Four games. Four Wins: Just how good is this Manchester United team?

Four games, eighteen goals, twelve points.

That is the story, so far, of Manchester United's season.

It means they are top of the table, level on points and ahead on goal different with their city rivals, Manchester City.

Both teams have set a blistering pace to the start of the season, with the other usual contenders struggling to keep up.

Liverpool stuttered against Sunderland and lost against Stoke.

Chelsea have looked unconvincing.

And Arsenal? Well, the less said about them, the better.

United are traditionally slow starters to a season- normally kicking into gear after Christmas and powering on into May, claiming the title and any other silverware that happens to be lying around on the way.

This season however, they have started in fifth gear. A shaky opening performance against West Brom aside, a 5-0 victory against a talented Tottenham, 8-2 demolition of an under strength albeit equally aged Arsenal team and a 5-0 thrashing of a resiliant and vastly improved Bolton team, sounded a message to the rest of the league, and Europe beyond.

But how good are United?

I mean, really, how good are they?

Well, with the additions of Phil Jones and Ashley Young, they are certainly better than the championship winning team and Champions League finalists of last season.

David de Gea has had a slow start, but he will undoubtedly prove to be a great signing- people forget he is only twenty year old- young, especially for a goalkeeper.

Young, in particular has been in fine form- dragging United to a victory against West Brom, being equally impressive against Spurs and excellent against Arsenal.

Phil Jones though, shouldn't be overlooked- against Bolton, starting at the unfamiliar right back position, he ripped apart the far more experienced Paul Robinson, setting up two with a fantastic delivery and mazy run respectively, whilst also contributing to a clean sheet.

United seem to have a more youthful look about them this season- not only with De Gea (20) replacing Van Der Sar (40) and the addition of Jones (19). But academy players Cleverley (22) and Welbeck (20) back from loan periods have come straight into the first team and impressed. Not to mention Chris Smalling (21) doing so well at right back he earned two England caps.

I haven't even mentioned Wayne Rooney.

Two hat-tricks in his last two games- a goal in every Premier League game this season- need I say more?

The style of football United are playing is not only effective, but beautiful to watch- Nani's goal in the Community Shield was full of inter-play and passing Barcelona would have been proud of.

And so we come to it.

The elephant in the room.

Barcelona.

Are they better than the European Champions?

Well first things first- United are better than City.

Despite City's impressive start to the season (and it has been incredibly impressive), I expect them to fall away at some point during the season.

Mental toughness is United's biggest weapon- and that has been earned through experience, not bought.

As the winter sets in, Sergio Aguero gets a taste of the English weather and Yaya Toure jets off for the African Cup of Nations, I can see City falling away- not by much- but I think points will be dropped.

So back to Barcelona.

The bane of Ferguson (and probably the reason he's staying on).

In last season's Champion's League final, United were schooled.

It was a performance that illustrated the gulf between the Catalan club and the best of the rest.

So now.

Have United closed the gap?

The short answer is yes, I believe they have- although Barcelona have undoubtedly strengthened, I think United have done slightly more- not to mention the gradual evolution of their youth players.

But still, I don't think United are as good as Barcelona.

United are good, Barca are better.

Despite throwing away of 2-0 lead today and coming away with a 2-2 draw, Barcelona just seem to be on another level to everyone else- even the seemingly unstoppable United.

The gulf in class so massive last season, it may take a few years before this crop of Fledglings can challenge Barcelona's dominance of Europe.

But challenge they will.

Experience is key, and I see a couple more lessons in Europe needed before Ferguson can get his hands on that famous trophy for the third time.

So how good is this Manchester United team?

They'll probably win the Premier League this season.

They're better than last year.

But they're still only the second best team in Europe.

Liverpool vs. Manchester United: What will happen?

After my poor attempt at predicting the Chelsea vs. United match (see Predictions for Chelsea vs. Manchester United) I thought I'd give it another go.

Now, contrary to what I predicted for Tuesday's game, I see this as a fast, end to end affair with Liverpool pushing on more and trying to take advantage of the makeshift United defense.

The back four of Sir Alex's side will likely be O'Shea, Brown, Smalling and Evra- the latter being the only first choice of the four.

