Why Losing Against Blackburn Isn't a Real Shocker

If you know me, you know I’m not one for knee-jerk reactions. I run my mouth on Twitter, but anything that seems knee-jerk is more than likely just me being facetious. It’s a blessing and a curse that I think all Twitterers have. We use social media as an outlet, opting to type it out rather than scream it out. I should say that I do both. So, when I say that this result isn’t as shocking as Ian Darke, Steve McManaman, or any other pundit are making it out to be, you know that it’s really how I feel.

Throughout the season people will point at this game and point at that game and say it’s where we won or lost the title. We did it all of last season and somehow won by a 9 pt margin. Granted, the last few games that got us to 9 points were after we had already really clinched the title. Some people say that you can’t point to one match because that result changes the chemical balance of the rest of the season, win or lose. Some people are firm believers that if we don’t win the title this year, the Blackburn loss today will be the reason. I’m stuck somewhere in between. Whatever you feel about today’s loss, the permeating factor for me is that this loss isn’t as shocking as people are truly making it out to be. And this isn’t me dumbing this loss down like it didn’t mean anything and we shouldn’t have expected to win. Bottom line: We should have taken 3 pts.

When looking at this fixture after the thumpings we gave Fulham, Wigan, and Wolves, Blackburn was a forgone conclusion of 3 pts. We were suddenly back in form and no one ever thought that this game would be a hiccup. Blackburn is in disrepair at the bottom of the table, their fans calling for Kean to be sacked before, at half, and after each game. We were so busy worried about City and keeping pace that we simply overlooked this game, leading to the reason why we lost: Playing a hodge podge of players, hoping for a win, won’t get you a win. Even against Blackburn. Here are the two reasons why this loss isn’t as surprising as it may seem.

1) Look at our team, seriously. Some have a “No excuses!” attitude, but that’s just not realistic. Sure, our team – even the first half lottery picks – should have been good enough to win today. The issue I have with that is when you throw players together who haven’t played together (and in those positions together), you can’t expect an immediate result. That talent on the field was good enough to get three points, but look at the squad and where we were playing and tell me it wasn’t a contributing factor in dropping points. This is what has plagued City over the seasons. Good players who hadn’t played together not getting points. Now that they’re playing together (and in position), they play well. In another example, if you take a makeshift basketball team and put the center in at point guard and the point guard at center, you’re not going to win. Carrick at CB is a stop-gap that caught up with us. Jones at CB isn’t my first or second choice. No Evans or Rio or Rooney or Giggs. We had Park and Rafa in MF. We had Welbeck on the wing, a place he consistently doesn’t perform. Then you have Chicha (who hasn’t played much) up top with Berba (who people think shouldn’t play much). Add in some howlers by De Gea and that’s three points gone like the beer on New Year’s Eve.

2) Blackburn are absolutely fighting for their lives. If they were a WBA or a Stoke, sitting mid-table on the New Year, it’s not a big deal to go to OT and hope to get a point. But Steve Kean is in the cellar, locked there, looking for a way out. They are going to do whatever it takes to get even one point. Today at OT they did just that. They didn’t have much offense, but they took advantage of the chances (and blunders – De Gea and our makeshift defense) when they were presented. An early PK and early 2^nd half goal were all they really needed to secure at least one point. We fought back, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Blackburn showed up to our home, knocked down the door, smash/grabbed 3 points and turned around before we could figure out what happened. Kudos to them.

In 2012, I don’t know what’s going to happen in the 2^nd half of the season, but we all know anything can happen. For that reason, and that reason alone, I’m not going to write us off yet. If we don’t win the title, I’m not sure I’ll even point at this game and say it was the reason. Chances are it won’t be a three point difference. Chances are there will be other games people will point at. What I’m really hoping for is a strong second half and being able to cheekily point at this game and say, “That’s the game where we turned it all around and won the title.” Of course I’d be being facetious. Or, would I?

August 31st, 2011 - The Day United Went Out of the Champions League

The exit from last night’s Champions League Group Stage came long before the referee blew the final whistle. Some will say that it was when we failed to win home matches against Basel and Benefica. Some will say that it came when we made so many changes to the side that faced Benefica. Some will even say that it was when Hernandez went down injured against Villa this past Saturday. I’m going to say that it came back on August 31^st, 2011 – the day we failed to secure a CM that we’ve desperately needed. Sure, sure, that may sound a bit harsh, but it’s really not if you think about it.

