When Jose Mourinho burst onto the scene and Chelsea became the new force in English football, there were many who thought Alex Ferguson’s days as Manchester United boss were numbered.      

Those doubters are suddenly running for cover after the feisty Scot steered United to their 17th league title and the 10th of his glittering Old Trafford reign.      

Mourinho has long gone, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is still fathoming the secret of the Premier League and new Chelsea manager Avram Grant could be on his way like Jose if Chelsea don’t win the Champions League.      

Men like Ferguson, and Arsene Wenger for that matter, don’t come around often. 

What marks them out above the rest is their ability to constantly evolve new teams while maintaining their own attractive brand of football. Like Bob Paisley at Liverpool in the 1970s and 80s they never make wholesale signings. They are masters at tweaking their squads, replacing wearing parts only when needed.    

Ferguson’s current crop are arguably his best ever side and, apart from a new right back, his transfer wish list will probably be a small one. 

While Cristiano Ronaldo, signed to replace David Beckham, has grabbed the headlines and sackloads of awards for his incredible goal haul, Ferguson’s lesser-hyped recruits have been just as vital to the end product. 

United’s attacking play has TV pundits drooling but their march to the title was built on rock solid defensive foundations.      

United conceded just 22 goals in their 38 Premier League matches, a club record, with Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand forming probably the best central defensive axis in the country.

Full back Patrice Evra has also displayed solid defensive qualities to go with his raids down the left wing. With such a miserly rearguard and the ball-retaining powers of Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick in midfield, Ferguson has been able to unleash his attacking options at will.      

Few neutrals begrudged United another title. Chelsea have proved as tough as old boots to beat, but they have rarely quickened the pulse this season.      

While United have been expansive, Chelsea have been attritional. United regularly blew teams away with attacking verve as Chelsea relied on hard graft and individual moments of brilliance.      

Neither method will be a guarantee of glory in Moscow next week when the two sides contest the Champions League final, but millions of armchair fans around the world will be hoping flair and style shine through.

Martyn Herman, London

After 60 minutes of the 2008 Champions League final all eyes will be on the pitch, but for a not-so-obvious reason.  

The match, to be held in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on May 21, kicks off at 2245 local time to accommodate mid-evening audiences in the rest of Europe. 

Fans will surely be wondering what happens to footballers after midnight…  

Will a Cinderella story turn sour for somebody when the clock strikes 12? Will Cristiano Ronaldo’s golden slippers turn into useless flippers?

In all seriousness though, I’d like to know what effect the late kick off will have on the biggest game in English football for many a moon.

The two sets of fans will have more time to sample the vodka before the game, while the players will certainly have to adjust their body clocks so they reach their physical peak when most Moscovites will be in bed.

In the event of extra time and penalties the game could be winding up well past 0100.

Can we realistically expect a game played at a million miles an hour or will it be a dour defensive affair?

PHOTO: Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo lies on pitch during their Champions League semi-final second leg match against Barcelona at Old Trafford, April 29. REUTERS/Albert Gea

Alex Ferguson left PFA player of the season Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench for the start of Manchester United’s 2-1 defeat at title rivals Chelsea at the weekend. The Scot was thinking about the Champions League game with Barcelona, but will he live to regret that decision?

Owen Wyatt and Jon Bramley are joined by vlogonthepitch debutant Mike Davidson to discuss the importance of Chelsea’s victory and look at the run in. Will West Ham and Wigan trouble United? The beauty of the Premier League is that any side on their day can provide an upset.

Our blog after the game on Saturday received loads of comments so keep them coming. If you fancy having a go at a video response, load it up on youtube or wherever, tag it “vlog on the pitch” and if we like it we’ll put it up here.

A Ballack double, a late disputed penalty, other penalties not given, a calamitous Carvalho error, Rooney and Vidic injured, Ronaldo left on the bench, Drogba arguing with team mates, two late Chelsea clearances off the line, United players in a spat with the ground staff well after full time…

What else would you want from the big match between the top two? Well there was Chelsea’s nice touch of holding up a shirt remembering Frank Lampard’s late mother after the first goal.

The pair are now level on points with United holding a far superior goal difference with two games left. What’s going to happen? Did Alex Ferguson think too much about the Barcelona game this week?

As Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich prepare to wrap up their domestic titles, at least the Premier League will go down to the wire. 

In our clip above, Cristiano Ronaldo says “football is like that sometimes” following his penalty miss in Manchester United’s 0-0 draw at Barcelona in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

Our vlogonthepitch duo, Owen Wyatt and Jon Bramley, wonder whether the Portuguese maestro was a bit too relaxed in taking the spotkick and a bit too relaxed about missing it. Will it turn out to be crucial in next week’s second leg?

Leave a comment below in the usual way or post a video response to youtube or wherever, tag it “Vlog on the pitch” and we’ll load it up here if we like it.

The neutrals have no doubt. “Flop. Fear wins at the Nou Camp” was Gazzetta dello Sport’s view from Italy of the 0-0 draw between Barcelona and Manchester United in Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final first leg.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s early penalty soaring well wide of the goal summed up the whole night, with Barca pressing hard but failing to find that extra bit of inspiration to break the deadlock.

