Jose Mourinho Meets The Press.

It was a calm, confident and assured new Manchester United manager who sat in front of the world's press at Old Trafford.

After almost half an hour Jose Mourinho had laid out his plans for his revolution at Old Trafford in a manner that suggested he was relishing the tough task ahead.

However, it wasn't what he said, but more what he implied during his first question and answer session as the new man in charge of resurrecting the Red Devils.

Mourinho was careful enough not to mention anybody by name but everyone knew who he was talking about. He started by confirming that he wasn't a manager who hid behind philosophies, a dig at his predecessor Louis van Gaal. He then took aim at Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger when he reminded everybody that some managers had not won the league for ten years whereas he had achieved it one year ago.

Next, it was his old adversary Pep Guardiola's turn down the road at Man City when Mourinho stated that he had twenty rivals not just one. He also brought age into the mix when he claimed that at 53 he was more motivated than older managers at the end of their careers which could have been a reference to van Gaal, Wenger and any manager over 60.

Mourinho then proceeded to tackle the Wayne Rooney dilemma by confirming exactly what many United fans have been saying for the last three years and that is the captain is not a midfielder but a striker who the new manager will utilise as a number 9, 10 or even a 9.5 but never 50 metres away from goal where his scoring talent is wasted. Music to the ears indeed.

He addressed the elephant in the room in an honest manner and that was the departure of Ryan Giggs after almost 30 years by admitting that the Welsh legend would only have stayed on as manager but the board had decided to appoint a manager with experience over sentimentality.

When asked about his transfer plans Mourinho confirmed that he had four players targeted to fill in what he called specialised positions but didn't confirm any departures. However, he was very clear on his stance that players should not play out of position. Another shot across the bow of van Gaal's baffling tactics.

Even though Mourinho had a serious look about him the session did have humour built into it, especially when he had to ask his press assistant if the club had finalised the deal with a third player to which she replied 'No, not yet'. He followed that up by replying to a question about whether or not he had received any advice from Alex Ferguson and that the Scot had told him to bring an umbrella and his usual good taste in wine.

The only time that he seemed to become slightly riled was when one journalist questioned him about his past record on promoting academy players. True to his style Mourinho had come prepared with a list of 49 players he had brought up through the ranks at his previous clubs. End of debate.

Overall, it was a Mourinho who seemed to be very much at home in his new surroundings as he said all the right things that will certainly go down well with the Old Trafford faithful. Sure, he will face tougher press conferences as the season unfolds, but at this one, he was in full control of the proceedings.

He appears to have grasped the enormity of the job in hand and the early signs in the transfer market show that he understands exactly who and what is needed to inject a sense of urgency and aggression into a side drained of confidence over the last three seasons.

Only time will tell if the special one is indeed the right one to bring success back to United but all the signs point to a successful partnership between manager and club. Confidence breeds success and Mourinho is not short of that characteristic.

Finally, In Mourinho's own words 'Giant clubs must be for the best managers.'

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

The Rise of Red Devil Rashford.

Manchester United have had a fabulous habit of introducing young raw talent onto the world stage, none more so than the new striking sensation Marcus Rashford.

The youngster from Wythenshawe, Manchester is one player who can hold his head up when he returns home from the Euro 2016 championship.

As the England squad left the home shores to make the very short journey across the Channel to France to embark on their European Championship adventure there was a young man who must have been pinching himself as he looked around him taking in the fact that he was among the elite chosen to represent his country at the highest level.

How the 18-year-old Rashford came to be sitting alongside the likes of United and England teammates Rooney and Smalling is a remarkable achievement in itself and the stuff of dreams.

He was plucked from the relative obscurity of the under 18's due to an injury to Anthony Martial in the match warm up as United prepared to play Midtjylland at Old Trafford in a Europa League tie. What followed that night is exactly why the stadium was given the moniker of The Theatre of Dreams and set the local lad on a journey that doesn't look like ending anytime soon.

