EPL Title Chase: And then there were ... two?

First and foremost, accept my sincere apologies for not writing more entries "From the Offside Position". I had every intention of providing weekly entries, but school, life and watching football got in the way of blogging. The beauty of this block of time is how much has occurred in the past two months to talk about. I will write two entries: this one will focus on the EPL title-race; I will release another entry discussing the Champions’ League & how my predictions held up!

ARSENAL: 

Arsene Wenger - has the ultimate strategist finally run out of
pieces to play?

The entry for Arsenal will be short, since they have fallen out of the title-race since my last entry. They have received a mere 6 pts in their last 6 games – faring the worst start to a Premiership season, since the Premierships 1992 inception – demonstrating their inconsistency. Arsenal this season has been more frustrating to watch than in previous seasons – they put on two master-class performances (coming back from 4-0 down to win 7-4 vs. Reading in the FA Cup; winning 5-2 against increasingly impressive Tottenham in the league), but failed to impress in most performances. While there are patches of the lineup that are putting in good performances – namely Cazorla – the rest of the team seems to be in a state of disarray. If the form continues this season following the sale of additional big-name players, expect to see transfer requests from additional players and a more sustained plea for the removal of Wenger from the helm. Arsenal is in a position where they can still have hope of qualifying for a Champions’ League spot, so we will need to keep watching to see how they fare.

CHELSEA: 

Roman's way: Abromovich has appointed his 7th coach.
Will this policy ever allow Chelsea to be a football
hegemony?

“Chelsea always chokes” was a motto I lived by when I first started watching the EPL when I saw the perennial fourth place finishers stumble during title-challenge after title-challenge. While Chelsea have – with the help of a billion dollars – moved acres from that state, they appear to have justified this motto, as they find themselves 10 points adrift of the front-runner and entering a recognizable tail-spin. While this might not be shocking for individuals who have followed Chelsea for years, what makes it truly shocking is the incredible form they were in till mid-October. At one point they a four-point lead on the table and looked to be masterfully utilizing some of the best young talent in Europe to lead a deadly assault on multiple fronts! Where it went wrong? After Chelsea lost that dramatic (admittedly poorly officiated game) to Manchester United, Chelsea have only WON FOUR POINTS IN SIX GAMES!! This streak includes a loss to West Bromwich Albion (who have admittedly been on fire this season) and draws with Fulham, Swansea and Liverpool (who is now for all intents and purposes a terrible team that Chelsea should be thumping).

Torres: the lone man up front?
Truly a gamble. 

Of course there are two stories here: the first one is the shocking dismissal of Di Matteo by oligarch owner Roman Abromovich. Chelsea have yet to register a win under Rafael Benitez (whose selection warrants an entire blog entry on its own), the most desperate man in the business. While the October record under Di Matteo was atrocious, there is questionable logic with firing a recent Champions’ League-winning manager heading into the most busy part of the season … and replacing him with a coach WHO CAN’T COACH IN ENGLAND IF HIS LIFE DEPENDED ON IT!? Useful morons have provided the statistic that under Roman’s 8 coaches they have won 1 more trophy than United, who have remained loyal to one. This might be the case, but upon closer inspection you will see that the majority of those trophies were with coaches who stayed longer and who were installed during better occasions (RDM’s appointment and Champions’ League win being the anomaly).  While the ultimate failure of Chelsea to win the league – or possibly even qualify for Champions’ League – will justifiably fall on Benitez’s head, there remains a second bigger issue: Chelsea’s squad is actually not that good.

Chelsea spent money like a teen girl at an H&M blowout this summer … on similarly-qualified midfielders. There is no denying the quality of their midfield – Hazard, Mata and Oscar are some of the best – but there are a lot of players being forced into roles they shouldn’t have to play, such as Ramires (side note: where the hell is Marin??). Also: their defense is aging and over-reliant on the increasingly sluggish PR-nightmare that is John Terry. The biggest point: Drogba was never replaced and Torres – despite having Xavi/Iniesta spoonfeeding him the golden boot award in Poland-Ukraine – is NOT A PLAYER to base your attack around. Chelsea should have focussed less on bringing in Oscar and Marin, and more on landing Falcao or Lewandowski. 9 trophies under Abromovich is easy to blind people, but the fact remains: Chelsea is as frustratingly managed as Arsenal.

