August 2009

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Into The Sunset, With A Smile/

Into The Sunset, With A Smile

Dwight Yorke, the former Manchester United striker has decided to call it quits as a player. Playing hard but with a smile, Yorke went on to be a beloved of the fans. We pay tribute to the player, the man.

Sir Alex Must Rethink His Team Formation/

Sir Alex Must Rethink His Team Formation

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson must rethink the formation of his side as there is a serious lack of personnel to implement his favored style of 4-3-3 with a fluid and dynamic front three.

Arsene's 'Anti-Football' Comment Is Disrespectful/

Arsene's 'Anti-Football' Comment Is Disrespectful

Arsene Wenger went on a typical "after Old Trafford defeat" moaning rant. However, in his obvious frustration, this time round his rant was not only disgraceful but highly disrespectful.

We Walk Alone, as Champions/

We Walk Alone, as Champions

A quirky take on a famous chant which is very proudly crooned by one set of rival supporters...I would rather have Manchester United walking alone coz Champions tend to walk alone:)

Wayne Pledges Career To Old Trafford

Posted by Saim Monday, August 31, 2009

Wayne Rooney pledges to remain at Old Trafford for footballing life

Wayne Rooney has come out and pledged to stay till the end of his career at Manchester United. Signed from Everton in 2004, the England striker has just completed 100 goals in Manchester United colors and he intends to add considerably to the tally.

In an interview with a daily, Rooney remarks "I've always said I love this club and, as long as I'm wanted here, I'll play here. It's as simple as that. I can't see one reason why I should want to move. I've everything I want. My family are just 30 minutes away, I'm settled and I honestly can't see me going anywhere else unless I'm told otherwise by the manager."

This should of course come as music to the legions of Mancunians world over especially coming in the wake of Wayne's recent goal scoring form. The striker has already netted in 5 goals in this vital of seasons as United look to him to lead them to an unprecedented fourth successive domestic league title.

You Can Do Better, Mr. Wenger

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 30, 2009

Arsene Wenger on his typical moan rant after an Arsenal loss

Arsène Wenger

"Because I kicked a bottle when the goal was canceled from an offside position,” said Wenger. “I didn’t know we were not allowed not to do that. You know what you get at Old Trafford when you come - every time - but I do not want to go into the performance of the referee. Any questions you should ask him. I believe you should look at the game and who played with real spirit on the pitch today. I felt we played with the right spirit. It’s difficult to judge every time someone goes down. Today I’ve seen a player make 20 fouls and there was no yellow card. Nobody sees it"

These are the comments from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger after seeing his side surrender a goal advantage to lose at the Theatre Of Dreams. Of course, Mr. Wenger did not stop here...he went on to liken Wayne Rooney's penalty decision as an "Old Trafford dish"...perhaps he was so blinded by the fury of his spineless side that he could not see the blatant foul by his goalie on Wayne.

I suppose he also lost the ability to differentiate between fouls and legitimate tackles as he summarized Fletcher's battling display as 20 fouls. And typically, no word on a certain Emannuel Eboue's antics.

Even by your moaning standards, Arsene, you could surely have done better.

Manchester United Vs Arsenal Match Report

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 30, 2009

Manchester United fought back from a goal deficit to beat title rivals Arsenal 2-1 @ Old Trafford demonstrating the sort of fighting mentality which sets apart champions from good teams

On a night when United where clearly second best for atleast the whole of the first half and just about shaded the second, they showed the guts and character to fight and grill out a victory. The epitome of this performance was none other than the grizzly young Scot Darren Fletcher who is fast assuming the mantle of midfield general for Manchester United. Covering every inch of the turf, winning balls from the opposition and basically tackling every moving dark blue dressed object on the field, Fletcher put in a performance which would definitely go a long way in making the world outside Mancunia take notice.

Along with Fletcher, it was the old warrior Giggsy and the increasingly one man scoring army Wayne Rooney who turned the game on it's head in 30 captivating minutes. Ryan Giggs put in two delightful balls leading to the two winning goals while Wayne Rooney assumed the mantle of penalty taker and coolly dispatched off the ball from the spotkick. Mention must be made also of a critical save from Foster just at the start of the second half which kept the champions in the game. And of course the biggest contributor to the cause was Diaby who headed in a brilliant header albeit in the wrong net to hand United the lead.

