The New Look United

We new that there would be big changes at Manchester United this season but none of us thought the squad would look like this. Wow. This has been a watershed transfer window for the club. The Glazers, to their credit, have put their money where their mouth is. 

With all of the new pieces here is how I think United will lineup when the Premier League returns in two weeks. 

This has look of a very good starting 11. I think that they could go 4-3-1-2 but it could morph into anything. 

Which clubs NFL fans support in the BPL

The first full Sunday of the NFL season is here. To honor that event, the Daily Mail has given NFL fans a guide to which Barclays Premier League team that they should support. Its an interesting list, for Eagles fans out there they said we should pick West Brom. 

The sky is not falling, its just a black cloud

Today was almost a complete disaster at Manchester United. It seemed that everything that they touched or CEO Ed Woodward touched went up in flames. From the mess with Herrara in Spain to leaving the Fellaini deal to 3 minutes before the close of the window. But today is more of a dark cloud rather than a great club falling apart. 

The biggest issue for Manchester United at the start of the transfer window was either finding a replacement for Wayne Rooney or keeping him. In the end, Rooney did not move, which is the best for everyone involved.  Last year Rooney and RVP looked like a dynamic duo and lead us to title number 20. 

Then today, despite leaving it till the 11th hour United beefed up their midfield by getting Fellaini in the fold finally. Sure did they have to pay a little more for then at first, yes. But that is money and to a club like United it means nothing. Fellaini gives us something that we have been trying to replace since Roy Keane left the club, a physical box to box midfielder. I like Herrara but right now we have a bunch of skilled midfielders that we can play, we lacked that physical force. 

Sure Woodward is a complete dope and should not be handling our transfer policies, but now is the time to get behind our club. Our squad is deep and we have the tools to keep our title. So I ask all United fans to forget about today and focus on defending our title. 

NBCSN already have a big impact on EPL ratings

This past weekend kick off the start of the Premier League on NBCSN and it has been a success at least from a ratings point of view. According to Richard Deitsch, the media reporter for Sports Illustrated, NBCSN saw a 67 percent increase in ratings over last years opening weekend, which was broadcast on ESPN and Fox Soccer Channel. That is an amazing number and shows the continued growth of the sport in this country.

Premier League Coverage is No Longer a Joke

For years American fans of the Premier League have had to deal with low budget Fox Soccer Channel, now that has all changed.  Premier League is making inroads into American culture and that is expected to continue as NBC Sports Network takes over coverage of the League in America.

Live Blog: FA COMMUNITY SHIELD

David Moyes leads Manchester United in his first trophy against Wigan in the Community Shield, live coverage tomorrow starting at 8:30 a.m.

How United's class of 2013 stacks up to the iconic '92 class

In Manchester United history the Class of '92 holds a special meeting but could this years crop of youngsters measure up to them. This years class has been compared to the historic class.

You don't know what got till its gone

For the last decade and a half Fox Soccer has been the voice of the Barclays Premier League in this country and that ended on Sunday. It's going to be sad not to have the EPL on FSC. While FSC has made it's mistakes over the years if it was not for them the EPL would not have the footprint that it has in this country.

I remember the days of the premier league having one match a week on pay per view I remember having to watch the games on my girl friend fathers chipped box and that was less than a decade ago. The one game that I remember from that pay per view era was the game that Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira getting into their tunnel bust up at Highbury. That seems like a lifetime ago at this point.

On the last Sunday of the season, you could watch every game that played. That just seemed like a dream 10 years ago. 

Next year the Premier League will be on NBC Sports.The plan is to show every game on a bunch of devices. So good luck to them next year, but lets not forget what FSC has done for soccer in this country and the impact that they have had on Premier League in this country. Because of them names like Rooney, Terry, Wenger, are as well known as James, Brady and Kane.

Overkill on Golden Balls

So yesterday David Beckham said goodbye to soccer. This morning I woke up and checked the beIn sports app to see what the soccer schedule was this weekend and to my surprise the first four stories where tied to Golden Balls. I'm for covering his retirement but don't you think, that is a little overkill.

The Cover Story: Fergie Says Goodbye

Around England, there is only one story this morning and that is the retirement of Sir Alex as manager at Manchester United. Its not just a big in England, its huge news all over the world. Here is a sampling of the front pages from around United Kingdom.

Thank You Sir Alex

 Last night, I went to bed to thinking that Sir Alex would still be the manager of Manchester United when I woke up. These rumors have been around for years and you never thought that they were true. When I woke up this morning, the unthinkable had happened Sir Alex had announced that he was stepping down.

For the last two and a half decades, Sir Alex is the only leader that I have know. His passion for the club, his love of the game, and his energy where qualities that I respected. Fergie remembered the club history and held it close to his heart. He was not a here today, gone type of "Special One".

