When you think of Manchester United in 1999, you think of an all-conquering, legendary side. The Class of 92, bolstered by the likes of Roy Keane, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Jaap Stam and Peter Schmeichel. You think of a team held up as one of the greatest club sides in English footballing history because they were one of the greatest club sides in English footballing history.

But what we don’t remember is that United spent that season – or the end of it at least – on a knife edge. They won three trophies, but they may have won none. We remember the trophies and the style of play, but would we remember it if they’d been knocked out in the semis?

So often, one goal changes the course of footballing history, and it’s not always an overstatement to say that individual goals have changed the course of human history. The 1954 World Cup final saw West Germany find its feet as a nation in its own right after the destruction and division of the Second World War, whilst the pain of losing that final saw Hungarians take to the streets with the oppressive Communist regime powerless to rein in the demonstrations.

The emotion caused by defeat in a football match led – at least loosely – to an uprising in 1956, crowds spurred on by the memory of ‘54 and the regime’s inability to do anything about it. But, as Jonathan Wilson once remarked darkly, ‘it turns out Soviet tanks can do something….’

Perhaps such high-brow political consequences seem overblown when talking about Manchester United in 1999. After all, it didn’t lead to a new and battered state taking its place amongst the nations of the world, nor did it lead to uprising or a brutal and bloody crackdown.

Though what you can’t overstate is the importance to modern football of Manchester United’s treble-winning season. Without that, United’s place at the forefront of the early 2000s boom in football’s venture with global corporatism may not have happened – or at least may not have been so huge. The treble put them above every other team at just the right time to take advantage of football’s explosion of capitalism.

But every trophy they won that season rested on some crucial, knife-edge moments. It would be overstating it to say that they were dominant in every competition that season. The Champions League final is the obvious example, with two injury time goals wresting the title out of Bayern Munich’s grasp. But Ryan Giggs’ extra-time winner in the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal minutes after Peter Schmeichel crucially saved a Dennis Bergkamp penalty brought United through to the final; just as fine a margin as their Champions League win was to be a few weeks later.

It’s also easy to forget that they won the league title by a single point, too. But you don’t have to be dominant, you just have to win. Especially when it comes to the record books.

It’s also not as though United weren’t deserving of silverware that season, either. Arsenal may only have finished a point below United in the table, but the Yorke and Andy Cole partnership helped United find the net 21 times more than Arsenal that season.

Between them, the two contributed to 35 Premier League goals and were joint-top and second-top scorers that season. Still, in the end, it all came down to just one of those goals.

When Manchester United faced Tottenham Hotspur in the final game of the season, they held a one point lead. Only a few days earlier, Arsenal lost 1-0 to a very late Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink winner. Had they held out for a draw, United and Arsenal would have been level on points and level on goal difference.

Instead, United held an advantage that was quickly wiped out by Les Ferdinand as Spurs took the lead at Old Trafford. But a great strike from David Beckham levelled the match before half time, and all United needed to do was seal the victory in the second half.

Just after half time, they did.

A ball over the top sent Cole through on goal, his first touch took the ball down just enough, but it made the finish extremely difficult. The ball now behind him and Spurs goalkeeper Ian Walker advancing quickly, Cole improvised and sent the ball over Walker’s head with a delicate chip.

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United led 2-1, the nerves were gone and the first part of an historic treble was completed.

But it could have been so different. United had Ryan Giggs and Peter Schmeichel to thank in the FA Cup semi final, they had Andy Cole – and David Beckham who scored the equaliser just before half time – to thank for their comeback in the final game of the Premier League season, had Cole not have settled the nerves early in the second half, the tension would have grown and United may have fallen at the very start of their glorious charge to the treble.

And then they had Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to thank for the late and great comeback in the Champions League final, too.

But that’s not something that takes the varnish off United’s achievements in 1999, in fact that’s the varnish itself. The fact that Sir Alex Ferguson could rely on a different player each time shows not only the individual quality in his squad, but also how well they worked together as a team to have the character and the togetherness to come back from the brink so often and win three competitions in the same year whilst under such immense pressure on each front.

The Giggs goal against Arsenal at Villa Park in the FA Cup, along with the Solskjaer and Sheringham goals against Bayern Munich in the Camp Nou in the Champions League are remembered for their importance, and in Giggs’ case for its greatness, too.