However, what finished as a good victory had started pretty badly with the hosts getting outpassed and outmaneuvered in the first half by some slick Arsenal movement. Andrei Arshavin hit a thunderbolt in the United net seconds after being denied a pretty clear cut penalty appeal giving the hosts a deserved lead at half time. The lacklustre display from United should go down to many things foremost among them being Sir Alex's decision to go with the lone striker up top and asking Giggs to be the support striker in attack and the extra man in midfield when out of possession. While this may have worked well with a younger Giggs, the 35 year old is now not in the position to take on such a demanding job and he went on to have a pretty forgetful first half. Alongside Michael Carrick had another bad day in the office where in he lost possession and misplayed passes on numerous occasions. Ben Foster would be the first to admit that he should have done much better on the goal he conceded and Antonio Valencia has a long way to go to be classified as a good winger. His performance yesterday was that of an average industrious winger.

So, while the game was won and crucial three points were earned by Manchester United, it would be a fallacy to assume that all is well at the heart of Old Trafford...there are serious questions and many players need to raise their game substantially.

Manchester United Vs Arsenal [Pictures]

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 30, 2009

Manchester United Vs Arsenal Match Highlights

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 30, 2009

Manchester United Vs Arsenal Preview

Posted by Saim Saturday, August 29, 2009

And so we come to one of the biggest clashes of the season

Three games into the season and Manchester United face their biggest yet test by hosting high flying Arsenal at Old Trafford today. While the Londoners have petered out in their title challenge over the last some seasons, Manchester United have launched a fresh attack for immortality in that period. However, the start to the season for these two giants of the English game could not be further apart.

While Arsenal have started with a bang, knocking in goals left, right and center, raising hopes amongst their fans of a title bid after many years, Manchester United, devoid of their most potent weapon have looked lackluster and pedestrian at times. While the Wigan victory did go to calm the nerves somewhat, yet attaining the perfection of seasons gone still seems a somewhat distant dream.

For the Londoners the game represents opportunities multifold. While they not only get to showcase their seriousness for title aspirations by winning this game, at the back of their mind would also be extracting revenge for that massacre at Emirates in the Champions League semifinal. And no wonder, the manager and the players all look keyed up for the big game tonight.

As for Manchester United, this presents another opportunity to once again silence the doubting Thomases. A victory tonight would go a long way in not only assuring the fans of the team being in good and challenging shape but would also allow the players the sense of belonging and confidence so required to mount a title defense. The signs were there of the team gelling together and adapting to the new system and an authoritative performance against Arsenal would be just the catalyst that could catapult Manchester United to feeling as champions again.

On the team news front, while the Fabregas is the high profile miss for the Londoners, Rio is still missing for us along with Neville, Van Der Sar and Hargreaves.

With Fletcher being a certainty in the park and what with recent news of turmoil related to Carrick and Anderson, it would be an interesting to see who Fergie picks to man the midfield. Personally, I would like to see Anderson in the attacking midfielder role just behind Rooney and Berbatov pulling the strings with Fletcher providing the solidity. While the back four and front two are almost certain, Valencia and Nani should occupy the wings.

To the game now!!!

Manchester United Vs Wigan Match Report

Posted by Saim Saturday, August 22, 2009

A performance in the second half allowed Manchester United to dispatch off Wigan...Hopefully they can now take the confidence from this and kick on the campaign for the title.

I am sure that many Manchester United fans would agree wholeheartedly with me when I say that supporting United has such a fun element to it...we take so much pleasure in the fact that our team so very often makes the world eat their words.

Today was another such day when Manchester United chose to remind everyone how perilious and idiotic it is to write them off ever. A dominating second half display capped with plenty of goals is how they answered their critics and assuaged the fan. On the way, Wayne Rooney got his 100th goal for the club and soon followed it with the 101st. Dimitar Berbatov opened his account for the season with a cheeky little skill. Michael Owen got off the mark with a sublime goal reminding everyone of the fact Once A Poacher, Always A Poacher and Nani staked a claim to replace Ronaldo, the dead ball specialist.

