Martial Unwraps The Toffees.

Manchester United 1 Everton 0

Anthony Martial ensured that United kept up the dream of a Champions League place with the 1,000th strike at Old Trafford in the Premier League.

It was a welcome return to Premier League action for United following the latest round of internationals with the visit of Everton to Old Trafford.

As is usual the international matches brought more injury woes for United with the news that Bastian Schweinsteiger could be out for the rest of the season with a knee injury while on duty with Germany. However, there was more positive news on Herrera and Young, who used the break to get in some important fitness work.

Van Gaal enjoyed possibly his best away performance of the season at Goodison Park in the 3-0 win back in October. But since then the Toffees have vastly improved as a team and have only lost one away game all season so United would have to be on their toes against their possible FA Cup semi-final opponents.

United's starting XI was unchanged from the side that defeated Man City away: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Lingard, Rashford and Martial. Ashley Young and Ander Herrera were named on the bench alongside Memphis Depay whose disappointing debut season continued on the sidelines.

After the unveiling of the renamed South Stand in honour of Sir Bobby Charlton, the match got underway with United attacking the Stretford End looking for the vital three points that would put pressure on Man City.

It was a lively start to the half by both sides as they went in search of an early opener with Martial coming the closest with a rasping drive that narrowly flew past the far post after a slight deflection. A shot that Charlton himself would have been proud of.

The visitors had clearly come to Old Trafford with aspirations of getting a result and looked well organised throughout the side, but a little suspect when Rashford stretched his legs down the right as his pace was too much for Baines.

After half an hour the match was an open affair with the play reverting from end to end. Martial and Rashford were causing all sorts of problems with their pace for the away defence. Blind and Smalling stood firm at the back with the strong threat from the Belgian striker Lukaku.

As the half neared its end Schneiderlin proved once again how valuable he is to the side with another commanding display in midfield as he fed the forward players with the ammunition to attack.

With Darmian providing the width on the right United had a good balanced look about them. The only downside was that Carrick was having a torrid time up against Barkley with the youngster showing up his elder for pace and challenges on more than one occasion.

Half-time and all square at 0-0 for the tenth time at Old Trafford this season with both sets of defenders standing their ground and coming out on top against their attackers with United edging the best of the very few chances and it has to be said slightly on top but with nothing to show for their efforts. A less than entertaining forty-five minutes and at times a cagey affair.

The second half started with a change for the home side as van Gaal replaced Rojo with Fosu-Mensah which meant that Darmian had to switch flanks.

Lukaku had the first chance of the half, but as he turned to shoot from close range Blind was behind him to make a vital challenge before the striker could do some serious damage.

Then in the 53rd minute, United took the lead through their French sensation Anthony Martial to raise the roof off Old Trafford. The move began with Mata on the right wing who played the ball into the feet of Rashford who turned on the style with a backheel into the path of the onrushing Fosu-Mensah.

The substitute collected the pass in the area and played the ball across the goal mouth where Martial was waiting to pounce with a left-footed finish, albeit with the aid of the keeper, to give his side the lead. That strike was United's 1,000th Premier League goal at Old Trafford.

It was a lead that was almost cancelled out by Everton a few minutes later when Jagielka sent a bullet header crashing off De Gea's crossbar.

Carrick's miserable day came to an end when he was replaced by the returning Herrera for the final thirty minutes. Carrick had endured a frustrating afternoon and looked decidedly off the pace.

Since the goal, United looked livelier as Everton were knocked out of their stride and struggled to get a hold of the ball as the Reds went in search of the important second goal to kill the match off.

The link up play between the home sides' forwards was at times exciting to watch, especially between Mata and Martial who between them almost conjured up a chance as the game entered its final fifteen minutes. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough of those moments of inspiration throughout the game.

Daley Blind was replaced by Valencia after he received a knock while clearing his lines. Blind performed well at the back and was outstanding against the power of Lukaku. The change meant that Fosu-Mensah switched to centre-back to partner Smalling.

De Gea produced a moment of deja vu after his heroics last season in the same match with a save on the line from a goal bound effort from that man Jagielka again. During this period, Everton enjoyed their best spell of the game and United had to be alert to the danger.

Alert they were as they saw out the match and collected all the three points to move up into one point of neighbours Man City in the fight for a Champions League place.

