Is bonus money the way to go?

The FA may be asking Vincent Tan to explain his bonus offer , but maybe the Cardiff owner has a point - even if he has no idea what he is doing or saying most of the time.

Premier League players (more than most other leagues) are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to play and not necessarily perform. Wayne Rooney is reportedly getting 300,000 pounds a week for the next 5 years, and what does he have to do for it? Nothing. I'm sure there is some legal language in there that says he has to play in 50% of games or show up for training, but what incentive is there for him to really do well now?

Yes, it gives other players the incentive to do well and hopefully get a contract even half as big as Wayne's, but shouldn't players have to work a little harder for their money?

These players do get appearance bonuses, goal bonuses, clean sheets, assists, and other add-ons, but shouldn't they be made to work a little harder for the basic money they earn?

The Cardiff players can't solely be blamed for them being bottom of the league, but they should shoulder some more of the blame, and you have to hit them where it hurts - in the wallet. Because there is no loyalty to teams anymore, players jump ship as soon as the going gets tough. Maybe they should be forced to stay a season if the team is relegated, or forfit some of their pay - I know it would never happen, but clubs can't fire players for underachieving.

I don't know a solution, but Vincent Tan does at least open the discussion. Players should have to work a little harder for their money - especially as someone like Wayne Rooney now wakes up every morning 15,000 pounds richer - because that's what he earns every night while sleeping.

It's even harder to like Rooney now

Wayne Rooney can play, there's no doubt about that. Is he in the same conversation as Messi, Ronaldo or Zlatan? Not in a million years. And even if he was, he just comes across as the type of guy that you'd struggle to really like, yet alone love as a footballer.

Does he deserve almost half a million dollars a week? No, no-one does, but that's a different argument.

Rooney comes across as a petulant, spoiled kid who thinks he's bigger than everyone. He can say he didn't ask to leave Manchester United, but he probably did. Fergie has no real reason to lie. And now David Moyes knows he desperately needs him to try and rebuild Manchester United around. Wayne and his agent held all the cards, as you can just imagine Jose Mourinho buying him just to spite United and their board. He wants to be the main man, and believes everyone should treat him that way.

The same with England. He mocked the fans for booing him and the England team after the 0-0 draw with Algeria at the World Cup in 2010. He doesn't care about what people think, paying to bang 50 year-old grandmothers while married proves that.

But as I said, Wayne can play. His performances for England in Euro 2004 were fantastic, some of his goals are the best I've ever seen, and he's won just about every domestic honor a player can win.

Yet, there's a look in his eye as he signs that huge contract. He's got everything he ever dreamed of. He obviously cares about winning, making money and being a big shot, but you don't sense he really connects with real life. Maybe he never had to experience that as he made his professional debut at 16 - yeah, you can say he had a tough time growing up in Liverpool, but who doesn't have a tough life growing up?

It's unlikely he'll ever play for another club team and will go down as a United 'legend' as he'll no doubt be their record all-time scorer (something he's likely to be with England too), but I'd bet most fans - United and otherwise - will never rate him as a great of the game. It's not because he's not talented, he's just very hard to like.  

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.

Mourinho reacts to getting an away point

This seems more like the reaction that most of us had when yesterday's yawn-fest was over, but Jose shows that getting another point on the board is as important as ever.

Chelsea usually play with no strikers when Fernando Torres is out there, but playing 6 midfielders last night was more negative that the Boring One usually is. They looked solid at the back, but you should when you put 10 behind the ball - parking the bus seems like it's now a tactic Mourinho wants to use (not that United offered much).

And don't get me started on how the commentators/reporters got a chubb on for Rooney - what did he do? Played a few nice passes, ran around and had a decent shot or two - exactly what any professional should do if they are getting paid to play football.

Score, or your wife gets it

Yes, John Terry gets a hard time, but he deserves it

He gives it out, so lock up your wives!

Apparently JT doesn't want Mourinho to sign Wayne Rooney...because his wife is rotten. I am googling Samule Eto'o's wife right now!

Liverpool's PR office as leaky as its defense

Deadspin says it will make you giggle, but not sure about that

Plenty of pretty offensive words in this note

I was just sent this link, but who knows if it's true. The Luis Suarez incident with Patrice Evra must have them on edge,  but this would be another embarrassing episode for the 'once famous' club. Can I call them that now? They haven't been famous for a while if you measure success and fame together - although actually achieving something doesn't seem to count for much these days. You just have to look good - and Liverpool also don't succeed in that department either.

Although I admit 'knob-jockey' and 'pikey' are words I use - usually to describe Wayne Rooney or John Terry.