 2010/11 betting makes United second favourites for the title next season, and they will need goals if they are to overhaul Chelsea.

I doubt Hernandez was widely known outside his own country before his big move, so if he proves to be a hit, he could well become the signing of the season.

Ferguson's transfer policy is a worry

2010-05-20T04:14:00.000-04:00

As we all sat back and watched Chelsea lift the Premier League and FA Cup it became clear that United need to strengthen their squad if they are to challenge the Blues next season.

For starters the midfield needs addressing. Giggs and Scholes admirably soldier on despite their age but they can no longer be expected to carry the side. Owen Hargreaves meanwhile looks unable to last ten minutes let alone a full season.

Too often last season the defence was also patched up, often with midfielders plugging the gap. While Edwin Van Der Sar, like Giggsy, is not getting any younger.

All this is before we turn to the forward line where we need another goalscorer to ease the burden on Wayne Rooney.

Given United's woes it was credit to Ferguson's managerial ability, the tenacious never-say-die attitude of the squad, as well as the genius of Wayne Rooney, that they kept up a title challenge as long as they did.

But despite these glaring deficiencies it looks like Fergie will only bring one more player in this summer. Granted United have brought in Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez but both are relatively un-tested at the top level. Leagues and cups are decided by world class players, not squad signings. However, Hernandez will be looking to help Mexico upset the 2010 World Cup betting this summer, and a good performance in South Africa could give united fans something to look forward to.

Ferguson's revelations obviously raise questions about the state of United's finances. Rumours continue to fly around regarding the true levels of debt the club is in, though the latest figures suggest it is around the £717 million mark.

Yet we are continually fed the line that Fergie is happy with the "squad balance" and he is aware how tough it is to bring players in given the current climate.

He has a point about the state of the transfer market, many clubs are slapping an extra £10 million on their players' valuation as soon as the big clubs come sniffing around. So this could be an attempt by Fergie to cool the market and bring in players at realistic prices.

The online football betting makes Chelsea favourites to win the title next season and it will be tough to compete, not matter who Ferguson signs.

However, if we reach the big kick off next August and United have failed to address the weaknesses in the side, then a sustained challenge for honours maybe beyond even the abilities of Sir Alex.

Liverpool collapse leaves United praying for a miracle

2010-05-05T08:21:00.000-04:00

There was certain inevitability about the Liverpool v Chelsea game last Sunday. The mood among the Liverpool supporters before the game was either ambivalence towards the result or, for those who couldn't hide their true feelings, hope of a defeat purely to derail Manchester United's title ambitions.

Liverpool duly rolled over as Chelsea strolled to one of their easiest wins of the year. But United fans, instead of joining in the mudslinging targeted at the Anfield club after the result, should concentrate on the final home game against Stoke on Sunday.

A win is essential if United are to have any chance of nipping in front of Chelsea to grab top spot, but even then the destiny of the title is not in their hands.
Wigan Athletic travel to Stamford Bridge and are United's last chance of Premier League victory. A win for the Latics is unlikely, though Roberto Martinez leads an honest bunch of players so you can guarantee they will put more effort in than Rafa's men did last week.

But regardless of effort and commitment I sense Chelsea will be too strong and will claim the three points they require to secure the title. The Premier League betting does make them firm favourites.

A summer of what ifs will follow as we ponder where exactly the title was lost. Two defeats against the Londoners didn't help, but costly slip ups against Villa and Everton meant it was always an uphill struggle and many fans have expressed surprise that the club was still in the title race despite so many poor results.

With the emergence of Man City as a financial powerhouse in the Premier League, as well as talk of busy summers at Chelsea and Arsenal, this close-season could prove to one of the most pivotal in United's recent history. Aging stars like Giggs and Scholes cannot go on forever and if Fergie is to win one more title before he bows out he needs the funds to able to strengthen the squad.

So while United fans watch current stars helping their respective nations justify their World Cup 2010 betting odds this summer, they will also be waiting for major transfer news.

Over to you, Mr Glazer.

United must take their second chance

2010-04-22T05:00:00.001-04:00

It was arguably the most dramatic weekend of the season so far as the title race was turned on its head last week.

For many United fans the fat lady had taken the stage as they entered stoppage time at Eastlands, with the Red Devils facing the prospect of a second consecutive draw following the damaging defeat to Chelsea at Old Trafford two weeks previously.
But just when the naysayers and doom mongers were finalising their smug obituaries, Paul Scholes, always a man for the big occasion, popped up to reignite the side's title hopes.

The fact it was against the "noisy neighbours" made it even sweeter for United fans. Their massive spending may yet bear fruit, but it didn't happen on this occasion.
Jubilant from the win supporters will have no doubt tuned in to the late game to see the weekend go from good to brilliant. Spurs ripped Chelsea apart. The Blues looked a shadow of the side that held United at bay so professionally two weeks ago.

The worrying thing is that in-form Spurs, fresh from wins over Chelsea and Arsenal, are next up at Old Trafford. They have plenty to play for themselves as they battle City for fourth place. It seems ironic that a United win on Saturday will probably bring a smile to even the most ardent of City fan.

A boost for United could be the return of Wes Brown, with the papers reporting that the England defender is ready to prove his fitness. The timing couldn't be better with more doubts over Rio Ferdinand. He wasn't in the squad last week but even when he is selected he has looked half the player he was a few years back.

A leaky defence has been one of United's weaknesses this year and, other than Ronalado's departure, it is the biggest difference between the current squad and last season's title winning side. A return to the watertight days of 2009 would give United the platform they need to get a result.

Up front doubts remain over both Rooney and Berbatov. With the former it is purely a fitness issue. He has clearly been rushed back from his ankle injury and your wonder how much extra damage he is inflicting on himself. But such is his form he needs to play even if half fit. Of course, England fans will be watching the striker with hearts in mouths as Rooney will be vital if the Three Lions are to justify their World Cup betting odds.

Berbatov meanwhile remains one of footballs enigmas. Oodles of talent, but he often gives the impression he can't be bothered to. If the Premier League title won't motivate you, what will?

Three wins out of three are required if United are to claim another title and Saturday's game is arguably the hardest of the lot. A win over Harry Redknapp's men and, as the online betting suggests, the prospect of a fourth consecutive Premier League title is most definitely on.

Liverpool petulance makes victory even sweeter

2010-03-26T07:30:00.001-04:00

Revenge was definitely on the minds of Man United fans when Liverpool came to town on Sunday.

With three defeats on the spin against their bitter north-west rivals, including that humiliating 4-1 home loss last March, United supporters felt they were due a win against Rafa Benitez's men.

Not that local pride was the only thing to play for. With Arsenal gathering a head of steam and Chelsea still in the hunt for the title it was vital United grabbed all three points in what was one of their tougher fixtures in the run-in.

The win was duly achieved, but what made it all the more satisfying for United fans was the reaction of Liverpool to the result.

First off Rafa Benitez again chose to blame everybody but himself for the defeat, claiming Valencia dived for the penalty which turned the game.

Quite how anyone who has Steven Gerrard in the team can accuse the opposition of diving I don't know, but the truth is Mascherano was pulling Valencia's shirt. The incident did start outside the area, but the rules state if the foul moves into the area then it's a penalty. Simple.
What Benitez also forgot to point out was Mascherano only received a yellow card, despite Valencia being clean through on goal. He should get the facts straight before he starts making excuses.

Another act of petulance came from Fernando Torres. The Spanish striker is a wonderful payer but too often acts like a spoilt child when things don't go his way. His scuffing of the penalty spot before Rooney could place the ball was a prime example of this, a sign United had got to him. Spain's World Cup betting odds make them favourites for this year's tournament, but they might struggle if Torres spits his dummy in a similar fashion.

Domestically though, Liverpool's remarkable ability to escape FA punishment manifested itself once more when it was revealed referee Howard Webb would have booked Torres if he had seen the incident, but the FA are unable to take retrospective action on the matter. That makes it three incidents in three weeks that Liverpool have got away with.

However karma was well in truly in action in the second half when Torres mishit a shot that bobbled in the exact spot he had scuffed up in the first period. What goes around comes around Fernando.

That left Liverpool licking their wounds once more, languishing back in sixth, while United, beating Liverpool for the first time in four, march on and the football odds now make the Red Devils strong favourites to win the title.

World Cup player to watch - South Korea

2010-03-16T10:16:00.001-04:00

Park Ji-Sung enjoys very different profiles for his club and national team. A quiet achiever at Manchester United who thrives in Sir Alex Ferguson's rotation policy, he is the captain and star player of a South Korea team that is making its seventh consecutive appearance at the World Cup.

However, Park is from a fringe player at United. Capable of playing on either wing in a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation, he has become a member of Ferguson's strongest team. His record of becoming the first Asian player to appear in the Champions League final proved his place in the Old Trafford pecking order.

If Ferguson and United fans acknowledge and respect his technical ability and versatility, then South Korean supporters worship him as their team's hero and talisman. He was an integral part of the team that earned a shock place in the 2002 World Cup semi-finals and is now even more important as he approaches a century of caps. The World Cup betting makes South Korea outsiders for the tournament, but they could cause a few more upsets this time around.

Park is in excellent form - five of his 11 international goals came in qualifying for this year's finals - and he will be the heartbeat of the team in South Africa. His energetic, all-action style reflects that of his team, who are hard to wear down and serious contenders for a second round place and the World Cup odds reflect this.

Park has more to him than endeavour - he is a skilful direct runner who glides into dangerous areas with a deadly eye for goal and killer pass. He is in his fifth season at Old Trafford and another impressive World Cup display would finally convert the final few United fans who doubt his worth to the English champions.

Gaining momentum - on and off the pitch

2010-03-12T04:19:00.002-05:00

As we enter the business end of the season the games come thick and fast, with three matches in a week becoming the norm. With seven months of football already behind them it would be understandable if certain players began to feel the effects of a long hard season.

Therefore the great teams not only have big squads to cope with the demands of these extra games, but can also finish matches off early to conserve energy for the next battle.

Manchester United did that superbly against Milan in midweek. A challenging encounter on paper was turned into a practice match a little over an hour in. This meant the likes of Wayne Rooney, whose double once again set United on their way to victory, could be substituted to rest their legs. But even the players who lasted the full 90 minutes will not feel as jaded as they would if the match had gone all the way.

Finishing games off early has been United's forte over the past 15 years, and its re-emergence this season signals a growing momentum within the club just in time for the final run-in. With United and Rooney in this sort of form a third consecutive Champions League final is a definite possibility. Indeed, the football betting makes them second favourites to win the competition.

Off the pitch another campaign is gaining momentum. The now famous Green and Gold protest gained its greatest PR victory on Wednesday when David Beckham wore green and gold scarf while walking off the Old Trafford pitch. Beckham later denied he was anti-Glazer, something he perhaps had to say, but the impact had already been felt. A campaign that has already gathered 130,000 members will no doubt claim more now the most famous footballer on the planet has donned its colours.

The club are beginning to panic as well. Players and staff are banned from talking about the camping and a fan was ejected from a MUTV show for refusing to take off a green and gold scarf. The channel also refuses to mention the movement and edits all of Sir Alex Ferguson's press conferences to ensure anything related campaign is removed.

This sort of communist-style censorship will only rally the supporters more. Stewards eventually gave up trying to confiscate anti-Glazer banners on Wednesday because there were so many. As Avram Glazer bundled into his blacked out car after the game, personal bodyguard in tow, he must surely wonder whether it is worth carrying on in the face of such ferocious opposition.

Meanwhile, David Beckham will be concentrating on ensuring he is at the top of his game going into the World Cup.

England's World Cup football odds make them third favourites to win the tournament, but they will need their players to be at their best if they are to succeed.

World Cup player to watch - England

2010-03-11T11:31:00.002-05:00

The unrealistic expectations placed on England by their fans and media is a common feature of every World Cup that the Three Lions qualify for. They have reached one semi final since lifting the trophy in 1966, but the imminent hysteria is for once not totally outlandish, and this is for one reason only: the form of Wayne Rooney.

The John Terry-Wayne Bridge fiasco and Ashley Cole injury concern, combined with leaked tactical discussions has seemingly made Fabio Capello’s preparation for the Football world cup 2010 a nightmare, but the presence of Rooney in his team justifies some optimism.

He is the world’s most in-form striker and his red-hot streak – 30 goals for Manchester United this season so far, the second highest scorer in UEFA qualifying – needs to be taken seriously. If England can keep the goals out, then World Cup betting 2010 experts suggest that Rooney can guarantee they will be scored at the other end.

His consistency for club and country is currently unmatched around the world, with no striker reaching his level of performance, at so high a standard, so often. If Manchester United fans fear they have a one-man team, then England’s followers revel in it – as long as their talisman remains injury-free, of course.

Rooney has added a new dimension to his game this season that has coincided to his move centrally to an out-and-out centre forward. He is no longer wasted on the wing by Air Alex Ferguson and has thrived on being the main man, as he is for England.

Headers and tap-ins have been added to an all-round game that makes him England’s main creative threat as well as their principal goal source. He has the special something that World Cup stars need, but it remains to be seen whether it is enough to carry his team to glory.

Should United risk Wayne at Wembley?

2010-02-25T05:27:00.001-05:00

After another match-winning performance against West Ham, a result that got United's title chase back on track, the stock of Wayne Rooney was raised still further.

His brace of headers against the Hammers got United's title push back on the straight and narrow after that disappointing defeat to Everton where the whole side, Rooney included, looked decidedly off-colour.

Despite that setback at Goodison it is fair to say that Rooney is un-droppable at the moment. 29 goals already this the season means of Ronaldo is now a distant memory.

But with a crucial second leg against Milan next week and a battle with Chelsea for the Premier League hotting up, is it worth him playing on Sunday in the Carling Cup Final?

The football odds might make United favourites for the cup, but it is not a competition that ranks very high in their priorities. The main reason such an effort was made in the semi-finals was to ensure the noisy neighbours didn't make it to Wembley. Before that Fergie played the kids against Barnsley and Spurs.

I know any trophy shouldn't be sniffed at, but with bigger fish to fry I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of Gibson and Wellbeck are given run out on Sunday.

Although senior pros like Paul Scholes will be glad of the rest Wayne Rooney is not a player who takes to sitting on the bench lightly. An old-school style footballer, all he wants to do is play, and given the form he is in do you blame him?

When you are playing that well all you want to do is keep that momentum going and the rest may break the rhythm he is in and actually hurt United in the long term.

But any hopes of retaining the Premier League title and winning the Champions League would all but disappear should Rooney pick up a serious injury on Sunday.

It is that greater need that makes me think Fergie will start Wayne from the bench on Sunday, ready to unleash him should things go wrong.

Another man who will be hoping Rooney stays injury free is England manager Fabio Capello.

England are third favourites in the World Cup betting and Capello knows he will need Rooney firing on all cylinders if they are to win the competition.

Is Three The Magic Number For Manchester United?

2010-02-24T09:45:00.003-05:00

If Manchester United manage to reach a third successive Champions League final, then they will join an elite group of teams that have achieved such a feat.

Real Madrid not just reached the final, but won all of the first five European Cups to be staged. Benfica then took on Madrid’s mantle and were to appear in the next three finals.

In the seventies, Ajax won all three finals between 71 and 73, before Bayern Munich did likewise between 74 and 76.

No team achieved the accomplishment in the eighties, but in the nineties, AC Milan won one and lost two finals between 93 and 95, while Juventus repeated these statistics between 96 and 98.

After the turn of the century, only Valencia and Manchester United have managed to reach even two successive finals and one could argue that if United reach a third, then it would be a greater achievement than those achieved by the consecutive finalists of the past.

Juventus were the last team to have reached three successive finals, with the third coming in 1998. That year’s competition saw only two teams competing from each of La Liga, Serie A and the Premier League, as opposed to the four from those leagues today.

In short, there are stronger teams in the modern Champions League, than of those in the past. The past five seasons have only produced finalists from Europes strongest leagues; England, Italy and Spain.

Having been handed a tough draw against AC Milan in the first knockout stage, a Wayne Rooney-inspired United won the opening away leg 3-2.

It seems likely that United’s hopes of a third final rest on the broad shoulders of Wayne Rooney. If he can stay fit, then few Champions League Betting Odds would go against Alex Ferguson’s side making it three in a row.

There is another final on the minds of Manchester United fans at the moment though, with Carling Cup final Betting hotting up ahead of the game at Wembley this weekend.

Wayne's world

2010-02-19T09:17:00.002-05:00

Of all the main challengers for World Cup glory this summer, no team relies on one player the way England do on Wayne Rooney. England’s chances are so inextricably linked with the form and fitness of their talisman, it is hard to imagine them featuring in the latter stages without him.

Fortunately for the Three Lions, they need only worry about Rooney’s fitness, as his form is peerless and looks after itself. The Manchester United striker can become one of his country’s true greats, as few England players have excelled on the biggest stage of all.

Rooney has taken his game to another level this season. If he once played with one foot in the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo, he now plays in the sunshine of his own brilliance. 21 league goals in 25 appearances tell only part of the story.

He has added a selfish streak common to all great strikers by finding new ways to score goals. Headers, tap-ins and opportunist poaching – the bread and butter of elite forwards, but an added bonus for Rooney, who has incorporated these into a game of unique awareness, guile and creativity.

Like all great players he comes alive on the big stage, but now only in a positive way. The impetuosity of youth has diminished as he has acknowledged the responsibility of being a senior player for club and country. Perhaps a World Cup Bet could even be placed on him winning the Golden Boot in South Africa?

Rooney showed his ability to do something special on the major occasion at Euro 2004 and now, six years on, hopefully without the spectre of injury and indiscipline, World Cup Odds state that he has the opportunity to lead his team to major tournament glory.

Nani blots his copybook after superb month

2010-02-11T06:57:00.001-05:00

It's a pity that Nani will be denied the chance to showcase his new found form at Wembley at the end of the month.