A special mention has to go to Daley Blind who was brilliant at the back alongside the ever reliable Smalling. Martial proved his scoring ability and his partners in attack never stopped running all day. Fosu-Mensah showed he has the talent to succeed with an assured performance after coming on with an assist for the goal and an all important block when Everton threatened towards the end.

It was vital that United won this match as next week they will be away to Spurs who themselves are chasing the title. So, a victory along with a clean sheet stands the Red Devils in good stead for the trip to London.

After an incredible 60 year association with Manchester United, Sir Bobby Charlton was honoured before the game with the renaming of the South Stand after the legend. A fitting tribute to a man who is after all Mr. Manchester United.

How about renaming the last available stand, the old Scoreboard End, after the man who literally rebuilt the club after the devastation of the second world war and went on to make the club into the giant it is regarded as now, Sir Matt Busby.

To end on another high it was great news to hear that Luke Shaw will start training with a Physio on the training ground this coming Monday. After the horrific double leg break, he suffered back in September let's hope that next season he will come back stronger and full of confidence.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

George Best: The Boy from Belfast.

"It was a very simple team talk. All I used to say was 'Whenever possible, give the ball to George'" Sir Matt Busby.

In the final part of my tribute to the 'United Trinity', I have literally left the best till last, George Best. Over the years, thousands of words have filled hundreds of books, magazines and newspaper columns filling both the back and front pages with tales of his on and off field exploits some false but unfortunately the majority mostly true.

Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1946 he arrived in Manchester at the age of 15 having been discovered by United scout Bob Bishop who informed manager Matt Busby that he had found a 'genius', but it nearly turned sour as after only a couple of days Best returned home to Belfast feeling homesick. He was eventually convinced to return to Manchester by Busby, the United coaches and his father.

In the 60's a youngster coming to a different city must have been formidable, especially for a teen with a strong Northern Irish accent and being the first time away from his family. However, Best was in safe hands at a club who were well used to looking after and developing young players.

Young George spent the next couple of years as an apprentice at Old Trafford and trained with players much larger than himself, but Busby informed all the coaches to let the slightly built youngster develop in his own way.

Over the next two years the Best had developed enough that Busby didn't want to wait any longer to unleash the boy wonder and in September 1963 Best was named as a reserve for the fixture against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford.

Famously, Best believed that he had only been chosen as an errand boy to carry the first team player's bags and to hand out the half-time tea, but at the pre-match luncheon Busby informed the shocked teenager that he would indeed be playing that day.

While other players in the dressing room were going through their pre-match rituals to ease their nerves Best was the epitome of calm as he sat browsing through the Matchday programme.

The lack of nerves was to become synonymous with George whether it was playing in front of packed grounds at home or abroad or coming up against brutes of defenders, he never showed any nerves and went about embarrassing full-backs up and down the country by twisting and turning his way around the pitch.

Best must have believed that he done enough to warrant a stay in the first team after the 1-0 victory over Albion but it wasn't to be and he had to wait another three months to earn a recall and he grabbed his chance with both hands, and feet, in a home 5-1 victory over Burnley in which he also scored the first of his 179 goals as a Red Devil. From that match, he never looked back and became a regular for almost the next decade.

That debut season he went on to make a total of 26 appearances, scoring 6 goals and there was something fresh about his play in which not only were the opposition mesmerised by his skills, but also the fans who had found a player they could rave about on the way to matches as well as on the way home. A new hero for a new era.

The next season, 1964/65, Best was instrumental in bringing the First Division title back to Old Trafford for the first time since 1957 as United pipped Leeds to the title on goal difference with Best contributing with 10 goals in 41 appearances, but more importantly it propelled United back into the European Cup competition and a chance for Best to display his talents abroad.

Best was enjoying his football playing alongside more experienced players, including Charlton, Foulkes, Law and Crerand not that he needed any help from his teammates as he would generally do his own stuff on the pitch as once he had the ball at his feet it was as if it didn't want to leave him.

George's first taste of European Cup football in the 1965/66 season came in the return leg against HJK Helsinki at home in the preliminary round. United easily won 6-0 with Best netting twice, but his status was catapulted into the stratosphere in the quarter-final 2nd leg against Benfica in Portugal.

United had won the first leg at home 3-2 and the return tie was in the balance that was until Best took the match by the scruff of the neck and turned in a performance of pure brilliance scoring twice in a 5-1 drubbing of the Portuguese champions.

