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[b]Everton v Manchester United, Monday 20:00, Sky Sports 1.[/b] [b]Match Odds: Everton 4.5, Manchester United 1.93, The Draw 3.75.[/b] Rarely have Manchester United made such a landmark signing as Robin van Persie, yet rarely have there been so many question marks about how Sir Alex Ferguson will incorporate a new signing. With Shinji Kagawa also arriving and stating his intention to play behind the man striker, in the role played by Wayne Rooney last season, the main tactical interest from this match will be the positioning of Manchester United's attackers. Van Persie starting United's opening game would be something of a surprise, considering he's only had a couple of days training with his new teammates. Ferguson might take the opportunity to save Wayne Rooney for future matches,...

Sir Alex Ferguson's default stance during transfer windows is usually to play down the possibility of further business, however the Manchester United manager has confirmed that his side's summer activity is not yet complete. The 19-time English champions, who were dethroned on goal difference by Manchester City last season, have already invested around £20 million in Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa and Crewe youngster Nick Powell. However, despite missing out by the narrowest margin in May and their neighbours not yet entering the market, Ferguson is of the opinion that there is more work to be done. He said: "We could possibly bring one, maybe two, more in. When there's a major international tournament on, there's a delay in the transfer market. But now the...

[i]It will take an almighty shock for it to happen but is it ever wise to bet against Manchester United? The Betfair Contrarian explains why he believes the Red Devils will be celebrating a 20th league title come Sunday tea time...[/i] Shortly after ownership of the Premier League's top spot changed hands in March, I plunged two fingers in my ears as everyone yelled excitedly about Manchester United's impermeability to run-in nerves. Instead, I advised punters to shun instinct and lay them to finish first at 1.64, my ridiculed stance vindicated and trading position strengthened as United spectacularly surrendered an eight-point lead. The turnaround has seen the champions catapulted out to 8.6 to retain, a price which has inspired a change of heart: I anticipate one last title-race twist...

[u]Manchester United v Athletic Bilbao, Thursday 20:05, Five [/u] Manchester United fans must wonder why they were so sceptical about the Europa League. After last month's visit to Amsterdam, there is now a trip to Bilbao - albeit a costly one - to look forward to, as well as a chance to check out a team who have set tongues wagging across Europe this season. Athletic Bilbao are led by one of South America's most lauded coaches, Argentine tactical innovator and attractive football advocate Marcelo Bielsa, and after a troubling start, the results have been fairly spectacular. The Basque club topped a Europa League group featuring big-spending Paris St-Germain, will meet Barcelona in the Copa del Rey Final and sit fifth in La Liga, their momentum causing them to be rated 2.02 frontrunners...

[u]Manchester United v Ajax, Thursday 20:05, Five [/u] The Manchester United starting line up might not be quite as strong, given that this second leg comes three days shy of a Premier League trip to Norwich, rather than on the brink of a free weekend as with the first, but the outcome should be the same. The 2-0 victory achieved at the Amsterdam ArenA last week, and the fact that the likes of David de Gea, Rio Ferdinand, Nani and Wayne Rooney started there, supported Sir Alex Ferguson's claim that "it is a tournament we will try and win". There is a school of thought is that Manchester United are worth laying in this return fixture due to the perceived danger in trusting a team who don't actually need to win, however the stats suggest that they will justify odds of 1.38. Complacency...

How badly do Manchester United want Europa League success? That's the question that punters tempted to lay them at odds-on at the Amsterdam Arena will be posing, but the same can be asked of Ajax. They too are Champions League dropouts who surrendered a position of strength on matchday six, and have even more work to do domestically over the next few months, slumped in sixth in the Eredivisie and far from certain of qualifying for this competition again let alone the big one. Frank de Boer's side won away to NAC Breda last weekend, but the fact that it was their first victory in five outings demonstrates just how shorn of confidence and momentum they have been recently, a problem exacerbated by internal unrest. Judging by his squad selection, Sir Alex Ferguson will field a strong...

The two Manchesters march on in a Premier League title race that has very much become a two-horse race. Spurs are out to 23.0 for the title after defeat away to City whilst Arsenal are at 300.0 with some suggesting they're best chance of being in the Champions League next season is to actually win it this year. But whereas Arsenal can have few complaints about their 2-1 defeat at home to Manchester United, Spurs have good reason to feel deeply aggrieved about their own defeat. They went 2-0 down to goals from Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott (matched at 16.5 to score) but came back to draw level with Jermain Defoe making the most of some poor defending to round Joe Hart and score and Gareth Bale curling in a beauty from outside the box. Having traded at 1.04 to win the match when 2-0...

[b]Could Manchester United really receive a Champions League reprieve? Hannah Duncan explains why such a move would be completely wrong.[/b] Cards on the table, as an ardent Chelsea fan I found it rather amusing when [b]Manchester United[/b] were knocked out of the Champions League group stages by FC Basel two weeks ago. I watched the game, fully expecting a typical display where Sir Alex Ferguson's side get the result they need with relative ease, casting disappointment across England (except those lovely folk in Torquay, Buckinghamshire and other areas where United are popular). But on this occasion, there was no gallant performance or lucky 98th minute equaliser and the English champions crashed out at the group stages for just the third time in 17 years. But news broke earlier...

[b]The brightest stars in the Premier League were shining this weekend as the leading three found a way to win tricky fixtures, says Ralph Ellis.[/b] Okay, so we all know it's a squad game these days, there's no 'I' in team, and all that sort of stuff. But one thing that doesn't change is that in every football side there is one key player. It's true of your Sunday pub team. Be honest. There's one bloke you hope will be there every week, come rain, shine, or mother-in-law's Christmas get together. And whatever the manager might try to claim it's true of every club in the Premier League too. If you can identify that player, then checking the team news to discover he's missing can give your betting a real edge. For instance Darren Bent was out injured from Aston Villa's dismal ...