After the Euphoria of a heady double last season, we are at the door steps of a new season. Most of what should have been a triumphant pre season has been clouded by the long and winding Ronaldo to Real Madrid saga. So what are we going to expect this new season?
This has been a strange pre season in many ways. All the clubs in the 'Mythical Big 4 gang' did not have much joy in the Transfer window so far. Internal turmoil and a new manager at Chelsea, Protracted Barry, Keane, Alonso transfer wranglings at Liverpool, Problems over wage structure at Arsenal has played spoilsport with other clubs.
While Man Utd had a relatively quiet pre season, with the murky Ronaldo storm blowing all the way to Madrid, there has been only one official bid for a player, which is now a well kept public secret. Berbatov.
Coming into the pre-season, arguably, Man Utd had the most settled squad among the Big teams. Rio, Vidic, Brown, Neviller, Evra, Silvestre, Evans and Danny Simpson make a very strong defence with 8 players vying for 4 positions with players like John O' Shea, Fletcher, and Owen Hargreaves more than capable of playing the odd game here and there.
The one change in the best defence in England and arguably in Europe has been Evans replacing Pique. Pique has left for Barca in the summer. We wish Pique well, he needed first team football and with Rio and Vidic playing so well, there is no big opportunity for Pique unless one of them suffers an injury. In Johnny Evans, Man Utd boast more than an equal replacement. Evans played for Sunderland so well, that he was one of the main reasons that they avoided the drop.
The Midfield also has no apparent additions to it. It's difficult not to make a mention of Ronaldo now. He has done nothing to cool the rumour talk, though there has not een a single bid from Real Madrid and no transfer request from Ronaldo. Till at least one of them materialises, It would be futile for the Man Utd board to talk about it, and even for us to discuss on his presence in the midfield. At the moment, he's an United player and as the days pass by, the indications are stronger by the day that he won't be leaving United. At least for this years.
Scholes, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, John O Shea and Darren Fletcher compete for 2 or even 3 midfield places, while Giggs, Nani, Ronaldo, will vie for the wide winger roles. Fletcher, O Shea, and reserve players like Lee Martin, Chris Eagles will also look to put more pressure on the wingers for places. The midfield should at the moment looks very strong and oozes class.
The players know each other well, and there should be no problems in settling down. The entire squad has been practicing together for an year now, and both the defense and the midfield should be a strong knit squad in the football pitch, as we would look to hit the ground running.
The one player whom Fergie bid on, as been the worst kept secret in the history of worst kept secrets. Thanks to our norwegian fan website, which named the player, Daniel Levy the Tottenham board president has confirmed the bid for Berbatov. At 27, He'd be a fantastic addition to the squad. Already a potent strike force, boasting of Rooney, Tevez, Saha, Manucho and the youngsters Frazier Campbell and Wellbeck, he'll add even more quality.
With rumours abound that Saha might be gone for good and Campbell to be farmed out to Hull City for another year on loan, We are left with Rooney, Tevez, Manucho and Wellbeck. It's particularly unfair on Wellbeck with Manucho suffering a suspected Metatarsal break. To expect the youngster to hit the ground running in difficult and crucial matches is just too much. Taking everything into account, the imminent signing of a good striker is much needed and Berbatov would be an awesome addition.
Although questions arise about his attitude on the pitch, this writer not being the best of Berbatov fans, there's no doubting his quality. He will add another dimension to the United strike force. If it's Berbatov we are getting, there are some intriguing questions that will arise. Are we going to play 4-4-2 or we are moving ever closer to the perfect 4-3-3?
Playing Berbatov and Rooney up front with a straight 4 man midfield is an awesome attacking move. It'll be like watching Man Utd of the old. Marauding Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings, with Scholes and Carrick in the midfield with a strong defence is any team's nightmares. There will be a lot of service up front, a lot of width in United's play. But football isn't that simple anymore. More and more teams have learnt to cope up with all out attack and teams with limited quality like Liverpool, Aston Villa are always trying to stifle the opposition and hit us on the break.
The more plausible 4-3-3 option would be to play Carrick/Hargo as a holding midfielder with two wingers, Ronaldo, Giggs on the wings and Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov up front. The tendency of Tevez and Rooney to drop back into the midfield will be a welcome presence if the going gets tough. On our European nights when Fergie tends to favour the 4-5-1, United can easily play with Berbatov/Rooney and Tevez slipping into wide positions and playing with one out and out striker.
But at the mean time, with the team that we possess, even if we don't get Berbatov it is not all doom and gloom. We can easily play a 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3 with the current team we possess. Rooney and Tevez up front, they proved everyone wrong that they can play together. With Fergie assuring Rooney that he'll be played up front all the time, a 4-3-3 with Rooney up front, Tevez and Ronaldo on the flanks with Nani/Fletcher and Giggs should be a fairly attacking squad.
This will be a flag ship year in the history of Man Utd. The club will be contesting for 7 different trophies. As this article appears online, We have won the Pre season cup in Africa. The last time a club trumpeted that it's going to mount a serious challenge on all 7 trophies, it amounted to zilch. The article makes no mention of amazing players like Anderson, Fletcher, John O shea, Danny Simpson, and the likes. We used to possess a nuclues of a very strong squad. Now our entire squad is stronger, and our second team which would compete for FA and Carling cups ooze class too.
This writer doesn't dare to put on paper the number of cups that United will win out of the seven. Though the number starts with S and ends with N. But we are in for some exciting times as other teams have bought and bought well outside the Top 4. Will this be the season we re-enact the treble act? Will this be the season that one of the big 4, gets dumped into the lower rung? Will this be the season that'll forever be remembered as the Glory year of Man Utd and Sir Alex Ferguson?
Do I know?
