“I grew up watching this programme. To see the people that have won it and to be here is unbelievable.” He went on to add, “I am playing for the greatest manager that has ever lived and I’m playing for the greatest club. Perhaps I’ve become more appreciated as I have got older.”

Well done, Giggsy! Hopefully, your next stop is knighthood.

BBC link to article, which also contains video of his acceptance speech. [Tiny bit of irony as Freddie Flintoff, a Man City supporter, has had to announce Giggsy winning the prize.]

During preparations for their opening Group B clash away to Turkish champions Besiktas, Red Rants caught up with United’s colossal defender Nemanja Vidic (arguably one of Ferguson’s best buys in the last 4 years) to find out what he makes of the new-look United and the prospects of Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit reaching a third successive Champions League final…

Did your Champions League triumph in 2008 help to ease the pain of defeat to Barcelona in Rome?

Winning the Champions League in Moscow has made it easier for us to accept in a way because we know that we have already done it before. However, the desire to win the trophy again never wanes. I can assure you that everyone at Manchester United will be very unhappy if we fail to win the competition this season. The same goes for any competition we enter.

So Manchester United still has the highest expectations despite the rebuilding process that has gone on within the squad since the final in Rome?

Our expectations have not gone down at all because of the rebuilding. Our goals are exactly the same – to win the Premier League and to win the Champions League. We genuinely believe our fans will have many reasons to be happy this season and it is our intention to make that happen.

How are the players feeling as you prepare for the European campaign?

Well, none of us at Manchester United are thinking about last season’s final defeat to Barcelona anymore. It is time to look forward and I myself am fully concentrated on the new season that lies ahead. I’m only thinking about how we can become the best team in Europe once again and I believe that is something we are more than capable of achieving in 2010.

Do you have any predictions for the 2009/10 Champions League?

It’s too early for predictions because the final stages are so far away and the Champions League proper hasn’t even begun yet. However, generally I would agree with the experts that it’s between Real, Barcelona and the Premier League quartet. The Premier League is the best league in the world, so it’s logical that all the English clubs will have good odds of winning the competition while Barca are reigning champions and Real have quickly built a great team. There’s also always a surprise team in the Champions League every season too, so we really should be very careful with our predictions!

Losing Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez must have been felt strongly in the Manchester United dressing room. How much will you miss them?

It is true that we will miss Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez for their goals. We cannot deny that. However, this United squad really has enormous potential because we have so many talented youngsters, who are improving all the time. The club will continue to aspire to all the biggest goals no matter who leaves us. We can still win all the trophies on offer this season.

Luis Antonio Valencia is under pressure to fill the gap left by Ronaldo. Is he capable of doing that?

No one at Old Trafford expects Luis to take on Ronaldo’s role in the team but he has many qualities of his own that will help us. I believe he will become an important member of our team over the coming season.

And what impact can Michael Owen have in a Manchester United shirt?

Michael has proven his quality through the years so I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be successful. He can help us a lot, so we are all very happy to have him in our team. He is an important signing for the club. Manchester United has always had fantastic forwards and certainly we have such a situation in the current team as well. No matter who plays, I’m sure we will be lethal in front of goal. I believe Valencia and Owen will make our team better this season. They are very good players who will help us improve.

What is it like having to mark Michael Owen in training?

As a defender I can say with some certainty that it is really tough to mark Owen. He’s dangerous from all positions so you always need to be focused and on your toes. I’m sure our fans will soon realize that as well and see the best of him. I am pleased to be on his team.

Of all the strikers you have faced in the Champions League which have been the best?

It’s tough to pick out one name when it comes to Europe’s best strikers but if I could pick three I’d select Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. These guys are at the top of their game.

Many people have begun to compare you with Jaap Stam. How does that feel?

I’m not bothering myself with comparisons between myself and Jaap Stam but it’s nice to hear such things. It feels good being compared to a player of such high calibre. He was a giant at United and a player I have a lot of respect for but I’ll try to make my own mark.

How do you find living in England?

Well, I’m not an English boy! However, I have grown accustomed to the lifestyle and I’m enjoying myself in Manchester. I always try to give the best. Winning three major titles in one season is not something that would happen every day and last season we won the league again. Everything can turn around overnight, so it’s really important that you always think only about the next match.

How do you spend your spare-time?

