As the New Year approaches this seasons title race is one of the most open in the history of the Premier League. No one is showing form that suggests they will run away with it and five teams will seriously still believe that could become Champions come the end of the season. Let’s take a look at the contenders.

Manchester United
Sir Alex Ferguson and his side currently lead the way and that will certainly make them favourites with the bookies and perhaps rightly so. United will enter 2011 undefeated and have yet to consistently produce the form that they are capable of. If Wayne Rooney can find his scoring boots in the New Year then the race for the title could be over before it begins. One thing that will concern the United manager and fans alike is their away form. With just one away win all season United have drawn far too many games on the road. With Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea all still to face away from Old Trafford United will need to pick up more points on the road if they are to regain the title.

Manchester City
Currently second in the table are United’s noisy neighbours Manchester City, who arguably have the best squad in the league with an array of internationals throughout the side. With the transfer window opening City also have funds at their disposal. They look to set to be spending again with a deal to bring Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko to Eastlands from Wolfsburg already close. The problem that Roberto Mancini faces is keeping the squad a happy one. Everyone will want to play in the run in and with so many top players some are bound to be unhappy. The depth and cover they have though is enough to deal with all but the biggest injury crisis and that could be key come May.

Arsenal
After an emphatic win against Chelsea confidence was high in North London but the Gunners did what they have continued to do in recent years and that is drop points against the lesser sides in the league. A 2-2 draw away at Wigan has certainly dampened the euphoria around the Emirates Stadium and raised the ongoing questions about their need for a leader in the side. As Wenger’s men proved against Chelsea they are capable of blowing anyone in the league away on their day but that day doesn’t seem to come round enough for them to win the Premier League. Defensive and goalkeeping concerns still need to be addressed too.

Chelsea
Chelsea have been on terrible run of form of late which they finally ended with a narrow win against Bolton last night and many pundits and fans have already begun to dismiss the Blues hopes of retaining the title. This is far too premature. Chelsea have been without John Terry and Frank Lampard for large parts of the season and that is the focal point of their team. With both of these players now back along with Drogba and Essien Chelsea are more than capable of stringing a significant run of results together. Like Manchester United they have a squad full of players who know how to deal with the pressure in the final stages of a title run in and that could prove vital. Talk of them missing out on the top four altogether is nonsense.

Tottenham
Harry Redknapp and his Spurs side have been a revelation this season playing some mouth-watering football. Tottenham now have a very strong squad that are capable of competing with anyone across Europe as there results in the Champions League have proven and there is no getting away from the fact that they are in the title race. One problem that could hurt them is there goal difference which is poor in comparison to the other contenders .Whether they are capable of staying in the race right down to the wire remains to be seen but I wouldn’t bet against them being there.

With the race as open as it is you could make a good claim for anyone of the above sides winning the league but I see the title going to either the red side of Manchester or staying at Stamford Bridge. Experience is key in at the back end of the seasons when surprise results always occur and these two teams have it in abundance. Where do you see the league ending up?

It is never surprising to hear Sir Alex Ferguson saying something ‘controversial’. Whether it’s emotional, pointless sniping at a beleaguered enemy or an attempt some kind of Jedi Mind Trick deployed to ‘psych out’ Liverpool and their players is up to you. An interesting point with Ferguson’s ‘Torres is the biggest cheater ever, EVER’ (possible paraphrase) comments is that they made headlines in most of Monday’s (English) newspaper sport sections – and this is indicative of the apparent need for character-centric narratives for much of the English press.

Of more interest however, rather than his ‘diving’, is his lack of incisiveness when playing alone up front. His two integral moments in Liverpool’s temporary comeback (winning the free kick and penalty) came with the entrance of David N’Gog alongside him at 2-0. The former was created largely with N’Gog drawing Jonny Evans out of position, allowing Torres to play off the dozing O’Shea and run behind Vidic. For an hour, without a partner alongside him, Torres was ineffectually drifting along the back-four, as Liverpool’s midfield struggled to find him with the ball. Roy Hodgson’s initial reaction to that may well be to partner Torres with N’Gog for the forseeable future – and it will probably end up being a popular move with the Sky Sports/Match of the Day punditocracy, as it necessitates a change from The Purveyor Of All That Is Ever Wrong With Anything Ever, Rafa Benitez, and necessitates Steven Gerrard moving into his ‘best position’ (where, curiously, he rarely plays well enough to stay for an extended period of time) in the middle of midfield.