But the real star of the show was Darren Fletcher who is amply giving proof of why he was so missed in Rome. The Scot is fast turning into a world class battling midfielder and for me he has to play every match of consequence for Manchester United alongside either of Carrick, Scholes or Anderson.

The return of Vidic bodes well especially with Rio set to miss out for a month and Foster had an assured outing which would help his nerves.

One loss in the season and the predictable circus had started with the usual suspects all having a field day slamming the players and the coach. To be fair, all of us were slightly worried and it would be fallacy to conclude that everything is hunky dory after today's dominant second half performance. Yes, it was a performance which Manchester United needed to put out, not just to issue a statement of intent but also to keep their self confidence intact.

I would be lying if I said that I was not worried after the first half but thankfully the second half gave us a glimpse of what we can expect. More so, it would give players like Nani, Owen and Berbatov a much needed boost. The wings still look very suspect and one hopes that Nani after the last 10 minutes of today's game gains confidence. Also, a return to form for Michael Carrick would go a long way in helping us settle into a dominant midfield combo.

So, Manchester United beat Wigan and to my mind also beat some of their own inner demons. It is now to be seen how the players take the confidence of today's play into the encounter against a very in form Arsenal side next week.

Manchester United Vs Wigan Match Highlights

Posted by Saim Saturday, August 22, 2009

Manchester United Vs Wigan Preview

Posted by Saim Saturday, August 22, 2009

The boss needs to make sure that the sense of rising panic among the legion of fans is assuaged with a worthy performance.

3 days after getting shocked and beaten @ Turf Moor, Manchester United now travel to DW stadium to take on a confident Wigan Athletic team who will look to pile on the misery. One defeat into the season and there have been clamor calls for change in personnel and tactics with the midfield coming in for serious flak. While it is a usual knee jerk reaction, what has prompted even many of the faithfuls to push in the panic button has been the lack of creativity in the team.

There is growing fear that without the mercurial services of a certain Portuguese who left to follow a dream, Manchester United may just not have enough creative bite. The fact remains that in the two matches this season, the only creative spark seems to have been provided by Wayne Rooney and everyone knows, a swallow does not make a meal. The inability of Berbatov to up the ante and Owen's missing gilt edged chances have only heightened the fans fears that it is going to be impossible to replace Ronaldo's goals.

What seems to also contribute to the rising panic is the fact that we are now tied @ No.18 with the Scousers and no one wants to lose this opportunity of finally overtaking the Merseysiders and put them in their permanent place.

It is in this tense atmosphere that the team must now take on a determined side and play not only to win but to assuage concerns. Nothing can top the importance of three points but all over the world fans are looking for a performance of worth. To them 3 points is as important now as knowing that the team has enough in it to challenge on all fronts. They are begging out to know that losing the creative genius of Ronaldo may not cost us the title.

All eyes now to DW Stadium.

We Walk Alone, as Champions

Posted by Saim Friday, August 21, 2009

Manchester United would rather walk alone, as Champions

There's this famous chant of one of our rival club supporters which goes on the lines of "You'll never walk alone" et all. The chant is famous all round and the supporters of the concerned club take great pride in having such a seemingly cool-unto-them chant for themselves and their beloved club.

Some time back there was a big controversy when a Manchester resident and a life long Mancunian contradicted the claims that "You''ll never walk alone" originated from within the club. On the contrary, she suggested that it was first sung by her and a group of friends at Old Trafford to remember the victims of the tragic Munich air disaster. She did not want to create any controversy neither did she want to take away the famous chant from the supporters of the concerned club, it was just that she wanted to set the record straight regarding the origins of the song.

Now to be very frank, as far as I'm concerned my club, Manchester United would rather walk alone than walking together with others. You see, of course it's lonely walking alone but then when you lead everyone and reach the finishing line, you have to walk alone. Let the also rans chant " You'll never walk alone" because they have company of others. We are alone, walking alone but we have the company of trophies and the taste of victory with us. Champions always walk alone, other trudge along together trying to catch up.

