Where do Manchester United go from here?

Liverpool won the title 11 times from 1972-90, but (as many United fans will tell you) haven't won it since. United have won it 13 times since the 1992-93 season - and while their total dominance is probably over, their ability to compete at the top hasn't quite come to an end,  but it could if they don't completely rebuild.

Manchester United are 15 points behind Chelsea after 25 games, and 9 points behind Liverpool who currently occupy the last Champions League place.

A draw with bottom-placed Fulham is the latest disappointment in a season that many are already labeling a disaster.

Competing for major trophies is probably unrealistic this year, and the process of overhauling the squad begins as soon as the season ends. People may be laughing at David Moyes now and saying he's clueless, but he needs to be given a chance to shape a squad.

Personally, I don't think Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata were the players that United should have spend the best part of $100 million on. Mata is a top player, but Fellaini doesn't fit United style. He may have scored a couple against Fulham on Sunday, but that's not the typical United way of playing. They need players who can open the door and create chances for Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie. Juan Mata could be that guy, as could Shinji Kagawa (although it seems his time at Old Trafford is done).

Nemanja Vidic is leaving in the summer, as will Rio Ferdinand. Ryan Giggs may call it a day, but he looks like he's done after an amazing career. Patrice Evra could go, as could Chicharito and Nani.

With all these players on the way out, United would need 6-7 really good players if they are going to compete with Manchester City and Chelsea next year. If they don't strengthen at the start of the summer, Rooney and van Persie could also exit - and that may be a hurdle too much for Moyes to overcome. He'll get the blame, but there doesn't appear to be another 'Class of '92' coming along to help him out.

There is still a huge amount of talent at Old Trafford, they've just lost the edge that Fergie gave them - and that will probably never be replicated. But how long the slide lasts is dependent on how well they rebuild this summer.

The Moyes Dilemma - Ferguson's Last Act?

Is is all David Moyes' fault?

Should he be sacked after half a season?

No, and no.

David Moyes has taken Manchester United to the semi-final of the League Cup and qualified from the group in the Champions League - but that's not enough. I'm sure the fans wouldn't have cared that much that they went out of the FA Cup last season because it wasn't a high priority, but Manchester United fans must now be realists - they can't compete for the League title or the Champions League with the players they have.

Alex Ferguson got every last drop out of Giggs, Vidic, Ferdinand and Scholes. He was somewhat lucky that Man City had a huge hangover after they won the league the previous year. Chelsea and Arsenal were a mess and Ferguson exploited that. But he also knew when to get out. You don't win as much as he did without foresight.

And what can Moyes do with the squad he has? Rooney, van Persie and Carrick have been injured; Fellaini was a poor panic buy; and the average talents of Young, Valencia, Nani and Cleverly can no longer be masked by Rooney and and van Persie. The fact that 18 year old Adnan Januzaj is being hailed as the savior is a sign that times are tough.

Januzaj can play. Welbeck is in good form. De gea is one of the top 3 keepers in the league. But who else is there that would get in the Chelsea or Man City team? They would get in the Villa, Swansea, West Brom or maybe Everton teams, but Evans isn't great, Evra looks past it and the Brazilian twins haven't really fulfilled their potential.

Moyes was never going to turn down Ferguson's invitation to succeed him, but should it have been Ferguson's choice? No. Moyes had done well at Everton, but never really brought through top class players or challenged for honors. Finishing 5th with Baines, Fellaini, Howard etc. was a good achievement, but Manchester United needed a complete overhaul, and Moyes didn't really have a history of that.

He shouldn't have replaced all of Ferguson's staff, not straight away anyway. He needed the help of Micky Phelan and Rene Meulensteen. They may have undermined him a little, but they could have helped with identifying the weaknesses and potential transfer targets to replace them. Buying Fellaini at the last minute won't solve the lack of creativity - nor will running Januzaj into the ground in his first full season.

But sacking Moyes now accomplishes nothing. The players are not quite up to it any more. He needs time to shape a squad, not just the first team. A few signings in the summer (not panic January signings) will help, but until then, Moyes should concentrate on trying to win the League Cup and finishing 4th. That would be a very successful season with what he has to work with.

If he loses Rooney and van Persie in the summer, then he's really going to struggle (and United will for years to come), but although the job looks too big for him right now, there aren't many people that could have done much with what Ferguson left them. I'm sure it was unintentional, but Ferguson's last act has managed to make him look an even better manger than he was - and he's probably the best ever anyway.

