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ESPN raised some eyebrows recently when, attempting to find the best modern day side of the Champions League era, they ranked Manchester Uniteds 1999 side higher than the 2008 winners. United fans have little to do during the week at the moment, being out of Europe for the first time in 25 years, so this topic certainly got a lot of their attention as they debated the merits of both sides. Why not, right? It was certainly more fun than picking the bones out of a 4-0 loss to Milton Keynes Dons in the League Cup or a recent 0-0 draw at Burnley. United fans have been doing a lot of looking back recently. They regularly cast their minds back to the Sir Alex Ferguson era and wonder if any of the current issues existed then. They are regularly reminded of the short David Moyes era where they became forlorn, former giants of the domestic game, forcing the clubs upper management to shop on a different street in the transfer market and finally bring back some expensive class home that can make a difference. Yet this season was supposed to be a new dawn. A new era away from Fergies 2012-13 and the Moyes nightmare of 2013-14 where they can draw a line under the past and move forward. If any comparing of recent eras were to take place, United fans simply hoped it would be in comical fashion referring to how poor they were last year compared to this. That ambitious leap looks far too premature at the moment after their most recent defeat, a 5-3 loss to Leicester City, in which they were massacred in the second half by a club who was playing in the Championship last season. After taking one step forward in their 4-0 win over Queens Park Rangers, they took another two steps back in humiliating fashion at the King Power Stadium on Sunday losing the last 30 minutes of the match 4-0, after being ahead 3-1 after an hour. Captain Wayne Rooney ended the game with a foul-mouthed rant in the face of the officials, believing referee Mark Clattenburg had gotten two major decisions wrong that led to two of Leicesters goals. There was no question that Jamie Vardy fouled both Rafael and Tyler Blackett on the buildup to the penalties being awarded but United will be naive and completely missing the point if they lay this loss at the hands of the officials. The simple truth is United were poor enough to allow the officials to be an excuse. Louis Van Gaal is known to be a coach of great details. He carries around a giant folder to each match and this week he gave us a glimpse of what kind of information was in it. “I have analysed them (Leicester) three times,” he said. “I prepare all my matches very thoroughly. I know all about the games they have played already and the game they lost to a minor team [Shrewsbury] in the Capital One Cup. I know everything about the team, about individuals, substitutes, what the atmosphere will be like in the stadium, how they take free-kicks, everything. My staff check all that out and then we send it to the players. Ryan Giggs gives them a presentation, then we simulate our opponents in training.” Whoever simulated Leicester in training this week got it wrong. Very wrong. They failed to show that two men would press Daley Blind whenever he received the ball, ensuring he made less than half of the passes he attempted last week against QPR. They failed to simulate Leonardo Ulloas instincts in the box shown when he scored a crucial header, not tracked, at 2-0. They failed to simulate the tempo that Leicester played with, even when they were down 3-1, something Van Gaal will never have experienced from a promoted team when coaching the likes of Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Above all, they certainly failed to test an embarrassingly open team that showed no backbone, belief and leadership when faced with adversity. In parts United were breathtaking, looking nothing like their former selves, when Radamel Falcaos brilliant cross found the head of Robin van Persie and when Angel Di Maria dribbled his way into the box and lobbed Kasper Schmeichel soon after, but in many ways it is those moments that makes Uniteds second half performance even more alarming. The Premier League has a video library of all of their past matches and inside that library is a list of what they call ‘EPL Classics. These are offered at a price to their broadcast partners around the world. United feature heavily in many of these games and most of them they win. Even when they didnt always play well such classics showed Uniteds incredible resolve and recovery abilities to come from behind and win matches, like the famous 5-3 victory at Tottenham in September, 2001. Sir Alex Ferguson called that one of his most memorable victories and talked in his book about the belief the team had down 3-0 at half-time. He wrote: “As they traipsed into the dressing room, three goals down, the players were braced for a rollicking. Instead I sat down and said: ‘Right, Ill tell you what were going to do. Were going to score the first goal in this second half and see where it takes us. We get at them right away, and we get the first goal. ” It was a 5-3 that said everything about that United team. The moment they scored the first goal the entire ground wondered