Die hard United fans, of course, knew of his immense potential, but many would have been surprised by the way he took his chance with aplomb in a game in which he not only scored a debut double but in doing so cemented his hero status in front of an adoring Stretford End.

The teenager then followed that up with another double against Arsenal in his first Premier League match. A star was born and the confidence he showed in scoring the winning goal in the Manchester Derby was the shining light in a mediocre season for the team under Louis van Gaal.

Rashford ended his first remarkable season as a regular and capped it off with an FA Cup winners medal to boot. He was awarded for his efforts with a training session with the England squad which led to a first international cap against Australia in which it only took him four minutes to score yet another debut goal and in doing so became the youngest England player to score on his international senior debut.

The England manager Roy Hodgson had seen enough and Rashford had booked himself a passage to France. He made his debut at the Euros as a substitute against Wales becoming the youngest England player to play in the Championships beating captain Rooney by four days.

Unfortunately, for Rashford and the nation as a whole he was only called upon one more time and that was for the last five minutes in the shocking defeat to minnows Iceland. In the short time he spent on the pitch he performed considerably better than the other players had in the previous eighty-five minutes.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but it is remarkable that Hodgson persevered with Sterling and Sturridge for so long during the tournament when they were clearly not up to the task. There will be many more international campaigns for Rashford in the future and let's hope he has learnt from his experience of being involved in a major championship.

New United manager Jose Mourinho must be licking his lips at the prospect of working with Rashford especially if he can bring in an experienced striker to help fine tune the youngster's undoubted talent.

The future looks bright for Rashford who has been rewarded for his progress at the club with a new improved contract that will keep him where he belongs for the next four years and hopefully beyond.

Many fans will be interested to see how next season will unfold for the teenager who doesn't seem to be short of confidence and approaches the game exactly how it should be by a United player. His ability, awareness, pace and an unnerving eye for goal should ensure that this shining light will not be diminished anytime soon.

If Rashford continues at the same pace he has the capacity to break many more records for both club and country and at his young age could end up making Rooney take a look over his shoulder.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Tribute: The Flowers of Manchester.

On this day 60 years ago, a group of young men and officials of the most famous football club in England waited at the Munich-Riem airport for their Elizabethan aircraft to be deemed ready to brave the snow and freezing temperatures to carry them on their journey back to Manchester.

The club was returning from a successful match in Belgrade and had stopped in Munich to refuel.
The events that unfolded after the party boarded the plane for the last time would be engraved not only in the memories of those who lived through the terrible tragedy that would unfold, but also in the generations of supporters who would carry the light of their lost heroes forward so that no one would ever forget.

On the day of the tragedy seven players lost their lives in the plane crash, they were Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Liam Whelan and Geoff Bent. These were followed by Duncan Edwards, the greatest player of his and possibly later generations, who passed away a fortnight later in hospital after a brave fight. The heart of the Red Devils had been ripped out in the cruelest of ways. Matt Busby was left fighting for his life, not knowing the truth about his beloved Babes.

The club also lost Walter Crickmer, club secretary, Tom Curry, trainer and Bert Whalley, chief coach.

Many words have been written down the years detailing that fateful day, and I like millions of others have read most of the accounts, which have not only included biographies of the victims but also the stories of heroism by some of the survivors. Heroes like Harry Gregg who risked his own life to help the people trapped inside the burning wreckage.

There were many contributing factors that led to the crash. The biggest of which was the pressure on Busby to get his team back to England in time for their upcoming match on the coming Saturday. If only they had been given a little leeway on the return time they could have delayed the flight until the terrible weather conditions had cleared. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

We should also remember the people who were left behind in Manchester to carry on and try to pick up the pieces. None more so than Jimmy Murphy, Busby's right-hand man. He was left with the unenviable task of rebuilding a side that had been decimated while Busby fought his way back to fitness.

Along with the survivors of the crash Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and the legend that is Bobby Charlton. Murphy begged, borrowed and almost stole players so that United could put out a team for their first match.

