At the weekend I saw Invictus, the Political/Rugby themed film that came out recently. The film is set in South Africa during the time of Nelson Mandela’s release from imprisonment on Robin Island. Morgan Freeman fantastically portrays Mandela alongside the equally good Matt Damon as South Africa rugby captain Francois Pienaar. The story builds up to the Rugby World Cup in 1995 where South Africa are a struggling nation, separated by colour and prejudice. Nelson Mandela is striving to change all this and attempts to united a nation through sport.

Invictus

Mandela invites Pienaar to an afternoon tea one day. He has seen an opportunity to unite his country through rugby and decides that Pienaar and the rugby team can do this by winning the world cup on home soil. There are a lot of interesting characters and sub plots that make this film great, however it was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. Not being a rugby fan and being born too late to be aware of the Mandela imprisonment and Apartheid, I wasn’t aware of a lot of the story before I saw the film. Having come out of the film however I felt entertained and educated, it was a great experience and I’d give the film 8/10.

Last night I went to Old Trafford for the 3rd time since the turn of the year, this time under real pressure to gain ground on leaders Chelsea in the league. I rushed home from work, eating tea whilst driving and then quickly got changed, grabbed my scarf and got picked up about half 6. When we arrived at the car park we decided to go to Sam Platt’s for a couple of beers – in my case it was Guinness. I hadn’t had much tea so I filled up on beer, tried to keep warm and strolled over to the ground about 5 minutes to kick off.

Rooney Uses His Head

After we had lost to Everton at the weekend we needed a confident, strong start to the game. We didn’t get it. Neville started again much to my displeasure. I seriously don’t think he is fit enough, quick enough or good enough in anyway to play in the first team anymore, let alone captain it. Incidentally he had a decent game but West Ham threw nothing at us all game and anything they did try got destroyed by the returning Nemanja Vidic. Rooney scored a couple of great headers either side of half time and Michael Owen typically added a third goal with 10 minutes left. It was a decent performance, a good confidence boost before the League cup final on Sunday and it was good to be back to winning ways. Next up is Villa, a team we haven’t beaten in two attempts this season, playing well and full of confidence. Hopefully this time we play them we’ll have 11 men for most of the game.

Team: Foster, Neville, Brown, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Gibson, Scholes, Anderson (Park 19), Rooney (Diouf 80), Berbatov (Owen 80)

Goals: Rooney 38, 55, Owen 80

Score: 3-0

Attendance: 73,797

Next week Nicola Potts appears in the BBC series Five Days II. The second installment of the series stars Suranne Jones (Unforgiven, Coronation Street) who leads an impressive ensemble cast in Gwyneth Hughes’s (Five Days, Miss Austen Regrets, Cherished) gripping new five-part mystery.

Five Days

A tiny newborn baby is abandoned in the toilets of a Yorkshire hospital. At the same time, the Trans-Pennine commuter train is halted by a suicidal jumper – are they connected? A gripping story begins – Five Days is broadcast on BBC One at 9.00pm from Monday 1 to Friday 5 March 2010.

Well it’s Pancake day so if you’re not sure how to make them, here is a quick guide how to make basic pancakes with sugar and lemon.

Ingredients:

• 110g/4oz plain flour, sifted
• pinch of salt
• 2 eggs
• 200ml/7fl oz milk mixed with 75ml/3fl oz water
• 50g/2oz butter
• caster sugar
• lemon juice
• lemon wedges

Method:

Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets a airing. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs – any sort of whisk or even a fork will do – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

Next gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don’t worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk). When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream. Now melt the 50g/2oz of butter in a pan. Spoon 2 tbsp of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round before you make each pancake.

Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you’re using the correct amount of batter. I find 2 tbsp is about right for an 18cm/7in pan. It’s also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it’s tinged gold as it should be. Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan onto a plate – Then eat!

This is Delia Smith’s method of making them – I’m sure there are many others.

I have decided to put together a top 20 list of Manchester United players to have played for the club in my lifetime. I was born in September 1986 and have followed United since I was about 7 or 8 – so my lifetime for United players is from 1994-2010.

My criteria for this list is based on players I have seen and who have inspired me, along with goals scored and appearances for the club. Growing up, Eric Cantona and David Beckham were my idols, however Ryan Giggs has since gained my respect for obvious reasons. Here is the list:

1. Ryan Giggs
2. Wayne Rooney
3. Eric Cantona
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
5. David Beckham
6. Ruud van Nistelrooy
7. Roy Keane
8. Rio Ferdinand
9. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
10. Peter Schmeichel
11. Andy Cole
12. Teddy Sheringham
13. Nemanja Vidic
14. Paul Scholes
15. Patrice Evra
16. Denis Irwin
17. Edwin van der Sar
18. Gary Neville
19. Jaap Stam
20. John O’Shea

Ryan Giggs – Simply the best player to have played for the club. 20 years at the top and a bagful of goals, assists and appearances make him number 1 on my list. He also lives down the road so although he is Welsh, he is a local lad – just listen to him talk!

Wayne Rooney – What a fantastic player, he may be a scouser but because he is so good he is an honourary Manc! He has been at the club for 6 seasons now and has scored a load of goals and is the inspiration and heartbeat of the team. Even when Ronaldo was at the club, Rooney was still adored by more hardcore fans for his work rate and never say die attitude.