The regulation three-match ban for his ugly lunge on Aston Villa's Stilian Petrov means he will miss the Carling Cup final against the same opponents on February 28th.

It will be a great shame as to play on England's biggest stage would have been a fitting reward for the Portuguese winger whose inspirational performances over the last few months have helped sustain United's Premier League title challenge.

It is a remarkable turnaround when you consider he has been linked with the exit door since last summer.

His ability was never in question and 15 assists in his debut season proved that. But a severe case of second season syndrome saw his form dip alarmingly. After a poor start to this year many people began to wonder whether he had the correct attitude and appetite to make at the top. "A poor man's Ronaldo" was one of the kinder insults aimed in his direction.

He aired his grievances in public last November, speaking of his frustration at his lack of form and playing time. Such public outbursts usually mean the end of your United career (Japp Stam, Van Nistelrooy for example) but instead of forcing him out United boss Sir Alex Ferguson backed his man to come good.

Boosted by that show of faith the former Sporting Lisbon player, who cost United £18 million in 2007, chose not to skulk away and instead sought to repay Fergie for the faith shown in him.

The recent high water mark came at the Emirates, where he played a man-of-the-match role in United's 3-1 destruction of the Gunners. Wayne Rooney may have taken all the headlines in recent weeks, but the wins against Hull, Man City and Portsmouth were all in some part down to Nani's attacking purpose.

It's frustrating the momentum gained in recent weeks will be lost as he sits out crucial games against Everton, West Ham and Aston Villa.

United fans will hope the rest will allow him to continue his good form against Wolves in March.
The Carling Cup odds suggest the Red Devils will lift the trophy, but if they do Nani will have to watch from the stands.

Rooney once again shows his class

2010-01-29T05:23:00.002-05:00

This week's Manchester derby was one of the most eagerly-anticipated in decades for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the winner would not receive the usual three points handed out to the victors of a league clash; they would set up a date at Wembley in a Cup final, and secure the chance to win the first silverware of the season. Secondly, the media focus after the Carling Cup semi-final first leg between the two rivals had surrounded a bitter war of words between Gary Neville and Carlos Tevez, with Sir Alex Ferguson also having a swipe at City's finances.

In the end, it was a tight, thrilling affair that was delicately balanced throughout the 90 minutes. United looked to have secured victory when they took a 2-0 lead in the second half through clinical finishes from Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick but - who else? - Carlos Tevez popped up with a stunning, cheeky finish to pull a goal back for City.

It looked like the game was headed for extra time but one man was intent on stealing the headlines, as he has done so often for his team this season, in the dying minutes. Shay Given, who was an imposing figure in the City goal for much of the game, was left stranded as Rooney fired a header past him and sent the United fans into raptures.

Rooney has proved to be the decisive player for United so many times this season and was rewarded for another stellar performance with rare praise from his manager who was unafraid to call him "truly world class".

The Carling Cup betting now makes United favourites to lift the trophy.

However, City can take solace in the fact that the best FA Cup odds on offer suggest that they should be making a Wembley appearance in May.

Neville the pantomime villain

2010-01-25T07:01:00.001-05:00

Gary Neville might have escaped punishment for his behaviour during the Carling Cup semi-final first leg clash against Manchester City, but it is no surprise the Red Devil stalwart was the man at the centre of the controversy.

Neville is his team's chief agitator, the man opposing fans love to hate and the player United supporters identify with thanks to his tendency say what they are thinking.

It is easy to imagine the club captain watching from the Old Trafford stands when his playing days are over, something that might happen soon. Unlike Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, Neville is yet to sign a contract extension, but it is hard to think that he will cut all ties with United.

If a coaching role does not come his way an ambassadorial one is even more unlikely - his antagonistic personality will win the club fewer friends than Sir Bobby Charlton Ole Gunnar Solskjaer do. However, an unofficial role as a United firebrand and supporters' mouthpiece is all but guaranteed.

Some of Neville's antics are calculated - he is vocal in his belief that players should not be robots and his manager is the best possible accomplice in riling opponents - but the passion and spontaneity exhibited by the veteran right-back shows he is more than just a pantomime villain.

The Liverpool fans who suffered his taunts at the end of a fractious clash with United in January 2006 see him as nothing more than a villain.

For his part, Neville will be hoping to grab more silverware before he bows out of the game.
Currently, the sports betting odds make them second favourites to win the Premier League title even though they are top of the table.

Their Carling Cup betting odds also suggest United could lift that trophy despite the fact they trail Manchester City ahead of the second leg of their semi-final tie.

United's transfer troubles?

2010-01-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

It is not often that Manchester United are linked with more sales than purchases in a transfer window. English newspapers are full of reports of an Old Trafford clearout, with Nemanja Vidic, Anderson, Nani, Dimitar Berbatov, Zoran Tosic and, most notably, Wayne Rooney all linked with moves away.

This is of course largely meaningless media speculation, borne out of a frustrating start to the season that has seen the club lose five league games, while Leeds managed to defy the betting odds and knock United out of the FA Cup in the third round. Casting United as a club in crisis sells papers, with a player exodus all part of the drama.

Tosic could well move on, having not settled in the same way Ritchie de Laet and the da Silva brothers have, while Nani has not progressed as well as was hoped. Berbatov remains a frustrating presence, but surely Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn't want to lose him? The same can be said for Anderson, Vidic and Rooney.

However, it is hard to totally ignore rumours of Vidic's discontent and although it is easy to link him with Real Madrid, the precedent set by Cristiano Ronaldo's move to the Bernabeu makes another high profile departure a possibility.

The club plans to raise £500m through a bond issue in order to refinance its debts, so the supposed pressure on the manager to sell major players is probably not a factor.

In contrast disillusioned and unmotivated players do head for the exit - Vidic only needs to look at Jaap Stam's experience to realise that he might not get the move he wants.

If there is a tight transfer budget - the summer signing of Michael Owen suggests there might be - Ferguson could look towards another injury-plagued England international. Joe Cole is out of contract in the summer and if his negotiations at Chelsea stall he might jump at a move to United.

Ferguson could take advantage of the situation and pounce on Cole now, acknowledging that Franck Ribery is out of his price range but still recruiting the sort of skill and creativity that is sorely needed.

Sir Alex will also be boosted by the fact that the Carling Cup betting makes his side favourites to lift at least one trophy this season, so things aren't all bad.

NEW SITE

2009-12-13T14:54:00.001-05:00

This is the last post ever on this site :(.... because I've changed to something much more exciting. The Canadian Stretford End has moved over to wordpress and a registered domain name. The site is now:

CANADIANSTRETTY.COM

THE CANADIAN STRETFORD END

Site Changes

2009-12-10T22:32:00.004-05:00

I'm revamping the site, for hopefully a much cooler, easy to accessible look with more info and pages.

It will mean this site will be pretty quiet over the next few days but hopefully the new look will be well worth it :)

Thanks for staying with me here!

The Subs Bench Podcast

2009-12-10T07:11:00.002-05:00

I joined the boys over at the subs bench on their podcast last night to discuss the Champions League, the Premier League, Canada, and my Man. United team of the decade.

Itunes Link

Online Version

Enjoy!

Manchester United 2:0 Tottenham

2009-12-02T15:59:00.004-05:00

United Man of the Match:
Nemanja Vidic had one of his best games all year against Tottenhem. Although Darron Gibson potted two goals Tottenham really were the stronger team and Nemanja kept them at bay and some last ditch tackles really kept Spurs without too many meaningful efforts on goal. All in all Tottenham should have gotten more for their performance but Vidic was back to his usual self. His tackling was spot on and he had a few key shot blocks. He looked like the tough, aggressive defender we got used to last season instead of the Vidic who has been part of a struggling United back four this season. And of course Vidic's presence in the air around the box is unmatched anywhere across Europe.

Match Notes:
- Last week I said Darron Gibson shoots too much. I still think that in key pressure situations late in games he gives the ball away far too often, but shooting early is always a good idea and it payed off twice against Spurs. The second especially after a nice little piece of interplay was a very well worked goal.

- Danny Welbeck played for a little out wide and he also got an opportunity to start up front. From seeing him in the two positions I think he is more suited to play out wide. He knows when to cut in, he can beat a man and I think he just generally understands the position more, which is strange considering he grew up a striker.

- Anderson had a very good match and was all over the place in midfield. He is one of the players who has really stepped up the energy level this year in the absence of certain players...

- Dimitar Berbatov had a solid first game back. Not all his flicks and creativity came off, but at least he was still creating chances. Hopefully he'll get his Premier League return against West Ham this weekend.

- At the back Wesley Brown had one of his better games this season, still prone to the odd error of miss judgment but his tackling was much better than it has been in recent weeks.

Final Thoughts:
Tottenham was probably the better team but for the second year in a row the kids have made the Carling Cup semi-finals. Last year they went on to win the tournament and this year the potential for a repeat is definitely there. Could this group of youngsters be something very special?

Portsmouth 1:4 Manchester United

2009-12-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

United Man of the Match:
Despite Rooney’s hattrick my man of the match was the ever young Ryan Giggs who put in another timeless performance on the left side of midfield. With Rooney playing up front by himself Giggs had to provide support more often from the left side and he did his job perfectly. Giggs’ creativity was as evident as ever, his ball to Rooney for the second goal was picture perfect. He then went on to win a penalty that completed Rooney’s hattrick and Giggs chipped in with his own from a free kick at the end of the game. An absolutely complete performance from Giggs who is quickly becoming one of the most creative players in the Premier League. His ability to beat a man and put in a killer ball is fantastic as he displayed against Portsmouth.

Match Notes:
- Rooney had a very average game… and scored a hattrick. Best player in the Premier League anyone? He’s putting together just an absolutely fantastic season.

- Antonio Valencia put in another top class performance. His pace is crucial to the side especially when United are playing with only one forward. He has already proved key in several situations these year breaking down stubborn defensive teams.

- Playing the 4-3-3/4-5-1 has been a problem for Rooney in the past but it looks like United are finally finding a way to make it work. Between Rooney’s performance upfront by himself against the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and now against Portsmouth, it may be difficult but United can make this work.

- The Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick combination with Scholes sitting deep in the centre of midfield spraying out passes has real potential and it was very evident against Pompey.

- Wesley Brown and Nemanja Vidic are both quality defenders, but they have yet to really put together the same partnership that Vidic and Ferdinand are so famous for and it’s starting to show. These two need to start playing better together, because a poor game against Portsmouth probably won’t hurt you too much but it certainly will show against the stronger teams.

- Tomasz Kuszczack won’t get much credit for his performance considering it was such an easy win, but he really looked good. He made some absolutely brilliant saves and his decision making is much better than Foster’s. Hopefully Kuszczack’s form will put him into the number two spot behind Van Der Sar.

Final Thoughts:
After recent results in the Premier League getting this second dominating performance on the back of the Everton win hopefully this is signalling the start of a run for United. In order to win the Premier League or at least challenge Chelsea this season, they are going to need more of these easy dominant wins. And hopefully some more Rooney hattricks.

Manchester United 0:1 Beşiktaş

2009-12-01T22:02:00.004-05:00

United Man of the Match:
Despite a rather quiet second half, Danny Welbeck gets my man of the match for being United’s most productive player in the first half. Recently he’s been playing as a wide midfielder for United, but against Beşiktaş he played upfront and was very good playing with his back to goal and turning to have a go at defenders. Welbeck looked dangerous for the whole first half and was easily United’s most dangerous player. For those of you who regularly read this blog it is no small secret that Welbeck is my favourite youth player with United at the moment and I predict many big things in his future.

Match Notes:
- A result against Besiktas would have been nice as it would have rounded up the group for United, but giving the youngsters the chance was the right decision from Sir Alex. A run out in a meaningful European game will provide these players with huge experience.

- Gary Neville had an absolutely terrible game. True Manc and true United player who just doesn’t have it any more. I hate to say it but it is time for Gary to float off into the distance.

- The youngsters usually put out a spirited display in order to pick up a result and show the manager what they have, but the second half against Beşiktaş was just lifeless and Sir Alex will expect much better.

- I don’t blame Ben Foster for the goal, but the shooter really should have been shut down much earlier than he was.

- Gibson takes way too many shots. I think he believes he is a better shooter than he really is. Even with Ireland in the dying minutes of extra time he was taking shots from thirty-five-yards which frankly is just a waste of the ball.

- Gabriel Obertan had a bit of an off game, but considering some of his recent blistering performances I can’t really have any complaints.

- Anderson looked good in the first half, but as the game progressed he started to force it and the strongest part of Anderson’s game is not thirty, forty yard balls and if he wants to secure a spot in the first team he really needs to cut down on these wasted balls.

- It was nice to see Park back after the long layoff.

Final Thoughts:
The youngsters were given their chance, but failed to pick up the result. Not a huge problem, the fact we secured our spot early (take note Liverpool) allows us to do this without any real consequences so no worries.

Manchester United 3:0 Everton

2009-11-25T21:54:00.001-05:00

Man of the Match:
I'm giving this to Antonio Valencia who didn't have an outstanding game, but did his job. It's odd to see such a once sided victory for United in which no player was fantastic but Valencia is turning into a very useful player at United. The guy isn't in the same technical class as pretty much everyone else going forward for United on the pitch, but he is a very smart player. His header back for the Fletcher volley was exceptional. Rarely does a player get a header in that position and not put a shot on net, Valencia however clearly made the right decision heading the ball back to Fletcher. Valencia also seems to dominate that right side of the midfield defensively. His tracking is fantastic and no left sided player has really hurt United this year when Valencia is playing. He also popped up with another goal against Everton which should help his already high confidence at the club.

Match Notes:
- Darren Fletcher's goal. Absolute class not much more to say about this strike other than wow.

- It's nice to see Michael Carrick pop in with his first Premier League goal of the season. Between this game and the Chelsea game hopefully he's recovering from a bit of a rough start to the season.

- Even when he isn't putting in man of the match, brilliant performances Ryan Giggs steps up with yet another assist. He's putting together one hell of a season.

- Wayne Rooney continues to be a threat from everywhere on the park. He is the most dynamic player on this team and one of the most creative forwards in the world. The build up on the play where he hit the crossbar came off some fabulous off the ball movement from Rooney.

- Van Der Sar made one solid save and after going so long without Van Der Sar back there, you really forget how valuable having a solid keeper is.

- Patrice Evra and Rafael both looked good making forward runs and keeping up that change of pace, that's needed to break teams down in these games.

- A lot of the time last season United had a difficult time finishing off games like this where they dominated all match, but didn't have that little change of pace. Some of the interplay from United this year has been spectacular and gone very under the radar and this was a perfect example of how they easily broke down a team which may have been a "banana peel" game.

Final Thoughts:
Even with all the injuries Everton are a very good squad and a 3-0 win is a major accomplishment, especially coming off an international break and with massive injury problems at the back. After a little rough patch winning only two of the last five Premier League games hopefully this is the start of another good run for United.

Poland 1:0 Canada

2009-11-18T21:50:00.008-05:00

I only saw the first 55 minutes of the match until my stream died. I've only heard recounts of what happened beyond this point so my match thoughts are based on these first 55 minutes.

- Kevin McKenna had a very poor game and was at fault for the Poland goal. He should have been much closer on the initial header and at least applied some pressure even if he isn't going to go for the ball.

- Had it not been for Dejan Jakovic the final outcome could have been much worse. Jakovic is quickly becoming my favourite Canadian player. Technically he is a very good defender, he's quick at reading the play and his tackling ability is unmatched.

- Tomasz Radzinski was Canada's biggest threat going forward and it was nice to see him given an opportunity to captain the side in his country of birth. If only he was younger and would be available for the 2014 side I really think we could use someone like him.

- Lars Hirchfeld had a terrible time in net. His distribution is poor, his decision making is poor, and he looks uncomfortable on the ball. Aside from one quality save early in the second half he was very disappointing.

- Jamie Peters didn't have a huge influence on the game but when he was given the ball he was making things happen out wide. He was running down the line, and beat his man once or twice.

- The service from set pieces was beyond poor, a problem Canada had in the Gold Cup. For a team that isn't going to create too many opportunities from open plays these set pieces are key and we need someone who can take them.

- Paul Stalteri has been a model for Canadian for years, but his time with the national team should have been over two years ago. It's time for Nana.

- I thought this was one of Hutchinson's worst games for Canada in recent memory, he was constantly giving the ball away and contributed very little to the attack. When players like him aren't performing something has to be wrong.

- Rob Friend has had his chances with Canada and its not working. He just doesn't get the service he needs to make a meaningful impact.

- In the Gold Cup, Stephen Hart had Canada playing a very calm composed style of defending. No pressure was really applied until the opposition would enter the final third. Against Poland it seemed like no pressure was applied until they were in Canada's box. The midfield just completely collapsed while defending giving Poland ample space to work in. This needs to be fixed by the defenders and the midfielders all pushing further up the pitch.

- The team looks like they did improve slightly over the two games under Hart, but the performance against Poland certainly wasn't anything to celebrate.

Canada vs. Poland Preview

2009-11-17T19:24:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow Canada will be playing Poland in front of almost no one. We will have our lone Canadian supporter from the Voyageurs there, but the Polish supporters will be boycotting this match to express their pent up frustration with the way their national team is being run. As has been several times, "at least they have a friendly to protest". Canada on the other hand played their last home friendly more than two years ago, and we ran a fairly successful protest ourselves that day.

On to the actual game it will be another quality test for our players as they begin the long preparation cycle for 2014 World Cup Qualifying. Poland are going through a bit of a rebuilding cycle themselves as they prepare to host Euro 2012, making them the only national team in the World who have a longer wait until their next competitive match than Canada (that is no exaggeration, Canada will play their next competitive match in the summer of 2011 in this time every other national team in the world with the exception of Poland will have played at least one competitive match). Macedonia was a bit of a wake up call showing us how far we really have to go until we can compete at the level we want to, and Poland will be the next test.

Hopefully Stephen Hart will have improved the team in the short time he's had the players since the embarrassing result against Macedonia. This will probably be a very different looking team than the last starting XI.