That match was at an emotionally charged Old Trafford in the FA Cup against Sheffield Wednesday. Charlton wasn't fit enough to play but Gregg and Foulkes took part in a game that United won 3-0. A poignant match programme had a blank team sheet where the names of the babes should have been.

It is a true testament to Murphy that he managed to take the side all the way back to Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even though we lost the match the result didn't really matter, the occasion did, as Matt Busby managed to join his team at the stadium where most of his fallen babes had played the season before.

Matt Busby and his boys were the pioneers of English football in Europe and it should never be forgotten that they died for a dream that Busby had of taking his team to the pinnacle of European football. A dream they would surely have realised if not in the same season then in the next.

It should also be remembered that the English FA were strongly against Manchester United entering the European Cup. Thıs began the uneasy tension that has been evident between the two ever since.

There is no doubt that with the talent in the team they would have matched and most probably surpassed the great Real Madrid. Already dominant in England, it was a formality that Europe would fall at their feet. The average age of the team was only 24, so it is safe to say they would have been together for many years ahead. Many of the players were England internationals and could easily have helped to lıft the World Cup before 1966.

Not only did United lose a team, but also the world of journalism lost it's valued colleagues, including: Frank Swift (News of the World), Henry Rose (Daily Express), Eric Thompson (Daily Mail), George Follows (Daily Herald), Archie Ledbrooke (Daily Mirror), Alf Clarke (Manchester Evening Chronicle), Tom Jackson (Manchester Evening News) and H D “Donny” Davies (Manchester Guardian).

As each year passes, it's only natural that people connected with the events surrounding Munich pass away, but what is important is that we should never forget that this one heartbreaking disaster is the bedrock of our truly great club. The tears for our lost Flowers of Manchester should never stop flowing and nor should people forget the legacy that Matt Busby and his Babes gave to the greatest club in the world and football.

They are the team that will never die. They are the Flowers of Manchester.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Man United vs Liverpool Rivalry Part 2.

A lot has changed for both teams since United beat Liverpool 3-1 back in September. That match was possibly the Red Devils' best performance of the season so far and it was a match that introduced a new hero on the 'Theatre of Dreams' stage, French starlet Anthony Martial.

However, since that victory United's game has become all too predictable and their tactics and results are nothing to write home about. The pressure on Louis van Gaal has risen to such a level that some sections of fans want him gone. Out of the Champions League with a whimper, knocked out of the League Cup by a Championship side and out of the top four in the league shows all is not well at Old Trafford.

Over at Anfield, they dispensed with the services of Brendan Rodgers and brought in the animated German coach Jurgen Klopp. However, apart from his entertaining touchline antics which involves a lot of chest pumping and the over the top celebrating of draws with his players, they are still a work in progress.

Having said all that there is one thing that will never change and it is that this fixture is without doubt the biggest game in the Premier League calender. It is the one that has all the fans' veins pumping with hate for each other. Come Sunday all the problems will be forgotten as there will be only one aim for both teams and that is to win at all costs. Millions will be watching worldwide, so the stakes are high.

Everybody in football has their adversaries, however, none more so than the reds from either end of the East Lancs. A rivalry that has been built up over the years and one that is not likely to get any friendlier anytime in the future.

The tension between the two cities and clubs has been well documented down the years as both teams have fought it out to be the top dog of English football and no matter how hard the hierarchy have tried to broker peace deals there is more chance of a peace agreement between Israel and Palestine. For the hatred is inbred having been passed down from generations to future generations. If you are a Man United fan then you hate Liverpool and definitely vice versa.

It was fanzines sold outside the stadiums during the 80's, 90's and into the new millennium that fueled the fire and gave fans the platform from which to vent their anger and this was followed by the development of social media that has only provided supporters with a bigger stage on which to show their bitterness towards each other with fans using the medium to poke fun at their rivals or more seriously take it to the extreme and downright vile levels of hatred.

