Due to Champions League qualification clubs are now looking more favourably at the Europa League competition.  So Manchester United will naturally be gunning for glory as they take on Celta Vigo in their semi final.   If however, they win the tournament and finish the English Premier League in the top four, England will have just the four teams in Europe’s elite competition. What I find more interesting is if Manchester United win the Europa League and finish outside the top four! Should this scenario occur, England will have FIVE entrants to the Champions League, rather than four – with United joining the top four Premier League clubs.   There are a host of different scenarios as to who will be in Europe's second tier next season. For starters, the Premier League's fifth-placed club - should United not win the Europa League AND finish outside the top four - will go into the pot.   Then there's the EFL Cup - or League Cup - winners... however that tournament w

Manchester United play Liverpool in what is the first real title shaping fixture of this seasons quite intriguing Premier League. The visitors won't need reminding that Old Trafford is a ground they find the least joy at in recent times (since 99/00) out of a possible 51 points available at the Theatre of Dreams they could only muster up a measly 16 points. Granted the Klopp Effect has taken to his squad and they look a better side than his predecessor even though Suarez and Gerrard graced their squad then. It does look like the mentality of the squad and as a team they look far better than they I expected they would. Mourinho's Effect seems to be taking to his squad as well, I mean Klopp's chargers are facing the form team in the Premier League on their home patch and Jose would hope to make in 10 straight wins in all competitions come full time. As always in big derby's form goes out the window and you couldn't put your money on a definite winner but y

Cristiano Ronaldo was named the world's best player at the inaugural Best Fifa Football Awards in Zurich. Real Madrid and Portugal forward Ronaldo, 31, beat Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann to the prize. Ronaldo also won the Ballon d'Or in December, with both honours recognition for success in the Champions League with Real and Euro 2016 with Portugal. 2016 was quite a year for Ronaldo. As well as scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout to win the Champions League, rescuing Real with a hat-trick in the final of the Club World Cup, captaining Portugal to Euro 2016 glory and being recognised with a fourth Ballon d'Or, he now has something Messi does not - the honour of being named best Fifa men's player. The former Manchester United forward had been the favourite for the award, following a year in which he continued to deliver. The stats don’t lie: 44 games, 42 goals, 14 assists. The third best minutes-per-goal