Paul Scholes was going to retire at some point. And long before he announced it, he wasn’t this midfield magician who played 50+ games for us each season. The preemptive searching for a midfield was nonexistent and I will not count Sneijdergate as anything other than some fans’ pipe dream signing. They put all their eggs in a basket hoping Sneijder could come here when we should have been focusing our efforts on a player we could have gotten and a player who wouldn’t sit out a majority of the games we play. When it comes down to it, there will always be speculation as to why we didn’t get certain players, fine, but we could have made stronger efforts to get players like Nasri, Modric, Diarra, Khedira, (<insert player’s name here), etc. We replaced VDS, got some fullbacks to beef up our somewhat aging backline, and got a winger to pair with Nani. That’s all well and good (and in Phil Jones’ case I’ll say “absolutely spectacular”), but what we have needed for some time is a great CMF. Those who think otherwise have to be on another planet far, far from here. 

So, the rest of us saw the summer transfer window close with 50m worth of new signings, none of which were a CMF. I didn’t want him, but hell, I might even consider Scott Parker a good signing in retrospect. So what happens? The season starts off with a thrilling Charity Shield win versus City and then some resounding performances where we looked like the United team of yesteryears thumping Bolton and Arsenal. The title was ours. City, you can have the FA Cup; we’ll take the Premier League title again. Thank you very much. But alas, this early season form only did us a disservice in the end because it blinded many fans into thinking that we had a spectacularly well-rounded team when we really didn’t. Getting big names and splashing some cash is fine and dandy, but not when the issue of the hole in our MF gets swept under the rug. Young looked good early, but has sunk to a level of mediocrity. De Gea has had his fumbles, but I’m 110% behind him being one of the best keepers in the world in the next two seasons. And Jones? That really speaks for itself now doesn’t it?

Sure, injuries haven’t helped our cause, but as I’ve said before, you can’t plan for injuries. You can plan for fielding a great team by putting together great players – and that includes a much-needed CMF. The Glazers have been the cancer of this team for years, but they shelled out 50m for players. We could’ve used Young’s 18-20m for a CMF and that’s all I’ll say on that. So we were forced to plug the holes in the dam time and time again, like we have been for several seasons. But when you’ve got a gaping hole in your midfield, you’re not going to be much good. In the interim, we’ve used Jones as a utility man and we’ve used Rooney as a stopgap CMF at times. We’ve also mixed up the line-up to try and compensate for the lack of creativity and strength in our midfield. We have to be an autonomous unit that gels from back to front. Games that we would have scored 3 and 4 goals in years past have only yielded single goal efforts. This is not the United team we need to be. The 1-nil wins and clean sheets are great, but they could be doubly great if we scored more goals. Battering a team with possession and attempts but not goals only deflates a team into a funk – a funk United are in.

When it comes down to it, the Carling Cup exit, the Champions League exit, and the 5-point gap between us and City in the Premier League all could’ve been different if we had signed the CMF that we needed. And you can say, “One player wouldn’t have made all this difference.” And to that I’d say you’re sorely mistaken. It wouldn’t just be about everything that he produces, it would be about what the team would produce with him in there, and that’s a big difference. A CMF controls the game. They do the job of connecting the front and back lines. They do everything that we’ve needed, but haven’t gotten. Instead, we’re looking at the rest of this season without Vidic and only the Prem title as the aim to shoot for. And keep in mind that being out of all these competitions cost us more than any midfielder would have. Just makes the pill a little harder to swallow when you look back. So the goal we should have right now is to hold ground in the PL till January and look to buy in the window. Should we buy? Absolutely. Will we buy? Probably not. But that issue is saved for an entirely different novel.

Follow me on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

Let's All Laugh at City???