Past jealousy has had a lot to do with the friction as in the fifties and sixties it was all about United then during the long wait for the title to return to Old Trafford it was Liverpool who was the top Liver birds until Alex Ferguson famously restored the balance and knocked them off their perch. Now it is the scousers who find themselves in the unenviable position of waiting for their next league success as it's been a quarter of a century since they were last crowned champions and in that time United leapfrogged the Anfield outfit to win the most titles.

Lately, the title has been a step too far for both clubs which has meant a battle to finish in the top four to enable Champions League qualification. Of course, United's priority is to win the title, but if they do not, then to finish above Liverpool becomes crucial and this they achieved last season and by doing so claimed fourth place.

The players down the years have added that extra spice to the matches, especially during goal celebrations, none more so than Gary Neville, who ran the length of the pitch at Old Trafford to show the away fans in no uncertain terms where his loyalties lay that day and he even had his own anthem in which everyone one was reminded of who he hated.

Wayne Rooney seems to be the main target of the Liverpool fans' vitriol due to his allegiance to Everton, but with the departure of Steven Gerrard to the USA the United fans will have to find someone new to aim their particular hatred towards.

However, now that both sides have added new foreign stars to their squads will the intensity of the United vs Liverpool matchday recede? The answer has to be a resounding no as both set of players will only have to walk the streets of their new cities, read what the fans are saying on the internet or listen to the players who have had first-hand experience of what to expect from the games.

In recent times teams like Man City and Chelsea have risen to new heights thanks to the investment of billions into their transfer kitties, but Man Utd vs Liverpool is always the first match that both United and Liverpool fans look for when the Premier league announce the new season fixtures, whether it be at home or away the faithful on both sides plan for those days more than any other games.

So the continuation of the rivalry turns to this weekend as both sets of players and fans will attempt to outdo each other both on the pitch and on the terraces, sorry in the seats. Van Gaal has an unbeaten record against Liverpool as the United manager having won all his four matches which include three league wins and the preseason friendly victory in the USA. But he will have to be on his toes against Klopp as the German coach was partly responsible for the Dutchman's demise at Bayern while he was at Dortmund.

The build up has already started and will rise to a crescendo of hatred by the time the match kicks off. Without any shadow of a doubt this is the big one.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Has the FA Cup Runneth Dry?

The FA Cup 3rd round begins this weekend and it's a competition that evokes good memories for Manchester United fans even though they haven't won it since 2004 it has always held a special place in the club's illustrious history.

On a personal note, the cup brings up a feeling of warmth from my younger days in a time when if United wasn't involved in the final then you rooted for the underdog and sometimes they prevailed against all odds.

In 1973, as a youngster I watched Sunderland defeat the mighty Leeds United, and yes, they were a big side then. There I was eating a meat pie stood outside Granada Rentals in Manchester watching the match through the shop window after I had been dragged out shopping by my mum and elated that the cup holders Leeds had lost in what was then a huge shock.

The romance of the cup has never left me since that day and even though it doesn't hold the same appeal as days gone by, it is still the FA Cup, the oldest club competition in the world of football and should be taken seriously by all clubs and fans as it is a chance for the 'David's' to take on and defeat the 'Goliath's' of football and become giant killers.

It is true that the coverage of the final by the TV networks doesn't exactly mirror the past and it did kind of lose its appeal when the finals were moved to Cardiff when Wembley was undergoing its transformation, but none of that can detract from the sense of anticipation when the draw for the rounds is being made. I still remember the excitement that it brought when myself and my school friends huddled around a smuggled in radio at school waiting for United's number to be drawn with hopefully a home tie.

I distinctly recall on FA Cup final day in 1983 United played Brighton at Wembley and the coverage started on TV early in the morning and ran right through to the kickoff, which was the cup final tradition in those days.

The BBC and ITV had cameras in the team's hotels, not to show staged interviews, but to follow the players around and get a sense of what they were feeling in the build-up to the final. I can still see the United captain Bryan Robson being interviewed as he was shaving in his hotel room.