For us the chant goes "Walking alone as Champions"

Halt The Obituaries, Fools

Posted by Saim Friday, August 21, 2009

"Halt your draft copies of the obituaries, you could end up printing a joke on yourself again"

So, Manchester United lost

yesterday to newly promoted Burnley and predictably the obituaries have started..."team selection was wrong", "the team lacks in the skills department", "they are missing Ronaldo big time", "the midfield is fragile", "the strikers are not sharp enough", "they need to splash some cash"... are some of the major rants.

And I go like when will you guys ever learn. Season after season you are made to eat s*** for your premature assessments and comments and yet you go on wagging like the ever curling tail of a street dog. God, just give it a rest and for once treat it on merit and not some deep rooted bias against the perennial winners.

Yes, Fergie changed the whole midfield and we could not dominate in the middle of the park but Giggs was tremendous and had a very good game. No one noticed that. Owen missed a sitter again but the fact remains that he is too clinical a finisher to keep missing them. The instincts just don't go away. Of course, we are missing the enthralling skills of Ronaldo and the fear factor he evoked in the opposition but tell me one club who would not miss the world's best player and I'll be your slave for life.

Everyone is blaming Carrick for missing a penalty but no one seems to remember that it was a pretty good save. Everyone is blaming Manchester United for taking Burnley lightly, but everyone seems to forget that this is the same side which knocked out big guns last season too. No one remembers that Burnley backed by a boisterous crowd gave an outstanding performance. There has been a major clamor for a new signing, someone who can take on the Ronaldo role of an attacking midfielder/winger but tell me one name who is possible.

Ribery..no thanks
Aguero...overpriced
Silva...hmm

And then what about Macheda, Obertan, Tosic, Anderson, Valencia, Nani...why did we buy these players when we did not have faith in them. Ferguson trusts them and I for one trust his judgement. We may not go on to win this season but don't dare write us off after two games...remember just the last season if not many others. We have always been slow starters, so the loss was not something entirely unexpected. To be fair, the negative criticism wasn't unexpected too. We have long come to expect such idiocy from the press and we take much delight in proving them wrong, time and again. And I bet on doing so again, hopefully.

So, my small free advice to them is "Halt your draft copies of the obituaries, you could end up printing a joke on yourself again".

Manchester United Vs Burnley Match Report

Posted by Saim Thursday, August 20, 2009

Robbie Blake and Brian Jenson were the heroes as Burnley recorded a historic victory against Manchester United

What was to be points in the bag turned into the first loss this season as Burnley beat Manchester United at their home ground. A stunning Robbie Blake effort crashed into Foster's goal to give the home side the lead which they held on to complete thier victory and mark the celebrations in top flight football. An explosion of noise greeted the champions when they arrived as the vociferous crowd upped the ante inspiring the home team. An Burnley put up an inspired display no one more so than goalie Brian Jenson who saved a penalty from Carrick and had a handful of good saves to keep the lead intact.

For the champions it was a night of frustration and more so for thier new No.7 Michael Owen, who missed two pretty good chances and also the chance to impress Capello. The midfield lacked hunger and drive, the misery getting heightened with a perplexing choice of Carrick taking the penalty and having it saved. It was a good save but one wonders why neither England's two best strikers stepped up. The introduction of Valencia added some pace and finally in the second half United laid siege but the home side had too much desire and grit. The goalie was inspired as he strung together some pretty good saves and thus United suffered their first loss of the season.

Manchester United Vs Burnley Preview

Posted by Saim Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Frail defense due to injuries main worry for Manchester United. Alex Ferguson would be looking for a performance from the team.

After a winning start wh

ich was more a workhorse performance, Manchester United would be looking to hit the accelerator against a seemingly hapless Burnley outfit which was given a rude awakening on the opening week.

Though United came away victorious on Sunday it was not a performance as such with Birmingham having several chances to draw the game. Also, though it was heartening to see a good performance from Wayne Rooney United did miss easy chances with Fletcher and Owen being the main culprits. Banging in more goals and ironing out the deficiencies in the defense will be the top priority for Fergie in this game.

