Champions League Semi-Final Preview

First, I would like to start by saying footballers must be the dumbest breed of human being on the planet. There really can't be anything between their ears. How they managed to vote Ryan Giggs PFA Player of the Year is beyond me. Don't get me wrong, I love Giggs more than is appropriate for a man to show. He has given me more glorious moments over the year than most other players. To me he is the best winger to have played in my lifetime. The Player of the Year award though is meant for the most valuable player of THAT PARTICULAR SEASON. It may have been known as the Lifetime Achievement Award otherwise.

Giggs has barely played this year illustrated by his 12 starts in the league. He has not stamped his authority on most games save for the game against Chelsea at Old Trafford. Has he been rewarded for adapting at the age of 35 from a left winger to a central midfielder? Should it be that surprising given he was always a master passer of the ball with great vision. Giggs has not even been the best player in his own team. Steven Gerrard and Nemanja Vidic are far more deserving winners. Vidic over the first half of the season kept United in the race and was the rock that the clean sheet record was built on. Gerrard has propelled Liverpool to be arguably the best team this year.

It just goes to prove that footballers vote without thinking, accepting the orgasmic praise of a foolish fawning media. Love you Giggs but even you don't deserve this.

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My generation was brought up on the Manchester United - Arsenal rivalry. If you ask fans my age which team they hate most the answer you will definitely get is Arsenal. If you're a Manchester United fan. And vice versa if you're an Arsenal fan. I'd change my name if that weren't true.

United and Arsenal were trading trophies from 1997 to 2004. Formative years in watching and learning football they also instructed in all that was evil about the other side. Arsenal were a violent and dirty side. Their commitment to beautiful attacking football was a farce - it only began with Wenger in 1996. It was not their tradition, not in their lifeblood. They were frauds, pretenders to the throne of the great entertaining champions. That was United's claim to fame.

Of late, Arsenal haven't been challenging for the Premier League so the grand rivalry of Keane and Vieira has lost its zing. The squads have evolved a lot over the last 3-4 years and that hatred has given way to grudging respect in some sense. I can speak of the beauty of Fabregas' vision and the wondrous skill of Van Persie only because I haven't considered them much of a challenge for a while. That is about to change as the two play each other three times in the next three weeks. Good old memories of hating the rival are back.

Onto the games themselves. Giggs was rested over the weekend against Spurs so that pretty much guarantees him an 800th cap on Wednesday. The one spot in defence that is not a lock is right back and unless Brown has made shocking progress in the last fortnight that spot will go to Rafael. Both Rafael and Evra have been weak against players taking them on and going for the cross. Neither of them are able to force the winger to cut inside rather than play behind them. It means more balls being bombed in and greater uncertainty as to the end result. Ferdinand is weaker on the flighted cross and Adebayor and subsequently Bendtner could cause some trouble. I expect Walcott and Nasri to try and exploit this.

In central midfield, Carrick should be accompanied by Fletcher and being at home I think Giggs may not start as Ferguson opts for a 4-4-2. Rooney will cover the left wing and Park on the right. While both will be tasked with tracking back and helping out their fullbacks, Rooney will have the added responsibility of being United's creative force. Berbatov will be the deep lying striker setting up for diagonal runs of Rooney and Ronaldo as well as making his way into the box.

Fletcher should be made to man mark Fabregas. The little Spaniard has been in great form since his return from injury. Playing physically with him and preventing his runs into the box and closing down space for the through balls could shut down Arsenal.

United themselves should look to play physically up front as well. Sagna is good on the right and Gibbs has been most impressive on the other side but down the middle they still seem to be a little soft. Berbatov and Ronaldo can get into the middle, create a bit of panic and if the midfield runners overload the box there's a good chance of scoring. Arsenal conceded to Liverpool with some poor passing from the defence and by not tracking the extra men that floated into the box. To be sure, United are capable of making the same mistake - witness Modric's goal at Old Trafford on Saturday.

This fixture has usually held goals and I expect there to be a few over both legs. 4-3 to United over 2 legs sounds right to me but if the ramshackle defending continues it may be 4-3 Arsenal. Not really keen on watching the pretenders get to the final, so please United bring the A-game.

UPDATE - I may have been a bit cocky by guessing at United's team since it is obvious that even Ferguson doesn't know it. The other likelihood is a 4-3-3 with Giggs replacing Park. Three midfielders in the center with Fletcher either man-marking Fabregas or tracking the right wing. Rooney will still watch the left. The width would be provided by the fullbacks. It all depends on how attacking or containing Ferguson wants to be.