It’s one of my favorite things to say about our noisy neighbors, but “Let’s all laugh at City” could soon be shelved, right next to the “35 Years” banner we literally held over their heads for the last 3.5 decades. With an FA Cup in their desolate trophy cabinet, City have started this league season with more than just a few pipe dreams. As I type this, they are 5 pts clear of us and a week off a 6-1 thumping of a United team that was a miniscule shadow of our early season form. We have some fickle fans, but even the most grounded United fans can share in some trepidation when it comes to this year's City team. The real question is: Are they better than United? Let’s find out.

The most glaring thing to notice about this City team is that they finally mean business, and I’m not just talking about spending the money this time. For years City have thrown money at a problem they couldn’t seem to fix – winning. When an ownership with deep pockets takes over, money will be spent. We all knew that would happen. But, we watched from our side of town while City made an attempt to replicate even the most minute United success with purchase after purchase. It’s quite difficult to sit on the other side while your rivals win every trophy possible, so City took the approach that loads of money would buy loads of the best players. The simple law of economics does prevail and, yes, whoever has the most money can afford the best players. The problem City faced was that they were buying players for exorbitant amounts of money, but they were overpaying and buying the wrong players. Robinho, Milner, Adebayor, SWP (the 2nd go-around), Santa Cruz, Zabaleta, Barry, etc. Some are gone, some are still there, but City kept buying. We laughed at the failures year after year, but at some point, these players would learn to play together. That time has come.

Over the last three or so seasons, City fielded a team with the highest wages and highest transfer fees, but no one wanted to play together. The joke was that no one spoke the same language, so how could they possibly play football as a cohesive unit. The funny part about this was that it was true. They constantly underachieved. Even an FA Cup and a CL birth last season were considered a letdown for a team with close to 600m in players. In the end, City and its fans were ecstatic with those two accomplishments, though I’m sure a Carling Cup win would’ve satisfied a City fan after 35 years of nothing. However, it still begged the question, “When will City produce?” No manager, Mancini or not, can stick around from just winning an FA Cup or Carling Cup each year. City wanted European glory just like every other team, so coming into this season the stakes were just a bit higher for them. They tasted some success and wanted more. But, is more success in City’s future? Let’s look at both teams now.

City have gelled in a way that hasn’t been seen since, well, since some 35 years ago. Mancini is finally finding a way to make the players work. His comment about having a lack of players was comical, but when you’re spoiled with money, you get greedy and unsatisfied. David Silva has been their star, controlling a mid-field that needed some serious grounding and continuity. Balotelli is still petulant, but he’s started producing. Tevez turned into the sour apple everyone in Manchester knew he would, so Mancini went out and purchased his replacement, Aguero. Kompany has always been their best defender, but they’ve fortified themselves in the back so far, conceding very few goals. Silva has glued their MF together while their strikers have put in goals. The bickering and lack of team unity have turned into a viable squad.  They have slaughtered teams, including United – us being the only real competition thus far. You know who they remind me of? Chelsea this time last year. Remember what happened to Chelsea at season’s end? They were 9 points back of United. So let’s look at United.

We spent the off-season getting De Gea, Young, and Jones. We couldn’t lock down a CMF, but when the season started we settled in on using Cleverley as Scholes’ immediate replacement. The formula seemed to work – until it didn’t. Eventually, the MF issue of the last few seasons crept back into view and our early season form went away. The culmination of this slip in form happened to City. At home. 6-1. Does that mean City is better than us? On the weekend, yes. On the season, no. The one thing that we have on our side that will set us apart as season’s end is Fergie. He finds a way to win. Mancini hasn’t shown us that yet. He has a plethora of players at his disposal, but when his team starts sustaining injuries or booking suspensions or Balotelli’s temper, can Mancini find a team that works like Fergie can? For me, the answer is “No.”

