BPL Game Week 4 Preview

This week’s game in focus is Bolton hosting Reading at the Reebok. Sammy Lee desperately needs a result tonight so let’s take a look at his prospects.

Bolton v Reading

Three straight losses and Lil’ Sammy is the fore-runner in the race to get sack first. His attempts in altering the system that work so well under the more illustrious Sam seem to reap little, if any, rewards. Such is the distress in the dressing room that Anelka and Diouf have both invoked rumours of moving elsewhere. He does possess a decent team that could produce better results under different circumstances. Nolan needs to pick him and the team up, and drive them forward. The key concern is the evidently frail defense that has not filled the void left by Ben-Haim. It is now or never for Sammy

Reading on the other hand is having an excellent start to the season. 4 points from a possible 9, 6 of which came against Chelsea and Manchester United. The win was no walk in the park either, against a resurgent Everton side. They look initially good for a squad that has relatively mediocre paper quality. Their strength lies not in the team but in their manager. Steve Coppell is achieving as a manager, what he was not able to as a player after retiring prematurely. But there is only so much a manager can do.

Losing twice to Reading last season, Bolton will be looking to exact revenge and get their first proper result of the season.

Last Season’s Head-2-Head

English Premier Bolton Wanderers 1-3 Reading 21-04-2007

English Premier Reading 1-0 Bolton Wanderers 02-12-2006

Score Prediction: Bolton 1-0 Reading

Final Notes: Sammy will get his first win tonight to ease the pressure off him, and his team. Reading has flown high enough, and what goes up must come down.

BPL Game Week 3 Preview: Part II

Three sizzling Sunday matches awaits as the three big teams that played last Sunday, will again play this Sunday in overlapping times. Let’s take a quick look at the three games and size up how each team should do.

Manchester City vs Manchester United

City has a 100% start to the season so far but against arguably lesser opponents. This is where the real test comes. A United side still looking for their first win of the season travel just a couple of miles to the City of Manchester Stadium in what is a familiar yet hostile environment will be out to kill. Other than the absence of Isaksson, Sven virtually has a full strength squad to choose from and looking at the past two matches, they will probably play a 4-5-1 formation without much change to the personnel on the pitch. We all know David Dunne is susceptible to pace and how he handles Tevez will determine whether City can hold on for a draw. Expect to see a goal contrived by Petrov and/or Bianchi and/or Elano, the backbone of City’s attack.

Manchester United’s cursed start to the season continues with Rooney out for extended periods and Ronaldo suspended for three matches. The team that is to be put out is still reasonable by United’s standards, but once again the question is can they score more than they will invariably concede? Tevez particularly would play in a big role in this game as I feel most of the pressure of not having Rooney and Ronaldo will rest on his shoulders. He will revel in being the focal point of attack and should create space for Scholes, Giggs and Nani to do their stuff. Ferdinand may find trouble handling the strength and presence of Bianchi and he should be thankful that he has Vidic by his side.

Score Prediction: Manchester City 1-2 Manchester United

Final Notes: The only reason why I think United will win this is the fact that if they do not, alarm bells will certainly start ringing. City though, could spring a surprise.

Blackburn vs Arsenal

Blackburn is a team whose pre-season started earlier as they were involved in the Inter-Toto competition. This could mean the team peaking earlier than the others and could put them in good stead against Arsenal. The challenge for Mark Hughes is to maintain the team’s performance throughout the season and not let them peak too early and die off late into the campaign. Bright starts from Derbyshire and Santa Cruz in the first game could see either or both starting in this match. They look reasonable in all departments so far and have a variety of options going forward. Pedersen should be running the show for them again tonight.

Arsenal’s youths came back from a goal down last week to clinch the game against Fulham but this is a different ball game all together. They will have to stay focused and disciplined throughout the game if they were to get any result from this fixture. Eduardo has yet to play and I believe everyone is excited to see him in action. Jens Lehmann needs to sort himself out and put in a sound and confident performance this week to make up for last week’s gaffe, and the same goes to the entire defense that looked shaky at times, making uncharacteristic mistakes.

Score Prediction: Blackburn 2-1 Arsenal

Final Notes: Blackburn is a team already in gear while Arsenal’s still trying to sort themselves out defensively. The Gunners are good for a goal and could force a draw, but I see Blackburn putting in a competent performance to clinch this one.

