The new Premier League season starts tonight and it starts with us, that’s right United are at home to the Premier League Champions of two years back Leicester City. Kick off is at 8pm tonight from Old Trafford and hopefully if all goes to plan, I’ll be in the Quadrant pub at least three hours prior to kick off for a few beers.
In the pub tonight I’ll only be catching up with my United mates, which is obviously a good thing, but normally for this game I’d been catching up with a Leicester mate I’ve known for a good ten years or so. Unfortunately this season he can’t make it up due to the kick off being on a Friday night, otherwise he said he would have been here. Still, I did message him about an hour ago and he are his pre-match thoughts:
“Ok mate. A lot depends on selection. If Vardy and Maguire start, we feel it’s a good time to play United and would fancy getting something. The worry is defensively, with Evans injured, if Maguire doesn’t start we look very weak defensively and United could win comfortably. Going forward expecting big things from young Maddison and hopefully Vardy, our attacking pace will trouble United for sure. I’m expecting a few goals whatever the selection.”
My response to that was a lot shorter, “2-1 win to United. Hopefully” and that is how we left it. I’ll catch up with him at the Local Hero pub for a couple of beers at the Leicester away game later on in the season.
As for my other thoughts for tonight, well I’m really looking forward to seeing Fred, but I’m also really looking forward to see what role Andreas Pereira will have tonight as I’m confident he’ll start. He’s had an excellent and full pre-season and although that doesn’t always count, I feel it really is the time to give the young Brazilian a run in the first-team. I also feel now is the time to get the partnership of Victor Lindelöf and Eric Bailly going, as until they start playing regularly together we’ll just never know.
It might not work, but it also might be a match made in heaven. Goals will be conceded and errors made still, but going forward I believe they’ll be a good match. Both have had handfuls of games since joining United, but both have been in and out of the team with form or injury and neither has had a regular partner at the back. This is now their time.
I’ve heard Pogba might be back playing too and with so many still missing because of the World Cup, that could be a huge boost to our midfield. All I want is a win tonight though, the performance does not matter and this stage of the season. In fact if we take a minimum of seven points from the first nine available and not play well, I’ll be happy. Come September though, we really do need to be ready and raring to go ahead of a long season through to May.
Leave a Reply