Will Manchester United fans vote with their wallets?

The Times suggests that almost two-thirds of fans who hold Manchester United season tickets are considering not renewing next season. This is perhaps the biggest quantifiable indication yet of the disillusionment at the Glazer's ownership and mishandling of the club, and a warning sign that fan power could have a significant impact on the future of this grand old club. The question is though, when it comes to the crunch, will the fans have the balls to act?

This survey makes for intriguing reading, and mirrors the noises coming from the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST) who are spearheading the campaign to oust the Glazers. The green and gold movement has already shown in highly visible terms that the numbers of fans advocating the removal of the Glazers is growing by the day, and there must be concern in the power base of the club that this will start to hit home in real terms (namely financial ones) soon.

MUST today played down suggestions of a ten-minute boycott at the start of tonight's Champions League game against AC Milan, where it had been suggested that fans would be encouraged to miss the first ten minutes of the game in protest at the Glazers, but even if those fans did stage such a visual protest, they have still bought tickets for the match.

The only way that the Glazers will take the protests seriously is if revenues are hit substantially. This may prove the hardest step of all for United fans - they will have to make a very hard decision - continue to attend games and support the team they love, or boycott in order to save the club. In my humble view, the future of the club is the overarching issue, and while support for the team shouldn't be neglected, drastic axction needs to be taken.

I'll be surprised however, if attendances fall or if season ticket sales dwindle. Whatever happens, peope will always want to watch Manchester United play, and die-hard fans might find it just a little too hard to give up watching their beloved team week-in, week-out. It will be interesting to see how this saga develops, starting tonight, at the famous old stadium, against famous old European rivals, and welcoming a famous son back to his spiritual home. Will the fans have the nerve to stage their boycott? Once they smell the grass and they catch a glimpse of those two teams walking out to the Champions League music, I can be fairly sure there'll be bums on seats en masse. Perhaps the boycott can wait for another week.

Ownership soap operas threaten to overshadow on-pitch action

Misdemeanours and financial uncertainties of club owners are threatening to overshadow the football being played on the pitch at several Premier League clubs, leading to questions resurfacing over what makes a "fit and proper" owner of a football club.

Is it just me, or has football's focus shifted significantly towards the boardroom in recent years? As clubs become the playthings of ultra-rich sugar-daddies and sports tycoons from across the pond start to see the Premier League as an attractive prospect, the wranglings of the boardroom have become regular back-page material.

Perhaps it is the overarching and ever-extending influence of money in the game that has switched our focus away from the day-to-day business of the results on the pitch, and on to the results of business off it. Today, the importance of finely balancing success and financial security (something Portsmouth appear to have failed in) is so evident in the game that issues of ownership have been thrust into the public domain.

Club owners are under the scrutiny of the fans and the media alike, and so perhaps, they should be when there is so much at stake. However, surely less scrutiny would be required if the criteria for passing the Premier League's "fit and proper persons test" actually did what it said on the tin.

Portsmouth's recent ownership travails must draw the credibility of the test into serious doubt, as they have proved unable to meet even the most basic of financial commitments since assuming control. Granted, they took over a club already flirting with disaster and financial ruin, but the optimism of the fans when cream-suited Sulaiman al-Fahim bought the club in August has long since evaporated, along with the Dubai businessman's stake in the club (he sold a 90% stake to Ali Al Faraj on October). Portsmouth have made headlines again today as the Premier League gave tghem a 5pm deadline to pay back creditors or lose their latest slice of TV money.

The owners of Manchester United and Liverpool have also made the headlines in the last few days. For United, the story relates to a £500m bond issue in a bid to safeguard the financial security of the club, while Liverpool's co-owner Tom Hicks has today announced that the club will be "spending big" in the summer break, clearly a move to appease fans over the clanger dropped by his son Tom Hicks Jr in sending abusive emails to a fan.

