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It’s not often that Sir Alex Ferguson absorbs too much in the way of stinging criticism, but he was recently offered a harsh review of his current tactical foray at Manchester United.

Calling in ahead of United’s fixture against Chelsea last Thursday, an 80-year-old woman known only as ‘Margaret from Rochdale’ went on the attack during a phone-in on their resident television channel, MUTV.

The target of her fury? Fergie’s resurrection of the diamond formation within the Manchester United midfield. Despite the set-up bearing fruit for the Red Devil’s in the 3-0 win away to Newcastle United last month, Margaret was seemingly fed up of the formation’s defensive downsides.

Dubbing the formation ‘stupid’, she said:

“It isn’t entertaining when you’re 80 years old to watch goals going in from the other side. I don’t like it. It’s going to give me a heart attack and I’m 80. You wouldn’t like to give me a heart attack, would you?”

It was a lovely little anecdote at a time when the game is probably in need of a little comic relief. But beneath the novelty of the comments, Margaret did indeed touch upon a point that is both topical and highly relevant within Old Trafford at the moment.

Whether or not Ferguson was paying too much attention to MUTV last Thursday – he has in fact since jovially admitted to hearing her views – he did inadvertently heed to her demands to at least temporarily shelve the diamond, for the trip to Chelsea. Manchester United reverted back to a more traditional 4-4-1-1 at Stamford Bridge last Sunday, which despite the somewhat controversial nature of the game, paid dividends in a 3-2 victory.

It seemed like a slightly dampening bit of tactical acumen, given the excitable talk that surrounded the set-up in recent weeks. Fans have been waxing lyrical about the prospect of squeezing Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Danny Welbeck, Shinji Kagawa and Tom Cleverley into the same line up. Fergie himself suggested that should the side continue to wheel out regularly, it would be ‘revolutionary’ with it going against how they traditionally play.

And in its box office exhibition against Newcastle United, it served to work an absolute treat. After a somewhat sketchy baptism in the 2-1 away to Cluj in the Champions League, the diamond came back with a bang, where it absolutely scorched Alan Pardew’s men for the opening 20 or so minutes of the first half.

Michael Carrick anchored the diamond, with Cleverley up to his left, Kagawa further forward to his right, and the mercurial Rooney as the spearhead. The deployment of four technicians so compactly consigned Newcastle’s pressing game to the chasing of shadow’s and Rooney in particular, was superb.

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The visit of Stoke City to Old Trafford saw Fergie tinker with a 4-2-3-1 set-up that, despite their now customary lethargic start, ended up producing a 4-2 win. But the Champions League tie against Braga, gave the United crowd a chance to see the heralded formation in action. A failure it most certainly wasn’t, but it represented neither an overwhelming success or dependable future blueprint.

Ferguson’s  side were 2-1 down at half time and despite some really quite quicksilver exchanges between the trio of Hernandez, Van Persie and Rooney, they were left bypassed at times in midfield. A twist of Shinji Kagawa’s knee saw Nani came on and the results were palpable. United looked both more fluent and comfortable in a more traditional 4-4-2.

Sir Alex Ferguson makes a very good point in that although you need width, you don’t necessarily need wingers to provide it. If the diamond is played with the fluidity and dynamism that Fergie will crave, than part of his mercurial attack can peel off and offer it, with say, a Wayne Rooney rushing in to fill the space.

But it’s very easy to let the potential attacking aesthetics, cloud the feasibility that the system offers for the rest of the team. Yes, Rooney as the spearhead of a diamond, has an almost infinite amount of potential. Acres of column inches have been afforded to his ‘natural gifts’ and how much of a domineering influence he could exert from that position.

Yet what about the rest of the team? Do Manchester United really have a set of full-backs in Rafael and the astute, yet fading Patrice Evra, to consistently provide the needed natural width, while responsibly covering the constant threat of attack down the flanks themselves?

It’s all very well neutralising Jonas Gutierrez, but when United come up against wingers with real race to burn and an ability to do damage, it could cause them problems. A seemingly permanent defensive injury crisis hasn’t helped matters, but they continue to look suspect at the back. A narrow focus of play would ensure their full-backs must stand up to the added pressure.

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And furthermore, the ever-grumbling debate about the merits of Manchester United’s engine room, offers some intriguing debate. The holding man in the diamond must be able to create as well as negate. It’s all very well having a holy attacking trinity in front of you, but without a strong influence at the base, life’s going to be very difficult.