But that not only moves Gerrard from the position where he has been most effective for his club (in the ‘hole’ behind Torres), but also means Roy has to play a 4-4-2: yes, the very same 4-4-2 that was routed by Manchester City and their fifty holding midfielders at Eastlands. And yes, the same 4-4-2 that became unable to get the ball back off United yesterday once the score went to 3-2. Well, one could argue, he has to leave Torres up front on his own then – to maintain a midfield worthy of preventing a complete massacre – even if it reduces Torres’s efficiency, at least he won’t lose games, and Torres will surely start scoring sooner or later.

But what if he doesn’t? Jurgen Klinsmann stated when in charge of Bayern Munich that he will play two strikers at every opportunity, partly to help keep his strikers fresh. The strain upon a lone striker is so great, in terms of the physical stature, pace, technique and concentration needed to perform the role effectively, that playing the role without a significant break would soon be detrimental. ‘I wouldn’t like to be Torres in two years’ was the general idea, and the strain on Torres may be akin to that placed on Ronaldo at Inter Milan – as from a silky, quicksilver forward he too tried to become a buccaneering lone striker, with injured consequences. And now we look at the Spaniard. From his arrival at Liverpool in 2007 he has been working almost without a break: in 2008 he played in the Euros (a major tournament generally means a truncated break for players), then the next season he spent playing (without a winter break) and working hard recovering from injuries, then the Confederations Cup before the same story the next season, before the World Cup.

And it has taken its toll: once fresh-faced, blond and smiling, then blond and powerful, now Torres lopes around defences, unfit, brown haired and non-threatening, like a late-era Ruud van Nistelrooy for Manchester United. With a partner alongside, the strain is less apparent, as he is not having to work as hard against four defenders – but playing N’Gog or Kuyt alongside him leaves the midfield often unable to cope against teams with 3 central midfielders. Perhaps the solution is give Torres an extended break, perhaps for a month or two, in order to recharge his batteries. Roy can try and muddle through with Babel, N’Gog, Jovanovic and Kuyt – and maybe Torres could well come back refreshed and (at least) as good as ever.

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Ferguson and Ferdinand - probably laughing at the accusation they were losing their nerve.

Cast your minds back to Saturday March 21 2009.  Manchester United have just lost 2-0 away to Fulham, I think we were all surprised but it wasn’t what one would deem unbelievable. Something I did deem unbelievable was the reaction of some fans and pundits after the result. Rewind a week further back and we lay our scene at Old Trafford.  A glorious day, particularly for a certain Merseyside club. On the 14 March, Liverpool CRUSHED their bitter title rivals United 4-1, a result which I and many others didn’t see coming . It was a superb victory for Rafa’s men and a humiliating defeat for the perennial Premier League Champions.

Two results, two bad defeats for Manchester United.  These two results combined with the six points title rivals Liverpool had picked up meant that United were still clear by a point at the top with a game in hand. This bizarrely seemed to fuel continual discussions that Liverpool had all the momentum and that United had lost their nerve. There was even speculation that United may struggle due to the big games coming up in Europe.

Fast-Forward to the present day, United have won all five of their league games since those two defeats. They sit top of the premier league by three points, still with a game in hand. They also progressed to the Champions League final for the second season in a row after brushing aside Arsenal. OK they lost to Everton in the FA Cup Semi Final  - on penalties after fielding a weakened team. No disrespect to Everton, they thoroughly deserved to reach the final. Hardly dark days on the Stretford end though is it?

With the season drawing to a close we are all fully aware Liverpool will be looking at two of United’s results in particular. First is the Manchester derby on City’s home soil. The Second, is against Arsenal on May 16.  It is reasonable to perhaps expect a draw at City and that Arsenal will come to Old Trafford obsessed with gaining revenge for their Champions League humiliation.  What also is very reasonable is that not only will United brush aside Wigan and Hull at the bare minimum, but it’s quite likely they will take more than a point from the Citizens and the Gunners.

I will be amazed if United do not at the very least take a domestic title (who would bet against United taking seven points from twelve games?) and quite probably retain their European crown. I also thoroughly expect Liverpool to be in the title race to the very last day next year and probably even win it. I am even tempted to put my money where my mouth is on the matter and back Rafa’s Reds for an overdue maiden Premier League crown.