Liverpool vs Chelsea

Liverpool sees this as a good chance to inflict a blow on Chelsea’s title challenge and proclaim their own as they face an injury-hit squad that looks suspect in defense, especially when Liverpool have the likes of Torres and Gerrard pushing forward. Terry’s possible inclusion will be a much welcomed sight. As much as I see Liverpool scoring, I also foresee that the Liverpool defense will not be able to handle Didier Drogba and he will cause a lot of problems for them.

Both teams have recent history against one another, and Benitez and Mourinho are not exactly the best of pals. I expect this to be a hot-blooded affair as a victory for either team will be a big step towards claiming the title. The one-on-one match ups of the night that will be interesting for the fans are – Lampard-Gerrard, Carvalho-Torres, Drogba-Agger pairings. Glen Johnson will have to contain an explosive Riise too if Chelsea were to get anything out of this game and the same goes for the Liverpool defense in handling the threat that Malouda poses.

Score Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea

Final Notes: I feel both teams will score, and the match will likely end up a draw. But I could not help but hope for a Liverpool victory to make the race for the title that little bit more interesting.

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Three big games in three time slots that overlap, how stupid. Oh well, we make the best of what we can and maybe what we can do is watch the game that interests us the most. So much for the promise of better quality for increased rates. Anyway, have a good night catching the games, and a good working week ahead. Melvin, out...

BPL Game Week 3 Preview: Part I

While everyone’s attention will be on the big clash between Liverpool and Chelsea on Sunday, I have decided to focus on solely one match that would be of almost equivalent significance but has been overshadowed by the Red vs Blue encounter – Newcastle vs Aston Villa. Both are decent teams with good managers who should both be aiming for Europe this season, and both deserve decent media coverage, as much as that big encounter.

Newcastle vs Aston Villa

Newcastle

The Magpies may be missing quite a few first team players like Duff, Barton and Babayaro but the figure whose inability to feature tonight could have a major bearing on the result is Shay Given. When the defense finally looks like they have moved on from the Boumsong-Bramble days, they will be without their steady custodian. Steve Harper may be a reasonable talent, but the variety that the Villa attack has means he would have to handle shots from all over the pitch, crosses and headers. How he performs tonight would determine how many Villa can score.

Sam Alladyce has developed a unique footballing philosophy that brought success to Bolton and here at Newcastle, he has managed to assemble a team that could outshine his achievements at the Reebok. Compact, disciplined, hard and patient while defending and when they get the ball, they have several options. They could throw the ball out wide to N’Zogbia or Milner to attack down the flanks or drop balls behind the full-backs for them to chase, go route one towards Viduka who could play off to Martins, hold the ball up or barge forward on his own, or they could build up from the middle and look to play the ball into space for Martins to pounce on. This is the variety of options up front that makes Newcastle so dangerous and when combined with Big Sam’s belief in making full use of their set-pieces, it will arguably be a complete strategy.

He brought fans expectations to a new high, which has never been higher since they purchased Alan Shearer and the excellent start to the season certainly brings much promise. Mark my words: Newcastle is one of the few teams in the league that will be able to have a hand on how the title race is decided as they are capable of springing surprises on every single one of the Big 5.

Newcastle Probable 11: Harper, Geremi, Taylor, Rozehnal, Carr, N’Zogbia, Milner, Butt, Smith, Viduka, Martins

Strengths: Variety of options up-front, disciplined, excellent manager

Weakness: No Shay Given

Aston Villa

This could be billed as the Battle of the Gaffers as both teams seems equally matched on paper and it could go down to the managers to separate the two teams. Villa has an arguably better first team who moves forward quite similarly to Newcastle. The difference is that Newcastle has two holding midfield players, one of which is allowed to join in the attack, and plays two forwards, while Villa has only one holding midfielder and plays one forward.

Agbonlahor looked ordinary in Villa’s opening game and it was Ashley Young who came up with an inspired second-half performance to be a nuisance against Liverpool. John Carew should have a better outing this time round as I foresee Geremi and Taylor having problems handling his strength and presence. The weak-link in Villa when facing Newcastle could be Wilfred Bouma and O’Neil will be hoping his experience will be able to make up for his lack of pace against Milner.

