Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Title Signed Sealed Delivered...



With seven matches left, United have all but won the league. Its not wrapped up yet but we are in the home stretch. This has been a different season. United bost a 12 point lead at the top of the table. While this looks to be an encouraging way to finish the season, there have been moments where United have looked less than convincing.

The team has seemed to reverse poles in the second half of the season. During the Fall, United's defense struggled and conceded plenty of goals. However the Reds' attack compensated and accumulated more points from losing positions than any other club in the league. Eventually the defense became settled and have done a very good job of keeping clean sheets. However the team has not been near as lethal in front of goal.

With all of these issues and the season all but wrapped up its hard not to begin thinking about the possible moves the club will make over the summer. SAF has slowly been building a new team filled with youth and new talent. United's going out of Europe in the round of 16 will spur Fergie to look for new options to bolster his side for next season. The depth, youth and success of the current points to exciting things in the future. Still some additions could be made that might jettison this United team to the next level.

It has become fairly obvious that even with all of his talent, Nani's time at Old Trafford has come to an end. He has just not been consistent enough and with the potential cash in from his sale, it would seem a good time to part ways. Anderson, who arrived from Portugal with Nani, has never truly lived up to his potential and seems destined for the same fate. With both of these players probably departing, you will be likely to see some additions to the midfield or out wide. There are still some definite questions about the performances of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia. Both of whom have had poor seasons. I think SAF is unlikely to sell Young so soon and Valencia will (regardless of his form) still be in favor with the him.

The rumors have already started flying concerning arrivals at Old Trafford. The priority should be the MF and a goal scoring wide player. Obviously a return for Ronaldo would be the best option but money is still an issue. Bale would be a wonderful addition but once again Spurs may want too high of a sum for the Welsh winger. It would be very nice to see a box to box midfielder come in. Some one similar to YaYa Toure. Several players have been mentioned including Victor Wanyama and Kevin Strootman. The noise surrounding Lampard seems farfetched. It would be a mistake mostly because of his age. Defensive additions have been mentioned but this should give way to the additions mentioned above. We have a depth there with the exception of left back. With the return of Fabio we should have sufficient players in Defense to perform well. Although, I wouldnt say no to Matt Hummells.

Next season should be an exciting one for United. With the right additions, this side could truly become world beaters on the same level as Barcelona and Real Madrid.