First game in the new year and we commenced it with where we left off in 2011, with a defeat but the defeat this time, our third in the league already this season was a resounding one. The defeat was as resounding and as one-sided as the trashing we got in St. James’ Park in 1996. The score-line reflected it to an extent. There was much talk pre-game about Manchester United responding from the disappointing defeat we suffered at home in our last fixture of 2011 at the hands of Blackburn Rovers and coming out fighting like wounded tigers but instead, we responded meekly like tame cats. Read the full story

In my post-match review cum pre-match preview in the aftermath of the 5-0 trashing we handed out to Wigan Athletic on Boxing Day, I had warned that the greatest danger Manchester United faced now were from themselves and of being over-confident. I had warned about the over-confidence coming from the team selection of Sir Alex Ferguson and true to cue, United were undone on Sir Alex’s 70^th birthday at home at Old Trafford against strugglers, Blackburn Rovers. That is now our third home loss in the season in all competitions. Old Trafford has lost a bit of its invincibility; it isn’t much of a fortress anymore. It might be premature of me to suggest that but if FC Basel and Benfica can come to Old Trafford and play without fear and leave with a point in the Champions League, Manchester City can put 6 past us at home and Crystal Palace can knock us out at home in the Carling Cup, I might just have a point when I say that this season Old Trafford is not much of a fortress anymore. Read the full story

It must be admitted that bias may be a factor in my thinking, or I’m simply dumb enough to be missing something but I want to know why something as simple as the transfer of Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones to Manchester United has become such a drama? The Rovers owners are now reported to be considering asking “the Premier League how private and confidential contractual details were obtained by the league champions” Are they stupid or simply being naive?

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Four 6-0 defeats in just 20 Premier League matches! So what’s going on? Could there have been such a yawning gap created between the top and bottom of the league? Manchester United could have easily made it five 6-0 scorelines had they taken even half the hatful of chances that went begging in the 3-0 defeat of Newcastle in their opening game. Yet the newly promoted Magpies came back themselves to inflict a six goal hammering of Aston Villa a few days later.

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You really have to hand it to the old fox. While all the attention has been on the “Will he” or “Won’t he” attempt to sign German international Mesut Ozil, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has snuck under everybody’s radar to complete the transfer of the relatively unknown 20 year old Portugese striker Bebe from Vitoria de Guimaraes for a reported £7.4m
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With more talent than Sir Alex Ferguson can handle at Manchester United next season, many other Premier League clubs have been knocking on the door at Old Trafford in the hope that a short term move can be arranged for some of the Reds youngsters. Blackburn Rovers has been the first to benefit from that embarrassment of riches by taking striker Mame Biram Diouf on a season long loan to Ewood Park.
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