So it appears as the 2009 season heads towards it’s last hurrah this month, those who doubted United will be made to look stupid and  I, like many others will still be bored of United dominating English football after so long

One tip I can give any betting man though. You never, EVER write off Manchester United – especially when the pressure is on.

Is the pressure on the likes of Howard Webb and his colleagues unrealistic considering this is not a full-time job for all officials?

 The criticism directed at referees and their assistants these days is becoming more of  a talking point than many games themselves. Howard Webb made an incorrect judgement and awarded Manchester United a penalty against Tottenham last week, a decision that Spurs manager Harry Redknapp clearly felt changed the game.

Now there is some truth in this, it got United back in the game, cut the deficit in half and therefore the momentum swung in favour of the current champions. However, Spurs still had the lead and proceeded to suffer a defensive collapse in the second half in the face of a breath-taking spell of football in twenty minutes from United.

I feel however, to blame the referee for shipping a further four goals is a deplorable thing to say. It is often pointed out by pundits, journalists, fans, managers and players alike that current standards of officiating are inadequate but I do not feel that the officials themselves are to blame for 95% of this. I feel that many fans erroneously jump to the conclusion that referees are either biased or that the man with the whistle wants to be bigger than the game he is overseeing. I simply cannot agree that this is the case the majority of time. Naturally like everyone else, I have briefly questioned the integrity of the referee when following my own team, namely Rob Styles and Graham Poll! But surely what a referee wants is for the game he is officiating to pass without receiving fervent criticism from 20-75,000 people in a stadium plus the millions more watching at home.

So why do I feel that the match officials are given a raw deal? Well considering that the fitness of the Refs, like the players they blow the whistle against has steadily improved over the years (I believe they train together at least once a week plus running in between) surely they should be closer to the play? I am also sure they could get around the park with more ease than the men with moustaches from yesteryear that often came with a belly grown by ale and roast dinners.

However, for a 30-50 year old man to try and keep up with the likes of  Theo Walcott is an unrealistic task. We sometimes forget just how much faster the game really is in England at this time. The style of play, combined with the light modern ball, the fitness and physical  strength of a professional footballer has increased the pace of the game dramatically not mention the firm, slick wet pitches. 

Because of all these factors, passes on the ground are quicker, passes in the air go longer, shots fly harder, players run faster, tackle faster and are considerably more agile. How did we expect men normally at least in their 30′s to keep up with this?

Other factors have also made the job for the man in the middle even more difficult. The non-contact sport style laws not only mean more free kicks are given but because of the ease of obtaining a penalty or free-kick within the rules of football, incidents of play-acting, gamesmanship, cheating  – call it what you will, have naturally increased. The money within the game and the ever increasing player/manager power against the decreasing authority of the officials make it hard for referees in some instances to give decisions. Would anyone genuinely fancy making a penalty call against the big four on their home ground that could give the likes of Fulham (no disrespect intended) a victory and cost someone three points in the title race. Imagine making a genuine mistake and having Alex Ferguson blasting you on national television, followed by fans and the media alike. If that happened you could referee at Old Trafford one week and Blackpool the next!

So maybe it’s time to not only tighten the laws about diving and blasting the ref but to make it a full time job for ALL referees. only a SELECT FEW referees at the top end of the game are full time proffesionals .  This would then ensure a much higher base of fitness for the officials as they would train more frequently instead of spending the rest of the week working to support themselves.  A higher base of fitness would ensure officials would not only be closer to more incidents, but the fatigue factor toward the end of game that can lead to poor judgement calls would be less apparent.

Pay these men accordingly; the pressure referees face in comparison to their salaries is not reasonable. Naturally we would expect the professional referees and their assistants to officiate more than one game a week to earn their keep but I’m sure it is a better idea than FIFA’s proposal of two referees, four assistants, and an official on the touchline.

It appears the pitch isn't winning as many fans at Wembley

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger’s post match reactions following last weeks FA cup semi finals predictably brought up the issue of the Wembley pitch. To be fair to the man with a KBE and his old rival, the surface at Wembley doesn’t seem fitting to a stadium as iconic (and costly) as the re-built Wembley. But as Guus Hiddink rightfully pointed out “If you go to a lot of places in Europe and Africa you get pitches that are a lot worse than that. I don’t think you should start talking about the pitch, whether you win or lose. Fergie used the pitch as an excuse after seeing his plans to field fringe players backfire, claiming in post match interview he didn’t want his strongest team to go to extra time on the much-maligned surface because it “Looked spongey and dead”.  It is worth putting on record to say the team he fielded in no way let themselves down but I’m sure a full United side would have had more chance of winning the game. 

