Former England winger Chris Waddle has voiced his opinion that English football will suffer if United don't win several trophies this season. The season has become a straight battle between United and Chelsea for domestic honours and there is a strong possibility that the two sides will also meet in the European Cup Final. Waddle sees the clashes as more than just two sides competing for trophies; they are also a battle between two contrasting and diametrically opposed philosophies. It is Leeds 1970 vs. United 1977; Liverpool 1984 vs. United 1999; AC Milan 2003 vs. Barcelona 2006. A dull and negative percentage game vs. free flowing, creative, attacking football. Waddles is in no doubt whose side he's on.
"For the good of football you need entertainers to succeed," Waddle told BBC Sport. "I think it would be better for the game if United won the trophies because of the way they've played this season. People obviously take notice if you're winning things. If Chelsea win three or four trophies, people will think that's the way to play. Chelsea are a no-risk team and I don't get out of my seat watching them.
"In contrast, watching United encourages young kids to dribble and to entertain. Our country is desperately short of this type of player."
Waddle also believes that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho cannot be considered amongst the 'greats' of modern management, "He doesn't like flair, he likes machines. Fitness, strength and organisation are the key things for Mourinho. A lot of people will say this means he can't be classed a great manager, even though he has been tremendously successful and has achieved a great deal.
"Of course, he can turn round and put two fingers up and say 'I've won the trophies'. But it's a lot easier to stop teams entertaining than to play entertaining football. This is why Manchester United's Alex Ferguson and Arsenal's Arsene Wenger are great, great managers. They've won trophies the hard way - by entertaining.
"Ferguson has always entertained, mainly by playing two wide men who can produce magic. Think of Lee Sharpe, Andrei Kanchelskis, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo - they're unpredictable players who the fans love to watch. Ferguson and Wenger have got the philosophy right and won trophies with entertaining football."
Looking at the amount of money spent at Chelsea under Mourinho, Waddle believes that owner Roman Abramovich will be disappointed with the results despite the impressive haul of honours over the past two seasons.
"The majority of teams in the lower leagues play a percentage game. They succeed by being well-organised, playing at a high tempo and getting the ball forward quickly. You can understand that because they don't have the resources to buy people like Cristiano Ronaldo. Players of that quality are hard to find.
"For the money and resources Chelsea have had, I think they should entertain more. Mourinho can turn round and say 'I've got Arjen Robben, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou' but he takes them off all the time. He doesn't seem to want that type of player. If Robben was playing for Arsenal or Manchester United he would be unbelievable. He would be in the same class as Ronaldo by now.
"He needs a run of 10 games and to be told 'go out and enjoy it'. It's a confidence thing. Under Mourinho, if Robben loses the ball once or twice, he knows he's coming off. Abramovich has probably thought everything is going well apart from the entertainment. Apart from when they score, he never stands up. I bet he's not on the edge of his seat very often. When everyone is raving about Manchester United and Barcelona, he's probably thinking 'why can't we play like that?'
"Even if Manchester United or Arsenal don't win, you know you'll see moments of brilliance that could be worth the entrance fee alone."