UnitedBlog - Manchester United Blog

2009/2010 season preview

Ronaldo and Tevez are history. Michael Owen is wearing the #7. The summer has been spectacularly unspectacular. You'd be forgiven to assume it's all a dream - a rather bad one at that. But here we are, less than a week to kick off. It all starts all over again.

There's no doubt that we are a weaker squad than last year. The usual "we've done well after losing superstars before" stories are being brandied about. Although true, they are'nt guranteed to repeat themselves every time. Even Fergie knows he's gambling - he's gambling on Nani and Anderson to establish themselves as regular first team players. He's gambling on Macheda and Welbeck coming through the ranks and providing cover and super cameos when required. He's gambling on the newcomers in Valencia, Owen and Obertan to settle in quickly. Then there are the injuries, the most critical of them being Owen Hargreaves - He's gambling that he will be ready to contribute come the business end of the season.

From the weekend's curtain raiser, there are some positives. Although goals will be an issue in the coming season, we did score twice against the toughest defensive unit in the league. The energy and possession in the first half were top notch. With a little better help from Foster it could have been won in regulation. Penalties have suddenly become a problem for the team - the sight of Evra stepping up before Owen and Rooney kinda says it all.

It will be interesting to see what system Fergie plays through the season. We've been promised Rooney through the middle but Nani's injury will probably put a lid on those plans right at the start. Fletcher is looking solid and I hope he and Carrick can forge a solid first team partnership at the centre of that midfield. Anderson, Giggs and Scholes can chip in when needed. I expect to see a lot of Valencia in the league. Park is going to feature a lot too, even for league fixtures at OT. Rio and Vidic are going to be as crucial as Rooney for this title defense. Berbatov showed signs of "hard" work against Chelsea - will he try to add that work rate to his game? I'm not too hopeful.

Chelsea look like the favorite contenders. No one's won it 4 times in a row and for good reason. Chelsea would want it more and Ancelotti's first season will ensure enough motivation. They always had better depth in the squad but with the departures at Old Trafford,their first eleven is now better on paper. I don't see Arsenal putting up a challenge as Wenger continues to pursue his myopic policy. With Alonso's exit, Liverpool are again going to miss out. City will struggle to avoid relegation - you heard it here, first!

Let the games begin.

Hanging in the balance

I won't repeat the cliches that have been thrown around in the last two weeks but the position we find ourselves today does concern me a bit.There are two aspects to it - had someone offered Fergie this position at the start of the season, he woud've grabbed it with both hands. Heck we'd be happy to be in touching distance of the front runners at this stage of the season given all the distractions this year. However it's the manner in which things have unfolded in the last two weeks that's a little concerning. We caught up from a distant 3rd to taking a comfortable lead in a couple of months or so. Then suddenly two losses coincided directly with the scousers hitting the form of their lives. Couple that with our suspensions and injuries, this does look to be a precarious position. Momentum is an extra point, just like goal difference is. On the positive side, it's still in our hands. And that's a big advantage. Fergie knows it's not over and he'll make it a point his squad understands that. I just hope he doesn't go with mind baffling team selection like he did with Fulham. Berbatov is not our answer - no he isn't.

Given the momentum swing, in theory this break does us more good than harm. However, ultimately it's the eleven players on the pitch that have to prove that. Villa are desperate to stop their slump and it's not going to be an easy game. They'd be watching the tapes of our recent games and ready to have a go. I would expect us to be nervous and that will only get worse the longer the game goes on without us taking decisive control. All in all, it's going to be a cracker and all of premiership is going to be watching.

It's Arsenal on Saturday!

Even though this fixture has lost much of its edge over the last few years, it remains one of the biggest on the domestic calendar for both teams involved. They just don't like losing to each other. There will be no Keane V Vieira or Ruud V Keown or Ronaldo V Cole, but there will be enough pride at stake. United haven't won at Emirates yet. They came pretty close last time around but United would want to set that right. Arsenal have had a terrible run recently but these fixtures don't go to form more often than not.