You can could argue that on paper, and even on the field, City have a better team. Lord knows they have the money to support that. But, what they don’t have is a heart like Manchester United. Fergie has the respect of players. And, he holds their respect without having to demand it - he's earned it. It’s just the United way. Mancini has spats with his players on the sidelines – see Balotelli and Tevez. That would not happen at United. And while Mancini has dealt with Balotelli and Tevez, the bottom-line is that he shouldn’t have to. Sure, Fergie has had spats with players (Beckham and Ronaldo), but he's also been at the club for 25 years and it's almost never on the sidelines of a match. Mancini hasn't even hit the two year mark. He might very well be a great manager, but that has yet to be seen. The sincere truth is that there's just an air of professionalism at Old Trafford that has yet to find its way over to Stockport. And see, the season isn’t 9 games long. A Prem season is 38 games long. We understand what it takes to get through those 38 league games, and about 20 some odd others, and have something to show for it. Just drive by OT and you’ll see the proof of 19 domestic titles. Drive by Stockport and you won’t see any of that. You'll see one trophy and a half-empty stadium on match day. In the end, City isn’t a better team than United. It’s something they have to earn. Something they have to want. Something that they’ll have to come and get from us. Something I hope they have to wait another season to try and do.

Follow me on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

Our Fantastic Back Four - Are They Really That Good?

Despite our most recent success, most notably over the last five seasons, there have always been issues that needed addressing. This is nothing new for any team because there’s always something that can be fixed. But during the last few years, injuries have plagued our defense, lack of creativity has plagued our MF, and true depth has plagued both those areas. With this new squad, we are chock full of options, especially in defense.  This hasn’t always been the case.

Fans will never forget the injured plagued season of three years ago, when it seemed like we never had a fully fit back four. Fans will remember SAF plugging the damn with makeshift defenders (Michael Carrick) just trying to stay afloat. With four titles in five years, SAF made it work. All of a sudden, we have a strong back line with options. When Rio or Vidic would pick up a knock three years ago, we cringed at who would be put back there. So far this season, Rio and Vidic haven’t really played and we’ve still looked excellent. This begs the question – Is our back four really that good? The answer isn’t as clear-cut as what the beginning of this campaign would have you think.

The long and short of it is that our back four, whoever we decide to field, is really that good. However, we can’t get carried away with the hoopla just yet. After the Bolton game, the biggest worry was whether or not Rooney would get a third successive hat trick. After the Chelsea game, the biggest worry isn’t just that we had a crap game in MF – it’s that Chelsea had many scoring opportunities. These scoring opportunities weren’t given in the first four games of the season. With that, we have to keep in mind that Chelsea was a first true test of this young PL season. It could’ve easily been a game that we lost. A big focal point? The defense.

Let’s take a closer look at who we have in the back and go from there. Since part of this article is about the depth in the back, let’s just leave Rio and Vidic out of the equation for now. The ten million pound signing of Chris Smalling from Fulham last year had some scratching their heads. Not now. The lad is a damn fine back and has shown us that. The shaky Jonny Evans of last year seems to be in hiding as he was my MOTM in the Chelsea game. There was mixed reaction when we signed Phil Jones. Some people hadn’t really seen him play at Blackburn and some just worried about his age. So far, Phil Jones is probably our player of the year. Evra didn’t have a good season last year, but has stepped up for us in these first few games. He does get caught out still, so he’ll need to keep addressing that. We also have the Da Silva twins. Quick fan favorites last season, the twins have gone back to being spectators as of recently, which is saying something about the quality of our defense. Rafa has a shoulder issue that’s kept him out, but even if they were both fit – and more level-headed – I still think that Jones, Smalling, and Evra would be the go-to players. These are the pro’s.

Here are the con’s. Our team has lacked youth in the last few years. We went from being one of the oldest teams to now being one of the youngest teams. With that comes the growing pains, as evidenced by the Chelsea match. Keep in mind that the group of defenders we have at our disposal haven’t played together all that much. Playing five PL games pales in comparison to having several seasons under your belt. While we can pat them on the back for the recent play, their youth and general inexperience will get exposed. Evra is currently the staple in the back. He didn’t play with Evans all that much, and before this season didn’t play with Smalling much or Jones at all. Evans has been a rock, but only played with Smalling during a select few games last year. Jones is new. He’s amazing, but he’s new. It takes time to gel together, to understand exactly how to work as a four and not a one, to know what a player will do before he does it. What I’m basically saying is that there is a learning curve. And while we’ve been ahead of this curve all season, there will be times where the vitality and youthfulness of our back four will become a liability rather than an asset. I don’t expect it to happen much, but it will happen. We’ve needed young players and now we’ve got them. And the good and bad that comes along with it.