But Cole’s goal on the final day of the Premier League season was just as important, and the wondrous finish when he still had so much work to do is simply emblematic of the final few weeks of United’s season – brilliance under pressure to produce a title-winning moment. The moment that spawned the treble’s endgame.

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Tottenham Hotspur entered today’s Premier League fixture against Southampton on the back of that heartbreaking draw with London rivals Chelsea on Monday night, ending their hopes of obtaining this season’s crown.

Consequentially, it was hard to tell which Spurs would turn up today; the one that has overflowed with energy, industriousness and attacking flair all season, or the one still recovering from the emotional torture of the Blues’ 2-2 comeback at Stamford Bridge.

But we’re now twenty minutes into the affair at White Hart Lane and traffic thus far has been relatively one-way, with Mauricio Pochettino’s side boasting a monopoly of possession and three shots on target – one of which has already found its way past the gigantic Fraser Forster.

Indeed, Son-Heung Min chased a lost cause, delicately dribbled the ball along the by-line, wiggled his way back inside and slotted past the England international to give the home side a 1-0 lead. Needless to say, Spurs fans on Twitter are very impressed with their summer 2015 acquisition…

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You had to feel somewhat sorry for Manuel Pellegrini last weekend. In what was his final Manchester City bow at the Etihad Stadium, the Chilean was given the chance to speak to the supporters after the team’s lap of honour. There was a slight problem however… no-one had actually stayed to hear what their departing manager had to say. That’s what three years and three trophies gets you at the Etihad these days.

Social media exploded as Pellegrini took to the mic to thank supporters for their help during his tenure, poking fun at suggestions that there was only around 10,000 people left when he began talking. Whilst Manchester City have been on a downward turn since the turn of the season, Pellegrini hasn’t done a terrible job, and if he had, he would have been sacked a long time ago by the people that can afford to bring anyone to Manchester.

Whilst progress has been in short supply, the supporters’ unwillingness to stay and say ‘thanks’ shows how far expectations have come at Manchester City post 2010. Since the Sheikh invasion and a couple of major honours, it’s now clear that the City faithful expect big things season-after-season and nothing less will be accepted. But as the modern-era Manchester City has formed and grown, you have to wonder whether some supporters are expecting a little too much, a little too soon.

Manuel Pellegrini has spent over £200million during his three-year tenure at City and that very much seems like the strategy employed by every Citizens manager these days – capitalise on the giant war chest the owners offer. For a City supporter this must be great- constantly upgrading the squad with the worlds’ best players – but we saw this season that some of these signings were coming to the end of their best playing days. The likes of Yaya Toure, David Silva and Jesus Navas don’t seem like the same players they were three years ago, and Pep Guardiola will get a blank chequebook to replace them.

It will be needed if City want to remain at the top. There has been clear regression in the past year at least and City now face the very real possibility of falling out of the top four before the end of the season – albeit they only need a draw at Swansea in their last game to keep Man United at arm’s length.

They were extremely close  to making history against Real Madrid last week in the Champions League, losing only 1-0 over two legs, and when you add everything up, it seems that Pellegrini’s spell hasn’t been a total failure. Fans are free to express themselves in any way they wish though. After all, that’s what being a supporter is all about.

But Pellegrini’s time in charge has been on the decline and it’s time to move on again. But he didn’t deserve to say goodbye to empty stands.

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When Big Sam was mentioned as a possible England manager, many people laughed.

They thought the FA couldn’t possibly be serious about a man who has won absolutely nothing during his managerial career.

Additionally, he never played in Europe or at international level as a player and is known for the most part as someone that will get you back into the Premier League or at least keep you there by the skin of your teeth.

Allardyce’s style of football is marmite. If you are Sunderland, you will love him and his way, but if you are a supporter of fine flowing, attacking and engaging, gripping football, then you will dislike, with a deep passion, Big Sam’s style.

The FA need to find someone to take the poisoned chalice now that Roy Hodgson has finally stood down after another woeful and humiliating finals tournament. The fans want someone English and there are very few reasonable prospects for the England job.