It is possible Rafael will replace O'Shea, but with the aerial threat of Liverpool and their lack of out and out winger, that seems to be unlikely.

The rumored inclusion of Andy Carroll will spice things up even more and make the prospect of Edwin Van Der Sar keeping a clean sheet seem even more unlikely.

I expect Berbatov to return, given his incredible performance in the mirroring fixture earlier in the season. This will give United added potency compared with Tuesday- Hernandez did not get much of the ball and may not be quite ready for games of this magnitude.

Suarez will add some attacking flair to the Liverpool offence and although without the excellent Kelly, Liverpool will have a very strong side.

I think, providing Johnson can deal with the threat of United's best player this season, Nani, Liverpool will have a great chance to snatch a win and hand the advantage of this year's title race back into Arsenal's hands.

I therefore can see this being a 2-1 victory for Liverpool.

If Carroll plays, I see him scoring on his debut, but even if he doesn't, I think the injury hit defense will affect United badly.

With the fire power United have, I think they will score- but I can't see them coming from what will be an amped up Anfield, with a victory.

What do you think?

Any predictions?

Carrick signs new United deal.

er Michael Carrick has signed a new three year contract to keep him at the Theatre of Dreams until 2014.

Now, I know I'm not the only person to ask this but: Why?

United fans have been lobbying for him to be left out of the first team, never mind be offered a new deal.

It is common knowledge that over the last two seasons, and this one in particular, Carrick has been far from his best. In fact, he seems to be on the decline and as he is approaching thirty years old, that may not be far off the mark.

His passing has been abject at best and his tackling not much better.

United fans were hoping, that with Carrick's contract running out at the end of the season, Sir Alex Ferguson would use this as a time to re-shape the midfield and bring in some new, fresh and exciting faces.

This is looking increasingly unlikely.

So should Carrick have been given a new contract?

Does this mean new faces will not be brought in this summer?

What do you think?

Rooney: Man or Myth?

Over the last season a ghost has walked the hallowed turf of Old Trafford.

He was once the most expensive teenager in the history of the English game.

He has been called the gifted English player of his generation.

A genius in the purest sense of the world.

His name is Wayne Rooney.

His ghost like performances however have begged the question: has Wayne lost everything he promised and is he proving the heroics of last season were merely a fluke, no better than Amir Zaki or Frasncis Jeffers?

Despite the utterly stunning goal against Manchester City, Rooney has failed to deliver on all fronts this season.

It begs the question- was that goal a reminder of his genius or just a blast from the past?

It isn't a secret that Rooney has been ravaged by injury for the last twelve months. Ever since that fateful night against Bayern Munich (the other fateful night against Bayern Munich...) he has struggled with his ankle and has not really been the same since.

That excuse could have been valid for the World Cup. But is it now?

6 months on, and Rooney still looks out of sorts. It is true that his work rate is still fantastic- his goalless part in United's 5-0 victory against Birmingham  a month ago was arguably bigger that Dimitar Berbatov's, who scored a hat-trick. (Believe me, I was there.)

The hard fact is that Rooney is, a striker. Even my mother knows that a  striker's job is to score goals and six goals in twenty-one appearences is simply not a good enough return, especially when two of those were penalties.

He has shown too little of the predatory, six yard box instrict we saw from the thirty-four goal superstar last year.

When he has relied on pure talent, when he hasn't had the time to overthink a situation, it has been business as usual. Case in point the goal vs. City, the header vs. West Brom and the two vs. Villa.  All four goals were Rooney at his best-ruthless, instinctual.

But once again, those are the only four instances in the last year I have seen him be anywhere near as good as he really is.

Truthfully, I have shown more flashes of brilliance in the past twelve months.

I do honestly believe that Rooney will get it back together. I am one of those people who called him the most gifted English player of his generation because, quite simply, I think he is. How can't he be?

For the record, I also do not think that he really wanted to leave Old Trafford a few months ago and I do think his heart is still in it- I just think he needs to rely on what got him this far in the first place- talent.

With "Just enough education to perform", thinking is perhaps not Wayne's strong suit- if he started listening to his playground-honed instincts once again, we will see the man back for club, and country.