United fans are quite fickle, but have hopefully adopted a new philosophy this season. We’ve been begging for a youthful side and we’ve got one. United fans must understand the trials and tribulations that go along with this desire. Almost all fans that I’ve encountered have been steadfast and true with our youngsters, especially backing David de Gea when pundits write him off. He’s had a few shaky moments, but he’s also produced some wonderful ones, too. But we’ve been there to support him. Hell, look at everyone’s Twitter avatar. This support needs to carry through to our other youngsters in the back. We haven’t had to give it much thought, but we have to now. To the fans who are already supporting them – good for you. It’s up to us to defend our defenders, through it all.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

Blogging Reds, Episode 4

 Here is a link to the Blogging Reds podcast that was recorded this week with me, @TheBusbyBoys, @janmetcalf, and @TheBusbyWay. We discuss the Bolton match, the Benefica match, with looking ahead to Chelsea and Leeds. Have a listen.

Blogging Reds, Episode 4

 

Young Guns - The Future of Manchester United

::Sigh::

Did you hear that noise? It was the sound of the transfer window closing. Did you hear that other noise? Probably not. It was the sound of me cracking a beer and making a toast. This summer seemed to be especially long for me as a United fan, particularly because we did most of our signings early in the window. Hell, the season was barely out when we signed Phil Jones. But, doing our business early made for an excruciatingly long and tedious summer. Throw in Sneijdergate 2011 and I had had enough by the start of the US Tour.

Now, that’s not to say that I wasn’t hopeful we might sign another player after we brought in the other three signings. Going all the way back to last season, fans had been clamoring for a MF signing. People continued to take the piss out of Carrick even though he had a better season than his previous. Fletcher had been out for months with some weird virus. We were relatively unsure about the likelihood of moving our youngsters up. Smalling played well after his signing from Fulham, so many were hopeful. Jonny Evans had been shaky. Cleverley did well on loan at Wigan, but we weren’t exactly sure if he was ready. Welbeck’s loan at Sunderland was good for him, but many weren’t sure he could supplement a strong attacking force with Rooney, Hernandez, and Berbatov. Anderson had a lackluster season overall, with many throwing out a last season ultimatum to the Brazilian. We had signed Phil Jones, but he hadn’t played for us yet. Young is a proven player in the EPL, but we hadn’t been able to see that translate to United. And the youngster most of us were worried about was David de Gea. In the MF, we didn’t have a direct Scholes replacement, but in goal we had a direct VDS replacement. Fans were a bit nervous, which is why everyone wanted that wonderful MF summer signing.

Throughout the tumultuous transfer window, the name that was most linked with United was Wesley Sneijder. The majority of fans immediately wanted the Dutchman. I, however, was a bit hesitant. The man is a great player, don’t get me wrong. But, with his injuries and meteoric rise in price over the span of one year, I was a bit hesitant. Scholes was a one-off player. We’ll never be able to replace him and shouldn’t try to find a Scholesy-type player. Keep in mind that Scholes didn’t play a vital role for us over the last two seasons, especially last season, our 19^th title season. Sure, he had flashes of brilliance, but overall, we did without him. Finding someone in a rush to replace Scholes would be a bad move and I don’t think that Sneijder was the right player for that. This also brought up the discussion about what type of MF we truly needed – a creative one or a defensive one.

Of the available targets this summer, I wanted one of the following: Modric, Nasri, De Rossi, or Diarra. Now that Nasri is at City, I’ll never want him at United, let’s just get that clear. He ultimately chose his path to City and I’ll never forget it. The other three, I feel, would’ve been great signings for us. But, I can not and will not harp on the what could’ve been. For the love of God, we just crushed Arsenal 8-2. We got our first away win on the first game of the season.  Add these BPL games to an impressive pre-season where all of our youngsters stepped up, and I can’t wonder what would’ve or should’ve happened.