Obviously Radziński will get the start or at least an appearance in his country of birth. After giving Wagenaar the start against Macedonia, Hirschfeld will probably get an opportunity against the Polish. Another player who was on the bench against Macedonia who should get a starting place tomorrow is Rob Friend who is undoubtedly Canada's top striker at the club level, but has yet to really prove himself with the national team. I also hope we will get a chance to see Marcel De Jong on the left side of midfield, because he is a young player who still has a future with the Canadian national team.

As I've said before the left side of the park is really the one place where Canada is loaded with talent. De Jong, Simpson, Peters and Klukowski all play there but are all talented enough that they deserve at least a spot in the squad. It will be interesting to see how Hart handles the situation and who he plays against Poland may give an indication as to who he favours in the left midfield and left back position.

My final prediction is 2-0 Poland. I think Canada will play a much tighter game than they did against Macedonia and hopefully Jakovic will return sure up some of the problems at the back, but I still think Poland will be too much for Canada.

Allez les Rouges!

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eighteen

2009-11-16T18:03:00.000-05:00

In this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk I'm joined by Duane from the 24th Minute once again, but this time he decides to stick around. We talk Canada, TFC-Preki links, who's the best club in Manchester, World Cup Qualifiers, and some CIS women's action.

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Macedonia 3:0 Canada

2009-11-15T21:08:00.001-05:00

Didn't actually get a chance to see the match only highlights... and it wasn't pretty. I was enjoying my Saturday elsewhere yesterday, so I won't try and analyze something I didn't get to see instead I will defer to Masster from the Voyageurs who witness the match live.

These are his thoughts:

-The experience was incredibly embarassing actually. Despite being told by Macedonians leading up to the match that this was going to be a onesided 3-0 or 4-0 affair, I assured them otherwise. We may not have a Pandev on our roster but we were solid and would provide them with a good game. I was wrong.

-The formation was 4-4-1-1. This was a deviation from our Gold Cup games. Hume played as the withdrawn striker and contrary to the write up on the CSA website, I don't think he was involved enough at all.

-I will admit I have never been a fan of Bernier. I thought he had a decent Gold Cup playing centrally. Being back out wide in this game as he has been in the past, I thought he was lost and very poor.

-Both Sigma and I chose Josh Simpson as our man of the match for Canada.

-I think we can say right now that Mike Klukowski is our best player. However, there doesn't seem to be much chemistry between him and Simpson. Hopefully that can develop over time. I still thought he had a fairly solid game. It was his cross that led to the penalty that Friend won, and I also think it was him that whipped in a ball that was just out of the reach of Friend for a great chance in the second half.

-We had a about a 10 minute spell of possession in the opening part of the first half that was alright. Did not create anything though. After that, it all changed.

-The defense was attrocious especially on set pieces. The lack of height showed. Usually you can have your striker come back and help out, but unfortunatlely Hume and Jackson can not provide that assistance. Height was not the only issue though. there was just no organization. Macedonia got their head on virtually every single corner they had. Our CB pairing had no pace either.

-You guys must have missed this on the web stream but Stalteri and McKenna almost came to blows in the first half a la Charles Gbeke and Wesley Charles. Since the stadium was so quiet we could hear them yelling at each other. I was surprised that no Canadian player really stepped in. I thought this showed a lack of team cohession. When Stalteri was subbed out, instead of giving the armband to McKenna, he threw it at his feet.

-Thank you for your service Richard Hastings. I will always remember the Golden Goal against Mexico. I think your time as a member of our national team in now up. I never want to criticize one of our players but he is not what we need. Some control on the ball in the back is required. Its like a hot potato for them. I think the loss of Jakovic really hurt. I say all this although Hastings did a decent job on Pandev.

-Despite being outplayed, we still luckily got to the half with the score tied. To start the second half, we had the nice chance by Jackson where he didn't convert and a minute later we were down a goal. This was the pivitol moment in the game even more than the penalty misses. We were playing poorly on the road but had the chance to take the lead and didn't! Sometimes your chances are going to be limited and you have to convert. We didn't despite Macedonia keeping us in the game by missing theirs.

-Its hard to say if the penalty calls were justified. The only one I had a really good look at was the McKenna penalty for Macedonia's third goal and I thought this was the correct call. The Canadians were really upset about the penalty that Stalteri gave away. This makes me assume they thought it was a dive which it very well could have been. However, when I saw McKenna arguing against his call, it made me think that our players would argue anything whether they were right or wrong.

-Some people are saying that if we convert our penalties this is a different game or the score is different and this is isn't a blow out. You can't look at it that we. Macedonia missed chances from the run of play in the first half that were easier then penalties. If 3-0 wasn't an accurate reflection, then maybe 6-2 would have been.

-If I am not mistaken, De Jong has been playing in the centre of the park in his last few appearances for us. The jury is still out on this experiment.

-Calling 18 players for 2 games just isn't enough, especially when you have a full week of training. With Radzinski not around for the first game and Jakovic's injury, there were only 16 healthy bodies. One of them was a back up keeper so only 4 substitutes were available and Hart had no options. The lineup picked itself.

-We can't afford to divide our national team in to European and North America based groups. We simply don't have the depth to do this. We need to get our best players together as much as possible so they are fighting and competing for positions. For the love of the Lord, only then can we try and build a winning attitude.

-I've touched on the stadium and Wagenaar on some other threads.

Canada vs. Macedonia Preview

2009-11-12T18:48:00.000-05:00

Stephen Hart has added an eighteenth man to the roster in Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault, all reports out of the camp have been positive, it looks like Hart will soon be named full time national team coach. Despite the Jacob Lenskey saga, Canada are going into this friendly with relative confidence. Which probably means this will end as a 3-0 Macedonia victory.

I've actually predicted a 3-0 Macedonia victory with no reasoning other than this is the Canadian national team we are talking about. Canada has a history of poor matches in November losing to Jamaica 3-0 last year, South Africa 2-0 the year before and Jamaica once again 2-1 in 2006. Either way I hope to take some positives from this friendly regardless of the result. Hopefully a chance to give a few of our younger players a shot mainly Simeon Jackson, Jamie Peters and Marcel De Jong. I think those three in particular could play an important role with this team going forward. Then of course there is Dejan Jakovic who I rate as the best defender on the Canadian roster.

Going into this match he spotlight will be on Stephen Hart as it should be. With the full time job apparently imminent, it would be nice to see him pull out a few results in these two friendlies. The younger players really like working with him, so hopefully he can continue to produce results on the pitch. The Macedonia friendly provides a good opportunity for him to do this.

So my completely uninformed prediction:
Macedonia 3:0 Canada
Gordan Pandev with the hat trick mainly because I can't name any other player on the Macedonian team.

And a quick shout out to Sigma and Masster from the Voyageurs who will make up the Canadian support at this match.

ALLEZ LES ROUGES!

Rembrance Day

2009-11-11T20:37:00.003-05:00

Today is an important day for Canada and the rest of the world that needs to be acknowledged.

LEST WE FORGET

Chelsea 1:0 Manchester United

2009-11-11T20:36:00.001-05:00

United Man of the Match:
Wayne Rooney was involved in just about everything that Manchester United did. When United have played a 4-5-1 in the past this season Rooney has been isolated up top by himself and ineffective. Against Chelsea the attack was all about Rooney. He was dropping back into the midfield and picking up the ball then carrying it forward. His thirty and forty yard balls wide to Valencia, Giggs and Obertan were fantastic and spot on. Rooney tried to test Petr Cech at every opportunity he could and he did force a few quality saves. Rooney made the best of very limited opportunities against Chelsea.

Match Notes:
- Sir Alex has been criticized for using the 4-5-1 in recent years, but with the injuries to this team at the moment it was the perfect formation against a high flying, high scoring Chelsea team.

-Anderson, Fletcher and Carrick all dominated the midfield. They completely neutralized the Chelsea midfield and took control of the match for United.

- Michael Carrick in particular was a key contributor after he started the season on very poor form, with his performance he's reminded us why he can be so important to United.

- Antonio Valencia did a very good job of forcing Ashely Cole out of the game from an offensive perspective. Valencia kept running the line and pressing Cole back preventing him from giving Chelsea the width that is so vital in their diamond midfield formation.

- After being doubted all week, especially after conceding three goals to CSKA Moscow midweek, Johnny Evans and Wes Brown both played quite well. They kept Drogba completely out of the game and Anelka to a minimum.

- United gave away way too many free kicks on the outside of their penalty box. The one Chelsea scored off was not a foul, but they others were clearly fouls and needlessly conceded.

- Once again United were subject to a poor call in a massive match. On John Terry's goal Wes Brown was clearly tugged down by Drogba, and this set piece was as I mentioned earlier off a non-existent Fletcher foul.

Final Thoughts:
Manchester United didn't really do much wrong all game and to lose on the call that they did was very frustrating. Hopefully the players can take confidence from what was an otherwise very good performance. With Berbatov, Vidic, Ferdinand all out and Chelsea on the form they were it really isn't much of a surprise United lost the match, its just too bad they lost it in the circumstances that they did.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Seventeen

2009-11-09T17:54:00.000-05:00

On this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk Duane Rollins of the 24th Minute makes a quick cameo as we discuss Canada's upcoming friendlies and we rehash the weekend in the Premier League.

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Enjoy!

Viva John Terry!

2009-11-07T10:33:00.003-05:00

COME ON UNITED!

Canada's Roster for Friendlies

2009-11-06T23:00:00.001-05:00

Canada's Roster for Macedonia and Poland:

GK- Lars Hirschfeld | GER / Energie Cottbus
GK- Josh Wagenaar | SCO / Falkirk
D/M- Mike Klukowski | BEL / Club Brugge KV
D- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
D/M- Paul Stalteri | GER / Borussia Mönchengladbach
D- Richard Hastings | SCO / Hamilton
D- Dejan Jakovic | USA / DC United
M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Toronto FC
M- Atiba Hutchinson | DEN / F.C. København
M- Patrice Bernier | DEN / FC Nordsjælland
M- Iain Hume | ENG / Barnsley
M- Marcel de Jong | NED / Roda JC
M- Jaime Peters | ENG / Ipswich Town FC
M/F- Josh Simpson | TUR / Manisaspor
F- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Gillingham FC
F- Tomasz Radzinski | BEL / Lierse
F- Rob Friend | GER / Borussia Mönchengladbach

Stephen Hart has announced a seventeen man roster that he will be taking for the two friendlies against Poland and Macedonia. Hart has acknowledged that he may call up in eighteenth after Jacob "the latest traitor" Lensky turned down the call opting for the Czech youth team instead.

So looking at the squad I must admit I'm disappointed. This is the perfect time for Hart to experiment and tinker with the squad before World Cup Qualifying. This would have been the perfect time to call up the likes of Nana Attakora, and possibly even someone like Marcus Haber. The squad Hart has named seems to have some dead weight.

Tomasz Radzinski will not be around for World Cup Qualifying, but I have no problem with this call up since he deserves a chance to play against his home country in what might be his final appearance for the national team. All in all a classy move from Hart to pick Radzinski the call for the Poland match.

Paul Stalteri has been a legend for Canada over the past decade, but his time with the national team is up. He has 77 caps and can look back on a successful international career including a Gold Cup Championship, but he will be thirty-five when 2012 roles around and he should not be Canada's number one option at right back.

Richard Hastings is the worst call up here. I am a big fan of Hastings. He's a gritty Canadian player, scored that massive golden goal against Mexico and made a quality comeback to top form at the 2007 Gold Cup, but his time has also passed. Hastings just does not have the technical ability, the pace or the positional sense to play with this Canadian team.

Looking at the positives of this team, I really like the inclusion of Dejan Jakovic who I thought was Canada's best player at the 2009 Gold Cup. I also like to see the young-English based players in Hume, Peters and Jackson there.

Iain Hume seems to be making a good comeback after his horrific injury. I thought he looked very dangerous coming on against Manchester United in the Carling Cup, and he's already potted a few goals in the league.

Despite a poor season from Ipswich by all accounts Jamie Peters has been performing well. He offers that little bit of creativity and pace which may prove priceless on a Canadian team with next to no flair.

Simeon Jackson has been scoring like crazy for Gillingham in yet another brilliant year for him. Simeon is being linked with Premier League clubs and hopefully he can carry over this club form with Canada.

With the generation of Canadian keepers getting older and older it's nice to see Waagenar given a chance or at least a spot in the squad.

Based on this seventeen man roster my two starting XI's would look like this:

Macedonia:

----------------Hirschfeld----------------
--Stalteri--Jakovic--McKenna--Klukowski--
-----------------Bernier-----------------
--Hume--De Guzman--Hutchinson--Simpson--
-----------------Jackson-----------------

Poland:

----------------Waagenar----------------
--Stalteri--Jakovic--McKenna--Klukowski--
--Peters--De Guzman--Hutchinson--De Jong--
-------------Radzinski---Friend---------

Time to Start Owen?

2009-11-04T16:59:00.002-05:00

After a slow start to his Manchester United career Michael Owen has been very good in the past few matches for United. He's scored two, and could have had another had he not given the shot to Obertan who missed drastically. The best aspect of Michael Owen's game over the past few weeks has been his ability to open up the play. His darting runs open up big gaps in the centre of the opposition defensive and this off the ball movement often leads to chances.

Against Chelsea it may finally be time for Michael Owen to be given a starting opportunity in a big match. Against a tight, compact Chelsea defense an "Owen-type" player could be very effective. Chelsea's fullbacks were exposed against Untied in the Community Shield, but they seemed to have tightened up a bit in recent matches with Ivanovic and Ashely Cole both looking good. So getting at Chelsea down the middle is going to be key in order to open up theses wings for the likes of Valencia, Giggs, Nani, Evra and possibly even Obertan. Owen might be the answer.

Playing up front with Rooney, Owen would give Rooney much more space than he is used to against Chelsea. Playing with someone like Berbatov will slow the play down, and force United to find that little bit of creativity which has been lacking in the past few Premier League games and the Chelsea defense is much better than average in the league. Playing a speedy, mobile forward like Michael Owen up front should give Rooney more space to operate in the middle of the park.

Against a quality back four in Liverpool, United had very little joy, because when the counter didn't work Berbatov and Rooney offered little as a partnership in the "change of pace" department. Against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, United may have even fewer opportunities and that change of pace comes much more naturally to Owen than it does to Berbatov.

The key to the match against Chelsea will be for United to open up the Chelsea back line early and take control of the match like they failed to do against Liverpool. If Michael Owen can help do this for even the first forty-five minutes if that's all he's up for than that will be enough. United need to make sure they are creating chances from the off and don't get into a situation where they are chasing the football like they were against Liverpool.

This could be Michael Owen's big chance and I say give him the start.

Manchester United 3:3 CSKA Moscow

2009-11-04T16:19:00.001-05:00

United Man of the Match:
After a few months out through injury Darren Fletcher came back and put in a masterclass performance in the second half. He was a little suspect in the first half as CSKA had no difficulty passing through the United midfield, but he was a big part of the United comeback. His tackling was as good as ever he was moving the ball forward at every possible occasion and he spread out the field more effectively than Paul Scholes on the night which is saying something. Especially in the last few minutes when a comeback seemed unlikely Fletcher kept his head and continued with the possession oriented style that had created numerous chances all match, then of course it payed off with two late goals.

Match Notes:
- The football United played in the second half against Moscow was the best United have played going forward since the City, Tottenham and Wolfsburg matches. The interplay and overlapping runs from fullbacks, and wide midfielders was fantastic. United carved out so many chances from creative passing movements and in the end could have had much more than three.

- The back four looked shaky conceding three goals at home, but some of that came from Fabio who won't be playing against Chelsea, and the Brown - Evans partnership certainly has the ability to bit in a better performance than that.

- Wayne Rooney completely changed the match. After not training with the squad all week he was given only a spot on the bench, but coming on he really stepped up the tempo for United and was a big reason for that second half surge.

- After an iffy performance against Blackburn, Gabriel Obertan was very good against Moscow. His stepovers were mesmerizing at times and he provided much more of a threat down that left wing than Nani has all season.

- CSKA Moscow looked a completely different team than the last match against United. Under new head coach, Leonid Slutsky, the one touch football in the middle of the park on display from Moscow was very exciting to watch.

- The yellow card for Fletcher's dive was ridiculous. Stonewall penalty.

-Michael Owen and Kiko Macheda both put in solid matches once again with Owen picking up his fourth goal of the season and Macheda very unlucky not to pick up his first.

- It seems as if the Akinfeev to United rumours are only just starting to heat up.

Final Thoughts:
A brilliant comeback to secure passage through to the knockout stages. Hopefully this will act as a confidence boost before the Chelsea match, because United's liquid football in the second half was exceptional. From a neutral point of view this only finishes runner up to the City match as the best match of football I've seen all season. The football on display from both sides was something else.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Sixteen

2009-11-02T18:28:00.000-05:00

In this episode we're joined by Matt Wooding of The Subs Bench. We go through one of the best Premier League weekends to date and we touch on the Canadian friendly with Poland.

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Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Sixteen

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Enjoy!

Happy Birthday!

2009-11-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

365 Days later after over 300 posts the Canadian Stretford End has turned One year old. I want to take this time to thank all the readers over the past people and the various blogs who have linked me.

Cheers!

Manchester United 2:0 Blackburn Rovers

2009-11-01T09:43:00.000-05:00

United Man of the Match:
In a game where United were attacking most of the time the biggest attacking threat came from the left fullback position and Patrice Evra. Evra had very little to do defensively but what he was called upon to do he did without exception and going forward he was immense. Constantly playing balls into the box from the left side, linking up well with both Nani and fellow Frenchman Obertan. Patrice Evra can make an overlapping run better than almost any fullback in the world, his contribution to the Untied attack is priceless, with him out of the squad it is a completely different team. Against Blackburn Patrice Evra was United's most creative player.