This all day coverage brought the fans unique access to their heroes and gave us a glimpse into the world of a footballer and you know what it made us realise that apart from the money and fame the players were also fans like us.

We travelled with them on the team bus and could feel their anxiety as they approached the famous twin towers of Wembley Stadium as their loyal fans waved them on from outside the bus windows along the famous Wembley Way.

Nowadays, with the players protected from media intrusion you will be lucky to see inside the bus through the blackened out windows. When they say that the spirit of the cup has disappeared, then the clubs, the FA and the TV companies only have themselves to blame because they are the ones who have sullied its reputation by not taking it seriously. For exmaple, playing both semi-finals at Wembley was a bad move by the FA and one that was made for money and nothing else.

For a player to play at Wembley in a final used to be their dream now it's possible for them to realise their dream twice! It also has a knock-on effect for the fans who find it too expensive to travel to the capital. The sooner they revert to playing the semis at a neutral ground the better. Don't hold your breath as just maybe they will start to play the quarter-finals at Wembley as well.

For some teams to win the famous trophy is their only chance of glory in an otherwise barren season. As a United fan growing up at a time when our bitter rivals from Liverpool dominated the 1st division on a regular basis, it was the FA Cup that was our only solace. A good run in the cup ending in a final was something that lifted our spirits, especially if we beat Liverpool along the way or even better defeated them in the final itself.

There are many personal memories from the cup that make me smile Robins' winner that, and I don't care what anybody says, literally saved Fergie's job. Lee Martin smashing in the winner against Palace. The deflected goal in the final by Greenhoff against Liverpool that stopped them doing the treble. The last five minutes of the final of 1979. Whiteside's curler that won ten men United the cup. Scholes and Sheringham completing the second leg of the treble and the countless semi-finals, especially the ones at Villa Park, that United won on their way to glory and of course that Giggs goal.

One can only hope that the magic of the cup will return, but I very much doubt it as football has moved on to more lucrative competitions. Having said that, I for one will be eating a meat pie watching the final and cheering on the underdog, unless of course they are up against United, this time in the comfort of my own living room.

Enjoy the cup run and thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

A Dull Derby Draw.

Manchester United 0 Manchester City 0

The 170th Manchester derby will go down as a dull one sided affair in which at least United tried to show the passion and commitment needed in such a match but lacked one all important factor, goals.

After the worry of how United would cope with a long round trip to the Russian capital to play CSKA Moscow, the home side responded with a display that dispelled any concerns as they outran, outplayed and outfought their noisy neighbours with a display that only needed someone to put the ball into the back of the net.

Louis van Gaal got his team selection and tactics spot on as he picked a starting eleven that nullified the opposition. It was composed of De Gea; Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Rojo; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Herrera; Mata, Rooney and Martial.

The only change from the midweek saw Mata return to the team instead of Lingard which meant still no place in the starting line-up for Memphis and Blind. Rooney was once again chosen even-though his form has been questionable lately. The question on people's minds was which Rooney would turn up?

Subs:  Romero, Blind, Darmian, Carrick, Lingard, Memphis and Fellaini.

The Reds got the match underway attacking the Stretford End with Old Trafford, as you would expect, buzzing with the anticipation of a classic encounter.

Valencia started the game by stretching his legs down the right wing but his final deliveries failed to pick out his forwards. It was an enthusiastic start by the home side as they tried to build up attacks utilising both flanks and had an early shout for a penalty after a suspicion of handball inside the box.

The fast tempo of the opening minutes suited United more and seemed to unsettle City but could the home side keep the pace up as they had not started a first half in this vein for most of the season.

Martial's dribbling skills on the left gave the City defence trouble and Fernandinho became the first player to be cautioned after upending the young striker, although the City player should have been booked earlier for an offence that was much worse. It just goes to prove that there has been no consistency in the refereeing of matches this season.