But here are five reasons why it should be Big Sam…

At Least He’s English

It’s a start. The names that have been talked of include foreign coaches and England have been there before and fared no better. Allardyce being English means he will not need an interpreter and can convey his message clearly.

He knows the English game and the English players and will concentrate his efforts on playing the best way for English football.

Other English candidates would too, but there are a few named that are currently pundits rather than working in the game. At least Sam is currently a manager of a Premier League side.

Other candidates also in employment are about as talented and also have a distinct lack of trophies to show for their work, so maybe Sam is the best of a poor crop.

Boost for West Ham

Hammers fans didn’t really ever take to Big Sam. He did what was asked of him though and that can’t be argued with. Neither can some of his signings, of which a few still remain at West Ham.

The one thing that West Ham fans can hope for is the recognition of some of those players. For whatever reason, Roy Hodgson was blind when it came to the East London team.

Big Sam will know how good Mark Noble is. How safe and attacking minded Aaron Cresswell is and also how much chaos Andy Carroll can cause in a foreign defence. For all of Carroll’s problems, when fit, he has an excellent touch and a nose for goal.

At last West Ham would have three players in an England shirt for the first time in how long?

Something in common…

It’s true to say that neither Big Sam or England are winners.

Yes, he guided Bolton and West Ham to the Premier League and even took Bolton into Europe – for eight games – but on Allardyce’s CV, there is a section missing where it says “honours.”

Fortunately for him, it’s as big as the current England teams roll of honour, so the pair are perfectly matched.

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With the amount of chewing gum that Sam gets through in a match, England might welcome the extra revenue.

Pacing the touchline, with a jaw gyrating at different angles, the gum chewing boss must have jaw ache after 90 minutes. Expect to see the smartly turned out manager in his new blazer with the England badge emblazoned upon his left breast chewing wildly and standing next to the nose picking German boss.

Nice image. Aren’t you proud?

Seriously Though

And there is a serious side…

Allardyce might be the pick of a bad bunch, but you have to doubt whether the team under the Sunderland boss would have been as ill prepared as they were under Hodgson.

His team would have known their jobs individually and collectively. They would have been organised and defensively astute, as he has the best that England have to offer with him. There would have been a game plan, but probably not a plan B.

The midfield would all get neck ache from watching the ball go past and above them, but he would have kicked and clogged his way through each game.

Each player would remain respectful to Big Sam and wouldn’t step out of line in fear of the backlash that Sam wouldn’t be afraid to give.

All in all, if the FA take on Big Sam, they know exactly what they’re getting. Sadly, so do the fans.

Manchester United’s world record signing of Paul Pogba has been big news in recent days, but it has somewhat been overshadowed by a number of off the field incidents that have soured Jose Mourinho’s arrival in Manchester for some.

Instead of everyone talking about what a good player Pogba is, many outlets are instead discussing Jose Mourinho and the approach that he has taken towards several of his players in recent weeks.

Most notably, he has reportedly forced Bastian Schweinsteiger out of the first team picture, forcing him to train with the reserves until he finds himself a new club.  Mourinho’s treatment of Juan Mata has also drawn the ire of football fans,  bringing the Spaniard on in the Community Shield only to substitute him just a few minutes later.

Very harsh treatment by the Portuguese manager; but he is no stranger to controversy.

In fact, his legacy may well be marred by his actions off the pitch; with Jose frequently finding himself in trouble with the FA and drawing criticism from supports.

Lets take a look at THREE of Jose Mourinho’s biggest controversy’s whilst in management.

The Eye-Poking Incident

Following a wild challenge by Real Madrid defender Marcelo on Barcelona’s then-midfielder Cesc Fabregas, a scuffle ensued between the two rival sides.

These scuffles are not uncommon, with the high intensity and high pressured nature of the fixtures often spilling over; but what occurred on the sidelines of the scrap still boggles the mind today.

As opposed to trying to calm down the incident or staying away entirely, footage emerged of then Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho poking Barcelona boss Tito Villanova in the eye in a clip that was shown in the press for the weeks following.

Mourinho was not done there either; continuing to confront Villanova throughout the fixture and making numerous remarks and gestures towards Barcelona stars.

What made everything worse was that following the game, Mourinho refused to apologise for his behaviour, instead suggesting that he was acting in the best interests of his team.