MANCHESTER CITY: 

Yaya Toure: one of the most consistent players in
the league. 

Manchester City remains in the thick of the title race, although with an unconvincing form, gaining a mere 8 points out of their last 15. If it wasn’t for Manchester United’s faltering away loss to Norwich, City would be six points out of the leader. City have demonstrated this season that they are the genuine article and can compete domestically (European competition still eludes them as they crashed out of the Champions’ League today playing Borussia Dortmund’s reserves). They are tied for the second-most goals in the league and have a GD that is currently +1 better than Manchester United. The standout players have been a resurgent Carlos Tevez, Eden Dzeko and Yaya Toure. Mancini – despite crashing out of Europe – has managed to maintain the favor of the owners, and will now have all his focus placed on the domestic title, which will make him quite lethal. Unlike Abromovich, the City owners allow considerable flexibility for Mancini and understand why switching canoes mid-stream might prove disastrous. This weekend’s game versus Manchester United will be huge; a six point gap going into the Christmas season where United usually shines could leave their Red neighbours with a runaway title win. City definitely have the player resources to mount another title challenge, although their ranks are also surprisingly thin (injury has already demonstrated its effects on them in trying to compete domestically and in Europe). Injuries to key players such as Toure, Aguero (again) or Kompany could quickly cause City to fall into the tail-spin that has overcome Chelsea and Arsenal.

MANCHESTER UNITED: 

Robin Van Persie: Converting doubters with every strike.
Cries of "overpriced and guaranteed to be injured" are being regretted. 

While I am obviously biased, I feel that Manchester United are odds-on favorites to win the title this year. Namely, they are pulling away from the herd despite not hitting top form. Going forward United have been lethal – scoring 37 goals in 15 games (9 more than their closest competition), this is with Wayne Rooney only contributing to 4 of those goals! The goal threat this seasons has largely been through the ever-improving Robin Van Persie, although goals have come from all across the park, with Chicharito putting in a few impressive performances as well (just as I was starting to for-see an imminent transfer for the young Mexican). Rooney – while not in goal-scoring form – has been quite the revelation as a play-maker behind RVP and Wellbeck/Chicharito, filling in for the injured Kagawa and has contributed greatly to their playmaking and for crucial ball-marshalling in the middle of the park. Where United suffers – STILL! – is defensively; they have allowed 21 goals between their posts, with only 7 teams letting in more. Ferdinand is looking slower and slower and Vidic’s absence looks to be increasingly long-term. Furthermore, United may have put too many eggs in the Vidic basket, because during his brief stint in good health he didn’t appear to play too well. The young guns have been pretty inconsistent, with Smalling being particularly unimpressive for me. Rafael – while great going forward – has a major gaff almost every single game. Johnny Evans – while still suffering through patches of uncertainty – is looking a bit more confident in recent games and perhaps might be the padlock that United need to lock up their stalls for the rest of the season. However, injuries to Evans and Ferdinand (quite, quite likely on any given day …) would leave United’s defense in the hands of second-rate clowns. If SAF and owners want to guarantee a twentieth title, they will use the winter transfer market to bring in an experienced, cool head (a la Vidic) to act as back-up / replacement for the vulnerable CB position.

END OF THE SEASON PREDICTION:

1. Manchester United

2. Manchester City

3. Tottenham Hotspur

4. Everton

5. Chelsea

6. Arsenal

EPL Title Chase Update: Weeks 3-5

This post will look at the big four teams (realistically) involved in a chase for the title this year; I acknowledge that other teams such as Everton and Tottenham should be included in an assessment of potential "top four" teams, but I am - for time constraints - purely interested in the race for the trophy. In the interest of a pre-amble, I should point out my suspicions that this might be one of the most open races since the mid-2000s, when you had three-four teams running down the trophy till the final weeks. 

Manchester City's Joe Hart in a familiar pose this September.