Rooney received a belated 30th birthday present when he was clouted on the head by city captain Kompany and had to leave the pitch to have his scalp stapled to stem the flow of blood.

City still continued to struggle with the running of Martial and on one such foray forward, he played in Mata but the usually cool Spaniard dithered on the ball and the chance was gone.

This was turning out to be a true derby match in the fact that both sets of players were not holding back with their challenges and all showed 100% commitment in the tackle.

The threat of Prince Harry lookalike De Bruyne had been kept firmly in check by the superb defending of Rojo whenever the Belgian ventured into the Argentine's area of defence.

Phil Jones was up to his usual indecisive self by inexplicable heading the ball out for a corner when there was absolutely no danger whatsoever. Rooney then followed that up with a wayward 30-yard pass to nobody. At least Rooney had an excuse having had a bang to the head, Jones on the other hand had no such excuse.

Mata played himself in trouble and went into the referee's book after his challenge to try and retrieve the situation after he had given the ball away in a dangerous area, thankfully for him the resulting free-kick came to nothing.

Kompany was the latest player to be bamboozled by Martial's pace as he unceremoniously brought the French forward down to earn a booking.

At half-time even though the scores were level United had to have been the happier of the two sides after one of their best displays in a first half this season. Despite not having a clear chance on goal they had started brightly and kept the visitors at bay. The only negative had to be the standard of delivery from free-kicks that let United down and without Memphis in the side, it was left to either Mata or Rooney to deliver or in most cases not.

Neither manager made any changes at the beginning of the second-half as United tried to build on their excellent amount of possession of the first half.

Martial and Schweinsteiger combined well down the left to set up a chance for Mata in the box, but the ball was eventually cleared for a corner which provided United with their closest chance of the game up to that point. The ball sailed over everyone and Smalling, who was loitering unmarked at the far post, placed a header back across goal which just crept past the far post. Unlucky by Smalling.

Sterling was taken off by City after only five minutes of the restart following an unconvincing display and at this point in the match United enjoyed 70% of the play but desperately needed to turn it to their advantage with a goal.

Mata was almost played through by Rojo, but Hart was quick to react and cleared before Mata could get to the ball. A lucky escape for the visitors as United continued to press for the opener and City had not offered anything in the way of an attack during the second period.

Van Gaal had seen enough and decided that a change was needed and replaced a disappointed looking Mata with Jesse Lingard for the final twenty minutes to clearly add pace to the attack as the visitors looked there for the taking.

The change almost paid off immediately as Lingard bore down at pace towards the City area and played a nice ball wide to Rooney, whose attempted cross was easily blocked by the away defence.

Fellaini entered the match for the last fifteen minutes in place of Schweinsteiger and didn't seem to have a set position on the field which was obviously meant to confuse the blues, however, it also seemed to confuse the reds as at the same time it coincided with City's best spell of possession in the game.

Valencia was forced to leave the match with a knock to his leg and Darmian became the final substitution of the match for United in the 80th minute.

Magical Martial produced the pass of the match when he played a delightfully flighted ball over the top for Lingard to run onto and the youngster tried an athletic flick towards goal which rebounded off the crossbar. A great ball from Martial and almost a heroes ending for Lingard.

That chance was quickly followed by a close range effort from Smalling that was saved, it has to be said brilliantly, by Joe Hart way down at his near post.

The game finished in end to end play, however, neither side could break the deadlock and the match ended all square at 0-0 in what has to be said was so one sided that United will be angry that they couldn't capatlise on their efforts. City will leave Old Trafford happy in the knowledge they came away with a point after such a tepid display having not troubled David De Gea in the United goal.

The man of the match can only be between two players and they are Martial and Rojo. Martial once again displayed his value to the team whenever he had the ball at his feet and it was his close control at full pace that caused the City defence all sorts of problems. Rojo had De Bruyne completely in his pocket throughout the 90 minutes. The trio of Smalling, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger all played at the top of their games, but it has to be Martial who takes the plaudits again.