The pitch conditions are more often used as an excuse in domestic cup ‘giant killings’ by the losing manager. An example i remember very clearly was the league cup semi-final first leg at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United and Liverpool. Liverpool were beaten 2-1 in a scrappy encounter in which United only really looked dangerous for 20 minutes. Houllier blamed the defeat on a poor pitch and the over-physical approach of the Blades. I was at that game and accept that readers will perceive a level of bias here but I didn’t see this as the case. United were (and have been perennially) like most teams at that level, packed with of triers that try to make up for a lack of quality with work rate, commitment and trying to make games into a battle. Surely a team of Liverpool’s quality should have cruised it? Incidentally Liverpool prevailed (and deservedly so) 2-0 after extra time in the return leg and went on to lift the cup. Rafa Benitez opted not to blame the Turf Moor pitch for their defeat to Burnley in 2005 after Traore’s gaffe that dumped the Reds out of the FA Cup in 2005

Football is often labelled as a ‘man’s game’ and teams at Premier League level should be more than capable of adapting to any ailments and conditions that the weather or the pitch would throw at them and still be capable of grinding out a win against a team who in terms of quality are inferior. Surely triumphing in the face of so-called adversity is the mark of champions?

Every season we see big clubs from the Premier League take on lower division clubs and normally prevail comfortably, the reason being these players are top of their profession. They are not only physically capable of prevailing in such challenges but they are gifted enough to make the ‘lesser teams’ look like donkeys.  The long and short of it is a poor pitch maybe an excuse for an ugly game but not a defeat - especially when it is concerning players that earn the sort of wages that make the rest of us wince.

Three other silly excuses i’ve heard in football:

1) Heavy traffic affecting preparations for Sheffield Wednesday according to boss Brian Laws earlier this season. Granted the players may have cramped up in the second half due to a shortened warm-up but Wednesday lost 6 – 0 to Reading.

2) The penalty changed the game according to Harry Redknapp . Now it appears to me Spurs were leading 2-0 at the time of this undoubtedly poor decision. They shipped another four after Ronaldo converted the controversial spot-kick. For the record I’m sorry to pick on Harry, this excuse is used by a manager at some level every week.

3) A Grey shirt. This hilarious incident occured at The Dell in April 1996. Manchester United played the first half in their snazzy grey number and found themselves 3-0 down at the interval away to Southampton. Fergies storms in, orders the players to change into their blue and white third kit. They lost 3-1

I’m sure there are many of these but i can’t think of them at this moment. Please submit them, they always make me chuckle.

Watch the video of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez who has launched a blistering attack against Sir Alex Ferguson in a Liverpool press conference early Friday morning.

This will definitely start a war of words between Rafa and Fergie, and expect plenty of sparks to fly in the coming days and leading up to the March 14 match between both sides at Old Trafford.

The timing of Benitez’s attack is interesting especially given that Manchester United plays Chelsea on Sunday in what is essentially a must-win game for both clubs to close the gap with Liverpool.

Benitez’s tirade in the video begins after the Liverpool manager pulls out a piece of paper with alleged facts criticizing Fergie about his fixture schedule complaints and the hypocrisy regarding treatment by referees.

What do you think? Is Benitez spot on with his accusations? And who will ultimately be victorious? Just when we thought the Premier League season couldn’t get more interesting, it has.

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The latest episode of I’m On Setanta Sports features an assortment of classic scenes such as Fergie losing his mind, Wayne Rooney singing “Big In Japan,” Jose’s viewpoints on the Champions League draw, and satellite delay problems which cause a comedy of errors.

Enjoy the latest episode now, and be champions!

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Neither a flying pizza nor a kick in the shin could fell him, but Sir Alex Ferguson is 66-years-old.  He will retire at some point.  Manchester United manager for 22 years, Ferguson’s teams have won 10 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League Finals.  His run must, eventually, end, possibly after serving as Great Britain manager during the 2012 Olympics.  The dynasty built in his vision will pass to another steward, who will fail to duplicate it while accounting for the club’s massive debt.  Here are the likely candidates for the honor.

