Football analysis by Mark Payne
Mark Payne is a journalist currently living in Sydney, Australia. He is a weekly correspondent for ESPN's online service and a contributor to a host of business, travel and lifestyle publications.
I love wingers, I love them. It was a crushing realisation when I was growing up to learn that I ran about as fast a geriatric on valium and was better suited to clogging than crossing. Due to the lack of kids with a sense of direction at our school my lot was to play [click to read more]
It makes me feel slightly ill to see Brian Kidd sat on the Manchester City bench, but it was probably him who felt sickest at the end of this match. Although this was certainly not a performance without flaws from United, there was plenty on display to be pleased about. Not to mention of course, [click to read more]
Pre-season used to be a quiet time of kickabouts behind closed doors whilst the lads got off the beer and the physio glued Bryan Robson’s leg back together. 2011 has been rather different, as United have met a show-reel that Jason and the Argonauts would be jealous of. Colossus after Colossus has passed through our [click to read more]
After a while of extracting great joy from the spectacle of News International’s dismembering I wondered if there was something inherently evil lurking within. Then I realised that this is the company whose news outlets have been systematically targeting England and United players for years and who had an uncanny knack of leaking scandals directly [click to read more]
Individual Performance of the Season Dimitar Berbatov vs Liverpool They are high pressure games against the team from Anfield and our record against these opponents has not been terrific of late. What’s more, having endured an enormous amount of criticism during his first two seasons at the club the Bulgar had a huge point to [click to read more]
Every man has his price. Unless of course, that man happens to be Paul Scholes. Friday 5th of August will see the midfield great sent off with the visit of Eric Cantona’s New York Cosmos in a testimonial. It must suit Scholes down to the ground to have ‘le god’ back hogging all of the [click to read more]
Within every fanatic there is someone who genuinely likes football and appreciates the game at its highest level. Barcelona are simply sensational and it is a pleasure to watch them play. There is nobody to blame for United’s defeat at the hands of the Spanish giants and we have no choice but to be humble, [click to read more]
The months leading up to the European Cup Final in 1968 were filled with more idealistic sentiments than those we are faced with today. The Beatles launched Apple Records and the musical Hair! (no connection to Bobby Charlton) opened on Broadway. Students were protesting against the Vietnam war and everybody in Manchester knew that Busby [click to read more]
Manchester United are champions of England for the nineteenth time and, like a broken pregnancy test kit, the city glowed both red and blue on Saturday night. One of my friends made the appalling decision to marry a City fan and neither of them can remember who trashed the house at the weekend. Who cares? [click to read more]
One of the best atmosphere’s Old Trafford has produced in a while saw our most dominant display over Chelsea in living memory. And now the secret is out. This title, the nineteenth, is one hell of a big deal for this football club, and it is unthinkable that we won’t claim it now. No season [click to read more]