Match Notes:
- Berbatov had a very average game, but the goal he scored shows all his worth to United. That ability to really carve a chance out of nothing is incredible. He did it against Sunderland which earned United a point and against Blackburn he won United three.

- Rooney had a tough match as he has had a tough time the last few matches, hopefully this goal will bring back some confidence and he can continue to score in bucket loads as he did earlier in the season.

- Nani had another frustrating performance. He won plenty of free kicks and was a dangerous player going forward but still, poor decision making, lack of confidence and the complete package is still missing.

- After a shaky performance midweek Jonny Evans and Wes Brown in particular answered the critics with a solid ninety minutes against Blackburn. Blackburn didn't pose much of a threat going forward but a lot of this was down to Evans and Brown closing them down early on.

- John O'Shea put in another John O'Shea performance that doesn't get nearly enough attention. He put in a fantastic tackle on David Dunn, but other then that just did his job which is exactly what you expect but take for granted from John O'Shea.

- Antonio Valencia had another decent game, didn't really carve out any major chances but is continuing to press the opposing fullbacks which is all you can ask of a winger hopefully he'll start to produce a little more in the coming weeks.

- Gabriel Obertan could have easily wrapped the game up on several occasions, but was his Premier League debut and just giving the Frenchman a run out was a positive.

- Michael Owen looked good again with his limited time, with Rooney and Berbatov yet to really "get on the same wave length", it may just be a matter of time before we see Owen given a few starts in key games.

Final Thoughts:
Once again a very average performance from United, but they managed to get the three points. All in all United didn't have any stellar performances this whole month but only dropped five points, so back to the old cliche "Winning when you're not playing well is a sign of Champions."

Make Stephen Hart Full-Time!

2009-10-30T13:55:00.000-04:00

With Canada playing their first two games post-Gold Cup in the upcoming month there really is no better time than now for the CSA to announce Stephen Hart as the full time men's national team coach. The preparation for World Cup qualifying 2014 really should start in Novemeber with these two matches against Macedonia and Poland. What Canada doesn't need is a situation like they had in 2008 when Mitchell was given the job with less than a year to prepare. Mitchell had a grand total of eight matches before World Cup Qualifying and two of those were a selection of North American based players on non-FIFA dates against non-FIFA teams. So really Mitchell only had six full friendlies against Iceland, Costa Rica, South Africa, Estonia, Brazil and Panama. He wasn't even with the team during the 2007 Gold Cup which really would have been the best preparation possible.

With Canada not playing a competitive match until the 2011 Gold Cup these friendlies are just a waste of time if they are not World Cup qualifying preparation. A change of coach means a change of mentality, a change of tactics, and usually a change of players. So if Canada are playing these matches under a different coach then they will have for World Cup Qualifying these matches are not preparing us for the World Cup and therefore useless. The players have to know what kind of situation they are dealing with and a interim coach doesn't give these players any of the certainty they need. So the CSA need to get a full time guy in right away.

After several Canadian coaches have failed to qualify (Yallop, Mitchell) many supporters are calling for a big name foreign coach to come in and take the job. First off that is probably not plausible due to financial limitations and secondly why make the same mistake twice. After the 2007 Gold Cup the players were behind Hart and the supporters were behind Hart that should have been enough, but the CSA appointed Dale Mitchell instead. During Dale Mitchell's reign there were lots of players who defected from the national team and came out in the media to publicly criticized Mitchell. This didn't help anyone. Why risk that same situation happening again when Canada has a man at the helm that players respect and have a good history with.

If there is any more doubt around Stepen Hart look at the results Canada has had under him. They've had two successful Gold Cups in which Hart's record has been five wins, one draw and three losses (of course one of those losses was for all intents and purposes pretty much a draw against the USA). In friendlies his record is four wins, one draw and two losses. So if we add it all up that's a 9-2-5 record as head coach of the Canadian Men's National team. Most of those wins coming against quality opposition as well: Jamaica twice, Guatemala twice, Barbados, Costa Rica, Haiti, El Salvador and Cyprus. Just to compare Mitchell's record in FIFA recognized matches was 2-5-7 and those two wins came against St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The guys has everyone's support, has been successful on the pitch, knows the players, knows the system, works with Canadian players everyday as the CSA's technical director, has made demands of the CSA which the CSA have to this point met. This guys is the perfect guy for the job, why not make him full time head coach right away. Especially considering that there is a TFC head coach role open at the moment that may look much more appealing to Hart if he is offered it.

The Next Great Mancunian?

2009-10-30T10:51:00.001-04:00

Manchester United have a proud history of developing players from the Manchester area and bringing them into the first team. Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Wes Brown all grew up in Manchester and came up through the system. The next great hope for Mancunia seems to be the young Danny Welbeck. The eighteen-year-old has already scored five goals for the first team, two in the Carling Cup, two in the FA Cup and one in the league.

Danny Welbeck was always rated very highly by the manager but early on the hype didn't extend much further. He was give a substitute appearance in midseason friendly against Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal in the 2007-2008 season. He won a penalty late on in the match and hit the penalty right over the bar as United went on to lose the match 3-2. Not exactly the dream debut. He didn't really get another crack until 2008-2009 when he really started to show what he could do.

He played his first league game against Stoke City and his first few touches he got the ball caught up in his feet and lost possession. He then received a ball from Manucho about forty yards out and once again the ball got caught up in his feet. This time how ever his next touch was a thirty-five yard screamer of a shot into the top of the Stoke City net. Danny Welbeck had officially arrived.

Since then United fans and football supporters across the country have started to appreciate what Danny Welbeck's game is. He has a very close touch similar to a Peter Crouch or Adebayor, and it often appears that he is getting the ball caught up in his feet, but he really just plays with very close control. This allows him to pull off a few creative moves every once and a while which inspired Sir Alex to move him out wide.

Since starting his first couple games for United as a centre forward he now seems to have developed into a wide player. He can keep the width when necessary but he also likes to cut in and does so on many occasions. He sometimes looks awkward in possession, but don't be fooled Welbeck is very quick and has that innate ability to beat a man. One of his most impressive game out wide for United came against a Hull City side on the last day of the 2008-2009 league season.

He played on the right side of midfield and was beating men for fun. He was creating plenty of chances for himself, setting up others and putting pin perfect crosses into the box. Danny Welbeck was man of the match was playing against a Hull side which were fighting for their lives and Danny made them all look second rate. He was incredible and put in a performance that certainly caught Sir Alex's eye.

This year he has played out wide in both of United's Carling Cup matches and chipped in with a goal in each, both quality finishes. He's already started a league match this year and hopefully we see more from Welbeck because he really could be the next best thing to come out of Manchester.

The video below is a perfect example of what Welbeck provides out wide. This comes from an FA Cup game against Spurs last season.

Why One is Better Than Two

2009-10-29T13:08:00.000-04:00

Look it doesn't take a genius to know that every organization thrives when it has two leaders. Go ahead, name a country that doesn't have two presidents. A boat that sets sail without two captains. Where would Catholicism be, without the popes.

- Oscar from The Office after Michael and Jim decide to work together as "co-bosses"

Is there a better quote to describe TFC. Or the whole Director of Football/Manager system. It just doesn't work. That is why to be a coach in MLS you need MLS experience because as the LA Galaxy of 2008 proved having a knowledgeable MLS guy up top and a world class coach from Europe on the bench does not work. Even abroad the system doesn't work if the director of football has anything that resembles an ego. Look at Tottenham's start to the season last year under Juande Ramos. Ramos blames Damien Comolli, the sporting director at the club, and vice versa. Nothing gets done and the team goes eight games without a win. The position then gets abolished as Harry Redknapp comes into the fold he takes over as Manager of the club deals with transfers and training/tactics. Tottenham are now currently fourth in the Premier League table.

What a club like Toronto needs is a manager with a big ego who will control the whole system. This past season with Cummins on the bench acting as Johnston's puppet, nothing was achieved. Johnston brought in the players he wanted not what was best for the club, and Cummins played with a squad he didn't feel comfortable with and forced them to play tactics that he wasn't comfortable with. Point being there needs to be one guy there who understands MLS and knows the cap rules/ restrictions. If there is a director of football their only job should be to carry out the managers wishes and deal with the formalities to take some weight off of the manager's shoulders. In no situation should the manager ever be coaching the "director of football's team".

So how do TFC fix the problem? Well it doesn't look like TFC are going to fire Mo anytime soon, and Mo doesn't look like he's going to quit anytime soon. The risk of bringing in a big ego manager is that he will clash with Mo's ego and drive the club further into off field issues. Mo just isn't suited for an off the field behind the scenes role he seems to want to build this team himself. So maybe the best option would be to reinstate Mo as the head coach. Sure he proved he wasn't the greatest tactician of all time during year one, but the team out there has a lot more quality now than it did. However Mo has said he is looking for a coach with MLS experience, if he were to appoint himself it would have come earlier so it looks like there will be another two man system next year.

So really the only way this situation will work itself out next year is if Mo takes a step back and lets the manager do what he wants. From past evidence this looks very unlikely, but this is the only way this team will be successful. Mo gets MLS and can put together a good roster, he knows that but the only way Toronto FC has a chance in hell next year is if Mo takes a backseat to whoever the new man in town is.

The Perfect Opportunity for Canada

2009-10-29T08:47:00.000-04:00

With the news that the two teams who competed for the USL Cup this seasons, Montreal and Vancouver, will not be part of USL-1 next year due to a disagreement with the ownership, the immediate question is where will they play? For the Vancouver Whitecaps the issue is not as big since they have the MLS to look forward to in 2011 so they will only be looking for a quick fix next season. Of course the Montreal Impact are not so lucky as they still have no MLS guarantee. The Impact are USL Champions and are the most successful team in the USL off the pitch with high attendances and a solid financial backer in Joey Saputo. This is not an organization that is going to fall off into the abyss anytime soon.

The main option being thrown around right now is a USL break off league featuring the more successful teams in the USL which would all but end USL-1. The second option being the possibility of MLS-2 which would not include promotion and relegation, but would run similarly to the USL-1, USL-2 structure in which the clubs are bound to their division. The hope would be that with MLS infrastructure this league would be mores successful than USL-1. There's another option though that hasn't really been looked at that could be thrown into the mix. A Canadian League.

There probably isn't enough time to throw one together in time for next season but this would be the perfect time to give it a shot. Montreal and Vancouver two of Canada's three professional teams are without a league at the moment. So the league would already have two guaranteed successful franchises for a year at least. Obviously TFC are happy where they are right now and for the good of Canadian soccer they should stay in the MLS, but there are other cities that could support a franchise.

There have been rumours of an Ottawa USL bid which could take up one of the spots. Playing at Frank Clair Stadium they be able to get reasonable attendances out, with the City of Ottawa supporting the bid as was rumoured at the start of September. Ottawa would be a solid, sustainable team in a Canadian League.

The next teams to look at would be the existing USL PDL teams in Canada that draw reasonable attendances. The three I'd put in would be London, Toronto and Victoria. Victoria and London both draw good crowds have good support and are in areas where the competition is next to nothing. For Toronto the Lynx may not be successful at the moment but if they were playing the likes of the Impact and the Whitecaps every week the attendances would surely increase as TFC fans would love the opportunity to watch a Toronto team take a couple more stabs at Vancouver and Montreal.

With four teams in the East (Ottawa, Toronto, Montreal and London) to even things out two more teams would need to join Vancouver and Victoria in the West. The East, West system would mirror that of the CFL and hopefully cut down travel expenses with teams making the trek across Canada less often. The two cities most suited for soccer out West would be Edmonton and Calgary. They both had teams in the now defunct CSL and there is some soccer infrastructure there already.

The two teams from Edmonton and Calgary could draw their franchises from the CMISL (Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League). Which would have to be completely revamped in order to become full outdoor teams. These two would need to be the only real new franchises in the league without any prior USL aspirations and getting these clubs up an running would be the most difficult part of putting together a full Canadian League.

So this would leave Canada with an east division including Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and London, and a west division with Vancouver, Victoria, Calgary and Edmonton. Would it work financially... who knows? The point is with two of the best clubs in Canada currently without a league this is a perfect opportunity for Canada to give a national league a chance for the first time since 1992.

We're Going on a European Tour!

2009-10-28T19:46:00.000-04:00

After ignoring the three international breaks after the Gold Cup and the possibility of up to five matches for Canada's Men's National team the CSA has finally come through planning two matches in the span of five days. On November 14th our boys will be in Macedonia and on the 18th in Poland. These are two quality European opponents and although I'd rather us play CONCACAF opposition these two runs outs will be very useful opportunities.

Although these two games may have an adverse effect on our FIFA ranking and therefore our 2014 World Cup Qualifying seed, I say there are more important things to worry about. Playing matches and getting our national team players international experience is top priority. Interim coach, Stephen Hart, was asked before the Gold Cup if he thought that the team had got enough preparation, his response "what do you think". In order to compete with he best of CONCACAF our national team needs to be playing every single international break and we need to be choosing these teams based on the type of competition Canada will meet during World Cup Qualifying instead of a getting a good seed. It doesn't matter if Canada are in pot one for the 2014 draw if they don't pick up a point again because of poor preparation.

As I said earlier playing CONCACAF opposition would have probably been more beneficial, but these two countries may mirror some of the situations Canada may come up against in CONCACAF. First off Poland is known for hostile, loud, boisterous support something our national team has to get used to playing away in CONCACAF. We all know whats happens down in Central American during World Cup Qualifying the night before and in the ground. There is no reason our players should not be exposed to this hostility before the competitive games get rolling.

The second major plus I see Canada getting out of this friendly is the chance to play against a world class forward in Goran Pandev. In the past Canada has had trouble containing top class creative forwards. David Suazo the Honduran forward caused huge problems for Canada in Montreal. Giving the back four a chance to contain Pandev as a unit should provide some valuable experience.

The big question is which squad to send. Since the two games are in Europe a lot of people are calling for an all European squad, which in all likely hood will be the case. I think this is a perfect opportunity to call North American players as well. Three years into the future when Canada is playing World Cup Qualifying guys like Nana Attakora, Dejan Jakovic and Andre Hainault all may be playing in Europe. They need to get used to the overseas travel that causes Canadian internationals so much hassle with their clubs. Luckily this time the MLS season will be over for most teams, but getting used to playing after overseas travel is key.

So I would bring a young squad of players based in Europe and North America to give our full national team a good shot on our European Tour. My starting lineup would look as follows:

-------------------Street------------------
-Attakora---Jakovic---Hainault---Klukowski-
--Peters---Hutchinson--De Guzman--De Jong-
--------Johnson---------------------------
------------------Jackson-----------------

A bit of a new look squad with new faces and a new formation. I'd really like to see what Will Johnson would do in a free role behind the forward. It mirrors the 4-2-3-1 he plays at Real Salt Lake more closely and hopefully he'd be able to excel giving Canada that extra little bit of creativity and skill. I'd also give Jonathan De Guzman, David Hoilett and O'Brian White call-ups just for the hell of it, and to see where they all stand so we don't have to plan our World Cup on a "will they or won't they" basis.

Barnsely 0:2 Manchester United

2009-10-28T10:11:00.008-04:00

United Man of the Match:
With a brilliant goal that killed off the game in the second half my man of the match goes to Michael Owen. He was creating things all game, his first touch looked as good as ever, and despite some patchy service at times he was continuing to carve out chances for him and his teammates. The goal itself was fantastic the nutmeg and then a typical Michael Owen two touch finish. Although Owen said he only deserved a five out of ten match rating I thought it was his best overall performance for Man. United to date.

Match Notes:
- Obertan had a very good debut. the boy has pace and that little bit of creativity that could turn him into a very good player. I have very high expectations for him and the little bit of quality he showed against Barnsely didn't disappoint.

- Ben Foster once again looked very shaky in goal. It's worrying to think that this is guy Sir Alex believes is our future number one.

- Rafael made his debut for the season playing in central midfield a relatively new position for him. He put in a good ninety minutes and I hope he starts to get a few league appearances at right back now that he's back to full fitness.

- Kiko Macheda had a very mature performance up front. He wasn't given the best service in the world but he didn't get frustrated which is better than Berbatov or Rooney would have handled the situation and he went on to put in a very good ninety minutes.

- Wes Brown and Jonny Evans looked a little suspect at the back, many are expecting these two to get a couple big chances in the future with Vidic and Ferdinand both having early season struggles hopefully they can improve there performance because against a top squad Brown and Evans would have had a tough night.

- I have no problems with the Gary Neville sending off, it was a rash tackle and he fully deserved the red card.

- Danny Welbeck continues to be one of the most promising prospects I've seen in a while I have very high hopes for the Manchester born and bread forward.

Final Thoughts:
Another good performance from the kids, maybe not perfect but they picked up the victory and advanced in the cup. Getting these kids as many opportunities in the first team as possible is key so continuing on through this tournament is very important. As I've been saying for the last little while I think this batch of oung players is one of the best at Old Trafford in a long time.

Liverpool 2:0 Manchseter United

2009-10-28T10:07:00.005-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Despite his third straight red card in fixtures against Liverpool Vidic was United's best player on the pitch. He dominated everything coming into the box in the air. His positioning was very good and he didn't let Torres get the better of him on to many occasions. He looked a lot like the Vidic of last season who absolutely dominated the Premier League. He made a return to that no nonsense style of defending and kept Liverpool from making too many penetrating moves into the United box. Had Vidic not been on the pitch the score on this game could have been a whole lot worse.

Match Notes:
- Torres proved why he is the best forward in the Premier League against United. He didn't have the greatest service, he only really had one opportunity all match but he took hold of a half chance and won the match for Liverpool. The way he runs at defenders is scary for anyone who supports a club outside of Liverpool and he deserves all the credit that he gets.

- I know I'm going to sound like a typical bitchy big four supporter here but I have to complain about the refereeing in this match. Andre Marriner should not have been given a match of this quality. There are much more experienced and deserving refs for this game. Marriner missed a penalty for both teams, booked Evra for a Torres dive and should have sent off Carragher for taking down Michael Owen on a breakaway. Some of these were clear calls that were missed and although I don't think that Marriner was bias just very poor.