Jose Mourinho: One of the most famous managers in the world, Mourinho won a Champions League with Porto and two league titles with Chelsea.  Currently manager at Inter Milan, Jose said he would return to the Premier League, at the end of his contract.  If he doesn’t return to Chelsea, Manchester United or Manchester City seem the only conceivable options (assuming he’s not planning charity work at Tottenham or Newcastle.)  Calling former charge Didier Drogba a diver and trimming his hair in solidarity with Wayne Rooney, Jose may be already cozying up to his new fan base.  He’s had a mixed-time thus far at Inter, but his “special” reputation in England may captivate a Glazer ownership, more interested in short-term success.

Mark Hughes: Sparky played for 13 years at Manchester United, seven under Sir Alex.  He earned plaudits as Wales manager, nearly qualifying his country for Euro 2008.  Hughes was masterful at Blackburn, bringing the low-budget side to a top-six finish in the Premier League and UEFA Cup success.  He left Blackburn for a bigger club Manchester City this season, though he has been foiled by a buyout and pricey, cold-adverse Brazilians, which could credibly see him fired in the next few weeks.  What looked plausible one year ago now looks extremely remote.

Roy Keane: A longtime Manchester United captain, Keane played 13 seasons for Manchester United, winning seven of Ferguson’s Premier League titles.  He displayed his managerial magic, turning around a disastrous Sunderland season in the Championship to promote them to the Premier League.  He then, by the force of his well, staved off relegation in his first season.  However, the shine has come off a bit, as Sunderland, despite an influx of talent, sit near the bottom of the table after three straight losses.  Has Roy Keane pushed the limits of Sunderland or of his own ability?

Laurent Blanc: A French legend and object of Ferguson admiration, Blanc played his final two professional seasons for United, helping the squad that won the 2002-3 Premier League title.  Last season, in his first year as a manager, Blanc led Bordeaux to a second-place finish in Ligue Un and European qualification.   This year, Bordeaux sit third in the league, with potential to make the Champions League knockout stages.  Yoann Gourcouff has resurrected his career under Blanc’s watch.  Touted for France manager, he will surely be put up for bigger jobs in the future, one of them may be United.

The Carrington Cabal: United could stay in house, literally, for their next managerial appointment.  Teammates Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took their coaching badges together.  The retired Solskjaer has worked for United as a striker’s coach and currently manages United’s reserve team.  Neville has been Manchester United Captain.  Ryan Giggs has hung around a really long time.  All three should have a fair understanding of how to run the place by now.

If you have a few minutes to spare, be sure to read these excellent articles:

• A rare one-on-one interview with Alex Ferguson (The Times). Lots of pearls of wisdom in this interview including the story about how Fergie now stops praying for his club to win as well as one of the two footballers Ferguson was scared of.
• The decline in attendances of non-league team Leyton FC (Two Hundred Percent). Very interesting article about a non-league club in London living in the shadows of Leyton Orient, West Ham United and other clubs, and how they’re having a tough time staying alive. The article makes me want to go support the club and I live thousands of miles away.
• Aston Villa fans produce the chant of the season (The Spoiler). ‘Enuff said.

Thanks to Saturday Night Live‘s Tina Fey, there will be millions of people around the watch watching the vice-presidential debate tonight between Sarah Palin and Joseph Biden. Most people will secretly be looking forward to seeing Palin make another embarrassing gaffe.

While debates can be unpredictable, nearly all football related shows on television are the opposite. You have your news update shows, your talk shows, the highlight shows, etc. No wonder football fans complain about the overall quality of football coverage outside of the actual action itself.

What football fans need is a sports TV network to shake things up.

One idea would be to create a live football debate show focusing on one topic and letting the guests debate the topic in a serious manner. The show would have a few simple ground rules. No talking heads (i.e. journalists or TV presenters), only people within the game of football — preferably managers. The questions debated would be controversial topics. No softball questions. And the guests would be encouraged to actually debate each other instead of spouting off rehearsed answers in the direction of the host (like Jim Lehrer did last week in the first presidential debate).

Imagine Sir Alex Ferguson being involved in a debate with Arsene Wenger. Or how about Mike Ashley and a representative from an unofficial Newcastle United supporters club?

There’s nothing like it on TV right now. The closest thing is Football Matters on Setanta Sports, but that show is too rehearsed and trying to be too funny for my liking.

With the show being taped live, it would definitely spark a lot of controversy and excitement. I would watch it. Would you?