Four Balls Blog Team of the Year 2015/2016

 

If I Were Always Right... - Premier League Table After Round 3

Premier League - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

Arsenal

With Alexis Sanchez absent from the starting line-up for the season opener against West Ham, Arsenal seemed to struggle to find their feet despite a promising pre-season. Fans would have been filled with hope after their Community Shield victory against Chelsea, but may have been left unsure after the opening game as the Gunners disappointed in a 2-0 opening day loss. Olivier Giroud struggled throughout the game and Wenger could well go back into the transfer market to look for a new striker to lead the attack. Talk of Karim Benzema arriving has simmered down to mere whispers which may upset the Arsenal faithful. Petr Cech’s competitive debut was less than convincing, however I’m sure it was simply a blip in form and he will prove his worth in the upcoming fixtures. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was possibly the Gunners’ only bright spark during the game, however Sanchez’s return following his rest after the Copa America saw him return to the bench for the match against Crystal Palace.

Manchester United - Weeks 1 & 2 Review

After Louis van Gaal’s clear out over the summer it was important for the Red Devils to get off to a quick start this campaign. It wasn’t quite that easy though as they stumbled through their opening fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. A first half Kyle Walker own goal was all United fans could shout about after the game with a less than convincing performance in their 1-0 victory. With an abundance of new signings it may take a short while for the squad to pull together fully, but despite a poor performance, van Gaal will be pleased to escape with 3 points. New signing Sergio Romero started in goal amidst uncertainty over last year’s star man David de Gea’s future, and was instrumental in keeping Spurs out all game, including a late Christian Eriksen effort.

2015/2016 Preview - Manchester United

The Reds have spent big, and with massive signings such as Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin, LVG has looked to bolster his central midfield options, and have attacking flair out wide in the form of Memphis Depay. It will be interesting to see how these signings gel together, LVG brought in Di Maria last year, one of the best players in the world, and he looked distinctly average in this United side, along with world-class striker Radamel Falcao. Question marks have therefore been raised about Van Gaal's ability to manage the great players of the world, and it will certainly be very intriguing to see how the new boys work together in this side. Darmian looks to be a good signing, and hopefully he can produce something that this United side have lack for the past couple of years. Unfortunately for fans of the Red Devils, I still have my reservations about LVG as a manager, and I can't see them performing better than Chelsea, Arsenal or their rivals Manchester City. I do think European football is on the cards for them next year however, with a closely fought 4th place finish.