- The Rooney-Berbatov partnership was nonexistent. Both players struggled to link up and almost gave up in the last thirty minutes and decided just to ignore the other and look for the chance. I still think this partnership has the chance to flourish but they've yet to really show up together in a big match.

- The Scholes, Carrick central midfield partnership doesn't have enough grit or pace to dominate the centre of midfield. With Fletcher unavailable I think a 4-5-1 may have been more beneficial to sure up that midfield. The addition of Anderson to the starting line up could have changed it up a little, but I still fear for United in any big game without Fletcher. Hargreaves imminent return may help in this regard.

- Patrice Evra was exposed defensively on several occasions by both Torres and Benayoun. This is not the first time he was been exposed against top quality right midfielders. His addition to United's attack on the left wing is priceless but I really think that in order to play Evra in these big games the midfield needs to have a bit more grit which I already mentioned it didn't.

Final Thoughts:
A loss to scousers is always gutting, especially our third in a row and in a situation where Liverpool had lost four in a row. The thing was Liverpool just came out as a team more determined than United looked like they wanted the win more than United and got exactly what they deserved. Aside from just being an extremely disappointing result it also highlighted a few key problems that this team still has.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Fifteen

2009-10-26T18:20:00.000-04:00

In this episode we're joined by James Sharman of the Footy Show. We discuss the Premier League weekend, the disaster that was TFC, and a Canada match to boot. Plus why Pompey Canuck may have an influence on the CSA.

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CSKA Moscow 0:1 Manchester United

2009-10-24T15:22:00.008-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Paul Scholes was his usual fantastic self in Europe against Moscow. Playing a 4-5-1, rely on the central midfielders to control the match is key and Paul Scholes did his job perfectly. He kept the width with balls out to Nani and Valencia all night. He was looking to provide Berbatov with some service that was lacking all match and he was a constant goal threat testing Moscow keeper, Akinfeev with a bouncing ball in the first half. He has looked very good in both the European aways this season playing in the 4-5-1. Playing in that five man midfield you really needs a good passer of the ball who can sit in a deeper role and spring the forward/ attacking players out on those quick counters. Scholes plays that role perfectly and I think that he could have had a big impact had he started in Rome against Barca.

Match Notes:
- It was a typical United European away performance that has made United's away record in the Champions League so impressive. United are now undefeated in fourteen straight Champions League away games excluding neutral venue finals.

- Playing with one up front until the seventieth minute when Sir Alex brought on Owen worked very well. Dominate the center of midfield until your opponents tire and expose them in the last fifteen, twenty minutes by switching to a 4-4-2. May not be the most exciting thing to watch for 70 minutes, but it works.

- Antonio Valencia really seems to be finding his feet with this club after another goal. He is not as dynamic as Ronaldo and it is unfair for people to expect that of him, but Valencia is undoubtly a huge talent that proved his worth the United with his second straight game winning goal.

- Vidic had a bit of a tough night, and it's a little odd considering he should be used to the environment since he used to play with CSKA's rival Spartak Moscow.

- A lot is made of the artificial turf. It is a little sketchy as any MLS fans reading this will know, but I think if you are a quality team you should be able to pick up a result on it regardless. No excuses.

- Anderson is really starting to make himself an automatic starter. He really commands that pitch and his creativity from the centre of midfield is key in this 4-5-1 formation. I think Anderson is looking like he could be that creative midfielder which United may be missing without Ronaldo.

- Gary Neville came under some criticism fro a poor showing last season but in these last two games he has looked very good and he may be putting up a legitimate cry for that starting right back spot.

Final Thoughts:
A typical European away performance gets United three points in Moscow. A very good result that almost assures United qualification through to the knockout stages. Getting these results early can prove very useful in making sure United only have the league to focus on throughout November and December.

Manchester United 2:1 Bolton Wanderers

2009-10-20T21:01:00.000-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Once again the man of the match for United has to be Ryan Giggs. Another fantastic performance out on the left wing was aided by poor defending from Bolton rightback Sam Ricketts. Giggs put in his usual game beating his man putting quality balls into the box and dominating the left side of the pitch with Patrice Evra. United's attack from the left may just be the strongest in the world and that is not an exaggeration. I am quickly running out of adjectives to describe how good Giggs has been this season.

Match Notes:
- Antonio Valencia had one of his best games for United since transferring from Wigan. After a poor start to the game Valencia's goal really gave him a burst of energy and he was showing why his pace down the wing was part of the reason United have switched to a traditional 4-4-2 this season.

- Anderson had another very good performance. After criticisms about United's central midfield during the preseason Fletcher and Anderson have proved they are well up to the challenge. Anderson's ability to pressure opposing centre midfielders and picking up the pace of the game is incredible.

- Both the fullbacks looked very good going forward. Patrice Evra crossed the ball into Owen for the own goal and Gary Neville assisted Valencia's goal. It was nice to see Neville put in a solid game after he's had some poor performances over the last year.

- Edwin Van Der Sar played. Ben Foster didn't. Major plus.

- The way United collapsed in the last fifteen minutes after the Bolton goal was a little worrying. United just couldn't hold on to the ball and the game was a lot closer in the end then it needed to be. Against a team with more going forward than Bolton the result may well have been different.

- Own Goals at Old Trafford this year have treated United very well that's three own goals for United in five home Premier League games this season.

- Don't want to turn this into another Liverpool-United bust up, but this was an example of United play without Rooney, Fletcher and Vidic. At Sunderland we saw how Liverpool play without Gerrard, and Torres. Very impressive.

Final Thoughts:
United had a lot of injuries and may have been lucky not to concede in the last 15 minutes, but Bolton were lucky only to concede twice in the first 75 minutes. Either way I'll take any win that puts us top of the league.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Fourteen

2009-10-19T20:04:00.003-04:00

In this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk Kevin and I are joined by Squizz of Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer and we talk EPL, WCQ MLS, USL, the Canadian national team and why there is hope for all you soccer geeks out there.

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Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Thirteen

2009-10-13T18:23:00.002-04:00

In lucky episode thirteen we talk World Cup Qualifying, Toronto FC, the USL Final, Begovic the traitor and more.

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THE PREVIEWS ARE DEAD!

2009-10-07T20:22:00.003-04:00

Pretty much sums it up the United previews on that template I have are boring to write, not informative, take up too much time, are boring to read and prevent me from writing articles you can't find a million trillion other places so yup... their dead.

Manchester United 2:2 Sunderland

2009-10-07T20:19:00.000-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Just for the moment pictured above Berbatov deserves the man of the match award. In a game that lacked any real quality, Berbatov's moment of brilliance with the overhead kick give was really the only stand out. Berbatov also had a decent game with his normal flicks, passes and vision, but was unable to get anything going playing alongside a team that looked disinterested at times. It is rare that Berbatov shines as the player with the most passion out there.

Match Notes:
- I don't begrudge the fact that Sir Alex played Danny Welbeck. He will become a top United player and he deserves first team opportunities. Giving these youngsters chances in the first team is what Sir Alex has always done and it is the only way they will develop into first team players. I probably would have put Giggs on the bench other than that I had no problems with the squad.

- After a brilliant start to the season Darren Fletcher had what was by far his worst game of the season so far, all of his passes were going astray as were Paul Scholes's which is very unlike him.

- Anderson and Carrick changed the game and I think both of them may be getting more opportunities in the future, especially Anderson as he is looking better and better with each match.

- Rooney hasn't scored since the City game and really hasn't looked like scoring since the City game. I hope he isn't just returning to the same streaky player he's always been. He really needs to put together a good season for United to do well.

- A lot of people slagged Nani after the match. He was much better than a lot of the other players out there, he just continues to be a dreadful decision maker. He is half the player he could be if he used the talent he posses to the fullest extent. He is a frustrating player to watch because of it.

- Get Foster the fuck out of there. The second goal was completely his fault he should have just bundled over Jones, the ball and the defender. I can't wait till Van Der Sar comes back.

Final Thoughts:
United were very, very, very, very lucky to get the point. The first half was one of the worst I've ever seen United play and I don't think they deserved anything against a well organized Sunderland team. Berbatov's piece of magic was the only moment of any quality. Still Championship winning teams always pick up points they don't deserve, hopefully returning from the international break the squad will be ready to make up for it with games against Bolton, CSKA Moscow and Liverpool.

Winter attacks "bully" Ferguson

2009-10-07T06:30:00.002-04:00

Retired referee Jeff Winter has bulldozed his way into the furore surrounding Sir Alex Ferguson's attack on Alan Wiley by branding the Manchester United manager a "bully".

Ferguson sparked fury at the weekend when he described Wiley as "unfit" over his performance in United's 2-2 Premier League draw against Sunderland at Old Trafford.

The timing of his tirade, given that United had just dropped two points at home, was not a surprise to seasoned Ferguson followers, but the personal nature of it has prompted the Football Association to ask the Scot for an explanation of his comments.

Winter went as far as to suggest Ferguson thinks he is "untouchable…bullet proof" and described his comments about Wiley as "cowardly". He also implied Ferguson was a hypocrite for suggesting he had learnt from the late Sir Bobby Robson.

"It was a cowardly attack – Sir Alex wouldn't have said it to Alan Wiley's face," said Winter.

Winter also added the game's longest serving manager was wrong to deflect attention away from his own team's shortcomings by questioning Wiley's performance levels and suggested he would get his "comeuppance".

He added in The Guardian: "I think referees will be so incensed about this that Sir Alex may find that United no longer get the benefit of the doubt on certain decisions."

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Twelve - Developing Canadian Talent

2009-10-05T19:57:00.001-04:00

It's just me in this edition of Canadian Terrace Talk but I'm joined by York Director of Soccer and member of the 1986 Canadian World Cup squad, Paul James. In this episode we talk about developing Canadian players through the CIS system and a few other options. Paul give his opinions as to how we can keep the top players in Canada while maintaining their options as a professional player. We also touch on the issue of developing players in non-metropolitan areas.

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Manchester United 2:1 VfL Wolfsburg

2009-10-04T16:55:00.000-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Anderson had one of his best European nights. He dominated the centre of midfield as he has already done on several occasions this year. He was taking the ball off Wolfsburg players then going on to get by one or two men going forward. His passing was top notch and he was a big reason United got right back into the game after going a goal down. This was the Anderson that impressed so much at the end of last season. Expect Anderson to get a few more starts in big matches after this performance.

Match Notes:
- Another top notch performance from Ryan Giggs with a goal and an assist. He seems to be the difference maker in every single match for United at the moment.

- After a very rough start to the season it was good to see Michael Carrick score the winner with a very well taken goal late on. He had been playing a decent game up until this point but it was the goal which really capped off the evening for Carrick.

- Berbatov's sublime flicks, backheels and overall vision was fantastic. After coming on for Michael Owen he was the most dangerous player on the pitch creating all sorts of problems for the Wolfsburg back four. Berbatov was absolute class coming off his winning goal against Stoke at the weekend.

- It had to happen eventually Michael Owen got injured. It looks like it will only be a week without Owen after the slight groin strain, but that takes away any chance he has of being called up for the England squad next week. At least he should be back for our trip to Anfield.

- Valencia has had a fairly abject start to the season. After looking very good in the preseason tournament in Munich he has yet to impress. This was another game in which he failed to have any real impact.

- United conceded the first goal yet again against Wolfsburg but managed to come back. That is the third time this season United have rebounded to get the win after allowing the first goal.

Final Thoughts:
A solid European performance in an exciting match. United played some very good stuff at times and were full value for the three points. They just seem to be improving with every game. Giggs especially has shown his absolute importance to this team over the last few weeks.

Manchester United vs. VfL Wolfsburg

2009-09-29T17:17:00.001-04:00

Manchester United vs. VfL Wolfsburg
Champions League, Old Trafford
September 30, 14.45 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---Brown--Ferdinand--Vidic----Evra----
-Valencia---Carrick---Anderson---Nani----
---------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Manchester United: Luis Nani - After a poor performance against Stoke City in which he was replaced by Ryan Giggs Wolfsburg might be a good opportunity for him to prove his worth to the club. United had lots of success getting down the wings against City and they will look for a similar performance against the German champions.

VfL Wolfsburg: Grafite - The thirty-year-old Brazillian striker has been fantastic ever since joining Wolfsburg in 2007. He was a big part of the 08-09 title campaign and he scored a hat-trick in Wolfsburg's opening win against CKSA Moscow. He will be the biggest threat United for United to deal with and he must fancy something at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Prediction:
Manchester United 4:2 VfL Wolfsburg
Goals: Rooney x2, Grafite, Nani, Ameobi, Berbatov

Both teams are very attacking, and like to play an open style so expect a fast pace exciting match. The difference in this game really will be who can get more quality balls into their forwards, because with the quality both these teams have upfront finishing them should not be an issue.

United have been pretty solid at home in the Champions League as they still haven't lost a match at home since the 2006 group stage, he atmosphere on European nights has a lot to do with this. The United fans will be aware that this is a quality team they are playing and hopefully the atmosphere is appropriate.

In the end I expect Untied to dominate possession, but Wolfsburg to hit on a few counters and make for a few nervy moments. United have showed in the last few games though that they are a goal scoring threat and I expect the United attack will be too much for the German Champions to handle.

Wolfsburg is probably the toughest team in United's group so picking up three points in this game would go a long way to secure qualification.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eleven

2009-09-28T19:08:00.000-04:00

In this episode Kevin and I discuss another weekend of Premier League action, the TFC game in Chicago, the U-20 World Cup and throw in the Francophone games.

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Stoke City 0:2 Manchester United

2009-09-26T23:11:00.002-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Paul Scholes once again showed the class we've come to expect from him. He was spraying his trademark thirty and forty yard passes across the pitch and was opening up a very tight Stoke backline on every possible occasion. He was a constant threat at the top of the box for United with Stoke having to over anticipate the threat of a Scholes volley. Scholes is a player who was rumoured to be heading to Oldham this season and who many believe is too old to make a meaningful contribution anymore, but against Stoke he showed why he is still Manchester United class.

Match Notes:
- Ryan Giggs changed the game when he entered the match. He has been absolutely brilliant this season playing on the left wing and putting quality balls into the box. In the last two games United have scored six goals, five of them have been assisted by Giggs.

- Dimitar Berbatov had a solid game and it was nice to see him get off the mark with his first goal in over a month. Berbatov had two very good defensive headers from set pieces in the first half and did what was asked of him going forward.

- On the narrow Stoke pitch against the tall Stoke backline United did a very good job of staying patient, keeping possession and not trying to force the play. It was a very mature performance that showed this team is made of a lot more than the pundits had predicted at the start of the season.

- Nani showed again today that his decision making just isn't up to par. He is a player with a lot of talent and it is frustrating to see him constantly make poor decisions and lose the ball when it is obvious to see he could be doing so much more.

- After a tough game for the United back four against City, and Rio Ferdinand in particular, they were solid against Stoke. They had very little to do, but they dealt with everything that was thrown at them well.

- Against a Stoke team that is very good in the air, John O'Shea can take a lot of pride in scoring from a set piece on a header.

- This year the team is very different from last season, they seem to be a lot less one dimensional going forward and have a lot more goal threats. In seven Premier League games eight different players have scored and many more have looked threatening in front of goal.

- Top of the League and that's a fact.

Final Thoughts:
A very impressive win, the Britannia is a tough place to go and United put in a good performance and picked up three difficult points. It was a composed team that waited for the perfect opportunity to strike and they deserve lots of credit. This takes United up to seven straight wins in all competitions since the loss to Burnley.

Stoke City vs. Manchester United

2009-09-25T23:09:00.000-04:00

Stoke City vs. Manchester United
Premier League, Britannia Stadium
September 26, 10.00 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster-------------------
---O'Shea----Ferdinand---Vidic----Evra---
--Valencia---Fletcher----Scholes---Nani--
-----------Rooney-------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Stoke City: Rory Delap - Is there really any explanation needed on this one. The guy can throw the ball. He will look to test Vidic and Ferdinand in the air from throw-ins as much as possible.

Manchester United: Rio Ferdinand - After a terrible mistake against Manchester City it will be interesting to see how he rebounds against Stoke City. Stoke is a tough team to beat at the Britannia and Ferdinand will not have an easy game playing against the likes of Fuller and Kitson.

Prediction:
Stoke City 1:2 Manchester United
Goals: Wayne Rooney, Abdoulaye Faye, Antonio Valencia

Stoke are a very good team at the Britannia and they gave Chelsea a real scare two weeks ago. Expect another tight game with Stoke getting men forward on as many occasions as they can and pressuring that United back line which looked so out of sorts against Manchester City.

This game may be similar to the Burnley game in the fact that United will most likely dominate possession, but Stoke will try and keep the United attack infront of them. Against Burnley what United was missing was pace down the wings, so Valencia and Nani could be instrumental in picking up the three points for United.

United will need a good performance from the central midfielders as well. Fletcher will most likely continue his brilliant run of form with a start, but the other centre midfield spot could go to a number of different players. I think the game favours a Paul Scholes type player who can spread the ball around and make space against a tight back four.

Manchester United 1:0 Wolverhampton

2009-09-23T21:57:00.001-04:00

Man of the Match:
Wes Brown has found it difficult to break into the United squad this season after he spent almost all of last year sitting on the bench. His performance against Wolves may give Sir Alex something to think about though as he put in a very solid ninety minutes. His tackling, timing and tracking were all spot on. He saved United on several occasions with last ditch tackles and clearing headers. He was all over the Wolves forwards not giving them an inch of space. A top performance from Wes in the Carling Cup.

Match Notes:
- Fabio's red card was an obvious call but very disappointing for Fabio who hasn't been getting many chances in the first team. However the team responded very well and Wolves didn't make the extra man show at all.

- Danny Welbeck put in another good game with a very classy finish on a one-two with Owen. Expect to see Welbeck get some playing time in the first team as I rate him as one of the best players in the United reserves.

