Without a single
ball being kicked in the English Premier League 2011-12 season, there was just one name on everyone
lips, Manchester United. However it has not gone to plan and those noisey neighbours are on top, what will United do in 2012?
Oh dear what can the matter be? The all-conquering Manchester United seem to have lost their way of late. The Red Devils are reigning champions and second in the league, just three points and 11 goals behind their noisy neighbours Manchester City, hardly a bad show. But what could be a real shock is that Tottenham Hotspur are a mere three points behind them (with a game in hand). United enjoy a superior goal difference to the tune of +13, so unless Tottenham go absolutely ballistic against Everton (in their game in hand, scoring 13 or more) Spurs will have to pick up more points and hope United drop more if they want to take the silver medal spot on the podium. Manchester United had the pleasure of knocking Manchester City out of the FA Cup on Sunday and are now 6/1 to lift that trophy. It looks likely to be their best shout of trophy glory as their form has dropped of late. United somehow made it back to back league losses going down 3-2 to Blackburn (at Old Trafford) and then 3-0 to Newcastle at St James’ Park less than a week after. The 3-2 Cup win away to City was sweet, but it needs to be mentioned that City played 80 minutes with ten men, fought back from a 3-0 half time deficit and nearly snatched a draw (which speaks volumes).
All in all it just seems that Manchester United’s time may well have passed even though second in the league would be considered a great achievement by any other club in the land.
**11/13/2011** Update
Bob Dylan sang the times they are a-changing and while I'm certain he wasn't talking about the English Premier League 30 years before it was invented, his song now resonates, especially around Manchester.
It looks like there's a new sheriff in town, as not only are the noisy neighbours on top of the league and five points ahead of the reigning champions, they took the proverbial “six points” home with them after their 6-1 victory at old Trafford in October.
Despite backing the Champions to win back to back League trophies, it now looks like City are the team to beat. Apart from being in pole position, City have by far the best goal difference; they’re on +29 compared to United's +16. Alex Ferguson doesn't do panic, he usually doesn't do defeat either, but I feel while he may have to tolerate the latter we won't see any of the former. And Fergie still has the safest managerial seat in English football, he’s at a massive 80/1 to be the next manager shown the door.
United are now at 7/4 to win the Premier League this season, a little behind City and a fair length ahead of (third favourite) Chelsea. As things look now “Manchester City” is going to be the fifth name on the English Premier League trophy, at least the engraver will have had lots of practice etching “Manchester” on the cup.
Updated Prediction: Close but no cigar as United finish second to City.
**Original Article**
The clock is kicking
down for the kick-off of the 2011–12 season; the twentieth of the Premier
League. The season begins on 13th August 2011 and will run through to the 13th of
May 2012.
That team, Manchester United, are the defending champions (again)
having won their 19th league title last season. Bet365 already have them as
clear favourites to make it twenty titles next season at 9/5 in the betting
odds.
There will be a
total of 20 teams contesting the league, seventeen returning from the 2010–11
season and three promoted up from the Football League Championship, however
there’s really a lot less than 20 who are actually in with a chance of winning
it.
Some say that the
short list of “Possible League Winners” contains just one club’s name,
Manchester United. The soccer odds show that the rest of the big four already look like
also-rans, Chelsea are 13/5 for the league, the noisy neighbours (Man City) are
4/1 and Arsenal are 15/2. Outside the big four the odds take a steep
jump, Liverpool are 10/1 and Tottenham are 40/1, but why throw your money away?
Victor Chandler have those six in the same order but they have Man Utd at
7/4.Some even go as far as to say it’s not a question of IF they will win the
league, but what other trophies they’ll collect.
Boring boring Man Utd
We could talk at
length about the reservoir of skill that Manchester United can draw from, and
the tactical astuteness, intellect, cleverness, the mind games, the guile and
smarts of Alex Ferguson. The bankability of the Manchester United brand and the
gargantuan fanbase that the Red Devils have behind them, but for my money they
have one thing above and beyond all other English Premier League clubs; BELIEF.
They hold an innate belief that the Premiere League trophy belongs to them and the
belief that every game is theirs for the taking, and every season is theirs for
the winning. This may sound like a slightly flowery attitude but if you want to
ponder what that sort of attitude can do, cast your mind back to the 2nd of April
2011, when a lacklustre Man U were trailing by two goals against a West Ham
side who were fighting against gravity to avoid the drop. The Red Devils never
stopped believing and in the second half steamrolled the Hammers, they turned a
possible defeat into a 4–2 away win.
Bet365 have a
handful of interesting Manchester United props for your soccer betting Pounds,
Dollars or Euros, No Trophies is at 10/11 (which strikes me as less than
tempting), there’s also the 12/1 if they win the Premier League and the FA Cup,
the Carling Cup (it still counts) and the Premier League is at 14/1, even
better is Manchester United having a treble trophy season.
Winning the League
and both domestic cups is at 80/1, winning the Champions League and both domestic
cups is at 150/1, while the really tasty odds are 300/1 on Manchester United
winning the league, the Carling Cup , the FA Cup and the Champions League. A
hidden message comes out from the soccer lines on the other teams in the
big four. They have Arsenal winning no trophies at 1/4, Man (where’s your Tevez
gone) City winning nothing at 8/15 and Chelsea picking up nothing next year at
8/11.
Who wants some?
Manchester United
start their defence of the title against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns
and I expect them to take all three points (they’re already at 1/2 with Ladbrokes
to win the match) score a handful of goals and never look back. The question is;
“is there anyone who can worry Manchester United?”
Arsenal had a
mathematical chance to snatch the trophy from Alex Ferguson’s liver spotted
fists last season but seemed all too complicit in rolling over and drawing games,
in what came to be known as the “Great Collapse”. On top of this they have hardly spent the summer
investing in title winning talent.
Chelsea have a new a
manager and a few new players, but with their team aging (not quite like wine) I
can’t imagine Ferguson being haunted at night by images of Jon Terry et al.
Maybe a Manchester
City with Carlos Tevez would have mounted a proper challenge this year, but
without Carlos Tevez…
There’s also the resurgent
Liverpool for Manchester United to “worry” about. It’s the second reign of “King”
Kenny, and Liverpool had a very tidy end to last season, not to mention the acquisition
of Andy Carroll from Newcastle. But whatever re-building is going on at Anfield,
they will more likely be the green shoots of recovery, rather than a trophy
winning blossom. There’s been plenty said (and written) about Liverpool's
chances and the players they have signed. The bookies don’t think Liverpool will equal
Manchester United’s 19 title tally any time soon,
To think the unthinkable…
If you fancy a lol bet, check out the odds on their
manager, Sir Alex of Chewalot, being the first EPL manager to get the sack.
Ladbrokes have him at 50/1, some at 20/1 and others wimp out and put the
impossible at low as +1200.
His replacement
might give you even more to laugh about, Paddy Power have the next permanent
Man Utd manager at 11/4 for the Special one, Mr. J. Mourinho, Martin O’Neil is at
11/1, Owen Coyle at 16/1, Ryan Giggs at 33/1, and then some big fat comedy odds
on Kevin Keegan at 200/1.
If you want to go
CRAZY stick a couple of note on Manchester united getting relegated, that’s at
1500/1 with Ladbrokes. Let’s not forget
that Manchester United won last season by nine points and two clear wins ahead
of their nearest rivals, they only lost four games all season, and their goal difference
was +41 (78 scored, 37 conceded), do you need to know more?
Prediction: Glory, glory Man Utd. Come what may, come May the defending champions will
be hoisting the trophy (again).