With the Copa America Centenario and the EURO in the same year, football fans had all the reasons to enjoy this break. However, the focus now shifts to the club level where millions are being spent on transfers each day, as the giants of Europe are gearing up for the coming season.
With a dismal EURO campaign for England, a lot has been questioned regarding the quality of EPL. When it comes down to glamour and sheer excitement, the Premier League has unmatched fan following compared to the La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A or any domestic league around the globe.
The battle gets more enthralling this season as some high profile managers go head-to-head in the quest for glory. Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte will be the newcomers and will hope to propel their respective teams to the top of the table. The league already has proven characters in Claudio Ranieri, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp, and Ronald Koeman alongside the veteran Arsene Wenger.
The spotlight will be on The Special One – Jose Mourinho though. After a disappointing spell of 3 seasons, Manchester United fans will hope to see events turn to their favor, this time around. A lot is expected from Jose Mourinho, and considering the transfer activity so far, he has not disappointed.
The road to EPL champions is certainly strenuous for Mourinho and United. Let’s have a look at the fixtures and analyze what the fans can anticipate in the coming few months.
August
United will kick off their campaign against Bournemouth on 14th with an away trip to the Vitality Stadium, where they lost the tie last time they visited. This time though with all the resources and Mourinho in charge, United is expected to win, before they welcome Southampton on 19th, again a tie they lost last time at Old Trafford. They visit K. C. stadium next to face newly promoted Hull. A good opening month is expected for United.
September
September will be a challenging month for United as they play both Manchester City and Leicester City at home, while playing a tricky away match to Watford in between. Mourinho’s first real challenge as a United manager will be against his arch-rival, Pep Guardiola, as the Red Devils welcome City to Old Trafford on 10th for the 1st derby of the season.
The derby will see Jose battling it out with Pep for the 1st time in the EPL. Presumably both managers will be cautious in their approach as they hope to avoid humiliation at such an early stage of the league.
If United manage a positive result against City and follow it up with a win against Watford, they will face the defending champions next, with a spring in their step and the result may prove vital in the long run.
October
This will be a tricky month for Manchester united. They start with a home match against Stoke, a tie they convincingly won last time before they visit Liverpool and Chelsea in succession.
It will be an emotional return for Jose at the Stanford Bridge, and it will be interesting to see how the faithful at the bridge welcome their former hero in the visitor’s dugout. If United can pull off some good results, they will expect to end their October campaign on a high with a home win against newly promoted Burnley.
November
United lost 1-2 last year at the Liberty stadium, but will hope to win it against Swansea this time around. The next two fixtures of the month will be crucial for United as they expect to clinch maximum points on their home turf.
The task is not easy though, as they first welcome Arsenal and then the Hammers in the space of 8 days. United should perform really well to be in the title race and fans may be in for a roller coaster ride.
December
December is one of the most enduring months for the Red Devils as they look to end the year on a high note. United’s bench strength will play a key role as they play six PL matches in 28 days. The first 3 matches are quite dicey as they play away to Everton and Crystal Palace on 3rd and 14th, while playing a home match against Spurs on 11th.
Later they visit The Hawthorns to play West Brom on 17th, before they return to play against Sunderland on Boxing Day at home. Back in the premier league after their relegation in 2008-09, Middlesbrough visits The Old Trafford on the very last day of the year.
Going into the 2nd half of the league, it will be vital for United to rack up at least 4 wins to be in the title race. With the transfer window due to open, the period will be vital for few players also, as they expect to convince the management and avoid being in the wrong side of Jose’s transfer activity.
January
United will be playing two away matches, West Ham and Stoke city, and a home match against Liverpool in between as they start the New Year 2017. They lost both of these away ties last year. The loss against the Hammers potentially ravaged UCL hopes and it is highly anticipated that Mourinho will turn the results in United’s favor this time.
The match against Liverpool will be a mouthwatering encounter between the two distinguished clubs and the two managers – Mourinho and Klopp – will make it an engaging and tasty battle.
February
The squad may feature few new faces as the transfer window closes, and United heads to a critical period in the title race. Two home matches, one against Hull and the other against Watford on 11th, will be easy affairs for United. However, they play away to Leicester City on 4th and Mourinho takes his men to The Etihad stadium on 25th for the return derby.
Unlike the 1st derby, it is expected that both Pep and Mourinho will go for the kill, as the title race inches closer. Both the Manchester teams have already reshaped their squad handsomely with quality signings and a high tempo match will be on the cards.
March
United have three relatively unchallenging encounters in March, as they will look to win all 9 points available. But this stage of the league will demand the players to be highly professional and more committed to get the jobs done and avoid slipping up. A home match against Bournemouth on 4th is followed by two away trips to Southampton and Middlesbrough.
April
A grueling period awaits Mourinho and his men as they play six matches in April. The results can have a significant say in their title charge. In a space of 7 days, United will hope to see off West Brom and Everton in their own ground, before they travel to play Sunderland on 8th.
A real challenge awaits for United as Mourinho welcomes his former team, now managed by Conte, on 15th with just 5 games to follow. The remaining two fixtures will be an away match against Burnley and a home tie against Swansea on 29th, which United hope to win convincingly.
May
As they say, all’s well that ends well and United have to do really well in May, so that the season doesn’t end in another disappointing season. If United manage to be in the race for the championship till then, they face a stiffer task to complete the assignment. Taking on Wenger’s men away will not be an easy job. The tie was a bitter experience for the United players last year, when they lost 3-0, leaving the fans in utter dismay.
If United battles out a positive result against the Gunners, they play their north London derby rival, Tottenham Hotspur next, with confidence. It will be another daunting task for United considering how Pochettino’s men have evolved in the last year or so.
United will be playing Crystal Palace on the last day of the fixture. Given a situation that they need a win to clinch the title, they will take it happily indeed.
It has been quite a while since United fans have been happy with their team’s performance. But with Mourinho in charge this time, it is almost certain that there will be no shortage of intensity, something which United lacked under Van Gaal. With all these quality signings already sealed, an EPL championship title is very much achievable.
Predicted finish: Champions/Runners-up
It’s too good a squad with a more than potent manager in charge to finish outside top four for United. Anybody will be a fool to rule out Manchester City under Pep, and Chelsea under Conte, from clinching the title. Arsenal will always be a potential threat, but given the lack of squad depth compared to others, they may fade away at the fag end of the league.
There will be competition from holders Leicester, but it’s improbable that we will see the same story unfolding this year. Spurs will also provide nightmares to the big teams but that may not turn out to be enough for a title. A terrific season for Klopp and Liverpool may be anticipated, but it seems they are still in the process to achieve something big, which may not get materialize this season.
It all comes down to Jose competing against Pep and Conte for the title. Teams managed by Conte have been performing over and above their capabilities, and Mourinho will be up against two managers who are supposedly the best in the business. It’s too difficult to predict the winner between the two Manchester teams, but one can confidently place a wager that Manchester United under Mourinho will be in the thereabouts in the title race.