MANCHESTER CITY

Last three EPL results:

3-1 W vs. QPR

1-1 D vs. Stoke City

1-1 D vs. Arsenal

Man City have only won a single game in their last five attempts; said alternatively, they are win-less in their last four (they lost in a thriller to Real Madrid in the CL; as I start writing this they lost to Aston Villa in the Capital One league cup). Thanks to a strong start, they are only six points off of Chelsea's pace (and 3 points behind arch-rivals, United). However, Mancini and the fans of City should take a moment to notice that there are points for concern which need addressing. First and foremost, Manchester City have not had a clean-sheet since the pre-season; alarming for a team which boasted a respectable defensive record last year. What is happening? One suggestion might be that the 3-5-2 all-out attack of City is finally being broken down by it's opponents who are exposing the three across the back; that certainly might be the case (City have allowed 43 shots to be taken against them which puts them slightly above the average for the EPL). Although, I think the answer might lie in a significant stat: Joe Hart has one of the worst stop percentages in the EPL at the moment (http://www.thescore.com/epl/goalie_splits/clean_sheets). Considering some of the heroics that Hart pulls out week-in and week-out, this is certainly a jaw-dropper although statistics don't lie (in this case; only in positivist approaches to the social sciences). 

City's fans - and apologists - will no doubt point to the absence of Aguero as a potential reason for this drop in win-rate; although the previous section definitely merits examination by even their most die-hard supporters. City is leaking goals. 

What about the mid-field? In the interest of time - story of life - I will focus on two divergent players. Yaya Toure is having another great season for Manchester City and could certainly be credited with keeping them in the title-race with his play-making and (surprisingly quick) runs into the enemy's box. On the other side of the coin: Silva was a puppet-master for City last season and I just don't feel that he has recovered from being an awkwardly placed appendage in the European Cup's Spanish side. Don't get me wrong: he isn't playing poorly by any step of the imagination, but he isn't the force he was last season. 

Chelsea will want to see a lot more from new-boy Oscar in the EPL.

 CHELSEA FC

Last three EPL results:

2-0 W vs. Newcastle

0-0 D vs QPR

1-0 W vs. Stoke City

Chelsea are the league leaders and are looking to hold onto that position (although their bout with Arsenal this weekend might have major consequences for the title race). They are unbeaten this season in the English Premier League (with their only loss being vs. Athletico Madrid in the Super Cup). 

Rather than harping about their obvious pros, let me focus on a few little chinks that have made appearances throughout this early season. First and foremost, their games in Europe versus Athletico Madrid and Juventus have shown that their defense is capable of making defensive errors (with an aging John Terry and an unpredictable David Luiz predictably the culprits). The fact that these errors are showing up against stronger sides demonstrates that perhaps Chelsea will not fare as well when faced against other title challengers (their biggest challenge being a so-so Newcastle side). And therein lies the clincher: Chelsea seems to be performing very differently versus weak and strong sides and I suspect that it might have to do with Eden Hazard's unconvincing displays in important fixtures. Hazard has been one of the players of the season if you look at Chelsea's victories. However in losses (and an unfortunate draw) versus Manchester City (Community Shield), Athletico Madrid and Juventus, Hazard has often found it hard to get into the game, often appears lost in the action and gives away sloppy passes to the opposing teams. This will definitely be one of the areas of the field to watch. I am curious - as an impartial observer - how Chelsea will try to incorporate an in-form, youthful Oscar into the side, as well as Marko Marin when he returns to fitness. 

Gervinho must have sacrificed hair-growth for a third lung. 

ARSENAL

Last three EPL results:

2-0 W vs. Liverpool

6-1 W vs. Southampton

1-1 D vs. Manchester City

Most people would call an RVP-less Arsenal an outside shot for the title at best, although I would suggest that - barring injuries devastating the team -  Arsenal will keep pace with the pack for the duration of the season. 

Why? First and foremost, their defense is enviable. They have only let in two goals this season. The first one was versus Southampton and it featured Szczeny's return to play after an absence due to injury (while a bit of a howler; I think it was a reflection on match-fitness rather than current ability); the second due to a zonal defending mishap versus City (sidenote: when has zonal defending off of corners ever worked?!? Especially in the EPL. Man-marking or bust),, where Arsenal tried an unusual method of defending a corner and it didn't pay off. Sczceny's form and zonal defending blunders should be kept an eye on, but Arsenal look good defensively (even if they are letting an above average shots pepper their goal; most appear to be from a safe distance). 