However, United travel to Burnley for their first away game of the season in the wake of some serious defensive frailties due to injury. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are both out along with Gary Neville. Johny Evans joined them on the nursing table after the opening weekend. The good news though is a fit Wes Brown and it could be him partnering O'Shea in the center of defense though there is some talk of Richie De Laet being given a start. The midfield did not witness either of Carrick or Anderson on Sunday and one of them could very well start along with Fletcher. Michael Owen could be given a s tart too as Fergie has said that he will be rotating his strike force through the season.

It should be points in the bag stuff for sure but we are looking for a performance from the team, one befitting the status of champions.

Fletcher Backing United's Younsters

Posted by Saim Wednesday, August 19, 2009

"They are here because they are capable enough".... Darren Fletcher

Darren Fletcher has come out in support of United's youngsters backing them to perform on the biggest stage and fill the void created by recent transfers of Ronaldo and Tevez. Ferguson decided not to splash the cash on any marquee signing to replace Ronaldo and Fletcher is backing the boss's decision of trusting youngsters like Macheda and Welbeck to shine.

"This club strives for young players to come through the ranks. It's within the United ethos. We have a great crop of young players and some of them featured a lot last season. They are looking very strong and are raring to go."

Fletcher who himself progressed through the ranks and is now a first team regular as also an indispensable cog in the midfield also goes on to say how everyone is delighted if a youngster progresses through the ranks.

"Everyone, from the players to the coaches in the Academy and our scouts, feels very proud when a player makes it through the system, and the United fans want to see that as well. When the supporters see a local lad coming through and doing well, it sometimes means a lot more than going out and spending £30-40m on someone."

Recognizing the fact that it is sometimes pretty difficult for the reserves and youngsters to break through Fletcher says that everyone is willing to prove themselves and they just have to wait for that one chance.

"We train with them every day so we know what they are capable of. The difficult part is taking that onto the pitch, but a lot of them have already done that. It's a big squad with a lot of quality, but these boys are a confident bunch. They want to play and they feel they deserve to be there. It's up to them to go and prove it to the manager, to show that they are ready and that they are good enough. I definitely believe they are good enough because they wouldn't be at United if they weren't."

Manchester United Vs Birmingham Match Highlights

Posted by Saim Monday, August 17, 2009

Manchester United 09/10 BPL FixtureS List

Posted by Saim Monday, August 03, 2009

The complete Barclays Premier League 09/10 season fixture list for Manchester United

Saturday 15 August
Man Utd v Birmingham 15:00

Tuesday 18 August
Burnley v Man Utd 19:45

Saturday 22 August
Wigan v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 29 August
Man Utd v Arsenal 15:00

Saturday 12 September
Tottenham v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 19 September
Man Utd v Man City 15:00

Saturday 26 September
Stoke v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 03 October
Man Utd v Sunderland 15:00

Saturday 17 October
Man Utd v Bolton 15:00

Saturday 24 October
Liverpool v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 31 October
Man Utd v Blackburn 15:00

Saturday 7 November
Chelsea v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 21 November
Man Utd v Everton 15:00

Saturday 28 November
Portsmouth v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 05 December
West Ham v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 12 December
Man Utd v Aston Villa 15:00

Tuesday 15 December
Man Utd v Wolverhampton 19:45

Saturday 19 December
Fulham v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 26 December
Hull v Man Utd 15:00

Monday 28 December
Man Utd v Wigan 15:00

Saturday 09 January
Birmingham v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 16 January
Man Utd v Burnley 15:00

Tuesday 26 January
Man Utd v Hull 19:45

Saturday 30 January
Arsenal v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 6 February
Man Utd v Portsmouth 15:00

Wednesday 10 February
Aston Villa v Man Utd 19:45

Saturday 20 February
Everton v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 27 February
Man Utd v West Ham 15:00

Saturday 06 March
Wolverhampton v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 13 March
Man Utd v Fulham 15:00

Saturday 20 March
Man Utd v Liverpool 15:00

Saturday 27 March
Bolton v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 3 April
Man Utd v Chelsea 15:00

Saturday 10 April
Blackburn v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 17 April
Man City v Man Utd 15:00

Saturday 24 April
Man Utd v Tottenham 15:00

Saturday 01 May
Sunderland v Man Utd 15:00

Sunday 09 May
Man Utd v Stoke 15:00

Courtesy: Manutd.com
Picture :11reds.com

Wayne Rooney "Central" To United Hopes

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 02, 2009

Wayne Rooney has to be the new "the" man for Manchester United but he must be given his favorite position of the field.