On paper, we should win this comfortably. Both teams have fair share of injuries but we have a better squad and with Fletcher on song (no pun intended there), we aren't really missing Scholes or Hargreaves as much. It'd be interesting to see Fergie's selection once again. I'd start with Rooney and Tevez but chances are it will be Rooney and Berbatov, given that both of them got sufficient rest midweek.

It should be a good game, Arsenal would use this as a springboard for the season. This is exactly the kind of game they'd need to get back in the reckoning. They'll be up for it no doubt. I just hope that, once again, we do finish them off when they are down.

I hear there is a game tomorrow...

...an important one at that? Well a lot has been said about the game. We are favorities, Fergie needs it for his legacy, we've under-acheived in Europe and must win to set it right, the pitch is bad, we have the lucky dressing room at the stadium, Roman will have influenced the officials, Vidic sat out training, Cole was two footed by Makelele, the list goes on. When the ref blows the whistle, none of this will matter. The eleven players on the pitch have to win it on the day. Nothing that happens tomorrow will change the fact that this has been a great season or the fact that we have been the best team in Europe for two seasons running now. It'd be good to have the trophy tomorrow for validation and nothing else.

Fergie has talked about his selection dilemma, especially on this rare occasion when everyone is fit (yes, that includes paper cup Saha). He does have an interesting dilemma - does he start both Scholes and Giggs? We've not done very well when both have started recently , so should he stick to Park in the starting eleven? Giggs has experience but we can't afford two people having an off day in the middle. My starting line up would be: EVDS, Brown, Vidic, Rio, Evra, Scholes, Hargreaves, Carrick, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez. That would mean we have the luxury of bringing in the likes of Park, Giggs, Nani and Anderson from the bench. Rio and Vidic, on form, should be able to take care of Drogba. We have to be wary of not affording the likes of Ballack or Lampard any space outside the box. Many teams get caught against Chelsea when the runners pick up the pieces from the front men. In Ballack and Lampard and Essien, they have players who can score from such situations. That is why Hargreaves must start in the holding role in front of the back four to mop all such balls away. Chelsea know only one way to play and they'll play from the back and test our patience. It won't be a classic but I think this one will be more open than the game we played against Barcelona at Nou Camp.

It's another 20 odd hours to kick off, by this time tomorrow we will know how it went down in Moscow.

All eyes on Super Sunday

So it all gets decided on Sunday. It's a tougher fixture than Chelski's but we have our destiny in our own hands.We need to keep it simple. Stick to the basics, play the way we've done all season and we will walk out as worthy champions. Any unusual or special tactics for this game will make it tricky. Wigan has some decent quality in a few areas - a testament to that been that both Palacios and Valencia have been rumored with a moved to United. Up front they have the bulky Heskey and Darren Bent and they could cause a few surprises from set pieces or long balls.

On the injury front, seems like Vidic will be fit for the game, but rumors about Rooney's injury being worse than initially suspected are worrying. He still needs to pass a medical to be deemed available to play. No one can compensate for his work rate and although we can do well without him on Sunday, but in Moscow, his absence will be a big blow. I hope that's not the case and he can play at 100% in both games.

Well, anything but a title win on Sunday will result in a feeling of injustice. It won't be easy to swallow. But one thing is for certain, the team has done all the fans proud. To be so close to two major championships and doing it the right way is no mean feat. This has been a fantastic season all round with the right signs for the future. Some young ones coming through like Anderson and the ones bought in for experience doing their jobs like Hargreaves. It just needs the well deserved icing in the form of the premiership title. That will be superb! It's going to be a heart stopping 90 minutes of action on Sunday!

West Ham Preview

This one can get us a game away from the title. A win will result in a huge amount of pressure on Chelski to win away on Monday. Anything less than a win and the title is over. We've lost the last three games against the Hammers so this is not an easy fixture by any means. Our ability to take chances early in front of the goal will be the key. If this is 0-0 in the 70th minute, we are bound to be more desperate and prone to trying different things and in general panicking. The mantra is to kill the game early - don't flirt with chances - no foreplay - just penetrate - goals goals goals - as early as we can.

