by baldricks_cunning_plan » Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:47 am
Personally, I think we should go full throttle at Spurs. They don't have a fit centre half as King can't stand up for more than 20 minutes, neither Dawson or Woodgate should be fit and the new lad from Newcastle, Bassong, is suspended. So that leaves Corluka and probably Huddlestone. With that in mind it's got to be Nando up top with Stevie just off him, this is a real chance to do Spurs over. We lose there twice last year, we need payback and we won't get a better chance than this with three first team centre halves doubtful and the other suspended.
Our other games? Stoke, Villa, Burnley and Hull at home. Should be 12 points. If we're to go one further this year, then these games we have to win. Villa are very much like Spurs right now, very threadbare at the back.
Bolton and Hammers away. I wouldn't be surprised if we get two draws here. I'm never confident playing Bolton at the Reebok, even if we battered them last year down there. Great header by Kuyt to open the scoring. I'm just never confident because of their physicality, I don't think many of our players like that. As for the trip to Upton Park, gotta be honest and say West Ham are my surprise tip this year. Everybody is banging on about City, well Zola is building a very good footballing side down there with good youngsters coming through the ranks and I think they'll be the one people should be wary of this year. So a point this early on wouldn't be a bad result down there.
Overall, 17 points from our opening 21 shouldn't be out of reach.
The other top sides, well firstly I'm discounting City because they've signed average players which is why again they'll be an average side. Adebyeor, Tevez, Santa Cruz, Bellamy didn't get 20 league goals between them did they? Barry and Toure for a combined 27 million, wouldn't give 27p for either. So it's between the other three in the top four.
Arsenal will struggle again unless they bring somebody in to command the back four. They don't need a centre forward, Van Persie and Eduardo can do that job with Arshavin one side and Nasri the other, Fabrgras through the middle. From their opening seven fixtures, I'd have a guess at 8 points which won't be enough and it'll be because they don't have quality at the back.
Chelsea haven't really brought quality in. Nobody wants to go there anymore, players realised very early on Chelsea were not as big a club Kenyon made them out to be. Some Russian bloke, a third rate Middlesborough keeper and a good little player in Danny Sturridge although he'll be lucky if he starts. With Ancelotti they also have a new manager who may not adapt to the English league quickly, especially as all Chelsea fans will still be remembering Hiddink and what he done for them adding pressure on the Italian. This may make their opening few fixtures a little trickier although I can still see them taking nearly maximum points, my only hope is Sunderland who've spent this summer and have a good manager in Bruce along with an away trip to near rivals Fulham who will hopefully do what they did last year to them at the Cottage.
Now for United. Yes they've lost Ronaldo and Tevez but they've replaced Tevez with a better goalscorer in Owen. And if the turncoat b*****d gets the games with Valencia, Carrick, Rooney and Berbatov supplying him, he will score. Unfortunately. Ronaldo they haven't replaced him with anybody better, wouldn't be easy mind you. But they have got a good player in Valencia and in Ronaldo's absence the likes of Carrick, Anderson and Nani will be forced to uping their game as the diver won't be there to drag them out of trouble. But with Ferguson as manager they'll still be strong, he won't allow them not to be although with him already talking about us it proves he's s******g his kecks already. On paper I can't see them dropping a point, I think they should win every home game they play in the same way I think we should and their away fixtures are about as easy as taking a p**s.
Still, if we get out the blocks and hit the ground running there's no reason we why we can't storm away with this league. Last year we proved ourselves to be more than good enough and had the odd decision gone in our favour i.e. Rob Styles not giving a penalty for United when Jloyd Samuel won the ball, we may be sitting here looking ahead to our title defence. As it is we're looking forward to yet another exciting season with the Reds and we'll be with them the whole way. Cheering, singing and letting our players and manager know we're with them. We'll cheer them to that elusive Premier League title, wherever we are in the world we'll be cheering.
There's more belief than blinded hope this year, so even if we get off to a bad start lets not get down in the dumps. Lets just pick our boys up with 100% undefying love for the club and carry them through the next game with our voices.
Come on you Reds!