I really don’t have much free time in Manchester. On few rare occasions the club gives us two days free and we usually spend that time with our families. More or less I spend all my free time with my family. Sometimes people come to visit me, but that’s about it. I try to live a decent life. I don’t go to extravagant places and I don’t expose myself too much. My life is really very normal: training-restaurant-home!

Do you think Manchester United have any defensive issues to sort out this season?

No. The United defence is as hard as a rock. We have played together for a few years now and are a tight-knit unit. The manager demands total concentration and a fighting approach. All the players know their duties. Ferdinand, Brown, Neville and O’Shea are all seasoned professionals who know what it’s all about. We won’t win all the time, but we will always give our all.

On paper it has been argued that Manchester United look weaker this year. Will you prove them wrong?

Perhaps on paper we are weaker this season but on the pitch it is a different matter. Together, we have the determination and ability to prove to everyone that we can still accomplish all our goals this season. The season is very long and we know what it means to be a Manchester United player. Everyone gives their all against us. But that’s no problem for us. We are paid loads of money to win and that is what we intend to do.

We thank Nemanja Vidic for his time but before we end this, we’ll leave you with a compilation video of the man from Serbia…

This is a story of a man, sorry boy (manchild?), who wishes to remain anonymous; let us call him Charles.

For the purposes of lending authenticity to the story, this writer wishes to narrate it in the first person. So sit back with your cup of coffee, and read.

Hello, dear fans. My name is Charles (real name withheld). Most of you might recognize me for my steadfast commitment to your dear club. You see, I’m the one who runs for the whole 90 minutes when a certain preening prima donna looks to whinge most of the time, only turning up to score some flukey free kicks; while some east European lazy oaf saunters about, like he was paid to walk about the park. (What do you say? He leads the assist chart? Well let me tell you something, statistics are like arseholes, everyone has one. Er, that analogy didn’t fit, but you get the point, don’t you? He’s an arsehole.)

But I digress; I work my socks off, dear fans, and your love for me proved that I was right to work said socks off for the team. Yet, what do I get? An away game to Liverpool? Just 34 appearances this season? About £10m for the two years of running every game for 90 minutes?

I tell you what, Britain has a new President. What is that you say? Prime minister? Sigh! You know very little, dear friends. Very little. Sir Alex is the president of Britain. It’s true. Which is why I have gathered you all. He is the president of Britain and he controls the world from his office at Old Trafford, and I’ll tell you what, I think I have discovered he’s a part of the Govan mafia. Don’t you get it? I mean, tell me one thing: who sips wine in the vineyards of southern France, with a cell phone on the other hand, belting out orders to his minions. I don’t know about you, but for someone like me who’s grown up in tough neighbourhoods, that looks like the overlord of a vast criminal organisation. You know, what I saw was just the tip of the iceberg. I know you may talk about David Conn’s new column on the Guardian that promises to uncover the murky footballing underworld, but I have far more murky information. My murk wipes the floor with his murk.

But despite this knowledge I thought, for the good of the team and, especially you, my dear fans, I would keep mum and hope my loyalty to the President, and Great Master would be repaid. But, you know what, he turned out to be colder than any of the Scorsese gangsters rolled into one. At least, they cared for family. This man, made me feel an outsider to the family. And when I went home to my family (my other one), I took only sadness with me.

The recession hasn’t helped either. (I believe I must blame recession too, because everyone seems to blame it for everything, and I think one can make perfect sense by ending any sentence with the phrase ‘due to recession’. But then, I digress.)

I tell you. The life of a footballer is not easy these days. Especially at a club like United. I know, I’m sorry, dear friends, I love you all, but I must tell you, I wasn’t loved at the club. And hence I thought I must move on. Also my best friend — some people say he owns me and my rights, but I am a self made man — let’s call him Hyundai (I can’t let you in on his real name, but Hyundai is the only other Korean car manufacturer I could think of, the other being my ‘owner’s’ name) said United weren’t even making an offer for us. I mean, they made an offer for us but he said there wouldn’t be enough time for us to make up my mind. I know, it sounds crazy, but Hyundai never lies. He’s a man of integrity, and I’ll ever be indebted to him, even though I’m a self made man.

