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Summer 2011 was supposed to be one of excitement and incomings for Newcastle United. First on the agenda for Alan Pardew was to tie down three of his key players before embarking on recruitment drive with the instruction to turn the club into European contenders. He wanted Joey Barton, Jose Enrique and Kevin Nolan all tied down to new deals before dipping his toes into the transfer market

But, just like recent history dictates, nothing ever goes to plan with none of them even getting close to scribbling their initials on the contracts offered. Just Enrique and Barton remain with Nolan being jettisoned to West Ham in the blink of an eye, a decision that left fans divided and bewildered. It has been well documented that all three have demanded contracts that slip out of the clubs new boundaries.

The situation with Barton is getting out of hand. He should be bowing at the feet of St James’ Park and taking whatever the club offers after they gave him a second chance despite his time doing porridge. Simply put he owes Newcastle United and there is no way he can do better. Enrique on the other hand is a tricky one. He’s performed superbly over the last two years and wants to play in the Champions League. Despite this and the constant pleading for him to stay it would be in the best interests of the club to let him go, take the money and buy a replacement in a similar mould. We want players that wan

But what all of these players have in common is that they are all prepared to jump ship as soon as their requests aren’t met. The days of demanding top wages and holding the board to ransom are gone on Tyneside. Mike Ashley has implemented a new model and philosophy at the club that isn’t going to be changed – not even for the clubs captain!

Nolan is the worst of the lot. It’s easy to look at his goal record and completely ignore his lack of fitness, influence on games and inability to operate in the fast paced environment that is a Premier League midfield. Despite scoring 12 goals last season, including three against the Mackems, he was sold without a moment’s hesitation by Ashley with Pardew hardly putting up a fight to keep him at the club.

To me that speaks volumes. People forget that he still had two years to run on his contract, was picking up a cool £50,000 a week and just a few weeks earlier had professed his love for the club, the area and his pride at captaining the club. He didn’t have to leave the club but chose to drop down a division and sacrifice Premier League football for a hefty pay cheque.

For a 29 year old with declining on-field influence to demand a five-year contract is ludicrous! Although he did score goals for the club could have kept that up for the duration of his desired deal? The answer is no and fans need to remove the rose tinted glasses and smell the coffee when it comes to Nolan. You have to question his commitment and compare it to that of Cheick Tiote. He had the entire big four sniffing around only half a year  after signing and yet penned a six-year deal committing himself to the club for the long haul.

In part some credit should go Ashley who is basing his decisions purely on business. Over the last year he has been spot on with his boardroom judgements. He does recognise when one of his employee’s deserves recognition for their achievements and when they are going to be come liabilities to both the team and club finances. Many fans might scoff at the thought of him doing good at the club. But what he set into motion after the relegation season has ultimately brought the club back to where it is. Working in tandem with Pardew has produced some surprising results.

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The additions of Hatem Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Yohan Cabaye and  Marveaux can only be described as masterstrokes with only £10 million being spent to bring all four to the club. It now remains to be seen whether Barton and Enrique will sign on and help Ashley and co take the club to the next level.

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In case you missed it, Spurs beat Arsenal 3-2 at the Emirates this weekend. They haven’t beaten Arsenal away from home since 1993 – that’s 17 years. They’re currently sixth in the Premier League table but the result was important not because of the 3 valuable points that Spurs garnered, but because of the significant confident boost it’s likely to offer the players. It’s a result that’s sure to play as significant a role in Tottenham’s season as their two performances against Inter Milan in the Champion’s League. It means that they’re not looking over their shoulder any more to see which teams are catching up with them, but looking forward with the confidence that they can overtake the likes of Bolton and Manchester City.

Yet prior to the second half of the North London derby, things were cast in a significantly different complexion. Arsenal were 2-0 up and dominating the game. I’d love to know exactly what Redknapp told the players as they slouched into the dressing room. Whatever it was, the reaction is sparked was nothing short of amazing.