Three glorious seasons later Cristiano Ronaldo decided that it was time to make good his childhood dream and bid adieu to Mancunia. Carlos Tevez decided he needed regular playing time and switched to Manchester City, a cash laden bandwagon as such. And thus the Holy Troika that could have been is no more.

The third musketeer in the pack Wayne Rooney remains at Old Trafford and it is in him that legions of fans now trust to take up the mantle vacated by CR7. Wayne Rooney must now be "the" man for Manchester United if their glorious conquests have to continue. However, to pull the strings you must be the focal point and Wayne Rooney must now be handed over his favorite position, the central off the striker role that he so relishes and in which he caries Enlish hopes for the World Cup.

That he is capable enough of orchestrating another title winning season for United is hardly a doubt. Over the years we have witnessed far too much to think remotely otherwise. And the fact that Ronaldo in his goodbye interview said that in Wayne he was leaving behind a team mate who could challenge him for the best player in the world tag only made us nod our heads vigorously. Coupled with the amazing ability is the dogged determination and to-die-for attitude and together this makes for a delightful combo. It is however the position in which he plays that will determine the impact he has.

The last two years Rooney increasingly occupied the left side of midfield cutting in from wide and also thwarting the opposing wingback. This was of course done by Ferguson to free up the enterprising Ronaldo of any defensive responsibilities thereby increasing his potency. But while that worked well, but it limited Wayne drastically. Not that he was not effective, in fact he performed his role commendably enough and also provided flashes of brilliance to remind us of the prodigious talent but it was always a feeling of what could be than what it is.

Now of course, there is no CR7 and the wings will be occupied by players who are not capable enough of having that free role which he relished and one can only think that it is also time to give back Wayne Rooney the central position. Doing so would also make the player realize what is expected of him and knowing the man that Wayne is he would be fired up by the challenge of being Manchester United's "go to" man.

Already Sir Alex has indicated that this may indeed be the case and we sincerely hope that Fergie come's good on these indications and unleashes the talent of Rooney for all to behold.

Adios CR7, Thank You For The Memories

Posted by Saim Sunday, August 02, 2009

"That boy Ronaldo" will always be fondly remembered, a United legend that he definitely is

The world watched as a sprightly 17 year old made the most enthralling debut making a mockery of Bolton's defense in 20 breathtaking minutes. Manchester United had discovered a gem and the mystic of the No.7 shirt continued. Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself as the heir apparent to attacking and entertaining traditions of United in that 20 min blitz and that was just a precursor.

The initial years were filled with sparks of brilliance and the odd goals but also severe criticism for lack of end product and diving. The raw talent was for all to see but it had to be nurtured and there is no one better than Ferguson when it comes to nurturing a talent. The fancy dribbles and putting the defender to shame attitude were reduced as the diamond was cut and polished.

However, it all seemed to be a false dawn when that altercation took place in the World Cup and predictably Ronaldo turned England's public enemy No.1 with him being blamed for England's exit with no one even remembering that their midfield maestros Lampard and Gerard had missed penalties.

It seemed Ronaldo was destined for Spain but the for persuasive skills of Fergie. He came back in the face of boos and chants all over but he had the United faithful backing him and then he conspired to give United three glorious years of history. A player transformed, the boy had turned into a man and the world witnessed with envy United's pride. There was no prize in world football which he and United did not win in those three years and United were truly the greatest club in the world with the best player on the planet weaving his magic. He not only won prizes and trophies though, in his time with us he won fans and touched hearts and inspired kids to play the right way, the attacking way.

He is now gone, no longer CR7 and time has moved on. But he gave us joyful moments and wonderful memories which every fan will cherish till death. The ecstasy and thrill of watching him run riot over the field is a delightful memory which we must keep frozen in time.

