A record 19 League titles, another record 11 FA Cups and with a great chance of lifting a tenth FA Youth Cup which will keep Manchester United ahead of Arsenal on seven. How can anyone possibly argue against the fact that United sets the standards for every other club in England to follow? A 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane tonight gives the youngsters a wonderful opportunity of bringing more silverware to Old Trafford next week. The Final is far from over but the youngsters have put themselves in a great position to clinch another trophy.

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Football’s increasingly global nature means Manchester United will approach the FA Youth Cup final with Sheffield United pledging to continue their worldwide search for talent. The likelihood is Paul McGuinness’ side for Tuesday’s first-leg duel at Bramall Lane will include representatives from Italy, Holland and France. Spanish World Cup winner Gerard Pique appeared in the competition for United in recent years, as did Giuseppe Rossi and Federico Macheda. And, given the glory Lionel Messi has helped Barcelona enjoy since arriving in Catalonia as a 13 year old, it is clear operating purely within the boundaries of Greater Manchester is not an option.

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It’s an absolute given that history can never be guaranteed to repeat itself but it can certainly give some encouraging signals. Manchester United has remained unbeaten in the Premier League since that controversial 2-1 defeat against eventual champions Chelsea at Old Trafford last April and have managed to finish 2010 with that 1-1 draw at St Andrews as the only team in England yet to lose a Premiership game this season. In addition, United have lost 16 points from their eight drawn matches so far, 5 fewer than  Arsenal, 6 less than Manchester City and 7 than Chelsea. Not a bad advantage to take into the New Year.

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Securing three points is always a joyous occasion for a Manchester United fan, achieving it the way it was on Sunday gives an incredible buzz, but doing it against your biggest rivals is simply euphoric! And seeing your opponents struggling one point away from the danger zone is the icing on the cake. It’s a well known fact that the start of a new season sets the tone for the rest of the campaign and five points in five matches for Liverpool equates to 38 out of 38 – the same number that Sheffield United got relegated with just three years ago. But surely,  it’s far too early in the season for Anfield fans to be really concerned – or is it?

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Securing three points is always a joyous occasion for a Manchester United fan, achieving it the way it was on Sunday gives an incredible buzz, but doing it against your biggest rivals is simply euphoric! And seeing your opponents struggling one point away from the danger zone is the icing on the cake. It’s a well known fact that the start of a new season sets the tone for the rest of the campaign and five points in five matches for Liverpool equates to 38 out of 38 – the same number that Sheffield United got relegated with just three years ago. But surely,  it’s far too early in the season for Anfield fans to be really concerned – or is it?

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“The more things change the more they remain the same” is a saying which has been around since Adam was a boy. I have no idea where it originally came from but it’s difficult to argue against the truth in it. An entry in the Sunderland Fan Blog which explains how all the grand plans of a club that became known as “The Bank of England” came so close to ending in disaster will send shivers up and down the spine of Manchester United’s cross town rivals and raise questions whether history may be on the verge of repeating itself.

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