- De Laet got a surprise sixty minutes after he was subbed on for Macheda as a result of the red card. Despite a very poor shot at the end of the match he continued to show how he can hurt opposition defenders with his mazy runs forward.

- Michael Owen played a big role in the goal and had another good performance... United legend :P

- The seventeen-year-old, Joshua King got his debut upfront and looked very sharp. He has a lot of pace and he tested the Wolves back four with two decent efforts. I hope we get to see more of him in the Carling Cup because I was very impressed.

- Michael Carrick was the worst player on the pitch against Wolves. He is having a very tough start to the season which hopefully is only temporary considering how good he has been the last three seasons for United.

- As they showed against Hull City at the end of last season this newest bunch of youngsters are all very good on the ball the one thing I would say they could all work on is making the right runs at the right time and knowing which ball to play. A few of them were just making the wrong decision on the ball, and there were often times when someone was in possession and no one was making a meaningful run.

Final Thoughts:
Overall this group of youngsters really impresses me. I expect a lot to come out of the likes of Gibson, Welbeck, Macheda, Fabio and De Laet. Hopefully United have another good run in this tournament so we can see more of them.

Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton

2009-09-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

Manchester United vs. Wolverhampton
Carling Cup, Old Trafford
September 23, 15.00 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
---------------Kuszczak-----------------
---Neville----Brown---Evans----Fabio----
--Welbeck---Gibson----Carrick---Tosic--
-----------Owen-------Macheda-----------

Players to Watch:
Manchester United: Zoran Tosic - After what many considered to be a good preseason showing for Tosic he has yet to be used in the first team yet this season. Since then he was left out of United's Champions League squad for the group stages. He certainly has something to prove and putting a solid outing against Woves would be the perfect way to do it.

Wolverhampton: Sylvan Ebanks-Blake - The Manchester United product will be out to prove himself against the club who brought him into the football world. After an opening day injury Ebanks-Blake made his return against Fulham at the weekend, but will be looking to get back in the groove with this Carling Cup appearance.

Prediction:
Manchester United 3:1 Wolves
Goals: Michael Owen, Danny Welbeck, Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, Darron Gibson

Sir Alex will be relishing this tie as a good opportunity to give the younger players a shot against some very decent opposition in Wolves. Expect them to go out and attack, a lot depends on how midfielders like Welbeck, Gibson and Tosic perform.

With Michael Owen scoring a massive goal against City the idea will be to keep the run going and there is a good chance he will start against Wolves. Macheda may also be a key figure for United making his first appearance of the season, after scoring twice during preseason.

Last season in United's Carling Cup matches there was a 3-1 win, a 5-3 win and a 4-2 win so expect an open exciting match. The youngsters will certainly be up for the match and despite the Carling Cup being a second tier tournament this will be a very competitive match with players on both sides of the ball looking to impressive their managers.

I have a piece about the Carling Cup in general over at the 24th Minute if anyone is interested.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Ten - We're On iTunes!

2009-09-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

Canadian Terrace Talk is now listed on iTunes! So please subscribe to the show on iTunes and rate the show. To find the show just search "Canadian Terrace Talk" on the iTunes Music Store.

In this episode Kevin and I rehash possibly the greatest game in Premier League history, along with some other key matches. We also preview the U-20 World Cup and talk TFC.

If you don't have iTunes you can still listen/download via these links.

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Ten

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Ten

You can subscribe on iTunes via... ITUNES!!!!

Manchester United 4:3 Manchester City

2009-09-20T18:36:00.000-04:00

Man of the Match:
With a two goal performance the man of the match has to go to Darren Fletcher. In the first half Nigel De Jong and Gareth Barry did a pretty good job of winning midfield battles for City, but in the second half Fletcher absolutely dominated the midfield. He was a big reason for United's second half performance as he completely bossed the match during the second half. After going almost a year without scoring Fletcher got back on the score sheet in style with two quality headers at crucial moments in the match. A brilliant performance from Darren Fletcher in what is shaping up to be a brilliant season for the Scot.

Match Notes:
- Ryan Giggs is an absolute genius. The man keeps getting better and better, he had another fantastic game out wide left. He assisted the two Fletcher goals and the Owen goal in injury time. He was putting quality balls into the City box the entire second half and he could have assisted two more had it not been for some Shay Given heroics.

- Antonio Valencia's introduction changed the game. United switched back into an orthodox 4-4-2 after Park left the match, and United were getting in quality crosses from the right and left sides of the pitch all match. The pace of Valencia opened the game up and he had a few crosses like Giggs that were close to being converted into goals.

- Ben Foster had by far his worst game for United yet with a disgusting error for the opening goal, and one could argue a poor decision on the Bellamy goal in injury time. Foster had very little to do all day but turned seemingly innocuous incidents into City chances.

- The defending was poor at times. Rio Ferdinand's mistake in injury time was very amateurish and could have cost United the match. It was just a stupid ball to play and Bellamy capitalized.

- Wayne Rooney popped up again with yet another goal that is six in six for Rooney in the Premier League as he continues on the form of his life. Rooney goals are almost becoming as common as Ronaldo goals were in the 2007-2008 season.

- Anderson had a very good game. Like Fletcher he dominated the midfield after United switched to the traditional 4-4-2 with United constantly trying to get down the wings. Anderson was getting forward, spraying the ball around and creating quality chances.

- For about twenty-five minutes during the second half Manchester United played some of the most dominating fluid football that they've played in any recent derby. They were all over City and it came down to the four midfielders all putting in a brilliant shift.

- Michael Owen is officially a fantastic buy for Manchester United. It doesn't matter if he does nothing for the rest of his United career, that goal will go down in Manchester United history for winning possibly the greatest Manchester derby of alltime.

- To be fair to them City looked very good. Without Robinho, Santa Cruz and Adebayor they were still extremely potent on the attack. Despite the loss, seven goals in two games against "the big four" should be a warning sign for the rest of the league.

Final Thoughts:
Certainly the most entertaining derby of my lifetime, Kristian Jack of the Footy Show called it the greatest match in Premier League history. Wherever you rate it that was an absolutely magnificent match. Very rarely does a match with that much hype live up to expectations but this one certainly did. Despite some poor defensive errors on both sides of the ball the quality of football was top class and the late drama with Michael Owen's controversial 96th minute winner was epic.

Manchester United vs. Manchester City

2009-09-19T12:10:00.001-04:00

Manchester United vs. Manchester City
Premier League, Old Trafford
September 20, 8.30 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
-----------------Foster-----------------
---O'Shea--Ferdinand--Vidic----Evra----
--Valencia---Fletcher----Giggs---Nani--
----------Rooney------Berbatov-----------

Players to Watch:
Manchester United: Dimitar Berbatov - We've yet to really see Berbatov have an exceptional game this season, but tomorrow against City may be the perfect opportunity. He should start playing alongside Rooney something he hasn't gotten the opportunity to do for a whole game since August. Expect Berbatov to be a constant threat.

Manchester City: Joeleon Lescott - City's new signing will be up against one of the best attacking forces in the league this weekend, and it will be a big test for the pairing of Touré and Lescott who gave up two goals to Arsenal. Lescott will have to prove he was worth the eighteen million pounds against United.

Prediction:
Manchester United 3:0 Manchester City
Goals: Wayne Rooney x2, Dimitar Berbatov

The prediction probably has a lot to do with United bias and City hate, but I expect United to be really up for this one and crush an understrength City. The City back four looked shaky against Arsenal and United were brilliant going forward against Tottenham. A similar performance would be nice for Untied against City.

Rooney always seems to get fired up for these big matches against rivals, and considering the form he is on at the moment I wouldn't be surprised to see him have another good performance. Rooney will be happy to finally be playing up front with Berbatov for an extended period of time and will be hoping to put constant pressure on the City defenders.

A lot of the game will rely on how City defend against the central midfielder paired with Fletcher whether that is Anderson or Giggs. They will play as a more attacking midfielder and it will be de Jong's duty to shut them down. If de Jong is able to contain them it will be much more difficult for United to dominate the game as they did against Spurs.

This game has been the most anticipated game of the Premier League so far, and the atmosphere will be electric at Old Trafford. It will be a very meangingful early season test for both teams.

33 Reasons Why City Won't Win Anything

2009-09-16T21:51:00.003-04:00

1. They haven't won anything since 1976 (33 years).
2. They have a man named Craig Bellamy in their starting XI.
3. Every single player there is only there for the money.
4. Their manager is an ex-United player who is still a Red at heart.
5. They have a delusional Argentine forward who thinks the United supporters will give him a warm reception at Old Trafford
6. They spent 14 million pounds on a Chelsea reserve left back.
7. Their leading goalscorer is an emotional time bomb waiting to go off and will be hit by a big time ban in the near future.
8. Their supporters are more obsessed United than success (after they scored against Arsenal the supporters immediately started singing "Who the fuck is Man. United")
9. They still have a small club mentality.
10. Many supporters preferred them as a small club and dislike success?!?!
11. Their supporters would rather sing about Munich than support their team.
12. The council house (eastlands) is never full unless they're playing Man. United.
13. They brag about beating a second string Barcelona in a friendly as if they've won the Champions League.
14. They were a third division club eleven years ago.
15. They constantly complained about United's spending and doing it "the wrong way" until they got some cash of their own.
16. They gave up eight goals to Middlesbrough.
17. In 2008 their double was beating United twice. United's was winning the League and European Cup.
18. For their biggest European night in decades they handed out 40,000 inflatable bananas.
19. Their record signing Robinho thought he was signing for United.
20. The majority of their European aways have been to Cardiff
21. They've had 17 different managers in the last 20 years.
22. They added three starts to their new club badge to feign some success.
23. Dimitar Berbatov told them to fuck off on deadline day.
24. Kieran Richardson has won more Premier League titles than them.
25. Ryan Giggs was two-years-old when City last won a trophy.
26. They are going down with a billion in the bank.
27. United need a velcro sign keeping track of City's trophyless seasons.
28. Nial Quinn is in their hall of fame?
29. Their captain has played for the club for two months.
30. They needed to con Manchester United supporters out of their money to pay for an empty stadium.
31. Their biggest claim to fame is an ex-rockband (as of this August)
32. They still think they're a massive club.
33. Next year I'll need 34 reasons.

Beşiktaş 0:1 Manchester United

2009-09-15T20:52:00.001-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Nemanja Vidic defended did his job. He was by no means spectacular and he had a few mishaps, but no one had a great game. He was keeping the Beşiktaş attack from ever getting into the Man. United box and alongside Johnny Evans they kept Beşiktaş to very few chances. Niether had a whole lot to do but I thought Vidic did his job well enough and deserves the accolades.

Match Notes:
-It was one of the most boring games I have seen United play in a long time. United went out in a 4-5-1 knowing a draw would have been a good result and Beşiktaş had nothing going forward that was ever going to trouble the United back four. The game had nil-nil all over it until Scholes broke the deadlock.

- The 4-5-1 away in Europe is something we have seen from United away many times before. It doesn't make for a great spectacle but it often gets the result and a draw in Turkey would not have been a bad result. Changing to the 4-4-2 eventually opened the game up just enough for United to find the breakthrough.

- Rooney was very frustrated after being subbed off, but understandably so. He is the most likely player to score for United and had played up front by himself in a position he hates for his third straight game (even if against Spurs it was unavoidable). When Fergie took him off he finally switched to a 4-4-2 which is the position Rooney thrives in. It was a tough night for Rooney because of the role he was handed.

- Carrick just seems to be getting worse and worse for United this season. He needs to find some form as he just put in another completely abject performance.

- Valencia showed signs of promise, but was largely disappointing, mostly due to the fact he put in some very poor crosses.

- Beşiktaş holding midfielder, Fabian Ernst, was a big reason why United had so little attacking wise, his tackling was spot on and he was the best player on the pitch by a mile.

Final Thoughts:
Three points in Turkey, cannot complain. Despite the poor performance everyone did a job and it payed off leaving a very tough ground with the victory. Hopefully United will play a better match against the small club they are welcoming to Old Trafford on Sunday.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Nine

2009-09-14T19:13:00.000-04:00

We're finally back with Episode Nine of Canadian Terrace Talk! In this episode Kevin and I discuss this weekend's Premier League matches, a few internationals, TFC and more.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Nine

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Nine

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

Beşiktaş vs. Manchester United

2009-09-14T19:10:00.001-04:00

Beşiktaş vs. Manchester United
Champions League, Beşiktaş İnönü Stadium
September 15, 14.45 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---O'Shea--Ferdinand--Brown----Evra----
-Valencia---Carrick---Anderson---Nani----
---------Rooney------Owen---------

Players to Watch:
Beşiktaş: Rüştü Reçber - With United most likely dominating the possession, Recber will need to be strong in between the posts. He has had some howlers for the Turkish National team, but also some moments of brilliance. He shined on Turkey's run to the 2002 World Cup semifinals and will almost certainly be called upon to make some big saves for Beşiktaş.

Manchester United: Michael Owen - Owen has not played a match since August 22, but he will most likely make his return against Beşiktaş. Owen has yet to really make an impact with United, starting away in a Champions League match will be the perfect opportunity.

Prediction:
Beşiktaş 0:0 Manchester United

Going away to Turkey is never easy, and I expect Beşiktaş to be up for the occasion. The atmosphere is always brilliant and Turkish teams seem to get very good results at home in the Champions League. After a week of internationals for most of the United squad followed by a tough game at Spurs it will be a very tired side making the trip, despite the high confidence.

Last year United kicked off their Champions League campaign with a nil-nil draw and another repeat scoreless draw would not come as a surprise. United have not had trouble finding the back of the net recently with ten goals in their last three matches, but this may prove to be the toughest away trip in the group for United.

With the derby coming up this weekend Sir Alex's lineup will surely reflect that, one can only hope that the performance won't.

Tottenham 1:3 Manchester United

2009-09-12T23:38:00.001-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Patrice Evra put in his best performance of the season so far and deserves to be named man of the match. After a stellar midweek performance with England and a good start to the new season for Aaron Lennon, Spurs were looking for him to produce against United. Lennon has had lots of joy in the past playing against Evra befodown that right wing. However Evra completely dominated Lennon today and took him out of the game completely. While containing Lennon, Evra also found the time to consistently get into advanced positions and carve out chances. In the end a very complete game from Evra.

Match Notes:
- Ryan Giggs had another outstanding match. Going forward he was instrumental, especially scoring the first United goal, but defensively he was even better. He was playing wide left, but putting tackles in all over the park and stopping several Tottenham attacks.

- It took 78 competitive first team appearances for Anderson to pot his first goal, but whats important is that he is finally off the mark. It was the moment United fans have been waiting for ever since he signed in the summer of 2007. For his first United goal it was cracker and a very important strike, hopefully a sign of more to come.

- After the Scholes sending off Rooney has forced to play up front by himself for the final half-hour, a position he has struggled with in the past and had difficult playing against Arsenal. Unlike the Rooney of old he didn't get frustrated and drop back, he stuck to his role and it payed off when he tallied his fifth of the season essentially killing off the game.

- Scholes had a decent game apart from the two yellows, but they were both very unnecessary tackles. It has come to the point where Scholes needs to stop committing himself to such stupid challenges, because it really could have hurt the team today.

- Against Burnley Sir Alex started with four central midfielders and he did again today. However this time the open game suited them as they could interchange positions and United were very free flowing going forward. Playing the four central midfielders together does work, it just needs to be in the right game with the right approach.

- Ferdinand looked good for his first game of the season after injury. He contained Jermain Defoe and aside from the first minute Defoe had very little impact. Vidic on the other hand struggled with Crouch and was lucky not have been at fault for any goals.

Final Thoughts:
Going behind against Spurs doesn't seem to be such a bad thing for United. Today both teams went at it, which was evident in a high tempo exciting match. United showed that next gear that was lacking against Arsenal and they were full value for the three points in what was a very complete performance.

Tottenham vs. Manchester United

2009-09-11T17:14:00.000-04:00

Tottenham vs. Manchester United
Premier League, White Hart Lane
September 12, 12.30 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---Fabio----Vidic----Brown----Evra----
---Park---Scholes--Fletcher---Nani----
--------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Tottenham: Wilson Palacios - Palacios has been instrumental for Tottenham this season giving them the much needed grit in the midfield that they have been lacking for several years. Palacios however is coming back from a midweek game in Mexico and will be very tired. Without Modric in the line-up Spurs will be defending more than usual against United and may need to rely on a top performance from a tired Palacios.

Manchester United: Patrice Evra - In recent games against United Lennon has found himself with ample space down the right wing and has terrorized Patrice Evra. With Lennon on some of the best form of his life, Evra will have to be up to the task of containing the speedy winger.

Prediction:
Tottenham 1:1 Manchester United
Goals: Darren Fletcher, Sebastian Bassong

Games after a long, tiring international break are never easy for either team and they often result in sluggish affairs. United only managed a draw in their last two trips to White Hart Lane, and with Tottenham having such a dynamite start to the season it is hard to see United picking up the full three points here. However a draw at White Hart Lane would not be a bad result as we've already seen title challengers Liverpool drop points there.

Darren Fletcher hasn't put one in the back of the net for United in a long time, and the rationale behind picking him to score is down to the "he's due one" theory. It could be a very tight game with Tottenham trying to stack the midfield and frustrate United in the absence of Modric. With the leagues two top scorers competing in this match (Rooney and Defoe) both teams will look to man mark these two players out of the game.

Sebastian Bassong proved he is lethal in the air against Liverpool and he may strike against a weakened United defense tomorrow. Tottenham has looked dangerous from set pieces this season and they may have to rely on a set piece to find the breakthrough.

Expect a scrappy match tomorrow with United dominating posession but failing to find that next gear against a strong Tottenham team.

