Anyone seen that advert doing the rounds lately where an annoying ginger kid chirps on about how optimistic he is that a new football season is starting? He dons his little scarf and clicks his heels at the front door, his smug face has all the smarm of a stage school brat, so much so that you can only hope there’s a rabid Rottweiler waiting for him on the other side. Maybe it’s because he looks and sounds like a Manchester United fan that I want the cocky little git to be mauled into bite-sized dog food. Or maybe his inane, Hallmark speech about the fuzzy feeling you get when the season kicks off is enough to make me nearly choke on my bile.
Following an often dire and disappointing World Cup where we’ve had to endure everything from El Tel singing to Brian Blessed shouting Shakespeare at us I really think I’ve just had enough of unwarranted eulogising about the beautiful game. At the world cup, after all the bombastic hype, so many players, coaches and games didn’t deliver it was a wonder it wasn’t sponsored by my local takeaway. My love of the game had taken a bit of bruising in that four weeks so it seemed reasonable then that I approached the weekend’s community shield with a measure of apathy. It didn’t take long for that to change. Expecting a dour preseason plod we instead got a decent game and all of a sudden the passion had returned. It’s not quite the fuzzy, just like-a-kid feeling that the advert lamely portrays – otherwise I’d be spewing chunks – but, even so, it’s good to have proper football back again isn’t it?
A flattering score line will have deluded United fans further but I think there was plenty in the match for us to get excited about for the season ahead. The lack of sharpness was apparent in the first half, passes were a bit slow, ginger maestro Scholes (who can also be seen in the 80’s flick The ‘Burbs) was afforded too much space and we didn’t create much in the final third. What we did do was control the game. The second half the tempo was raised and United were wobbling on the ropes for most of it but unfortunately the killer punch failed to materialise. A lack of concentration in defence, the theme of our preseason, once again robbed us of just rewards. A bad day at the office for Ashley Cole this time not helping us shore up the backline. For me the positives far outweighed the negatives though. It was a pleasure to see Essien rampaging through ninety minutes, looking like he hasn’t been away for five minutes let alone five months. The forty yard slide pass to Sturridge was simply magnificent. Also brilliant was Sturridge himself, this could be the year when he finds consistency and breaks into the first team. He had an exciting cameo, showing the direct pace of Kalou and some of the close skills of Anelka. All he needs is to learn how to finish like Drogba and he’ll be one hell of a forward, he’s definitely one to watch this season. I also like Malouda in the slightly deeper midfield position, his ability to break from the centre and run at defences scares the life out of them. Benayoun looks like he can run from the centre or out wide as well so the options for our formations and line ups is head-scratchingly superb.
The international break is annoying for all concerned but at least it means more game time for some of the players and more match sharpness. I think we’ll be more than ready to take three points off West Brom come Saturday. If we can add Ramires soon then the midfield can bulldoze through teams this season. Adding another powerful, box-to-box midfielder into our already muscular engine room is a thrilling prospect. Ballack was an incredible player for us but the legs were starting to go whereas Ramires will hustle, pass, move and get on the end of things all day long. Carlo’s had a year now to get to know the league, with the addition of Ramires and the new, young talent coming through, if anything, it looks even more promising than last season. The new season is going to be something to get very excited about…
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