Juve in need of points; Moyes under pressure

Real Madrid against Juventus. It doesn't get much bigger than that. Throw in Carlo Ancelotti and Antonio Conte, Cristiano and Andrea Pirlo, and we should have a fantastic game.

Juventus have drawn their first two games, while Real have scored 10 in their two victories. There is a lot of history between these giants of the game, with so many stars of the game having represented one or both - with one of my all-time favorites Zinedine Zidane coming to mind.

Conte was captain of Juve when Ancelotti was the coach there, and won't want to lose to to his mentor. But more than that, he knows that should Juve fail to pick up at least one win against Real in their two games, they face the reality of not progressing from a group that looks relatively straight-forward on paper.

Then there's David Moyes. He's already getting loads of abuse from the media, and some fans are turning on him a little already. United have a tough game at home against Real Sociedad, and if they fail to win, you know they'll be people calling for him to go. He needs time, but he also needs his players to step up.

Rooney and van Persie are his best two players, but they need to get some service. Fellaini is average at best. He's never worth the money that Moyes paid for him and really looks out of his depth. Is it time for Kagawa? I doubt it - the Scotsman just doesn't seem to rate him. I hope they lose, just so United fans can experience the turmoil of change. Moyes needs time, and I am pretty sure he'll get it, but chairmen and fans have short memories, especially with the money associated with the Champions League.

Gervinho flying in Italy; Man United continue to struggle

I'm going to start with Italy as I still don't know how to describe Arsenal's first goal, either of the first two goals in the Chelsea game or why Manchester United will be lucky to finish fourth.

Roma are legit. There's no doubting that. 8 wins from 8 is fantastic in any league, but they have beaten Inter, Napoli and local rivals Lazio, scoring 22 goals and conceding just one. In four away wins, they have yet to let one in. And who plays for them? If I told you Gervinho was looking like a real footballer, no one would believe me. But he is, and Totti and De Rossi hold the team together, allowing Adam Ljajic, Miralem Pjanic and Allesandro Florenzi to flourish. When they sold Dani Osvaldo to Southampton, and labored (a little) to a 3-1 win over the MLS All-Stars, I thought mid-table may be their best bet this year. It may still be as Napoli, Juventus and Inter are all going to be sniffing around, but for now, Roma deserve the praise they are receiving - including Gervinho.

A hat-trick for Giuseppe Rossi for Fiorentina against Juve was nice in a World Cup season, he'll be in Brazil - but could have been the star the US really needs.

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Barcelona could only draw and Atletico lost, with yet another late dubious penalty for Real Madrid ensuring they made up some ground on the early front runners.... Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are starting to pull away, but Bayer Leverkeusen are still riding the coattails right now... PSG and Monaco remain unbeaten, but it's to be expected with the money they spent.

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Okay, so I had a chance to think about the Premier League and what went on this weekend. Arsenal looked great and scored a fantastic goal - in fairness they threaten goals like that most weeks, just this time it came off. Chelsea's goal is bizarre to me. I don't think it should count. The ball is in the goalkeeper's possession, and that's nine tenths of the law in my view. The fact Samuel Eto'o couldn't finish when Hazard passed back to him, then got hit in the head on the floor was some rough justice, but it is just going to lead to more hassle. 'Keepers don't need to bounce the ball, and hopefully this will cut that out, or they'll be argument of consistency.

Manchester United look average at best. Southampton are a good side, and bossed it at times, but United should still fancy themselves, even with a $40 million microphone in midfield. Fellaini isn't bad, but he's not good. Moyes couldn't get anyone else and overpaid, but the Belgian is just not up to it - he can play, but he's not the leader they need in midfield. And what it comes down to me is that Fergie got out at the right time. Rooney and van Persie are still quality players, but there isn't much else right now. They have no structure or creativity, hence the excitement about Adnan Janujaz - he could be great, but wouldn't be the focus yet if United had other players on form right now.

In a world of giants

We've all lied about our height

I'm sure it's Fellaini's hair that makes him look that big

Ok, so we've all exaggerated about how big we are (although some of us don't need to!), but Mathieu Valbuena is pushing it if he claims to be 5ft 6'.

Kompany and Fellaini are big boys (keep it clean), but this pic almost looks like an optical illusion. The Frenchman makes Iniesta, Messi and Xavi look like giants too, and can't imagine he'd even reach Peter Crouch's waist - ok, too much, most of you belong in the gutter anyway!