Cazorla and Podolski continue to impress going forward with Podolski netting in three games on the trot; Cazorla is involved in everything and seems to be stepping into the vacant Fabregas role well. Robin Van Persie's ability to turn garbage-balls into goals (a skill he honed last season) will be missed in some of the big games, but the excellent play and work-rate of Podolski will keep the Arsenal fans pacified for the season. Additionally, in Podolski - more of a winger than a striker - they have a newfound ability to hold the ball up, rather than a traditional No. 10 to just bang the balls in (a role which RVP occasionally reverted to). A surprise revelation this season for Arsenal is Gervinho's work-rate, which is extraordinary - it is like having a new player on the field. Every play he is somehow involved in. Admittedly rough around the edges, this work-rate has been a positive force for Arsenal so far.  

The biggest discernable con for Arsenal is Giroud not fitting into the team at all; his poor touch in front of the net has only been surpassed by his terrible pass percentage. This might prove a problem for them as it will make the team unduly have to rely on the fitness and form of newboy Podolski and low-scoring (albeit doggedly hardworking) Gervinho. 

Vidic mimicks the fans' reaction over news that he's injured once again. 

MANCHESTER UNITED

Last three EPL results:

3-2 W vs. Southampton

4-0 W vs. Wigan

2-1 W vs. Liverpool

As you can see United has the best record in the last three games, being the only title-contender to put out three wins (they also sneaked out a win in the CL). However, there are a lot of asterixes that need to be addressed. Before I address the worries that Manchester United are facing, I will address the positives which have helped United achieve their results. 

Robin Van Persie and Kagawa - despite missing the Wigan game through slight injury - have been at the heart of United's good form. It's pleasant to see that my positive evaluation of their potential has held, five games in. Robin Van Persie dissuaded his doubters - who I admittedly I was until I saw him bag his first goal in a United shirt - with his heroic three-goal performance versus Southampton. Kagawa was voted the player of the month for August by United fans and rightly so - every win (outside of Wigan) has his stamp on it. His vision, fitness, ability and consistency are a testament to why Ferguson needed to have this player in his side. Other standout performances have been by Valencia (arguably the most consistent crosser of the ball in the EPL) and Carrick. The debuts by Buttner and Powell versus Wigan were sublime; with in particular Buttner displaying one of the most determined wing-back displays I've seen in the LB position in YEARS.

However, there are asterixes. Huge asterixes. The left side of the midfield is looking a little vacant; Nani cannot get off the ground this season and actually has been a larger hindrance to the team than an aid. Ryan Giggs has been moved more towards the center when he plays (where bless-his-heart he looks pretty indifferent and sloppy). I would almost advocate playing Buttner as LMF (since Fergie will no doubt insist on Evra remaining in the side) since his wing-play and ability to pop up in key attacking plays was apparent in his debut. 

The biggest asterix remains - for a second consecutive season - the defense and goalkeeper. This is for two reasons: defense and ability. United spent all their loot this summer on attacking options, but only purchased an attacking wingback for defensive cover. The arguments that people posed were that: Vidic is returning, Smalling, Jones and Evans exist as cover. First and foremost, Vidic is now going to be out for two-months after a mandatory knee surgery (propagating evidence for the theory that you can never truly regain fitness after a long absence). Secondly, Vidic HAS NOT LOOKED remotely comfortable with the defensive burden that was dropped on him since his return; he has not looked like the same player. His pace, positioning and decision-making have been off. Last season he complemented the the errors in Rio's game to make Rio still relevant; this season they are both looking uncomfortable together and allowing way too many shots against a terrified looking goalkeeper. Thirdly, Smalling, Jones and Evans have proven during their tenure at United that they have all the fitness potential of Wes Brown (meaning, that they are fit less than 50% of the time). This translates into: another patchy season where Fergie will be scrambling to put together ANY defense, much less his best one. 

