WDF Team to Watch: Manchester United FC

A pretty easy decision, honestly. For the last two months United have look like the champions of the EPL once again. The king of the last two decades has done it again and turned the ship around (what’s with me and boat references??). An honorable mention to Newcastle as they have done stunning work this season, more notably in the last couple of months. But Fergy has done it again. Now, I know City fans will whine that the season is not yet over, but it is. To be honest, they never had a chance. Don’t get me wrong, the turn around at that club has been fantastic (although with a billion pounds at your disposal, I’m pretty sure my dead grandmother could assemble an amazing team). But they were always doomed to a better side. United are not more skilled or stronger or faster; if anything, man for man, City are a far better team. But the sad fact is that this is not tennis in that it is a team sport and Sir Alex Ferguson has the best team in the Premier League, bar none. That’s what happens when you commit to one manager for 20 years: there’s continuity. I’m getting off topic, as this is not WDF News; it is a Team of the Month and we will have plenty to talk about when United lift the Trophy in a few months time. There is no one reason why United have won 12 of their last 14 matches, it comes down to the united front (get it?) that Sir Alex has constructed. He’s made Johnny Evens look like an excellent player, for Christ’s sake! The person that is responsible for this success is Alex Ferguson. Now, as I said before, there is no one player that is accountable for their accomplishments. United line up a 4-4-1-1 with Rooney playing in the tradition number 10 role, but in reality he plays centre back as much as he plays striker. For all of United’s strengths there have been some glaring holes in the system. A solid centre midfielder with creativity and guile would be greatly welcomed by the Old Trafford faithful as well as a much-needed face-lift in defense. There has been talk of United bringing in Nathaniel Clyne, one of England’s most talented right backs who’s currently plying his trade at Crystal Palace. He would be a brilliant acquisition for United as they haven’t had a natural right back since Gary Neville departed. They need someone to take the number 2 kit and make it their own, as I don’t see the Fabio twins as the answer to this problem. All in all, come May, it will be Manchester United that lift the Barclays Premier League Trophy for the 20^th time. Sir Alex will triumph again, and you know what? He bloody well deserves it.

Prospects Corner: Neymar

Yes ladies and gentlemen, the one and only, Neymar. The man they say is the next Pele. The prodigal son. The shining light of Brazilian football. The savior. The new beginning. Call him what you want, he’s brilliant. Defenders in South America can’t handle him. Not too surprising, he’s ruthless. I shall begin, as what is now becoming customary for Austin blogs (rants), at the beginning. J  The prodigy began where he currently resides, at Santos. Yes, the comparison wheel is spinning and it keeps landing on… Pele! See if you can spot the similarities as we go (get ready for some Where’s Waldo shit). Neymar has been registered as a Santos member for nine years already. He progressed through the ranks and at 14; he was given a trail at Real Madrid. Santos were not about to give away their next sensation and this was back in the time of the first Galácticos. His chances in a first team role would have been limited, competing against the likes of Zidane, Ronaldo (the fat one) and Robinho to name a few. So he stayed. And man, Madrid must be kicking themselves today! It’s funny because they did the same with Pepe; they could have signed him at 21 for about €3 million but instead waited three years for him to be worth €30 million. Don’t get me started. Side bar — back to the task at hand. Neymar made his profession debut at the tender age of 17 coming on as a substitute late in a 2-1 victory over Oeste. I think they knew he would be a hit because he played 48 more games that season, scoring 14 goals… At 17!?! What the hell kind of season has over 48 season games and what 17-year-old is mature enough to play two games a week of 24 weeks?!? Anyways, crazy Brazilian schedules aside, the child star continued his ascendancy and became a full starter the following season. Now stats are getting boring. The way the kid moves is almost unstoppable! Like Pele, Neymar is incredibly fast, has a wicked touch and an eye for goal (40 of them in 84 appearances… At 20?!?!). He couldn’t overcome his comparer who at 18 years old scored 58 goals in one season. Yes, that’s Pele for you. Neymar is a force to be reckoned with and every defender on that continent is well aware of this fact. Having already won 19 personal honors at national and international levels and being worth approximately £65 million and rising every year, the young forward from São Paulo is destined for greatness. But is he better then Pele? Only time will tell.

WDF NEWS: Fabrice Muamba — A Get Better Note

A relatively tame FA Cup match between Tottenham and Bolton became a nightmare right before half time. Close to the centre circle, three minutes before the whistle was to be blown, Fabrice Muamba collapsed. No tackle, no awkward step, Muamba just fell. The players immediately rushed to him and seconds later the on-field paramedics were there. Referee Howard Webb, after about eight minutes, called for the game to be abandoned. Muamba was found to have suffered a cardiac arrest (you're heart literally stops), and was officially dead for 78 minutes. He was rushed to a London hospital where the central midfielder miraculously awoke. We wish Muamba a speedy recovery and swift return to football (though doctors have made no indication that he will ever play again). Muamba's first words when he woke: "Did we lose?" Live a footballer, die a footballer. Almost.

WDF NEWS: Chelsea and Abramovich, A Match Made In… Somewhere

And here we go again. The search resumes. Honestly, it’s getting kinda boring! Roman, pick someone and bloody stick with him! He’s like the George Clooney of football, except Russian and ridiculously rich. Wait isn’t George… Never mind.  Where to start, I suppose at the beginning is a good place. J Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003, immediately funding huge commercial efforts to make The Blues a world-wide brand similar to Manchester United and Real Madrid. With great success in the first season, Abramovich hired the self-proclaimed “Special One” (Jose Mourinho) after he led Porto to a surprise Champions League win. Mourinho had great success and the rest is history. Now this is where it gets interesting... Having one of the best coaches around under his employment, Abramovich decided to hire Avram Grant to his board, as a Director of Football. This, accompanied with the purchase of Andriy Shevchenko (apparently against Mourinho’s discretion), was the beginning of the end for Chelsea. That’s a lie. They’re still a great club with a rich past and slightly promising future, but it was the end of any consistency they’d see for a long time. Abramovich was trying to control the way Mourinho coached his side, and let me tell you, as a coach, there is nothing more restraining than an owner trying to tell you how to do your job. So in September of 2007 Mourinho had enough and left the club. It’s not like he was the most successful manager in Chelsea history or anything, or that he had won six trophies in 3 years. No, that wasn’t enough for Abramovich; he needed more, and he’s yet to find it. So, with hiring and firing seven managers since the Special One left, none of which have come close to achieving what Mourinho did, Abramovich is probably wondering where it all went wrong. Fast track to 2012, Andre Villas Boas has just been sacked, Chelsea are a mess and have no three, two or even one year plan. Where now? Back to Mourinho? I doubt it. My spidey senses tell me that he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. No, the real problem is Ambramovich. He needs to sit down, shut-up and pay the bloody bills! Chelsea will sink to the sad depths of obscurity of he doesn’t. Hire David Moyes (Everton) and let him completely revamp the system there. Imagine what he could do with some actual money! What he has done, and is continuing to do at Everton is amazing. He has an eye for talent that could rival Sir Alex (see Wayne Rooney) and he’s made a team out of almost nothing. GOD! Just do it already! Or somebody just put some bloody faith in them! You cannot build a team at that level, or any other level for that matter, on one year. AVB said at the beginning that it would take three years, and he was right! It takes some time! My excessively opinionated and talented younger brother believes that Abramovich should just hire himself for the job of manager at Chelsea. It’s not a bad idea actually. When you think about it, at least they’d have some consistency.