MM looks back over the list of our city’s bad boys – players with local links who found themselves in handcuffs at one stage or another during their career.

Despite winning five of their last seven games, Manchester United have come under pressure for their laboured, under-par performances in recent weeks, culminating in the Arsenal loss at Old Trafford.

With Falcao having turned 29 last month, anything near the quoted £43 million price that Manchester United could pay in the summer for his permanent services would undeniably represent a monumental gamble on the club’s part.

In 1995 Wayne Rooney’s boyhood club Everton beat his current employers and ever since the FA Cup has been a source of fascination for the England striker.

With a manager as confident in his own abilities as he is in his team’s potential, everything seems rosy at Old Trafford though in reality Man Utd are close to boring people to tears.

Scott Laird’s strike put the League One side ahead early in the second half at Deepdale before United fought back through Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini, Wayne Rooney adding a third from the spot.

Fellaini’s introduction after 72 minutes – with United trailing 1-0 to West Ham on Sunday – proved too much for the London club’s defence as the midfielder played a key part in the build up to Daley Blind’s injury-time equaliser.

The Red Devils, who set up in an experimental 4-1-3-2 formation, always looked in control against a Leicester outfit that won the reverse fixture 5-3 back in September.

Two decades after Eric Cantona’s kung fu kick, United looked set for another disappointment after League Two Cambridge United held on to force an FA Cup replay but come Saturday afternoon and the Red Devils were the highest-placed team left in the competition.

Dutchman Van Gaal, who has admitted the Premier League title may be beyond his side, feels the competition is his best chance of silverware this season.

A poll by bookmaker William Hill to identify the most ‘weather hardened fans’ gave United 23% of the vote – not surprisingly coming behind the Premier League’s two North-East sides Newcastle United and Sunderland.