Do Michael Carrick or Darren Fletcher bestow the all round game to make a claim for a permanent fixture there? Paul Scholes would look very good in a deep-lying play maker capacity. At 37, it might not be great future planning.

Either way, the diamond does offer a fantastic alternate outlet for Manchester United. Having tactical variety in both this league and in Europe is a superb commodity and the diamond offers an intriguing alternative for Fergie. But for the time being, it should remain just that.

Is the diamond formation a tangible solution at Old Trafford? Or are there any players in particular you feel could add to the set-up? Tell me on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and bat us all your views. 

Queens Park Rangers forward Djibril Cisse has declared that Rangers’ derby with Chelsea is tame compared to what he has witnessed over the past few years of his career.

Cisse, who has featured in table topping local derbies in countries such as Greece and Italy, is relaxed going into Saturday’s clash with Chelsea as he has seen and heard a lot worse than this.

“Do not get me wrong, the rivalry between QPR and Chelsea is very strong. They are our local rivals.

“It’s a derby and it’s a big game for us — bigger than most. It is without doubt one of the most important games of the season, for players and fans.” Cisse told The Sun.

“But all the clubs I have played for have had big local derbies and, when it comes to bad behaviour on and off the pitch, this is not the worst.”

He added “The derbies between Panathinaikos and Olympiakos were just so intense.

“In the week building up to the game the fans would come to our training ground, hold meetings with players and tell us what the game meant to them and why we had to win.

“The pressure on the players was huge and the atmosphere was incredible. That derby had much more tension.

“I’m not saying QPR-Chelsea is a nothing game, it’s a huge game and a big derby.

“But Panathinaikos-Olympiakos is on another level — it’s pure hatred.

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“The players get called everything, including racist abuse. There are no boundaries and it is not nice.”

England manager Roy Hodgson has stated that Arsenal defender Carl Jenkinson is likely to get his England debut in the side’s next friendly fixture.

The full-back has had an impressive start to the 2012-13 campaign, and was touted as an outside chance for the upcoming Three Lions squad to take on San Marino and Poland in World Cup qualifiers.

Despite Jenkinson being left out of the squad for October’s games, Hodgson has confessed that the Gunners’ prospect will be involved against Sweden in the next friendly game. In November

“We kept Jenkinson up our sleeves on this occasion, but he’ll be in our thoughts for the next friendly,” Hodgson is quoted as saying by The Sun.

Jenkinson also qualifies to represent Finland, but is thought to have decided to play for England internationally.

Another player of dual nationality is Raheem Sterling, and it is also believed that the Liverpool youngster will play in the fixture against Sweden to prevent him representing the country of his birth, Jamaica.

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After failing to secure Champions League football, there has been a lot of speculation about Gareth Bale’s future.

Tottenham missed out on Champions League football by a point. With Arsenal winning away at Newcastle, it was the Gunners who pipped their north London rivals to the final Champions League place.

After winning the PFA young player of the year and players player of the year awards and the football writers association player of the year award, Bale is in high demand and wanted by some of the worlds biggest clubs. Bale is only the second player ever to win all three awards in the same season. The other, Cristiano Ronaldo.

But what should be Gareth Bale’s next move.

Everybody associated with Tottenham Hotspur wants Bale to stay. And why wouldn’t they. Bale has been in breathtaking form all season. He’s been an inspiration and has won games on his own. He’s been the standout player this year in the Premiership. If Spurs are going to break into the top four and progress as a team, they need to keep hold of Bale. Without his goals this season, Spurs wouldn’t have been competing for a Champions League place.

With Bale only signing a new contract last season, there have been talks of a new deal reportedly worth £150,000 a week. Signing a new deal would show that Bale has real intentions to stay. It’s also to be believed that there will be a release clause in his contract. An offer of 50million or more will activate his release clause, but his release clause can not be activated until the end of next season.

Tim Sherwood is ‘one million percent’ sure that Bale will stay at the club. Andre Villas Boas said that it is very, very hard to lure a player of his dimension away from the club. The indications are there that Bale will stay.

But a player of Bale’s ability, has to be playing against the best players in the world. To be considered as one of the best, he has to do it against the best. And the only place for that, is in the Champions League.

Real Madrid are huge admirers of Bale. They have the resources to mount a serious bid. Madrid’s director of football, the great Zinedine Zidane, has lavished praise on Bale. Zidane said that the best player in Europe this season was the Welshman. Zidane was impressed with Bale’s technical ability, his pace and ability to go through the gears in such a short space.

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Sergio Ramos has issued a plea for the Welshman to join him at the Bernabeu. Ramos told The Sun, “Gareth Bale is a Real Madrid-quality signing. He can punish any team in the world and has the footballing qualities we look for in Madrid.”

