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Why other members of the Big Four must be jealous of Andrey Arshavin’s success, plus thoughts on Clive Tyldesley, Dimitar Berbatov and a ’small club’

Andrey Arshavin is cup-tied in the Champions League so there is still a real possibility Arsenal will finish the season empty-handed, though Arsène Wenger can console himself with one of the Premier League’s minor prizes.

He can have this season’s golden chequebook, or something along those lines, for actually spending big and making a success of it. On the basis of his four goals against Liverpool, Arshavin certainly looks the real deal. As Steven Gerrard said admiringly in the Sky TV studio, they weren’t just any four goals. They were four extremely well taken goals that one of the best goalkeepers in the world could do nothing to stop. “To put four past Pepe Reina takes some doing,” Gerrard said.

Indeed. One wonders, in fact, since Arsenal have no chance of the league and Arshavin cannot play in Europe, why Wenger only allowed the Russian a mere 15 minutes in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea. Just half of what he produced at Anfield might have been enough to put Arsenal in the final, against Everton, as we now know, and Gooners would be walking round with a little extra spring in their step.

As it is, Arsenal are going to have to field what will feel like a sub-strength side in their Champions League semi-finals, because the player who went to Anfield and put Fernando Torres in the shade will be watching the proceedings from the sidelines. Still, it could be worse. Arshavin only cost Arsenal around £19m, even if it was one of the most protracted and boring deals of the January transfer window. At least they didn’t pay Spurs £31m for Dimitar Berbatov. Neither did Manchester City, in the end, and there have been plenty of text messages buzzing around Manchester to the effect they are mightily glad they didn’t, although City’s own £32m capture of Robinho can hardly be regarded as an unmitigated success. Throw in the £20m Liverpool spent on Robbie Keane and the limited returns Chelsea have had from Deco and Jose Boswinga (Ricardo Quaresma has almost disappeared without trace, but is only on loan) and you can see why Wenger might end up smelling of roses.

Berbatov, Robinho, Deco and Keane are all good players, at their best you couldn’t even argue they were not worth the price tags, though for various reasons they seem to have ended up at clubs that don’t suit them. Maybe Manchester United will find a way to incorporate Berbatov’s languid style into their pattern of play, though they never bothered to change for Juan Sebastian Veron and it may be in the end that the easiest thing is to admit a similar mistake and ship him out. Apart from his singular way with penalties and his high wastage rate with flicks and first time passes, when Berbatov has the ball at his feet he usually tries to slow the game down, and United have speeded their game up somewhat since Eric Cantona used to do the same thing. That’s why Carlos Tevez is so popular. He is probably not as quick between the ears as Berbatov, but he looks a hell of a lot busier on the pitch.

It is hard to know what club would best suit Robinho, a player Real Madrid were quite happy to offload. Mark Hughes has his work cut out, to put it mildly, but Hughes has his work cut out at City anyway. Keane is back at Spurs already, while Deco has found his first Premier League season passing him by, partly a victim of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s depature and partly a victim of Michael Essien’s return and Michael Ballack finding form again. Guus Hiddink’s Chelsea don’t seem to need him and that’s a pity, because he’s not getting any younger.

Despite the fact that none of this season’s signings have really boosted the Chelsea team, if that is not being a little harsh on Boswinga, the FA Cup final will inevitably now be viewed as moneybags versus shoestring operators. Everton’s David Moyes has said so himself, mentioning that his team might travel by Easyjet, or even use the bus. Moyes is quite good at this kind of thing. It was the manager who originally came up with the “people’s club” slogan that the Everton marketing department duly flogged to death. Never was it truer, though, than early on Sunday evening. For the few seconds when Phil Jagielka was preparing to take his penalty, and Everton’s marketing department can use this if they like, they didn’t just have the whole of Merseyside behind them for a change. They were the best-supported team in the land.

Tyldesley part of a long ITV tradition

Why, my missus inquired of no one in particular during the Everton-Manchester United semi-final on Sunday, does Clive Tyldesley commentate like that?

I suppose everybody must have asked the same question at some time or other, but the bit she was referring to was where penalties were becoming inevitable and Clive mentioned that United had lost an FA Cup final on penalties in 2005, but he seemed to remember them winning another final on penalties just under a year ago. In other words, instead of saying United had won the Champions League on penalties, he said he felt they might have done. Distracting, or what?

What he was doing was inviting us, the television audience, to remember how exciting the Moscow shoot-out had been, and subliminally suggesting we might be similarly entertained by the one coming up in a few minutes as long as we didn’t die of boredom first or decide to switch channels. It’s quite clever really, though I’m sure my wife is not the only viewer who finds Tyldesley’s constant references to past ITV glories irritating. The premise is always the same. Stick with us, however dull this match looks, and you might be rewarded by another comeback a la Istanbul or a final couple of minutes as exciting as Barcelona 1999. You could just tell from the way Tyldesley’s voice soared to a shrillness only audible to dogs during last week’s Chelsea-Liverpool blunderfest that here was another occasion he would be piping on about many years from now.

Commentators have difficult jobs though, it must be admitted. I can’t stand listening to my mates talking non-stop for more than about five minutes, never mind a relative stranger going on about the same game for a couple of hours. Commentators also have to sound excited about what is usually pretty routine fare, then find some sort of overdrive if things get genuinely exciting. For all Tyldesley’s faults, I would rather listen to him anytime than the bloke who does rugby on the radio, the one who covers club games like a speak-your-weight machine and then switches to I-think-the-world-might-end-in-a-minute mode for internationals.

Football commentators for ITV, however, have always been pretty much the same. Like disc jockeys on local radio, they are constantly imploring you to stay with them and not disappear during the adverts. Don’t dream of going anywhere else, is what they always mean, even if they don’t use those actual words. The BBC does not have this problem for obvious reasons, and while there are adverts on Sky the satellite commentators can be fairly confident that people who have gone to the trouble of paying for their signal or trooping down to the pub to watch the match are not going to let their attention wander after a few minutes. ITV commentators, on the other hand, are never completely relaxed until the goals start going in. In fact, speaking as someone old enough to remember Jimmy Hill and Brian Moore on The Big Match on Sunday afternoons, I seem to recall that games would sometimes be introduced with the promise that the previous season’s corresponding fixture had produced a glut of goals, while goalless draws (which ITV seemed to attract like a magnet) would sometimes be followed by a sort of apology.

Being only a child at the time I would not like to swear to the accuracy of my recollections, but the other thing I remember vividly about televised football highlights in the sixties, on both channels, I think, was that you could always tell when a goal was coming up because the commentator would suddenly mention how many minutes had elapsed. He might only do this twice during the whole broadcast, but they would be the two timechecks when goals were due. I could never work out whether this was a service to the viewer, who might be sitting there with a newspaper in his hand knowing a goal would come in the 37th minute, or some sort of internal signpost for the person who would be editing the tape. Any ideas?

Berbatov’s shocker just reward for Ferguson’s lack of respect

Interesting that Sir Alex Ferguson should blame the pitch for his weakened FA Cup semi-final selection. Was that supposed to make defeat Wembley’s fault, rather than his own? Interesting also that Ferguson originally claimed to have picked his team for Wembley within hours of the game at Porto. That was already a changed team, so he must have changed his mind again either when he watched the first semi or heard Arsène Wenger’s comments about the surface afterwards. Because Ferguson always claims that he sends out teams to win every game. If he is now saying he thought better of sending out a winning side because he was afraid they would tire themselves out it can only mean he judged the FA Cup unimportant.