We aren’t sure what you were thinking Jose, but poking the opposition in the eye probably isn’t the best way to defend your players!

The 2005 Barcelona Incident

This story has so many layers that it would be impossible to discuss them all; but we’ll give it a go.

It is 2005, and Chelsea are facing Barcelona in a Champion’s League game, and they would go on to lose the leg 2-1.

A disappointing result, yes – but that is not were the controversy lies.

During the game, Didier Drogba had, somewhat unfairly, been given a red card; and in Jose Mourinho’s press conference, he claimed that he had spotted Barca boss Frank Rickard entering the referee’s chamber during the half-time interval. He went on to claim that he felt the manager and referee were corroborating in a conspiracy to have Chelsea lose the game and get kicked out of the competition.

A very bold claim to make, given that it is against the rules of the game;  and he was eventually proven to have falsified the claim.

The fallout from the game got very nasty; the referee in question was hounded by Chelsea fans and forced to retire from the game, whilst Jose Mourinho received a £8900 fine and two match touch-line ban.

And that is not where the controversy ends. Fast forward to the next round of the competition, where Mourinho was banned from touchline against Bayern Munich.

Instead of staying away from the game, it was reported that he snuck in through a laundry basket and delivered his team talk, before exiting through the same method!

Absolutely mental, and classic Jose! Neither of those incidents went down to well though…

The Eva Carneiro Scandal

Everyone knows about this story, and to this day it is difficult to understand.

Eden Hazard goes down with an injury and calls for the medical team, which included Eva Carneiro to assist him. They go on to the field, and then Jose Mourinho reveals post-match how angry he is at the pair.

He suggests that they didn’t use their heads, and reports emerge that he used a sexist remark to describe Carneiro during the incident.

In reality, the medical team were just doing their jobs – and they didn’t deserve Jose’s treatment. He was completely in the wrong, and the British press and football fans alike made their voices heard about the situation. Everyone was unanimous – what was he thinking?

The issue eventually lead to Carneiro leaving the side and an eventual court tribunal , and many blame the incident for as the first step in Jose’s fall from grace at Chelsea.

A nasty scandal all round.

Wayne Rooney has proven that peaking too early in your career can tarnish your long-term legacy.

The Manchester United forward set the world alight in his younger days but now under Jose Mourinho, we are looking at a player that is seemingly a long distance from greatness.

Two transfer requests and a number of lacklustre performances have had many Manchester United fans question Rooney’s commitment to the club on a regular basis. His early form at United proved to be the catalyst to their success in the late 2000’s but since October 2010, a major question has been hanging over the former Everton man’s head.

In 2004 came his big move to Manchester United. The Red Devils paid the money for the 18-year old, and he made a sensational impact on his debut by scoring a hat-trick against Fenerbahce in the Champions League. Rooney went on to contribute massively in the 04/05 and 05/06 seasons, scoring his fair share of goals and also winning the PFA Young Player of the Year on two consecutive occasions.

In the summer of 2009, Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid and Rooney became the main man at United. He was granted the duty of spearheading United to silverware after his departure and reached 100 goals for the club; his goal-scoring form almost inspired them to an unexpected League title. However, a season ending injury occurred and United fell apart without their talisman.

The wheels quickly fell off the bandwagon back in October 2010, when a week-long battle of wills saw Rooney come close to leaving for Manchester City before United’s American owners, the Glazer family, sanctioned a lucrative new contract for their prized asset. City had made an offer to Rooney’s representatives, which would see the player swap red for blue in the upcoming January transfer window – before United backed down and met Rooney’s wage demands.

The season ended with Rooney content with his demands being met by the club, but supporters remained undecided whether they could forgive their star-man. He also scored in the Champions League quarter-finals, the semi-finals and also in the final against Barcelona, as Manchester United eventually lost 3-1 at Wembley.

Rooney’s final season on the top of the tree came along in 11/12. Like his previous best season of 09/10, United would end the season without the league title. Then 26, Wayne claimed 27 goals throughout the season but it couldn’t topple Manchester City as they ended their 44 year search for a English league title.

Rooney has almost left United on another occasion, too. Chelsea were ready to take him away from Old Trafford in the summer of 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager and claimed that Rooney had asked to leave.