Arsenal looked like they thought they had the game won. They decreased gears, started coasting and gave Spurs a chance to get back into the game. A chance that their two star players this season, Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart took with glee. Arsenal seem to be too soft, too malleable to be considered title-contenders this season, but what of Spurs?

I will not side with the BBC’s Phil McNulty who believes Spurs to be genuine title contenders this season. Such a belief is nothing but reactionary. The fact is that Spurs have yet to add consistency to their game. One week they’ll beat Inter Milan, the next they’ll lose to Bolton. They do not have the steel and spirit we associate with teams like Manchester United.

For the moment they need to concentrate on picking up fourth place. They have tough competition from the likes of Bolton and Manchester City, but they have the squad, and in Harry Redknapp, the manager to see them make it into the last Champion’s League position. Despite being sixth in the League, the result against Arsenal has put them in the driving seat. If they show that kind of spirit and determination week in and week out, they’re sure to see their way to fourth place.

Where they’ll be in two-three years time is another question entirely. Harry Redknapp, if he isn’t snapped up by England is a man capable of turning Spurs into a real force in the Premiership and beyond. He has told the press that all he needs is two more world-class signings to be competing for the title. I don’t disagree – if Spurs had two more players on their books of the quality of van der Vaart or Bale, they’d certainly be competing for honours.

Before Spurs can consider themselves title contenders, they need to start expecting wins and not hoping for them. That means that they should come to Arsenal not as outsiders, but as a team expecting to win. It’s consistency, which Arsenal currently have and that Spurs are lacking. If things continue in the same vein for Tottenham, that’s something that’s sure to change.

If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter

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It is part of the makeup of every football fans DNA. Indeed, going out to purchase the new seasons colours and new kit is a summer ritual which has stemmed back the long twenty years the Premier League has been around as we know it. Whether young or old, to wear the colours truly signifies a fans connection to their beloved brethren and replica shirts indeed represent a large source of income for the teams and clubs we idolise.

But as with anything, there is a much darker side to football fashion; a much uglier and aesthetically displeasing side. We thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and select the twenty worst Premier League football shirts in history. For the jerseys you are about to see, if you bought one, shame on you! To walk down the high street in one of these not only would have taken guts but also a worryingly blind faith within consumerism.

As we fast approach the 20th anniversary of the Premier League we have decided to look back at the 20 worst football kits of this time.

Click on this Wolves monstrosity to see the top 20 worst Premier League kits of all time

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If anyone truly believes the following kits are nice or have another shocker to add to the gruesome collection you can follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989

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Paraguay and Venezuela both warmed up for the 2011 Copa America with victories in friendlies on Saturday.The two South American nations are part of a tricky Group B at the tournament – beginning on July 1 – with reigning champions Brazil and Ecuador ensuring the battle for quarter-final places in Argentina will be tough.

Paraguay’s strikers fired them to a 2-0 win over Romania at the Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, in a game that also doubled as a farewell match for former captain Roberto Acuna.

Hercules forward Nelson Valdez put Paraguay in front with a low shot across Romania goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon after just two minutes.

Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz completed the scoreline when he nodded in Miguel Samudio’s cross in the 28th minute.

Acuna, 39, chalked up his 100th cap for Paraguay in a starting cameo, before his substitution on eight minutes.

Paraguay will take on Chile on June 23 in their final friendly before starting their Copa America campaign against Ecuador on July 3.

Venezuela begin the tournament against title-holders Brazil the same day, and they will be brimming with confidence after clinching a 3-0 win over Mexico’s under-23 side in their final hit-out.

Diminutive midfielder Alejandro Guerra handed Venezuela the lead at Las Vegas’ Sam Boyd Stadium after 13 minutes, with Deportivo Anzoategui team-mate Daniel Arismendi doubling their lead in the 66th minute.

Defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo completed a special match for Anzoategui’s national team representatives with a 90th-minute strike.