Rooney and Vida are not fit to play. That means we will see Hargreaves at right back again. My pick would be Anderson,Fletcher and Carrick in the middle and Giggs and Ronaldo on the wing. There are no other options up front than to play Park and Tevez. Scholes deserves a rest. I expect it to be a physical game and they will do their best to make it disruptive. I do think though that Tuesday's game would have lifted the team and they'll go all out for a win tomorrow and get it.

There's a lot of transfer speculation going around - but with a game like this in the horizon and the title at stake, I don't want to spend any time discussing that. That's what summer's for. 3 points tomorrow will make my weekend, anything less will destroy a season. 4:30 PM PST kickoff means another sleepless night.

Good News, Bad News and a small matter of a CL Semi Final

Not that it is a surprise, but Cristiano Ronaldo is PFA's Player of the year for 2nd year running. The guy has been miles ahead of everyone else and long may it continue. As he himself said though, it will be worthwhile only if we have anything to show for his form at the end of the season. This week will tell us a lot about that. So that was the good news and its out of the way.
It was also good to see Rio and Vidic as central defenders of choice for the team of the year - they really pick themselves up for those spots and this is really a world class partnership in the making. Our mean defense this season is really the reason we are top of the table right now - just ahead of Chelski on GD.

Now for the bad news. Contrary to Fergie's firm statement post Chelsea game that both Rio and Vidic will play on Tuesday, reports today suggest the haven't shrugged off their injuries yet. They didn't train with the squad and that really not good news. Both are very vital for us and in a game of this stature, we will definitely feel their absence. This injury bug has really hit us at the wrong time. I just hope Fergie's gamble of leaving it this late and not clinching the advantage early doesn't cost us the season.

All eyes will be at Old Trafford on Tuesday and both gaffers have come out stating their teams will go out and "attack attack attack". Well Fergie said that before the first leg and we didn't see that happening. This time though, I don't think we have any other options. An early goal for them is what I dread - I hope we don't concede all night. This is the kind of game the squad should be up for - the mathematics is simple - win it and you go to Moscow - lose it and you've let a great great opportunity to lift the European cup go by again - a chance that may not come back soon. It promises to be a cracker and contrary to the events at Nou Camp, I actually do think it will be a more open game with both sides showing intent to play. Team selection for us will be vital again and I hope its a balanced selection - not like the one we saw at the weekend. Alright then, tomorrow we will know if we are going to a European final for the first time this decade - it'll be sweet to do it in the 50th anniversary of Munich - but there is work to do yet.

This week will decide it all

What a week of football this promises to be. For a fan there is nothing better than the fact that your team is still competing and involved at this time of the season. Big games coming thick and fast, blood pressure going through the roof, no nails left on the fingers and yet you wouldn't want to have it any other way. Barcelona and Chelsea, two away games in a matter of days, each game that could decide if we end up with silverware or not this season - no pressure.

Nou Camp is a special venue to anyone attached with the club. Every mention brings back memories of 99 and eventual hopes and comparisons to the treble year. The game tomorrow, will not be won based on history or form, it will be won by eleven players on the pitch. Nothing else will matter. I must admit this is the most confident the fans are going in to a big game. I think we have what it takes to win these sort of games now. We are tactically more aware (think Roma away) and have the midfield resources to run a game or change things if required. In spite of their domestic form, Barcelona are going to be formidable opponents. The occasion is such that all players will be up for it. I don't think this will be an out and out open game as many fans expect. Both sides will be cagey, we will have to be patient and be prepared to do some chasing especially in the initial part of the game. We will have to be extremely purposeful with the ball though, the game will be ours if we use the ball well whenever we get it and if we are clinical in front of the goal. Obvious words but I can't offer anything deeper at the moment.

The biggest selection dilemma facing Fergie will be the selections of Giggs and Scholes. Giggs had a howler at the weekend and Scholes has also shown cluelessness in recent games. Does Fergie go for the jugular and drop both? Will he play one for the experience? I would definitely go with Anderson, Hargreaves and Carrick with Nani, Rooney and Ronaldo.

