Aug 14
Manchester United 08/09 Season Preview
I thought of doing a three part preview, but then decided against it because it could be rather long drawn and tiresome. Also, I’m sure, I wouldn’t want to bore you with a three part preview because I really don’t get the point of stretching a preview to three parts. So let’s see how I can preview the 08/09 season as short as possible.
The Attack:
This will be the most interesting part of our team. If — and at this point it looks like it’s safe to say, when — Berbatov arrives (along with Manucho) it will give our strike force a new look. Sir Alex Ferguson will be left with a happy conundrum — that of picking his best two strikers. Whilst the price paid for Berbatov ensures that he will get a sizeable chunk of appearances this season, the fees paid for Rooney, and that touted for Tevez, is no chicken feed either. It will be interesting to see how the boss picks his starting strikers.
When I talk about attack, I also refer to our wingers who play an important role in our interchangeable system. Early on, with a tough fixture list, an injured Ronaldo, a suspended Nani, and a new signing (Berbatov, hopefully) it will be quite tricky for us going forward. It could mean having to play Tevez on the wing if Rooney and Berbatov are to be pressed into action against Newcastle (as unlikely as it may sound.) The return of Park to training augurs well for the short term as the ageing Ryan Giggs will need to be on his better days early on.
Let’s make no pretense about it: the start of the season is going to be very challenging and tough. And the key to our fortunes for the rest of the season rests on how Fergie manages his depleted forward line for the first few games.
If we stay afloat till October when Ronaldo returns, it will give us the boost to switch gears. Or who knows… maybe our new signing will inspire us even before Ronaldo steps on the turf.
Player to watch out for: Carlos Tevez. The Argentine, to me, looks like he’ll have a stormer of a season.
The Midfield:
On paper, we have a midfield as good as any in the Premier League. Unfortunately, at the moment, Hargreaves remains crocked, and Anderson is in Beijing. So we will start with Carrick and Scholes in midfield. Which isn’t all that bad against the likes of Newcastle and Portsmouth. In fact, with Darren Fletcher I wouldn’t be too worried to get the job done against such opposition. But the return to full fitness of Hargreaves, and the return of Anderson will give our midfield the formidable look that it deserves.
Player to watch out for: I think this is going to be Michael Carrick’s season. But again, I also think Hargreaves will prove everyone why he was bought. For real.
The Defence:
It’s the one area I am least worried about. We have an outstanding first choice back four and an able backup. If Neville is fit, he will return to the starting XI. It would need a few games to gauge his value to the team, although it would be extremely unfair on Wes Brown. I don’t need to talk anymore about the peerless Rio, Vidic and Evra axis. I expect another stingy season from our defence — barring any injuries.
Player to watch out for: None in particular. Because they are all quality and they’ve all proved their pedigree.
Overall Performance and Tactics
I have a feeling that we’ll appear a little disjointed at the start of the season because of a lack of a settled line up in pre-season, and due to injuries and suspensions. But I have been wrong in the past. Queiroz’s absence will be quite a blow, however, Fergie’s experience will see through that problem. With the presence of a target man we will see more of a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Expectations:
It will sound rather strange to you all, but I generally am a low expectation fan. It gives me immense joy just to see my team trot out week-in, week-out and put on a display of some excellent attacking football. And as a Manchester United fan I am spoilt in that sense. The years of trophies have made me indebted to the lads and Fergie in particular, so I feel guilty if I expect Fergie to deliver me a treble or even another Premier League title. I think I will be satisfied with a trophy other than the Carling Cup. Don’t get me wrong — I will be gutted if we don’t win the Premiership. That’s something I always want because that’s what we spend the year waiting for. But I won’t call for heads to roll if we get pipped at the post. As long as we play good football, I think we can win the league title this year too. Personally, I’d like us to win the FA Cup because it’s been a while — I know, I know, we are a spoiled lot! I won’t be gutted if we didn’t win the Champions’ League, except of course, if we lost it to another English club in the final.
Predictions:
I think we’ll win either the League or the FA Cup. The presence of a good core of youth will get us far into the Carling Cup competition (and I think we’ll win it this time.) And we might make it as far as the semis of the Champions’ League.
So that’s the preview for the season. Hopefully you found it terrible reading (especially my expectations and predictions for the new season). I am excited about the new season and I hope you are too. Fasten your seat belts with only two more days to go! Hopefully we at Red Rants can help you along another roller coaster season.
Come on you Reds!
Related items from Red Rants:
- Man Utd v Everton: Preview
- United Take First ‘Trophy’ of Season
- 08/09 Fixtures Announced
- Join 08/09 Red Rants Fantasy Football. Win Prizes!