On a related note: David DeGea has not won me over. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, but the fact remains that a goalkeeper between Manchester United's posts needs to have raw ability and - most importantly - good decision-making skills. DDG has amazing natural ability but quite clearly less-than-average decision-making skills (lower half of the table goalkeepers are dealing with set-pieces and crosses better than he does). Lindegaard has been the better of the two over both seasons and I hope that Fergie will continue to let the young Dane have a run out. 

In summation: the EPL is open ground for every team. The three teams who would be cited as clear favorites (MUFC, MCFC and CFC) all have emerged with defensive struggles and patchy performances in the midfield; the team written off as an outside shot at best, AFC,  has emerged with the strongest defense. GAME ON!! 

Champions League 2012/2013 Pt. II

Welcome back. For the next four groups, the dominant favorites are much more clear, so I'll focus most on points of interests and players to watch out for. 

GROUP E (Chelsea, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Nordjaelland)

Group E is relatively straightforward. While two seasons ago Shakhtar Donetsk demonstrated why they shouldn't be taken lightly after they dismantled Inter Milan in the R16, the likelihood of them being able to replicate this is questionable. And I've never heard of Nordaelland ...

The big story will be how will Chelsea FC begin their defense of their Champions League trophy. Their season opening - following some of the summer's most exciting transfer - has been hot-and-cold. In their first two EPL matches against weaker opposition they looked a master-class; however they lost to EPL title-holders Manchester City in the Community Shield and got steam-rolled by Athletico Madrid's Falcao. The biggest talking point of Chelsea will be their aging defense (which is shaky along with all of the Premierleague giants) and how they will line up their bevvy of midfield stars. Hazard's stats are tear-jerking-amazing for the start of the season, although he has disappeared for their two losses to City and Athletico: something to keep an eye on, especially when Chelsea play Juventus. Qualfication from this group is all-but-certain, but other teams will be eyeing up the London free-spending giants to see what chinks can be found in their evolving armor. I am excited to see how new boys Oscar and Marin do in Europe and to see how Juan Mata continues to evolve as the future of Spanish football. 

Juventus returns to Europe after a lengthy absence due to their infamous match-fixing scandal which hit the light in 2006. One of only two Series A teams in the Champions League, they are far-and-above the strongest representation for the declining Italian league (boo, hiss, hiss, hiss? Is that what I hear from those in denial?). Juventus played some exciting football domestically last year and will look to replicate in Europe. Featuring the backbone of the Italian NT in Buffon, Pirlo and Barzagli, it will be interesting if Juve can show the exciting flair that Italy -suprisingly - demonstrated at the Euros. Juventus spent rather conservatively in the summer and could be missing the key players necessary to advance too far, but their return to top flight European competition will be worth watching. 

GROUP F (Bayern Munich, Valencia, Lille, BATE Borisov)

The biggest story from this group will be if last year's bridesmaid Bayern Munich will once again lead a lethal assault on Europe. While perhaps a little inconsistent in the forward department, Bayern Munich has the best selection of midfielders in world football: Ribery, Schweinsteiger, Robben, Kroos and Tymoshchuk are joined by Martinez and Shaqiri (one of the stand out performers in last year's CL). It would be a fool to not expect Bayern to make it deep into the tournament. The key will be consistent performances from forwards Gomez and Muller, who occasionally develop two left-feet at inopportune moments. 

Valencia - who looked impressive versus Real Madrid and Barca - should comfortably qualify out of this group. I suspect Lille's opportunity to advance out of the group stage departed with Hazard.

GROUP G (Barcelona, Benefica, Celtic, Spartak Moscow)

This group pits Barcelona against three whipping boys. The real story will be Tito Vilanova's debut year as head coach of Barca: will he be able to make the same impact on Europe that Pep Guardiola (arguably the greatest CL coach since the start of the tournament) did? Barca's La Liga form has been impressive, but they did lose the Super Copa to Madrid and their issues with defense were exposed as was their over-reliance on Argentine menace, Messi (teams will be looking to the man-marking job that Xabi Alonso, Pepe have been doing to keep the diminutive genius in check). They could qualify out of this group with their reserves however and the real story will develop in the elimination rounds. Some interesting storylines to follow: 1) will Fabregas be included in the team regularly? 2) will Song be another "Hleb" and waste away on the bench following his departure from Arsenal? 3) the development of younger players in the squad such as Telo, Jordi Alba, Thiago Alcantara and Cuenca, particularly in the later match-days of this group. 

