With Paul Scholes set to retire at the end of next season, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has turned his attention towards securing a replacement for the side’s long-serving creative fulcrum. Given his stellar performances at the World Cup and for club side Inter Milan last season, it is unsurprising to hear Wesley Sneijder linked with a move to the Old Trafford. Is the Dutchman the man to succeed Scholes in the long run?

Currently joint-top scorer at this summer’s World Cup, Holland international Wesley Sneijder’s exploits over the last 12 months have seen him rightly heralded as one of the world’s best midfielders. With his international side just one win away from securing a first World Cup triumph, Sneijder is poised to become the first player in history to win a domestic/continental club treble and World Cup within the same season. Historical achievements aside, Sneijder is a lavishly gifted footballer, equipped with a great first touch, superb technique and excellent vision. Sneijder is also somewhat of a set-piece specialist, and could claim the Old Trafford free-kick specialist role vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Former Wigan Athletic defender Arjan de Zeuww has also highlighted Sneijder’s two-footedness, stating “I can see why people compare him to Scholes in his younger days but Wes can strike a ball equally well with either foot. I remember playing against Scholesy and if he was on the edge of the box you’d at least try and get him on his left, which wasn’t quite as strong. But Sneijder can hit it just as well with both.”

Tactically, Sneijder could prove to be an ideal acquisition for Manchester United. Due to his versatility, the 26-year-old would be capable of slotting into Manchester United’s domestic (4-4-2) and European (4-5-1) formations. With Sneijder currently operating ‘in the hole’ for both club and country, many believe that the former Real Madrid man would be an excellent foil for Manchester United talisman Wayne Rooney.

However, some question marks remain over Sneijder’s pedigree. A meagre haul of just 19 goals over the last three seasons indicates that he is far less prolific than the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. Critics have also pointed to patches of inconsistent form during his time at Real Madrid.

However, despite these niggling doubts, Sneijder has emphatically proved over the last 12 months that he is a world-class creative midfielder. In addition to replacing Scholes, Sir Alex Ferguson will be keen to reclaim the Premier League crown from rivals Chelsea. With Chelsea expected to spend big this summer, Ferguson will be looking to secure at least one genuinely world-class signing in order to compete next season. Sneijder undeniably fits the bill, and could prove to be a fantastic signing for Manchester United this summer.

Would Wesley Sneijder be a good replacement for Paul Scholes?

Follow all things United at www.twitter.com/ManUnited_FFC

Follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/zarifrasul

Click on image below to see the PORTUGAL babes at the World Cup

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Everton manager David Moyes has distanced himself from rumours linking USA international Landon Donovan with a return to Goodison Park.

The 28-year-old spent three months on loan with the Toffees from LA Galaxy at the beginning of the year before impressing in this summer's World Cup finals.

Donovan had said that he was keen on returning to the club, but Moyes admitted:"We'd love to have Landon but he looks too expensive for us and we just don't have it.

"We don't have the finances. The price the MLS want for him is very big and it's an additional problem because of his age.

"All we've done is spend £1million on Magaye Gueye so far. Jermaine Beckford and Jan Mucha were free, so we've spent no money by Premier League standards and will probably be the ones who spend the least this season."

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Donovan scored twice in ten starts and three substitute appearances for Moyes' side from mid-January to mid-March before starting all four of the USA's games at the World Cup finals in South Africa.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

When Carson Yeung arrived at St Andrews he made it clear that promoting Birmingham City in China and the Far East was prevalent in his plans and the pre-season tour which the club have undertaken will have gone a long way in contributing to the chairman’s desired exploitation of a football hungry nation.

Alex McLeish had warned that the trip could not become a ‘circus’ with commercial and PR duties, which were organised by Yeung’s hierarchy, taking priority over important footballing work and training ahead of Blues’ opening game against Sunderland in August.

However, I like many Blues’ fans believe the right balance has been struck and both McLeish and the board will come away delighted with the trip, safe in the knowledge that the club’s profile has been raised harmoniously with the squad’s fitness levels.

