Manchester United, the current Premier League Champions take on Wigan, the current FA Cup winners in what is traditionally the season curtain opener Sunday. If you got to hear comments from ex United players such as Pat Crerand and Lou Macari, you would think that this game is not all that important and as the latter said, ‘just another friendly’. Rio Ferdinand was also on record this week as saying that he would still be confident if Manchester United went into the season with the squad they have. Personally I say, you may not have a choice Mr Ferdinand. All the reported targets this go around have opted to either stay at their current club or move to others around Europe.
This might sound like a dig at United but it really isn’t. For a quarter of a century they have had the ’win everything’ and ’nothing is lost until the whistle blows’ mentality from their Manager. He would not have liked talk about this Sundays game as essentially being meaningless. My thought on the whole situation is that maybe Ferguson left either a season too early or a season too late, as players need to make the right moves this season in particular due to the upcoming World Cup. Had a player come from Everton to United people might have had questions as to whether he could make that step up. I think this is the thought going through players and players agents minds with regards a move to Old Trafford. Which brings up the whole Rooney affair, what would have been wrong for David Moyes to just have addressed the Rooney question with a simple, ’Wayne is in my plans for this season’. Saying he will only be used as back up seems self destructive to be honest with you.
Anyway, to the game and although United’s opponents were relegated at the end of last season, they have managed to replace a lot of the players lost and won their first League game last week away to Barnsley by a convincing 4-0 score line. New signings Grant Holt and Leon Barnett both have already got off the mark for their new club and new boss Owen Coyle (who replaced the boss, who replaced the boss sitting in the opposite dugout!) is certainly no amateur when it comes to putting out good sides against top teams. Last season Wigan lost both their league meetings with United 4-0. However Coyle in his last season in the Premier League with Bolton got draws against Arsenal and wins at both the Merseyside clubs, which included a 2-1 win away to David Moyes old club.
Courtesy: Washington Post
So it will be a tough test for the start of a new era Manchester United and despite what anyone says it really is a must win for David Moyes. A defeat on Sunday will put the first question mark on the new regime on day one and the games do not get any easier. Their start to the season is really a tough one, a visit to a tough Swansea is followed by a visit of new Champion contenders Chelsea. September sees four games and they include visits to Liverpool and Manchester City. Imagine a scenario with United going into mid October in a mid table position on 7 or so points and what will the reaction be from the United fans and the football world? United fans are not known for sticking around when things go wrong. Take the 6-1 defeat at home to Manchester City a couple of seasons ago. Fans streamed out when United went 3-1 down. Yes they also had a guy sent off but this was United and you were playing City. The team famous for pulling out late drama playing the team used to throwing games away (certainly in the previous seasons).
I do not actually mind David Moyes, when he was at Everton he did a great job for them, I just have my question marks over this new level he has stepped up to. I hope he handles the new pressure well and gets his win on Sunday because I think he will be in for a really tough first season. My feeling for Sunday is that it will be tough for United and, although I have seen United getting better throughout the friendly matches, Wigan do have a convincing competitive win already under their belts and have had no game since last Saturday. United on the other hand, although rotating the squad , have had a couple of games this week. I can really see Wigan giving United a scare but Van Persie and co should just have enough to get them over the line, although anything can happen on the day.
