The long wait is over; the 2010/11 Premier League season has begun, but Manchester United are yet to kick a ball in anger. With a Community Shield victory in the bag and an early blow over Chelsea, the Red Devils got to sit back and relax ahead of their opener against Newcastle at Old Trafford tonight. But what would you make of the opening weekend and the first round of Premier League matches?
Chelsea were impressive in their six-goal victory, but then again they were only playing West Brom. Manchester City hardly set the world alight against Tottenham despite spending millions and millions in the transfer market, and few United fans would have had a smile on their face when Pepe Reina bundled the ball into his own goal as Liverpool shared the points with Arsenal. So all in all not too bad, provided that United beat Newcastle as expected, but what are the hopes of the Red Devils for the new season?
The Premier League title will undoubtedly be at the top of the list. After three trophies on the bounce, United won’t want to let Chelsea have the trophy for more than one season. The Champions League is always a priority, while an FA Cup final wouldn’t go amiss either. Given the excessive spending of their neighbours, a win over City will be savoured more than ever before and United would love nothing more than to put the blue half of Manchester firmly in their place. A change of ownership may be being optimistic so I’m guessing we’ll have to settle for success on the pitch.
The start of any season is always exciting, as much to see how your new signings perform as anything else. Sir Alex Ferguson has had a pretty quiet transfer window in terms of big name signatures, but there is one signing that has got the fans enthused. Many United fans will be looking to Mexican forward Javier Hernandez to provide a spark this season. 22-year old Chicarito is an exciting young talent who definitely has the potential to have fans on the edge of their seats. Mesut Ozil is another player with the same quality and United supporters will be hoping the skilful German joins before the transfer window slams shut.
The 2010/11 season will be another one filled with expectation for Man United. As celebrity United fan Eamonn Holmes says, “nothing beats a British football season,” especially one that sees Manchester United lift a handful of trophies. Whether that happens we’ll have to wait and see, but United fans will be hoping the season starts tonight with three points at Old Trafford, giving them a good footing for the long slog that lies ahead.
