Eurosport - Fri, 14 Aug 17:07:00 2009
Eurosport-Yahoo! completes its countdown to the Premier League season with a look at defending champions Manchester United.
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Last 10 seasons in the Premier League (2008/09 to 1999/2000): 1/1/1/2/3/3/1/3/1/1/
POSSIBLE STARTING XI:
Van der Sar
Rafael da Silva - Rio Ferdinand - Nemanjar Vidic - Patrice Evra
Michael Carrick - Darren Fletcher - Paul Scholes
Antonia Valencia - Dimitar Berbatov - Wayne Rooney
Back-ups from: Ben Foster, Tomasz Kuszczak, Michael Owen, Wes Brown, Fabio da Silva, Richie De Laet, Corry Evans, Jonny Evans, Gary Neville, John O'Shea, James Chester, Danny Drinkwater, Darron Gibson, Anderson, Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Ji-Sung Park, Zoran Tosic, Dong Fangzhuo, Ryan Giggs, Federico Macheda, Gabriel Obertan, Danny Welbeck
POSITIVES: Where to begin? United are hunting a fourth successive title under a manager who tolerates only the highest standards from his players. The signing of Antonia Valencia should offer Ferguson goals from midfield, while the surprise move to bring Michael Owen to Old Trafford could prove a masterstroke. Owen will relish the opportunity to feed off Wayne Rooney and chances should be plentiful. In Ferdinand and Vidic, United boast arguably the best central defensive pairing in club football and have the impressive Jonny Evans as back-up if one of those gets injured. United's squad boasts a wealth of experience, but this could be the season we see the generation of Evans, Federico Macheda, Danny Welbeck, Ben Foster and Co. stake their claim. There will also be the added bonus of Owen Hargreaves's return to action.
NEGATIVES: The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo will surely be felt at Old Trafford. The Portuguese superstar was deemed by Ferguson his best player and will take some replacing - especially in terms of the goals he contributed from midfield. United's attacking credentials are also in doubt. Berbatov was patchy at best last season and Macheda remains unproven. If Owen fails to fire there will be tremendous pressure on Rooney to deliver, and if he gets injured United could end up turning to veteran Ryan Giggs in attack.
VERDICT: Ferguson has made a few small changes, but United's core remains from last season. Providing they can find the goals of Ronaldo elsewhere, United should just about have enough to see off Liverpool and Chelsea once again. Champions.
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Comment 61 - 80 of 80
Vidic in the staring XI...? he was out injured, as was Rio. Good research makes good journalism. Eurosport must be employing rhesus monkeys to churn out this kind of nonsense...
powell m, would you spell it for me love?
Man U will win
....YOUR most memorable players went to the other side and is scoring for united... stolen_starh
hahaah...u really make me laugh... when he score for liverpool..i like him but i support the club so now he is injured and went over to Odd trafford...i pity him for the fact that he just wan to play n fuc*kieson jus do not wan to spend or his american owner also has to use the pounds to service the dollar loans... n yes.. #73 has mentioned, is fun taking the manure... if u wan non manure fan to stop comment on manure..first of all you have to tell your own manure fan to stop commenting on other team...difficult right? so jus shut the fu*ck up and continue comment...before i forgot.. yeah..manure is down falling..Owen is INJURED....(and sori!! Owen happened not to be my most memorable player..maybe Tevez..hahaha....eat it!!)
YEAH LETS GET THE GAME GOING CANT WAIT TO WIPE THAT SILLY MAN URE FANS OFF THE CAGE ANFIELD RULES TWO TIMES AGAIN AGAIN
frerg-turps knows a top keeper in owain fon williams !!
stolen_starh # 67 and powell m # 68
Hughsie stole a march on us by buying Shay Given last season. We missed out there bigtime. He's the only City player I'd like to see with a United shirt on.
C'mon Fergie, get the cheque-book out and get a solid keeper.
stolen_starh # 72 - " 72.Powell M... Could it get any sadder for scouser scum...Goin on Uniteds page and Commenting on Uniteds countdown... "
Probably for the same reason why it's more fun taking the p on the Liverpool pages than on United's pages !!
Powell M... Could it get any sadder for scouser scum...Goin on Uniteds page and Commenting on Uniteds countdown...Scared Already R Ya?!
Plus Owen is Fyn...Dont get sad just cz one of YOUR most memorable players went to the other side and is scoring for united
m.fowler771....no problem wif crotch kissing spurs badge for me...I am the real reds fan n only hate manure.. matter of fact..i dont really feel that bad to lose to spurs,gunner than to fu(cking manure.... so you can imagine how ecstatic i was when 2-1 n 4-1 were the result vs manure!!! Yeah...manure is down falling ..latest is Evans injured..Owen as well...eat it!
powell m....i,d really love it if peter crouch scored infront of the scouse muppets and then kissed the spurs badge...prior to doing the robot dance.
now we've got valencia,we'll ween him of pies n other wigan delicasies,hes gonna rip the opposition 2 pieces
i will prefer Froster in goal..then Ferdinand in front of him.. so that rio can pass to him slowly for birmingham to score.... lol... a mistake by rio is a mistake... stop giving excuses but that is typical of fuc*kie and manure team ...blame all but oneself.....manure!!
Foster In Goal But i trust Kuszczak much more from pre-season matches...His reflexes have been much sharper
fletcher with carrick in midfield..Giggsy will sub
Valencia and Rooney will run the match so will Nani
Attacking wise...No Problem
Defensive...Opposite From pre-season Our back four were no way near as solid as they were last season but i dno they myt strengthen throughout the season..Puttin my trust in Evans to take over for Vidic or Rio and oshea will def play Personally Thnk Rio Didnt play his best against holland on purpose Cant have 2 centre backs injured now can we
i can see fabio playin aswell but only as a sub..Think he shud go on lan to get more first team experience..With Evra Playin the way he dus(Great Player) Fabio wont get a chance
Still Think We Need a STRONG midfielder...Hargreaves maybe..If He stays fit
Cant Wait for the match
nemanjar?
Kaiser Willhelm You are a plum !
Its only sport, stop winding your self up !!!!!!!
I predict sadness and woe for man ure this season, firstly they gotta payback the dons Glazier their massive dept and then they gotta sort out sick note and laze disease berbatosser, not forgetting the 3 OAPs coppernob piggsy and van der suck, last but not least trying to stop ferdinand floating away before each match !!!!!!!!!
Eurosport/Yahoo, C'mon this is just getting stupid. I'm on the verge of going back to Sky's rubbish journalism.. @#$% Fangzhuo as a back-up for united first team? He left United on 28th August 2008. I'm not being picky or petty as that would be pointing out simple spelling and grammatical errors, which there atleast half a dozen in both your article and my comment, but the difference is I'm not getting paid for this.
PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ARTICLES!
Oh and while I'm having this rant, Just because the spaniard down the M62 is having a rant about Manchester United and every other team in the world who he doesn't like doesnt make it a Manchester United story. It makes it a Liverpool story, as they are the only people that seem to care about what he says.. (IN THE WORDS OF THE SPANIARD) FACT!
ronaldo;turps is his tipple-purps is the pickle ;i'o'county.
nlwarburton # 3 - old'e purps will find stockport too strong for the title!!!
Is that old'e purps or old'e turps?
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