Out - Champions League, mainly thanks to Basle.

Out - League Cup, thanks to Crystal Palace.

Not - top of the league at new year thanks to a 2-3, bottom of the league Blackburn win (on Fergies 70th birthday). Oh dear!

A lot is made of the culture that Sir Alex Ferguson has built at Manchester United, and the foundation is built on an insatiable thirst for winning.
You can certainly see it on the field when watching the Red Devils take on English Premier League opponents, but if you can't pinpoint that x-factor on the field, listen to comments by Manchester United players, coaches and rivals.

The two Manchester clubs have been sensationally dumped out of the UEFA Champions League following the final round of matches this evening.

Three-time European champions Manchester United are out of this year's tournament having suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Swiss champions FC Basle 1893. United only needed a point to progress but found themselves two goals down with ten minutes of the match remaining, with Basle's Marco Streller and Alexander Frei getting the goals, before Phil Jones pulled one back to make it an anxious finish for the Swiss side.

The two Manchester clubs have been sensationally dumped out of the UEFA Champions League following the final round of matches this evening.

Three-time European champions Manchester United are out of this year's tournament having suffered a 2-1 defeat away to Swiss champions FC Basle 1893. United only needed a point to progress but found themselves two goals down with ten minutes of the match remaining, with Basle's Marco Streller and Alexander Frei getting the goals, before Phil Jones pulled one back to make it an anxious finish for the Swiss side.

7:45am ET, live in the US on espn2
Last four head-to-head:
3-1 Liverpool (h) 03.06.11
0-1 United (a; FA Cup) 01.09.11
2-3 United (a) 09.19.10
1-2 United (a) 03.21.10
Last three matches:
Liverpool: 2-0 Everton (a); 2-1 Wolves (h); 2-1 Brighton (a)
United: 2-0 Norwich (h); 3-3 Basle (h); 1-1 Stoke (a)
Goalscorers (league):
Liverpool: Suarez 4; Adam, Carroll, Henderson, Skrtel 1
United: Rooney 9; Nani, Welbeck 3; Anderson, Chicharito, Young 2; Park, Smalling 1
Referee: Andre Marriner
Guess at a line-up:
Reina
Johnson Carragher Agger Enrique
Lucas Adam
Kuyt Gerrard Downing
Suarez
Suarez and Carroll in the 4-2-2-2, or more like a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 with Gerrard supposedly, finally fit to start?

Nemanja Vidic could make only his second Premier League start of the season on Saturday when Manchester United look to snap a three-game winless run against bitter rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

The 29-year-old has not kicked a ball for the champions since limping out of the opening-day win at West Brom.

Striker links with Spurs continue to dominate the transfer columns and the latest player to have his name mentioned in connection with a move to the Lane is a Swiss centre forward who is currently making a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

Eren Derdiyok is 23 years old and plays for Bayer Leverkusen, having joined from FC Basle in 2009.

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By Chris Wright

Frei-ed/Fried!? Geddit?!? Yeesh, that was a stinker.

Anyway, the crux of the matter is that Manchester United were almost turned over at home by FC Basel in the Champions League last night with Ashley Young heading home a last-minute equaliser to save face after the Swiss side cancelled out Danny Welbeck's quickfire double with three second-half goals from Alexander and Fabian Frei (no relation).

Souleymane Coulibaly was on the mark again for Spurs' youngsters as they continued their impressive run of form in the NextGen tournament with a 2-1 win over PSV Eindhoven.

Tottenham now top their group with seven points from three games and although this was a much tougher challenge for the fledgling players, they showed strength and resilience to overcome tough opposition.

szólj hozzá: Mu 1-0 Bsl

szólj hozzá: Mu 2-0 Bsl

"VIDEO: Welbeck and Young Goals vs Basle" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Manchester United blew a 2 goal half-time lead as Basle drew 3-3 at Old Trafford tonight, with Ashley Young having to pull it out of the fire for a lacklustre United in the 90th minute with a headed equaliser.

Manchester United blew a 2 goal half-time lead as Basle drew 3-3 at Old Trafford tonight, with Ashley Young having to pull it out of the fire for a lacklustre United in the 90th minute with a headed equaliser.

De Gea
Fabio Jones Ferdinand Evra
Carrick Anderson Giggs
Valencia Welbeck Young

"CONFIRMED LINE-UP: United vs Basle" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson is facing a mini injury crisis ahead of his side's clash with Basle in the Champions League at Old Trafford.

The Scot is without eight senior players ahead of the visit of the Swiss champions, in particular with the absence of strikers Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez.

Champions League draw reaction: Fergie's over the moon but all four Prem sides should progress

Sir Alex Ferguson was texting in delight as Manchester United were handed the closest thing to a walkover into the knock-out stages with a Group C draw that looks a formality.

Benfica Portugal
Last season: 2nd in the league, 21 points behind Porto. Semi-finals of Europa League. Winners of the League Cup.
This season: 3rd out of 16. 2 points behind the leaders.
Last season's top scorers: Javier Saviola (9) and Óscar Cardozo (9).
European success: 2 European Cups (1961 and 1962).

POT 1: United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Porto and Inter Milan

POT 2: AC Milan, Lyon, Shakthar Donetsk, Valencia, Benfica, Villarreal, CSKA Moscow and Marseille

POT 3: Zenit St Petersburg, Ajax, Leverkusen, Olympiakos, Lille, Basle, BATE Borisov and City

POT 4: Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Dinamo Zagreb, APOEL Nicosia, Genk, Viktoria Plzen, Otelul Galati and Trabzonspor

"LIVE: United's CL Group Draw" was originally published at The Republik of Mancunia.

Despite the heatwave that has seemingly engulfed the whole of Italy, Arsenal secured a place in the Champions League along with Benfica, Lyon and the winners from Tuesday, Villarreal (seen above!) And the highly anticipated CL draw takes place later today, where the 32 qualified teams allocated into eight groups of four teams.

Reported Liverpool target Xherdan Shaqiri is closing in on a move to Juventus, it has been claimed.
According to talkSPORT, the Italian giants have already met with FC Basle in order to discuss a deal for the 19-year-old winger, who could be set to move to Turin in the summer.
Liverpool have frequently been linked with a swoop for the teenager, who continues to impress with his skilful displays in the Swiss Super League - but it appears the Reds will now have their work cut out if they hope to bring him to Anfield.