Today we have a look at the Premier League’s Top 10 most heated match ups. This countdown has everything from Hooliganism to boycotted breakfast cereal. Now it’s inevitable that some teams do not feature, they weren’t forgotten. So let’s see who made it!

10. Arsenal Vs. Manchester United:

Firstly, starting off our countdown with a huge bang, we have Arsenal vs. Manchester United. Who can forget Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane’s exchange in the tunnel prior to kick off? United were still smarting from Arsenal’s unbeaten season, and Arsenal were still smarting from United ending that unbeaten run in acrimonious circumstances the previous October. That game itself had a little extra curricular activity, with Cesc Fabregas showing early signs of his simply charming personality by (must say ‘apparently’ here) throwing pizza of all things at Sir Alex Ferguson. What a way to kick off our Premier League top 10 most heated match ups. This game had it all!

9. Next up we have Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal. These two teams have played out some truly memorable encounters. During the 2005/2006 season the rivalry intensified as the campaign threw up n engaging finale as the two clubs battled it out for fourth place. The outcome went to the final day when Spurs, hit by food poisoning, lost to West Ham and Arsenal triumphed to finish two points above their rivals and deny them a Champions League berth.

8. Swansea vs. Cardiff is another encounter that never fails to entertain. The question remains why? Is it Swansea’s inferiority complex as they remain the countries second city, or is it because in 1965 the Swans annihilated their rivals Cardiff 5-0? This match has always been tainted by not only on field competition but by “off field violence leading to away fans being banned from the fixture for many years.” Check out this clip to get a sample of the rivalry between the two clubs.

7. One of the oldest derbies in the world is the ‘Black Country Derby’ fought out between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers. This rivalry is said to be so fierce because the competition goes much deeper than football. For that reason it is perhaps no surprise that it came out top in the Football Rivalries Report 2008.

6. This next fixture has amassed the most amount of red cards than any other in English football history. With Everton and Liverpool football clubs in such close proximity it comes as no surprise that these two clubs have developed such a rivalry. It must be said that the rivalry between these two clubs goes beyond their close location. The rivalry between the clubs, and the divide between the fans, is always ferocious and passionate and the matches always reflect that. Look how much it means to the fans as Everton score in the dying minutes of extra time to take them through to the next round of the FA Cup.

5. The rivalry known as ‘The Roses Rivalry’ is between Manchester United and Leeds United. “The name of the rivalry is derived from the historic Wars of the Roses which was carried out between the House of Lancaster and the House of York” It is fair to say that the intensity of this rivalry is just as fierce on the pitch as it is off. “During the 1970s when British football hooliganism was at its height, the fights between Leeds’ Service Crew and Manchester United’s Red Army, two of the most notorious hooligan firms in Britain, became known as some of the most violent clashes in British football.” Even today there is high level security on match days proving that the rivalry is still and as tense as ever.

4. Next up we have Newcastle vs. Sunderland. In light of yesterday’s game it is fair to say that this one of England’s biggest and most heated match ups. This rivalry is at once a historical one, however it is noted that some Newcastle fans refuse to buy bacon, because of its red-and-white appearance and some Mackems boycott a particular breakfast cereal, because of the Newcastle-orientated marketing of its brand.

3. Who can forget Keegan’s famous outburst prior to Newcastle United’s match against Manchester United? It was during the race for the 1995–96 title that Keegan famously directed remarks at the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson during an interview on live television. You can see how much this match up meant to Newcastle Boss Keegan in this clip

2. West Ham and Millwall both originated in London’s East End. They have one of the most bitter and longstanding rivalries in English football history “starting in the early years of the 20th century between rival dockers at two London shipyards on either side of the Thames.” Even to this day the rivalry is still as fierce and bitter, during a league cup game in 2009 tempers flared, there were three pitch invasions, violent clashes between supporters and horrifically one fan was stabbed and left fighting for his life. Check out these match highlights to see the ill feeling between the two sets of supporters!