With a chance to prove himself in Spain and play amongst the worlds best, it must be tempting. Another alternative is Manchester United. United are looking to strengthen their squad and they need a player like Bale. United are lacking in quality when it comes to wingers and Bale is the perfect solution. To play for the best team in England and a chance top compete for the Champions League crown, a move to United could be more appealing.

In my opinion, Bale has to leave Spurs. He needs to be competing in the Champions League. He needs to be competing against the best players in the world regularly. He can stay with Spurs another season, but there is no guarantee that they will qualify for the Champions League and he will get nothing out of playing in the Europa League. A player of his ability has outgrown the Europa League. He’s had a great season, he’s in great form and he needs to be playing in the best competition in the world to be considered as one of the worlds best.

This was the kind of convincing win that Hartlepool United had been waiting for since last season.

A win that oozed confidence and purpose, a kind of victory that we haven’t seen from a Hartlepool side for several painful months.

It was a game that ticked a cliche’s statement. If you press the ball, you win the ball. Pools pressed from the front and disposed Portsmouth of the ball on quite a few occasions. If you pass the ball, you keep the ball. On the whole, when Pools passed the ball they kept it with a purpose of going forward. And, as the long suffering fans have been saying for months, if you play the kids, you will have a new lease of life. Indeed, there was a sense of urgency from a youthful Pools, a willingness to win.

James Poole, so stagnated in his performances for the entirety of 2012, was reinvigorated. He dazzled. He seized his opportunity at starting on the left of a three man attack and was in imperious form. His goal, to double Pools’ advantage at his re-start, will have gave the former Man City youngster a new dose of much needed belief. It was a cool, unerring finish that was capped with a kiss and a thanks to the stars.

There were equally impressive performances from Jono Franks on the opposite flank. Simon Walton, bar from a horrid ten minutes in the opening interval where he over hit passes at will, controlled midfield proceedings. He was capably backed up by the composed Ritchie Humphreys. At present, Humphreys is rolling back the years; he is revelling in his occupation as a sitting midfielder. Tucked in behind Poole, Evan Horwood turned in a man of the match performance. Whereas his defensive frailties often overshadow his attacking prowess, at Fratton Park Horwood dealt with fellow Hartlepool-born player Adam Reed with ease. It was testimony to Horwood that the vast majority of Pompey’s threats emanated from the left, Neil Austin territory. Going forward was where Horwood was at his best. His crossing and link up play was the source of much of Pools’ attacks.

Despite the positives, let’s not mask over the obvious dangers of extolling the marooned men. When the hosts did attack with pace the alarming gap between Peter Hartley and Sam Collins was unravelled. Thankfully, it wasn’t exposed, but against opponents of higher calibre the duo will be exploited. Neil Austin was pedestrian for much of the encounter and Pools still lack a goalscorer who would not just provide a finish to the crosses, but provide a presence. Even when Pools did attack so well down the flanks, there was still only one, sometimes two, men in the box. But then that didn’t matter when Pools seized their chances from set-pieces and one-on-ones.

Jack Baldwin opened the scoring with a header after a deep Horwood free kick. If it hadn’t been for the agility of netminder Scott Flinders, though, Baldwin’s goal could have been an equaliser or even a deficit-reducing strike.

Shaun Cooper first tested Flinders from distance before Dan Butler aimed a whistling shot at the top corner, only for Flinders to deny the strike. Flinders was keeping Pools in the game so early on, saving superbly with a pair of brilliant saves in quick succession to prevent first Darel Russell and second the nuisance David Connolly.

Baldwin, however, took advantage at his sight of goal and Pools worked hard to preserve their lead. Collins and teenage Baldwin both slid in to block the ball, Austin cleared frantically and Flinders was again in top form.

It wasn’t just 23rd placed Pompey crafting the chances. Poole coaxed numerous fouls out of his marksmen, Humphreys and Walton sprayed the ball round to push forward attacks, and both Walton and Horwood had chances from distance.

With only seconds on the clock in the second half, Pompey failed to nullify a blistering Pools attack, yet Franks’ centre was sent narrowly over by Poole. Minutes later Wyke flicked the ball on to Poole who scored to double the lead

This was now the test for Pools. So often this season they have succumbed to the pressure of leading, unable to do the basics of defending and allowing their opponents a simple route back into the game.