So, on that note, I have come to the conclusion that loyalty is a two way street. And since I was never felt wanted, I must leave with a heavy heart. I still love your City. The rain calms my nerves, and at least the blue side will give me enough money to be able to put food on my plate three times a day. Now I can at least fly to the training ground instead of driving. Take that, you Real Madrid loving, United-betraying winker! And with a heavy heart I must say again, I love you dear fans, and thank you for sticking up for me, which is why I am sticking it up to you.

Regards,
Charles.

PS: BUT SAF SHOULD HAVE STARTED ME FOR THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL!!!!!!!!!!!

Following contact received from Carlos Tevez’s advisors last night, in advance of the deadline the Club set for concluding negotiations, Manchester United announces that Carlos will not be signing a new contract with the Club. The Club agreed to pay the option price of £25.5m and offered Carlos a five-year contract which would have made him one of its highest paid players. Disappointingly however, his advisors informed the Club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the Club’s most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United. The Club would like to thank Carlos for his services over the last two seasons and wishes him good luck for the future.

As drab as official statements usually go, it does confirm the word going around that United did indeed offer the option price of £25.5m for Tevez. It confirms that our option price was £25.5m. That price, since it was known by the club for a while now, was clearly excessive in my opinion — which is why David Gill was perhaps hoping, over time, to haggle with Kia Joorabchian to bring his price down.

Now, there is a valid case to be made about the treatment meted out by the club towards Tevez. But, whilst Tevez gave everything he could on the pitch, his attitude off it needed to be questioned. I understood his frustration at being marginalised at the club by Fergie upon Berbatov’s arrival, and excused him when he went public about it in a radio interview in South America, back in December. I was willing to understand his point of view when he again did it in February/March. But he kept doing this as the season wound up towards its closing stages; his reaction upon scoring the goal against City; him playing the victim card using the massive fan support as a stick to beat the club with made me wonder what he’s really upto.

What shocked me was the willingness of the fans to boo Ferguson when he substituted Tevez, and even drown out the manager’s address to the crowd. What the hell were they thinking?

Following the Tevez deal cancellation announcement, Kia Joorabchian clarified his side of things:

“When Man United made their offer about ten days ago, for the first time in two years, we never went back to them to ask about money. We just asked for some time to think about it. Obviously they have had two years to think about it and Carlos had to make a decision based on his family. Just to make it clear, this has been Carlos’ decision. Nobody else would make this decision for him. We didn’t actually reject the offer. Manchester United have ruled themselves out of the running. We actually asked for more time and if they could not give that we would have to walk away. He wants time to digest it and to know which club would suit him because now he is committing the next five years of his future.”

Now this makes little sense to me. Joorabchian said that Tevez needed more time to think this over. But, ironically, it was Tevez who went public on two things:

1. that he always wanted to stay at United, and it was United that didn’t seem to want him. He in fact said that he’d sign up in a flash had they offered him a deal, not too long ago.
2. that he ruled out Spain and feels settled in England, and liked the fact that his daughter feels happy growing up in England.

Kia’s suggestion seems to contradict these two points because it makes it seem like Tevez actually feels the need for time to decide between United and City, when it doesn’t even involve moving house. He says he needed time to figure out which team would suit him. But is there even a choice to be made between City and United? Sure, he’ll get more starts in City, but would it meet his ambition right now?

He says his close relationship with the fans meant that he wouldn’t go to Liverpool, but Kia also mentioned Chelsea as an option. Now a Chelsea move wouldn’t infuriate United fans as much as had he moved to Liverpool, but they still are a title rival and to me, that would certainly disappoint. City, not being a threat at present wouldn’t present the same challenge. Also I doubt he can be assured of starts even in Chelsea, something that’s been a thorny issue for him at United.

But leave all that aside. Joorabchian goes on to add:

“If it was, let’s say, Wayne Rooney’s contract finishing six months before, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract finishing six months before, would they have tried to secure their services a bit sooner? He has that little bit of a feeling that maybe he wasn’t the most wanted person at United. Rightly or wrongly, that’s how he feels.”

Now regarding Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo there is a major difference. Regardless of who the player is, if the club owned the player, they are never going to let his contract run down. In Tevez’s case, we never owned him, so it wasn’t a bad idea to see how he performs over the season to ensure he’s worth his asking price.