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1. Finalising our count down we have the ferocious and bitter rivalry between England’s two most celebrated Football Clubs. Liverpool and Manchester United’s rivalry “can be considered as a manifestation of one which already had existed between the two cities since industrial times. During this time both were competing with each other for supremacy of the north-west” On the field the rivalry is even fiercer, Gary Neville, die hard united fan and player has never hid his emotions. In 2006 Neville was berated by Liverpool fans for his role in celebrating in front of the kop, kissing the crest on his jersey and appearing to shout angrily towards the fans. The look of passionate hate on his face led to an FA review.

So as I previously said some teams have not made it onto the count down so why not leave comments and bring them to the attention of everyone.

If you like what I’ve written why not follow me on Twitter

Manchester City have come back from a goal down to beat Chelsea 2-1 on Wednesday night, with Carlos Tevez inspiring the hosts to victory from the bench.

Gary Cahill had struck to send the resurgent visitors into the lead on the hour mark, and the Argentina international entered the fray after 66 minutes.

Sergio Aguero got the Etihad Stadium side back to parity with a 78th minute penalty, before Tevez played a sublime through-ball for Samir Nasri to finish and give the hosts the three points late on.

City boss Roberto Mancini has stated that his side deserved to win, and has reserved praise for Tevez upon his return to action.

“I think we deserved to win this game because we had three or four chances in first 20-minutes we missed, we have chances but we didn’t score,” he told Sky Sports.

“When they scored their goal, we didn’t deserve to go down 1-0, but we wanted it and desired to win this game.

“I think we are back on track and this game is worth more than the points.

“I am happy with Tevez, I am happy because he did well – he is not in good form, I don’t think his feet were 100 per cent but he knows football,” the Italian concluded.

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City travel to take on Stoke at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday in their next game.

By Gareth McKnight

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Sepp Blatter has offered the alarmist prediction that FIFA will cease to exist as an organisation if he is ousted as President.Swiss Blatter, 75, has held the top job in football’s governing body since 1998, but is now being challenged by Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed Bin Hammam.

The election to date has been fought on issues such as alleged corruption within FIFA and the potential for reforms to key processes, specifically the World Cup bidding and voting structure.

But Blatter has now made by far the most sweeping statement yet in his campaign, suggesting that FIFA’s continuing existence depends on his re-election on June 1 to an office he has held for 13 years.

“The FIFA presidential election is not about candidate A or candidate B, it is about whether there will be any candidates at all in future,” Blatter said.

“The ballot on 1st June could lead to a seismic shift with irreversible damage.”

“Quite simply, the survival of FIFA is at stake. It is a question of whether the game’s established world governing body will continue to exist after this date or whether it will disappear into a black hole.”

“Is it that dramatic, you may ask. The answer is, theoretically, yes, it is.”

Blatter has already received the public backing of UEFA and South American football federation CONMEBOL and is supremely confident of seeing off the challenge of Bin Hammam.

“I am confident that I will win the election with a clear two-thirds majority,” he said.

“South America, Central and North America, Europe, Oceania and a significant part of Africa and Asia will continue to support my ideas. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile outlining what the alternative would be, i.e. none at all.”

“What applies for every carpenter also applies for us: the roof will only hold as long as the foundations are in place.”

“If the ground beneath crumbles, the entire edifice will collapse. And that is precisely what is at stake on 1st June. All or nothing.”

Like some sort of anti-hero suit, whoever dons the Arsenal goalkeeping jersey seems to lose any sense of decision-making, command, communication or skill. Whether it is Manuel Almunia or Lukasz Fabianski, they are likely to fall victim to the intense pressure and scrutiny that they now face on a daily basis (as I myself am doing as I write these words). There is a target who the club approached, who subsequently turned them down out of loyalty to his current employers; not the Irishman on the Eastlands bench, or the aussie beach-bum in West London, but a Mr Krzysztof Dowhań. The coach has been brought to my attention by Michał Zachodny, who wrote an excellent article about the man HERE.

