Form
Not quite the irresistible force of old, over the last couple of seasons United's regal standing at the very top of the English game has started to look slightly less assured. They are still undoubted contenders of course, but the squad is looking a bit patchy these days and perhaps relies too heavily on the remnants of Fergie's increasingly doddering golden generation. Will Darron Gibson and Gabriel Obertan ever be as good as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs? Hmmm.
Star Players
Assuming that the finest English footballer of his generation can't transform into a blundering Sunday League player with a hangover overnight and that his embarrassing World Cup form was merely a weird blip, Wayne Rooney will continue to be United's most important player. His 34 goals last season was almost three times more than the next most prolific United scorer.
Perhaps new boy Javier Hernandez can relieve Rooney of some of his goalscoring responsibility however. The young Mexican has been widely lauded as a quick, natural goalscorer, something United could do with given Michael Owen's seemingly terminal decline and Dimitar Berbetov's frequently wavering touch in front of goal.
The Gaffer
The ruddy faced, perma-chewing, lovably belligerent institution that is Alex Ferguson just keeps on going. Any suspicions that he may have been on the brink of departing the game for a gentler life of wine and horseracing a couple of years ago seem to have vanished and to be honest the Premier League just wouldn't be the same without Fergie's cantankerous old bastard routine.
The Outlook
They may look rather less formidable these days but it's still hard to imagine Manchester United finishing outside the top three. Much depends on the return to form of Wayne Rooney and whether the still pivotal old guard – Giggs, Scholes, Ferdinand – have the legs to survive a long season. If the backbone of the team can remain settled, injury-free and in form and one or two of the young additions add a glimmer of something different United should still be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.
FIXTURES
Monday, August 16 2010
Manchester United - Newcastle United (20.00)
Sunday, August 22 2010
Fulham - Manchester United (16.00)
Saturday, August 28 2010
Manchester United - West Ham United (17.30)
Sunday, September 12 2010
Everton - Manchester United (13.30)
Sunday, September 19 2010
Manchester United - Liverpool (13.30)
Sunday, September 26 2010
Bolton Wanderers - Manchester United (12.00)
Saturday, October 2 2010
Sunderland - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, October 16 2010
Manchester United - West Bromwich Albion (15.00)
Sunday, October 24 2010
Stoke City - Manchester United (13.30)
Saturday, October 30 2010
Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur (17.30)
Saturday, November 6 2010
Manchester United - Wolverhampton Wanderers (15.00)
Wednesday, November 10 2010
Manchester City - Manchester United (20.00)
Saturday, November 13 2010
Aston Villa - Manchester United (12.45)
Saturday, November 20 2010
Manchester United - Wigan Athletic (15.00)
Saturday, November 27 2010
Manchester United - Blackburn Rovers (15.00)
Saturday, December 4 2010
Blackpool - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, December 11 2010
Manchester United - Arsenal (15.00)
Saturday, December 18 2010
Chelsea - Manchester United (15.00)
Sunday, December 26 2010
Manchester United - Sunderland (15.00)
Tuesday, December 28 2010
Birmingham City - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, January 1 2011
West Bromwich Albion - Manchester United (15.00)
Tuesday, January 4 2011
Manchester United - Stoke City (19.45)
Saturday, January 15 2011
Tottenham Hotspur - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, January 22 2011
Manchester United - Birmingham City (15.00)
Tuesday, February 1 2011
Manchester United - Aston Villa (19.45)
Saturday, February 5 2011
Wolverhampton Wanderers - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, February 12 2011
Manchester United - Manchester City (15.00)
Saturday, February 26 2011
Wigan Athletic - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, March 5 2011
Liverpool - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, March 19 2011
Manchester United - Bolton Wanderers (15.00)
Saturday, April 2 2011
West Ham United - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, April 9 2011
Manchester United - Fulham (15.00)
Saturday, April 16 2011
Newcastle United - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, April 23 2011
Manchester United - Everton (15.00)
Saturday, April 30 2011
Arsenal - Manchester United (15.00)
Saturday, May 7 2011
Manchester United - Chelsea (15.00)
Saturday, May 14 2011
Blackburn Rovers - Manchester United (15.00)
Sunday, May 22 2011
Manchester United - Blackpool (15.00)