Scott Carson should come in and start in goal after completing his loan move to replace the injured Sorensen, and would relish the chance to impress McClaren and make a claim for a spot in England’s European challenge. Another player that I expect to make an impact tonight for Villa is Petrov but contending with the two holding midfielders that Newcastle deploys could pose a problem. The key to victory in this game for Villa is how Carew conducts himself, and how much his teammates are able to get him involved tonight.

Aston Villa Probable 11: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma, Gardner, Barry, Petrov, Reo-Coker, Young, Agbonlahor, Carew

Strengths: Creativity in the middle, John Carew’s presence, excellent man-manager

Weaknesses: Depth in squad, pace on the wide of defense

Score Prediction: Newcastle 2-2 Aston Villa

Final Notes: I actually fancy Big Sam getting a result on his home debut, but his defense showed they were shaky handling the likes of Davis in the first game against Bolton and now they face an even stronger opponent in the form of John Carew. Villa should grind out a result after their disappointment against Liverpool last week. Goals should be scored by both teams and I expect an exciting match.

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Ok I was just kidding when I said I would overlook the massive match between Liverpool and Chelsea, as well as a certain Manchester derby. They will be previewed tomorrow. Till then, enjoy the action tonight. Melvin, out...

BPL Game Week 2

Midweek action this week as we see 14 teams face off against one another in early season fixture congestion. This time we take a look at last season’s top 2, both playing a tricky away game.

Portsmouth vs Manchester United

Team Update

In their previous encounter against Reading, United had a massive share of possession but could not turn them into goals. Reading sat back defending deep, leaving little room for United to play their counter-attacking style of play, where players will push the ball forward into space and run at defenders. They were obviously not accustomed to passing the ball around and looking for openings patiently, something a team like Barcelona would be adapted to. This was further compounded with their lack of a target man which could act as an extra option to play the ball to if there were limited opportunities to run at defenders. Ah yes, Rooney is injured again meaning Tevez will be drafted into the action earlier than Sir Alex would like.

This time round, it would unlikely that Portsmouth will be adopting Reading’s style of play as they would feel they could snatch something away from this game, rather than settle for a draw, since Fratton Park has always been a fortress. Once again it has to be said that the trio of David James, Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin will be a very tough nut to crack, was quite surprised that they conceded 2 goals against Derby which could be one-off, or could spell underlying possible fractures. Yet, Portsmouth are capable of scoring as seen in pre-season and in their first game against Derby. With talent like Nugent, Utaka and Benjani leading the forward line, the mercurial Lua Lua will be missed, but not much. The weak link lies in their wide positions in defense, where Lauren and Hreidarsson are prone to lapses in concentration, as well as a lack of pace to keep up with United’s speed. If Portsmouth deploys the same tactic as Reading of having the defense and midfield sitting deep whenever they do not have possession, it may again cause some problems for United.

Portsmouth Probable 11: David James, Sol Campbell, Sylvain Distin, Lauren, Hermann Hreidarsson, Pedro Mendes, Sean Davis, Sulley Muntari, John Utaka, David Nugent, Benjani Mwaruwari

Manchester United Probable 11: Edwin van Der Sar, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Mikael Silvestre, Wes Brown, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Partrice Evra, Cristiano Ronaldo, John O’Shea, Carlos Tevez

Head-2-Head

English Premier Portsmouth 2-1 Man United 07-04-2007

English FA Cup Man United 2-1 Portsmouth 27-01-2007

English Premier Man United 3-0 Portsmouth 04-11-2006

English Premier Portsmouth 1-3 Man United 11-02-2006

English Premier Man United 3-0 Portsmouth 03-12-2005

Score Prediction: Portsmouth 1-3 Manchester United

Final Notes: I expect United to sort themselves out and put in a strong performance. Portsmouth is worth as least a goal in this game because of their respectable strike-force and United’s defensive frailties. The question here is can United score more than they concede, and how much can Tevez contribute on his debut. United will be looking to avenge the coresponding fixture last seasonwhen they lost 2-1. I anticipate this game like a giggling girly.

