Last Year’s Record: 23 wins, 11 draws, and 4 losses for 80 points and the league championship. United also won the Community Shield and qualified for the Champions League.
Transfers (In): David de Gea (Atletico Madrid), Phil Jones (Blackburn Rovers), and Ashley Young (Aston Villa)
Transfers (Out): Paul Scholes (Retirement), Edwin Van Der Sar (Retirement), Owen Hargreaves (Released), Wes Brown (Sunderland), and John O’Shea (Sunderland).
Season Outlook:
I’m still processing how United managed to win the league last year without, based on my observation, ever really firing on all cylinders? I’m not saying they “weren’t trying,” more that there always seemed to be a key player out injured or having a bad run of form, and the club just continued to trudge on towards the end of the season and a record 19th championship. Logic suggests that this year’s team has lost too much talent and too much experience to possibly win the league- so why am I not at all convinced by this logic? Probably because Sir Alex Ferguson has spent over a quarter of a century more often than not silencing those who doubt his squads. The fact is that, for all of the talent and experience that has left Old Trafford since the end of last season, a great deal has come in and most of it is young and full of potential. That is what having money and prestige allows a club to do.
If there is any “concern” at United it will be about the goalkeeping situation. David De Gea is the de facto starter and he may develop into one of the best players the club has had at the position. Until then, however, he’s a 20 year old with no caps and only one full season of top flight football under his belt. There is going to be a learning curve for him in the Premier League, the question his how steep it is going to be and whether United’s offense will be able to bail him out when he makes a mistake. Behind him on the depth chart is United’s most “experienced” goalkeeper, Tomasz Kuszczak, who has never been the first choice keeper at any club where he has played, Anders Lindegaard, who lost his starting job at Odense to former United dud Roy Carroll, and Ben Amos, who has yet to make a league appearance for the club in three years. In short, if De Gea isn’t up to the job things could get ugly in a hurry.
Beyond the goalkeeping questions the only real talking point among pundits has been that, while they don’t “need” one, the club could probably benefit from having another quality midfielder in the side. The chances are good that they won’t make a move before the season begins, but they will most likely make a move at some point. The relevant question is probably whether this acquisition will be Inter’s Wesley Sneijeder, or somebody else. United fans shouldn’t fret if it isn’t Sneijder, Sir Alex showed last year that he and his staff can still find diamonds in the rough- in terms of “value for money” Chicharito may be the best buy the club have ever made. He might be the best buy any club has ever made.
Even if United fail to win the league this year, they will finish in the top three and having spent a year sorting out all of their young talent- and most likely bringing in more of it- they will be well-positioned to go on another silverware-laden run like the one that bracketed the turn of the last century. That’s what could happen. What will happen is championship number 20.
Prediction: 1st place
My United question is this: how long will it take them to miss John O’Shea and Wes Brown? Both were role players, to be sure, but both featured in the side extensively over the last few seasons when injuries started to knock that back line around a bit. Neither were flashy, and neither were the best at their position, but both were reliable depth that United now are without, to an extent; you get a couple of injuries and/or suspensions on that back line, and you’re theoretically looking at problems, especially with a new keeper behind them.
I’m not saying United will fall much, if at all, but if they do I’d imagine that’s where it happens.
I won’t say the same thing about Brown, but I’ll sleep better at night knowing that it’s Jones, Smalling, Evans, and Fabio coming in when somebody’s out instead of O’Shea.
are you kidding? Wes Brown and John O’Shea? Okay, they had good runs and were reliable squad players but like WSR said i’d MUCH rather have Jones, Smalling, Evans, and the Da Silva twins playing instead. Not to mention that will those old goons gone the young guys will get plenty of playing time.
Also Lindegaard impressed me in preseason, and i’d say he’s def. number 2 being De Gea. Looked heaps better than that nervous nellie Kuszyadkagiahsglkdgaggggak
United won the title last year almost by default since no one else seemed to want to claim it. This offseason, they really haven’t gotten stronger. They almost seem stagnant. Yes, they’ve added Ashley Cole, but De Gea is nowhere near the keeper Van Der Sar was. I think other teams around them have gotten a little bit stronger, and I think Chelski will be better than they were last year. With City seemingly getting better, I think this is going to be an off year for the Reds. I just don’t see them winning the title. As a matter of fact, I think they’ll finish 3rd behind City and Chelski.
I don’t think Chelsea have really gotten stronger, though; Torres is misfiring through preseason and concussed, while everyone else is merely a year older and learning their fourth new system in four years. Villas-Boas did great things in the Europa League with Porto, but Roy Hodgson did great things in the Europa League with Fulham and we all saw how that went; I think the jury’s still out there.
I don’t think people are giving Villas-Boas enough credit. He’s actually a better manager than people think he is. It’s not just what he did at Porto, but he also did amazing things with Academica de Coimbra. I think he’ll be able to better lead Chelsea and he’ll make adjustments to his team based on what their strengths are, as opposed to one uniform formation.
Also, Torres won’t be concussed forever, and I think under AVB he’ll find his touch again. Plus they still have Drogba, and if the reports are true that they are getting Romelu Lukaku, that’s going to make them stronger, as well. That kid is a freaking beast.
United added Ashley Cole? Shit. I hate that guy.
Ashley Young, WSR. Ashley Young.
Kids, this why you don’t drink and read. Or write.