Futbol Chronicles: Manchester United Can Cope Without Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United should have no trouble playing without the services of Cristiano Ronaldo for the upcoming season. Nor should any other club have to think that playing against Manchester would be an easier ride.

Alex Ferguson still has himself a squad capable of doing some damage this season, so it would come as no surprise that United are among the favorites to win the Premiership.

Barring any subtleties or injury breakdowns, United looks strong enough to position themselves for a possible repeat of last season, where the club finished atop the league standings while advancing to the European final.

The Champions League will once again provide the ultimate test for United, much so because Ronaldo is not there, and because Manchester may not come down as the immediate favorites to win the Champions League compared to last season. Although, they still contain the strong nucleus minus Tevez and Ronaldo that have carried the club all last season.

Berbatov and Rooney once again would be looked upon as the players to provide the goals, but Ferguson is also demanding that his midfielders and defenders provide the bits of scoring to compliment the forwards as well.

If things can go according to plan, than Manchester United could still finish among the top three, or perhaps win, in the Premiership title for the fourth successive season.

Of course, the major difference would be a United squad that has Michael Owen, perhaps the biggest summer pick-up, and Antonio Valencia, who already was drawing comparisons to Ronaldo.

Alex Ferguson acknowledged recently that the club would change its formation to accommodate the new-look starting eleven.

That means Wayne Rooney is finally slotting back into his natural center-forward role, and midfielders such as Darren Fletcher and Korean star Ji Sung Park playing a more prominent role in the center field.

Manchester would have its fair share of youth to go along, with Darren Gibson, Danny Welback, and Federico Macheda all vying to be top starters one day for United.  

What many pundits and supporters can agree is that Manchester United may finally resemble a fairly more balanced attack, one which Ferguson hopes can replicate the 100 goals mark of last season, but also that his troopers maintain the high-level competitiveness that carried the club last season.

Despite the recent changes at Manchester City, Chelsea, and Aston Vllla, Alex Ferguson is hopeful that his team can maintain themselves against the likes of these clubs, but also believes that Arsenal and Liverpool are no longer serious threats to United, while rebuffing the Citizens.

Ferguson is known for being a shrewd and proud man, so it should come as no surprise that he still believes his team can it all again in the upcoming season. Time will only tell if that prognosis can come to its fruition.