Ferguson has a nerve accusing Rafa Benitez of lacking respect when he himself showed Everton and the FA Cup no respect. People have been asking why Everton’s tremendous victory did not get the coverage it deserved. The answer is that it hardly counted as a tremendous victory in the end. Everton were put in a no-win situation. They could either reach the final by beating United’s reserves, or be embarrassed by their inability to get past United’s reserves. United made themselves the story, Everton’s biggest result in 14 years came second.

It’s a pity Ferguson did not tinker with the most important thing, the running order for penalty takers. There was nothing in Dimitar Berbatov’s display in Portugal or his contribution to the Wembley semi that suggested he was the best choice to take the first kick, and he ended up making an even worse mess of his penalty than the Tim Cahill opener that ought to have given United an advantage. There will always be penalty-takers who blast their shot over the bar through excessive zeal or misplaced optimism, and goodness knows England has seen enough of them. But what Berbatov was attempting is harder to work out. It wasn’t a chip, or even a convincing shot down the middle. It was a pass-back. Possibly the most rubbish penalty the new Wembley has seen. And it wasn’t the fault of the pitch.

“When you spend £30m on a player everyone thinks he should be able to score with a penalty kick,” Ferguson argued, acknowledging that Berbatov could expect criticism. That’s a bit harsh, really. Even Pele could miss a penalty kick, though one doubts he would have missed one quite so feebly. But it is surprising that you can spend £30m on a striker and find out at a crucial moment that he has less of a clue about how to beat the goalie than some of the punters you see trying their luck from the spot in half-time amusements.

‘Small club’ jibe no invention by journalists

For the record, because Sir Alex Ferguson has brought the matter back to life and because there appear to be people in the blogosphere who prefer to believe it was a myth created by journalists in the first place, Rafa Benítez did call Everton a small club.

I was there when he did it. He first made some reference to Everton’s defending having made the game narrow, because that was what “smaller” clubs do, then when asked by reporters had he really meant to suggest Everton were a small club he replied in the affirmative. He did not back off and he did not back down.

There are some who believe Benítez deserves the benefit of the doubt, because he was still a relative newcomer speaking in a second language - Ruud Gullit once said Newcastle-Sunderland was not really a derby because it involved two teams from separate cities - and others who think the Liverpool manager knew exactly what he was saying. Either way he said it, and probably should not have done. These two teams are from the same city, at least they are at the moment, and they have to rub along.

Benítez must have known the unspoken derby rules from his time in Spain, even if he was unfamiliar with the argument beloved of “bitter Blues” that Liverpool actually cost Everton their best chance of growth. How far Everton would have gone in the European Cup in 1985-86 is impossible to know, all that can be said with certainty is that as 1985 champions Everton were hurt more than any other English club by the post-Heysel ban. It is quite clear to anyone from outside Merseyside that Everton are currently a) smaller than Liverpool, and b) small by Champions League standards. They just don’t need the Liverpool manager pointing it out.

• Defensive mistakes led to draw with Arsenal
• Point gained in 4–4 thriller could yet prove vital

The Liverpool striker, Dirk Kuyt, has conceded his team require “a bit of a miracle” to pip Manchester United to the Premier League title as a consequence of last night’s remarkable 4–4 draw with Arsenal.

United could move three points clear of Rafael Benítez’s team with victory over Portsmouth at Old Trafford tonight, one of two games in hand for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, after Liverpool’s classic – yet costly – encounter with Arsène Wenger’s side at Anfield. Kuyt has echoed Benítez’s defiant warning to United that Liverpool will fight until the final day of the season to claim the club’s first league championship since 1990 and to prevent United drawing level with their record of 18 titles. But the Dutch international admitted Liverpool’s task appears formidable after dropping two points and with just five matches to go.

“It is harder after last night because we knew before the game that we needed to win to keep the pressure on,” said Kuyt. “But at least we got a draw and didn’t lose and we have to keep fighting until the very end.

“We have to hope for a bit of a miracle now because it has become more difficult than it already was, but in the last couple of weeks you have seen a team that has not given up and we will never give up. So let’s hope that a miracle can happen but we have to make sure we win our own remaining games and then we will see what happens.”

Wenger promised Liverpool after the game that Arsenal would show the same commitment at Old Trafford in the league on 16 May as they did at Anfield. That approach, believes Kuyt, is inherent throughout the Premier League and the reason the title is not a foregone conclusion for United or Liverpool.

“I am sure that all the teams will show passion and give their best like Arsenal did because that is what happens in the Premier League,” added the striker. “Like I said, we need a miracle but stranger things have happened in football and our mission is not to give up. It will be difficult but as long as we keep winning our own games then maybe they will struggle. They have two games in hand so they could take a six-point lead at the top so they will have to lose twice but that can happen. The point we took is an important one because otherwise we could have ended up seven points behind and that would have made it almost impossible.”

Kuyt is under no illusions, however, as to the improvements that have to be made in the Liverpool defence for Benítez’s team to capitalise on any slips United make in the final weeks. All four of Andrey Arshavin’s goals for Arsenal on Tuesday came from uncharacteristic errors by Liverpool, a fact that left their manager incandescent afterwards. And Kuyt admitted: “We played a good game and we only made four mistakes in the 90 minutes but they cost us two points. All of their goals came from our own mistakes and this is something we have to change but we need to keep our focus on our next game.”

• Frustrated striker says he must find regular football
• ‘I need to see which club I can go to and what can be done’

Carlos Tevez has cast further doubt over his future at Manchester United, admitting to having received “many offers” from other clubs.

Speaking to Fox Sports Radio Del Plata, Tevez said: “I have many offers, not only from Spain: I need to see which club I can go to and what can be done. We must not only consider the money, I also have to ensure my family feel comfortable, especially my daughter. So I have a lot to think about.”

Tevez revealed his ongoing frustration at missing out on the big games and the bit part he continues to play. He said: “Even if you score three or four goals, you do not play in another game. There are many very good players but I need to play. I have trained every day and never said anything against my team-mates or anyone but it is true that there are other options for next season.

“There are many players and they all need to play but I have not lost my place because of what I did when I played. I have not played in important matches. The ‘clasico’ against Chelsea, I did not play. Those are the games that I like to play in.”

Tevez is in his second season at Old Trafford, but has found his first team opportunities hindered by the signing of Dimitar Berbatov. The former West Ham star has been linked with a host of European clubs including Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Manchester United will increase the cost of season tickets by £1 per game.

• Midfielder admits 4-4 draw with Arsenal was a big setback
• Liverpool must overcome defensive errors to win title race

Yossi Benayoun insists Liverpool will keep fighting Manchester United all the way to the end of the season for the Premier League title despite their damaging 4-4 draw at home to Arsenal last night. Although the point took Rafael Benítez’s side top on goal difference, United have two matches in hand – the first tonight at home to Portsmouth.

Benayoun, who snatched the equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time on a dramatic night at Anfield, said the resilience of the players meant United could not afford to be complacent.