Eric Cantona - Eric the King was a legend. From his audacious flicks, his outstanding presence and his range of qualities on the football field, he was a leader all the way. He captained the team and led them to many league and FA Cup victories. Simply magnifique.

Cristiano Ronaldo – From 2003 the player brought in to replace David Beckham, this guy grew stronger and better and peaked in the 2007/08 season scoring 40+ goals in that year. He terrorised defences and won many trophies in 6 seasons with the club. He eventually left for a staggering £80 million in 2009 for Real Madrid but for many years he was held in high regard by me and many others.

David Beckham – The best set-piece taker and crosser of the ball I have ever seen, anywhere. He was fantastic, he led his team and country to many victories, never as club captain but he was inspirational all the same. He was my favourite player at the club after Cantona left and I was devastated when he went to Real Madrid in summer 2003. We didn’t win the league for 3 seasons after he left and I seriously don’t think this was coincidence.

Ruud van Nistelrooy – What a machine – this guy scored bagfuls of goals. In one season he combined with Beckham to score 46 goals in all competitions and 25 in the league. He only won the league with us once, and won the FA Cup and Carling Cup too but he was a great goalscorer and once Beckham left, the crosses stopped and he didn’t score as many. He was still a great player though and inside the box there was no one better.

Roy Keane – Captain fantastic. As the song says, “Keano is a wizard is he wears a magic hat, and when he saw Old Trafford he said I fancy that, he didn’t go to Arsenal or Blackburn cos they’re shite, he came to Man United cos we’re fucking dynamite.” Leader, many trophies, controversial but all round midfield general.

Rio Ferdinand – The best defender I have seen at the club in my lifetime. He leads from the back and now in his 8th season with the club he is England captain and the rock in our defence. He has won many trophies and often has centre forwards in his back pocket. A calming influence on the defence and a true red.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – 1999, Nou Camp – say no more. What a fantastic servant for the club. Happy to be on the bench and make an impact from there. He scored a lot of goals and played many games in 10 seasons with United before finally retiring due to injuries. He is now reserve team manager and still a huge influence at the club developing talent.

Peter Schmeichel – The best goalkeeper I have ever seen play. Led from the back, scored a few goals and played so many games for the club it was hard to replace him. A commanding presence and great team player, Schmeichel was inspirational and the best shot stopper in the league/Europe for a good 7 or 8 years.

Andy Cole – Scored a lot of goals and was part of the treble winning team and fantastic partnership with Dwight Yorke. He was a great player and “Goal King Cole” will always be a big part of my memory of United in the 90s. His lob over Ian Walker that got us the title in 1999 will be in my mind forever.

Teddy Sheringham – Lots of goals, a cult hero and got the equaliser in the Nou Camp in 99. His goals and personality helped to fill the gap left by Eric Cantona after his departure in 1997. Sheringham stayed for 4 years and in his final season (00/01) he was top scorer and was replaced by van Nistelrooy, leaving for a second spell at Spurs.

Nemanja Vidic – A rock at the back for the last 4 years and forming a great partnership with Rio Ferdinand he is the Steve Bruce figure of my generation. He scores goals and is a commanding presence at the back. All round cult hero and work horse.

Paul Scholes – An un-sung hero, he has developed from a goal-scoring midfielder to a deep lying playmaker. He has made countless appearances and scored magnificent goals. Formed a great partnership with Roy Keane and then Michael Carrick but has lost his first team status in the last year or so. His hard tackling and scoring abilities are loved among fans and he will forever be remembered as a true red.

Patrice Evra – the best left back I have ever witnessed playing. His touch and reading of the game are phenomenal, his passing and tackling are immense and he even captains the team in the absence of others. Patrice has been no.1 left back for 5 years now and there is no one better in terms of linking defence, with midfield and attack.

Denis Irwin – He was a legend at the club and a fantastic servant. Could play at right or left back and was a hard tackling, penalty-taking leader. He was inspirational and throughout the 1990s he was the best full back in the league. He didn’t do anything special but worked hard and was consistent.

Edwin van der Sar – Who could possibly replace Peter Schmeichel? Not Bosnich, not Van der Gouw, not Taibi, not Barthez, not Carroll, not Howard – but Edwin van der Sar. He has been the best keeper at the club since the Great Dane left in 1999. Joining from Fulham in 2005, he has won many trophies with the club and at the age of 39 is showing no signs of decline. Got the clean sheet record last season for most consecutive clean sheets. A fantastic keeper and looks after himself.

Gary Neville – Has been first choice right back since 1995 and has provided many assists down the years. Now club captain but blighted by injuries he is one of the longest serving players at the club. Came through the Golden generation at Old Trafford in 1994 and has won many trophies and won many tackles. A hard working, inspirational player. Not everyone’s cup of tea but held in high regard at Old Trafford – a cult hero and red through and through.

Jaap Stam – Only at the club for 3 seasons but he made a massive impact on the United defence. Formed a great partnership with Ronny Johnsen and won many trophies with the club. Fergie admitted he made a mistake in selling him in 2001 but while he was with the club he was a fantastic servant and leader.

John O’Shea – Now in his 8th full season with the club, the solid dependable, versatile John O’Shea is a cult hero at Old Trafford. He is good going forward and can play in any position across the defence and even in goal! One of the best full backs at United and will be there for the next 5 years no doubt.