Canadian Depth at Centre Back

2009-09-10T20:37:00.000-04:00

A recent thread on the Voyageurs concerning Canada's possible squad for 2014 World Cup qualifying got me thinking. Canada's has a good number of up and coming centre backs. They are still without that key creative player, or any new midfielders who look like they will have a massive impact. Upfront the best Canadian forwards are still starting sporadically or in lower divisions. Out wide there aren't any fullbacks who are in the class of Klukowski. At centre back however Canada looks very strong.

One of Canada's biggest problem during 2010 qualifying was goals conceded from poor defending, especially in Montreal against Honduras when the centre backs could have dealt much better with both Honduran goals. Throughout qualifying Serioux, Hastings, Cann, McKenna and Hainault played at centre back. For the most part they are all strong physical centre backs who are technically poor. The new crop are all technically sound.

Dejan Jakovic showed loads of potential in the Gold Cup and was Canada's best player of the tournament in my opinion. He is a very patient defender who is confident with the ball at his feet something rare for Canadian defenders. Jakovic had been playing regularly this season for D.C. United up until recently when he picked up an injury. If Canada had a friendly tomorrow I would have Jakovic as one of the first names on the team sheet.

David Edgar's stock seems to have fallen since some poor showings with Newcastle last season. People don't seem to take into account that he was playing out of position with Newcastle at right back. He is naturally a centre back and has much better positional sense when playing in the middle. He has yet to feature for Burnley during the Premier League season, but he got lots of action during preseason and hopefully he will be able to break into that Burnley XI as the season progresses.

André Hainault of the Houston Dynamo has played a lot for Canada last year picking up three caps during World Cup qualifying along with an impressive performance at the CONCACAF U-23 Championships. Hainault is prone to the odd error, but he looks like a bit like improved version of Kevin McKenna (hopefully with the same determination and fight). He is 6'1" and physical. Hainault also is a threat in the air something McKenna also brought to the table. Hainault may have a serious role to play when qualifying roles around in 2012.

Nana Attakora is the most surprising out of this list. Attakora has had a breakout season with Toronto FC and it is almost universally accepted that he has been the best defender in the TFC squad this season. Attakora is only twenty-years-old and putting in quality performances week after week. He can play as a fullback as he has been used several times by Toronto but again Attakora is a natural centre back. Attakora might be the most promising of the bunch considering his young age and incredible potential.

So maybe Canada's squad for 2014 qualifying doesn't look a whole lot better than the one that failed epically in 2008, but at least the centre back situation looks more promising than it has in a while.

World Cup 2010 Countdown: England are Through!

2009-09-09T18:48:00.002-04:00

Fairly self-explanatory no? After a disastrous Euro Qualifying campaign Fabio Capello's men have secured qualification for the 2010 World Cup with lots of room to spare. A smashing 5-1 win over Croatia was the final touch on what has been a perfect tournament so far for England.

Readers of the blog will know that on the rare occasions when Canada miss the World Cup England are my surrogate team. I've watched them throughout qualifying and have been very impressed. England are playing attacking, possession football. Despite all the hype surrounding Capello and the squad they will probably fall to another quarterfinal shootout loss but I will enjoy the result while I can.

After 4-1 and 5-1 wins over Croatia one beings to wonder how did McClaren's side lose to Croatia twice? Croatia are no doubt a good side, but England made them look more like Andorra than World beaters.

With England qualified I've become much more excited about this summer than I had been to this point. Hoping for Capello to come up with something special in a tournament that may be void of Portugal, France and Argentina!

COME ON ENGLAND!

A Canadian Mindset: MLS Academies

2009-09-08T19:39:00.001-04:00

Part Four of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

Do Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea have a obligation to develop English talent? No.

Do the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact have an obligation to develop Canadian talent? YES!

People seem to have a difficult time grasping this concept. When confronted with the question "Do Canadian teams have an obligation to develop Canadian talent?" they often point to the European example I've just given. However theses are two completely separate issues.

First off the four English clubs I mentioned are four of ninety-two professional clubs in England. The three Canadian clubs I mentioned are the only three professional clubs in Canada. Other clubs in both countries offer part time pay, but there are a limited amount of "full-time job" clubs around.

The second main issue is that the game has reached its peak in England and isn't likely to gain any more fans in England (gaining foreign supporter is something completely different). Canada on the other hand has a completely untapped market waiting to accept Canadian soccer (as mentioned in the previous article).

Finally a somewhat I have a somewhat redundant point to make. The English national team is ranked seventh overall in the world. Canada is ranked sixty-sixth. Just imagine for a moment that the English national team was ranked sixty-sixth in the world. There would be all the pressure in the world on the English teams to produce English talent.

So yes, the professional teams in Canada do have an obligation to produce Canadian talent.

In order to best facilitate Canadian talent being developed a few things need to happen. The money needs to be there. Sorry to all the USL lovers out there but the money and infrastructure just isn't there in the USL. I know the Vancouver youth residency program has produced some great players with the Whitecaps in the USL, but in order to pay the number and quality of staff needed to make a bigger impact on the national team there needs to be an MLS infrastructure.

The salary cap may hurt developmental players who make the team (with salaries often being only $20,000/year), but it is great for academies. With Toronto so successful off the field, along with the anticipated success of Vancouver both organizations will have lots of money to spend. Academies are the way to spend this money with the end reward not only being able to raise quality players, but being able to raise quality homegrown players.

The second hurdle to overcome is of course to convince MLS to allow academies/ residency programs. Vancouver looks like they are on the road to changing the MLS rule against these types of programs. Whitecaps' president, Bob Lendarduzzi, has said that he is optimistic about the MLS implementing new rules on academy restrictions. Toronto is already laying the foundations for a full academy, and if the Montreal Impact make that jump to the MLS in the near future (which is a large possibility) they will most likely look at the benefits of an academy as well.

With the Vancouver residency program success stories such as Ethan Gage and Adam Straith is proof that the academy system in Canada can work, it just needs to be expanded on.

World Cup 2010 Countdown: Go Armenia!

2009-09-04T23:20:00.004-04:00

Bosnia will play a World Cup Qualifier against Armenia this weekend, and in between the posts for Bosnia will most likely be a player familiar to most supporters of the Canadian National team. Asmir Begovic, Canadian U-20 keeper, will finally get his first cap with the Bosnian national team and join the list of traitorous scum to have previously ditched the Canadian National team for greener pastures.

Personally I will be hoping for a 12-0 Armenian victory, with Begovic being at fault for most of the goals allowed.

So this is a message to all the Voyageurs and Canadian Soccer Supporters out there. If you don't see any personal interest in any games this weekend, with Canada eliminated, join me as I become the first (well to my knowledge) member of the Canadian-Armenian Soccer Supporters Club.

~~Fuck Begovic!~~ Go Armenia!

Ottawa Apply for USL

2009-09-01T19:53:00.001-04:00

With approval of the Ottawa City council the City of Ottawa is applying for a USL-1 franchise. The plan will be to use a new stadium at Lansdowne Park.

If this bid is accepted by the USL (and with the success of Canadian franchises in the league how could it not be) it will be a major victory for Canadian soccer. It opens up a whole new market of possible soccer franchises in Ottawa. Now that cities with the population of Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal had teams it was time to look at the next level down. With Ottawa looking at a USL team is means that Edmonton and Calgary, cities with similar populations, may be the next to come.

The Canadian franchises of Vancouver and Montreal really have kept the struggling USL-1 League healthy for several years. With Vancouver already awarded an MLS spot and Montreal looking like they will be soon to follow the USL will be hoping to expand further into Canada, hopefully tapping into previously unexplored soccer markets. Soccer has taken a huge boost in Vancouver ever since Vancouver was awarded a franchise, and USL-1 attendances have risen in anticipation of MLS. Montreal and Toronto both have solid followings, with the results being seen in increased Canadian attendances at national team games (for those about to bring up the Honduras game at Saputo, compare the Canadian contingent there to the one at the friendly in Montreal against Jamaica two years previous). This is the time to tap into these new markets.

If Ottawa is awarded a team the benefits for Ontario soccer may be astronomical. One of the main bonuses may come from an new academy. With Toronto starting up an academy and Ottawa possibly soon to follow there will no longer be any excuse for any top players in Southern Ontario not to get the best training available. Once these academies start to grow and send through there first real "batch" of players the results may be evident on the national team.

Finally on a completely separate point that may come to nothing, it could be very interesting to see a USL franchise right outside the CSA office's back door.

Here's to the best of luck for Ottawa.

Manchester United 2:1 Arsenal

2009-08-31T11:54:00.003-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Darren Fletcher takes the spoils against Arsenal for another outstanding performance. In a game where the forward line failed to really click, Fletcher kept United in the match with his quick distribution and hard tackling as he stopped countless Arsenal attacks. Fletcher's football knowledge continues to impress he is a very smart player who can read an attack when he is thirty yards away, his positional sense is fantastic, and he always seems to be a step ahead of the oncoming attackers. Darren Fletcher really gave United a shot at winning this game in what was otherwise quite a poor performance.

Match Notes:
- With Ryan Giggs replacing Berbatov it is easy to see what Sir Alex was trying to accomplish. By playing a 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 Sir Alex's game plan revolved around freeing up Giggs. He hoped that Giggs could slip into that spot in between the opposing midfielders and defenders and be able to run them ragged (similar to the effect Giggs had in the match against Chelsea at Old Trafford last season).

- The formation didn't work for a number of reasons. First off Rooney doesn't want to play with his back to goal and isn't very good at it, but this formation demanded it from him. Secondly Giggs didn't get nearly enough space in the middle of the park because Gallas kept running forward with the Arsenal fullbacks coming into the middle to support. If Nani and Valencia had pressed these Arsenal fullbacks the whole game this wouldn't have happened, but unfortunately both of them were essentially non-factors. Finally Giggs didn't have a good enough game to enforce himself on the Arsenal backline.

- Rooney had a disappointing performance, mainly because of the formation he was asked to play. However he still contributed with one moment of intelligence. He continued to make runs all game although there was rarely someone ready to play the through ball, but his persistence payed off when Giggs's pass met the feet of Rooney and he was immediately pulled down in the box which changed the game for United.

- Carrick had a decent game but still doesn't look to be back to the Carrick of old as he hasn't really found his passing range yet. Last season he was guaranteed to have at least one magical thirty or forty yard ball a match, this year he has yet to deliver one all season.

- The atmosphere at Old Trafford sounded very good, a lot of this is down to the massive occasion of Arsenal's visit, but I think the fiery nature of the match also upped the intensity and the perceived importance of the match.

- I've criticized Foster more than anyone leading up to the season, but I'm being proved wrong every week. Foster was by no means brilliant against Arsenal, but his point blank save on Van Persie was spectacular. The reaction time required to make that save must have been next to nothing.

- Sir Alex probably should have brought on Berbatov earlier to change the match since the 4-5-1/4-4-1-1 obviously wasn't working. Bringing on Berbatov for Giggs and restoring the 4-4-2 may have sparked a very different United performance.

Final Thoughts:
Not the performance that United were hoping for, but three points against one of United's biggest rivals has to be considered a success. In all honesty United played well for 15 minutes and were abject for the other 75, but when you have players like Fletcher keeping you in the game that is sometimes all you need. So there is no need to feel guilty about being the weaker team against Arsenal, because United have just beaten a quality team and they may not have played like Barcelona, but they certainly played like champions.

Manchester United vs. Arsenal

2009-08-28T10:00:00.001-04:00

Manchester United vs. Arsenal
Premier League, Old Trafford
August 29, 12.15 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---O'Shea----Vidic----Brown----Evra----
--Valencia--Carrick--Fletcher--Nani--
--------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Manchester United: Wayne Rooney - A bit of a no brainer of a pick, but Rooney has to bring it once again against Arsenal. He was instrumental in both of United's wins so far this campaign and to pick up a win against undoubtedly United's toughest opponent yet will require another dominating performance from Wayne Rooney.

Arsenal: Andrei Arshavin - The Russian superstar has yet to really shine with Arsenal yet this season and a match at Old Trafford is the perfect time for him to show the Arsenal supporters what they've been waiting for. He could have a massive impact against United.

Prediction:
Manchester United 2:1 Arsenal
Goals: Wayne Rooney, Andrei Arshavin, Michael Owen

Over the past few years Arsenal-United matches have been some of the best the Premier League has provided. When the two teams play they almost always provide an end-to-end fast pace match. Expect a similar game at Old Trafford.

Arsenal have started the season very well, but they still have their fair share of doubters, a result at Old Trafford would go a long way to help change these peoples' minds. On the other side despite a 5-0 win at Wigan, United have yet to really prove themselves against top quality opposition. This match against Arsenal will be their first opportunity to do so.

Both teams will play an attacking brand of football in what is sure to be a very open game. I have Rooney scoring the opener with United pressing on, but Arshavin equalizing. I think Michael Owen may play a role coming off the bench as it looks like he will almost certainly be relegated to a sub role for most of the season.

Manchester United have to be looking at this game as the perfect opportunity to put their new look 4-4-2 up to the test against top opposition. Many have question how effective the 4-4-2 will prove against a team as quick as Arsenal so it will be interesting to see the final result. A lot will come down to the way Fletcher and Carrick (or whoever is playing in the centre of midfield) handles the Arsenal attack.

All in all expect this early test for both squads to provide an entertaining match.

A Canadian Mindset: I Cheer For [insert European Nation]

2009-08-27T21:56:00.002-04:00

Part Three of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

How often do you hear people in Canada ask each other who their favourite international hockey team is. Never, the answer is obvious as it should be, Canada their home country. Now flip that around, how many times do you hear people ask each other who their favourite international soccer team is. This is a question thrown around all the time, and the despite these people all being Canadian the answer is rarely Canada.

There is little more to say here than you are Canadian support your fucking national team. Of course that would achieve very little and usually earns you a "Canada sucks" response which you will argue, but you inevitably feel a little guilty knowing that deep down at the moment our national team does suck.

This should be the target audience for Canadian soccer, not the soccer-snobs out there, but the eurosnobs. The people who watch soccer but only watch European leagues/teams and think that MLS is a pub league ~~as well as the Canadian bloggers who dedicate way too much time to already over covered European teams like Manchester United.~~

The easiest way to solve the problem in the short term is for supporters to bring friends to national team matches (which is difficult due to the lack of matches, but I promised not to talk about the CSA). As a piece of general advice to those out there reading, soccer-ignorant, sports fans tend to love supporters sections just because they are so different from any other North American sports experiences.

The second way to get these supporters in is through media attention. People will counter this by saying the media won't cover soccer in this country. That is not true at all the World Cup and European Championships are hyped up in Canada just like they are across the rest of the world.

World Cup qualifying should be a massive event, that is built up to for months. Even if it is only an article or a two a week covering the Canadian national team leading up to the event. A Canadian World Cup qualifier should get the same coverage that a Leafs game gets in Canada. Complete with multiple previews and front page match recaps. World Cup qualifiers don't come very often for this country and they should be treated as prestigious events.

At the moment the best media coverage come from the supporters, two of the best soccer writers in this country do it for nothing (Ben Knight and Duane Rollins). The best coverage we got for the Gold Cup came from the Voyageurs youtube feed. The point is there are knowledge and talented people out there who are willing to provide this coverage for free so the "there aren't enough people excuse" has no truth to it.

The rebuttal to this may be that people say we can't just throw amateurs in there. Despite the quality of these sources, this is a view that many may view as a legitimate concern. But again there is no basis to this argument since the best sports writer in Canada (I'm not even putting this one up for debate) Steven Brunt has written several lengthy articles about Canadian soccer and is passionate about the sport.

Tapping into this audience is key for the development of Canadian soccer.

Wigan Athletic 0:5 Manchester United

2009-08-25T09:57:00.000-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Once again this has to go to Wayne Rooney. The man who got the whole rout started with his 100th goal for Manchester United. Rooney then picked up the third and was subbed off before he could finish off his hattrick. Rooney has shown once again why he is the most important player on this team, and why the team's offense production this season will depend on the form of Rooney. Rooney was incredible against Wigan in the second half in a performance that won't soon be forgotten.

Match Notes:
- After a tough loss midweek against Burnley, United responded like champions. A frustrating first half against Wigan only pushed them on and as soon as they broke through the goals started to flow.

- Darren Fletcher deserves credit for a very good second half performance as well. After a rather indifferent first half with a few misplaced balls Fletcher was all over Wigan in the second half breaking up attacks, starting up United counters and dominating the midfield.

- After looking good in preseason and some solid performances against Chelsea and Birmingham Berbatov popped in his first of the season with a very well taken goal. His first touch on the ball to lift it over Kirkland was perfect and very Berbatov-esque. Hopefully we'll see more of those as the season continues.

- Foster had his best game by far keeping United in the match during the first half when the score was tied nil-nil. He made a few quality saves and there were much less nervy moments when he had the ball at his feet.

- Vidic made his return and showed us all why he was United's player of the season last year: absolute dominance at the back.

- Antonio Valencia has really changed the approach of United, there is much more activity down the wing, and his pace and crosses are creating lots of chances. His ball into the box was finished by Rooney for the first goal and I'm sure it will be the first of many Antonio Valencia crosses that find the back of the net.

- Just to finish off I have a very telling stat. Carlos Tevez goals - 0. Michael Owen goals - 1. Welcome to Manchester Michael!

Final Thoughts:
A brilliant second half performance reminiscent of the five goal comeback against Spurs last season. Hopefully this will quell some of "where will the goals come from" critics. With Arsenal, Spurs and City as United's next three opponents this is the perfect time to hit top form.

Wigan Athletic vs. Manchester United

2009-08-21T12:29:00.003-04:00

Wigan vs. Manchester United
Premier League, DW Stadium
August 22, 10.00 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
----------------Foster---------------
---Fabio----Vidic----Brown----Evra----
--Valencia--Carrick--Fletcher--Nani--
--------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Wigan: Hugo Rodallega - Rodallega has played up front by himself most of the time so far this season for Wigan, and against United he will find it even more difficult. When playing against United it is important to take every chance given and Rodallega may only be give one or two chances all match, but he will be expected to finish.