It now hits me, and shocks me that United actually offered £25.5m and Tevez might have actually accepted it. This is over the £9m that it cost to bring him to the club on loan. Tevez is a really good player, but certainly not world class, which is what those sums of money dictate. My mind boggles if I think about how we would have bought a striker that might do a lot of running and grafting but isn’t really a better player than Rooney or Ronaldo. And for a striker that demands such transfer fees, he would have to score a lot of goals to justify it.

I find it sad it had to end like this. But I can’t say I’m too sad to see him go. I would have found it hard to wrap my head around overpaying for a good player. I am actually glad United showed some urgency in enforcing the strict deadline to show that they need to resolve this issue before sorting out the squad for the next season.

Here’s hoping for the same decisiveness whilst dipping into the transfer market.

On Tevez, we sincerely wish him the best of luck, as long as he doesn’t score against us. (It’s nice to see he had the good sense to reject the cesspool; we’ll grant him that.)

United will in all likelihood use the funds to bring in a winger and a striker as replacements for Ronaldo and the likely-to-depart Tevez, with Ribery and Benzema the two names most linked to United.

We’ll have more on this as the story develops – for now you can read more here (ManUtd.com) and here (Soccerlens.com), and discuss it below in the comments.

The recently crowned PFA Player of the Year has been enduring some pretty harsh criticism over the last few days purely because his fellow professional peers deemed it appropriate he receive the prestigious award. Yes it’s true to say that he hasn’t set the Premier League alight with his performances this season but, to be fair, who has? Ryan Giggs has epitomised professionalism and dedication to the game of football for almost two decades now and, for me, that alone is testament enough for him receiving the PFA accolade.

The critics tend to forget that Giggs has actually been a prominent member of our first-team squad this season despite only making 12 starts in the league. He has helped us become Champions of the world, he was arguably the best player on the park against Chelsea earlier in the season and scored an ultimately decisive winner against West Ham at a crucial stage of the season. He’s also set to play an important role in hopefully helping us negotiate our way past Arsenal in the Champions League semi-final too. Not bad for a player that has supposedly received the sympathy vote eh.

Remarkably our 35-year-old winger may well have been enduring years of disappointment in City blue (a painful thought isn’t it) had Sir Alex not intervened on Giggs’ 14th birthday. You clearly don’t need me to remind you of exactly what happened next but I’ll paint a brief picture of the Welshman’s career at Old Trafford to put a positive spin on all this recent negative press.

Giggs turned professional at United in November 1990, making his league debut for the club at 17-years-old on 2nd March 1991 against Everton (a good six months before young Federico Macheda had even entered the world would you believe). The City connection was once again revisited with his first league goal coming against our bitter rivals in the derby at Old Trafford back in May 1991. And just to add to the City nostalgia even further, anyone remember that goal at Maine Road in 1996? How City fans must eternally rue the one that got away!

The first winners’ medal to make its way onto the Giggs mantelpiece was the European Super Cup in November 1991 and boy have the honours been flooding in ever since. I’ve already mentioned the major trophies but it is important to note that our decorated winger was an influential part of our double winning sides of 1993/94 and 1995/96. Fast forward some ten years to last season and he was still at the forefront of our Premier League and Champions League double. Lest we forget the unprecedented treble winning season of 1999 and that goal against Arsenal. To this day it continues to send shivers down the old spine.

It was in 2001 when Giggs was awarded a testimonial match against Celtic for 10 years of truly fantastic service to the club. Here we are in 2009 and the level headed master of Old Trafford is one appearance away from 800 in a United shirt. He’s already broken Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time appearance record at the club and who’s to say he won’t go on to claim another half century.

On the international stage we all know the story about Giggs being one of the greatest players ever not to have graced a World Cup. With 64 caps and 12 goals he was certainly a decent servant to his country and as Gilberto Silva once put it, he could have quite comfortably played for any country in the world – even Brazil.

On and off the field Giggs has been an ambassador of the game and is the perfect role model for children looking for inspiration from football. Not one for poorly timed tackles or nightclub frolics, if Carlsburg did professional footballers, Ryan Giggs would undoubtedly be the prototype they would use.

Before I close let’s get things straight. Not to harp on about it too much but at the end of the day it’s not up to us, the press or anybody else to determine whether Ryan Giggs deserved to receive the PFA Player of the Year. His fellow Manchester United teammates couldn’t vote for him, his Premier League rivals did and that’s a fact that can’t be contested. The voting system may need a revamp but that’s not Giggs’ fault is it. 

