It was only about three weeks ago when United's rabid and passionate fanbase was ready to lay waste to the front offices of their beloved D.C. United. After failing to make the playoffs for a fourth year in a row ...

They think they're experts. They think we think we're the experts. "He's rubbish!" they say. And us, the good ones we think to ourselves are summoned by our blind loyalty rational thinking to reply: "but he's good ... give him time." And we repeat this until we get exhausted.

They think they're experts. They think we think we're the experts. "He's rubbish!" they say. And us, the good ones we think to ourselves are summoned by our blind loyalty rational thinking to reply: "but he's good ... give him time." And we repeat this until we get exhausted.

In sport, reputation can be crystallised or destroyed in one match. Claudio Gentile was unfairly recognised as a hard-man outside Italy for his savage treatment of Diego Maradona (and then Zico in the next game) in the 1982 World Cup but here was a player who was fantastically more all-rounded than that one game made him.

In sport, reputation can be crystallised or destroyed in one match. Claudio Gentile was unfairly recognised as a hard-man outside Italy for his savage treatment of Diego Maradona (and then Zico in the next game) in the 1982 World Cup but here was a player who was fantastically more all-rounded than that one game made him.

Yes yes, we know what you're thinking : "How on Earth is David Beckham still relevant?!" or "And why are you guys so gross?!" This was supposed to be in yesterday's Offbeat column, but updates there got too packed (just as other things are in this photo) so we had to leave out Beckham's latest editorials for his exclusively-designed H&M's male underwear range.

"[Rio Ferdinand's] performance was nothing short of magnificent," announced Alan Hansen on Match of the Day 2 yesterday, before wheeling out selected clips for his analysis on what appeared to be Ferdinand's return to form (at one point, he put down a random pass to Wayne Rooney as good "anticipation" ).

The story of Manchester United's European campaign so far is one that is better untold; a tedious tale of hard toil and graft and frustration. Plenty of it, too. Yet that frustration isn't so much aimed at any particular player or the manager, rather at the team as a whole, their approach and their failure to find a balance and what the very-near future, in their eyes, holds for them.

The story of Manchester United's European campaign so far is one that is better untold; a tedious tale of hard toil and graft and frustration. Plenty of it, too. Yet that frustration isn't so much aimed at any particular player or the manager, rather at the team as a whole, their approach and their failure to find a balance and what the very-near future, in their eyes, holds for them.

The Germans are renown for being pretty darn good at everything. And we all know they are. One of the many things on their "the things we're better than you at" list, just below "penalties", is "producing world-class goalkeepers". You've just got to look at past players such as Oliver Kahn, Andreas Kopke or Sepp Maier to justify this point.

Ahead of Saturday's clash...

Top flight football, as many have already found, can be an unforgiving place; one where individuals are left to rue what might have been if not for injuries, intense competition or failure to adapt and/or develop at the necessary rate. A world which is no longer as rosy as it once was, as cold, hard reality hits home and becomes too much to bear.

Top flight football, as many have already found, can be an unforgiving place; one where individuals are left to rue what might have been if not for injuries, intense competition or failure to adapt and/or develop at the necessary rate. A world which is no longer as rosy as it once was, as cold, hard reality hits home and becomes too much to bear.

If you could choose one moment that best encapsulates the raw talent of Ravel Morrison, you'd go back a fortnight to a Manchester Senior Cup game against Bolton's Reserves. 93 minutes had passed on what was nothing more than a dour encounter and, with the score at 0-0, Morrison had shifted responsibility upon himself to put things right.

First week of the off season... well for Timbers fans anyway. Many of you might be dreading the weeks that come as they're considerably less packed with soccer and, as a result less news from yours truly. But fear not! We here at Stumptown Footy HQ have plenty of stuff to cover over the off season.

DC United Kissed the MLS Cup playoffs goodbye for the fourth straight year with a 1-1 draw with the visiting Portland Timbers. United had a flurry of chances to keep their hopes alive in the final 5 minutes, but it ...

Musa Okwonga, author of A Cultured Left Foot, noted that games between Manchester United and Liverpool are "to be endured, not enjoyed" and he could hardly have been more right; for this unsightly affair was not so much in preserving the image of the beautiful game, rather dig deep, fight hard and play if necessary for three points.

Musa Okwonga, author of A Cultured Left Foot, noted that games between Manchester United and Liverpool are "to be endured, not enjoyed" and he could hardly have been more right; for this unsightly affair was not so much in preserving the image of the beautiful game, rather dig deep, fight hard and play if necessary for three points.

There was once a day where many United fans were prepared to say that they were wrong. Many had remarked before the season that the team "didn't have a central midfield" and would therefore not go very far in their quest to be the best side in the world. However, it was after they had swept aside Arsenal 8-2 in August where plenty were brimming with unrivalled optimism, and even despite the worrying lack of depth in the position, were at least adamant that both Tom Cleverley and Anderson made a fearsome duo.

While we usually prefer 'ballers in the buff (or as close to that as possible), brooding editorials like these also bring joy to our bad boy-loving selves.

In a new interview with FHM España, Pique describes his personal style as "modern and elegant," and says he typically opts for jeans and t-shirts during the day, but switches to a button down (and sometimes a tie) in the evenings.

IMS welcomes Mike Ponicki to the staff. Mike will be checking in periodically with opinion pieces which is something fairly new to IMS but long overdue. The opinions in this column are Mike Ponicki's and not necessarily those of IMSoccer News. Please feel free to comment on Mike's editorials and let us know what you [.

