Carrick denies Manchester United are ‘unmanageable’, clásico buildup and more – matchday live

⚽️ News before the 2pm GMT Premier League fixtures
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It’s Ballon D’Or, Ballon D’Or, Ballon D’Or, Ballon D’Or week, and Stanley Matthews week, too. Two wizards of the dribble in Ed Aarons and Jonathan Wilson on Sir Stan’s legacy.

The switch of venue to England from its usual home in Paris is a mark of respect to the man who became the first active player to receive a knighthood in 1965, a few months before retiring at the age of 50. It also provides an opportunity to recall an astonishing career that began with his local side Stoke in 1932 and made the “Wizard of Dribble” the most famous player on the planet.

Still, the choice of Stanley Matthews, from today’s perspective, looks odd. While it is true Blackpool had finished second in the First Division in 1956, but they were 11 points behind Manchester United and had gone out of the FA Cup in the third round. Was there not a case for Duncan Edwards or Tommy Taylor? Or for Bert Trautmann, the goalkeeper who won the Football Writers’ player of the year in 1956 after playing on with a broken neck in the final as Manchester City lifted the Cup?

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