Following speculation all summer, Rooney then penned a new contract worth a reported £300k-a-week in January 2014. It must be said, it was a clever financial move from the England international, who provided himself with a large say in his future.

Earning that sort of money Rooney would be almost guaranteed a starting position under David Moyes as he struggled to defend the title won in 2014. Also, if the club decided to part-ways with Rooney he could ultimately dig his heels in and refuse to leave the club unless a potential suitor was willing to match his record breaking wage.

A number of managers have used Rooney’s ability to benefit the team as he quiet often appeared as a left-winger and central-midfielder under Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes. This has surly damaged his reputation in an unselfish manner as his ability to find space in the box has become limited due to his responsibility in midfield.

Rooney has 193 Premier League goals and five league titles, but when you look deeper into the equation you will see a player who has played fifteen years at the top-flight of the game and scored an average of 12 goals a season. Some would argue that is a major disappointment for a player who burst onto the scene with the potential to become England’s greatest ever player.

Many United players in the past have won fewer medals than Rooney but have earned themselves the affection and love of the Old Trafford faithful more than the 31-year old. His form of late has shown why so many have lost faith in Rooney’s ability to succeed at the top. He is consistently referred to his past success rather that what he should be producing presently.

Was it the two requests to leave the club that he spend so many years representing that turned the tide for the Old Trafford faithful? His unselfishness to play in a number of positions? Or was it simply a player burnt out from achieving so much success too soon?

Whichever one answers the question is a mystery, but the fact remains that Wayne Rooney’s legacy at Manchester United has become a tarnished memory that is unlikely to be changed anytime soon.

Liverpool fans hate Manchester United. Manchester United fans hate Liverpool. The North West giants are two of English football’s great sides and even though only a few miles of motorway divide the cities, they are some distance apart in terms of ever building a lasting relationship.

And Monday night sees the latest instalment of their on-pitch rivalry, with Jurgen Klopp’s side set to host Jose Mourinho’s men at Anfield. Two huge teams, two great managers and one 90 minute spell to battle, it’s going to be quite the spectacle.

With the game such a big one, the build-up has gone into overdrive. Sky Sports have got their two residents from each side of the fence, in the shape of Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville, to discuss their memories of matches in the past.

Although there are some real gems in their conversation, our favourite is Carra’s lifting of the lid on what was a pretty horrific ‘tackle’ on Nani in a 3-1 win for his side, back in 2011:

JC: Not one of my finer moments. It was a bit of a dive from Nani, wasn’t it? I tell you what my best memory of that is…

GN: Not getting a red card I imagine!

JC: Haha. No, not so much the tackle but Wayne Rooney’s reaction. I was on favourable terms with the referee Phil Dowd. I got him on my own, pulled him and said ‘he just beat me with skills’. Everyone is fighting and I got him over like an experienced pro. Then Rooney comes over and says ‘you won’t believe it, he’s crying’.

GN: Did you seriously go to do him?

JC: No, what happened was that someone got injured so I went from centre-back to right-back and as soon as that happened, Alex Ferguson put Nani to the left wing straight away.

So I’m thinking ‘I’m either going to get tight, I’m going to tackle him or I’m going to foul him. There’s no way I’m letting him get the ball and run at me’. So I’ve got there and the ball did jump up at me, I went for it and it just disappeared so I caught him on the shin.

GN: Did you think it was a red card at the time?

JC: Oh yeah. I’ve seen the reaction of all the players but like I said, I got Phil Dowd on his own, had a word with him and we came to some sort of a deal.

In case you haven’t seen/can’t remember the incident, here’s a video…

Following injuries to first-choice left-backs Ryan Bertrand and Matt Targett in recent weeks, Sam McQueen – ANOTHER product of the infamous Southampton academy – has deputised and impressed on the left side of the back four in the Saints’ recent matches.

The 21-year-old, who had previously played in a more attacking role before Claude Puel came to the club, entered the action as a first-half substitute in the 3-1 win against Burnley at St Mary’s Stadium earlier this month, making his first appearance in the Premier League in the process. And he certainly made a positive impression on his top-flight debut, too, oozing composure as well as winning a penalty which Charlie Austin duly converted.