It is in the future that Blues may reap the rewards of this particular market as exemplified by Manchester United in the past with their long-run China strategy which saw MUTV added to CCTV5, the government-owned sports cable channel.  It is estimated that there are 5.3 million to 8 million supporters of Manchester United in the far-east and if Blues can take heed from this and get anywhere near a similar amount it is bound to be big business.

Despite their being “teething problems” during the adventure for Blues, particularly the state of the Birds Nest Stadium pitch when Blues defeated Beijing Guoan, the Blues boss thanked everyone who had supported their fortnights stay when speaking to www.bcfc.com.

McLeish said: “I’d like to thank everyone in Hong Kong and China for welcoming us with open arms and for being so polite and hospitable throughout.

“Everyone from the club has met some wonderful people and it is an education and experience we will carry with us in a positive manner for a very long time.

“We come away with three wins, which is pleasing because we want to win matches. But most importantly we are on the right road with regards to our preparation for the forthcoming Barclays Premier League campaign.”

Another thing that will undoubtedly please McLeish is the tour form of his Scottish compatriot Garry O’Connor who scored 3 goals in as many games, perhaps vindicating the decision to extend his contract until the end of 2010.

O’Connor missed most of the 2009–10 season due to undergoing two operations on a hip injury and having helped to maintain a 100% record in the far-east for McLeish’s men he has recently vowed to return a different player next season.

Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Some things in life will never change. As they say, the only things in life that are certain are death and tax collectors. What they don’t say, however, that they probably should, is that, whatever you do, wherever you go and whatever your life brings up, Manchester City will always, but always, let you down by shooting themselves in the foot.

I was genuinely worried that, with the investment of Sheikh Mansour and some of the best talent that had signed for the club over this and last summer, the City team would lose touch with their roots and start doing normal, sensible things that normal, sensible football clubs do. I am delighted to see that, especially after the result at The Stadium of Light, my fears were totally unfounded.

How could I possibly have thought that City might have stopped doing stupid things? There had only been two games of the season, but the warning signs were missing… There was a stout, if limited offensively, performance at Tottenham and a dominating and strong performance at home to Liverpool. Two strong teams and two good displays, leading to four points…

Maybe the warning sign of City’s eventual “shoot-yourself-in-the-foot” moment was that there were no warning signs. It’s a new one, I’ll give them that. It’s gone on the list, just after having a player sent off for licking an opponent’s nose and just before being knocked out of the FA Cup by a balloon. And yes, Andy Morrison was once sent off for licking Stan Collymore’s nose.

But missing an open goal, being denied by a world class save, dominating one half before being dominated the other, looking nailed on for a goalless draw, conceding a 94th minute penalty with a needless grapple on a player not likely to reach the cross that had gone into the box and losing doesn’t quite hit the top spot of “shoot-yourself-in-the-foot” moments for City, but it’s right up there with the best of them. Along with losing the replay of a game that was rained off when City were leading 6-1. And being the only club to score over 100 and concede over 100 goals in one season.

It doesn’t quite match up to losing to Bolton, despite having hit the post and bar seven times (twice with the same header) and nor does it compete with losing at home to Middlesbrough, despite the visitors being camped in their own half and not having a single shot on or off target.

You’d think I’d react better to my team throwing away a game in the final minutes, bearing in mind it happened in three of the four Manchester derbies last season. But apparently I still get annoyed… No, frustrated… No, hysterically cheesed off by it. Nevermind, though, because City will stop doing it soon when they start doing normal, sensible things, just like every other normal, sensible club.

What? A boy can dream.

While disappointing, annoying, frustrating and hysterically-cheesed-offing, the defeat at the Stadium of Light isn’t such a terrible turn of events. Chelsea lost away at Wigan, Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham (as well as two defeats to City) last season and they won the title. I don’t think one defeat that, as a City fan, you would have expected as a victory before the game is any cause for concern… after just three matches. There are 105 more points to play for and I would dare to say that no team will win all 105 of them.

