Man United definitely NOT title contenders YET…

1. Dimitar Berbatov played his finest game for United so far since his 30m transfer, a much deserved hat trick helping United take all 3 points against fierce rival Liverpool. His 2nd goal in the game with the overhead kick was truly magical! But to me, he does not look like a man who can get us 20 goals in a season, prove me wrong Berba!

2. Man Utd’s Mr. Inconsistent – Nani shows glimpses of his best with a superbly taken goal v Bolton. But his theatrical dives time and time again needs to stop, he needs to remember that he cant pull off another Ronaldo..so get out of the shadow of the fellow Portuguese and show your own worth!

3. Rooney needs time off the pitch, shrug off the ankle injury and get back to doing what he does best – Score Goals! Michael Owen needs more game time (I have said this before in my earlier posts), Chicharito and Bebe can play a part to power us to title # 19!

4. We desperately need a flying dribbling-winger and a hard-tackling attacking mid-fielder to take over the baton from the legendary two – Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. The rest of the mid-field at the moment aren’t good enough to take it on the chin, stand-up and prove a point! (Fletch is an exception here)

5. A hard fought win v Valencia and a draw v Sunderland today means 2 consecutive Clean Sheets for the 1st time this season..but we are still awaiting our 1st away win of the league. Mind you Utd are unbeaten this season, so that is another positive. Expecting rougher roads ahead for Utd and hoping the season going down the wire just like last year!

Notes from last 2 Games v Fulham & West Ham

Game 2: (A) Craven Cottage, Aug 22nd & Game 3: (H) Old Trafford, Aug 28th

Paul Scholes looks in scintillating form, hope he carries it through till the end of the season…by far the best player in the first 4 games for Man Utd!

Fulham deserved the share of points, Man Utd were disappointing in the second half. But Utd bounced back strongly v West Ham, we never looked like we could concede any goals and dominated for the 1st minute till the end!

Berbatov has kick started the season with a bang and will be the man to watch out for in the coming games. 3 goals in 4 games isnt a bad return till now add to it his assists, was a pleasure to watch v West Ham with his bombastic finish!

Nani could have got a hat trick v West Ham, he is finally showing his worth and potential and has improved tremendously since the end of the last season and has started this season brightly. But I feel he does one touch to many and if rectified can get us at least 10 plus goals this season or even more if he gets the free role like Ronaldo.

Owen deserves more game time. I want to see him do well this season and play it out with any major injuries.

Good to see Rooney end his barren run for 13 games without a goal with the cool penalty finish..hope this is a start of a rich vein of form to lead Utd from the front. But he should be relieved to see that the others are chipping in with goals, 8 different goal scorers already in 4 games!

My Top 5:

1. Paul Scholes

2. Dimitar Berbatov

3. Ryan Giggs

4. Darren Fletcher

5. Nani

Enjoy the international break lads, Everton-Rangers-Liverpool challenge awaits.

Notes from Man Utd v Newcastle, Aug 17

Game 1: (H) Old Trafford, Aug 17th

First Half:

Man Utd looked rusty in the initial minutes giving away possession carelessly at times. Valencia looked poor. Rooney needs a goal to get off the World Cup nightmare, the aggression is there but will he play in the 2nd half? Good to see Berba get a goal, his 2nd of the season already!

I believe Fletcher is the most important player for Utd this season. Hoping to see Chicharito in the 2nd half. Disappointed not to see Michael Owen on the bench, wonder why…not enough match fitness!?

This might be the season for Nani and Berbatov to prove their worth for Man Utd. If Giggs plays in the 2nd half, he will be playing his 19th successive English premier league season, only player to do so…a record of sorts!

Second Half:

Scholes is my Man of the Match…he was the master in the midfield today pulling all the strings. Giggs starts EPL season 19 in style with a classy goal..stuff of legends!

Valencia was poor again. Nani looked decent. Berba could have had a hat trick. Chicharito looked lively. Well played 2nd half, more like Utd!

Goals: Berbatov, Fletcher, Giggs.

Utd win 3-0, 3 points in the bag. Next stop Craven Cottage v Fulham, Aug 22nd.

Awaiting the new season!

FA cup and UEFA Champions League final is what is left of this season for me to watch.

Will cheer Portsmouth in the FA cup final, kudos to Avram Grant, his players and all the coaching and backroom staff to go all the way to Wembley after all the club administration/relegation scenes.

Inter Milan it is for the Champions League. The self proclaimed Special One is hunting for a treble this season and I hope he delivers the European cup to Inter, the one which eluded them for 45 years! I wont be surprised if he walks away from the club after that.

My money is on The Flying Dutchmen in the World cup!

10 random thoughts on why Man Utd will win the league again this season!

1. Wayne Rooney, he will be the ‘linchpin and the torchbearer’ of Utd’ hopes of silverware this season. Tip the prodigiously gifted forward to take centre stage and win all the accolades this season!

2. Berbatov’s one-touch trickery, flair and panache combined with Owen’s positional sense in the box to beat the offside traps and clinical finishing will more than make up for the ‘Tevez and Ronaldo’ void on the field, expect some fireworks from these two!

3. Rival city neighbours Man City, the petrodollar fueled club might just help keep one of the BIG TRIO (Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal) out of equation to challenge for the title! We have more contenders vying for honors this season – Tottenham, Villa and Everton. 8 teams jostling for the top spots – more evenly contested games.

4. ‘From Boys to Men’ – The emergence of the young brigade (Ando, Nani, Rafael, Fabio, Evans, Welbeck and Macheda) throughout the course of the season might add that little extra spice.

5. ‘The Aquilani flop and Rafa sack show’ by the end of the season will be the icing on Man Utd’ celebration CAKE! Torres-Gerrard axis holds the key for Liverpool!

6. Sir Alex Ferguson – The Gaffer’s squad rotation policy – no manager in the league can better the master strategist…beg to differ anybody??

7. Chelsea FC are the nearest contender to the crown this season, but the loss of key players to the African Nations Cup (Drogba, Essien, Kalou and Obi Mikel) and the FIFA’ transfer ban might prove to be fatal blows to their title hopes!

8. Return of Owen Hargreaves – he might be the Alchemist to solve the team’s midfield crisis. The devastating loss in last years UEFA Champions League final was a bitter pill to swallow and still haunts the squad. We needed our very own Xavi/Iniesta that night and Hargreaves maybe that missing link this time around!

9. The mid-season January transfer window – A talented winger’s signature or have we already plucked one from obscurity to perform at the Theatre of Dreams – Gabriel Obertan???

10. Quadruple and 19 – Winning 4 titles in a row (no English team has done it yet) and overtaking Liverpool as the most successful English club in history might be just the incentive for the current crop to push themselves into overdrive and make it an epic-and-silver-laden-campaign!

PS: Today’s result does not alter my views..may the best team win!

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10 random thoughts on the shambles that is Liverpool’s season.