Last Season – Finished 1st in the Premier League – 87pts
Manager:  Sir Alex Ferguson
Odds of Winning Title – 7-to-4

INS:
ST Davide Petrucci – Free

OUTS:
CMF Kieran Lee
CDF Gerard Pique
RW Chris Eagles
RB Danny Simpson – Loan
WG Michael Barnes

Possibles:
ST Dimitar Berbatov – Tottenham
ST Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – Ajax
ST Radamel Falcao – River Plate
MF Bastian Schweinstieger – Bayern Munich
ST Roque Santa Cruz – Blackburn
ST Alexis Sanchez – Udinese
ST David Silva – Valencia
MF Wesley Sneijder – Real Madrid
ST Thierry Henry – Barcelona

What’s Left in the Kitty – 120m US

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Newcastle (H)
Aug 23 Portsmouth (A)
Aug 30 Fulham (H)
Sep 13 Liverpool (A)
Sep 20 Chelsea (A)
Sep 27 Bolton (H)
Oct 4 Blackburn (A)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Edwin van der Sar
RB Gary Neville/Wes Brown
CB Rio Ferdinand
CB Nemanja Vidic
LB Patrice Evra
RMF Nani/Cristiano Ronaldo
CMF Michael Carrick/Owen Hargreaves
CMF Paul Scholes/Anderson
LMF Ryan Giggs
FW Wayne Rooney
FW Carlos Tevez

How They’ll Stack Up:
Without so much as a signing this summer, Manchester United look set to start the season with almost the same personnel as they ended it last term – almost.  The absence of one Cristiano Ronaldo makes United look vulnerable – more vulnerable than the team chasing them.  While United were league and European Cup winners last term, they got that league title thanks in large part to Ronaldo’s inventive ways – he saved their blushes more times than he likely should have and not having him around for the first two months of the season means the likes of Rooney, Tevez and even Nani to an extent, will have to step up and fill the void.  But are they up to it?  Manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted he wants to give Rooney more attacking responsibility but Rooney has never shown that ability to beat people one-on-one like Ronaldo can.  Rooney’s a pitbull – a straight-at-you kind of player.  And he’s temperamental and more injury prone year by year.  I can’t see Rooney doing any more than he has.  Tevez will be just as reliable as always and his emergence last year was an added bonus – but not unexpected.  The quality United DO have makes up for the glaring weaknesses elsewhere (RB, no central ST).  Thankfully they have a rock-solid defence anchored by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic – who helped the side concede just 22-league goals last term – a club record.  With the return of Gary Neville, they should strengthen at RB, providing he can stay healthy, and Edwin van der Sar is as good as they come in goal.  There is a belief at United that this team can repeat their double from last term – but to do so they need to start quick out of the blocks.  Back to back away games to Liverpool and Chelsea look to be the two early opportunities for United to assert their intentions to repeat.  A slip in either of those games could be what we look back on at season’s end if they’re not hoisting the trophy.  Without Ronaldo, Ferguson will certainly need to use all his managerial wits to squeeze the most out of this team.  At the end of the day, the title race is a very tight one – I just can’t see United holding on though.  Ronaldo is NOT going to score 42-goals again – 30-maybe – and based on how their rivals have improved, Liverpool and Chelsea are almost on even footing with them.  Whomever makes the least amount of mistakes, will win it – I just don’t think it will be United this time.  They get 2nd.

**Quick Note**
Thanks to everyone who took the time to read and post comments.  I know these weren’t perfect but I tried to make them as informative as possible while keeping it a quick read.  I appreciate all the input and corrections from you.  Enjoy the start of the Premiership this weekend – I know we at FSR cannot wait!! 

Last Season: Finished 2nd in the Premier League – 85pts
Manager – Luiz Felipe Scolari
Odds of Winning Title – 15-to-8

INS:
AMF Deco – 16m US
RB Jose Bosingwa – 33m US

OUTS:
CDF Tal Ben Haim
DF Khalid Boulahrouz
CMF Steve Sidwell
CB Harry Worley
ST Hernan Crespo
DMF Claude Makalele
CDF Slobodan Rajkovic
ST Ben Sahar (loan)
AMF Jimmy Smith (loan)

Possibles:
MF Robinho – Real Madrid
ST Obafemi Martins – Newcastle
MF Bastian Schweinsteiger – Bayern Munich
MF Diego – Werder Bremen
MF Kaka – AC Milan
ST Mario Balotelli – Inter Milan

What’s Left in the Kitty – 151m US

What Lies Ahead:
Aug 16 Portsmouth (H)
Aug 23 Wigan (A)
Aug 30 Tottenham (H)
Sep 13 Manchester City (A)
Sep 20 Manchester United (H)
Sep 27 Stoke City (A)
Oct 4 Aston Villa (H)

Possible Starting XI:
GK Petr Cech
RB Jose Bosingwa
CB Ricardo Carvalho
CB John Terry
LB Ashley Cole
RMF Joe Cole/John-Obi Mikel
CMF Michael Essien
CMF Deco/Michael Ballack
LMF Frank Lampard/Michael Ballack
FW Didier Drogba/Andriy Schevchenko
FW Nicolas Anelka/Florent Malouda

How They’ll Stack Up:
Chelsea missed out on the title last season by two points – in large part because of that home draw versus Wigan on April 14th.  Now, many Blues fans hope Scolari is the difference maker this term.  Our own Bobby McMahon says Scolari should be worth another 5-points to the team which would put them in front – and I tend to agree.  Chelsea have the most talented squad in the Premiership and if Scolari can get them to come together while keeping the egos in check, they should win the title.  Last season the team beat both Arsenal and United at Stamford Bridge – but then drew seven times versus lesser teams – Wigan, Fulham and Bolton among those.  That won’t happen this time.  I would expect Chelsea to stay unbeaten at home – but with very few draws.  The back four are among the best in the world – and while everyone pumps up John Terry, anyone who watches Chelsea on a regular basis and keeps track, knows that Ricardo Carvalho is the MVP of that defence.  Through the middle of the park, Scolari has an embarrassment of riches – and with Lampard signing a new 5-year deal this week, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of time he gets.  Coming into the final weeks here, looking at Chelsea’s alignment, I had Lampard on the outside looking in more often than not.  And he may still wish he’d been more receptive to a move to Italy come November.  Scolari has been experimenting with a 4-4-2 in the pre-season but he could be more prone to using a 4-2-3-1 to get everything out of his MF.  That’s what he used in Portugal – and his Chelsea MF is just as talented.  Up front, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka should both have better seasons thanks to Scolari’s influence – and even Schevchenko and Malouda could add a little more.  Scolari has propped them both up as players he would like to see improve.  The margin for error is so slim at the top, it’s tough to pick who will win the title between Chelsea and Manchester United.  But with Cristiano Ronaldo out for two months, I think that gives the Blues the edge.  They should fly out of the gate and they look the team that is likely to be more consistent overall.  And after coming so close to the league and European titles last term, this is a team that is hungry.  Chelsea to win the title.

Coming up Friday – Manchester United