The 19-year-old returned to Manchester on a different level and an instant hero. Having been dubbed the 5th Beatle by the media everybody wanted a piece of this new football genius. Many people have put this sudden rise in his status as the start of his off-field troubles as he seemed to appear more on the front pages than the back.

Unfortunately for both United and Best the season would finish on a downbeat note as it would end empty handed even though he had scored 17 times in 43 games. Best would also suffer a knee injury that kept him out of the crucial European Cup semi-final in which the reds lost out to Partizan Belgrade when they badly needed his goal scoring touch.

In the 1966/67 campaign success returned to United as they once again won the First Division with Best an ever present playing 45 games and contributing with 10 goals in all competitions. More importantly, it meant that United would once again have another chance of lifting the European cup.

The 1967/68 season would prove to be Best's most prolific in the red of United as he scored an incredible 32 goals in all competitions which included a massive 28 in the league, however it wasn't enough as local rivals Man City ran out champions by only 2 points.

The disappointment of not retaining the league would soon be tempered by the glory of being crowned the first English club to become European champions.

On the way to the final United had dispatched the mighty Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-final with George securing a 1-0 win at Old Trafford in the first leg. May 29th, 1968 at Wembley stadium Benfica were the team standing in the way of United winning the European Cup a decade after the tragedy of the Munich air disaster.

On an emotional night, Best and his teammates turned in a display that the previous Busby Babes would have been proud of as they beat the Portuguese 4-1 after extra time.

Of course Best scored on the night and the iconic image of him celebrating with his arm raised and socks rolled down will live forever in the memory of all true United fans.

Nobody would have guessed as the team danced along with Busby around the famous turf at Wembley that this would be the last silverware that Best and indeed United would win together. The future looked so bright, but it actually proved to be the pinnacle of success under the legendary manager.

That year George was also awarded the Ballon d'Or as had Law and Charlton earlier in the decade, the 'United Trinity'.

Following the dizzy height of that incredible night in 1968 Best would go on to make a total of 244 appearances, scoring exactly 100 more goals over the next six seasons.

His hair would grow longer, as would his beard, but his skills never waned, and of course, there were reports of his adventures every day in the press, but the fans didn't care as long as come match day his name was on the team sheet.

During those years Best started to spiral out of control off the field with reports of alcohol problems and missed training sessions.

It seemed that as hard as Matt Busby tried to take care of his star player the more outside influences were pulling him away from the safety of the club.

As United's fortunes dipped many speculated that things had to change at the club before it was too late and in 1969 Matt Busby passed on the managerial role to former player Wilf McGuinness.

In McGuinness' short lived time as manager Best did his utmost to turn the club's fortunes around by scoring 23 times, including a record 6 goals in an FA Cup tie against Northampton Town.

However, it all came to nothing and Busby returned as manager in 1970. By that time George was starting to misbehave on a regular basis and was fined by the club after missing a trip to London to take on Chelsea as he was busy elsewhere. Busby seemed to be totally fed up with Best's antics, but as hard as he tried he was powerless to keep him in check.

Frank O'Farrell was given the unenviable task of keeping Best on track in the 1971/72 season, but he was up to his old tricks by missing a whole week of training mid-season. Amid the problems he did score 26 goals in 53 games, it was turning into a conundrum for the club.

After Best again failed to turn up for club commitments, choosing instead to party in London, he was punished with suspension, a fine and transfer-listed.

After O'Farrell was replaced by Scot Tommy Docherty as the manager the situation between Best and United had gone beyond repair and George played his last game for the Reds in a loss to QPR at Loftus Road on New Years Day, 1974 having made 470 appearances and scoring 179 goals. That season United were relegated from the old First Division.

George, of course, played for the Northern Ireland national team representing his country 37 times, scoring only 9 goals, four of which came in one match.

It was a shame that he didn't have the chance to show off his talent on a World Cup stage as it would have made him, without question, the number one player in the history of the game, which is often given to Pele or Maradona.

It would be correct to say that Best fulfilled his early potential in football, however, due to circumstances far beyond anyone's control it didn't last. Upon leaving United in 1974 after 11 years at the top and at the prime age of 28, he became a roving player who plied his skill around the world including England, Scotland, Ireland, America, Australia and even Hong Kong. Wherever he played fans flocked to the stadiums as he still had the pulling power of a superstar.