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Reading vs Chelsea

Team Update

Terry’s presence in defense is sorely missed, as demonstrated by the two goals Chelsea conceded against Birmingham. Even this would not stop Chelsea from keeping a clean sheet in this game. Moreover they possess a variety of quality going forward, scoring 3 different kinds of goals against Steve Bruce’s side and threatening in every tactical form of attack that football possesses – speed and trickery wide which sends crosses in, driving midfield middle that are good from range, a goal poacher and a strong target man who can hold up the ball well and involve his teammates with intelligent play. It has to be noted that this was all done against a team that did not look comfortable as a defensive unit. I do not expect Chelsea to let up though, and they should put in another sterling offensive display to clinch a result. If Chelsea manages to have a 2 goal cushion before the 60^th minute, I expect to see Sidwell, Drogba and Joe Cole coming on as substitutes for match fitness.

It is precisely the variety in attacking options that they have that would pose as a tactical dilemma to Steve Coppell. Certainly his sit-back-and-defend tactics would not hold out against a quality side like Chelsea. Reading lacks the quality going forward and attempt to match Chelsea goal for goal to try to get a result. As a result, I believe Reading will not be able to get even a point from this fixture and their best option is actually to do some damage limitation. One thing that could prove to be useful is to employ a rough-and-tough approach to the game and try to throw Chelsea’s players off-focus by riling them up. Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Ashley Cole, Ben-Haim, Carvalho all are susceptible to such treatment and could react.

Reading Probable 11: Marcus Hahnemann, Ulises De la Cruz, Michael Duberry, Ivar Ingimarsson, Graeme Murty, Nicky Shorey, Brynjar Gunnarsson, James Harper, Stephen Hunt, Seol Ki-Hyeon, Kevin Doyle

Chelsea Probable 11: Petr Cech, Tal Ben-Haim, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Glen Johnson, Frank Lampard, Jon Obi Mikel, Sean Wright-Phillips, Florient Malouda, Salomon Kalou, Claudio Pizarro

Head-2-Head

English Premier Chelsea 2-2 Reading 26-12-2006

English Premier Reading 0-1 Chelsea 14-10-2006

English League Cup Reading 0-1 Chelsea 03-12-2003

English League Cup Chelsea 3-2 Reading 07-10-1987

English League Cup Reading 3-1 Chelsea 23-09-1987

Score Prediction: Reading 0-3 Chelsea

Final Notes: Reading will find tactical problems in handling this offensively excellent Chelsea side and the result is inevitable. How big the margin will be will depend on how many minutes Mourinho tells his side to go full steam.

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Tonight we will see Spurs hoping to put the shock defeat by Sunderland behind them as they face an Everton side fresh from a moral-boosting win over the weekend. The other matches on Thursday early morning include Steve Bruce’s Birmingham attempting to set the record straight against a buoyant Sunderland and show them who was last season’s champions, Fulham and Bolton face each other fresh from agonizing defeats, another wound-licking fest is Wigan at home to Middlesbrough, and Man City will try to make it two wins on the trot against a Derby side that performed beyond expectations last weekend, and trust me their first game was just a one off as I expect City to boss them around.

Here’s a good mid-week to all and I’ll catch you over the weekend.

BPL Game Week 1

Here we are boys and girls, the time of the year is finally here. Weekends will no longer be uneventful as the new season heralds its arrival. For every game week, this space will preview (a maximum of) 3-4 games that I would call “Games of the Week”. The preview will include team news and updates, head-to-heads, possible lineups and score predictions.

To start off the season, we will ponder the fortunes of 6 teams, all of whom would be looking for a good start to European dreams, or survive the relegation nightmare.

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Sunderland vs Tottenham Hotspur

Team Updates:

Keano has made numerous purchases this pre-season but what he has in numbers, he lacks in quality. His best buy would probably be Kieran Richardson whose experience with WBA’s relegation battle a couple of seasons back would prove very useful indeed. Breaking the bank to purchase a goalkeeper, especially when the real need is quality in defense and up-front, leaves many perplexed. Being able to land Mido would be a major coup but one concern will be the relationship that would develop between the two of them. If he manages to rub off his winning mentality and no-nonsense style to the team, Sunderland may very well survive the drop.