SAF showed his confidence in our youngsters by fielding the 2^nd youngest team EVER in a league match. He rewarded those players by leaving the starting 11 in place for the Arsenal match. As we all know, SAF mixed it up, especially in the MF, a lot last season, but the confidence he has in these players is apparent. Our team is really strong and I went into this season with an optimism I don’t normally have. That was without a big signing in the MF. Now, don’t get me wrong – there are going to be tests on this young team, some of which they aren’t going to pass. But, I will not be one of the people that calls for someone’s head when that happens. I have faith that we have a strong enough squad to get the job done. I hope other fans feel the same way. Cause in the end, this young team is the future of our club. Let’s get behind them from the get-go.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

The Starting Eleven of the Red Army

Now that our defense of title number 19 has begun, me and Charlie from @TheBusbyBoys thought it would be fun, and possibly disastrous, to pick a joint and unified top 11 for our squad this coming season. In the end, it was rather easy to come to a consensus on our 11. The real question is whether or not you all agree with us. This might be the disastrous part. Or will it? We’ll let you decide. Also keep in mind, this 11 was chosen before the season, so the opening day injuries aren’t reflected in our squad.

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Goalkeeper: David de Gea

I think this is pretty much self-explanatory. Sir Alex sent a message by handing the young Spaniard the number one jersey, as well as by spending a significant amount of money on the Atletico Madrid product. Goalkeepers coach Eric Steele raves about de Gea's Van der Sar-like distribution ability and de Gea has been a player United has monitored since he was playing for the U-19's. The goals he conceded against West Brom and City aren’t cause for replacement. Let the boy settle him. Let him find his feet. He’ll come good.

Defense: Fabio, Rio, Vidic, Evra

In recent years, we’ve all been witness to the injuries in our back four. We moved O’Shea to right back for good back then, even Carrick and Valencia stepped in when we were short. This season, with the addition of Phil Jones and the emergence of Chris Smalling, we have more than capable players back there to play or fill in. With that said, we feel like the four listed, when healthy, are our best 4 defenders. Vidic was an absolute monster last year. Fabio emerged as the favored Da Silva in the second half of the season. Evra had a less than stellar season last year so he needs to make amends and Rio will need to stay healthy in order to be effective. With that said, Jones and Smalling (even Evans) are suitable to keep our back line strong.

Midfield: Valencia, Anderson, Carrick, Nani

This part of the pitch no doubt has the most cause for debate. With the return of Valencia, the addition of Young, the wanted materializing of Anderson, and the calling up of Cleverley, there are many different formations that we could utilize, but picked these four for specific reasons. When Valencia was healthy and on point, he was a main reason Wayne Rooney scored so many goals two seasons ago. He always has immediate and concrete impact when he plays, ingratiating himself into our squad and with the fans. So, while we love the addition of Young, I’d like to give Valencia the nod. Of course, alternating will be an option this year. With the absence of bringing in a creative MF that people wanted, we all are hoping that Anderson can finally live up to the hype he had when we bought him. This is do-or-die time for him. Can’t see him being around if he can’t produce for us this year. People have, and will continue, to slag Carrick off. He’s been vilified by fans - some reasons just and some not. His second half of the season was more of a return to form from him and we feel that he can get the job done for us. Of course, we have both been enamored with the play of Tom Cleverley. A clear Scholes-type player, the boy oozes United class. His spell at Wigan did him proud, so if (or when) Carrick slips up, I’m okay with having TC in the MF. Playing at Wigan isn’t playing for United, though. So while he had a nice pre-season and a stellar game against West Brom, the real question is whether or not he can do that to the likes of Chelsea, City, or Arsenal away. If he can, and Carrick can’t, we’ll be seeing him in the starting eleven. Nani had a little bit of trouble on the left last year, but we think that he can redeem himself. By far the most versatile player with both feet, putting Nani on the left allows him to beat defenders and put balls into the box, or cut it in on his right foot, or even take it inside. Young has been playing on the left, but his left foot is suspect, so it really only allows him to cut it back to his right foot, which the defense can key in on. In the end, I’m sure we’ll see many variations in our MF from SAF, just like last season.

Forwards: Rooney, Hernandez

In the last half of the season, this partnership became our go-to, leaving Berbatov on the bench (or in the dressing room). Rooney’s role from the previous season as a goal scorer was reinvented as he consistently and impressively dropped deep to receive and distribute. Hernandez, a natural scorer like Michael Owen, reaped the benefits of Rooney’s new role, a dynamic partnership we expect to continue this season. As of now, we still have Berbatov and feel that he can still contribute to our squad. Whether or not he leaves for PSG before the window closes is yet to be seen. Welbeck looked good in pre-season, but was all over the place against West Brom. We also have Michael Owen who still has a nose for goal. For our money, Hernandez and Rooney are the dynamic duo. Let’s hope that Hernandez can duplicate his form in his sophomore season.

