(Image from Cute Overload)Sir Alex's words on losing Ronaldo are good, looking back to look forward:
"We have had to replace good players time and time again," said the Manchester United manager. "Sometimes you do it because players get older, sometimes they move on for different reasons or because I might want to change the shape of the team. The important thing is not to get too upset because this club can produce players all the time.
"Look at the summer we almost signed Ronaldinho [2003]. That fell through but two months later we got Ronaldo. Going further back, we wanted Paul Gascoigne but it didn't happen and we got Paul Ince and then Roy Keane. In 1992 we thought there was a good chance we would get David Hirst and then we tried for Alan Shearer. We didn't get either of them but we got Eric Cantona. It happens that way but this time the improvement must come from within."
And the other aspect he points to is also worth noting:
“Of course an individual can make a difference but without doubt the glory was shared by a very good team last season.Much more so than the season before, it was the team (most notably the defence) that won the title last year. I remember spending a good part of a lot of paper round-ups last season defending Ronaldo against accusations that he wasn't the player he was, or that he didn't care anymore, and yet now all the papers tell us how irreplaceable he was. It is more wishful thinking than anything. Removing Ronaldo from our midfield gives others the chance to shine - all those shots he used to have - everyone else will get a chance to score now. The biggest loss will be his free-kicks, but I'm sure we'll deal with it, just score more from open play...
“Cristiano played a fantastic part and we won’t forget it but we move on.”
The wishful thinking aspect comes into this piece in The Independent:
"I still have the same problems of what do I do with central midfield," Ferguson also proferred. "I have so many options. My door will be worn out by the end of the year." Does he? Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes will feature less, Owen Hargreaves is months off full rehabilitation and Anderson is unproven.
I'm sorry? "Unproven?" Inconsistent perhaps, but he's proven himself time and time again. There's been games when he's not performed at his best, but there's been games when he's absolutely bossed the midfield, at the highest level (Champions League) as well. And trying to imply that our central midfield isn't very strong seems on the grasping at straws end of wishful thinking. Add Fletcher and Carrick to the ones he names, throw in Gibson, and that's 7 quality players for 2 positions. That's really weak...
And the other bit of the paragraph I quoted above is also a bit silly:
But time was, three months back, when the subject of 21-year-old Nani would not occupy a Ferguson press conference for weeks on end and the fact that he must look to him demonstrates how much more uncertain the United manager must be of what lies ahead than he was last August.
No, Nani wouldn't occupy press conferences because journalists would be to busy banging on about Ronaldo, or trying to stoke things up with Benitez, to ask questions about other players...
In other quotes Sir Alex looks to Nani and other young players to step up:
"Nani seems far more settled. What surprised me at the Community Shield was they gave man of the match to Ricardo Carvallho. For me Nani was the best player.
"I don't think he was in Cristiano's shadow. They are good friends and I think Nani looked up to him.
"But once he knew Cristiano was leaving, he probably thought to himself 'This is my chance now.' And he's done very well since then."
"And that's the main thing for me - the development of young players. They're all improving and we expect to see that this season."
"You can throw a blanket over ourselves, Liverpool and Chelsea.
"I think it will be between the three of us. There is not a lot to choose between us.
"The only difference is the fact we have more experience because of winning the title, though that does not matter a great deal in this competition.
"I don't think there is a doubt about the top four, not in my mind. The top four are well established, with experience and quality. But we have a very good, strong squad and are where we want to be.
"Jonny Evans picked up the injury against Chelsea and it resurfaced in Northern Ireland, so he is doubtful," said Fergie.
"Rio Ferdinand has a sore back, but I'm sure he will be okay. Gary Neville and Wes Brown have both trained, but I think Wes is more advanced and he will come into contention.
"Vidic trained this morning, so he is on the road back. Nani, amazingly, is okay after his shoulder popped out in the Community Shield."
Onto the predictions. Oliver Kay starts his article with the "burden of history":
In this enlightened era, the time before the dawn of the Premier League can often sound like the Dark Ages. Spurious records are concocted on the basis that league football did not begin until 1992, but when Manchester United embark on their campaign to win a fourth consecutive championship and a nineteenth in total, a burden of history, genuine history, is weighted against them.
A fourth consecutive league title proved beyond the reach of Huddersfield Town in the 1920s, Arsenal in the 1930s, Liverpool in the 1980s and United themselves as they attempted to make history in the 2001-02 season. Looking ahead to the new Barclays Premier League campaign, which has gained additional piquancy as United and Liverpool do battle for the right to win a nineteenth title, there are plenty of reasons to wonder whether that fourth successive championship will remain elusive.
He then rehashes the usual missing-Ronaldo-Rooney-Berbatov-to-step-up-question-mark arguments before deciding we're likely to win it in a sitting on the fence kind of way:
As for the title, United will again be the team to beat, but they should beware a flash of blue in their rear-view mirror — if not from City then certainly from Chelsea.
Kudos for at least ignoring Liverpool...
Patrick Barclay tips Chelsea over us.
Terry Venables, in his usual nonsensical way, tips Chelsea. I wouldn't usually quote "El Tel" but here's the crux of the nonsense:
I have said before that teams do not win you leagues, squads do. And at this time, after a remarkable summer of wheeling and dealing across the continent, Chelsea's squad appears stronger than United's.
Ronaldo's departure will leave a tremendous void at Old Trafford. They will miss his contribution to the team, not to mention his goals.
It's not so much that I want to argue that our squad is better than Chelsea's (though it obviously is), it's the way he presents it. The whole article is based on John Terry staying, not additions to Chelsea's squad. He then pinpoints our squad as weaker because we've lost Ronaldo. One player. Where's the analysis of the rest of the squads (he mentions no-one in our squad and mentions Drogba and Ashley Cole for Chelsea - in depth analysis at its finest)? Absolutely bizarrely, nowhere in the article does he mention losing Tevez - a true loss to the squad, seeing as he was sat on the bench with them for most of the season...
A couple of silly stories. Sir Alex got Alex McLeish some tickets for tomorrow's game. Burnley's away dressing room is kind of small (we play them Wednesday).
And finally, let's start the season as we mean to go on, with a dig at Liverpool. Justified by this comment from Benitez yesterday:
"We can always talk about the top four," Benítez said, "but Manchester City are doing a very good job and have bought some excellent players. I can understand why Mr Ferguson at Manchester United is a little bit worried.
In riposte, here's a brief section of a piece by Andy Hunter from The Guardian which made me chuckle slightly:
[Benitez said,] "Yes, we have lost something with Alonso, but we couldn't stop him from going. We have tried to manage that loss and have brought someone in, Aquilani, who we feel can help us win the games that we were drawing at home last season. Aquilani, Voronin and Johnson are three players with game intelligence and quality going forward that can all help in that manner."
Hold on. Voronin? Benítez is looking to Voronin to help Liverpool erase 20 years of desperation next May?
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