This will be a big test for the squad. Not only for the maturity with which they handle highly skilled opponents on the pitch but also how the occasion and the venue impacts their mental mode. The back four will have their work cut out with the likes of Messi, Etoo, Bojan and Henry all capable of creating havoc. We've had bad memories of the likes of Ronaldo and Kaka almost single handedly messing us up in the past. That must not happen. This can become tricky for us as the threat of Messi and Bojan can keep our full backs busy and we will miss the runs of Evra and Brown down the flanks.

Anyways, I think this is when the fans stop talking and the players do the talking for the fans on the pitch. This is the biggest week of the season, and as games go, there will only be ONE game bigger than this one; that will be in Moscow and only if we get past this one.

Good news, bad news and a trip to Blackburn Rovers

Let's get the good news out of the way. Rio, Brown and Carrick have signed new contracts. This is official and obviously is very good news. This is what the boss had to say:

It continues our policy of lengthening contracts at the right time and keeps the continuity of the first-team squad going, which we try to do. I'm not sure the length of the contracts, but David Gill (United's chief executive) phoned me this morning to tell me that they have agreed the contracts. It's obviously very good news for the club.

Another piece of good news seems to be the fact that Vidic and Nani are available for the Blackburn game. Vidic will play and Nani is expected to be on the bench.

Now for the bad news, Owen Hargreaves is a serious doubt for the away game against Barcelona. This will be a huge loss - this was the kind of game that he was bought for. Given his recent form, this is even worse to take. Anderson is also nursing a knock and may not be available for the weekend game. This does stretch our midfield resources. Let's hope we are able to put out a decent eleven next wednesday.

Before that though, all important game against Blackburn tomorrow. I don't expect Sparky to do us any favors. He has put together a decent team and the addition of Roque Santa Cruz was a coup of sorts. With Bentley and Pederson in the middle and Friedel in goal, they have a decent setup. If the mad american has a blinder in the goal, which he is very capable of having, it may get tricky for us. More than the 3 points, the psychological effect of this win will be huge. Surely, Chelski will stop believing if we win on Saturday and that'll also mean we can lose to them and still win the title. A win will also mean Fergie can rest players against Chelski and have them ready for the return leg against Barcelona. So this is an important game in more ways than one. Given the midfield situation, I think Fergie might go with 4-4-2 which is quite ironical. Giggs and Ronaldo on the wings and Carrick and Scholes in the middle. I think the team will be up for it, there is a huge incentive to win it and motivation won't be an issue. Blackburn do come to play and they'll be at home so that will also help us. Let's go for it then, this could be the weekend when the title was virtually won!

Thank you Brucey, Rio Signs and other news

First things first. Thank you Brucey. That was such a bonus. I hope you get the box of the finest wine in the land, as Fergie promised you. So the euphoria of Sunday was followed by another good news on Monday with CSKA Chelski dropping points unexpectedly, and getting booed off the ground in the process. The boss has come out and tried to negate the hype by saying there's still a lot to play for. I agree, but at the same time I must admit that losing it from here is much harder than winning it!

So Rio has signed. This is good. Rio has come up leaps and bounds and has grown as a dependable leader. He is the best central defender in Europe at the moment and has the whole package. You'll have to search really hard to find a weakness in his game right now. This contract extension was quite not the same elaborate affair of last time which also saw him being photographed with Peter Kenyon in a London Restaurant. But now, you can feel that Rio wants to make that arm band his own and I can see him playing in the red shirt for quite some time to come.

In other news, Fabio Capello reckons Rooney could captain England in future and also praises his qualities. He does point out the improvements Rooney has to make, including improving his conversion ratio. I couldn't agree more, also with the part about how he plays with so much heart. What an asset!

Carlon Queiroz has come out and rubbished Real Madrid's open, illegal and repeated tapping up of Cristiano Ronaldo. I would rather he not say anything, because this is sure to evoke a response and be another distraction. We have plenty of time for this stuff in the summer, not now.

Alright now, Blackburn away on Saturday is next. A win would certainly be a psychological blow to Chelski. It's not going to be a walk in the park but this week's rest would do the team good. With news coming in that Vidic may be available, that'll make the defense more assured and also give him time to get back to some match fitness before the all important Barca game.  More on the weekend game coming  up.