Manchester United
Fixtures – September 12 (A), January 16 (H)
Strengths – They’ve spent a lot of money under Louis van Gaal and have put together a star-studded line-up full of big names. Juan Mata, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay are all going to create them plenty of chances, while Wayne Rooney is still up top waiting to tuck away what comes his way.
Weaknesses – A group of individuals doesn’t necessarily make a team. Can all these players work together? That remains to be seen. Add in a lack of depth up front, where Rooney is pretty much on his own following the departures of Robin van Persie and Rademel Falcao, and you can start to see where they might come unstuck.
Danger man – Juan Mata will be playing in that number ten role next season and he will the point through which everything else flows. If you can try and eliminate his threat then you’ll greatly reduce United’s chances of getting the better of you. That’s easier said than done of course, but his movement has been suspect in the past.
How to beat them – Winning the midfield battle will be crucial here. That’s where United are, at least on paper, strongest. We need a big physical presence in there – Emre Can is probably the only one that fits the bill – while we’d be tempted to include Henderson, Milner and Lucas as well. Pack the midfield, win the battle, win the war.
Newcastle United
Fixtures – December 5 (A), April 23 (H)
Strengths – Steve McLaren has brought in some exciting talents this summer, including Aleksandar Mitrovic and Georginio Wijnaldum. How those two take to the Premier League could be crucial for the Magpies success. They just about avoided relegation last season but they really shouldn’t be near there again this time around.
Weaknesses – They still look a little suspect at the back. They’ve been overly reliant on Fabricio Coloccini for far too long and the performances of the Argentine is key to their potential success. They’re also a little light up front, especially in terms of proven quality, with Papiss Cisse arguably still their best option through the middle.
Danger man – Georginio Wijnaldum is a Dutch international and comes over with a brilliant record from his time at PSV. He’s an attacking minded midfielder and is going to cause problems for many a defensive midfielder next season if he finds his best form. He could be the missing link that their build-up play was missing last year.
How to beat them – They lack a player who is going to sit alongside Colback and do the dirty work in midfield. If Milner can take him out of the game then that should allow some of our more attacking minded players to do their best work. However, this is going to be a very different Newcastle, so who knows where they’ll be by December.
Norwich City
Fixtures – September 20 (H), January 23 (A)
Strengths – They have an exciting young manager who knows how to get the best out of his group of players. Alex Neil did an incredible job to lead the Canaries straight back into the top flight at the first attempt and he’s definitely going to ensure that they’re competitive this time around. On loan Andre Wisdom could be key for them.
Weaknesses – As with any promoted team, we have to ask whether they’re going to score enough goals. Gary Hooper and Cameron Jerome scored for fun in the Championship but have not previously had as much luck in the top flight. They’ve not spent much this summer and they might lack that little bit of quality at the top level.
Danger man – Nathan Redmond has been very impressive for them on a regular player. He’s a tricky little winger and definitely has a future at a higher level. The England Under-21 international, who started his career with Birmingham, scored six goals in all competitions last season.
How to beat them – Norwich are likely to be organised and disciplined. Patience will be the key here, as it was with our pre-season fixtures. We can’t get carried away with having all of the possession. We must bide our time and make the most of our chances when they do eventually come our way. If we don’t, then we’ll get caught out.