It’s not panic stations just yet. It’s not like it’s eight draws in a row, or defeats at teams that end up being relegated, or being knocked out of the cup by a last minute goal to your nearest rivals, or being unable to beat Stoke in three attempts in a month, or losing your first choice goalkeeper with three vital games to go. They are the ingredients for a terrible season, after all. Or maybe not, actually.

I don’t think many people will have expected a Sunderland victory, especially when the game got to half time. But I also don’t think many people would have had Wigan down for winning at White Hart Lane; not after conceding 10 in their opening two games and conceding nine on their last visit to Tottenham. City will lose games most people expect them to win again this season, and Wigan will also lose games most people expect them to lose this season, too. And that wasn’t a typo.

This season, City will play worse than they did at Sunderland and win. They will also concede a last minute goal again in the not too distant future. The season is decided over 38 games, not on three games. I don’t think anybody should be too downhearted until it’s mathematically impossible to win the league/finish fourth/finish sixth/finish in the top half/stay up (delete as appropriate for your personal City ambitions).

And, anyway, City are two points up on the corresponding fixtures from last season. And I’m clutching at straws there, so I guess I should stop there before I mention that Darren Bent’s big toe was offside in penalty incident or that Roberto Mancini was clearly the most stylish and best dressed manager on any touchline this weekend.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Oh.

Damn it.

Written By David Mooney

Gerard Houllier has not ruled out the possibility of luring Manchester United striker Michael Owen to Aston Villa.

The Frenchman, who worked with the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle United star at Anfield, will officially begin work at Villa Park next week, after being confirmed as the permanent successor to Martin O'Neill.

"He has always been in my thoughts," Houllier told Canal+."I like him (Owen ), as a player and a man.

"I went to Liverpool on September 4 for Jamie Carragher's testimonial and I saw Michael play a half of football. He still has the legs for it."

Meanwhile, Owen has hinted that he would welcome the chance to leave Old Trafford.

The 30-year-old, who has not started a Premier League or Champions League match since January, admitted:"You can only do your best and prepare and train well, so that you're ready when the manager calls on you. After that, it's up to the manager who he chooses.

"It sounds easy, but probably the most difficult thing is not playing for a couple of weeks and then all of a sudden getting called up and being mentally and physically right to perform well.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"At the end of the season, I'll look and think, 'Was I happy with the amount of games I was available for? Did I score enough goals in the games when I played?' and 'Did I play well enough in those games?'

"You look at highlights of the season, did we win anything, things like that. But I wouldn't put any goal or appearance totals out there because, at a club like this, you never know when the manager is going to use you."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Newcastle United boss Chris Hughton praised his side for their battling qualities after they fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at home to Wigan Athletic.

Fabricio Coloccini rescued a point with a last-gasp header at St James' Park, after Shola Ameobi had halved a deficit caused by two goals from former Newcastle man Charles N'Zogbia.

Hughton told his club's official website:"What we have got in this side is great character, that I am aware of.

"What we are now doing is we are now playing our football in a tougher division. Wigan have become very much an established Premier League side and they showed very much in patches the quality they have got.

"We knew we were on the back of two home defeats and that's not something we wanted to continue.

"We know we are in a tougher division, but this is somewhere that became very much a fortress for us last season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"The only way to get back to anywhere near that, which we know is impossible in this division, is to grind out results in whatever way we have to.

"We showed great character and quality towards the end to get back into the game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

The power of supporters is underrated, without supporters the game would mean very little. Football Clubs FC United and AFC Wimbledon are a magnificent example of this. These two clubs derived from the supporters’ unhappiness with the running of their previous clubs.

