Who should Manchester United turn to?

So David Moyes didn't even make it a full season, but was allowed to spend huge sums on Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini. More than anything, he seemed a little out of his depth - but it was going to be an impossible job to follow Fergie (unless another Class of '92 magically appeared).

But he's gone, and the only discussion now is who will replace him.

Ryan Giggs has the interim job, and has all his coaching badges. He wouldn't be a terrible choice, but I always feel that it's better not to coach players you have played with - at least in the last couple of seasons. They still have a relationship with you as a player, and you want them to ultimately to respect you as the boss.

Pep Guardiola is an option, but only if he wins everything with Bayern and feels he has nothing to prove there. There is talk that the establishment at the German club don't like his style of play, but I don't see him taking on a project like Manchester United.

The argument still stands that any manager will have to rebuild at Old Trafford. And here's why I don't think bringing in an older coach like Louis van Gaal makes sense.

United need to find a new identity, one that doesn't include Ferguson, Scholes, Giggs etc. The success they enjoyed over the last 20 years was based on the emergence of those youth team players - and let's be honest, it's highly unlikely to happen again in the next 25 years.

Hence, it's a longer term project. Chelsea and Manchester City are the big boys in England now - Liverpool may join them, but United and Arsenal face a battle to get back to the top.

Perhaps that was the thinking with Moyes - but he just didn't handle the transition well at all. Changing manager every season or two won't bring success, but they still need a manger and squad that will be able to compete at the top every year.

I doubt they could poach another Everton manager, but Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers are the type of young, progressive coaches United should go for.

Manchester United need to rebuild - with or without Moyes

Twitter is buzzing about Manchester United sacking David Moyes in the very near future, maybe even today.

Does it make sense? There are 4 games left and nothing to play for, so it makes even less sense than when we debated this in January.

Manchester United need a complete overhaul - whether David Moyes gets to do that, or someone else does, there's no denying it needs to be done.

Moyes may have been out of his depth this season, but look at who he is working with. People can say these are the same players that won the league last season, but they're not. They are older, less motivated and less talented than last year.

There is no Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs knows he's done, and Namanja Vidic and Patrice Evra are on their way out of the club.  Then there's Robin van Persie - he got 30 goals last year, but has only started 22 games this season. Wayne Rooney has been injured, while Juan Mata and Marouane Fellani aren't short term solutions, and haven't really adapted at all yet.

Don't get me wrong, David Moyes has to shoulder some of the blame. He seems tactically naive, unable to motivate the players and has had some bad luck along the way. But he needs a chance to shape his own team. He would have to get rid of Ashley Young, Nani, (maybe) Tom Cleverly and Javier Hernandez (along with Rio, Vidic and Evra). And even if Moyes doesn't get the opportunity to do that, whoever comes in will have to.

Fergie's Manchester United are no more - complete change is needed. There's really no denying it needs to be done.

Sacking Moyes now makes no sense - but the big decision is whether to let him or someone new try and rebuild a squad that hasn't been motivated all season, and probably have no European football at all to look forward to.

The Champions League format needs to change

We're not going back to the old European Cup, but let's mix it up a bit

Play knockout games, Group stages are just a way to make money

Atletico, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are into the last 16. Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSG are one point away, so I'll gamble and say that's 7 in with 9 still to be decided.

My bet would be Manchester United, Bayer Leverkeusen, Juventus, Benfica, Shalke, AC Milan, Zenit St Petersburg, Borussia Dortmund and Arsenal.

I'm bound to be wrong on one or two, but let's play the hypothetical game for a minute.

Those 16 would make up some fantastic knockout ties, but most football fans would probably have picked at least 12 of those 16 to qualify. So it makes me think again about the validity of the group stages, and whether they are just a way for UEFA to really coin in the TV money. We all know it's true, but it's such a long, drawn-out competition that maybe it needs to be reduced so that we can get the interest back in every game. Group stages are just a way of ensuring every team gets on TV, earns some money and showcases their best players for the bigger teams to buy the next season.

Barcelona v AC Milan was exciting to watch, as was Real Madrid v Juventus, but these massive ties don't have the same significance or importance when they could happen 4 times a season. Let them slug it out once (well twice as the home and away legs are still a factor), and the winner advances.

Oh, but then we won't see Messi v Balotelli or Ronaldo v Pirlo in the latter stages - sure we will, just seed the teams from 1 to 32, It may not be the Champions 'League' anymore, but it gives the smaller teams a chance to progress, places some importance on every game and doesn't just keep lining the pockets of the bigger teams.

Oh, I'm suggesting going back to the old European Cup when the Champions of each league played each other? Yes, and no. Sepp Blatter can keep the money from having 4 English teams, 4 Spanish, Bayern, PSG etc, but we won't have to endure months of games that lead us to the same end - and it creates a fairer system where smaller teams can advance, because ask a Milan fan now about that epic tie with Barcelona in the Champions League, and he/she will say, "When? In 2013, 12, 11, 06, 04?" Or something like that in Italian!