“It’s very difficult. United are a strong side but we won’t give up and we will continue to try and do our best,” said the Israel international. “We will keep trying, look to win our remaining matches, and hopefully we can still do it. It was great game for the supporters to watch but not for us because we made too many mistakes. We should have won the game.”

Defensive errors were the cause of all four Arsenal goals but Benayoun said Liverpool should really have been in control of the game before Andrey Arshavin scored the first of his quartet in the 36th minute.

“In the first half we created four or five really good chances but then they scored with their only shot of the half,” he told the club’s website. “We came back strong in the second half and led 2-1. At that point we were controlling the game but we made more mistakes and then when we had to chase it they punished us.”

Before last night, Benítez’s side had conceded just eight goals in 16 home league matches. Benayoun, who has now scored four goals in his last eight matches, knows they have to defend better in their remaining five games if they are to have any chance of winning a first league championship for 19 years.

“We have the best defence in the league and the best goalkeeper too, but I think we didn’t defend well as a team against Arsenal,” he said. “We scored four goals and still didn’t manage to pick up the three points so I think that shows we should have done better.”

Liverpool, meanwhile, have revealed they will play two pre-season friendlies in south-east Asia this summer. They will face Thailand in Bangkok on 22 July before flying to Singapore to take on the national team on 26 July. It will be the first time Liverpool have visited Thailand since 2003, while they have not played in Singapore for eight years.

PAUL Scholes has `turned up, played and cleared off’ 599 times for United and tonight he is set to join Old Trafford’s 600 club.


The famous T-shirt hawked around the Reds’ HQ on match day uses somewhat more colourful language to describe the Middleton lad’s attitude to his trade, but you get the picture.

PAUL Scholes has `turned up, played and cleared off’ 599 times for United and tonight he is set to join Old Trafford’s 600 club.


The famous T-shirt hawked around the Reds’ HQ on match day uses somewhat more colourful language to describe the Middleton lad’s attitude to his trade, but you get the picture.

• Debt-laden United will buck the trend of clubs cutting prices
• Club say seats at Old Trafford still ‘good value’

Manchester United have confirmed they will increase season ticket prices by £1 a game next season, bucking a wider Premier League trend of clubs cutting prices in response to the recession. United, who are still turning away an average of almost 5,500 fans per game, maintain the new prices still represent “good value”.

Earlier this month, the Glazer family revealed debts of £650million, increasing the anger of fans groups over with the club’s ticketing policy. The Office of Fair Trading has since refused to ask United to scrap their automatic cup scheme, meaning fans who do decide to purchase a season ticket are again committed to purchasing tickets for all cup games, apart from the Carling Cup.

In addition, the decision of the Treasury to refuse to acknowledge tickets purchased last year should be reduced because of the mid-season cut in VAT has effectively meant supporters have felt no benefit, other than with their cup purchases. United claim they are “highly unlikely” to add the additional 59 pence to a £27 ticket when VAT returns to its previous 17.5% level on 31 December, although supporters’ groups remain unimpressed.

“It has been said in the past that the owners of the club will squeeze United supporters until the pips squeak and this is clearly the case,” said Sean Bones, vice-chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust. “It’s extremely disappointing that at a time when United supporters are struggling to come to terms with the economic situation, and other football clubs are responding by freezing and even reducing prices, that the Glazers have again decided to hike prices above the rate of inflation.”

“The Glazers are abusing the fact that they are in a monopoly position. We believe it’s time for the government to step in and help fans in the face of such blatant exploitation.”

Chelsea, Arsenal and Wigan have announced price freezes for next season, while Bolton, Manchester City, West Ham, Sunderland, Everton and Blackburn have confirmed they are cutting prices. However United maintain that sheer demand for tickets means the Old Trafford pricing structure is fair.

“We are still turning away over 5,000 people per game on average,” said a spokesman, pointing to average Premier League attendances this season of 75,299. “We believe this represents good value for money.”

Four Arshavin goals at Anfield prevent Liverpool going clear of United.

Paul receives special praise from Sir Alex as he approaches a milestone.

Man Utd defenders Gary Neville and John O’Shea will be out for the next few weeks after picking up injuries in the 2-0 win over Portsmouth.

• ‘He controls the game better than anyone I have ever seen’
• Midfielder set to make 600th appearance for Manchester United

“My toughest opponent? Scholes of Manchester. He is the complete midfielder. Scholes is undoubtedly the greatest midfielder of his generation” – Zinedine Zidane

“For me, it’s Paul Scholes. He’ll do ridiculous things in training like say: ‘You see that tree over there?’ – it’ll be 40 yards away – ‘I’m going to hit it.’ And he’ll do it. Everyone at the club considers him the best” – Rio Ferdinand

“Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. An all-round midfielder who possesses quality and character in abundance” – Marcello Lippi

“I tell anyone who asks me – Scholes is the best English player” – Laurent Blanc

“Without any doubt the best player in the Premiership has to be Paul Scholes. He knows how to do everything, and he is the one who directs the way his team plays. On top of that, he has indestructible mental strength, and he is a genuine competitor” – Thierry Henry

“People say he is a great player, but you have to define what a great player is. For me, it is a player who has a bottom level that means his worst performance is not noticed. If he is having a bad game, a team-mate might feel Paul Scholes is not quite on his game, but a spectator wouldn’t notice. Scholes, of all the players I have played with, has the highest bottom level. His reading of the game is unsurpassed. He has an eye for a pass, for what the play or the game needs at that precise moment, that I have never seen anyone else have. He controls and distributes the play and the game better than anyone I have ever seen” – Peter Schmeichel

“Everyone of us should emulate him. We can all learn from Paul Scholes” – Edgar Davids

“I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes. Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He’s always on the ball, always turning on goal. He’s always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill” – Sir Bobby Charlton

• Scholes could have played in any league in Europe, says Ferguson
• He is my favourite United player, says Sir Bobby Charlton

It is not only on the field that Paul Scholes has been regarded as untouchable. The player that Zinedine Zidane described as “the greatest midfielder of his generation” is expected to make his 600th appearance for Manchester United in tonight’s game against Portsmouth, yet it is intriguing to learn that the landmark will pass without Sir Alex Ferguson ever having received an offer for the 34-year-old. “Funnily enough we have never had one inquiry and you know why?” said Ferguson. “They all know he wouldn’t want to leave here.”

So it appears. Scholes, who has been on the Old Trafford payroll since 1991, is United through and through. Only three players have made more United appearances – Ryan Giggs, Sir Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes – while his record of 142 goals means he sits 12th in the club’s all-time scoring list. Those are the personal statistics but for evidence of his wider contribution the best place to look is the Old Trafford trophy cabinet.

From the moment he made his debut in 1994, Scholes has been one of the club’s most influential figures. A man of few words off the pitch, he could not be more expressive on it, whether delivering a glorious crossfield pass or, as was so often the case in his earlier days, arriving into the penalty area with perfect timing. His qualities have left an impression on opponents and team-mates alike but no one has had a better opportunity to appreciate his talent than Ferguson.

“In my time he would sit in the top six or seven [United players] without question,” said Ferguson. “His contribution and his quality and some of the fantastic goals he has scored have been great. Even on Sunday [against Everton], when he came on his first touch of the ball was better than anybody else had done for the whole previous hour. He has that wonderful velvet touch that means it just goes dead when he gets it. Amidst all of the mayhem that can happen in a game it is wonderful to see that.”