about a comeback. Sundays 5-3 loss to Leicester said everything about this current United team. Up 3-1 they should have seen it out but they left too many attacking players on the field and crumbled, losing a Premier League match, after being up two goals, for the first time ever. At 3-3, with 25 minutes left for them to still go on and win, they walked back to the centre-circle with their heads down. The only one whose head was up was captain Rooney who screamed at his United teammates. It is not all Rooneys fault but it was hardly the image of leadership and it speaks volumes that there is no better option than the Englishman to wear the captains armband. A team that once had incredible leadership and characters relied upon individual brilliance to insert their dominance over Leicester but when the going got tough they disappeared. Some blame falls at the feet of Van Gaal, of course, and it is clear his folder needs more chapters, and the profile of a world class centre-back wouldnt hurt either, but the capitulation falls on the players. There is no hiding behind an inadequate manager anymore. The Premier League has a new game to place inside their classic library. It is up to the current crop of United players to now ensure its a match that doesnt define this era. Mike Adams Jersey . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown. Amini Silatolu Jersey . The Mavericks avoided a season sweep by the Nuggets, who ran away with a win in Denver two weeks ago to hand Dallas its longest losing streak at three games. Dallas (42-28) got a boost in the playoff race when Miami rallied from seven down in the last 3 1/2 minutes to beat Memphis 91-86 Friday night. http://www.cheappanthersjerseysonline.com/.Brazil midfielder Ricardo Goulart scored the winner in the 50th minute to give the defending champion a four-point advantage in the standings over second-place Sao Paulo, which beat rival Palmeiras 2-0. Sam Mills Jersey . The Wild, playing their first game since leading scorer Mikko Koivu broke his ankle Saturday at Washington, have won three straight for the first time since Nov. 1-5. Koivu underwent surgery on Monday and is expected to miss at least four weeks. Fozzy Whittaker Jersey . Nothing pretty. But this is 1/4 World Cup. Usually plays out this way.The RFL have announced Canadian side Toronto Wolfpack will join the Kingstone Press League 1 from 2017. In addition to competing in the UKs third tier competition, Toronto have also been invited to participate in the historic Ladbrokes Challenge Cup in 2017, which celebrates its 120th anniversary next season.The RFL are hoping the historic move can help develop their brand and the sport across North America. It is with great pleasure that I can confirm Toronto Wolfpacks entry into Kingstone Press League League next season, said RFL Chief Executive Nigel Wood.We have worked closely with the Canadian clubs officials and investors in the last few years and have no doubts that Toronto Wolfpack will enhance a competition which has already established a reputation for welcoming new clubs. Toronto calling Rugby league will benefit from Toronto expansion, says Phil Clarke Rugby League has always had a pioneering philosophy throughout its history and this initiative offers further evidence of the sports wide appeal and readiness to embrace innovation.We are looking forward to working with Toronto Wolfpack, who will join us with the unanimous support of our member clubs.Toronto Wolfpack will play home and away fixtures in four or five-match blocks, staying in residential accommodation while in the UK and flying out other teams at their expense for home matches at Lamport Stadium in the Liberty Village area of downtown Toronto.Visiting teams to Lamport Stadium, which is known as The Den, will fly out on a Thursday, play on Saturday and return to Europe oon Sunday.ddddddddddddToronto have already recruited a backroom and administrative team with a rich Rugby League pedigree which includes Brian Noble, Paul Rowley and Adam Fogerty, the former St Helens and Halifax player who has been appointed as Chief Executive. The people behind the scenes, the owners, the financial backers and certainly the CEO Eric Perez have moved mountains in 18 months and it was just an opportunity I didnt want to miss. Brian Noble Noble, the former Bradford Bulls and Great Britain coach, has joined the club as Director of Rugby with ex-Leigh Centurions coach Rowley as head coach.Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, Noble said he took little persuading to grab an opportunity too good to miss.He said: I had a chance meeting with Adam Fogarty and he told me there was a big project going ahead in Canada and asked me if I was interested?A couple of big breakfasts later and i was signed up. The people behind the scenes, the owners, the financial backers and certainly the CEO Eric Perez have moved mountains in 18 months and it was just an opportunity I didnt want to miss.The Wolfpack will commence an ambitious player recruitment campaign over the summer months when their drive to sign talent from sports clubs across North America will be the subject of a reality television series called Last Tackle. 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