Manchester United: Michael Carrick - After a very poor performance midweek which included a penalty miss, amidst rumours of an argument between him and Sir Alex, Carrick will be out to silence the critics against Wigan. In last year's corresponding fixture Carrick scored an 86th minute screamer to win the match.

Prediction:
Wigan 0:1 Manchester United
Goals: Antonio Valencia

After poor performances against Birmingham and Burnley resulting in three points United have a point to prove against Wigan. With the expected return of Nemanja Vidic, United will have a bolstered defense and will be expected to keep the clean sheet.

United will hope to have their first free flowing performance of the year, but Martinez's Wigan have looked decent so far and will provide a tough test. Expect another cagey game similar to the Birmingham game.

With Antonio Valencia likely to get the start against his former team I've picked him to get off the mark for United with a solid performance. I still expect it to be a nervous ninety minutes with United failing to find that next gear.

Wigan have a lot to prove under Martinez with the mass summer exodus and they may take some encouragement after seeing Burnley's victory over United. This may just be the perfect time to play Manchester United.

Ferguson on the attack

2009-08-21T08:37:00.003-04:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has refused to bow to the groundswell of opinion that Manchester United will attempt to win a record fourth successive Premier League title short of a physical and proven focal point to their attack.

The Scot did attempt to recruit Karim Benzema from Lyon in the summer but refused to enter into a bidding war with Real Madrid – and the 1-0 loss to newcomers Burnley has strengthened the argument that his refusal to splash the cash on a potent goal-getter could come back to haunt him and United.

Wayne Rooney has been promised a more central role this season but the England international appears to be carrying the weight of expectation on his young shoulders and Dimitar Berbatov, for all his technical ability, has yet to get his socks dirty.

Michael Owen appears short of match fitness at the highest grade and Ferguson has yet to indicate that youngsters Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck are ready for the big stage.

It is a quandary that only Ferguson can solve – not that he will be losing too much sleep when you consider his post-match analysis to the shock reverse at Turf Moor.

"When you look at the chances we had, one or two should have been off the mark."

"Michael Owen missed a chance in the fist half, Ryan Giggs had a great chance, Wayne Rooney had a couple and Michael Carrick had the best chance when the ball was squared to him in the box but he took a touch and lost the opportunity."

David Villa and David Silva are still available before September 1 at cash-strapped Valencia – but a move for Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero would seem unlikely now he has played for the Spanish outfit in their Champions League qualifier.

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews at Betfair.

USA 2018/2022 World Cup Bid: Part One

2009-08-20T12:53:00.001-04:00

The USA has formally submitted a bid to FIFA to either host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. The bid's executive director ("big cheese") is David Downs, CEO of Univision Sports, the bid has also been endorsed by American president, Barrack Obama. With big names at the helm and quality venues available the American bid is among the favourites to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

From a Canadian standpoint any growth the game has in the United States usually signifies a growth in Canada so a successful American bid for the World Cup would mean big things up here in Canada. The World Cup itself is only a one month event, albeit with years of preparation, so the key is to capitalize on this showcase event and bring North American soccer to the next level.

In Canada and the United States the success of the sport is linked to the success of the premier league on the continent, Major League Soccer. The 1994 World Cup hosted by the States saw FIFA mandate the start of a professional league in the country, hence the formation on the MLS in 1996. Since 1996 the MLS has expanded immensely although still has yet to really make a push onto the mainstream media and national attention. Hosting another World Cup may just be that perfect opportunity.

If the MLS can take advantage of the short time in which soccer is the main sporting event taking place in the United States it may have an opportunity to grow exponentially. To see the possible benefits of hosting a World Cup to a struggling national league one only has to look at South Africa's PSL (Premier Soccer League).

In 2007 the country's top sports channel Supersport bought extensive TV rights to the PSL. Supersport bought the rights in 2007 in an attempt to promote the game in South Africa as much as possible before the 2010 World Cup. The new TV deal has not only raised attendances at league games, but also raised broadcast quality. For example 22 cameras are now used for nationally televised games as opposed to the 7 that used to be used for PSL matches.

Obviously the US Soccer Federation wants MLS to be successful, so the perfect opportunity for TV rights seems to be to sell the World Cup and MLS as a package. If the World Cup were to come to the USA there would be stations lining up for TV rights everywhere. So why not strike a deal, the station that televises the World Cup must also televise two MLS games a week in prime-time on national television (that would mean games on ESPN not ESPN2). With the soccer buzz that would surround the country leading up to the kickoff of the World Cup these nationally televised games may pick up big numbers.

Creating a buzz about the MLS leading up the World Cup may not be that difficult considering the World Cup is the most watched sporting event on the planet. Keeping the attention on the soccer after the World Cup would be the bigger concern.

Obviously the best way to keep the interest going would be for the US National team to have a successful tournament with a domestic dominated team, in which case fans would want to continue watching their heros play. If the USA were to have a poor showing MLS would have to rely on ESPN or whatever network picked up the games to continue premier coverage of the MLS.

In the end promoting the MLS is all about mainstream TV exposure, and the best way to do that would be to create a buzz through hosting a World Cup.

Burnley 1:0 Manchester United

2009-08-19T19:18:00.000-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Had it not been for the disappointing result the story coming out of this game would have been the performance of Ryan Giggs. The man has shown once again why he is a true legend of the Premier League and continues to perform at the top level. Giggs's mazy runs through the midfield were a sigh of relief in what was otherwise a very unimaginative Manchester Untied attack. His passing was as good as ever, and some quick footwork in the final third led to more than one quality chance. Giggs looked very good and was by far United's best player on the pitch against Burnley.

Match Notes:
- The big question coming out of the match will be why did Carrick take the penalty? However I think Sir Alex had reason to put Carrick in that position, he has scored every penalty he has taken in shootouts for United and looked very good taking them. I expected him to put this one home as well, but he was denied by a quality save.

- The entire team with the exception of Giggs and Evra lacked any imagination going forward. The same runs were being made all game, and the same balls were being played in between the Burnley midfield and back four.

- The team lacked significant pace, Evra was providing the best forward runs out of anyone. This game was just calling for Valencia, by far the fastest player on United, and when he came on he made a few good chances. If he had been on earlier it may have been a very different match.

- Michael Owen is starting to miss chances by the bucketload. Combine this performance with the chances he missed against Birmingham and Valencia things aren't looking great for him at the moment.

- Berbatov made a difference in the match and started to open up Burnley. Hopefully United will be able to rely on Berbatov to open up teams late on if necessary.

- Park had a piss poor game. Not much more to say there other then to hope that it's a one off.

-When United are losing a match they tend to play with a certain arrogance that they will not lose the match. That just wasn't there today for whatever reason, instead United panicked on the ball and tried to force it when the option wasn't there.

Final Thoughts:
Despite the poor performance from Manchester United credit has to go to Burnley who played a very good match and their supporters who were brilliant on the night. On the United side there seems to be a little bit of a "the world is ending" kind of attitude. There are still 36 games left in the season and on a different day United could have easily won the match... so calm down.

Burnley vs. Manchester United

2009-08-19T05:58:00.002-04:00

Burnley vs. Manchester United
Premier League, Turf Moor
August 19, 14.45 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
-------------Foster----------------
--De Laet--Brown----O'Shea----Evra--
--Valencia--Carrick--Anderson--Park--
------Rooney------Owen---------

Players to Watch:
Burnley: David Edgar - Possibly a little Canadian bias here, but the centre back will be a key player for Burnley who will most likely be defending for most of the match. Coming off a suspension Edgar will be making his Premier League debut for Burnley and will be asked to contain the likes of Rooney, Owen and Berbatov. No easy task.

Manchester United: Michael Owen - After missing a breakaway in injury time against Birmingham Owen will be keen to get off the mark quickly for United. With another match coming up this weekend expect Sir Alex to rest Berbatov and give Owen a chance to start and hopefully perform.

Prediction:
Burnley 0:2 Manchester United
Goals: Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney

Expect a similar game to the Birmingham game but even more United pressure. The match will probably be played exclusively in Burnley's defending third of the pitch. For United it will be all about changing the pace of attack, suprising Burnley and looking for that little bit of skill to break the deadlock.

It would not be surprising if this match was nil-nil going into halftime. In the end I think United will breakthrough and find the winning goal, possibly adding another.

United often had trouble breaking teams down last season when they played ten men behind the ball and that was with the flair of Ronaldo, this season it may be even harder. United will have to rely on the likes of Valencia to give the attack that little extra bit of pace and cause trouble for the Birmingham backline.

Getting off to a good start is very important and United haven't started with two wins in a row since the 2006-2007 season, hopefully today's match will change that.

A Canadian Mindset: Coach Possession

2009-08-18T16:56:00.000-04:00

Part Two of "A Canadian Mindset", a series looking at the problems with Canadian soccer outside the CSA.

"If in doubt kick it out"

"No fancy stuff"

"Don't go back"

If you go watch a soccer game in Canada you will most likely hear a combination of coaches/parents saying one or more of these things. All of these things work against Canadian soccer.

Comparing Canada to the best national team in the world (in my opinion) may be setting the bar a little too high, but I'll give it a shot. The players on the Spanish national team all play a similar style of football. An attractive, creative, possession style which suits the players very well because it is the style they all grew up playing in other words "the Spanish style". In fact most established footballing nations have a signature style of football even if the tactics vary from team to team.

When thinking of a Canadian style, the most apt comparison would be attempting to play hockey on a football pitch which is what many youth coaches try to do. Other coaches in Canada try and replicate another style of football (often related to their heritage considering we live in such a diverse country). What Canada needs is a single style across the country. Now with all of the different cultural influences in Canada it is unlikely that Canada will ever find this distinct style, so the solution is to at least get the players on the same wave length and "coach possession".

In Canada far too often have I seen players panic as soon as they touch the ball in the defending third and boot a long ball for the forwards to run on to. Far too often have I seen players refuse to pass the ball back and even pass the ball across the back four. There seems to be such an emphasis on getting the ball to the forwards as directly as possible. Sure it may yield better results at a young age, but the players aren't getting any better and they sure as hell won't develop into world class players.

Getting players into the mentality of a possession game starts at a young age. By the time players are twelve-years-old in most countries making the right run to open up the field, always being an option, and passing and moving are second nature. In Canada this needs to happen. When players play a possession game they have much more opportunity to express themselves and by extension become that elusive "flair player".

Implementing this philosophy doesn't come from the CSA or provincial coaching courses, it comes from an overall understanding of the game. It comes from having coaches who know what they are supposed to do and technical directors who make sure these coaches know what they are supposed to do. Without academies in Canada, relying on volunteer coaches to teach this style is difficult, but at the moment it's all we've got.

Manchester United 1:0 Birmingham City

2009-08-18T12:32:00.001-04:00

United Man of the Match:
Without a doubt Wayne Rooney was the best player on the pitch against Birmingham. He had his hand in every single United chance and without him United would have had difficulty breaking down an organized Birmingham defense. Manchester United's entire attack seemed to run through him, everything from the goal, to the his beautiful chest pass onto Michael Owen for the breakaway. Rooney will be Manchester United's most important player this year and early signs show he is up to the task.

Match Notes:
- United looked very good in the first half, but for the second match in a row faded and allowed their opponents to get back into the match. Fitness doesn't seem to be a problem, but a lack of focus may have just crept into this match.

- Fletcher and Scholes did a good job in the first half of distributing the ball and controlling the midfield, but in the second half they both seemed to drop too far back and were starting with the ball in United's defensive third. As soon as they started to drop back the attack became a long ball style which didn't suit United and let Birmingham start to press the United back four.

- The United back four along with Foster was a little shaky, but it is to be expected when the squad is depleted as they are at the moment. The new look back four did their job though, and got the clean sheet.

- As I've said on several occasions before I'm a big fan of Fabio. Technically he is not a great defender, and going forward his final ball seems to be lacking, but the energy he brings to the team is incredible. He closes players down right away, and against Birmingham pulled off an audacious nutmeg, all in all a very entertaining player.

- Despite some criticism to the attacking threats of Nani, Berbatov and Valencia I though they all did a job. None of them had outstanding games, in fact I thought Giggs improved the team in the second half, but they all kept pressing despite some lacklustre individual performances.

- Carrick's absence from the squad was a little surprising, he may not start every game, but to not even be on the bench is quite odd considering he is probably United's top choice centre midfielder.

- The atmosphere at Old Trafford for the first game of the season was solid, hopefully it will continue throughout the season.

Final Thoughts:
After having difficulty at home the last two opening days of the season getting the three points against Birmingham was all that mattered, despite a rather poor performance. Now United need to press on and hopefully pick up full points at Burnley and Wigan even with an injury riddled back four.

Manchester United vs. Birmingham City

2009-08-15T15:50:00.007-04:00

Manchester United vs. Birmingham City
Premier League, Old Trafford
August 16, 8.30 EST

United Projected Starting XI:
-------------Foster----------------
--O'Shea--Brown----Ferdinand--Evra--
--Valencia--Carrick--Anderson--Nani--
------Rooney------Berbatov---------

Players to Watch:
Birmingham: Christian Benítez - The Ecuadorian forward is making his debut for Birmingham after coming over from Santos Laguna. In order to stay up Birmingham will need a fair number of goals this year from Benítez.

Manchester United: Antonio Valencia - After a very good preseaon United will rely on Valencia to cause havoc for the Birmingham fullbacks and continue to put good crosses into the box.

Prediction:
Manchester United 1:0 Birmingham
Goal: Rio Ferdinand

United have opened against the last two seasons with home draws against teams that were relegated in the same season. United will be looking to avoid a third slow start in a row. With injuries at the back to Vidic, Van Der Sar, Neville and Rafael, a new look starting back four/keeper combination will lead out United this Sunday. Expect a few nervy moments with Foster in net, a keeper notorious for bad communication.

United will certainly be nervous going into this one just because of the poor starts in the last two season. It will most likely be a slow paced game with Birmingham sticking as many men behind the ball as possible. They will be looking to leave Old Trafford with a point and seeing what Reading and Newcastle achieved will encourage them.

I see the game being broken open on a set piece, hence I've picked Rio Ferdinand to score the only goal of the match. Opening matches of the season often throw in a bit of a surprise and Ferdinand has gone a while without scoring. Ferdinand's goal may come as a relief to United fans in what looks like will be a very cagey affair on Sunday.

United will need to get off the bat quicky this season with a match against Arsenal to look forward to at the end of August. Hopefully they will get off to a more rampant start than the mediocre one-nil I'm predicting.

For Number 19

2009-08-14T12:14:00.000-04:00

I've picked Manchester United to become the first team to win the English League title four seasons in a row and to win their nineteenth all time making them the most successful club in English football. The bookies disagree picking Chelsea to win the League this year with Liverpool and United even below them. In order to prove me right and the bookies wrong the following has to happen for Manchester United this year.

- Rooney and Berbatov have to form a solid partnership with Berbatov acting as the play maker and Rooney racking up the goals.

- Rooney has to stay fit for most of the season.

- Nani has to chip in with his fair share of goals. Ten isn't too much to expect from him.

- Goals have to come from the midfield, with Ronaldo gone the likes of Carrick, Giggs, Anderson, Scholes, and Fletcher need to score this season. Much like the 2006-2007 season when goals came from all over the pitch.

- Fletcher or whoever is playing in a deeper role in centre of midfield needs to break up opponents attacks quickly. United gave some teams way too much time on the ball last season.

- The back four need to be solid as usual.

- Foster needs to not be awful for the first two months of the season. That is the most we can hope for from him.

In my opinion these things need to happen in order for United to win the title, but there is still a lot more that we can hope for. These are lower priority issues but still important.

- Fabio and Rafael continue to get starts but work on the defensive side of their games.

- Michael Owen scores more than ten goals in the Premier League.

- Valencia has a breakout season and fills the void on the right hand side of midfield very nicely.

- Scholes has a rejuvenated season and puts last year behind him.

- Lets have another academy player surprise the world like Macheda last season.

Is asking for all this a little much? Probably. But United will need to have consistently good performances across the squad to challenge for this title. The loss of Ronaldo will obviously have a major impact but I think that United has the tools to cope.

Bring on 19!

2009-2010 Premier League Picks

2009-08-14T11:13:00.001-04:00

Before the season starts I thought I'd put my predictions on here, just so I can link back to it if I look like a genius in May (this most likely won't happen and I will avoid ever looking at this post again).

So here goes:

1. Manchester United - Bias much...yes
2. Chelsea - Still too many problems in the locker room
3. Liverpool - Fat Spanish Waiter will miss Alonso
4. Arsenal - Still have the quality to stay in the top 4, but won't challenge for the title
5. Manchester City - it will still be 34 years since City have won a trophy come May
6. Everton - Moyes continues to work his magic
7. West Ham - Zola has a very good year with his young squad
8. Aston Villa - A drop off for the club who lost Barry and Laursen
9. Tottenham - 'Arry still can't take this club to a European spot
10. Fulham - Another good season under Hodgson
11. Sunderland - Bruce + Bent + Cattermole + Campbell = above relegation
12. Blackbrun - Still a quality side
13. Birmingham - Coming up from the Championship with Premier League quality players
14. Bolton - It won't be pretty...
15. Stoke - Pulis keeps the dream alive again
16. Wolves - A lot depends on how much Blake can score
17. Portsmouth - Ownership confusion + mass exodus
18. Wigan - Lost way too many top players
19. Burnley - Poor David Edgar :(
20. Hull City - Where they should have been last year.

Some bonus predictions:

From March onward anyone who injures an English player that is even on the fringe of the national team will receive a big suspension from the FA, regardless of the tackle itself.

Manchester City will quickly become one of the most hated cubs in the Premier League.

Paul Hart at Portsmouth will be the first manager fired.

England will lose on penalties in the World Cup quarterfinals... some things never change.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight - Premier League Preview

2009-08-13T12:53:00.000-04:00

Kevin and I go through our Premier League predictions and dedicate the entire episode to picks that will probably make us look completely incompetent by January.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Eight

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link