After witnessing Manchester United defeat against Blackburn Rovers for our New Year’s Eve match, I would touch on another significant matter to the football world, the opening of the transfer window. I have heard a lot of United fans voice out in blogs, newspapers and talk shows on the need for United to sign someone in January and I have been asked on my view on this topic a few times. My opinion on this matter is that I don’t believe Sir Alex Ferguson will sign anyone in January. If he does, I will be genuinely surprised now whether the surprise, is positive or negative, only time will tell. 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

Manchester United exorcised the hoodoo of Craven Cottage in emphatic fashion yesterday with a 5-0 trashing of the home side. A very good result in the festive season that we are in, heading into Christmas. Ever since our exit from the Champions League, we have upped the ante with our performances and results. There’s no more of the laboured 1-0 wins in the aftermath of the humiliation by Manchester City but from experience of past seasons, I believe those laboured, gritty 1-0 wins are as appreciated as the 5-0 wins in the bigger picture of winning the Premier League title and they would make a return too if there is a need to because it is impossible for a team to play in the same way all the time in a league as competitive as the Premier League. Read the full story

In Rafa he trusts – NO, not THAT Rafa but Manchester United’s Rafael da Silva, known as Rafa to his team mates. Newly appointed Brazil coach Mano Menezes has put his trust in the young right back this week by selecting him in the squad for the friendly against the USA in New Jersey next month. da Silva meets up with the rest of the seleção on August 10 and makes his debut in the famous yellow and blue two days later.
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As the senior squad prepares for a new season with a whirlwind tour of North America, the youngsters for whom Sir Alex Ferguson has such high hopes for are working hard at Carrington under reserve team coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Whether by choice or sheer necessity, Ferguson has made it clear on many occasions that the future success of Manchester United lies in a sophisticated youth system which has become the envy of the Premier League.
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In the time that I’ve been writing for Truly Reds, I have always been mindful of the fact that I had an obligation to remain completely objective in presenting balanced opinions in a professional manner. This time however, I intend to avail myself of the luxury of spelling out my feelings simply as a Manchester United fan because the elimination from the Champions League by Bayern Munich was so difficult to accept.

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