With such technique it is easy to understand why Ferguson says Scholes “could have played in any league in Europe - no problem”. Indeed, at United’s Carrington training ground, seasoned internationals continue to marvel at the 34-year-old’s ability. “He’ll do ridiculous things in training like say, ‘You see that tree over there?’ - it’ll be 40 yards away - ‘I’m going to hit it’. And he’ll do it,” said Rio Ferdinand. “Everyone at the club considers him the best.”

Ferguson points out that, but for two knee operations and the eye condition that required him to have a complete rest for six months, Scholes, who has one more year on his contract at Old Trafford, would be approaching the 700 rather than 600 milestone tonight. No matter. Those who have seen the former England international over the past 15 years feel privileged rather than short-changed.

“I have no hesitation in putting a name to the embodiment of all that I think is best about football. It’s Paul Scholes,” Sir Bobby Charlton said earlier this season. “Many great players have worn the shirt of Manchester United. Players I worshipped, then lost with my youth in Munich. Players like Denis Law and George Best who I enjoyed so much as team-mates and now, finally, players I have watched closely in the Alex Ferguson era. And in so many ways Scholes is my favourite. I love his nous and conviction that he will find a way to win, to make the killer pass or produce the decisive volley. When a game reaches a vital phase, these qualities seem to come out of his every pore. He’s always on the ball, always turning on goal. He’s always looking to bring other people into the action and if he loses possession you think he must be ill.”

Criticism of the Wembley pitch is misplaced and ignores the great football played on quagmires and deserts in the past

I suppose we should be grateful that two managers took the FA Cup so seriously they sought to blame the Wembley pitch for their failure to get to the final. Players did find it difficult to be confident with their footing and the number of divots raked up by studs over the weekend suggests that Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson have a point, even if the cynics among us would emphasise that neither Chelsea nor Everton seem to be mithering unduly about the groundsman’s proficiency.

While a bobbly surface may stick in the craw of a purist such as Wenger, his assertion that “you will never see a good football match on a bad pitch” is pure twaddle, one of those aphorisms he sporadically trots out that at first seems pithy and profound but then falls apart under the mildest scrutiny.

There also seems to be an assumption that Wembley is somehow betraying a glorious past with the state of the turf and an accusing finger is pointed towards the summer concerts that help pay off the vast debts run up during construction. Yet for long periods before the old stadium’s demolition the pitch was exacting and occasionally hazardous. Frank McLintock, who played for Leicester in the 1961 FA Cup final when Spurs secured the Double, says that so much topsoil was used on the pitch back then to give it a verdant appearance that it was springy when dry and spongy when wet, either of which quickly sapped the players’ legs.

The 1969 League Cup final between Arsenal and Swindon and Leeds v Chelsea in the FA Cup final a year later were staged shortly after showjumping galas had taken place on the pitch. By the time Kenneth Wolstenholme had replaced Dorian Williams in the BBC box, heavy rain had turned Wembley into a quagmire. Few Arsenal fans would consider Swindon’s triumph a classic, but the way Don Rogers skipped over the churned-up turf to score Town’s third goal was a memorable climax to an enthralling match.

Mindful of Arsenal’s complaints about the porridge-like surface in 1969, the FA decided to tame the mud for the Leeds v Chelsea final by putting more than 100 tons of sand on it during the week before kick-off. Largely forgotten now because of the astonishing viciousness of the replay, the first match was full of attacking football played with brio by both sides despite being ankle-deep in gloop. Two of the goals, one for each side, could be blamed on unpredictable bounce, but no one could claim it ruined the match as a spectacle.

Similarly, Brian Clough’s Derby County side that won the title in 1972 had to cope with a pitch that was more suited to Flanders and Swann’s hippopotamus than to elite footballers, but they put on a series of outstanding performances to capture the championship even though their home was a stranger to grass from November to April. It was like playing on a treacle tart, one player said, and the captain, Alan Durban, remembers the contributing effect of the city’s chimneys. “When you fell the mud would stink of sulphur,” he says.

But after winter passed and the sun baked it solid, it turned into a cratered and rutted moonscape, the type that grazed the knees and hips so badly that the first half-hour after the bath was spent applying Dettol to the wounds. That Roy McFarland, Colin Todd and Alan Hinton played so wonderfully on it gives the lie to those who claim Derby were “lucky” to win the league. They deserved everything they achieved because of their ability to play pragmatic and often scintillating football in such conditions, and, let’s not forget, away from home, too, where they enjoyed fewer advantages of familiarity with their own boggy pitch.

Before undersoil heating became commonplace, the majority of matches in January and February took place on frozen and undulating surfaces. Some clubs put straw down and lit braziers on the top to help the thawing, but what usually emerged was a swamp. Few editions of Football Focus during those months in the mid-70s were complete without John Motson standing beside the Filbert Street balloon, Leicester’s novel approach to keeping the field fit for play, yet the players still had to cope with a sticky surface that forced them to abandon instinct.

Players on the whole are markedly faster and fitter now, but if you ask a professional from that generation of mudlarks how he would get on in today’s game, he is entitled to question how the modern footballer would contend with the volume of games played on what would now be deemed substandard pitches. Back then good players had to be men for all seasons and all surfaces, something Messrs Wenger and Ferguson should bear in mind before one aberration a season is turned into a scapegoat for losing a game.

• Defender says he received £10,000 for ‘good job done’
• Payment would be illegal under Premier League rules

Fulham have dismissed as “rubbish” their defender John Pantsil’s claim that he was paid £10,000 for man-marking Cristiano Ronaldo during the club’s 2–0 victory over Manchester United last month.

Pantsil has been quoted by the 90 Minutes newspaper as saying he was given the cash reward by the Fulham manager, Roy Hodgson, for his role in the win on 21 March.

“I remember hearing our fans in the stands who were surprised at my refusal to join the attack shouting and urging me to go forward,” the 28-year-old reportedly said. “But I refused and it paid off in the end. Ronaldo couldn’t score, we won the match and my coach gave me £10,000 for a good job done.”

Such a payment could be investigated by the Premier League as all bonuses must be written into a player’s contract and it seems unlikely that Pantsil, who joined Fulham from West Ham in the summer, would have negotiated a specific £10,000 payment for helping defeat United.

Fulham, however, categorically deny that Pantsil or any other player received extra financial rewards for the win.

“It is rubbish to suggest any of our players were given £10,000 for beating Manchester United,” said the club’s spokeswoman, Sarah Brookes. “None of them received any extra money.”

Chelsea were investigated by the Premier League after their former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink said the club’s owner, Roman Abramovich, had paid the players double the agreed £50,000 bonus after they reached the Champions League semi-finals in 2004.

They were cleared, though, after Premier League officials studied documentation relating to Chelsea’s bonus payments.

• French defender insists ‘we need the points’
• Paul Hart not writing Manchester United game off

Lightning rarely strikes twice at Old Trafford, but the Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin is looking for a repeat of last season’s FA Cup heroics to guarantee the south coast club’s Premier League survival and further dent Manchester United’s title hopes.

