Manchester United is a perfect example of American invasion in England. On paper, they appear the best side in the Premier League. With eight Premiership titles in eleven years, Manchester United looks all set to repeat history. The Old Trafford side has an uncanny ability to chase success and glory. Every single time they set foot on the field, they look like a pack of hungry hounds chasing a juicy deer – the cup in this case. With a Championship title last season, Sir Alexander Ferguson’s side is pursuing glory one more time.
United is raring to test the new signings on the battlefield. The clash on Sunday against host side Reading would be a butchering, unless a miracle happens. The Red Devils are on the prowl again with Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson in the squad. However, there is a possibility that they would start on the bench against Reading. Fortunately, there aren’t big injury woes for the side. Paul Scholes has been cleared for the game after a comfortable outing at Dunfermline last week. The only cause for concern is Gary Neville who will be on the sidelines for another three weeks at least. Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have just recovered from knee injuries, but they would perhaps not be playing against Reading. It is expected that they will undergo training for a few more days.
In the Premier League, it has been nothing short of a complete domination by Manchester United since 1992. With an able leader in Sir Alex Ferguson, the club has attained levels that very few teams can hope for. In 1993, they had ended a 26 year title drought by winning the F.A. Premier League. This season was also special for Eric Cantona’s mercurial performance. In his five year stint with the Old Trafford Club, the side had begun its sensational climb to the top. During this period, ManU had won four championships and two FA Cups. Simultaneously, home-players Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs had begun to evolve as world class players. Since then, the side has had star signings in Juan Sebastian Veron and Ruud van Nistelrooy. With these players, Manchester United added an international dimension to its game. Sir Ferguson had contemplated retiring after a satisfying role in building the team. However, the postponement of his decision delighted ManU fans and players alike. Following this, the side signed on Rio Ferdinand after his mind-boggling performance in the World Cup. In the 2002-2003 season, the side’s amazing performance helped it clinch a championship victory against Arsenal. With a stunning lineup that includes Ronaldo, Rooney and Ferdinand, Manchested United is poised for a record 9th victory in the Premier League.
On the other hand, Reading has had a modest Premier League history. They had produced their best performance till date in the 2005-2006 Premier League which helped the side break into the top league. They have showed a lot of promise and it is expected that the side would continue to impress. Like most other teams, they have injury concerns too. They will be taking ManU on without the services of Leroy Lita, Glen Little, Bobby Convey and Ibrahima Sonko. Lita has a hip injury which will take a couple of weeks at least to heal, while Little has heal problems and Convey and Sonko are both recovering from knee surgeries. Although goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann hasn’t completely recovered from his fractured hand, his is expected to play in the opener. Newcomers Kalifa Cisse and Emerse Fae would look to get their first game against ManU. However, there are reports of Fae sitting out as well because of fitness issues.
The match between Manchester United and Reading will be a no contest if you consider their individual records. However, Reading has vastly improved and they have the potential to spring a surprise. So, the game is not over yet.