- Manchester United 08/09 Third Kit: It Really Is Better…
Tags: Manchester United Players
Craig Mc (195)
RedDevilEddy (173)
Opti (138)
Ian (97)
Moscow is my heaven (97)
@Craig Mc: HAHA! Nice one! Anyway i think that the signing of Berba will be complete berfore kickoff! But he wont play till Pompey! Fergie has never put a new player straight into this match! And Edi, dont worry mate this news of Barca entering the race is complete BollockS! I mean why on earth would they want to sign a striker on top of Henry, Eto, Messi and Bojan?
This is just another trick of that cunt Levy to hasten United into signing him as United are still giving gim 27-28 Million!
And about Ramos telling that Spurs are on the level of ours. Hope to burst your bubble but were Kings of Europ3 and Champ10ns of England!
Youre well! Youre only Carling Cup Champs! Cheerio!
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@Craig Mc: It really is bloody hilarious isn’t it mate. Just total rubbish. I’m surprised their aren’t more sever ethical standards in the English media. I’m all for freedom of speech but selling lies and cheap gossip is just so wrong and it needs to be stopped for the good of sports and for the declining integrity of journalism. My God, no standards to speak of.
My God though, Berbatov and Villa, that would be sweet wouldn’t it?
They probably meant Silva and wrote Villa instead. I wouldn’t put it past them to screw that up.
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@Grognard:
Yeah, if this summer has taught me anything, its that American sports media isn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was. When it comes to English and Spanish media, all bets are off.
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@Grognard: The link Craig Mc was talking about is from caughtoffisde.com they were reporting that Fergie would spend £60m on both players and further down the page, the same site also said Berbatov would sign tomorrow. Surprising that you didn’t see it since you seem to be a fellow avid newsnow.com reader
, it was there this evening. Its probably rubbish though. Hopefully something happens soon, Levy is probably just sour cus the FA threw his case out since it wasn’t credible enough.
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I’d prefer to think that Berba would be signed by tommorow!
I mean I have been heart broken so many times this summer! With all this media chattering!
Its worth taking another RISK!
Here comes BERBA! Scousers, Gooners, Rent Boys and all of you!
HERE COMES THE TREBLE!
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I agree with Red Ranter. With so much of success it’s hard not to be optimistic but caution is the right word. We are always the team everybody loves to beat..ask anybody??? This year is going to be one the best season,a total thriller in years to be remembered. So brace yourself for the new season and do the prayers. LOL….Come on United!!!!
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I would prefer Villa to Berba any day of the week. He is just a step up in quality. He is also more of an out and out striker than Berba and will score more than him IMO
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@Rd: I may check out NewsNow but I avoid Caught Offside and Tribal Football like the plague. And when I do check out that site, I check to see how many similar reports of a news item are actually there. If it’s just one or two sites, I know it’s total bullshit. If it’s more than two sites, I know it’s probably bullshit. I’ve learned over the past year that these mini football sites with no real journalistic integrity are just total crap and live for lies and fabrications of the truth.
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@Liam: I think Villa is good too but he is not a step up in quality whatsoever. Berbatov is class personified and unlike Villa, he’s got an aerial game and has better play making capabilities. Villa is the better scorer and has more pace. They are both equal in skill but Berbatov suits our needs more because we already have enough Hobbits up front.
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@Liam: I beg to DIFFER!
Whatever happens! We need a tall striker! And Berba is certainly taller!
And who can forget his angelic first touch? Reminds me of someone!!
And Villa would just like be another Tevez! So no I dont think that Fergie would go for Villa! And all the strikers we have been linked with, Henry, Berba, Huntelaar are tall and all have the ability to finish well! So whatever happens i dont think that fergie would go for Villa!
I hope the Berba deal is done and dusted when I wake on Saturday!
Looks like it really is gonna be a Friday!
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@Liam: When I talk about finishing I mean in the 9 yrd box where we always get the ball but there is mostly no one to finish!
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@Grognard: I would argue that villa suits our needs more as he allows rooney and tevez to drop in deep. I think he would bring out the best in rooney as he looks to get in behind the defense. He is always making great runs and then rooney’s ability to play the right pass, which i feel is his best attribute, is fully exploited. Berbatov is class personified though, my heart tells me he is the best option but my head disagrees, just like how i felt about tevez. He is decent in the air and he’s also fairly quick and mobile when he gets going, but neither of these are predominant features of his play. Although physically, villa is similar to rooney and tevez (as in,no height) and berbatov would offer variety in this aspect, overall berbatov is similar to rooney and tevez, with villa being the more complimentary.
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@Red Diablo: @Grognard: why do we need a tall striker? We don’t play a long ball game and we already have Rooney and Tevez as playmakers. Villa is no slouch in the air. What he will do is hassle the last defender which would take a huge weight off Rooney because he would have more of a free role. Berba is another drop deep type of striker and playing him would put more pressure on Rooney to get forward. I fear that in the search for somebody good in the air people are willing to sacrifice some other important skills. We already have 2 players who will get 15 goals and 15 assists. I think a Villa or indeed Huntelaar who will take chances to shoot over anything and will get 20-25 goals is what we need now.