Distin was part of the Portsmouth team that travelled to Manchester in March 2008 for an FA Cup sixth-round tie they were not expected to win, yet a robust rearguard action, several slices of good fortune and Sulley Muntari’s penalty helped them record a memorable 1–0 victory.

Portsmouth are six points clear of the bottom three after a weekend victory over Bolton strengthened their cause but with tricky games at Newcastle and at home to Arsenal on the horizon, Distin knows tomorrow night’s game cannot be written off.

“We showed last season that anything can happen,” Distin said. “That is the beauty of football. No matter what team you are playing it depends who performs better on the day.

“You cannot go into a match thinking you are going to lose. We need the points and this is another opportunity to take three more. It does not matter who you are playing, United or Bolton, you have to go out and fight for the win and that is what we will do.”

Paul Hart has been in charge at Fratton Park for five weeks following the departure of Tony Adams, under whom the club dropped from seventh to 16th in the table after Harry Redknapp left for Tottenham Hotspur.

Hart looks close to fulfilling his brief of keeping Portsmouth in the Premier League and, after losing only once in the eight games since he took over, can echo Distin’s confidence despite the inevitable return of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Their big guns will be back but we have got players that have played on the biggest stages in the world so Manchester United will not be underestimating us,” said Hart. “Don’t get me wrong they are the best team in the world but there is no way we are going to go there and roll over.

“We have to go with a plan to get something from the game because it is too easy to say this one does not matter. Every game is important and Manchester United is no different.”

Portsmouth will be without the Croatian playmaker Niko Kranjcar, who suffered ankle ligament damage during the win over Bolton while the defender Younes Kaboul has also been ruled out with a muscle strain.

UNITED have increased their season ticket prices by £1 a match for next season.


The Reds have bucked the trend of Premier League clubs, several of whom have already announced price freezes and reductions for next season.

UNITED have increased their season ticket prices by £1 a match for next season.


The Reds have bucked the trend of Premier League clubs, several of whom have already announced price freezes and reductions for next season.

WAYNE Rooney insists there is still a lot more to come from him.


Although he was denied an appearance in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against old club Everton after being left at home to rest ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League showdown with Portsmouth, it could still be a glittering year for the United striker.

WAYNE Rooney insists there is still a lot more to come from him.


Although he was denied an appearance in Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against old club Everton after being left at home to rest ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League showdown with Portsmouth, it could still be a glittering year for the United striker.

Sir Alex defends Dimitar in the wake of his Wembley penalty criticism.

Man Utd go three points clear at the top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are among the big names who will return for United against Portsmouth.


Edwin van der Sar, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher also stayed at home as United bowed out of the FA Cup to Everton on Sunday, while Michael Carrick is attempting to shrug off a minor knock.

• Ronaldo, Rooney among star names ready to return
• Portsmouth face United without Kranjcar, Kaboul

Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are among the big names expected to return for Manchester United against Portsmouth tomorrow. Edwin van der Sar, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher, who also stayed at home as a second-string United side lost the FA Cup semi-final to Everton on Sunday, are also likely to play, while Michael Carrick is attempting to shake off a minor knock.

Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov and Patrice Evra should also return to a starting line-up containing only Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic from the semi-final team.

Portsmouth, meanwhile, will be without Niko Kranjcar, who damaged an ankle in the win over Bolton on Saturday. Defender Younes Kaboul is also likely to miss out with torn fibres in a thigh muscle, which could mean England right-back Glen Johnson reverting to his more familiar role and Jermaine Pennant recalled in midfield.

Kanu and Nadir Belhadj were match-winning late substitutes against Bolton, but with Sean Davis still fit despite reopening a wound in his knee, manager Paul Hart could bring back Richard Hughes or Angelos Basinas in a tight central midfield trio also featuring Hayden Mullins, and stick with David Nugent on the left.

Today’s rumours, unlike Madame Piaf, do harbour some dissatisfaction with previous events, and the decision-making processes leading up to them

So yesterday Dimitar Berbatov was spotted brazenly walking around Manchester in broad daylight, filling up his car with petrol, then coming out of the station carrying a plastic bag with some shopping in it. And all despite that penalty miss! Well, really!

Berbatov’s terrible Wembley crime fills up quite a lot of otherwise empty space in today’s papers. For it seems yesterday club telly channel MUTV received hundreds of calls from Manchester United fans with smacked arses for faces, whining on like toddlers who didn’t quite make it to their Special Pot in time. They’re upset that their club are now only in contention for the league and European Cup, having already won two trophies this season, and have decided to round on Berbatov for having the sheer gall to attempt a piece of skill, but fail to execute it exactly as he would have wished. Sometimes he must wonder why he bothers.

As does the Rumour Mill, incidentally, for today’s pickings are slim. Here, look. Liverpool will be priced out of the market by Manchester City for Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz.

Wolves want Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne, but intend to keep schtum until Lionel Messi shaves a zero or two off his price tag next week.

West Ham are after Internazionale striker Mario Balotelli, who is considering leaving Italy after getting it in the neck from Juventus’s racist goons.

Arsenal are interested in 15-year-old Brazilian starlet Wellington. It’s not yet known whether the deal also includes his dog Boot, voiced by Leonard Rossiter.

Newcastle want Doncaster centre-back Matt Mills, presumably for his experience of the Championship.

And Sir Alex Ferguson is kicking himself for picking that team last weekend. How do we know this? Because he spent all yesterday telling anyone who’d listen that he regrets nothing. He’s Edith Piaf multiplied by Norman Lamont on the end of a stick, is Sir Alex.

Heard any transfer gossip yourself? No? Make some up, then, and whack it below. We’re not fussy.

SIR Alex Ferguson has been forced to defend under-fire £30.75m Dimitar Berbatov after the Bulgarian’s Wembley spot-kick failure saw him become the scapegoat for United’s FA Cup semi-final misery.


The Reds boss accepts Berbatov will face hefty flak for his Wembley penalty flop - but the United boss refuses to blast his record buy.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are among the big names who will return for United against Portsmouth.


Edwin van der Sar, John O’Shea and Darren Fletcher also stayed at home as United bowed out of the FA Cup to Everton on Sunday, while Michael Carrick is attempting to shrug off a minor knock.

WES Brown has stepped up his return from injury - playing for almost an hour as United’s reserves reached the Lancashire Senior Cup final.



And that is great news for Sir Alex Ferguson, who is gradually seeing his squad return to full strength.

WES Brown has stepped up his return from injury - playing for almost an hour as United’s reserves reached the Lancashire Senior Cup final.



And that is great news for Sir Alex Ferguson, who is gradually seeing his squad return to full strength.

SIR Alex Ferguson has been forced to defend under-fire £30.75m Dimitar Berbatov after the Bulgarian’s Wembley spot-kick failure saw him become the scapegoat for United’s FA Cup semi-final misery.


The Reds boss accepts Berbatov will face hefty flak for his Wembley penalty flop - but the United boss refuses to blast his record buy.

Today’s main man spent yesterday grovelling to Sir Alex…

• Sir Alex Ferguson says he does not understand Rafael Benítez
• Sammy Lee describes the whole episode as ’sad’

Sir Alex Ferguson has said he is unrepentant over his calculated attack on Rafael Benítez despite the Manchester United manager, and his Liverpool adversary, attempting to draw a line under their bitter fall-out yesterday. claims that he is arrogant, lacks humility and showed “absolute contempt” against Allardyce’s Blackburn Rovers at Anfield 10 days ago, a match Liverpool won 4-0.

