Watching the thumping Barcelona inflicted on Real Madrid at the Camp Nou in the Classico last night, my mind could not help wandering what major football clubs – including Manchester United, has in store for their fans in the next 10 or 20 years. A world wide audience of half a billion viewers – read that slowly, yes, 500 million, was estimated to have watched that game on television, internet, mobile phones and whatever else modern technology can provide. Ask yourself, what else will that same technology be able to offer us in the next decade or two?

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Are we REALLY in 2010? Can such ignorance possibly still exist in a modern, western society? Manchester United travel to Glasgow next week to face Rangers in a European Champions League match. Reports are now emerging that Uniteds young Mexican striker Javier Hernandez could be forced to abandon his practice of saying a pre match Catholic prayer. Deeply religious Hernandez kneels on the centre spot and prays before kick off in every game he starts in but it’s believed United boss Sir Alex Ferguson - himself a former Rangers player, will advise the 22 year old not carry out his normal ritual at Ibrox.

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So a week of turmoil for both Manchester United and Wayne Rooney has come to an end with both parties peacefully reconciled. All the arguments in the pubs and clubs have all proven to be  pointless as have the thousands of words and opinions published but the core problem for football still exists. One man who hit the nail on the head was Blackpool manager Ian Holloway because his outburst was completely correct and justified – up to a point. The ‘Bosman’ ruling is NOT the real problem and as much as people like Holloway would love to see it wished away, the fact is that it never will. UEFA and FIFA spent years and millions of Euros fighting it in the courts but at the end of the day they were forced to bow to the law. Cases like we have just witnessed with Rooney happens every day of the week all over the world.  ’Bosman’ will always be with us whether we like it or not, the solution is to find a better way of living with it  - and the answer may not be all that difficult.

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A pioneering deal signed between Manchester United and Hong Kong based telecommunications giant PCCW this month has pretty much gone under the radar as far as most of the mainstream media has been concerned. Yet it presents a clear indication of why club owners like the Glazer family and Liverpool’s Tom Hicks are absolutely determined to hang on to their prized asset despite piling on debts of millions upon millions of pounds on themselves and their clubs. Despite the efforts and prayers of so many football fans, those owners will go to any desperate measure they possibly can and are not likely to be going anywhere soon. If they do, they will simply be replaced by others – JUST LIKE THEM!

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Did it really have to come to this? Why should a quasi military operation be required for a highly anticipated European Champions League cup tie at Old Trafford? Stringent security measures will be put in place for Rangers fans travelling to the game because violence marred their last visit to Manchester for the Uefa Cup final against Zenit St Petersburg at Eastlands in May 2008. This time, the Scottish team’s fans will be forced to meet at Wigan Athletic’s DW Stadium before boarding official coaches to Old Trafford.

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Like most Manchester United fans there were no tears shed last night when former United striker Diego Forlan slammed the ball home for Athletico Madrid right in front of  The Kop to send Liverpool crashing out of Europe. After all, those same Merseyside fans were ecstatic to see Bayern Munich go through to the Champions League semi final by eliminating United on the same away goals rule.

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