United was his home. He said he was going to do thing and he did them. Remember there was a time when the idea of United having more league titles than Liverpool, was some kind of sick joke. Now Liverpool are the joke.

On Sunday, Sir Alex will stand in the technical area at Old Trafford for the final time. At the end of the game he will pick  up his final medal and hold the Premier Trophy for the final time. I'm sure I will shed a tear watching from New Jersey and hopefully my 3-year old son will sit with to see the end of era.

Sunday will be the end of the era, but the end of the our club.

Cover Story: #champions2013

The race for the Barclays Premier League title is over and the title is coming home as Manchester United cliched its 20th league title. Here is how papers in England covered it.

Back where it belongs

It was a total team effort and the best team has been crowned champion. Number 20.

The power of TV

There used to a time when I would have to watch the Premier League on an illegal box at my then girlfriend's, current wife, parents house. Fast forward 15 years and you can watch a variety of different leagues on your tv. This week that is what I did.

Friday:
French League: Stade Rennais vs. AS Saint Etienne

Saturday:
FA Cup: Wigan vs. Everton
Premier League: Aston Villas vs. Reading
League Championship: Crystal Palace vs. Leeds United
MLS: New England at Chicago
Spain: Barcelona vs. Deportivo La Coruna
Mexican League: Cruz Azul vs. Jaguares

Sunday
FA Cup: Millwall vs. Blackburn
FA Cup: Manchester United vs Chelsea
Premier League: Spurs vs. Liverpool

Now I'm not saying I watched all of these games in their entirety, but I did flip between all of them. It's amazing to know that soccer fans in this country have more options than people in Europe or even South American. Isn't cable great.

The end of the treble

Manchester United saw their dreams of a second treble come to end earlier today. The game against Real Madrid turned on a terrible red card against Nani. It's not often you get all of the English papers to agree but they did on the red card, using words like robbed and cheated.

Premier League Playoffs?

The Premier League Title race looks like its over and all that is left to play for Champions League, Europa League and relegation spots. Will this be enough to hold the interest of the avid soccer fan around the world. 

The idea that every season is going to come down to the final minutes like it did last year, is just nuts. Last year was a once and a lifetime type thing. 

Would the Premier League be suited to moved to a NFL type model to crown their champion. Daily Columnist Adrian Durham makes the case for moving in that direction.  

"It’s flexible but you could have the top four involved – fourth plays third, winner plays second and winner of that plays the 'champions' after 38 games in a huge Grand Final at Wembley,'' Durham wrote. "It would generate more money from TV and sponsorship and it would mean more football and extra excitement for fans."

As an American, I'm very familiar with the playoff system and for one I'm not the biggest fan. When you move to the type of system you don't always get the best team as your champions. The best example is the when New York Giants beating the undefeated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl a couple of years ago. 

As the old saying goes "The Table Never Lies" and that is true the way Premier League stands now, if playoffs are introduced to determine the champion, that statement would ring hollow. I would hate to see them change the current format of the league. 

Two faced.

The British press has had a field day with United goalkeeper David de Gea. This photos sums up their feelings. They go back and fourth between him being superman and a terrible keeper.

This is Gus Baby

This is not Dave O'Brien at the World Cup, but I was afraid that it would be. Gus Johnson became the voice of soccer on Fox Sports when he called the first leg of the Champions League epic clash between Real Madrid and Manchester United.

For a first outing it was not that bad. I was at work for the game, so I listened to it on Sirius and they used the Fox Sports audio featuring Johnson and Warren Barton. To be honest, I'm not the biggest Johnson fan to begin with. Never been a huge fan of his over the top style.

But to his credit he was a true professional during the game, he seemed to do a great deal of research in preparing for the game and that showed during the broadcast.

My concern about Gus was that he would not let the game breath and he allowed the game to breath, which was good to see. What makes English announcers so good is that they don't talk over everything and Gus did not. Fair play to him.

Gus said a couple of little things that annoyed me, the main one being when he called the ball a "football"

I think that Awful Announcing summed up Gus's performance perfectly.

"Gus didn't sound like a basketball announcer calling soccer, he sounded like a soccer announcer,'' Awful announcing wrote. "The rhythm of his calls and his excitement as the action reaches a crescendo is a fantastic pairing."

The Premier League Fashion Runway

From track suits to baseball caps to suits. The touchline fashion in the Barclays Premier League is something that is up for debate from Wenger's puffy coat to Sir Alex and Harry suits to Jol's track suit. Recently the NY Times took at the fashion in this great story:  Premier League Soccer Coaches Struggle With Fashion. I wish more coaches would wear suits, I understand that weather can be an issue,  but at least try to look professional.

Respect The Carrick

He might not be the flashiest midfielder in the Premier League, but he maybe the best. During the first half of the year, United's Michael Carrick might be the player of the first half of the season. During this season Carrick has taken on the Paul Scholes mantle.  He has made United forget about their midfield issues.