Optimal Formation: 4-4-1-1.

Follow Jason and Charlie on Twitter at  @JasTheDevil and @TheBusbyBoys

The Community Shield Divides a Community

The Community Shield is usually nothing more than a ceremonial opening match to kick off the beginning of the new season. Had we beat City in the semi-final last year, or if Stoke had beaten City in the final, the game on Sunday would be nothing more than a glorified exhibition where the winner receives a silver plate. In our case, it would be yet another piece of silverware to stuff in the cabinet. If it happened to be against Stoke, I’d still want to win, but wouldn’t much care about the match just so long as every one of our players came out unscathed. Any other scenario where City isn’t involved is also fine by me. This year, however, the game is the same, but the stakes are just a bit higher.

After displaying the “35 Years” banner for years, we can no longer use that as a source of jeering against City fans. The banner and the drought came to an end last year in the FA Cup Final, a cup that I would’ve loved to win, if only to make sure City went yet another year winning absolutely nothing. Alas, this is not the case. And as it were, we are now playing them in a game that not only means there’s a potential for City to take away another piece of silverware, but a game where they can try to hold the victory over our heads heading into the season. I’d like to make sure this doesn’t happen.  But, not at all costs.

Manchester is Red, we all know that. Anyone who honestly tries to deny that is a delusional City fan. And we know they’re everywhere, like roaches. We’ve won the league 4 out of the last 5 years. We’ve been to the CL Final 3 times in the last 4 years, winning one of them. We just secured our 19^th league title. City hasn’t won the league since 68. The only thing City can hold over our head is beating us in the FA Cup semi, eventually going on to win it. Years and years ago, the FA Cup was the piece of silverware to have. Now, it’s become more ceremonial than anything else. But when you don’t have anything to show for the last 35 years, you’ll take anything. So going into the Community Shield on Sunday, City has a whole lot more to play for other than just community bragging rights. We have a 19^th league title to defend, so as much as I’d love to blank City 5-0, if we don’t win but keep all the players healthy, that’s okay by me. Let’s not roll over – and we won’t – but let’s keep our eyes on the real prize – a cup, not a plate.

With that said, I’d like to see us start our strongest 11, whoever Fergie thinks that is. With news that Carrick picked up a knock and Rafael (who is starting the testimonial) won’t play, I’ll just count them out. After thinking, and reconsidering, I’d say start De Gea in goal. We paid a handsome fee for him, and if he’s going to be the starter, throw him in there and see what he has in a game that means more than a friendly on a US tour. He needs the pressure, he needs the pitch time. Our back four should be Evra, Vidic, Rio and either Fabio or Jones. I wouldn’t mind seeing Jones back there. In MF, I’d like to see Nani, Park, Anderson, and Young. At some point, I’d like to see Valencia and Giggs on the pitch, (even Cleverley) but I’ll let Fergie decide when he wants that. Up front, I’d like to see Rooney and Berbatov. Forget that Berba hasn’t really played much for us, I think they are the best pairing sans Hernandez in the line-up. I’m not sure that Welbeck and Rooney can link up right in a game that could send a clear message to start the season. I wouldn’t mind Owen and Rooney, but feel like that could be hit or miss really. Our flanks and wingers will generate the most creativity and scoring opportunities, with Rooney probably dropping deep into the role that suited him so well in the second half of last season. With that 11 for at least 60 mins, I feel like we can beat City, regardless of who they put on the pitch.