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Pompey came forward. Pools remained obdurate. A stubborn line of 9 refused to allow the marching blue calvary through. James Keene hit wide from 20 yards. Butler sent a fizzing ball across the box that was unmet. Eventually they were breached, via a cross from the left that evaded all in the box before Jed Wallace side-footed home. Fratton Park was aroused, the South Coast roar threatened to lift the Fratton End’s roof off its screws.

Pools suppressed Pompey, though, and sub Luke James added pace and pressure into the Pools attack. Wyke dashed forward with Poole to his right but went himself before the attack petered out. It needn’t have mattered, sub Greg Rutherford came on and settled the nerves with his first senior goal after slotting beyond Pompey keeper Eastwood.

18 games remain, another 12 victories like this would do just nicely.

You can find me on Twitter @cmbell310 for more Pool chat.

In a week that has been dominated by their move to the Olympic Stadium and the future of their manager its imperative that West Ham stay focused on the present. With manager Sam Allardyce confirming he will sign a new contract when Premier League survival is assured the message is clear. Despite four defeats in their last six Allardyce believes two wins from their remaining nine games will be enough to ensure the Hammers remain a top-flight club. Five home matches make up the bulk of their run-in starting with West Brom on Saturday and a win would put them well on the road to safety with Wigan, Newcastle and Reading all visiting Upton Park before the campaign is out.

The Baggies aren’t to be underestimated though as many clubs have found out already this season. Steve Clarke, formerly a number two at West Ham under Gianfranco Zola, has thrived in his debut season as a manager guiding the Midlands club to eighth. Qualifying for Europe is the objective now for Albion and can close in on the top-six with victory in east London. It would also see them reach their highest Premier League points total of 47 with seven games left to play.

Team News

Kevin Nolan (toe) and Joe Cole (hamstring) are fit to return for West Ham but fellow midfielder Mark Noble (shoulder) is out.

James Morrison (hamstring) is a major doubt for West Brom after he was forced to withdraw from the Scotland squad in midweek.

What the managers said…

“I don’t think we have to wait until we’re quite mathematically safe, with 38 points both parties would say that is enough this season. Hopefully we can get to 38 as quick as possible and hopefully get to 40 points if we can. It’s disappointing that we haven’t secured safety already with our concentration and sometimes lack of goals. It’s made us linger on this subject and we want to get it out of the way and look at next season” Sam Allardyce says he will sign a new deal at West Ham when safety is guaranteed (Daily Mail)

“We are professional, we want to finish as high as we can with as many points as we can. The next target for us is to get more points than we did in the last two seasons which is 47. If we win at the weekend we will equal that, and it will give us seven games to better it. For anyone to question our commitment or our desire to do well for the last eight games is wrong.” Steve Clarke is adamant West Brom have plenty to play for in the last two months of the season (Independent)

Pre-Match Statistic: West Brom will match their best-ever Premier League points total of 47 (set in 2010/11 and 2011/12) should they beat West Ham.

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Prediction: West Ham United 1-1 West Bromwich Albion

Make your bets ahead of today’s showdown at Upton Park by clicking on the banner below

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Keith Downing believes West Brom boss Steve Clarke has provided a seamless transition from the Roy Hodgson era as the Baggies prepare to tackle Capital One Cup holders Liverpool.

Assistant head coach Downing believes Clarke has combined the defensive solidity of current England boss Hodgson with a more attacking approach. Albion are fourth in the Premier League and will be looking to complete a quick-fire double over Liverpool after their 3-0 opening-day win at the Hawthorns. Downing told Sky Sports:

“The manager (Clarke) takes a lot of credit because he stepped into some big shoes in terms of Roy’s work previously. Steve is a very quiet man, he doesn’t take the plaudits too much and he does his work in the background. But the transition has been seamless. He has come in and put his own slant on it. He has worked off Roy’s principles but put his own mark to it.”

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When asked to compare the qualities of the duo, Downing said: “They are very similar, very organised, structured, know exactly what we are doing on the pitch. In general terms, Steve has added a bit in terms of ideas going forward on the offensive side. But there are a lot of principles in terms of what Roy has done in terms of structure and team ethic and he has carried that on. The sensible thing is Steve has realised what is good and added the things he feels need improving and has done that really well.”

I remember in December 2010 sitting in my friend’s living room, having a heated debate, about whether some fans have earned the right to feel hard done by when their team loses.

My friend in question was a Manchester United fan, who had openly admitted to crying when his side lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the Champions League final, in May 2009. I questioned his right to cry, needless to say it didn’t receive a welcoming reception.

However, it has since led me to question whether fans need to see their team lose and suffer the anguish of defeat to really appreciate football?