AFC Wimbledon were formed in 2002 after the Football Association sanctioned the relocation of Wimbledon Football Club. “In view of its transplanting to Milton Keynes, a large majority of Wimbledon fans felt that the original club no longer represented Wimbledon’s legacy and tradition” and thus switched their allegiance to the newly established club. AFC have enjoyed great success since their formation, they have been promoted 4 times and have set the record for the most amount of games unbeaten.

FC United was born out of the supporter’s dissatisfaction for the Glazers hostile takeover of their club, Manchester United. Since the Clubs formation in 2005 the team has enjoyed similar success to that of AFC Wimbledon, winning three successive promotions and currently finding themselves playing in the 7th tier of league football. In 5 years it is fair to say that the club has taken massive strides enjoying success along the way. These two clubs are living proof that supporters can achieve anything.

The cultures of the clubs are slightly different; however both teams have their origins in rejection of the Board visions for their respective clubs. FC United are motivated by rejection of the Glazer takeover, although massive protests at Old Trafford over the last couple of seasons, has some protest been stilled by the success the club has enjoyed since the Glazers takeover? This is not to say that the supporters of FC United have not achieved a great deal.

These two clubs are unique in that “both teams are fuelled by passionate support beyond the norm for their level, which has propelled them at speed through the lower tiers of the Pyramid. Now the fascination is to see just how far each club can go and whether the momentum can be maintained against the big boys of non league.” The supporters of FC United and AFC Wimbledon have achieved a great deal in a short space of time, the real test is whether they can maintain this.

The success of these two clubs has inspired other disillusioned football supporters to create their own lower league teams to bring fun and loyalty back to the people’s game, most recently AFC Liverpool. The philosophy “owned by the fans, run by the fans” springs to mind, and shows that restoring the link between the club and the supporters is the key to achieving on and off the field success.

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

Click on image below to see a gallery of Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest lady

Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp criticised referee Mark Clattenburg for allowing Nani's controversial goal to stand in Saturday's 2-0 loss at Manchester United.

Trailing to Nemanja Vidic's first-half header, Spurs were livid when the Portuguese winger settled matters in the final five minutes after a bizarre incident at Old Trafford.

After Nani had handled the ball in Spurs' penalty area, Heurelho Gomes rolled the ball out of his hands as he prepared to take the free-kick.

But Nani simply stood up and rolled the ball home and, despite Spurs' protestations, Clattenburg, after consultation with his assistant, allowed the goal to stand, a decision that clearly irked a disgruntled Redknapp.

"What a farcical way to finish a game. It's a handball, he's deliberately handled it and it should have been a booking," he grumbled."Everyone has seen him do it so we think it's a free-kick, it's just the referee that doesn't see it.

"Everyone saw him do it so it's a free-kick. You can't lie on the floor and pull the ball back just because you've got the hump because you didn't get a penalty.

"It was a scandalous decision and the referee has made a mess of it all. It's farcical, but what can you do? It's gone now.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

"In the end he'll come up with some excuse as to why he didn't see it – he couldn't see, he let play go on – well if he did that he should have been saying to Gomes 'play on, play on'.

"I haven't spoken to the referee, he's not going to change his decision and he's made a mess of it all now anyway."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

This weekend may well have heralded the awakening of a sleeping footballing colossus who has lain dormant, stumbling with its eyes half closed for much of the season so far, only to open its eyes to realise it is top of the table and right in form. I am of course talking about 11 time Premier League winners, Manchester United. But I am not exclusively talking about their 7-1 demolition of Blackburn at Old Trafford.

It was of course, excellent to seal such an emphatic win in front of their home fans, and see two strikers come back into a bit of form, with Dimitar Berbatov hitting 5, and Wayne Rooney regaining at least some of his touch. But away from Old Trafford things were also looking up for the Red Devils, as two of their players put in stellar performances for their respective loan sides, once again.

Danny Welbeck found the back of the net once more for Sunderland, albeit in a galling 3-2 defeat for the Black Cats at Wolves, taking his tally to 4 goals in his last 3 games. Tom Cleverley also impressed in a 3-1 defeat for Wigan against West Ham, and given his performance was unlucky to come out on the losing side, especially after he grabbed a late conciliation goal as well as earning a penalty earlier in the game which Mauro Boselli squandered.