Second spot in this group is up for grabs. However, I think that the ever-present Benefica will walk away with it with Celtic depleting in quality (and challenging matches following Rangers dismissal to the pit of Scottish football). Their Portugese and South American players are consistent (Luisao, Bruno Cesar, Maxi Pereira and Nicolas Gaitan regularly impress) and have provided challenges to top teams - such as Manchester United. Spartak Moscow - while entertaining - can never really provide a convincing CL performance. 

GROUP H (Manchester United, Braga, Galatasaray, CFR Cluj)

My love for United is no secret. As far as groups go, United probably has the easiest selection out of all the major seeded teams in Europe. However, if one recalls last season, they had a similar group but were undone by the likes of Basel and Benefica. I feel United will have learned a lot of lessons from last season and will not take their qualification for granted. United's biggest enemies will remain: injury and an uncertain defense. Last season saw a record amount of injuries and United seemed to hold back in Europe because of it. Secondly, I am not the least bit convinced by the current state of the defense. Vidic is noticeably less sharp after his long absence and Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra are both in a state of decline. However, the central defensive backups (Evans, Jones and Smalling) are consistently injured and consistently inconsistent. Teams playing United will be aware of this and pepper them with runs and shots, hoping to expose these growing weaknesses. On a bright side their forward attack looks to be improved with the addition of RVP and Kagawa and the fitness of these two players will be key if United hopes to advance into the later stages of the tournament. United still need to find someone to play as a holding midfielder in the Roy Keane style (the absence of this position is more noticeable in European competition, particularly against teams such as Barcelona) with Anderson looking to step into the role (although his fitness is always in doubt). While the heart believes in the team's potential to always end up top of the dog-pile, my head says that United will not be making a fourth appearance in the final (in the last six years). 

Braga - from the ever-improving Portugese league - appear to be the most likely team to qualify alongside United, although don't discount Galatasaray, as the Turkish teams can be determine and provide very challenging home games to visitors with their hostile atmosphere. 

OVERALL PREDICTIONS

Who will be in the final four? I am willing to bet that the final four will look suspiciously similar to last year with Real Madrid and Barcelona both contending to be champions of Europe. Expect Bayern Munich to make it far in this tournament as well. The fourth spot on paper looks to belong - once again - to Chelsea, although I wouldn't rule out Juventus or Manchester City (if they qualify out their group). 

United's First Two Matches: A Pragmatic Approach

NOTE: I will do a "weekend in review" entry on Monday to cover my views on the goings-on in EPL, La Liga & Bundasliga. I will have occasional entries focusing entirely on Manchester United, Real Madrid or Borussia Dortmund such as this one. 

Since I am somewhat blessed with more free-time than I have ever encountered since my early teens this summer, I have frequented numerous blogs & twitter feeds by United fans. Some are certainly superior, but a definite overarching theme is the tendency to succumbing to hyperbole: it's either "doom's day" or "the title 100%". Following United's two games, the trend did not really sway. Some remained unduly negative, while others attacked their fellow fan's for not seeing United's performance as anything but the start of undisputed another title run. I'm going to attempt to take a more pragmatic approach when addressing the season opening.

THE POSITIVES: 

Kagawa. Kagawa is simply amazing. While United fans may rue - myself amongst them - the bypassing of Eden Hazard to Chelsea FC (where he is tearing up shit like a licensed backhoe operator), Kagawa has slotted into the side and is doing exactly what United needs him to do: provide that useful central link between midfield and the striker(s). While the all-around performance of United left much to be desired against Everton (United was lucky to not lose 3-0 or greater), Kagawa's passes-completed and movement provided a glimmer of hope to take away from a disappointing season opener. I have seen Kagawa put in several performances for B. Dortmund and these clever little bits of supporting play up front for Lewandowski is what made B. Dortmund such a lethal force in the Bundasliga last year. Against Fulham - where he was substituted much too early in my opinion - he scored once, and was involved in one matter or another in the other two. Kagawa - I believe - will be United's top player this season. 