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@tevez: completely agree
btw Red Diablo; what is the 9 yard box?
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@tevez: Villa is just like Rooney an Tevez and he is the last kind of striker we need. God, another Hobbit. I don’t think so. What we need is diversity, not redundancy. Give me a tall Ent any day of the week. Sorry for all the Lord of the Rings analogies.
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@Liam: I totally agree Liam. We need a tall goal scorer, not the third member of the Three Stooges.
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I noticed on the team site that RDS and Dong share the #21 jersey. I’m praying that this means Dong is moving on.
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@Grognard: grognard,
we also have the inimitable Chinese ding Dong!!! At 6 ft he is also apparently the tallest chinese ever! Heres your ent for crying out loud for so long! Fergie has heard you million of years back!
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@jos:
At 6 ft he is also apparently the tallest chinese ever!
Have you ever heard of Yao Ming?
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@Red Ranter: Lol RR!
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@jos: Yes what a talent he is too. Our savior. Forget Berbatov and Huntelaar, we have Long Dick Dong, Welbeck and Campbell.
What were we thinking eh?
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@Red Ranter: And Yao Ming is probably a better striker too. As long as the ball in use is a basketball.
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RD – the link I first saw on news now reporting about Berba/Villa was from Manchester Evening news. Quite often they do get some things right, because of the David Meek connection. David Meek gets insider news as he is always at OT. Also two or 3 other sites were reporting besides the offside (useless) one, but I have looked and can’t find them this am. Anyway, like I said, “who makes these things up.” I do like the Manchester Evening News though, because they are not a tacky tabloid.
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Juande Ramos has suddenly started gobbing a bit hasn’t he?. Spurs are as good as United lol. Errr they need to do what United has done then, before they can say this. Wait until seeing whether Spurs get into top 4, before gobbing off, lest he looks FOOLISH. By the way whats going on with Keane?. The Roy boy is tipping everybody but United for everything. Is he BITTER or what?.
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Red Diablo, calm down boy, I am sure Berba can here you calling his name to come to us, all the way down in London lol.
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HOW MANY DAYS TILL THE TRANSFER WINDOW CLOSES? oops caps sorry
oh and what do you see as the viable alternative to Dimitar if it turns out to be true that Spurs will sell him to Barca instead… well….?
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I am starting to think we should pull the plug and bid now for Huntelaar, I am fed up with Spurs and that arsehole Levy. We should leave them in the shit with regards to Berbatov, with a player who clearly does not want ot be there.
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Levy is at war with everyone it seems. After United and L’Pool, the Mirror reports today that they are about to bring a law suit against Man City because of the failed Corluka deal. What an idiot Levy is making himself.
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Thats why I think we should now pull the plug and leave him with egg on his face. He is just always trying to extract more money out of every deal, he carries on about tapping up, well ask Simon Jordan, Neil Warnock and Jose Maria Del Nido about Tottenham’s conduct, hypocrite.
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i dont understand, why dont we just loan dong out to an english side? he actually has pretty good stats you konw.
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@dan(u-ol): He is one of the worst players I have ever witnessed in a United shirt, I was at the league cup game against Coventry.
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everyone can have a bad match, i am willing to give dong a chance sometime down the season, maybe not newcastle, but a match that we are sure to win/doesnt mean much, i wouldnt be that steamed if we sold him though, i think thats fair to say.
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I agree a bad match is one thing, but a lack of footballing ability is another!!
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Dong has plenty of speed, but he lacks any sort of consistent goal instinct. Wonder if his goal flair and technique will improve under Ole’s coaching. We shall see lol. He has little desire to leave United, and maybe this id Dong’s problem, lack of real desire for first team football.
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I admire your optimisim, lets wait and see the magic of The Dong!
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I think Dong could be pretty useful, I don’t think he would ever be United starting quality but he could be a useful squad player. His biggest problem seems to be that he just hasnt had enough top level football to develop fully or adapt to the English game and I’m not sure reserve football will cut it. He needs to go out on loan to atleast a Championship side, if not a prem side and get some competitive minutes in English football under his belt. I do feel that ultimately the time at Antwerp has maybe been his undoing and may undo the potential that United clearly initially saw in him
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@Grognard: I think i gave valid reasons why in fact villa offers more diversity to the team than berbatov would. Berbatov plays in the same area of the pitch that rooney and tevez plays in (if we are considering rooney as a second striker) while villa plays in a more advanced area, right on the front lines. He is nothing like rooney and tevez (if, once again, we are considering rooney as a second striker). They are all short but their playing styles and where they operate on the pitch are very different. He is a natural and consistent goalscorer, scoring all kinds of goals. He’s far from brilliant at challenging in the air, but he takes up good positions in the box and he has a good leap on him.
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@tevez: And I don’t agree. Sorry but I from where I sit, I don’t buy that one bit. It’s Berbatov that offers the diversity. Villa just offers more of the same.
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