The off-season has been a peculiar one for Manchester United fans, and certainly a new experience for those accustomed to the big-spending days of the last few years. Only one signing - albeit an expensive one - and perhaps one more to come before the transfer window closes - not a sign of a club desperate to regain the top spot it held for over a decade, or so the tabloids would have you think. Michael Carrick, for all the controversy surrounding his price tag, is an accomplished midfielder and should fit well into the United system. His age is a definite advantage, and he could form the core of the next generation of Manchester United players, with Wayne Rooney, David Jones, Cristiano Ronaldo(?), Giuseppe Rossi, Jonny Evans, Gerard Pique, Kieran Richardson, Ben Foster, Wes Brown and Lee Martin. Of course, it is likely that a couple of the youngsters may fail to make the grade at United, but the majority of them appear to have the skills necessary to succeed at the very highest level. Lee Martin and Jonny Evans have been especially impressive in pre-season, and if they continue that form into their loan spells at Rangers and Royal Antwerp, respectively, they should push for a first-team spot next season.
While the future for United appears bright, it is the lightweight nature of the current squad that is the biggest source of concern. The Red Devils played most of the second half of the season with Ryan Giggs and John O'Shea in central midfield due to the departure of captain Roy Keane and an injury to talismanic playmaker Paul Scholes. Although they acquitted themselves better than expected, it is highly doubtful that the greatest left-winger of his generation and a converted left-back can sustain their form through an entire season in unfamiliar positions. Michael Carrick will be expected to take on the role of deep-lying playmaker, and the return of Paul Scholes will further bolster the centre of the midfield. However, the team still lacks a genuine ball-winner in midfield. The rumoured arrival of either Marcos Senna or the younger Owen Hargreaves should solve that problem, though the team's bench strength is still limited. Perhaps Ferguson will use this season as a chance to blood the very talented David Jones, who is back from loan spells with Preston North End and NEC Nijmegen, and should leapfrog Darren Fletcher and the hapless Liam Miller in the midfielders' pecking order. If he continues to develop as expected, he could be the box-to-box midfielder to replace the erstwhile irreplaceable Roy Keane.
With the departure of Ruud van Nistelrooy to Real Madrid, and no replacement signed, it would appear that Manchester United will struggle to score goals regularly this season, but the team has depth in its strikeforce. Louis Saha, Alan Smith and Ole Solskjaer are a handy frontline to have, although Saha and Solskjaer are injury-prone, and Alan Smith is recovering from a major injury. Wayne Rooney needs no introduction - the wonderkid is already the best player in both his club and national teams, and adds an extra zest to every game. Giuseppe Rossi is a much-vaunted prospect, scoring goals for fun in the reserve league, and this will be the season where he has to step up a level.
It is telling that some of United's best performances last season were when Saha, and not van Nistelrooy, played up front. Ruud van Nistelrooy was, and is still a fantastic player, but he has lost a yard or two of pace, and the lack of service from the wings left him even more isolated up front. With such meagre resources in midfield, United needed a more mobile striker to complement Rooney's hard running, and Saha fit the bill perfectly. Smith's return to action by September should give United more options up front, and as long as two of the five forwards - not to mention Carrick and Scholes, who will have to create chances - stay fit, goals will not be a problem.
With the imminent arrival of Hargreaves, United's midfield should start to look somewhat decent this season. An area of concern in coming seasons will be the two wings - with Ryan Giggs nearing the end of a fantastic career, and Ronaldo not likely to stay beyond the next two seasons, Richardson, Martin and Park will be the only wingers left at the club. Park may be a good squad player, but at the moment does not have the necessary quality to help the club win the Premiership. Richardson is a good left-winger and central midfielder, but needs to add some bulk to his slight frame if he is going to succeed. Lee Martin is a fantastic prospect - perhaps the best of the lot - but he is untried at this level. His loan spell at Rangers will provide an opportunity for manager and fans alike to have a closer look at him.
Chelsea may have the strongest squad in England, but Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United have all rebuilt, and this season will most probably be closer than most people expect. Chelsea's midfield seems formidable on paper, but accommodating all those egos may be beyond even José 'The Special One' Mourinho. Tottenham have an exciting young squad that will give some of the best in Europe a run for their money, Arsenal have added Tomáš Rosický to their young and talented midfield, and are unlikely to suffer last season's blip, Liverpool have the best central midfield in England, and Manchester United have finally got a midfield. A five-horse race right until the end may be too much to ask, but every set of supporters from those clubs can realistically expect to be there or thereabouts near the finish. As for me, I can't wait to see Gary Neville lift the trophy above his diminutive head at Old Trafford.
COME ON YOU REDS!
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