Many have come out and predicted that this is the season where Spurs chances of a 4^th place finish is at it brightest. Having a good mix of experience and youthful exuberance, I would have to agree. How Jol manages his team and keeping the talent in the team happy with his squad rotation will be vital to the club’s success this season. A real exciting force going forward, scoring goals will not be a problem. If Younes Kaboul forms a stiff partnership with King and justifies his billing; while Kevin-Prince goes royalty on opponents, there is no reason why Tottenham won’t do well this season. A good result in their first game will be an excellent morale booster for a club with a mission this season.

Sunderland Probable Line-up: Craig Gordon, Greg Halford, Paul McShane, Nyron Nosworthy, Ross Wallace, Liam Miller, Dean Whitehead, Kieran Richardson, Dickson Etuhu, Daryl Murphy, Michael Chopra

Tottenham Probable Line-up: Paul Robinson, Pascal Chimbonda, Rocha, Michael Dawson, Younes Kaboul, Didier Zokora, Jermaine Jenas, Tom Huddlestone, Dimitar Berbatov, Robbie Keane, Darren Bent

Head-2-Head

English Premier Sunderland 1-1 Tottenham 12-02-2006

English Premier Tottenham 3-2 Sunderland 03-12-2005

English Premier Tottenham 4-1 Sunderland 08-02-2003

English Premier Sunderland 2-0 Tottenham 10-11-2002

English Premier Tottenham 2-1 Sunderland 02-03-2002

Score Prediction: Sunderland 0-1 Tottenham

Final Notes: I believe Spurs will dominate the game but will be only able to put one away as the gears are not fully oiled. Sunderland will be physical and make it very tough for Spurs. It will be interesting to see if Sunderland can shut out the lethal Spurs strike-force and hold on for a draw.

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West Ham vs Manchester City

Team Updates

Sven is looking to add even more players as his pre-season transfer frenzy will only seem to only end when Thaksin’s wallet is empty. Mark Bresciano almost became his 9^th signing but last minute disagreement between the clubs meant a collapse in the deal. Well I can tell you that guessing the first eleven for City is like throwing a dagger blindfolded. Sven is well-known for his tinkering style of management and you will never know what he has under his sleeve. The players he has at his disposal are a real exciting bunch, with Bianchi, Bojinov and Gelson topping the list. The impressive players on paper will take time to be a team and a draw here will be a good result for the Sky Blues.

Curbishley ain’t no dead-fish in the transfer window as well, adding 5 signings this season to his couple of others last season; Craig Bellamy, Freddie Lujngberg and Julien Faubert ranking in as his stellar purchases. His first eleven will however be slightly more predictable, especially in defense and midfield where squad rotation will only be done when tactically necessary. They look very dangerous going forward which will be vital as their defense looks untested, this we can wait and see.

West Ham Probable Lineup: Robert Green, Lucas Neil, Matthew Upson, Anton Ferdinand, George McCartney, Freddie Ljungberg, Luis Boa Morte, Scott Parker/Lee Bowyer, Matthew Etherington, Craig Bellamy, Dean Ashton/ Bobby Zamora

Manchester City Probable Lineup: Andreas Isaksson, Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha, David Dunne, Javier Garrido, Geovanni Deiderson Mauricio Gomez, Gelson Fernandes, Martin Petrov, Elano Blumer, Rolando Bianchi, Valeri Bojinov

Head-2-Head

English Premier West Ham United 0-1 Manchester City 30-12-2006

English Premier Manchester City 2-0 West Ham United 23-09-2006

English Premier West Ham United 1-0 Manchester City 15-04-2006

English FA Cup Manchester City 1-2 West Ham United 20-03-2006

English Premier Manchester City 2-1 West Ham United 16-10-2005

Score Prediction: West Ham 3-2 Manchester City

Final Notes: Will be a close affair with lots of goals as both defenses are unproven and relatively new playing together. I see the Hammers edging in front because of home ground advantage.

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Aston Villa vs Liverpool

Team Updates

Martin O’Neil is still looking for a couple more signings to add to his worryingly thin squad, especially in defense. He possesses quality that would need to stay fit throughout a grueling season in order to launch a serious League or Cup run. I suspect he is looking at reaching Europe through a Cup backdoor. An excellent man-manager and motivator, he has lots of work to do if his squad remains the same. His strongest asset is the solid midfield pairing of Stiliyan Petrov and Nigel Reo-Coker. The youthful Ashley Young, Luke Moore and Gabriel Agbonlahor all look good in pre-season and I expect them to spearhead the Villa offense, playing off John Carew or Marlon Harewood.

