Favourites? With this man back in the side, of course we are.
It may not be a popular opinion among United fans but there’s a case to be made that Mancini’s mind games last season had an effect on the title race. Despite having no great love for him, the City boss deserves a bit of credit where it’s due.
As his team faltered and seemingly handed an unsurmountable lead to United, Mancini dismissed City’s title chances even when they controlled their own destiny. Whether it had any effect on his players or helped lull United into a false sense of security is open to debate but there’s no denying that as soon as Mancini claimed City wouldn’t win the league, they began looking more like a side that would.
Mancini lifted the pressure from his side and placed it firmly with Sir Alex’s and unlike any other season bar perhaps 1997/98 the Reds faltered in the final furlong when title number twenty seemed almost assured.
It seems the City boss has been at it again, trying to put the pressure on the Reds by claiming we’re favourites for the title.
Mancini recently stated:
“I think United start as the favourite team this year.
“We are maybe second, third or fourth position. I am confident with my players. We won the last championship because we deserved to win. We won in the last minute but we deserved it. Also because we beat a fantastic team like United. For this, I’m confident with my players.”
Although that may seem like a touch of the false disbelief in his side that Mancini is becoming renowned for this time I think the City boss is actually spot on.
In the last campaign United began the season with no Paul Scholes, a goalkeeper unaccustomed to the Premier League, then lost the likes of Tom Cleverley for a number of months, Danny Welbeck just as he was hitting top form and more tellingly Nemanja Vidic for the entire season.
Looking ahead to the coming season, United should have a much stronger goalkeeper, defence – despite the injuries- midfield and even attack as Danny Welbeck and Chicharito can hopefully move up a notch.
City on the other hand have the same squad that won the title on goal difference, just imagine if they’d just missed out without Vincent Kompany and he now returned?
Although the balance can shift with just one signing- no I’m not going to mention the Dutchman- and the idea that City could finish fourth is laughable the little Italian does make a point.
No one really likes to start anything as favourites as it often adds unwanted pressure and the bookies certainly don’t agree with Mancini as nearly all of them favour City. Call me over-optimistic but I think with Nemanja back and the addition of Shinji Kagawa in particular, the squad looks stronger than it did last season so why shouldn’t United be favourites?
Do you agree? As it stands do you think United are set to ‘regain’ our trophy or is it City’s to lose?
Answers on a brick through the usual window or comment below:
Follow me on twitter for Red nonsense @RFFH
Every time these dick heads open their mouths it sounds like the same one, anyone else noticed that??! Its always overblown confidence, calling us rags, calling the best club manager of all time bacon face. I can’t make my mind up if it actually is the same Bertie just going under different usernames. Sorry to state the obvious but isn’t it pathetic to witness? The fans they call rags are the ones who fill our stadium every game and the ones who’d fill theirs only for modern day ticket restrictions. They’re also the ones who outnumber them 10 to 1 in Manchester but the sad pricks love to teach the rest of the country it’s the opposite. They go through more managers in 20 years than any other club, winning absolutely FUCK all for 34 years then get lots of money donated to them, win the league in injury time of the final game & all of a sudden they’re world beaters. If they hadn’t been the lucky charity cases who the Arabs chose they’d still be feeding goats, waving around inflatable fruit, boasting about how big the floodlights & pitch were at Maine Road & doing their thick, Unimaginative chants like “cum on citeh” at Hereford & Doncaster. And they think they can go toe to toe with us. Laugh MY fuckin ass off!!! One Love
United will do very well to finish 3rd.
Quite simply, City and Chelsea both have much better squads.
Goodbye Fergie.
Agreed, CB. SAF should be history before Utd becomes history like Liverpool or Arsenal.
oh dear, you have made 2 major signings including one from Crewe? The usual twetings from Rug head and the man from Rio. They are great but cheap, but can manure afford any more expensive mind games than these?
what can YOU as in your little club afford Durban boy if you hadn’t had your sorry little arses pimped. You call us fucking arrogant, we’ve dominated English football for 20 years and some little pimped upstarts edge a title & your now the greatest and will be for ever more??? Tits
why is there so many sad picks of city fans readin a united blog?.A as for Mancini i know 4 year old’s that could of managed that team and not have 2 relie on goal diffance and of corse we’r favourites we always are UNITED have always and will always be the team 2 beat