United's Formation vs. Fulham. When United purchased Kagawa and RVP (pictured right, celebrating his first goal) the internet almost imploded with discussion of how Fergie was going to utilize both of them with the presence of Rooney, Chicharito & Wellbeck in the side as well as a multitude of midfielders. I believe the 4-5-1 that Fergie played versus Fulham IS the answer. The lone striker can be played by either RVP or Rooney, and this allows Kagawa to play where he needs to at the forefront of a diamond, in just behind. 

It should be noted that when United played 4-4-2 this season (vs. Everton & vs. Fulham for the final 30 minutes) they started to fall apart, because their midfield resources are much geared toward a diamond formation at the moment. Cleverly, Anderson & Valencia all played in this formation wonderfully for the first half vs. Fulham. I hope to see the relationship between Kagawa and Cleverly grow to perhaps recreate the partnership that Kagawa had with Polish-star Blaszczykowski .

Robin van Persie scoring. I guess this goes without saying, but I admit that I was holding my breath fearing a Fernando Torres-like start from RVP in a new system. His strike vs. Fulham FC was nothing short of world class. While RVP vanished in the latter half of the game, his link play with the midfield, even dropping back as false-9 link player following Rooney's introduction was encouraging as well. 

THE NEGATIVES:

The defense. United's defense never looked 100% sturdy for the run-in of last year with Vidic missing and the roles constantly being rotated as injuries dropped the back-line like flies. Unfortunately this trend has continued with Ferdinand, Jones, Smalling and Evans all injured for the start of the season. At the risk of resorting to the sort of smart-ass-told-ya-so attitude that I tend to despise in fellow football bloggers, this was something I feared as soon as John O'Shea parted ways with United. United's most versatile player was always willing to cover whatever position opened up due to injury. Additionally, United purchased two new strikers this season and only a single defender, Buttner (who is covering a position that rarely opens due to injury, LB). In the short-term, United needs to get AN ACTUAL DEFENDER in the CB position, because Carrick - bless his heart - is making a real hash-job of it. Jones and Ferdinand are said to be nearing fitness; throw on Jones for the easier matches, Ferdinand for the Liverpool match. In the long run: buy some more defenders. United need to replace Rio's experience in the centre and ideally they need it with a player who can stay fit more than 50% of the season. 

Second half apathy. Combined with the make-shift defense, second half apathy cost United the title last year (if one recalls they were 8 points ahead of City at one point in the run-in). The Fulham game was prime for this: leading comfortably up by 3-1 and then after 60 minutes, play became negative and players such as Young, Anderson and (even) Valencia faded from the game. This partially might be due to the odd formation that United was trying (Wellbeck, RVP in midfield; Giggs in the center and then on the right???), but Ferguson really needs to figure out how to get 90 minutes out of his players once again. 

Nani. For me Nani is a player of "3s". For every three games that he plays well, he will be absolutely abysmal for another three. This trait has long been a source of frustration for me since I greatly love his highlights; however, this consistent inconsistency is starting to grate on my nerves. He has the potential to be a game-winner, but so often his ego, selfishness and determination to BE Cristiano Ronaldo have significantly hindered the team. This was perfectly on display versus Everton. Ferguson clearly has noticed this and did not even grant Nani a position on the bench versus Fulham ... to which Nani responded by storming out of Old Trafford in a huff. 

Pre-Season Exhaustion. One common theme that I've noticed this year (with the exception of Chelsea FC) is that all the teams that did extensive pre-season tours (United, Liverpool, Real Madrid, PSG, Tottenham) have had sluggish starts. I feel that pre-seasons in EURO & WC years should be limited ... and definitely not span the globe the way United did. Africa-China-Scandinavia is just too busy for these players, with a lot of Euro players forced to join the team for the final leg, despite only 4 weeks off following European Championship. 

Overall, I have confidence United will find their stride as the season progresses and the positives get stronger, but I add a cautionary note: if United's negatives are not addressed and United (and it's fans) don't take the in-form Chelsea and City 100% seriously then United is cruising towards a third-place finish. Additionally, Swansea, Fulham and Stoke have all demonstrated the EPL's teams are ALL getting better, so lackluster performances will be punished regardless of the badge on the shirt.