The perennial League underachievers the past decade, Benitez has no excuses this season. His heftily assembled squad smacks of quality all round and it is about time they make a real challenge on the League title. The array of talent in the squad this season is arguably as good as what Manchester United and Chelsea has. He can mix and match his options going forward as per tactically required and I believe that the defense will be as stingy as ever, if Pepe Reina keeps his antics locked away. Many see Torres as the answer but I beg to differ, as I believe it will once again be Steven Gerrard pushing the team forward while everyone else plays their bit part role. A good result in this first game is absolutely vital.

Aston Villa Probable Line-up: Stuart Taylor, Wilfred Bouma, Olof Mellberg, Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill, Stiliyan Petrov, Nigel Reo-Coker, Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor, John Carew, Patrick Berger/Luke Moore

Liverpool Probable Line-up: Pepe Reina, Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, Fernando Torres, Jermaine Pennant, Ryan Babel, Dirk Kuyt

Head-2-Head

English Premier Aston Villa 0-0 Liverpool 18-03-2007

English Premier Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa 28-10-2006

English Premier Liverpool 3-1 Aston Villa 29-04-2006

English Premier Aston Villa 0-2 Liverpool 05-11-2005

English Premier Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa 15-05-2005

Score Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool

Final Notes: Villa’s quality going forward should be able to come up with one goal, especially when their pace gets behinds the defense. Liverpool should come through and stamp their intentions for the season Will Torres score on his debut? Will Reina perform another memorable clowning performance? The more questions we have, the more eagerly anticipated the match is.

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The other matches for this game week will see Sam Alladyce kicking off his time at Tyneside at the club he left for Newcastle last season, Bolton. Derby will start their fight for survival against a Portsmouth side looking to display their European credentials. Everton and Wigan will try to show the other directions to relegation. Blackburn will hope to build from last season’s achievements as they visit Middlesbrough. The Young Guns will start their campaign at home to relegation hopefuls Fulham. Chelsea’s injury-ridden squad faces a Birmingham side raring to make an impression this season. And champions Manchester United will look to show Steve Coppell that he has to read up a little more if he were to guide Reading to safety.

BPL (Week 0) - Community Shield Preview

After months the wait is finally over, the Barclays Premier League is about to have its curtain raiser tonight - The FA Community Shield. Some may call it the cursed Shield as the winners very seldom go on to win the League. Here is a short presentation on my feelings and thoughts on the proceedings tonight. Both teams are barely done with their pre-season preparations and would probably view tonight's match as another warm up.

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CHELSEA

The list of injuries may have shorten somewhat but several notable players like Ballack will not see any action tonight. What is interesting is whether Mourinho will play a 4-4-2 formation or a 4-3-3. With the former we will probably get to see Shevchenko starting at the expense of Mikel, and the latter he will probably come on as a substitute along with Robben and possibly Pizarro, Ben-Haim or Sidwell. Players to watch for tonight will indefinitely be Didier Drogba and Florian Malouda. Boasting a sound defense and forward-line spearheaded by the Ivorian, Chelsea will look to inflict a psychological blow on the Red Devils.

Probable Lineup:

Cech, Terry, Carvalho, Ferreira, A. Cole, Lampard, Mikel, Makelele, Malouda, J. Cole, Drogba

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MANCHESTER UNITED

The mood of pre-season will seem even more obvious in the Red camp as they will probably not field their best 11 since many are injured or lack match-fitness. The real test comes in defense in trying to handle the likes of Drogba, Malouda and Joe Cole. Always looking excellent going forward, I will expect United to field a 4-5-1 formation that plays on the swift counter. Rooney and Ronaldo will take turns being the lone man up-front while the latter will probably be handed the free-role that he played with such devastation last season. Substitutes that I would expect to see play a part in the proceedings include O’Shea and Nani.

Probable Lineup:

Van der Sar, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Brown, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher, Ronaldo, Rooney

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The competitive spirit in both teams will overshadow the pre-season atmosphere, but don't expect either team to push themselves too much. Chelsea could possibly edge Manchester by the odd goal, and I see both teams scoring at least one. For the sake of the neutrals, I hope this will not turn out to be a bore-fest.