But can we expect anything more when the prize is so huge? Games in the previous two rounds such as Liverpool v Arsenal were surprisingly open given the importance of the Champions League these days.

Liverpool 3 AC Milan 3 in 2005 was a rare example of a great final. How may good World Cup finals have their been?

Players are only human and nerves at this stage are bound to play a part. That doesn’t mean games have to be dull for the purists. Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 on Tuesday was not a classic but watching players stick to their positions and Rafa Benitez barking out tactical instructions still made it interesting.

Maybe the Italians, famous for their ultra conservative approach to soccer,  are just bitter Serie A teams have performed so poorly in the Champions League this term. 

Mark Meadows, Milan

There’s speculation in Marca today that if AC Milan do complete a deal to sign Ronaldinho at the end of the season, they might be prepared to let Kaka move to Real Madrid.

That got me thinking about what the other knock-on effects might be, and especially about whether Barcelona would feel obliged to sign another big-name player as a replacement.

My own view is that this would be a good time for Barcelona to go down a different route. Ever since Joan Laporta took over as president they’ve pursued a relentless policy of buying in top names, from Ronaldinho to Deco, Samuel Eto’o and on to Thierry Henry.

For the first couple of seasons it worked very well, as the club regained their status as European heavyweights, won the league title and went on to claim the Champions League. Now, though, is surely the time to say enough is enough.

If Ronaldinho does go, the coach (whoever that might be) will still be able to call on Henry, Eto’o, Messi, Bojan and Giovani to fill the forward positions. And that’s the main difference between Barcelona now and Real Madrid when they were reaching the end of their ‘galactico’ era.

Real were so focused on their megastars that the squad as a whole had a threadbare look about it, which became increasingly obvious as time wore on. Barcelona have no such problems and if they manage to resist the temptation to throw money at another major forward it should just mean more space to grow for Bojan et al.

What do you reckon? Should Barcelona go out and sign a direct replacement — a Kaka, for example? Should they throw money at the Premier League to get a Torres or a Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas or even Cristiano Ronaldo (presumably untouchable, but you never know)? And while we’re at it, should Real Madrid pursue their interest in long-term target Kaka? Give us your ideas in the comments.

PHOTO: Kaka reacts during Milan’s Serie A game against AS Roma in Rome March 15, 2008. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

AS Roma’s Chilean midfielder David Pizarro has taken Cristiano Ronaldo’s stepovers, fancy flicks and double dummies personally.

Pizarro was booked for kicking Ronaldo after the Manchester United player performed some of his repertoire during Tuesday’s Champions League match. The Roma man then came out with some stinging criticism.

“There is no doubt that Cristiano Ronaldo has quality, but it is also true that he’s a big head,” Pizarro said after United’s 2-0 win. ”He could leave out some of the fancy tricks. It’s necessary to respect the opponent. You can bet that we’ll have something to show him in the return.”
 
It is not really surprising that a South American has taken exception to Ronaldo’s tricks. All sorts of things are tolerated in this part of the world, but the one big no-no is to deliberately make your opponent look stupid.
 
During United’s 4-0 win over Aston Villa the previous Saturday, the Brazilian television commentary team were remarking on how disciplined the Villa players remained as Ronaldo effectively taunted them with his footwork. Such behaviour in Brazil, they said, could end in a brawl or worse.
 
Last year, there was huge debate after Cruzeiro forward Kerlon performed his famous “Seal dribble” – in which he nonchalantly flicks the ball up and bounces it on his head while still running — in a derby against Atletico Mineiro. Atletico defender Coelho ended the run with a crunching tackle, earning himself a red card and sparking a brawl.
 
Even more controversial was Efrain Viafara’s cheeky ball control during Sport Ancash’s 2-1 win over Universitario in Peru.

With two minutes to go, Viafara performed a sitting motion and brought the ball under control with his buttocks. He was knocked to the ground by enraged Universitario players, a fight ensued, Viafara was chased down the touchline, trouble spread to the stands and the match was abandoned. It all led to this irresistible headline at The Offside: “Efrain Viafara starts a riot with his bum”. 
 
Like Ronaldo, both Kerlon and Viafara said it was their way of playing and that no offence was intended and Graham Fisher, writing at Soccerlens this week, was one blogger to broadly support that view:

“Football is an entertainment industry. It relies on people wanting to watch it. It is these fantastic players such as Ronaldo that bring in the crowds, bring in the money and encourage youngsters to ‘have a go’ at doing what they do.”

Their victims, of course, did not see it that way.
 
Brazil coach Dunga has suggested that the acid test is whether such players are prepared to perform their tricks with their side losing 3-0 or facing imminent elimination from a major competition. If they are not, suggests Dunga, then they are just showboating.

PHOTO: AS Roma’s Philippe Mexes challenges Ronaldo during their defeat by United at the Olympic stadium in Rome, April 1, 2008. REUTERS/Max Rossi