So what could possibly be next on the agenda for a player that has achieved pretty much everything during his life in football? A knighthood would perhaps be the most fitting tribute and hopefully the press won’t be quite as hasty to question the Queen’s Birthday Honours list as they have with the decisions of Premier League footballers.

When you weigh it up, it really is a monumental achievement. With the days of the one club man now looking decidedly bleak, Scholes may well be the last of a dying breed as he joins Ryan Giggs, Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes to become only the fourth player in United history to reach 600.

Although has anyone else around here been noticing more than just discreet murmurs of discontent surrounding Scholes and his future at United? Judging by his Twitter account, Mr Red Ranter himself wants shot of him come the end of the current campaign. I mean is this really how we treat our legends of the club or is it simply an unwritten rule that when you get to your mid-thirties, you just can’t cut the mustard at Old Trafford anymore? Fergie undoubtedly still believes that our one-time midfield maestro can continue to roll back the years and although I’m not completely convinced, I’m sure he can still do some sort of job.

It was proof in the pudding the other night that, when afforded the time and space, there aren’t many better midfielders in world football that can effortlessly spray around passes, long or short. The ball through for Carrick to create the second goal against Pompey was both splendid but hardly surprising as we all know just what the former England man is capable of doing with a football. Zidane called Scholes his toughest opponent, Marcello Lippi would’ve built a team around him and Thierry Henry once labelled the Salford-born star as the best player in the Premiership. You can’t argue with that kind of praise.

So why exactly does the jury seem to be out on Scholes, despite his unprecedented devotion and loyalty to the club and his clear ability to still be able to affect a game? Our number 18 certainly won’t get box to box quite like he used to, his legs won’t allow him to start every game even if his head tells him otherwise and he probably won’t score any more than five goals in a season. With Anderson growing in stature with every game, Fletcher developing into a rather valuable first-team member and lest we forget Carrick, Hargreaves and even Giggs who has proved he can be a central figure, Sir Alex has something of a predicament that’s for sure.

Well what would you do? Scholes isn’t a fool and he knows that at 34-years-old and with competition for places at Old Trafford rife, time is running out on his United career. Everyone makes mistakes (I’m talking Craven Cottage ofcourse) and to be fair, this product of our Golden Generation doesn’t make too many. Anderson, Carrick, Fletcher, Hargreaves, even Gibson at a push. They literally roll off the tongue and they all offer something different but are they really streets ahead of the newest member of the 600 club?

Let’s face it, goals like what we witnessed against Barcelona last season will ensure Scholes remains at the club until his contract expires next summer at least and I can’t say I’m gutted about it. I say use him sparingly at Old Trafford and keep him in and around the squad, he deserves that for his unfathomable devotion to Manchester United for starters. Unlike someone of Gary Neville’s persona, the beauty of possessing Paul Scholes is that he will cease to fight a losing battle and I am sure that when the time is right, he’ll know exactly when to call it a day. Surplus or invaluable, opinions will vary, but will the curtain curtail as early as next month? Surely not!

The criticisms of the former Spurs man will undoubtedly spread like wildfire after his pathetic attempt at a penalty on Sunday, although after a somewhat average season thus far, can you really argue that these criticisms aren’t justified?

I’ve never been a huge fan of the Bulgarian from day one, I’ll quite happily admit that for starters. The whole Tottenham sulk affair was frustrating and although Spurs can’t escape blame for the handling of the transfer, Berbatov shouldn’t get away scot free for his attitude either.

In all honesty, I couldn’t really comprehend why we were splashing out so much money on a player that we didn’t really need. We had just won a domestic and European double with Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney leading the line, so why complicate things by bringing in a striker who doesn’t take criticism, and more importantly squad rotation lightly. Fortunately we haven’t experienced what could be described as an infamous Berbatov sulk as of yet, mainly due to Ferguson’s apparent unending desire to prove that he has made the right decision in signing him. Look at Tevez scoring four goals in the Carling Cup earlier in the season and then being dropped the following game. I ask would Berbatov really have received the same treatment.