McQueen is one of a number of young players that have already been in and around the south coast outfit’s first team this term under Puel, and with a busy schedule ahead, FootballFanCast takes a look at FIVE  players who could follow him into the starting XI in the coming weeks and months.

OLUFELA OLOMOLA

Not many Saints fans would have been familiar with Olomola before this season, but the striker has been on the fringes of the starting XI ever since appearing on the bench against Sunderland back in March.

After being named in the 18 for the trips to Leicester City and Hapoel Be’er Sheva, the 19-year-old finally made his debut as a substitute against Sunderland in the EFL Cup last week.

With Charlie Austin unlikely to play every game because of Puel’s rotation system, and Shane Long and Jay Rodriguez both struggling with confidence in front of goal, it could be a taste of first-team football that continues.

JACK STEPHENS

Following successful loan spells at Swindon Town and Coventry City, as well as a rather unsuccessful one at Middlesbrough, the centre-half is back at Southampton and looking to force his way into the starting XI.

Virgil van Dijk and Jose Fonte are Claude Puel’s first-choice pairing but with the number of matches the club has to contend with this season, and with Fonte not getting any younger, the Devon-born youngster has a real chance to show his manager that he can be the future at the heart of the defence – as he did when he was rewarded with a start in the 1-0 win against Sunderland last week.

JAKE HESKETH

The attacking midfielder made his bow for Saints in the 2014/15 campaign as a late substitute against Manchester United, before making his first start five days later in a defeat to Burnley.

However, injury forced him off at Turf Moor, and he hadn’t made a senior appearance for the club until Puel named him in the team to face Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup in September.

The 20-year-old impressed at the top of the diamond, and also netted his first ever senior for the club.

He was rewarded with a place in the starting XI for the trip to Hapoel Be’er Sheva in the Europa League, but was substituted off by Puel in the 35th minute, with the Frenchman saying he took the decision to protect his player in what was an electric atmosphere in Israel.

Nevertheless, Hesketh is sure to get more minutes with the games coming thick and fast for the club.

JOSH SIMS

The winger has long been touted to be the next name to graduate from Saints’ famous academy, but he is yet to make his debut for the first team.

The speedy forward was rewarded with a new deal last year that will keep him at the club until 2018, and he hit a fine run of form for the U-23s earlier this term, scoring four goals in four matches.

With the matches coming thick and fast over the Christmas period and Claude Puel favouring the rotation system, it might not be long until the 19-year-old finally gets his opportunity.

YAN VALERY

The youngest name out of the five at just 17, the right-back made a big impression on his French compatriot Puel when he was called into the first-team squad in pre-season.

Of course, age is just a number when it comes to youngsters making their breakthrough with this club – just ask Theo Walcott, Gareth Bale and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – and with Cedric Soares and Cuco Martina the only two recgonised right-backs, that the chance could arrive sooner rather than later.

It was even stevens at Old Trafford this Saturday lunchtime as Manchester United and Arsenal played out a keenly fought contest.

In a game built up around the famous old tussles between the two sides over the years and the evident animosity between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, things were surprisingly good-natured for the whole game.

One particular flash point in the first half saw Andre Marriner judge Nacho Monreal not to have fouled Antonio Valencia in the penalty area and the referee appears to have got that decision right, despite Mourinho’s protests on the touchline.

The heat went up a notch in the second half as United looked to take the game to a fairly subdued Arsenal side and they eventually found the break through as Juan Mata swept home with little over 20 minutes remaining.

The Red Devils went looking for a second, too, but the Gunners stood firm and managed to nick an equaliser in the final couple of minutes through second half substitute Olivier Giroud at the far post.

It was an interesting contest and here are five things we learned from it.

Arsenal still have things to learn

If Arsenal are serious about winning the title they need to find a way of winning the big games away from home. This was not a performance that smacked of the Gunners knowing how to go and get a result at the big grounds and, in truth, they were lucky to get a point. Giroud’s equaliser could be crucial in the title race in months to come but only if the Gunners can start winning these games.

Mata United’s catalyst

Despite all the huge names Manchester United signed in the summer, Juan Mata is still the main man for the Red Devils when the big games come around. Some thought the Spaniard would leave when Jose Mourinho was announced as the club’s new manager but he has once again shown that he is simply indispensable for the Old Trafford side right now. Things may change over the course of the season but he’s currently United’s most important attacking outlet.

