It’s rare that expectations are low for Manchester United, but after the back-to-back disappointments against Blackburn and Newcastle, United were the clear underdogs heading into last weekend’s FA Cup showdown at City. But as has happened time and time and time and time again, United delivered when the chips were down, and while the 3-2 triumph doesn’t make everything better in an instant, it served as yet another reminder that it’s never a wise idea to write off Manchester United.

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With Christmas now a distant memory, United travel to Stoke City’s Clayton Wood training facility/Academy for their second Academy League fixture of 2012 hoping to distance the memory of a poor last performance.

Last weekend saw United held to 3-3 draw in an exciting but error packed game against bottom of the league Bolton Wanderers at Carrington.

I’m sure the manager will be expecting to see certain improvements and proof that his team can learn from their mistakes before the somewhat more important FA youth cup tie against Derby County at Moss Lane on Wednesday night.

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Amid all the controversy that, at least for the blue half of Manchester, surrounded Sunday’s FA Cup fixture, one might be forgiven for almost forgetting something that transcended the meanings of those 90 minutes – Paul Scholes is back.

Following his retirement in May, the United legend announced his comeback to help the club in a time of difficulty, in a totally unexpected move for most of the public.

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1. Life in technicolor

I’ve discovered that the word “vintage” is a polite synonym for irrelevant. Any studio that releases a motion picture in technicolor, in this age, is deliberately looking to be bankrupt. The 3-D, IMAX, CGI monstrosities, released in this day, will destroy you at the box office. Any football team, employing tactics that make people like Steve Bruce or John Barnes, nostalgic, in 21st century European football, is desperate for an early exit in the Champions League. Or a severe hiding from noisy neighbors. Manchester United seems to be currently free falling on the technical standard meter.

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Going into the FA Cup clash with our Manchester City, serious questions were asked of Sir Alex his Red Devils. Following two consecutive losses at the hands of Blackburn and Newcastle, and with the 6-1 slaughtering still fresh in mind, this game was made for a Manchester United comeback. The press did not seem to think so, putting City as bang-on favourites, some even expecting a repeat of the horrible experience in October. After all, United are a club in severe crisis! It was not to be though, with United dominant in every aspect and putting out a team that would not only stop City, but punish them to maximum effect.

It was obvious Sir Alex had learnt from his mistakes earlier this season, and made the changes necessary to beat City. Not only from the start, but as the game went on as well. What exactly were those changes?

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Things we lost in the center:

The centre has always been the source of direction and control since the beginning of ages. Isaac Newton will tell you, your movement and indeed of any other object, is based on it’s centre of gravity(which makes it clear that Park Ji-Sung’s is somewhere in between his butt cheeks). The direction and control of the World Police in Langley, Virginia has the first name Central. It is therefore clear that if your objective, whether falling on your butt everytime you receive the ball,or expiring inconvenient dictators, is to establish control and direction, you need to find the centre. And solve it.

Central midfield is the most revered role and zone in all of football. It is still however debatable, whether such reverence is applied at the protestant Theatre of Dreams. And in this belated edition(there’s an apology hidden in there) of The Scope,we’re exploring the months of October, November and December with a focus on the central midfield.

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Manchester United are through to the fourth round of the FA Cup after defeating Manchester City in a pulsating encounter at Eastlands.

Goals from Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck sent United fans into raptures as Fergie’s men reclaimed local rights, while City were left incensed by referee Chris Foy’s decision to send Kompany off.

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It’s safe to say that any match between Manchester United and Manchester City is massive, especially in the present, when it looks like the two could be fighting it out for Premier League titles on a regular basis for the foreseeable future. That being said, it’s somewhat difficult to get a read on the full significance of today’s FA Cup third round showdown, in relation to where United are and where they will go afterwards. Will a win today spark a big winning run, or would it be nothing more than an away win over the archrivals and a place in the next round of the FA Cup? Would a defeat cause a crushing loss of confidence, or would it actually spur United on positively?

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United’s under 18s fell behind three times but each time pegged their opponents back to earn a point and a few lessons against Bolton’s under 18′s at Carrington this morning.

In steadily worsening conditions throughout the 90 minutes, United failed to get into their stride and dominate possession like they had been doing in the closing weeks of 2011. Similar goals from Rudge and Hendrie sandwiched a typically United goal for Sam Byrne, but the story of the game lies in the errors that continue to plague this seemingly immature, ignorant defence who appear unwilling to learn from their own mistakes.

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