Welbeck and Cleverley, 20 and 21 respectively, are bright young prospects and are proving that they can compete at the highest level, and this can be nothing but good news for Manchester United, because either way, these young stars will save them money.

Having brought both of them through their famed youth academies, it is now other clubs who are giving them their invaluable Premier League educations, and whether Manchester United decided to utilise their undoubted talents is irrelevant for the clubs finances. The Old Trafford club will either use them, thus meaning that they will not have to spend vast amounts of money on new players, or, given their impressive form, they can sell them on for what would be, for Welbeck especially, a tidy sum of money.

So while this weekend ushered in a dominant Manchester United performance at Old Trafford, away from Manchester, the club’s future is also showing signs of great promise.

If you liked this and would like to read more, then why not check out my blogs, or follow me on Twitter, where you can also keep up to date with the latest Manchester United news!

*

Click on Giorgia Palmas below to see her in all her glory

To get half way through a season unbeaten is a fantastic achievement, but could Manchester United really go a whole season unbeaten. Manchester United haven’t been on top form this season, and this record has slipped through the net – mainly because to most fans the draws at home to West Brom and away to Everton and Fulham felt like defeats. Arsenal’s achievement was something to admire, and there is nothing wrong with aspiring to that level of superiority. Could this Manchester United side go the whole season unbeaten?

Andy Gray, and his friends at Sky Sports maintain that Manchester United have only gone the first half of the season unbeaten because they haven’t played the top teams. That is not only ridiculous, but completely untrue. Manchester United have played everyone in the top half apart from Chelsea. They have gone away to Everton and Fulham, two places where Manchester United lost last season, and have hosted Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham. Maybe the strength of the league should be called into question not who Manchester United have or haven’t played.

As I was discussing earlier, Manchester United’s achievements have gone under the radar somewhat because of the way the team threw games away at the start of the season. As well as this Manchester United haven’t been the best team this season, the most consistent maybe, but not the best. As teams become more aware of this unbeaten record – which actually stretches back to when Manchester United lost to Chelsea in April, they will become a target. Everyone wants to beat Manchester United, but everyone will want to end the record – its natural. Do Manchester United have the characters of Patrick Viera, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell to maintain the standards, to stop the squad closing in on itself as they get closer and closer to any record.

Manchester United themselves are not getting carried away with what could happen. New boy, Chris Smalling, recently spoke to The Sun about the new invincible tag.

”I am not sure we will ever see a team go through a whole season unbeaten again.”

“So many sides are losing matches unexpectedly now you would have to applaud any team who did do it.

“For us at the moment, it is just about continuing the momentum.”

It is good to hear that the Manchester United players have their feet on the ground, and are taking the achievement for what it is. United haven’t won anything yet and haven’t achieved any records. The best thing they can do is continue to push clear in the fight for the Premier League crown.

This Manchester United team is not as good as the Arsenal squad that went a whole season unbeaten, but that doesn’t mean they can’t emulate them. On the flip side, Manchester United will scare Premier League sides the longer they go unbeaten. As they continue, the players will start to believe they are unbeatable and the confidence will flow. Manchester United can only get better this season. They have remained unbeaten playing average, imagine what they could do when Wayne Rooney hits form and Antonio Valencia returns.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

In every season there are turning points. For Arsenal’s unbeaten season it was Robert Pires’ dive at Highbury against Portsmouth. Had a penalty not been given that day, the record may never have existed. For Manchester United could it be the come back against Aston Villa. Seasons and records hinge on these defining moments.

Manchester United may not have the quality of the Arsenal invincible team but they do have the spirit and character to get close to them. However, the difference between the two teams is Manchester United are unbeaten where as Arsenal looked unbeatable.

Like what you read? Follow me on twitter