What I will say is that I’m optimistic for the start of this new PL season. Our additions are promising. Our preseason tour was promising. I liked how we played and developed as a team. We need to start this new season strong, home and away. Winning the Community Shield is a surefire way to start strong, but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t win. At the end of the day, we are the defending champions of England. City are just chasing us, like they have for the last 35 years.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

Take a Look in The Mirror - A Rumor Mill Story

In a day and age where the invention of Twitter allows for the instantaneous spreading of news, it’s really no surprise that transfer rumors can never be kept under wraps. It’s also no surprise that all it takes is a single tweet to catch on and, boom, you have yourself a story. It used to be that Twitter would run with a story from Sky News or ESPN, but now, ESPN and Sky News run with stories from Twitter. Athletes themselves fuel the fire. Even their girlfriends or wives help with that. The information that circulates around the horn makes it almost impossible to escape. News comes in by the minute and unless you’re disconnected with the world – which is basically what you’d have to do – you’re bound to get wind of something whether you want to or not.

So, in one of the busiest transfer windows this club has seen in over a decade, we have all been brow-beaten with the news of this person coming or that person going. Two years ago when Ronaldo’s quote about it being his dream to play for Real Madrid, we endured what was akin to a real life version of “The NeverEnding Story.” Every week United fans wondered if he was leaving or if he’d stay, and we all invested in larger bottles of Advil because of it. This summer, Sneijder has been what’s kept the rumor mill going. If it wasn’t him, it was either Nasri or Modric – both of whom seem to have dropped off our merry-go-round. But, as the window gets closer and closer to being shut, fans are hoping to squeeze another good signing in under the wire. Other fans, myself included, have had enough of the transfer window and wouldn’t mind closing up shop a few days early.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love a world class CM or CAM to come to United before September 1^st, but I’m not clamoring for it. We’ve done well this summer with the signing of Jones, Young, and De Gea. The Jones deal happened quickly and I was pleasantly surprised with the prospect. Young matriculated over a little bit of the summer, but I was always pulling for him to come to the club. It was obvious that we needed someone to replace Van der Sar, but who was it going to be? De Gea had been mentioned, then that went away, then it came back, went away, and finally culminated with his signing for £18m. My fingers and my brain have had enough of the rumors, and I’m just ready to get on with the new season and our title defense. I understand that the rumors, either during the season or in the off season, will happen, but there comes a time when you want it to be done and dusted or off the shelves altogether.

Now, of course I’m wrong, but it feels like Sneijdergate all happened because someone tweeted that they wanted us to go after Sneijder this summer. It circulates Twitter and now we have reignited this rumor. His name was mentioned last year because we’d eventually need to replace Scholes, which ended up happening this summer. We knew he’d be cheap before and Inter got him for an absolute steal at £12m. His price has steadily climbed to £30m, a price that 3 months ago – when we had nobody signed – fans claimed we’d never pay. With the signings that we have already secured, it seems that Glazer & Gill (et al) are willing to finally spend that Ronaldo money. So, we all wait with baited breath at who Fergie might sign up. But, the rumor mill on Twitter makes it much worse. Outlets claim to have exclusives that turn out to be complete rubbish (looking at you, Mirror). You see an RT from someone who has 45 followers who says the Italian press claim that we’re getting Sneijder and Berba is going to PSG - all because Sneijder had on red and Berba was drinking at a French café. Or you see a tweet from a place like The Mirror who claim to have an exclusive when it’s just a recycled rumor from over two months ago.

It’s all become heightened bollocks to the point where we can’t decipher what’s actually a valid rumor and what is Twitter fiction. What I will say is that with the revamping of our squad and the players we’ve brought in, I am content with who we have. Our back line is solid. We’ll have a solid set of wingers in Nani, Young, Giggs, and Valencia, with Evra and the Da Silva twins running up and down. We’ve got Chicharoo up front, with the option of Berbatov (if he’s still here), Welbeck, Kiko, and Owen. And in the center of the pitch, the place we needed the most help last season, we don’t have a signing. I’m surprisingly – well, not so surprising at this stage of the summer – comfortable with the options that we have. I think that we should give Cleverley a shot. His preseason has been great. We also have Carrick, who played quite solid at season’s end. Add Fletcher, Park, and Anderson, who many have tipped to put up or shut up this season, and we’ve got a good few options down the center of the pitch. I won’t say no to a world class CM, but I won’t worry too much if we don’t. Then again, if I did, I could always take a look in The Mirror for who’s coming in next. It’ll probably be Xavi or Iniesta.

Follow Jason on Twitter at @JasTheDevil

List of 2011 BPL Transfers

Open Training - FedEx Field