Looking at who is facing up to a big weekend I have selected a few players who I think will be under additional scrutiny for various reasons.
Harry Kane: Might as well start with the boy; I'm not sure he is under as much pressure as has been made out in the press to replicate or better last season. If he scored 25 goals this season there would be very few deriding such an achievement. No, Kane comes under scrutiny for two reasons; he didn't have a great game at Old Trafford last season (who did) and you get the impression that he is the kind of player who likes to right a wrong. Given he should hopefully be in better nick this time round, I am hoping for a more energetic display from our main striker. Secondly, just don't get injured!
Bentaleb: This is perhaps more from a fans perspective but Nabil has been, in some quarters, and I'm vaguely guilty of this, built into some kind of dominant saviour upon whom the next 10 years we can rely upon. A future club captain and a player who has the mantle of midfield all rounder. That is still a little optimistic but with Bentaleb as quite possibly our most experienced midfielder on Saturday a lot rests on his shoulders when faced with Schneiderlin, Schweinstiger and Mata.
Poch: Transfer window is still wide open, and there is no way on God's green earth that Pochettino will have wanted to kick off at OT with the current squad as it is. That isn't to belittle the current players but I am confident in saying that if this is our squad come Sept 2nd the manager might be a little miffed. This buys him some wiggle room. United have spent unimaginable sums in the past 12 months, and are a very good team but Poch needs to show a little shrewdness in his tactics. He needs to make sure that the team is more than the sum of it's parts when faced by a better side (which I think, currently, United are player for player). Last season at OT was terrible. In fact it was abject, and that alone should be reason enough for Poch to engineer something resembling back bone, intelligence and maturity from a group of players who believe in him.
I won't go on. There is plenty more to discuss of course but these three stand out for me a little more than others.
Harry Kane: Might as well start with the boy; I'm not sure he is under as much pressure as has been made out in the press to replicate or better last season. If he scored 25 goals this season there would be very few deriding such an achievement. No, Kane comes under scrutiny for two reasons; he didn't have a great game at Old Trafford last season (who did) and you get the impression that he is the kind of player who likes to right a wrong. Given he should hopefully be in better nick this time round, I am hoping for a more energetic display from our main striker. Secondly, just don't get injured!
Bentaleb: This is perhaps more from a fans perspective but Nabil has been, in some quarters, and I'm vaguely guilty of this, built into some kind of dominant saviour upon whom the next 10 years we can rely upon. A future club captain and a player who has the mantle of midfield all rounder. That is still a little optimistic but with Bentaleb as quite possibly our most experienced midfielder on Saturday a lot rests on his shoulders when faced with Schneiderlin, Schweinstiger and Mata.
Poch: Transfer window is still wide open, and there is no way on God's green earth that Pochettino will have wanted to kick off at OT with the current squad as it is. That isn't to belittle the current players but I am confident in saying that if this is our squad come Sept 2nd the manager might be a little miffed. This buys him some wiggle room. United have spent unimaginable sums in the past 12 months, and are a very good team but Poch needs to show a little shrewdness in his tactics. He needs to make sure that the team is more than the sum of it's parts when faced by a better side (which I think, currently, United are player for player). Last season at OT was terrible. In fact it was abject, and that alone should be reason enough for Poch to engineer something resembling back bone, intelligence and maturity from a group of players who believe in him.
I won't go on. There is plenty more to discuss of course but these three stand out for me a little more than others.
