Although it pains me to admit this (as a Blackburn Rovers fan), Manchester Utd. seem unstoppable at present. I have never seen a roster of so much depth and quality, Fergie must be beside himself with glee!

He has an embarassment of riches to dabble with every game and the rest of the Premier League managers can only look over and salivate as they peruse over the smorgasboard of players he can choose from every game.

So, that’s one end of the spectrum, now back to reality and your team!

What can we learn from Man Utd?
Well, the obvious one is that good players win games.

The second thing to learn is that even world class players need to be kept on their toes by having to compete for their place in the team.

Thirdly, players need to be rested in order to get the best out of them.

Fourthly ( is that a word?) fast, attacking, direct play is not only exciting to watch, but also damn effective in winning soccer games!

And lastly for now, how many games have Utd won in the last 5 mins of the game? What does that telll you??

So, how do we incorporate these lessons into our respective teams?

Recruitment….good players win games. It has taken Sir Alex 23 years to assemble this roster and I would love it if someone could let us all know how many players he has signed during his 23 years of reign. This just shows how important it is for all of us to spend more time than our competition searching for players.

Competition for places is a must and it has to be a goal to have 2 players per position trying to start and play the full game.

Many of us have to play 2 games per week and resting players is important. This will ensure that when your players are on the pitch they have every opportunity to perform at their best.

Fast, attacking direct play can be achieved at any level so long as you have the right players and you show them how you want to play. You don’t need olympic sprinters or a team of Ronaldos, you just need to make sure your players are faster than the rest of the players in your league and that they know how as a team to get that ball moving quickly immediately after they gain possession.

Finally, the last 5 mins of the game are crucial. You can increase your chances of winning games in the last 5 minutes with good fitness and endurance from your players and the right motivation and tactics from the coach.

So, let us all know what you have learned from Man Utd and how you have successfully incorporated those lessons into your team’s performances.

LET’S TALK SOCCER….