Mourinho beginning to make mark

The Portuguese boss should be pretty pleased with what he saw this afternoon from his side as the Red Devils put in a performance typical of a Mourinho team. Whilst they were not as free flowing as some sides have been in the league this season, they carried out their manager’s tactics to near perfection and contained a much-fancied Arsenal side for most of the game. This could actually be a good building block for the Old Trafford outfit.

Mesut Ozil still goes missing

The question over Mesut Ozil in the big games still remains. Whilst the German performed well against Chelsea earlier this season, he was tactically taken out of the game. The best players in the world work themselves into the match, but he simply couldn’t influence it. The former Real Madrid man can be unplayable at his best but he can also frustrate to equal measure. The World Cup winner needs to start doing it on the big occasion.

Gunners do have fighting spirit

To their credit, Arsenal hung in there for the whole game and saw out some serious Manchester United pressure before nabbing a point right at the end. In past seasons, we would have seen the Gunners roll over once Juan Mata had scored and get hit for two or three more. But against United, they rolled with the punches and got themselves back into the game as the final whistle approached. It wasn’t a good Arsenal performance but they still got a point that could be pivotal in this season’s title race.

Although the wheels have not yet come off Liverpool’s season, one point from the last six available has shown how the bolts keeping them on are wiggling a little loose.

In Jurgen Klopp they have a manager on hand with the necessary spanner to tighten them up, but the German needs to act quickly to ensure a loss at Bournemouth and a draw at home to struggling West Ham will not prove to be two key events as the Merseysiders look for a first ever Premier League title.

Ordinarily, such results would not be seen as a major issue, But with Chelsea having won nine matches on the spin and Arsenal having also shown title-winning form of late, there is a danger that any more slips will render the gap between Liverpool and the summit of the division too great to bridge.

So, travelling to Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium has suddenly become a crucial game in the club’s season. The newly-promoted Teessiders have made a solid, if unspectacular, start to their first campaign back in the top flight, but impressive draws at Manchester City and Arsenal show that they are somewhat set-up to take advantage of the bigger boys.

However, we think Liverpool will get back to winning ways in the North East, and here are THREE stats to back that up…

Shot-shy Boro, frugal Liverpool

Interestingly, this game at the Riverside Stadium sees the team that take the fewest shots come up against the team that concede the fewest shots. Boro are the division’s most reluctant team when it comes to pulling the trigger with just 9.2 efforts-per-game fired at goal, while Liverpool have only allowed, on average, the ball to be aimed at their own goal 7.8 times-a-game.

Looking at this, it seems that Boro are unlikely to test Loris Karius, or whoever starts in the Reds’ goal, too often. The fewer shots there are taken, the less likely the ball is to hit the back of the net – that’s just plain mathematics.

Perhaps somewhat contrary to Liverpool’s ability to prevent efforts on their goal, they have conceded 20 in 15 games, the highest of any side in the division’s top six and more than Boro’s 16 over the same period.

Playing the passes…

In terms of average possession, Boro sit firmly in midtable with their 48.8% of the ball the 11th highest in the division. Liverpool, meanwhile, are 10.1% better off with 58.9%, so it would seem that Klopp’s men will have the bulk of the play, even though they are the away team on Teesside.

Delving a little further into the numbers, Liverpool are well set up to take advantage of this with no team in the Premier League able to better their 9,151 passes played across 15 games. Jordan Henderson has played the most with 1,323 – another division high.

It’s not a possession for possession’s sake either, with the high-flyers having hit more shots at goal than any other team (280), while creating more chances (227) than any of their divisional rivals. Unsurprisingly, Klopp’s men have also netted the most goals of any Prem team (37).

Long-ball Boro

Looking at Boro’s passing in detail, it’s clear to see that a high quantity of Aitor Karanka’s team’s balls go from back to front – only Burnley and Crystal Palace have played more long balls than Middleborough’s 76.

Typically, this approach makes sense for the Teessiders, but with Alvaro ‘The Beast’ Negredo a serious doubt for the game at the Riverside Stadium, there’s every chance that Jordan Rhodes will lose the bulk of his aerial battles with Joel Matip, who has won, on average, 2.4 battles in the air-per-game this term.