He is nearly as anonymous as his name would lead you to believe, but Dowhań is the current goalkeeping coach at Legia Warsaw, and just after the Gunners signed Fabianski, they tried to tempt his old coach to follow him to London. Dowhań was tempted, but ultimately decided that his heart remained in Warsaw, and that there was still work to be done.

The Polish national team have never been the most feared side in world football, and by the same token haven’t churned out a huge amount of talent to the top leagues. They do have however, have a decent record in producing goalkeepers. With Fabianski at Arsenal is the, in my opinion, more exciting Wojciech Szczęsny. Manchester United have Tomasz Kuszczak, Celtic employed the services of Artur Boruc before his move to Fiorentina, and Liverpool’s most recent Champions League victory included a memorable performance form Jerzy Dudek. All of the above have worked with Dowhań at some point in their career.

Having never made it as a professional himself, Dowhań began coaching at a relatively young age and hasn’t stopped since. He has adapted his own style of coaching with an emphasis on enjoyment, and easing pressure out of situations to maximise concentration. Those that have come under his tutelage have only the highest praise for him.

Maciej Szczęsny, father of Arsenal’s current understudy, and a former Polish international keeper himself (for anyone wondering, he is also the only player to win the Polish league with three different clubs) said of Dowhań:

“At 33, with the majority of career behind me, I didn’t think I could learn anything new. That is until I trained with Dowhań.”

Arsenal’s current goalkeeping coach, Gerry Peyton, has been at the club since 2003. After the particular relationship shared by David Seaman and Bob Wilson which was such a fruitful success, there may have been a problem filling that void. Jens Lehmann was a very good goalkeeper, clearly erratic at times, and obviously mad, but very good none the less. Since his departure, a problem has existed.

Under Dowhań, Fabianski was considered arguably the brightest light in young goalkeepers across the continent. At the moment his confidence is shot, and what may have done him the power of good was having his friend, and mentor with him when moving to a new country, new league and new challenge in his life, all at the age of 22.

Maybe there is now an argument for the club to try and lure Dowhań once more, even on a part-time basis? The goalkeepers I have mentioned above have all made mistakes, but their form was far better under Dowhań, and attracted their big moves in the first place. Perhaps it is merely a pipe-dream, and a solution that is, in all reality, not that feasible. For Arsenal, they have two young Polish keepers who flourished under a former teacher, and it is potentially much cheaper to acquire his skills in some form, rather than shell out on an expensive replacement. Wenger has publicly backed his keepers in blind vehemence; this could be a far more discreet, and in-house solution to a problem he, deep down, knows exists.

To READ Michał Zachodny’s article ‘Why Fabianski Isn’t Working’ then click HERE

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Why not visit Michał Zachodny’s excellent ‘POLISH FOOTBALL SCOUT’ Website by clicking HERE

25 years is an astonishingly long time in football. But that’s how long Sir Alex Ferguson has been in charge of Manchester United. His success is obviously well publicised, but something often missed amongst his pile of major trophies are the number of people who have graduated from Fergie’s players to Fergie’s opponents. Evidently their former mentor had a significant effect on their career paths, but to what success? Steve Bruce, an early Fergie fledgling, became the first managerial casualty of the new Premiership season and whatever you think of Sunderland’s kneejerk reaction to remove their manager, results at the Stadium of Light have just not been good enough. It is clear that Ferguson had a profound influence on his time in management. The pair have a strong relationship, something highlighted by Bruce’s use of the loan market, dipping into United’s reserves on a number of occasions, with Danny Welbeck providing the best example of the merits of this policy. Sir Alex has been publicly critical of Bruce’s removal from Sunderland, lamenting the lack of patience the Black Cats’ fans showed to his former captain. So what impact have Sir Alex’s protégées had on the managerial world?

Sir Alex has mentored a lot of current managers.