Once again, it was another disappointing display by Rooney and you do have to wonder how long van Gaal will continue to pick his captain just because he is the captain. With no shots on target and only a 55% pass accuracy enough has to be enough. Pace is the crucial element to United's attack and Rooney's has waned of late. The upcoming match against Middlesbrough in the league cup could be an ideal opportunity to unleash a forward line comprising of Martial, Memphis, Pereira and Lingard to see what is possible with the youngsters.

Thanks for reading.

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.

Welcome To Manchester, Memphis.

After what has seemed like an age Memphis Depay has finally put pen to paper and signed for Manchester United.

He is one of the hottest if not the hottest young talents in European football, a player that has been sought after by a host of top clubs all over the continent.

He seems to be the type of player ideally suited to the United way. He's young, talented and not short of confidence as he is quick to tell everyone exactly how good he is.

But who is the player that Louis van Gaal agreed to sign before the transfer window even opened in order to beat off the advances of PSG?

Memphis was born on the 13th of February in 1994 in Moordrecht, Netherlands. His father is Ghanaian and his mother is Dutch. His parents separated when he was only four years old so he uses the name Memphis rather than his surname.

At the age of nine Memphis played for Sparta Rotterdam, then came the chance to move to a bigger club three years later in 2006. That club was PSV Eindhoven and he spent time working his way up through their system until he finally made his first team debut in September 2011. It was a Dutch cup match and the opponents were amateurs but all the same he marked his debut by scoring a double.

Memphis had to wait a little while longer to make his league debut which came in February 2012 when PSV beat rivals Feyenoord 3-2 at home.

At the end of the season, Memphis featured in the KNVB Cup final on 8 April 2012 which PSV won 3-0 against Heracles Almelo. Although not on the scoresheet Memphis had done enough to warrant a professional contract which he signed on the 29th of June 2012. It was a long-term contract that would keep him at PSV until 2017.

The following season proved to be his breakthrough season and one in which people took notice of this young Dutch talent. It was also the season that he broke into The Netherlands senior squad making his first full appearance in 2013 which would eventually lead onto the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil. Of course, the national team was coached by the future Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal.

In the 2013/14 season, Memphis made his European debut for his club and although PSV didn't end up qualifying for the group stages he had shown Europe a glimpse of his immense talents. For example, in their second group stage match in the Europa League, Memphis scored a stunning goal by curling the ball into the net from outside the area as PSV beat Chornomorets Odesa 2–0.

After a very successful 2014 World Cup, Memphis was linked to a number of clubs, including Manchester United. However, he stayed at PSV and for them thank heavens he did. His goal tally of 22 went a long way to securing the 22nd Dutch Championship for his club.

In was in the last month of the season that both PSV and Manchester United announced that they had reached an agreement with the player to move from Holland to England. The transfer would be official on June 1st. It was then that Louis van Gaal informed everybody the reasons behind pushing through the agreement. Memphis was hot property and someone had to make a move and quickly.

The player enjoyed an emotional farewell in front of his adoring PSV fans as he signed off with one of his trademark long-distance free kicks. A fitting way to end his career at the club.

Once the dust had settled Memphis spoke of his desire to play in the English Premier league and that it was his dream to play at Manchester United. He also cited the huge influence and no doubt the Dutch connection of Louis van Gaal behind his decision.

So what is in store for the United faithful next season? Well, Memphis is a speedy winger who enjoys taking on defenders and is certainly no lightweight, comfortable on the ball with both feet and of course as he has shown he has an eye for the goal, especially with free kicks. He has excelled in recent internationals for Holland including unwittingly scoring a goal with his face against the USA.

At 21 he has a long career ahead of him and I am sure that he will build on his undoubted talent under the guidance of Louis van Gaal and go on to have a bright future at Old Trafford and help the club to get back to winning trophies.

He left Holland as a champion let's hope he ends his first season at United the same way.

Good Luck Memphis.

Miles Dunton.