Manchester United
Chief Red Devil Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United In Focus
Good, bad or just the same old, same old? What the fans made of the 2007/08 season. Full Story
Manchester United dominated English club football during the 1990s and early part of the 21st century.
However, a certain Russian businessman from down south has seen their dominance overpowered, be through finances or consistency.
United have had their own money issues, with a takeover from abroad by Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner the Glazer family, and money is there to spend.
The boss is the same, however, and the 21st season of United managed by Alex Ferguson begins with a club with a point to prove.
£19 million man Michael Carrick has been brought in but a replacement for the combative Roy Keane, who departed at the turn of the year, is still needed.
Ruud van Nistelrooy's departure also sees United lose 20-plus goals a season, with no replacement as yet brought in by Sir Alex.
In Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, they do arguably have two of the most talented young players in world football and a young and hungry squad waits to make a name for itself.
But then, you don't win anything with kids…
Facts
Formed: 1878
Home: Old Trafford, capacity 76,000
Nickname: The Red Devils
Adult 2006/07 season ticket prices: £437 - £703
Pedigree
League champions: 15 – 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003
FA Cup winners: 11 – 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cup winners: 2 - 1992, 2006
European Cup: 2 - 1968, 1999
Cup Winners' Cup: 1 - 1991
European Super Cup: 1 - 1991
Community Shield: 15 – 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003
People
Owner: Malcolm Glazer
Chairman: Sir Roy Gardner
Chief executive: David Gill
Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson
Assistant manager: Carlos Quieroz
Team captain: Gary Neville
Last season
Premiership: 2nd - P 38 W 25 D 8 L 5 GF 72 GA 34 GD +38 PTS 83
Champions League: knocked out at group stage
FA Cup: fifth round - lost 1-0 to Liverpool
League Cup: winners
Major summer ins
Michael Carrick – from Tottenham - £18.9 million
Major summer outs
Ruud van Nistelrooy - to Real Madrid – £10.3 million
Jonathan Spector - to West Ham - £500,000
Tim Howard - to Everton - loan
Quinton Fortune - to Bolton - free
Giuseppe Rossi – to Newcastle – loan until January
Chris Eagles - to NEC Nijmegen – loan
Liam Miller - to Sunderland – free
Unheralded stars
Paul Scholes or Wes Brown
Paul Scholes is the consummate professional: he spends little time on the front pages of newspapers and when he hits the back pages, it is usually for footballing excellence.
The diminutive midfielder is a fantastic thing to have – a goalscoring one. Scholes is capable of 15 goals a season and was one player that certainly would have given England some much-needed drive from central midfield in the World Cup (if he hadn't retired from the international scene).
Named by Ferguson as the best finisher he has ever seen at the club, Scholes often goes unnoticed until the ball hits the back of the net. Last season saw him sit the last few months out with an eye injury.
This season, Scholes has played a full pre-season, including netting twice in a comfortable victory over Celtic.
Another to miss out on England's World Cup campaign, for very different reasons to Scholes, was Wes Brown.
A career blighted by injury so far, Brown has consistently shown the mental toughness to get back into the United side and is more than pushing for a first team place with Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic in central defence.
Brown is tough in the tackle, reads the game superbly and has shackled Arsenal's Thierry Henry to great effect on a number of occasions, demonstrating his composure in the toughest of tests.
If Brown can stay away from injury, United certainly have a very solid defence to call on next season.
Starlets
Giuseppe Rossi or Gerard Pique
The American-born Italian Giuseppe Rossi seemingly has the world at his feet.
Already loved by the Old Trafford faithful, Rossi hit an incredible 30 goals in 28 starts for the reserves and forced his way into the first team reckoning last season.
Blessed with an amazingly sweet left foot, Sir Alex referred to him in the same breath as Scholes in terms of his finishing prowess.
With Rooney and Saha perhaps the first choice for United next season, especially with the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Rossi could well be next in line in the United firepower ranks and the 19-year-old will be ready when the time comes.
Gerard Pique joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2004, having scooped the Catalonia player of the year award while in the youth ranks at Barcelona.
Getting an early taste of first team action in October of the same year in the Carling Cup, Pique has steadily improved and has now picked up 11 first team appearances for United.
He was a regular in reserve coach Rene Meulensteen's side last year, helping them win a treble and spent the summer on duty in the European U19 Championship for Spain.
He made his first Premiership start last season and the right noises are certainly being made at Old Trafford about the gifted centre-half, who will be looking to stake a claim for a first team place this term.
Predictions
League position: 3rd.
Despite Carrick, the lack of signings will prove pivotal although Fergie's fledglings are hungry and will be keen to impress.
Chance of managerial change: Unlikely.
Sir Alex has proved time and again that he'll leave when he wants to. And he seems to get on with the Glazers.
Top scorer: Louis Saha.
While Wayne Rooney will most likely be most people's choice for United's 'best' forward, a full season for Saha – who had a one-in-two goalscoring record for the Red Devils last season – could see him benefit from Rooney's ability and Van Nistelrooy's departure.
Player most likely to rock the boat: Ronaldo.
Van Nistelrooy seemed to do his rocking for a whole season, according to comments by Sir Alex. However, it important to note that none of that really surfaced until the end of the campaign, so anything Cristiano Ronaldo decides to say will probably be kept within the confines of Old Trafford. This is Fergie's boat, remember…
Chris Webber.