After he retired from playing It seemed everybody wanted a piece of the United legend for his guaranteed popularity the controversy his fight with alcoholism would produce.

An example of this was the infamous live TV interview hosted by fellow Irishman Terry Wogan where the BBC disgustingly filled his dressing room with drinks and ended up being red-faced as the public sympathised with George's situation.

Towards the end of his life he worked as a football pundit on TV and fans enjoyed listening to his views and insights on his beloved Manchester United, however, he was visibly suffering with his addiction and in the end it got the better of him. He sadly passed away on November 25, 2005 aged only 59.

A minutes silence was adhered to around every ground in the Premier League and the United match at Old Trafford following his death was fittingly against WBA the team who George had made his debut against all those years ago as a skinny teenager.

What George Best gave the watching thousands each match will never be equaled, no matter how hard other players try. He was a one-off, a man blessed with the attributes that other players can only dream of.

If only there had been somebody to put their arm around his shoulder and not a hand in his pocket, maybe, just maybe he would still be with us now instead of succumbing to the dreadful disease that alcoholism brings.

It's a almost a decade since George left us, but one thing is for sure he will be forever remembered by all fans all over the world as simply the Best.

George Best a true footballing genius.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester United Legends: Denis Law.

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Spinning away from goal, right arm extended upwards with the cuff of his sleeve tightly gripped in his hand and with one finger pointing to the heavens is a sight that is forever embedded in the memory.

The man in whose goal celebration has been immortalised in statues gracing the Theatre of Dreams is none other than the King of The Stretford End, Denis Law.

As he celebrates the milestone of his 80th birthday and almost 60 years since the likeable Scot signed for Manchester United, in doing so cementing his status as a United legend, I take a look back at his time at United.

Charlton, Law and Best three names that will be forever synonymous with Old Trafford as the United Trinity all played under the guidance of Sir Matt Busby during the heady sixties a decade in which saw the glory days return to Manchester United and breathe fresh life into the club that had suffered from disaster in 1958.

Law joined United on the 12th of July 1962 at the age of 22 signing for the Red Devils from Torino of Italy for a British transfer record fee of £115,000. However, if Bill Shankly had gotten his way three years earlier Law could have been a kop hero instead of the Stretford End King.

In 1959 Shankly, who had been the manager of Law's first professional club Huddersfield, left to take over as manager of Liverpool and the first player he wanted to sign was his fellow countryman, but the problem was that Liverpool simply couldn't afford the transfer fee and the next year Law signed for Manchester City for £55,000 which back then was a British transfer record.

Matt Busby had tried to buy Law when he was a teenager offering £10,000 which at the time was a substantial amount of money for a young player, but Huddersfield rejected the offer. Busby tried once more to acquire the striker before he signed for local rivals City.

He only played for City for a season and helped them avoid relegation by netting a total of 21 goals which doesn't include the six goals he scored against Luton Town at Kenilworth Road in the FA Cup as the match was abandoned with twenty minutes left due to a waterlogged pitch and his goals didn't count. To make matters worse, City lost the replay 1-3.

The following summer the boy from Aberdeen decided to showcase his talents abroad and signed for Torino. His time there seemed to be a mixed bag from the start with Inter claiming that he had agreed to sign for them, a car accident, that almost killed his friend and colleague Joe Baker, from which Law escaped from unhurt and the style of play in Italian football at that time hardly suited British strikers due to the ultra-defensive mentality that limited goalscoring chances. However, Law was voted the best foreign player in Italy during his time there.

The straw that broke the camel's back for Law came in one match against Napoli when he was sent off and after the match discovered that unbelievably the referee had been told to do so by his own Torino manager as he had taken a throw in when instructed not to. Law had had enough and at the third time of asking Matt Busby finally got his man.

His love affair with Manchester United had begun and it was to be an affair which would have incredible highs, including winning and scoring in the FA Cup final against Leicester City in 1963, two first division titles in 1965 and 1967 and being honoured with the prestigious Ballon d'Or in 1964.

In his first season as a Red Devil, he ended up scoring a total of 29 goals which included a strike on his debut against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford.

Over the next decade, he would go on to play just over 400 games and score a total of 237 goals a brilliant return considering he endured knee problems on a regular basis. His most prolific season was 1963/64 in which he scored 46 goals in all competitions.

