United’s Defining Week
It may only be mid-September but are United set for a defining week in their bid for Premiership and European success?
Some observers may scoff at the suggestion, so early in the season but Sir Alex Ferguson might see league encounters with Everton and Chelsea and a Champions League tussle with Lisbon as pointers to his team’s success this year. If these games are safely negotiated, the feel-good factor will return to United. Should the team stumble, fresh doubts will emerge.
Everton
The manager has already indicated that he expects a narrowing of the standards between the English CL elite and the Premiership’s middleweights. Ferguson spoke of Blackburn and Newcastle as teams he expects to take points off the bigger sides but he would be wise to include Blue Merseyside in that list too.
United scored seven goals against Everton last term and it was the incredible fightback at Goodison when United were 2 – 0 down with 30 minutes to go but finished the match with a 4-2 victory, which did so much to galvanise the team for the title run in.
Everton are the sort of team United have to beat if they are to have any hope of retaining the league. Yet, Ferguson and his players are likely to find a newly emboldened side, in good form and looking to avenge last Spring’s embarrassment.
Andy Johnson, unavailable last April, now has the experienced goal-scorer Yakubu alongside, giving Everton an attack that should bring nightmares to more than a few defences this year.
Mikel Arterta bossed the midfield when Everton stole all three points from Spurs at White Hart Lane last month and from back to front, David Moyes has assembled a team that could give United a fright.
For such an event to be averted, Sir Alex will be glad to welcome back from suspension Cristiano Ronaldo. The winger appears in good goalscoring form for Portugal and will hope to maintain his current streak in United’s colours too. That said, the Portuguese wizard has not begun the domestic campaign in the form of last season and it will be interesting to note his reaction to the provocation he seems certain to face upon his return.
The manager will also need a greater contribution from Carlos Tevez too. The forward now has Louis Saha as a partner and can now return to a more natural position 10 yards behind the lead striker. Tevez has complained that he lacks fitness. A goal will drown the whispers that this is an excuse for a 23-year-old player struggling to find his feet in new surroundings.
Sporting Lisbon
United begin their hoped-for route to Champions League glory in Moscow by meeting Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. With United now built for European competition, according to some observers, an encouraging display would revive hopes that United can go one better than last season in this competition.
Sporting are a clever team but certainly not unbeatable. They finished bottom of their CL group last year when faced by Inter Milan, Bayern and Spartak Moscow. United might take heart from that record were it not for the fact that Ferguson’s team still suffers from travel sickness in Europe. Hargreaves’ injury problems do not bode well.
The manager has talked freely of his pain at not having won the European Cup more often during his 21 years at Old Trafford and he will know that the playing staff at his disposal will give him his best chance yet. But will it be this year?
Chelsea
Last season’s top two teams square up for their second major clash of the season so far. Chelsea’s visit to Merseyside showed that Jose Mourinho’s side remains resilient, even though some have suggested that Chelsea are struggling with the request to please their master’s eye by playing more expansive, ‘United-style’ football.
Contrary to expectations, the loss of Robben and the regular employment of Shaun Wright Philipps on the wing has not weakened the team noticeably. But Didier Drogba is still to get into the striking mood and Lampard is injured. Might this not be a good time to play the Stamford Bridge side?
United largely disappointed on the big match occasions against the top three sides last year. A stirring performance against Chelsea later this month would go some way towards neutralising the grumbles that emerged following United’s sluggish start to the season. An earlier than expected return of Rooney would be a major boost.