Steve Bruce

A regular on the managerial merry-go-round during his early days, taking charge of Sheffield United, Hudderfield, Wigan, Crystal Palace and Birmingham, all in 3 years. However, his time in charge of the Blues saw Bruce really prove his worth, guiding them back to the top flight in 2002 for the first time in 16 years, then finishing higher than city rivals Villa the following season, a feat no Birmingham manager had achieved since the 1970’s. Mid-table mediocrity, relegations and promotions kept Steve on his toes, until Wigan came calling after a fall-out with the board. A decent couple of seasons followed at the DW Stadium in the Premier League, before he stepped up the ladder again, replacing Ricky Sbragia at Sunderland in 2009. Although there were signs of promise, indeed at the turn of the New Year, Sunderland looked set to mount a European challenge, the loss of prolific strikers Darren Bent and Asamoah Gyan left Sunderland short up front, prompting a shocking run of form that left them hovering precariously above the drop-zone. So poor Steve suffered the ignominies of modern football, as chairman Ellis Short took swift action in the wake of a brewing crisis as the supporters felt out of love with their adopted Geordie.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (B-) A lot of potential already, but still needs work. Should bounce back soon.

Roy Keane

The ultimate gladiator in Fergie’s all conquering Treble team, but aside from one decent promotion with Sunderland, his exploits with the Black Cats didn’t match the extravagant amount of money he spent. And the less said about his time at Ipswich the better. Being out of a job probably suits Roy better, as it gives him more time to walk those beloved dogs.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (D-) After one good result,Roy has declined beyond all recognition. Needs to control his temper.

 

Bryan Robson

Captain Marvel himself was one of Sir Alex’s golden boys, but he is a walking disaster at managerial level that teams have finally learnt to avoid. Fans of Middlesbrough, Bradford City,West Brom or Sheffield United will not be providing him with a decent job reference any time soon. He even resigned from that oh-so-difficult Thailand job this year.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (E)Bryan’s efforts are nothing but disastrous. Needs to think long and hard about whether he is up to the challenge.

Paul Ince

His larger-than-life personality ensured he and Ferguson never saw eye-to-eye during his spell at Manchester United and it seems such character traits have been transferred into management, lasting just 177 days in charge of Blackburn, ruining Ince’s hopes before they had even begun. Failure at MK Dons and Notts County has since followed.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (U) Expelled. Simply not good enough and never will be.

 

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Gordon Strachan

He had a decent start to his career, building solid regimes at both Coventry and Southampton, before stepping up to the Celtic job, whereupon he gained six major honours including three successive titles. His tenure was impressive, but his time at Middlesbrough was less inspiring, lasting just a year in the role.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (B-) Some impressive work, but has slacked recently. Needs get back to his best quickly.

Alex McLeish

A firm Ferguson favourite at Aberdeen and his transition into management has been reasonable. Spells at Hibernian and Rangers helped underline the potential that eventually landed him the Scotland job, a reign that provided a historic victory in Paris, remember James McFadden’s spectacular volley? Birmingham then came-a-calling, where he enjoyed a mixed bag of results, including winning the League Cup last season, only to suffer a disastrous relegation the same year. This prompted a controversial switch to Aston Villa, one that left a sour taste in the mouths of both sets of rival fans and he is yet to win over the Villa Park Faithful this season.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (B) Consistent achievement with a couple of blots on the copybook. Solid performer.