Ferguson did not further the spat yesterday, although neither did he back down on his complaint that Benítez had gestured that Blackburn were beaten as soon as Liverpool scored their second goal last weekend. The overwhelming evidence from Anfield that day was that the Spaniard had merely gestured to Xabi Alonso over the free-kick routine that produced Fernando Torres’ second goal. “I made my point about it. I don’t understand why he did it,” he said. “I don’t want to go on about it anymore. I made my point. There is no point carrying it on. It’s plain for everybody to see now. I have made my issue about it.” As for Liverpool’s explanation about the that Benítez gesture, the Scot added: “They are hurt by it.

Lee launched a staunch defence of Benitez’s character in his manager’s absence and revealed how the now delicate topic of the gesture was not even raised by Allardyce when they had a drink after Rovers’ 4-0 defeat. “I think the whole thing is quite sad really, I really do,” said Allardyce’s successor as Bolton manager. “We all knew what the gesture was about on the day. Any gestures that are made from the side of the pitch are only ever intended for our players only, no-one else. I was surprised by what was said. I had a drink with Sam after the match and nothing was said about it. We had a good working relationship so I am sure if he felt that strongly about it he would have said something to me.”

The Liverpool assistant manager added: “This is not Britain’s Got Talent; you don’t win anything for being popular, but our manager is not arrogant. He is astute, learned, educated and his attention to detail is fantastic. We are all a bit sensitive to criticism but he knows what he is doing, why he is doing it and who he is gesticulating at!”

Liverpool will again be without their captain, Steven Gerrard, tonight as the midfielder recovers from the adductor strain he aggravated ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Chelsea.

• Midfielder’s last penalty was in 2004, for Millwall
• Kenwright praises Moyes for transforming Everton

Tim Cahill has promised to make amends for his penalty miss in the FA Cup semi-final by inspiring Everton to their first ­trophy for 14 years against Chelsea at Wembley next month.

The Australia international was the only Everton player to miss in their shoot-out victory over Manchester United on Sunday but was spared any lasting anxiety by Tim Howard’s saves from Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand, plus Phil Jagielka’s decisive kick. Cahill had not taken a penalty at club level since firing a similar effort high over West Ham’s goal when playing for Millwall in 2004. But Cahill, who featured for Millwall against United in the 2004 final, is adamant he will redeem himself when he confronts Guus Hiddink, his former Australia, and now Chelsea, manager, on 30 May.

“It’s so disheartening when you miss a penalty but when you play with so many great players, you know they will get you out of it,” said the midfielder. “I have been a long time at Everton and am someone who calls themselves a Blue. I’m very passionate about the club. I felt confident when I stepped up to take the penalty but sometimes things go wrong. Mentally I feel fine now but hopefully when it comes around to the Cup final, I’ll score the ­winner and make up for it.”

Everton arrived at Wembley with Rafael Benítez’s “small club” accusation put back into the public domain by Sir Alex Ferguson, but Cahill denied the FA Cup is an opportunity to step out of Liverpool’s shadow. “We’re not bothered what Liverpool do. This is all about us,” he said. “We don’t worry what they’re doing. They’re a great team but we’re only bothered about Everton and what we do.”

Meanwhile Everton’s chairman, Bill Kenwright, has praised David Moyes for transforming the club. “When David arrived I never looked at the first game of the season, I looked at the last to see who we had to beat to avoid the R [relegation] word. We’ve had Wayne Rooney leaving and no money every season – but now we’re up there and I think you can truly say we are a top-six club again.”

The Brazilian twins on growing up in Rio, getting married, setting fire to Anderson’s slippers and joking around with Señor Alex

Tell us about your childhood? Did you grow up in Rio?

Rafael Da Silva: Yeah, it was in Rio state but in a city one hour from Rio de Janeiro, Petropolis. I don’t remember everything as a kid. Flying kites. But we played football from the start, since we were five years old. It wasn’t a great neighbourhood you know, but it was normal, a poor Rio neighbourhood, very different from here and football was the only thing we would do.

Are there any other footballers in your family?

Rafael: Our older brother, Luis Henrique used to play for Brescia in Italy. He lives here with us and with his wife but he went back to Brazil because they are going to have a child in a week. Our whole family lives here, Mum, Dad and I have two sisters-in-law.

Fabio is already married…

Fabio: Yeah I got married six months ago, I’m serious like that, I like being at home [Rafael shakes head and laughs]. She’s called Barbara and is 17 years old. We got married so that she could come here.

Rafael: I’m less introverted than him, and it’s always been like that. Here I don’t go out but in Brazil I do.

How did you end up at Fluminense [the twins’ first club in Rio]?

Fabio: Well we played there in our neighbourhood, near to Fluminense. We used to play five-a-side and one day someone from Fluminense asked us to play for them.

Were Fluminense your team, the team you supported?

Rafael: Yes. We always dreamed of playing for them. We were 11 when we went to live there at the club. I cried a lot but I got used to it after a while. It took time and initially it was difficult because we were very young. But after a year it was normal. We have a lot of friends from our time there, our best friends in the world are from there. I like it here but it doesn’t compare to Brazil.

When did you find out that there were people [scouts] coming to watch your games?

Fabio: Three years ago, the coach of Fluminense called me and said that there was a coach from Manchester United that wanted to talk to us and I was very surprised. My God! But he said that it was just to meet us, not for us to play for them

Were any other European clubs interested in you?

Fabio: Yeah, Arsenal and we also spoke to Real Madrid when we were playing for the national team.

Why did you choose Manchester United – or did Manchester United choose you?

Rafael: A little bit of both, they work very hard and everyone knows them. And Señor Alex always speaks well and is always very supportive of us. He really likes to know what people are like both on and off the field, the stance of a man. But we joke around and we speak.

So how is Ferguson, is he very strict?

Fabio: He jokes around with us.

How difficult was it playing with the stars at Manchester United when you arrived?

Rafael: The first time I felt strange going through the door with all the guys there… I felt very shy, really, really shy. But when we started training and getting to know them, it felt normal and the same as playing in Fluminense, it isn’t any different. Patrice Evra, Carlos Tevez and Park are always together. They’re never apart. Rio Ferdinand is a great friend of ours. He’s the biggest joker of them all.

Do you see the other players off the field?

Rafael: Only the other Portuguese players, we’ve already had a barbecue here and at Nani’s house.

Who are the biggest jokers at the club?

Fabio: Rio and Patrice. Once, Anderson came to training in his slippers and they set fire to his slippers and tipped cream out all over them.

And the most serious?

Fabio: During training everyone is serious. But the most serious would be Paul Scholes.

Do you hope to play for Brazil in the future?

Fabio: Of course.

But Carlos Quieroz thinks differently doesn’t he?

Rafael: My aim is to play for Brazil but if that isn’t happening, I could play for Portugal.

Fabio: We have a Portuguese grandfather but my dream is to play for Brazil.

Rafael: I’m just being honest.

What do you think about players that choose to play for Portugal, like Deco? Rafael: I don’t have a problem with it. My issue is when Pepe says he is Portuguese. He is forgetting where he is from, and his culture and heritage. It’s very important, you have to remember where you were born. My older brother was going to have children and decided to go back to Brazil and have the children there, amongst Brazilians.

