Sport
Who will strike the first blow?
As the new season is just under two weeks away, there’s the formality of the Community Shield to complete first – the ultimate glorified friendly. As much as it is practically a friendly, José Mourinho and Claudio Ranieri will be keen to still lift the trophy and go into the new season with a victory rather than a defeat. Who will strike the first blow?
Both teams’s pre-season’s draw to end this Sunday, so it will be a chance to set up their players up in the way they will for the opening round of the Premier League, one week later. It’s a trial run, so to speak, with a shiny shield awarded to the winner.
This season in the Premier League is going to be like no other. There are 7 good teams, and only four Champions League spots. Leicester City might have lost N’Golo Kanté to Chelsea, but they remain hopeful of keeping Riyad Mahrez at the club, which would be a huge boost. Not to mention tying down Vardy to a contract extension – his second in 6 months.
There should be no one suggesting Leicester can’t make the top four or top seven after watching last season. Apart from Kanté leaving, in which they’ve replaced him with Nampalys Mendy from OGC Nice, the Foxes remain the same (if not in better shape with their improved squad depth); with their team spirit, hard work and pure resilience to them. The Premier League may have increased in difficulty with the overhaul of squads and managers, but that’s not to say Ranieri’s team can’t be up there competing with the best.
A top 7 finish, which results in European qualification for the following season, would be an impressive result considering they’ll now be in four competitions. The Champions League will be an incredibly interesting test for Ranieri’s team, considering they’ve never experienced anything of this magnitude before. Whether or not the involvement of European competition will affect them mentally and physically will be seen in good time, but it’s premature to suggest they won’t be battling it against the top dogs because of a ‘fluke’.
Manchester United are in an interesting position. It’s obvious to see how motivated and diligent José Mourinho is even after just a short few weeks in charge as manager. Judging from pre-season, it looks as if the Red Devils will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Mourinho’s been known for a 4-3-3 throughout his career, and might even revert back and forth between the two, but the likelihood is that against Leicester City in the Community Shield, the line-up will be a 4-2-3-1.
With smart recruitment and a new outlook in the changing room, Manchester United will look to make a statement this weekend ahead of the new domestic season, proving that they’re ready for a new title challenge – something they haven’t done since under Sir Alex Ferguson four years ago.
It’ll make an exciting game between the two teams, with fairly similar playing styles, which may come as a surprise to some. Although Mourinho doesn’t like his team to sit back as far as Ranieri, the Portuguese manager does enjoy the counter-attacking approach and resilient defence.
This game at Wembley is never about the Community Shield, but to get that winning feeling back into the veins of the players. No team wants to kick-start their season with a loss and be on the back foot. It may be a friendly, but there’ll certainly be a competitive edge.
