Manchester United and Liverpool one-man teams? What nonsense!

Managers can only do so much to win a game. You can select the right team, the right tactics and pinpoint every weakness in your enemy’s armour that dare expose itself.

One thing a manager can't do, is win football matches. Instead, this task is trusted, more often than not, to their most prize assets; the midfield playmakers, the 20-goal strikers, the explosive wingers. This, however, gives rise to the ever-present notion of one man armies.

The two teams most frequently accused, are those of Liverpool and Manchester United. These two prestigious teams are often battling it out in the top reaches of the table, and when they meet it is truly a sight to behold (although, possibly not for Liverpool fans in recent years!) with both teams constantly brimming with a wealth of footballing talent.

Those who take the glory, however, are often one of two names -  Cristiano Ronaldo or Steven Gerrard - lending credence to the accusation that these two teams are built on, and ultimately those two assets alone define their season.

To that, I say nonsense. Manchester United and Liverpool have always been full of top players over the years and it has truly been a pleasure to behold the high standard of football they consistently both produce. They are built on a solid defence with experienced English-born leaders at the very heart of them.

I am, of course, talking about Rio Ferdinand and Jamie Carragher, both of whom have been tasked with pivotal positions within their respective teams. It is this rock-solid defence that both teams have achieved that mean the difference between winning and losing. After all, you can't build a house without a solid foundation.

Both teams also posses a strong midfield. Big international players such as Javier Mascherano, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Xabi Alonso ply their trade in these most formidable of midfields, as well as tomorrow’s stars in Ryan Babel, Lucas, and Anderson.

These midfields, in any other team below the top four, would be considered extremely capable - but they seem doomed to play out their career in the shadows of greatness.

It doesn't stop there, though. In forward positions, the two teams combined boast England’s two top strikers in Peter Crouch and Wayne Rooney. In Fernando Torres and Carlos Tevez we have two of the best forwards in the world.

So how can this "one man army" idea still carry water? It's almost stating the obvious to even say it, but today's football is a fickle sport. Glory is a feat achieved by those who grab the attention; the sensational free kicks of Ronaldo, the bullet-like 30-yard strikes of Gerrard.

Who remembers the brilliant tackles or interception that lead to such fabulous goals? Who remembers that last-ditch tackle to save their team from conceding? Who remembers the lowly defensive midfielder breaking up attack after attack and supplying their forward-thinking team-mates with ever-so critical cover? Nobody.

The reason for the accusation, it seems, is the inspired form that both players have been in for the last few years. Gerrard had a huge part to play in both of Liverpool’s most recent major trophies, performing consistently brilliantly and scoring hugely important goals along the way.

Ronaldo played a big part to in United’s title win last year, and is even more important to their hopes of silverware this season. However, to imply that neither team would have won their respective cups had these two not been around is massively unfair on the rest who have worked equally hard to attain the same goals.

To imply that either of these giants are only accountable to one player deals a massive injustice and a huge lack of respect. Without the support cast to back them up, neither Ronaldo nor Gerrard would find nearly as much joy.

So I ask of you, when you next watch a game on Sky: Don't forget to keep an eye on the generals that fuel these one-man armies.