I think I maybe missed the point a little back then, in that what I had forgotten in such debates is that fans pay with their wallets, as well as their emotions, to watch their football team. Regardless of whether your team is winning 3-0, or losing 2-1, the fans are the ones who still travel up and down the country to follow their teams.

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The team I decided to take issue with back in 2010 Manchester United, are the fans that often are hit the hardest usually with trips to Stamford Bridge where they’re put in the Blues’ Category AA fans section for away ticketing. This means travelling supporters have to pay £60-plus for 90 minutes of pleasure or pain, depending on the result. This is before we consider travelling and any other expenditure of the day out, particularly for away games.

The suffering for the fan also becomes relative, now while I accept that no fan of any team likes to see their team lose, some almost become immune to it. It is also underestimated the release which football is often expected to provide for people who are looking forward to their team play all week, whichever team they support.

One thing though that is communal, is that it always hurts when you are not expecting a defeat. Especially when you watch your team playing what should be a rudimentary fixture at home, it is always fraught with danger and fear that your team could lose, and if it ends up occurring it is always a bitter pill to swallow.

It may seem a strange concept to accept but it is unfair to label some fans more understanding of the nature of suffering in football than others. This is because the supporters can only deal with what is in front of them. For example, supporters of Arsenal may feel just as frustrated at their trophy drought, as supporters of Cardiff do at their frustration at not being promoted to the Premier League.

Whenever fans have to suddenly accept a standard of football at their club which is not what they believe club is capable of, it takes a while to adapt and some fans simply can’t watch their team play a lower standard of football, as it hurts them too much to see it. Don’t get me wrong there are some fans that never have and never will appreciate the charm and quality of football outside the Premier League, but it does not mean that they don’t feel the same passion and energy at every ball kicked.

I often hear fans say the Championship and lower leagues are “real”. I admit there is a feeling within it that you can take a step away from the limelight and away from the constant scrutiny of Super Sundays and the ESPN and Sky cameras. This though does not mean fans in this division, or fans of the Npower football league clubs, suddenly feel football more than those who support Premier League teams.

The point this addresses is that I don’t believe you can argue a fan has suffered more at for example Blackburn last year than Manchester United. The reason for this is that whatever the end result is at the end of the season, each fan goes through extreme highs and lows at different stages of the journey. So for Manchester United fans it may have been an extreme for them to not see their team make it to the Champions League knockout stages in the same way Blackburn fans despaired at seeing their side’s demise which led them ultimately to be relegated.

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I believe football is a commodity that fans can appreciate at whatever level their team plays, so the natural emotions are enough to grasp a true understanding of football.

And I certainly think fans who hold on to concepts such as Manchester United fans need to experience a relegation to acknowledge what football is all about are slightly misguided, as I was back in 2010.

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Christian Eriksen single handedly pulled Tottenham out of the mire in their 3-2 win against Southampton. The talented Dane has always been tipped to do great things at White Hart Lane but is now really demonstrating why he is a class act.

The 22 year old has always been earmarked for his play making talents but he is now adding goals to his game highlighting why he is more than capable of becoming Spurs’s most important player, taking over Bale’s crown as Tottenham’s king.

The former Ajax starlet initially struggled to make an impact but now his consistency and effortless flair are earning him the plaudits Eredivisie fans always except the Denmark international to receive in the Premier League.

In the summer Tottenham’s board will plan a fresh recruitment drive and demand a top four push next season and possibly even a title charge. Here is why they need to build any of their plans for the future around Eriksen.

1. Eriksen is capable of getting the very best out of Soldado 

2. Eriksen consistently is pushing himself to be the best Tottenham player and take the lead.

3. Christian Eriksen is a player that can galvanise the supporters into believing in the team.

The Premier League has seen some world class players since its inception in 1992, indeed the likes of Thierry Henry, Eric Cantona and Dennis Bergkamp have lit up the division during this time, cementing their personal statuses as legends of the game. We’ve also seen some dreadful players during that time, players simply not fit to lace the boots of the iconic figures of England’s top division.

However, there are other players who have somehow gained a reputation as decent footballers that nobody can quite understand. You know the ones, those individuals who get picked every week by the manager but simply don’t deserve their place in the team anymore, either because of their dreadful current form or perhaps the fact that they’re way past their best. Yet, they continue to baffle all those watching by taking their place amongst the elite every week, only to turn in performances that are simply rubbish. We take a look at the Premier League XI who are living off their reputations rather than their form.

Click on Daniel Sturridge to unveil the XI