He was also a target of referees and the FA, following comments he had made concerning a certain referees professionalism, receiving some outrageous suspensions one of which was in the 1963/64 season a 28 day ban after a red card against Aston Villa which severely dented United's chances of winning the league. They finished second behind his old manager Bill Shankly's Liverpool.

The following season he helped United to the first division championship by netting 39 times in all competitions. That season he scored 28 league goals which were crucial as United and Leeds ended the campaign on the same amount of points, but United had a superior goal difference of 19 goals.

His style of play and knack of scoring both incredibly athletic and poacher like goals endeared him to the United faithful and it quickly earned him nicknames such as 'The Lawman' and the one that stuck 'The King of the Stretford End'.

There was no better sight than to see Law leaping above the defenders to head the ball in or ghost in between defenders to slot the ball home, but the most famous had to be the overhead kick that had all the children trying to copy in the park. Above all else it was his fearless character that won him the biggest respect among the fans.

In no way hugely built compared to the defenders of that time he was harried and bullied as he led the front line, but his never say die attitude and the experience he received while at Torino stood him in good stead.

His time at United also came with some lows. One of those was the incident in 1966 when he asked Matt Busby for a pay rise that made his manager see red leading to this famous Busby quote: "No player will hold this club to ransom, no player".

His second championship medal came in the 1966/67 season when he once again ended up the leading goalscorer for United with 23 in the league.

Busby had built another great team and the world sat up and took notice, and with George Best in the side they were also elevated to 'pop star' level. Along with Law's goalscoring skills, they had the likes of Herd, Crerand, Stiles, Foulkes, Dunne, Stepney and of course Bobby Charlton. The side played the United way, entertaining, but at the same time lethal.

The low ebb of his time at United had to be when Law, who had struggled for a while with a knee problem, would miss out on the clubs' biggest night in their illustrious history. It was May 1968 and as his teammates were defeating Benfica at Wembley to become the first English side to lift the European Cup as they were doing so Law was watching the match from his hospital bed following surgery to his knee.

It's difficult to imagine what was going through his mind at that joyous time for the club, but it must have been a bittersweet night for The King. However, you never saw him without a grin on his face and his brilliant sense of humour.

As the decade came to a close, it was time for a change in management and the reigns passed briefly from Matt Busby to former Busby Babe Wilf McGuinness in 1969 a move that didn't sit well with some of the experienced players at the club. Law missed most of that season with an injury and United finished in a miserable eighth spot.

Busby came back for a short time until the appointment of Irishman Frank O'Farrell in 1971 but by then the writing was on the wall for most of the players, including Law, who had been transfer listed, but surprisingly no buyers came calling. When O'Farrell was fired it was Law who put forward the name of fellow Scot Tommy Docherty as his replacement. Docherty had been Law's Scottish national coach.

Law made a scoring debut for Scotland in 1958 against Wales and went on to earn a total of 55 caps and score 30 goals until his last game in 1974. Ironically, it was Matt Busby, who handed Law his first international game while he was the Scottish manager for a short time in the winter of 1958.

Law played his last match for United against Norwich City in 1973 and ended his illustrious eleven-year association with Manchester United by swapping red for blue with a free transfer to Manchester City.

Law only played one season for City and it started with another debut goal, but it's how it ended that would become synonymous with his time there.

Following his infamous back-heeled goal against United at Old Trafford he left the pitch, head down and visibly distraught by the scenario that had been created. The fact is in the end his goal for City that beat his beloved United had no bearing on United's relegation as they were doomed anyway.

Following his retirement from the game in 1974 he made use of his bubbly character and knowledge of the game by joining the media, mainly radio to start with, to share his wisdom on all things United.

He was honoured with a special section at the Old Trafford museum commemorating his 50-year association with the Red Devils.

At 80 he still lives in the Manchester area and can be seen regularly at United charitable events and matches. He married his wife Diana in 1962 and has five children. He revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer back in 2003. Two years later in 2005 he was at the bedside of fellow legend George Best when he passed away.

Having had the honour of meeting Denis Law he is nothing short of a true gentleman sparing the time to reminisce about his career and thoughts on United past and present. Although the encounter was all too short, he left a lasting impression on me and his love for the game is contagious.

He has been honoured with the appointment of CBE for his services to football and charities.

A legend in the true sense of the word.

Thanks Denis.

Miles Dunton.