Despite my early pessimism, there’s certainly no denying the positives that Berbatov brings to the table. His first touch is, at times, breathtaking. The way he almost effortlessly slows down play can also be extremely effective. There’s also the fact that as much as he hasn’t found his goalscoring touch thus far for United, Dimitar Berbatov does know how to hit the back of the net. In his time with both Spurs and Leverkusen he averaged just short of a goal every other game and that’s not a record to be scorned at.

So where does my gripe and the gripe of many other United fans really stem from? Well if we ignore his lazy and what often seems uninterested style of play, I just don’t see what Berbatov is giving us at the moment. Carlos Tevez is in a similar predicament with his lack of goals and fundamentally average performances but his desire and attitude has won us over and that does go some way to make up for his lack of cutting edge in front of goal. Indeed, how will we all react if our bustling Argentine centre-forward does decide to move in the summer in search of first-team football? Berbatov will no doubt again prove to be the brunt of the blame.

Sure the fancy flicks and gorgeous touches can be pleasing on the eye but at a time when results are a necessity, surely Berbatov needs to start offering a hell of a lot more. At the end of the day at £30 odd million he was presumably brought in to help spearhead our attack and was billed the final piece to a jigsaw that had arguably already been completed.

It’s ultimately a tough one. There’s no doubt that Berbatov has the ability to become a hugely successful player for us but is eight goals in 25 league games really an acceptable return? Every player needs time to adjust to new surroundings but will those fans who are strictly opposed to his consistent selection be prepared to give him another season to prove his worth? I’m certainly not giving up hope on him yet but my patience is wearing thin with every passing minute.

Let’s face facts. Hargreaves arrived at United having spent his fair share of time in the physio’s room at Bayern Munich, most notably breaking his leg during his final season with the German club in September 2006. At the end of the day he didn’t score goals (five in nearly 150 games for Bayern), he wasn’t a creative player and other than his work rate I didn’t see what he brought to the table.

Even our very own RedRanter had his doubts over Hargreaves and particularly his fitness. And to know that Ferguson was willing to part with £18 million too, well it just didn’t add up.

I sit here now putting together this article a few hours before we take on FC Porto in arguably the biggest game of the season. My prediction? 2-1 United but that is coming firmly from the heart. If I’m realistic and go with my head, a trip to the Estadio Dragao (where coincidentally no English team has ever won) with our current defensive frailties really doesn’t bode well. Let’s be honest. If the Portuguese side play anywhere near as well as they did at Old Trafford and we put on a similarly uninspirational performance, it’s game over in the Champions League for this season.

You’ve probably guessed where I’m going with this (if the title wasn’t already a giveaway!) but the one player I feel we desperately miss at the moment is a certain Owen Hargreaves. I’m trying my utmost not to get caught in the ‘look how Essien handled Gerrard last week’ trap here but it really is my honest opinion that Hargreaves would have helped stem the tide of the current slump we are witnessing. In all fairness it is difficult to explain how we have conceded 11 goals in five games when VDS was breaking clean sheet records left, right and centre earlier in the season. I believe you would almost halve that amount with Hargreaves in front of the back four.

Porto were brilliant last week in their own little way and as much as we were off the pace, the way they counter-attacked was sublime at times. So how do you counter a counter-attack? Well with Hargreaves in the side he would have happily provided cover for the likes of Evra, Neville and O’Shea who all galloped forward at different stages of the match, often to our detriment. Hargreaves would have read the danger, cut out those little pockets of space and I believe his presence in the side would have gone some way to destabilising the threat of our Portuguese opponents.

As hard-working, bullish and, at times, brilliant Darren Fletcher has been this season, he isn’t one to just sit and hold to free up others to bomb on forward. I noticed Michael Carrick has often adopted the holding role in recent times and purely through necessity rather than anything else. As we all know Carrick is at his creative best when he is given the freedom to influence a game and dictate the flow and pace of it with his passing ability. I hate to say it but look at the system the dippers have in place with Alonso and Mascherano. It has had proven results and the Spaniard is having a good season it must be said.

More often than not we are making basic errors at the moment and with Hargreaves’ tenacity and hard-working style that may have helped us get the basics right again. The England man won’t be back until the start of next season at the earliest which could prove to be a blow to our trophy aspirations for the remainder of the current campaign.

We may go to the Dragao and smash Porto tonight but at this present time I can’t wait for Owen Hargreaves to pull on a Red shirt once again. Can you?

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!