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Manchester United Betting Preview
You cannot say there is a fantastic vibe for Man United to win the title this season. The reason is they seem like a team still in transition, but it would be rash to discount their chances if they were to buy a top class striker to replace Ruud Van Nistelrooy. They are still a very solid outfit with a host of big name players and the addition of Michael Carrick to take up the Roy Keane role could be a masterstroke. United need to come out of the blocks quickly though if they are to launch an assault on the title. Rooney will still be the key to their success, but he cannot win it on his own. The supporting cast of Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Alan Smith, Paul Scholes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all have to inspire and nurture the younger players like Kieron Richardson and Giuseppe Rossi to make an impact.
Sir Alex Ferguson knows that it is a crucial season. He will be under pressure to deliver a convincing challenge and although the Glaziers have proved to be hands off, there is no doubt that Man United need to step up a gear. Fergie loves to blood his youngsters and that must be admired but in these times of instant gratification, it’s a strategy that the board can only live with for so long. He might hold off from buying a striker just yet as he is a big fan of young Giuseppe Rossi. We could see a lot of him at the start of the campaign and he is a real talent, but it’s all about a time and a place.
But to be fair there isn’t much wrong with United at the moment. They simply need to tighten up and get off to a good start. The capacity at Old Trafford is now up to 75,000 and it is important that they keep it a fortress. Man United only lost five games last season -- the same as Chelsea -- so there is hope. If they bag that big name striker and he clicks into gear early then they may have a real chance of taking the title. If Chelsea misfire and Manchester United get off to a flyer the whole complexion of the Premiership could change. Write Man Utd off at your peril…
Premiership Outright 11/2 Premiership without Chelsea 13/8 Season Handicap (+10) 15/1 Season Match Bet – Man Utd 4/6, Liverpool 11/10 Season Group Bet - Chelsea 4/9, Man Utd 11/2, Arsenal 13/2, Liverpool 13/2 Premiership Top Scorer – Rooney 9/1, Saha 20/1, Ronaldo 50/1, Smith 66/1,
Solskjaer 80/1, Rossi 100/1 Relegation – 2000/1