So, then, do you miss home?

Fabio: We miss everything; the heat, the culture, the people, everyone talking with everyone, going to other people’s houses, the humour, playing football and volleyball on the beach…

Are you worried Brazil won’t qualify for the World Cup?

Rafael: No-one thinks like that in Brazil, we’ve never missed a World Cup, everyone wants to see Brazil play.

Fabio: There’s a lot of pressure playing in Brazil. We reached the final in ‘94, ‘98, 2002, only in 2006 did we not reach the final and we were the best team. Going out in the quarter finals felt like we had been knocked out in the first round.

Rafael: The Premier League. It’s stronger, quicker and has more talent. It has better teams who know how to play. I’m trying to improve defensively and I need to improve. But I like attacking far more.

You’re already quite famous, do you have any difficulty walking along the streets and things like that?

Fabio: It’s funny because here in England, the people respect the players. For example, when we’re shopping the English look, sometimes even come up and ask for a photo but they always come and start to talk.

Every player can walk around, the problem is when they think ‘ah I’m not going there because there’s going to be a lots of people’. No, if he’s just walking normally, no one will harass him. Of course, when we’re in the stadium they harass you but not in the shopping centre.

What do you think of Robinho taking the bus to the Trafford Centre?

Fabio: Well Brazilians are like that. ‘Do you want to go there?’ ‘Let’s take the bus then’. Come on. I doubt that people would stop and stare at him, they wouldn’t believe it was him. The English players wouldn’t do the same but yeah I’d take the bus too.

60 seconds with Fabio and Rafael

Favourite Stadium?

Both: Nou Camp because we’ve already been there.

Would you prefer to win the Premier League or the Champions League?

Both: Champions League

If you had the choice between scoring the winning goal in the Champions League final or winning the World Cup with Brazil but not scoring, which would you choose?

Fabio: World Cup.

Rafael: I’m not so sure. Perhaps scoring a goal would be better…

Gerrard or Lampard?

Both: Gerrard

Pele or Maradona?

Both: Pele.

Score a goal or keep a clean sheet?

Fabio: Score a goal. Rafael: Clean sheet.

Best friend?

Both: Rodrigo Possebon.

English or Brazilian food?

Both: Brazilian

Favourite dish?

Rafael: I love chips but they’re English!

Fabio: Brazilian barbecues.

Rafael: Yeah, barbecues too!

Beer or Caipirinha?

Fabio: Caipirinha.

Rafael: Red wine.

Best moment of your career?

Rafael: Scoring against Arsenal.

Can you describe the goal for us?

The ball just came to me and I thought ‘Shoot’. At the time I didn’t feel a thing, it didn’t click that I’d scored against Arsenal. Afterwards though it was great.

Which of you is the better player?

Rafael: He is the better on the left and I’m better on the right.

Where will you be five years from now?

Both: Playing in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Sir Alex Ferguson has denied Berbatov’s performances are tailing off after the Bulgarian missed a crucial penalty

Even the greatest football men get it wrong sometimes. Read the small print of Brian Clough’s life in management and you will find the man who discovered the young Roy Keane also once pinned Nottingham Forest’s hopes of avoiding relegation on Robert Rosario. Liverpool supporters of a certain generation still wince when they remember Bill Shankly buying Tony Hateley, a striker whose passes Tommy Docherty suggested should be addressed “to whom it may concern” while Manchester City were top of the league in March 1972 when MalcolmAllison signed Rodney Marsh for a club-record £200,000. They finished fourth.

Sir Alex Ferguson, like every leading man, has also failed in the market. Manchester United supporters can just about force a smile when they are reminded of Massimo Taibi’s goalkeeping, or the way Kleberson proved that being a Brazilian World Cup winner does not necessarily mean you can trap a football. What they could never have expected, though, was that they would reach the closing stages of Dimitar Berbatov’s first season at Old Trafford with Ferguson feeling compelled to speak out in defence of the Bulgarian.

Ferguson is not an admirer of supporters’ websites and message boards, particularly in this knee-jerk era when a footballer can be pilloried one week and exalted the next, but it would be difficult for him not to detect the growing disillusion when it comes to the virtual disappearance of a player who was signed, lest it be forgotten, on the basis of Ferguson’s unrelenting and almost obsessive belief that he would elevate the European champions to a new tier of greatness.

Docherty, who is now a pundit on BBC Radio Manchester, has been so outspoken over the years that his opinions are now greeted with a knowing roll of the eyes at Old Trafford but the former United manager spoke for a lot of supporters recently when he said of Berbatov that he “doesn’t seem interested” and “should look at Carlos Tevez and see the way he always grafts to win the ball back”.

Ferguson, however, is not even willing to accept his £30.75m signing, the scorer of 23 goals for Tottenham Hotspur last season, has taken a backward turn. “I don’t see any evidence at all of him tailing off,” said the United manager when asked whether Berbatov’s almost apologetic attempt to beat Everton’s goalkeeper, Tim Howard, in Sunday’s penalty shoot-out at Wembley symbolised the way the player’s season had gone.

“He came on and actually did quite well,” Ferguson continued. “He did really well. He is disappointed to miss a penalty, of course, and he will get criticised for that. When you pay £30m for a player, then everyone thinks he should be able to score a penalty. But it’s not just about that.”

All very well, except the lesson of history is that Ferguson will publicly defend his players even when it is blindingly obvious that something has not quite clicked. Berbatov has scored 13 goals in 36 games, including four appearances as a substitute. Add to that 12 assists and his statistics do not look too shabby at all – certainly not bad enough to deserve Docherty’s description of him as an “absolute disaster” – but it is the frequency with which games are passing him by that is troubling.

His partnership with Wayne Rooney has yielded a solitary goal all season, and that was back in October. Then take into account that Berbatov’s four goals in the Champions League all came in autumn against poor opposition – two against Aalborg and two against Celtic – and it becomes a little clearer why some Old ­Trafford fans have started to question whether the 28-year-old will come to be thought of in the same way as Juan Sebastián Verón.

Berbatov’s sympathisers – and there are many – will say this is too early to judge him and there is a certain amount of logic in that. Equally, however, it does not reflect well on him that, over on Manchester City’s websites yesterday, they were congratulating themselves for having signed Robinho rather than Berbatov – despite the Brazilian’s own settling-in issues.

Sometimes it just does not work out. A particular player might not be able to cope with being at a particular club. That player might not automatically fit into the team’s style of play. In Verón’s case the Argentinian was a sublime passer of the ball, a far better player at Old Trafford than people like to remember, even if it is true that he could not fulfil his early promise. It was simply an idea of Ferguson’s that did not work. The worry for United is that the same is starting to be said of Berbatov.

Manchester United fans tell BBC Sport the club’s promise to change its season ticket policies next season is welcome but does not go far enough.

• Expert says ‘disaster’ surface will always be inferior
• Six matches scheduled in next six weeks before switch of turf

The Wembley pitch, which drew heavy criticism from the FA Cup semi-final losers at the weekend, is to be relaid for the sixth time in two years since the new £750m stadium opened. However, that will not take place until the summer, in time for the Community Shield game in August.

