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2013/14 EPL season preview: Manchester United

15th August, 2013
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Robin van Persie needs to trust his midfielders for Manchester United to have a top-four chance. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
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15th August, 2013
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The Sir Alex Ferguson era is over, and the David Moyes era officially starts on Saturday. What happens next? It’s a tough one.

What happened last season
Sir Alex Ferguson could not have asked for a better send-off. Manchester United’s 20th league title was sewn up in April and, in truth, they never looked like finishing anywhere but on top of the Premier League.

Sparked by the masterstroke purchase of Robin van Persie and the flourishing of Michael Carrick, United were simply brilliant.

Particularly given the perception of a weaker squad that was rated nowhere near as highly outside of Old Trafford than the wily old gaffer who assembled it.

The lowlight was the club’s bitter exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Real Madrid.

And all that came before it was coloured by Ferguson’s decision to call it quits not long after securing the title. He gave handpicked-successor David Moyes the nod, and that’s where we are today.

What happened in the off-season
Ferguson out, Moyes in is obviously the big one – but there haven’t been too many others at time of writing.

Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela, 20, comes in from Penarol as the only new signing. T

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here’s also Wilfred Zaha, bought from Crystal Palace by Ferguson last season, the raw and exciting talent that could be anything.

And perhaps the return of Nemanja Vidic from a long injury lay-off feels a bit like a new signing. But the lack of activity is not for a lack of trying.

United has made moves for the likes of Marouane Fellaini, Leighton Baines and Cesc Fabregas but so far, to no avail.

Then there’s the circus surrounding Wayne Rooney, who is definitely not for sale, according to Moyes, but is making the kind of noise only made by guys who want to be.

How Moyes deals with the moody marksman could go a long way to deciding how his first year at the helm will go – leave Rooney festering like this for much longer and he will be a poison in the dressing room, if he isn’t already.

Why Manchester United fans should be excited about the 2013/14 season
The way some people are talking, it’s as if David Moyes has never coached in the Premier League before and that United will almost certainly have the title wrestled off them by Jose 2.0 or City.

It’s rubbish. Moyes was at Everton for 11 years – he may not know how to deal with the idiosyncrasies of life as head of one of the world’s biggest sporting organisations, but he can damn well coach at this level.

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He’s shown how to make a little bit of transfer money go a long way, so imagine what he could do with Sir Alex’s old kitty.

And Manchester United, in case it’s been forgotten, were nearly four wins clear on top of the ladder last year – with arguably a very weak squad by Manchester United standards.

That squad will almost certainly be improved by the close of the transfer window, so there’s plenty to be excited about – particularly when the club’s anticipated rivals at the top end of the table, Chelsea and City, are also experiencing managerial change after periods of chaos.

None of this is to be dismissive of the fact that United is entering the great unknown.

This is, indeed, the club’s biggest challenge in a quarter of a century. But there is also no need for panic stations – not yet, anyway.

The main man that can carry Manchester United 2013/14 hopes
Robin van Persie, the silver fox. It’s hard to believe there were once doubters of his move to Old Trafford, but he ended up carrying United on his broad, 29-year-old Dutch shoulders through some of the biggest moments last season.

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30 goals and nine assists was enough, for some, to move RVP up next to Messi and Ronaldo on the list of ‘best footballers in the game right now’ with a bullet.

He is the best striker in England and if he can replicate last season’s feats by delivering the goods in the early part of what looms as a difficult season, United will go close to back-to-back titles.

Verdict
Title contenders. Many are tipping Manchester United to slide to third but it is a foolish move to write off this club in the Premier League.

The feeling of trepidation is natural and justified. But assuming Moyes doesn’t make a meal of this once-in-a-lifetime chance to manage the world’s biggest club, and he’s able to bring in a top-line midfielder and – if need be – a top-line striker to replace want-away Rooney, there’s no reason why United won’t go very, very close to title number 21.

Much hinges on the opening weeks of the season, when the Red Devils encounter Swansea (away), Chelsea (home), Liverpool (away) and City (away) before the end of September.

It’s an incredibly tough run for a new manager but if Moyes can get through that baptism of fire relatively unscathed, then the doubters start to look silly all of a sudden.

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Manchester United will again rely on the strikepower of Robin van Persie up front.

Manchester United will again rely on the strikepower of Robin van Persie up front.

Evergreen Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs.

Evergreen Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs.

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