Bollocks mate, Let's just sing 'We'll keep the red flags flyin high' at the top of our voices and see the team cruise to glory.
This has been a strange pre season in many ways. All the clubs in the 'Mythical Big 4 gang' did not have much joy in the Transfer window so far. Internal turmoil and a new manager at Chelsea, Protracted Barry, Keane, Alonso transfer wranglings at Liverpool, Problems over wage structure at Arsenal has played spoilsport with other clubs.
While Man Utd had a relatively quiet pre season, with the murky Ronaldo storm blowing all the way to Madrid, there has been only one official bid for a player, which is now a well kept public secret. Berbatov.
Coming into the pre-season, arguably, Man Utd had the most settled squad among the Big teams. Rio, Vidic, Brown, Neviller, Evra, Silvestre, Evans and Danny Simpson make a very strong defence with 8 players vying for 4 positions with players like John O' Shea, Fletcher, and Owen Hargreaves more than capable of playing the odd game here and there.
The one change in the best defence in England and arguably in Europe has been Evans replacing Pique. Pique has left for Barca in the summer. We wish Pique well, he needed first team football and with Rio and Vidic playing so well, there is no big opportunity for Pique unless one of them suffers an injury. In Johnny Evans, Man Utd boast more than an equal replacement. Evans played for Sunderland so well, that he was one of the main reasons that they avoided the drop.
The Midfield also has no apparent additions to it. It's difficult not to make a mention of Ronaldo now. He has done nothing to cool the rumour talk, though there has not een a single bid from Real Madrid and no transfer request from Ronaldo. Till at least one of them materialises, It would be futile for the Man Utd board to talk about it, and even for us to discuss on his presence in the midfield. At the moment, he's an United player and as the days pass by, the indications are stronger by the day that he won't be leaving United. At least for this years.
Scholes, Anderson, Hargreaves, Carrick, John O Shea and Darren Fletcher compete for 2 or even 3 midfield places, while Giggs, Nani, Ronaldo, will vie for the wide winger roles. Fletcher, O Shea, and reserve players like Lee Martin, Chris Eagles will also look to put more pressure on the wingers for places. The midfield should at the moment looks very strong and oozes class.
The players know each other well, and there should be no problems in settling down. The entire squad has been practicing together for an year now, and both the defense and the midfield should be a strong knit squad in the football pitch, as we would look to hit the ground running.
The one player whom Fergie bid on, as been the worst kept secret in the history of worst kept secrets. Thanks to our norwegian fan website, which named the player, Daniel Levy the Tottenham board president has confirmed the bid for Berbatov. At 27, He'd be a fantastic addition to the squad. Already a potent strike force, boasting of Rooney, Tevez, Saha, Manucho and the youngsters Frazier Campbell and Wellbeck, he'll add even more quality.
With rumours abound that Saha might be gone for good and Campbell to be farmed out to Hull City for another year on loan, We are left with Rooney, Tevez, Manucho and Wellbeck. It's particularly unfair on Wellbeck with Manucho suffering a suspected Metatarsal break. To expect the youngster to hit the ground running in difficult and crucial matches is just too much. Taking everything into account, the imminent signing of a good striker is much needed and Berbatov would be an awesome addition.
Although questions arise about his attitude on the pitch, this writer not being the best of Berbatov fans, there's no doubting his quality. He will add another dimension to the United strike force. If it's Berbatov we are getting, there are some intriguing questions that will arise. Are we going to play 4-4-2 or we are moving ever closer to the perfect 4-3-3?
Playing Berbatov and Rooney up front with a straight 4 man midfield is an awesome attacking move. It'll be like watching Man Utd of the old. Marauding Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings, with Scholes and Carrick in the midfield with a strong defence is any team's nightmares. There will be a lot of service up front, a lot of width in United's play. But football isn't that simple anymore. More and more teams have learnt to cope up with all out attack and teams with limited quality like Liverpool, Aston Villa are always trying to stifle the opposition and hit us on the break.
The more plausible 4-3-3 option would be to play Carrick/Hargo as a holding midfielder with two wingers, Ronaldo, Giggs on the wings and Rooney, Tevez and Berbatov up front. The tendency of Tevez and Rooney to drop back into the midfield will be a welcome presence if the going gets tough. On our European nights when Fergie tends to favour the 4-5-1, United can easily play with Berbatov/Rooney and Tevez slipping into wide positions and playing with one out and out striker.
But at the mean time, with the team that we possess, even if we don't get Berbatov it is not all doom and gloom. We can easily play a 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or a 4-3-3 with the current team we possess. Rooney and Tevez up front, they proved everyone wrong that they can play together. With Fergie assuring Rooney that he'll be played up front all the time, a 4-3-3 with Rooney up front, Tevez and Ronaldo on the flanks with Nani/Fletcher and Giggs should be a fairly attacking squad.
This will be a flag ship year in the history of Man Utd. The club will be contesting for 7 different trophies. As this article appears online, We have won the Pre season cup in Africa. The last time a club trumpeted that it's going to mount a serious challenge on all 7 trophies, it amounted to zilch. The article makes no mention of amazing players like Anderson, Fletcher, John O shea, Danny Simpson, and the likes. We used to possess a nuclues of a very strong squad. Now our entire squad is stronger, and our second team which would compete for FA and Carling cups ooze class too.
This writer doesn't dare to put on paper the number of cups that United will win out of the seven. Though the number starts with S and ends with N. But we are in for some exciting times as other teams have bought and bought well outside the Top 4. Will this be the season we re-enact the treble act? Will this be the season that one of the big 4, gets dumped into the lower rung? Will this be the season that'll forever be remembered as the Glory year of Man Utd and Sir Alex Ferguson?
Do I know?
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