In a statement the Football Association, which revealed that more immediate improvements would be made with six matches scheduled to be played at the stadium between now and June, said: “This new pitch will be of a different composition and from a different turf nursery.”

The FA statement added: “Whilst recent changes to the surface have seen improvements in player traction, we accept there are still further improvements to be made. Wembley Stadium will continue to work hard to address these issues for our next matches. The grounds team has made continual improvements to the pitch since opening in 2007, however the stadium’s unique environment continues to prove challenging.”

Its harshest critics were the Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger, who described the pitch as “a disaster” and “laughable”, and his Manchester United counterpart, Sir Alex Ferguson, who said the soil looked “dead” and withdrew three senior players from his starting line-up because of injury concerns ahead of the season’s run-in. Both sides lost their FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley at the weekend, to Chelsea and Everton respectively.

Before the end of the season, the turf will have to withstand three Football League play-off finals plus the Blue Square Premier play-off final, the FA Cup final and the finals of the FA Trophy and Vase. England then meet Andorra at the stadium for a World Cup qualifier on 10 June.

David Saltman, formerly in charge of the Millennium Stadium pitch and now the managing director of www.pitchcare.com, said Wembley would never be as good as a Premier League club’s surface. “This pitch is the most spotlighted pitch in the country if not the world,” he told BBC Radio Five Live.

“The number of events on the grass and off it is staggering. One of the problems with Wembley and the Millennium is that they’re not just pitches for football. Managers such as Ferguson and Wenger are used to playing on pitches which are just prepared for football week in, week out and the levels are superb. The pitch is cut short and the players know what they are going on to.

“At Wembley and the Millennium the pitches are turfed – they have to be, because of the other events – so you’re never going to have the same sort of perfect level you have with an in-situ pitch you get in the Premier League and the Championship.”

Manchester United has agreed to change its season-ticket terms and conditions to make them fairer for fans after being shown the red card by the Office of Fair Trading – but many fans will be disappointed the consumer watchdog did not order more radical changes.

The world’s richest football club is amending its terms after the OFT decided they were “potentially unfair”. It intervened following a complaint from the independent Manchester United Supporters Trust (Must), which claimed that since 2005 season-ticket prices have soared by between 50% and 60%.

Must also claimed the club was acting unfairly by “forcing” season-ticket holders to buy tickets for all home cup ties. It alleged the club was making fans sign a “blank cheque” for home cup matches.

The OFT said it had identified a number of potentially unfair terms with the club’s season-tickets under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations. It had concerns about a number of issues, including season-ticket holders’ rights to a seat at all home games, and the potential for fans to be moved from their usual seats for cup games without a proper explanation.

It also felt the club was not providing enough information to supporters about the amount they may have to fork out.

The OFT said the changes being made – which will take effect in time for fans considering season-tickets for next season – would “greatly improve” the protection offered to them.

The club did not agree with the watchdog’s verdict but had responded positively and agreed to amend its terms, said the OFT.

The changes mean :

• Every season-ticket holder is now guaranteed a seat at every home league and cup game.

• The club will provide clearer information about when they are likely to be moved from their seats for cup matches.

• The club will give clear and upfront information to supporters before they buy their tickets, so they can work out the maximum total cost over a season, based on the club reaching the final stage in all competitions.

• If fans’ season-tickets are cancelled because of non-payment for cup games, they will get a refund of the money they have paid. And a clearer appeal process will be set up to deal with disputes relating to this.

• Replacement tickets will be issued where the original has been lost or stolen.

Mike Haley, the OFT’s head of consumer protection, said: “We have worked closely with Manchester United and are pleased the club has amended its season-ticket terms to the considerable benefit of its fans. These changes greatly improve the protection for season-ticket holders at all stages of the process, from upfront transparency on potential costs to a guarantee of a ticket to all home games in all competitions.”

In December, the OFT secured an agreement from Tottenham Hotspur to change its terms and conditions relating to ticket refunds, and wrote to the football associations of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, calling on clubs to ensure their terms are compliant with the law.

United said it was “pleased to announce that discussions have been concluded with the Office of Fair Trading” after its investigation into the club’s terms and conditions of sale for season-tickets.

United’s chief operating officer, Michael Bolingbroke, said: “We are very pleased that a season-ticket will continue to include cup matches. That is central to our strategy and we have made the necessary changes for next season to avoid the situation where holders of one-year season tickets were not guaranteed tickets for some cup games. While the number potentially affected was small, we accept that all season-tickets should come with that guarantee in future.

“Most of the other changes to terms and conditions reflect existing practice, but their inclusion in the terms provides fans with greater reassurance and transparency.”

Sir Alex says Welbeck, Macheda and co vindicated his Wembley selection.

Vidic is determined to bounce back from United’s cup disappointment.

The United boss relishes the midweek return to league action.

UNITED are to scrap their ’One-Year’ season ticket.


The Reds have taken the decision following an Office of Fair Trading ruling into their sale and the fact United cannot guarantee holders of the tickets will be able to gain entry into cup matches.

UNITED are to scrap their ’One-Year’ season ticket.


The Reds have taken the decision following an Office of Fair Trading ruling into their sale and the fact United cannot guarantee holders of the tickets will be able to gain entry into cup matches.

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• ‘Corrective action needs to be taken now’
• Inquiry backs Fifa’s six-plus-five player quota proposal

Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool have been accused of engaging in “financial doping” by a parliamentary committee.

In 27 recommendations at the end of a year-long inquiry, legislators have urged England’s football authorities to curb “ludicrous levels of borrowing” and the use of profits to service large debts.

The All Party Parliamentary Football Group has echoed the agenda of the world governing body, Fifa, by calling for heavy scrutiny of business plans ahead of any club takeovers. The group has also backed Fifa’s “six-plus-five rule” that would impose limits on foreign players, urging the British government to lobby the European Union to overlook its treaties on free movement of labour.

The key warning in the report is that while football appears to be surviving the initial impact of the recession, the meltdown in the markets that has claimed major financial institutions operating risky business models should serve as a warning to the clubs.

“The financial world has learnt a serious lesson in the last year that living by the old adage ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ can lead to catastrophic results,” said the Labour MP Alan Keen, who chaired the inquiry. “There is a real danger that English football could go the same way.

“Corrective action needs to be taken now to address serious weaknesses in the governance of the game as well as severe financial imbalances.

“Lack of proper governance and financial instability are the two fundamental vulnerabilities to the success that English football has enjoyed in recent times.

“Our report includes tough measures to improve the way the game is run and to combat ‘financial doping’ whereby short-term success can be bought at the expense of long-term financial stability.”

SIR Alex Ferguson insists he has no regrets about his line-up for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Everton.


United lost out on penalties after a goalless two hours. However, the outcome might have been much different had United fielded anything approaching their strongest side.

SIR Alex Ferguson insists he has no regrets about his line-up for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final defeat by Everton.


United lost out on penalties after a goalless two hours. However, the outcome might have been much different had United fielded anything approaching their strongest side.

Midfielder Darren is available for the midweek game against Portsmouth.

SUPPORTERS opposed to Manchester United’s current ticket-pricing policy have vowed to step up their fight against it after winning a “significant victory” in a battle over season tickets.


United have confirmed they are to amend season ticket conditions to ensure all supporters are given the option to buy tickets for cup games, which had previously been the case.