Mark Hughes

Almost took Wales to the 2004 European Championships in his first job, before transforming Blackburn Rovers into a solid Premiership outfit. Thaksin Shinawatra then decided Hughes was the man to head up his new City Regime, a challenge the Welshman readily accepted. However, he faced enormous pressure following the Arab takeover, especially when he splashed a cool £32.5million on Robinho. His sacking in December 2009 did seem rather harsh though, particularly given successor Roberto Mancini failed to improve on the fourth position City occupied at the time. An odd year followed at Fulham, where he and Mohamed Al-Fayed failed to see eye-to-eye and Hughes resigned this summer citing lack of ambition as his reason for leaving.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (B) Proven quality at the highest level. Needs to continue the good work.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The game’s first real super-sub sealed the 1999 treble with his goal off the bench in the Champions League final. He cut his teeth managing United’s reserves, before moving back to his homeland in Norway to take charge of Molde, where he won the Tippeligaen in his first year in charge. Very promising stuff from the baby-faced assassin, who has also turned down the Norwegian national job, meaning he could well be Fergie’s heir apparent.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (C+) Terrific start to his education. Well on the way to stardom.

Laurent Blanc

The current French manager, can hardly be counted, given that he only made 48 appearances under Sir Alex at the twilight of his career. But he has made a cracking to life in the hot seat, winning the French League with Bordeaux and now hopes to turn England over in next summer’s European Championships.

Fergie’s School Report Says: (B+) Already hitting the heady heights. Watch this space for further glory.

So who of the current crop could do it? Well, Ryan Giggs is the obvious answer. Many people have suggested he is the perfect man, not just for management in general, but to replace Sir Alex himself. Giggsy would definitely have the right temperament and he more than anyone has had long enough to see how Ferguson does it. David Beckham? Not so much. He has already ruled out the possibility of going straight into management, stating that “at the moment I have no interest in being a coach or becoming a manager.” It is looking increasingly likely that Sir Alex Ferguson’s skills and talents have been wasted on those he brought to fruition as players and there is a worrying correlation growing between playing under Ferguson and failing as a manager. He needs somebody to step up to the plate and inherit his unbelievable talent. The challenge is on. Let’s hope it’s one that Eric Cantona takes up…

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A goal within the first minute from Javier Hernandez gave Manchester United a 2-1 win over Chelsea to all but seal the Premier League title.The Mexican striker gave his side an incredible start, scoring the opening goal after just 36 seconds, and Chelsea never truly recovered with Nemanja Vidic making it 2-0 after 23 minutes.

Frank Lampard did set up a nervy finale with a 68th minute effort, but the result means United can clinch a record 19th league title if they at least draw at Blackburn Rovers next Saturday.

Sir Alex Ferguson pumped his fists and bowed to the crowd at the final whistle and his side could not have made a more exciting or impressive start to their most important match of the season.

In fact they took the lead after only 36 seconds, one of the fastest-ever goals seen at Old Trafford.

It was Hernandez who scored it, racing onto a superb straight through-ball from Park Ji-Sung and taking advantage of a slip by David Luiz to calmly side-foot home.

The noise inside Old Trafford was incredible and the home crowd soon had more to cheer when a short-corner routine saw Giggs beat his man on the left and dink over a cross for Nemanja Vidic to head home a second goal in the 23rd minute.

In a riveting match both teams had plenty of other chances too in a pulsating first half that saw both goalkeepers in top form.

Van der Sar saved a follow-up shot from Salomon Kalou after Florent Malouda’s cross caused havoc in the United defence and then the Dutchman also produced a stunning one-handed save from a Kalou header just seconds after the home team had made it 2-0.

But Petr Cech was also busy. He denied Rooney a stunning goal when he dived full stretch to save a 30-yard pile driver and produced an equally impressive stop deny Park’s fierce drive from the left.

The second half proved more even and although United had chances their opponents, who brought on Ramires and Alex at half-time for Luiz and Mikel, never gave up.

And having survived a penalty scare when Lampard appeared to handle a Valencia cross, the Blues made it 2-1 with just over 20 minutes to go.

It was Ramires who crossed from the left, Ivanovic who headed down and Lampard who applied the finishing touch with Vidic playing him onside.

United almost wrapped up things a minute later, but Alex produced an incredible goal-line block just when it seemed Rooney was set to score.

That set the stage for a frantic finale in which Rooney and Hernandez had half a dozen chances to make the game safe before the final whistle eventually blew and the roof came off Old Trafford.