Manchester United, Premier League

It has been a bizarre summer at Manchester United. In contrast to the relative inaction of last year, with only Michael Carrick arriving and Van Nistelrooy leaving for Real Madrid, Old Trafford has been a positive hive of activity with players arriving and leaving and the lawyers being made to work especially hard for their money. With more players expected to join and leave the champions it is still difficult to comment on the team that will begin the season at home to Reading in just over a weeks time. What does seem certain however is that the squad available to Sir Alex will be stronger than last year and perhaps contains more strength in depth than any he has previously assembled.

The off-season began in a most unusual fashion at Old Trafford with United and David Gill pulling off the unprecendented achievement of signing three players quickly and with the minimum of fuss. Although the pursuit of Owen Hargreaves had dragged on for more than a year his signature was obtained with relative efficiency and finally Sir Alex had the player United have been missing since Roy Keane’s heyday, a top class ball-winner with fine distribution and teamwork. The signings of Anderson and Nani, however, came clean out of the blue, delighting United fans and shaming journalists at the national newspapers, all of whom had failed to anticipate the double raid on the Portuguese Superliga. With ruthless efficiency two of the most highly rated youngsters in Europe had been aqcuired in deals structured to take account of future success. Carlos Queiroz has stated that both players will make only fleeting contributions to the coming campaign but it is unlikely Sir Alex will be able to keep such talent sidelined for too long.

A few quiet weeks followed before two of the biggest controversies of recent years broke at the club. Firstly British-Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian announced that United were set to sign Carlos Tevez on loan for two years with an option for permanent purchase. Without going into the complexities of the whole mess, the club who own his registration, West Ham, were less than pleased and the sorry saga slowly escalated to where we are now: Joorabchian has filed a claim in the High Court for the release of Tevez from his contract and whilst behind the scenes negotiations are going on it appears that things won’t be clear until the court concludes the case on or around August 24th. The three way battle between Joorabchian, West Ham and the Premier League has come to dominate the summer and most United fans now just hope it is resolved as soon as possible. Tevez is a fantastic footballer and would bolster United’s striking contingent but it one has to wonder where football is heading when a deal such as that which took the player to West Ham and the subsequent investigation into and punishment of West Ham for it have exposed the shady dealings and down right ineptitude of those who have a stake in and administrate modern day football.

The second controversy to break has been even more unpalatable for United fans as one of their favourite players, Gabriel Heinze, appears to be trying the engineer an almost unprecedented move to the club’s most hated rivals Liverpool. His insistence that a letter written to his agent by Chief Executive David Gill is a binding agreement allowing him to make the move to Anfield has highlighted the level of rivalry between the two sides. United insist, probably rightly, that the letter in itself does not constitute a variation to his playing contract and that under no circumstances will he make the move. The Argentinian should return to Manchester on Monday to face some tough questions from the manager, but what seems certain is that an Old Trafford favourite has chosen to forget the support given to him by the club and it’s fans in the last three years. Past interviews have shown him to be well aware of the acrimony that exists between the two sets of fans. What seems probable is that, with Patrice Evra first choice at left back and with his position at the club now seemingly untenable, Heinze will be leaving in the coming weeks. His destination is anyone’s guess. The only certainty is that the whole affair has left as very sour taste in the mouth.

Two players to have left Old Trafford in rather less complicated deals are Kieran Richardson and Guiseppe Rossi. Richardson’s move to Sunderland was described by one United fan as “like a new signing” and it’s safe to say that few saw him as having the ability to remain at the club in the long term. The sale of Rossi to Villarreal is a different matter entirely. Many fans saw the young Italian-American as one for the future and, having seen him bang in the goals for the reserves and on loan at Parma, felt that this could be his breakthrough year. It is likely, however, that Sir Alex could not promise him regular games and granted his wish to move on. With Alan Smith also likely to depart the one worry for next season is that, with doubts over Louis Saha’s fitness and the age and injury history of Ole Solskjaer, the team could be left lacking options up front. Concluding the deal for Tevez now appears to be of even greater importance.

Season 2007/8 could prove to be one of the most glorious in the club’s history

United will undoubtedly go into the season with the confidence of reigning champions who know they are even stronger than last year. Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson all provide the competition in midfield that was missing last year and also allow the manager to rotate more regularly to keep players fresher. The new season will also give an opportunity for a new generation of academy players to stake their claim to be part of the future of the club. The most highly rated of these are all defenders: Northern Ireland’s Jonny Evans and Spaniard Gerard Pique at centre back and Danny Simpson at right back showing the potential to break into the first team squad this year.

Pre-season has been a relatively quiet affair, the tour of Asia allowing Nani to showcase his talent, albeit against particularly poor opposition. Anderson and Hargreaves have yet to make their debuts due to the Copa America and injury respectively and a clutch of players will not be fit for the season’s opening fixture. Louis Saha, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes and Ole Solskjaer will all miss out and Carlos Tevez is unlikely to be signed in time to feature, meaning that the squad will be tested immediately. However, having seen back-up players such as John O’Shea, Darren Fletcher and Wes Brown excel throughout the last campaign Sir Alex will have few fears about their ability to perform when called upon.

If United fans do have any worries they concern the striker situation, with only Rooney currently fit to lead the line, and in goal, where Edwin Van Der Saar’s relatively poor form in pre-season and the long term injury to Ben Foster have left some indentifying these as weak areas. Only time will tell and the transfer window remains open for another month. With money coming in from the sales of Richardson and Rossi and potentially Smith and Heinze the manager is likely to have the funds to bolster these areas if he feels it is necessary.

Whilst United have undoubtedly improved their options and quality so have their nearest rivals. Chelsea have broken with the tradition of recent years and spent carefully but wisely and the additions of Malouda, Sidwell, Pizarro and Ben Haim have given last years runners-up a much stronger squad. Injuries cost the team vital points last season and Mourinho will hope that these signings will allow the team to avoid a repeat of their poor form over the Christmas period. With Liverpool spending big on the likes of Torres and Babel, Arsenal promising to play exciting, attacking football again and Spurs splashing out on talented young players the challenge to retain the title is likely to be a tough one for United. Sir Alex will also desperately want to add a second Champion’s League title to his long list of achievements and some fear that this desire may prove a distraction.

However things pan out United are likely to be the team to beat this coming season but the line between success and failure is a thin one these days. Season 2007/8 could prove to be one of the most glorious in the club’s history, with the likes of Rooney, Ronaldo and Nani running riot but, whilst winning can never be an absolute certainty, what United fans can be sure of is that the coming campaign will bring some memorable performances and great games and the fans can’t help but be as excited about the new campaign as at any time in the club’s history.

How will Manchester United fare this season? Share your views by leaving a comment below.

---

Related Articles