Patrick Rees
After winning the first trophy of the season, the Red half of Manchester, Manchester United, will be travelling to the Vitality stadium to play their first Premier League game of the new season that will against the all confident side, Bournemouth. The Reds have done a great business so far in the transfer market and they are expected to compete for top honours this season.
On the other hand, the Cherries have also got the services of some stellar names, most notably, Jordon Ibe and Brad Smith from Liverpool. In terms of the recent Premier League form, the Cherries have lost their last five games of the League, while United have lost just once.
The first game of the new season always sets a tempo for the rest of the season, hence both the sides will be looking to cancel each other out on every aspect of the field. Just like Bournemouth, the Reds will be looking to step up on the field with full throttle and all the new signings are expected to feature in the game.
Here is the predicted lineup for Manchester United, that could give Bournemouth a run for their money:
Goalkeeper: David De Gea-
There is no doubt that the manager will be using the Spaniard to guard the post. The winner of Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year has been rescuing the squad from defensive disasters for the last couple of years, but this time around, it is expected that he will continue his good work under the new manager too.
Defence: Valencia; Bailly; Smalling; Shaw-
The Ecuadorian star, Antonio Valencia, has been performing out of his skin during the pre-season. The 31-year-old was heavily criticized for his poor crossing abilities, but in the past few games, the Ecuadorian has really proved his worth to the manager and is expected to feature in the game surpassing Matteo Darmian.
The centre back pairing for the manager would be an obvious choice in the form of; Bailly and Smalling. The former Villarreal man really kept Jamie Vardy quiet during the Community Shield game and this means that the 22-year-old has cemented his place in the team for the time being. His pair would be the Manchester United Players’ Player of the Year, Chris Smalling. The Englishman hasn’t featured in a single game under Mourinho but is expected to mark a return at the Vitality stadium.
The Left side will surely be occupied by the team’s number one, Luke Shaw, who will be looking to exploit the wings with his pace and extreme work rate.
Holding midfield: Carrick; Pogba-
Well, United have many options for the central area, but for the starters, the manager might use Manchester United’s most senior player, Michael Carrick, who will be looking to provide a rhythm to the team’s attack and his central partner will surely be the team’s new acquisition; Paul Pogba. The entire fan following for the Reds will be looking forward to see the Frenchman’s debut in United’s shirt and even the player himself will be looking forward to get a fresh start in the English soil.
Attacking Trio: Mkhitaryan; Rooney; Martial-
This would be the most threatening attacking lineup for the team in the fixture. The new arrival from Germany, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, will be charging the game from the right side with Antonio Valencia backing him up, while on the parallel road, the 20-year-old Anthony Martial will be doing his regular task of exploiting the defenders with his pace and trickery.
With these two controlling the sidelines, club’s captain, Wayne Rooney, will be performing his supporting duties from the attacking midfield. The 30-year-old has been criticized a lot lately due to his sloppy game, but the Englishman is now looking cleverer under Mourinho and is expected to play a big role in his plans.
Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic-
No doubt about it! The big Swede has already marked his name with that overhead kick against Galatasaray and with that winning goal against Leicester City. The 34-year-old has come with a lot of expectation and we are pretty sure that he won’t be lacking anywhere on the field. Yes, there are critics suggesting that he might not be able of replicate his PSG form, but Zlatan is determined and he knows, why he has joined the best club in the world.
