This year's Ballon d'Or might be the first in history with no clear winner. For once, there isn't one obvious favourite who stands above everyone else. Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé have all had exceptional campaigns. Every one of them has a genuine case to make. That's what makes this year's award special. Whoever wins it will have earned it, and nobody should be able to say the award was undeserved.

You know the Ballon d'Or is today and these are my top 5 without being biased. This is based purely on football ability, individual impact and what each player brings to the game, not trophies or popularity. 1. Harry Kane 2. Erling Haaland 3. Lionel Messi 4. Lamine Yamal 5. Kylian Mbappé If you disagree, I'm ready to defend every single position on this list.

Mahrez was right once again. Barcelona had never lost to Real Madrid before they signed Rodri. Everything was going smoothly until they brought him in. Now look at them. The same Barcelona that used to beat Madrid are suddenly dropping points against them. You really cannot make this up. Barcelona went from dominating El Clásico to struggling against Madrid. All it took was one signing to change everything.

Raphinha is Barcelona's best player and it's sad that their fans would rather push Lamine Yamal for the Ballon d'Or than give their most decisive player the same love. Raphinha can deliver all season and still be treated like he's playing second fiddle because Yamal is the bigger name.

Man City have a habit of letting good players leave while keeping the ones who aren't delivering. James Trafford just kept a clean sheet for Leeds against Sunderland and showed why City should have kept him instead of signing Donnarumma. We brought Trafford back to the club only to push him aside a month later.

Manchester United have ruined or wasted so many talented players over the years: 1. Paul Pogba: Left United and became a world-class midfielder at Juventus. Returned for a huge fee and never consistently reached those heights again. 2. Jadon Sancho: Was one of Europe's most exciting young wingers at Dortmund. United spent £73 million on him and never got the player they expected. 3. Wilfried Zaha: Arrived with huge potential but barely got opportunities. Returned to Crystal Palace and became one of their most important players. 4. Donny van de Beek: Was a key player in Ajax's Champions League run. United barely gave him consistent opportunities. 5. Memphis Depay: Arrived as a highly rated young star after finishing as the Eredivisie's top scorer. Rebuilt his reputation at Lyon after leaving United. 6. Alexis Sánchez: Was one of Arsenal's biggest stars before joining United. His time at Old Trafford became a massive disappointment. 7. Ángel Di María: Arrived after starring for Real Madrid and helping them win the Champions League. Lasted just one season at United. 8. Romelu Lukaku: Scored goals at United but never seemed to fit the team's needs. Left for Inter Milan and helped them win Serie A. 9. Henrikh Mkhitaryan: Joined after an outstanding season at Borussia Dortmund. Struggled for consistency before finding success elsewhere. 10. Anthony Martial: Arrived as one of Europe's most exciting teenage forwards. Injuries and inconsistency stopped him from fulfilling his early promise. 11. Adnan Januzaj: Looked like a potential United superstar as a teenager. Never established himself as a consistent first-team player. 12. Harry Maguire: Arrived for a record fee for a defender and became captain. His confidence and reputation took a major hit during his difficult years at United. 13. Jesse Lingard: Came through the academy and enjoyed some strong moments. His United career eventually stalled, and he struggled for consistency. 14. Andreas Pereira: Spent years struggling to establish himself at United. Found more consistent football after leaving for Fulham. 15. Bastian Schweinsteiger: Arrived as a World Cup winner and Bayern Munich legend. His United career was short and disappointing. 16. Eric Bailly: Started brightly and looked like a promising centre-back. Injuries and inconsistency stopped him from becoming a regular starter. 17. Marcus Rashford: Went from academy sensation to a player whose future at United became uncertain. Eventually needed a fresh start away from Old Trafford. 18. Mason Greenwood: Emerged as one of United's most promising young forwards, but his career at the club ended after serious allegations led to his suspension. The criminal case was later discontinued. 19. Anthony Elanga: Struggled to secure a regular role at United before leaving. Developed into a more effective attacking player at Nottingham Forest. 20. Scott McTominay: Was often criticised and eventually sold. Went on to win Serie A with Napoli. 21. Dean Henderson: Spent years competing for a place without becoming United's undisputed first choice. Left and later won the FA Cup with Crystal Palace. 22. Antony: United paid a huge fee for him, but he struggled to justify it. His loan spell at Real Betis showed a different side to his game. The problem is bigger than one manager or one transfer window. United have repeatedly signed talented players and failed to get the best out of them.