Yes, there were times when he gave us disgust and anger at his flirtations with Madrid but then we all knew that this was just a passing carnival. I choose to remember him with all the delightful scenes on the pitch rather than ones made in newsrooms and from anonymous sources. Of course, the emotional farewell interview helped bridging gaps with the fans and it all turned out decently in the end.

He is no longer at the greatest club in the world but he is still the best player on the planet and I wish him well in his endeavors. May his live his dream well, and thank you for the memories.

Manchester United 09/10 Season Preview

Posted by Saim Saturday, August 01, 2009

Will Manchester United be Premier League Champions for 19th record time?
Will it be another season of European conquests?
Will the side feel the pinch of players moving away?
A look at what could be in the new season.

And thus it begins...the 09/10 Premiership season is here. After an off season of excessive heartbreak in the transfer window and a trip to the east, Manchester United are set to kickoff the new season with dreams of acquiring the title for a fourth unprecedented successive time, a feat which if completed would further add to the mythical nature of the club.

The team that will now come out to achieve this daunting task will be visibly different from the one which left Rome on that fateful night in dismay and despair. For starters, the world's best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, has decided to finally fulfill his childhood dream and gone off to Madrid, Spain. Also, the once fan favorite Carlos Tevez decided to jump on the cash laden Manchester City bandwagon and then went on a tirade of sorts against the Gaffer. In the meanwhile, Fergie has added Antonio Valencia to the squad to make up for Ronaldo, the winger. However, the more daunting task of replacing Ronaldo, the goalscorer has fallen to an old Kop warhorse, Michael Owen. Saddled also with the mythical shirt No. 7 is the same man. So what does the season hold for us?

Will it be a 4th successive Premiership title for us? Will this be the season when we finally knock "Liverpool off their f***ing perch"? Or will the loss of Ronaldo whiff the flame? Will we see our crown get snatched away by The Italian diamond studded Chelsea? These are all questions which no one knows the answers to. These will only be answered in due course of the season. What we look to do is to give a seasonal preview of how it could all pan out for us.

Starting from the back, this is going to be Van Der Sar's last season. And his injury at the beginning gives a chance to Ben Foster to try and cement himself for the next season as our No.1. Whether that happens though is a very pertinent question considering the performance he put forth in the Community Shield.

The defense looks pretty much sorted with Rio and Vidic being the best defensive pairing in the world today. Backing them will be the fast emerging Johny Evans and once again fit Wes Brown who will also be pushing for a first team right back position. The left back position is filled with Evra and there is no cause for concern there. O'Shea will start as the No.1 right back but the performances of Rafael will be kept in notice by the Gaffer and he will start quite a few games as well.

The midfield however, is the area which has all of us worried. The loss of Ronaldo, coupled with the injury layoff of Owen Hargreaves have led to a seemingly thin midfield. Add the fact that Scholes and Giggs are no longer 90 min players and Anderson and Nani have flattered too often to deceive and you would get the worrying picture.

The silver lining amongst all this however is the emergence of Darren Fletcher as a world class defensive midfielder. If United hope to add trophies to the cabinet this season then Fletcher would need to not only repeat but excel his last season's performances. Michael Carrick will again be looked upon to be the creative genius in midfield. The wings will be taken care of by newly acquired Valencia, tireless Ji sung Park and a hopefully better Nani. Fergie would also be hoping that Scholes and Giggs have some fuel in the tank.

In the striking department the first choice pairing will be Wayne and Berbatov with everyone hoping that Berba shines as he did at Spurs. Owen will be used for the injection of pace and clinical finishing. However, everyone is looking to Wayne to accept the mantle of "the" man for us and hold true to the promise he once showed. Macheda and Welbeck will be able understudies and will be used as substitutes.

So, while the squad has undeniably lost two very good players, it is still capable of challenging on all fronts. It is a weakened side obviously, after all you don't not get weakened after selling the best player in the world, but the challenge lies in adapting to a new system which is more based on team work rather than on the individual brilliance of individuals.

It remains to be seen how the season unfolds, whether we do go on to capture the record 19th title or a record third straight European Cup final place will depend on how the existing players perform and adapt to the new responsibilities.

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