With statistics from last season suggesting the extent of Manchester United's aerial threat – scoring more headers than any other team – it's a shame they haven't moved for potential Barcelona-conqueror and Stoke City hurler Rory Delap in the summer window. But they've got the next best thing – a man who also compliments those in his team with a good head.

"Pressure? This is just a football match," says the great Paraguayan goalkeeper José Luis Chilavert. "When you do not know how to feed your children, that is pressure." And so when David De Gea, Manchester United's latest addition, puts on his new shirt for the very first time in a competitive game, he can use this rather-odd advice from a player many young keepers, maybe even himself, aspire to be like.

Ben Olsen (pictured, with the soon to be departing Fred) and DC United ends their fairly successful seven game stretch against the West to begin a crucial three game stretch against the East, and unfortunately starts that run against a Dynamo ...

After an impressive debut against Chelsea in March 2010, Phil Jones' rise in the past 15 months has seen him touted as the future of English football and, in the process, generating great interest from a whole host of clubs who view him as a welcome addition to their side. Interest, it would appear, is there for good reason.

You may be wondering what I've been up to since the Premier League season ended a couple of weeks back. Jeremy has been keeping the blog pressing forward with updates from the player and managerial transfer market while my fingers have taken a much needed break from writing long form editorials 3 or 4 times per week.

DC United, and coach Ben Olsen (pictured) extended their unbeaten streak to five games after a 0-0 tie in the HDC against the league leading LA Galaxy. DC had arguably the better chances on the night, but both sides share the ...

"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do." - Paul Scholes

24 major honours later, it comes to an end.

Paul Scholes is a "great role model for any young English midfield player," mused Jack Wilshere on Twitter this morning and indeed that is an accurate reflection of the man who must go down as England's finest midfield player of this generation.

Ahead of the Champions League Final on the 28th May...

Reputation is everything in football. Sergio Busquets would rather you not talk about his, though. Not long ago, the 22-year-old was celebrated solely for his talents. Robust in the tackle, an eye for a pass and blessed with "an excellent first touch and great balance", according to Xavi Hernandez.

Defensive mistakes leading to goals have been a constant so far this season for D.C. United and this afternoon's 2-1 loss to Dutch power Ajax of Amsterdam was no different. Ajax scored early and late to overcome their pesky MLS ...

At the end of the glitzy end-of-season gala at Old Trafford on Wednesday night, you got the feeling that Manchester United's players, beaming with child-like excitement and perhaps with added relief that this campaign is nearing an end, would reflect on a job well done. Yes, they've hardly played "flamboyantly", to quote Ryan Giggs, but as the Welshman said; ".

The famous World Soccer magazine came with 'New Look' starting April issue. The new look was not so much in the quality of the paper of the design of the cover, but in the content and material itself.
I found it very interesting to take a little journey into the new look as it reflects a new world of soccer.

The famous World Soccer magazine came with 'New Look' starting April issue. The new look was not so much in the quality of the paper of the design of the cover, but in the content and material itself.
I found it very interesting to take a little journey into the new look as it reflects a new world of soccer.

James Shaw has lost the plot again but he has a heart-felt message for all to read...Honestly it's in there somewhere...

The ever present flashing line teases you with a poignant sense of void. You type a few words and read it back and it means nothing to you.

"It is not fair to say it's a bad Manchester United team or a bad league. It is a tighter league, a harder league to win. Any campaign has got blips for anyone. You have got to look at the league in general." - Sir Alex.

"We're champions and we're in the Champions League final, it's a rubbish team," said Ryan Giggs, with a banana-shaped grin etched across his face.

"The Nani of centre-midfield," I've heard some label the enigmatic Anderson. In fairness, you can see where they are coming from he has the ability to amaze and frustrate in equal measure however, like Nani, the talent and potential is clearly there. Recently, Anderson has pulled out what many would recognise as ‘coming of age performances'; against Everton he was sensational dictating the play like the midfielder we all so very much want him to be and against Schalke on Wednesday night, he scored his first ever brace for United doubling his total goal tally for the Reds in a matter of minutes.

Park Ji-Sung might represent something of an enigma as a footballer; but very few actually have a bad word to say about him. And Park, while he isn't going to be short-listed for any individual awards any time soon, is as much a one-in-a-million player as his prize-winning counterparts. Ability is one thing in this game having the correct temperament and discipline to apply that to the game of football in another.

Darron Gibson is no fans' favourite at Old Trafford. And, having joined the 'twitterverse' earlier today, the Irishman found himself subject to a number of ill-mannered 'tweets' that, we can only speculate, forced him to close his account within two hours.

By Annie Eaves freelance journalist

Darron Gibson eh?

With a Champions' League semi-final with Schalke 04 impending, we look back at a modern classic at the same stage of this competition; a game where Manchester United displayed their brand of blistering counter-attacking football for all of Europe to see Arsenal being the victims that day, perishing to a 3-1 defeat.

Fresh off a resounding season opening win, a rejuvenated DC United heads to New England to take on a battered, but effective Revolution side making their home debut in Gillette Stadium. One thing is for certain in the way Ben ...

For the first time since 2006, DC United gets to open the season in RFK stadium, where they will be facing long time Eastern Conference rival, the Columbus Crew. Looking to erase the worst season in team history, DC United ...