Manchester United need to accept that they are no longer a big club on the pitch. The name still carries weight but the performances don't. You might have to suffer with Michael Carrick for the next few years the same way Arsenal stuck with Arteta before things started clicking. You cannot keep changing managers and expect instant success. If United want to become something special again they need patience and a proper rebuild.

All in favour of Michael Carrick keeping his job need to support this post right now. Before you scroll past and ignore this, just remember that the man has a loving wife and children to feed.

Watching Manchester United vs Bournemouth has made me realise a few things: . Bruno Fernandes is not the problem at Manchester United. They're blaming one of their few difference-makers instead of fixing the bigger issues. . We are fully behind whatever Michael Carrick is trying to do. The players and the club need to take responsibility too. . Manchester United need to accept that their name alone doesn't make them a big club anymore. Their performances are giving mid-table club energy. . Andrey Santos is genuinely making me question what kind of footballer we're watching. . Bryan Mbeumo is Manchester United's best player right now. He's one of the few players who looks capable of making things happen. . Dropping Bruno doesn't magically fix United's midfield. You can change the names and still have the same problems. . Manchester United have become so predictable that opponents know exactly how to make life difficult for them. . Bournemouth are playing with the confidence of a team that knows United can be got at. . United fans keep searching for one person to blame when the problems go much deeper than one player or manager. Manchester United need to fix the club from the inside out because the badge alone cannot save them anymore.

Is this really the Brighton Man City are supposed to be scared of? They're losing to Liverpool and people expect City fans to worry about them. Brighton can play good football but they're not unbeatable. Man City should be backing themselves to beat them. If Liverpool can expose them like this then Man City have no reason to be scared of Brighton.

Bruno Fernandes literally sold his soul to win the PFA award. How do you go from doing all of that to just sitting on the bench against a small side like Bournemouth? The fall off is actually insane.

I genuinely don't know what Zion Suzuki has against Man City. Why do these average goalkeepers suddenly turn into prime Neuer whenever they play us? They'll spend the whole season looking ordinary then face City and start saving everything like we're trying to take food off their table. Next thing you know they're getting PR and a bigger club is interested. It's actually annoying.

Barcelona and Real Madrid play El Clasico today and nobody cares. Man United and Carrick getting more hype than the biggest game in Spain is absolute irony. La Liga died the exact second Rodri joined Barcelona. You drop the best midfielder alive into that league and the whole competition is finished. He should have started at Man City. We are the biggest club in the world and the Premier League is the only stage meant for him.

Mahrez was right all along because ever since Cole Palmer left Man City for Chelsea the conversation around him has never felt the same. There's literally nothing outside Man City. You leave this club thinking you can build your own legacy elsewhere and suddenly everything looks different. Julian Alvarez is another example. Sometimes you only realise what you had at City after you've left.

🚨 The Premier League table as it stands 1. Manchester City 2. Arsenal 3. Brighton 4. Chelsea 5. Liverpool Lonely at the top 💙

I will never understand Enzo Fernández at Manchester City. When he plays for Argentina he looks like a completely different midfielder. For Argentina he looks comfortable on the ball and capable of dictating play. At City he sometimes looks like he's been reduced to a ball winner. We paid £125m for a midfielder who can offer so much more. Why does he look like Ugarte when he plays for City?

What is Doku actually good at besides those dazzling cuts that never work when we need them? Dribbling means nothing without a final ball.

Watching Zion Suzuki pass the ball like that gives pure Ederson vibes. Now it makes total sense why PSG handed Donnarumma over to Man City for £26m without even blinking, his feet are completely useless.

Gianluigi Donnarumma couldn’t even save himself if he were drowning while taking a shower. Absolutely hopeless in goal and costing us every single match.

Watching Aston Villa vs Manchester City has made me realise a few things: . Ruben Dias is still City's most reliable defender. The difference in composure is obvious. . Khusanov is a centre-back, not a natural right-back. We keep putting him in situations that don't suit him. . Guehi makes too many costly mistakes in crucial games. . A midfield of Enzo Fernández, Elliott Anderson and Cherki is not balanced enough. . Foden scores a hat-trick against AEK and still gets benched for Villa. I don't understand that decision. . City can dominate possession and still look vulnerable when opponents press them aggressively. . Enzo Maresca needs to stop making things harder than they need to be. Ruben Dias deserves more respect because this defence looks a lot less convincing without his composure.