Surely questions must be asked whether these parties are suitable to be in control of two of the biggest and best footballing insitutions the world has ever seen? These clowns of the boardroom are doing their best to overshadow what should really matter - success on the pitch. Liverpool have clearly struggled for lack of adequate investment inthe right areas in the last two seasons, while Manchester United look to be going the same way. Of course, success on the pitch must be underpinned by financial security, but it seems that both parties are failing on that front as well. I'm not sure what either have going for them, but it's not a lot from where i'm sitting.

There are of course stories of takeovers and ownership issues in recent years that have impacted positively on the game, and those should not be ignored. Randy Lerner continues to do a sterling job at Aston Villa with very little public intrusion. He has let Martin o'Neill's side do their talking on the pitch, and for that he should be praised. Carson Yeung has made a promising start to his time as owner of Birmingham City, perhaps galvinising his teams progress which has seen them go 12 games unbeaten in the Premier League. Even Roman Abramovich has enriched the Premier League by bringing us such characters as Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti in the managerial hotseat, whilst building a formidable team along the way.

It remains to be seen of course, whether Stan Kroenke manages to assume control at Arsenal, and what kind of legacy he'll bring to the club. Many suggest he will be a positive force for change at the club and will lead them to the silverware that has eluded them in recent years. Whatever happens in his story, he would do well to take heed of the mistakes made by those who have gone before him.

Ferguson must stick with Berbatov for the sake of title challenge

Mercurial forward may hold the key to United's title challenge, and Sir Alex needs to realise that to get the best out of the Bulgarian, he must be used consistently.

Dimitar Berbatov divides opinion like almost no other player in the game (with the possible exception of Emile Heskey). He dazzles some with remarkable displays of nonchalant brilliance, but baffles others with his seemingly indifferent attitude and questionable work-rate. What is beyond debate though is that out of Manchester United's last five games, the three victories came with the Bulgarian in the starting XI, while for the two defeats, he started on the bench.

Of course, to judge a player and his impact on the team based purely on their last five games fails to tell the whole story. Berbatov remains something of an enigma at United, and has yet to show his best form consistently. However, he has shown in the past that his best form comes when he is starting regularly (in fact, whose doesn't?), and that he tends to hit his stride in the second half of the season.

During his two years at Spurs Berbatov started slowly each season, but came into his own during December. In 06/07, he scored twice against Charlton to add to a total of just seven goals up to that point. He ended the season with 23 in all competitions. In 07/08, it took four goals against Reading at the end of December to kick-start his season - again he ended with 23 in all competitions. His Manchester United career thus far has been stop-start, but the team might just benefit from him having an extended run in the starting XI. He has scored in his last two games, and we might just be starting to see the emergence of the player so many United fans have waited so long to see.

Of course, at United you are expected to deliver straight away, especially after commanding such a large transfer fee. In that respect, Berbatov has been a disappointment so far. However, it is hard to deny that when he hits his stride, there are few players who are better to watch for sheer technique and vision in that central striker role, and with this style he can complement the athletic industry of the likes of Rooney, Valencia and Park behind him.

In fact, if United are to play the 4-2-3-1 formation that has become almost the default for top teams, Berbatov is by far the most suitable player to spearhead the attack. The use of Berbatov in this position is characteristic of the way the game has changed in recent years, and tactics employing forwards like the Bulgarian as a lone forward are becoming more and more commonplace (and effective) at the pinnacle of the world game. Jonathan Wilson comments that the traditional centre-forward as goal-poacher has long since departed at the top level. His comments on the future of the striker provide a fascinating insight into the way the game is changing, and Dimitar Berbatov perfectly fits the description of his modern "hybrid" forward. His outstanding close control, unrivalled vision and ability to thread a telling pass, together with his potency in and around the six-yard box make him a handful, and capable of playing the dual role of provider and finisher - previously split between two forwards - on his own.

An attacking line-up with Berbatov at the tip and Rooney behind, flanked with willing runners, appears to present both the best chances of success for United, and the highest potential for exciting and attractive attacking football. Let's hope that Ferguson persists with the talented forward, and that we start to see the full array of talent that this exciting player can produce on a regular basis.