5 Things We Learned From Manchester United's 2-2 Draw With Cardiff

Manchester United's title hopes took another blow today when they drew at Cardiff City, but here are five things that we learned from the clash.

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Premier League forward makes his belated international breakthrough (video)

Wes Hoolahan is one of those rare footballers that has inspired his own cult following. Throughout Giovanni Trappatoni’s reign, he has consistently ignored the Norwich playmaker. However, this weekend, at the age of 31, he made his competitive debut for the Republic of Ireland in the 3-0 win over the Faroe Islands.

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Arsenal star out in the cold (video)

Andrey Arshavin was Arsenal’s record signing in January 2009, as a £15m purchase from Zenit St. Petersburg. As he departs on a free transfer, four and a half years later, did he ever really live up to that billing, or was his status as one of the world’s most sought after players misplaced?

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Goalkeepers that keep scoring goals (video)

Goalkeepers, for the sake of their manager’s heart-rate, should stay inside their own penalty box at all times, occasionally rushing out to close down an on-rushing striker, but only in an emergency. There are exceptions to this rule, but they must possess the finishing ability of an Alan Shearer, or the set-piece brilliance of a David Beckham. Such creatures do exist, and mainly in the footballing utopia that is South America.

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Has Stuart Pearce set himself up for a fall?

Stuart Pearce, as a manager, very much landed on his feet with the England Under-21 gig. His time at Man City is remembered as a failure, with his final season only bringing 10 goals from 19 home games. So how did he get his current job, and will he be continuing past the European Championships, as he wishes?

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The reason Bellamy didn't join Everton

Craig Bellamy is no stranger to transfer negotiations, having played at nine different clubs throughout his career. However, it is the one move he didn’t make that may give us a clue as to new Man United boss David Moyes’ intentions when shopping this summer. As revealed in Bellamy’s newly released autobiography, the striker came very close to joining Everton in 2005. Why didn’t he join forces with Moyes?

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Managers feeling the pressure - the best of (video)

While many of us like to think of ourselves as football purists, with the action on the field mattering above all, it is undeniably fun to watch a manager dispensing with pleasantries and saying something that makes you stop and think ‘did he just say that?’

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Should Chelsea be worried? Never go back? A closer look

Jose Mourinho's long-awaited return to Chelsea flies in the face of all logic - be it in football or in personal relationships, the general rule for life is never to go back to an ex. Mourinho's new four-year contract is an extraordinary commitment, one that many suspect will not last the duration, but the intention is clear - things will be different this time, they promise! Let's have a look at some managers that tried to re-create the old magic.

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Bramble first out the door in Di Canio clear-out (video)

Titus Bramble’s career has been a rollercoaster – one that began with the promise of full England honours as he was touted as one of the most talented young centre-backs of his generation. So why does he find himself without a club at the still relatively young age of 31?

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Can Pellegrini bring his Euro magic to Manchester City? (video)

Manuel Pellegrini is seemingly days away from being announced as Man City’s new manager, after a long and protracted saga, in which Roberto Mancini has already been the victim. In City’s world of heightened expectations, coming only second in the league was certainly a disappointment, but Mancini’s continued Champions league failure was a key factor in his departure. Can Pellegrini give the Mancunians a debut knock-out stage appearance?

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Potential Everton boss Roberto Martinez - the player (video)

Roberto Martinez, despite Wigan’s relegation, has become one of the country’s most eligible managerial bachelors, thanks in no small part to an FA Cup win over the riches of Manchester City. However, it wasn’t long ago that the 39-year-old was highly-regarded for his skills on the pitch.

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Brazil's next generation of Samba flair (videos)

As people begin to flock to the beaches for our short British summer, it is a good time to look at those youngsters who honed their skills playing on the finest beaches South America has to offer. Chelsea are swooping in on one of them, with Wallace agreeing to join in July from Fluminese, but who else is getting scouting networks worldwide in a tizzy?

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Have Torres and Ba done enough to lead Chelsea’s brave new world?

The transfer fees of Chelsea’s two leading strikers have had endless column inches written about them. The £50m paid for Fernando Torres has long been seen as one of the great swindles in living memory, while the reported £7m for Demba Ba is a deal relatively in-keeping with the austerity of the real world. Will either be at Stamford Bridge a year from now?

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Hughes and Stoke a match made in heaven?

Mark Hughes famously walked out on Fulham in 2011, claiming the Cottagers didn’t match his ambition. Six months later he wound up at QPR, a recently promoted club struggling to retain their Premier League status. Ironically, Stoke City, a club Tony Pulis struggled in vain to get into the top half of the table, could be a perfect fit for Hughes.

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Can Trappatoni give the perfect parting gift?

Republic of Ireland manager Giovanni Trappatoni has of late led what many would call a charmed managerial life. Many would have thanked him and said goodnight after what was an occasionally embarrassing Euro 2012 tournament, which ended with no points and only one goal. The FAI saw fit to give him a chance to lead Ireland to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but can he do it?

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