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Unread 4 Aug 2007, 10:09   #11
jerome
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Re: Premiership Predictions 2007/2008

Quote:
Originally Posted by Deffeh
1. Pique has been linked with a move away pretty consistently and im not sure Ferguson rates him. Either way the likelihood is with the 'favourites' system at old trafford that Brown/Silvestre/O'Shea will get the nod anywhere accross the back line before Pique/Cathcart do. I actually genuinely rate Wes Brown as a player - think hes a very good center half, if not for man utd - but he isnt a right back.

Given the kind of football man utd are so used to playing - 4-4-2, competent ball players, good passing, attacking full backs - for me without neville and to a lesser extent evra, they look considerably less potent down the flanks. I think this was pretty evident for a lot of the games last season; when neville got injured and ronaldo seemed like an isolated figure (the milan away game, for one).

Its another one of the reasons i think they'll lack a penalty box striker, so much of their game is based on wide penetration (well, you're hardly going to get it from carrick or hargreaves, and scholes isnt that sort of player as often any more - rooney will give you some central penetration but then who's in front of him?) so it seems to me a little that their flanks attacks will lack final options.
i've never even seen or know anything about cathcart really, but brown and o'shea are reasonably competent right backs and silvestre and heinze as left backs. brown and pique are good cover for centre halves. but i do see your point, especially if heinze leaves but it's only a single player thin; not a huge problem in my opinion. also, whilst pique's been linked to many, both he and ferguson have categorically stated a return to the premiership this season. then again, there were such hints for giuseppe rossi as well i guess.

as far as their offence goes, theoretically manchester united have the makings of a fluid and versatile offence just as barcelona do and have had for the past couple of seasons. perhaps it's wishful thinking in expecting beautiful goals galore, but i certainly can't see their entire offence being able to be tracked down and stopped. note that their blueprint for their attack has been based on real madrid's raul, who on his day is completely untrackable, as mentioned by ferguson some time during last season when discussing a need for the RVN type striker. a team full of raul type attackers they can all play on either wing or in the centre, drop deep to collect the ball or acquire space or even keep up the pressure on the opposition defence is pretty frightening in my opinion.


Quote:
2/ Birmingham played better football at their best than Sunderland did last year. I really dont think Sunderland have signed well at all in the transfer window, if you go to the BBC Sport squad selector - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...or/default.stm - you see what a really weak team it is at the moment. Obviously with these sort of things, theres usually only a couple of points in it either way so seeing sunderland finish ahead of birmingham wouldnt shock me to the core, but i think birmingham have the better side.
birmingham played at their best about twice last year though, sunderland i've got a real feeling that they'll be able to consistently play at a better level than birmingham. this is probably due to placing extra credit for roy keane, but we'll see.
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