MANCHESTER UNITED SEASON PREVIEW: Moyes faces tough challenge to maintain supremacy with Fergie casting a shadow

Club at a glance

Manager: David Moyes
Captain: Nemanja Vidic
Stadium: Old Trafford
Capacity: 76,180
Last season’s finish: Champions
Official club website: manutd.com

Story of the summer…

Following the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson, new boss David Moyes has had a turbulent summer. The joy of taking the reins was quickly forgotten amid the Wayne Rooney transfer saga, the battle to sign Cesc Fabregas and a mixed pre-season. Moyes now knows just what life is like at the world’s biggest club. 

Manager’s main challenge…

Replacing the irreplaceable. Moyes will get time to build his side, but it will be a long time before he emerges from his predecessor’s shadow. If he loses his first few games, expect Fergie’s presence to loom large from the directors' box. 

Replacing the irreplaceable: David Moyes succeeds Sir Alex Ferguson as he tries to maintain Manchester United's dynasty of success

Hiccups on horizon…

If Robin van Persie gets injured, and the Dutchman has been injury prone, United will miss his goals, especially if Rooney leaves.
First name on the team sheet…

Van Persie – Moyes will hope the forward repeats last season’s goalfest.

Goal machine: Robin van Persie will seek to replicate the 30 United goals he scored last season

Youngster to watch...

Adnan Januzaj Age: 18 Position: Striker

Having impressed on United's pre-season tour of Asia and in games against Sevilla and Wigan, Belgian teenager Januzaj will be hoping for more first team action as the Moyes era begins. With Barcelona and Juventus among the clubs sniffing around for his signature, United would be wise to tie him down to a contract soon.

Pre-season quote…

‘I think the Premier League is going to be a little bit more unpredictable than it’s been in the past. I just hope the predictability about it is that Manchester United are beating everybody you expect them to beat.’ – David Moyes

Top Tweeter

Michael Carrick – @carras16  Nice behind-the-scenes insights.

Metronome: Michael Carrick has developed into an outstanding player in United's midfield

Ins: Guillermo Varela (Penarol, £1m)

Outs: Paul Scholes (retired), Ryan Tunnicliffe (Ipswich, loan), Frederic Veseli (Ipswich, free), John Cofie (Barnsley, free), Reece Brown (Watford, free), Sean McGinty (Sheffield United, free)

New kit

The upturned collar, made famous by the swaggering Eric Cantona in the Nineties, will be making a comeback at Old Trafford this coming season.

Nike's latest home shirt is clean and classic, with the black buttoned-down collar a feature which chimes with that particularly successful chapter in United's history.

The gingham - critics prefer 'tea towel' - fabric of last season has been replaced with the usual plain red, with a two-button neck giving it a casual, polo shirt feel. 

Price: £55

Classic design: Nike say the new United home strip is a nod to Manchester's industrial heritage and featured a Cantona-style collar

Stats from 2012-13 season...

• Robin van Persie became only the third different player to win the Premier League Golden Boot award with two different clubs (Arsenal & Manchester United), after Alan Shearer and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
• United won 28 games in the Premier League in 2012-13. Only Chelsea (29) in both 2004-05 and 2005-06 have won more in a single PL campaign.
• United became only the second team in Premier League history not to draw a single home game in a season after Man City in 2008-09.
• The champions became only the fourth side in Premier League history to not concede a single penalty kick in a season (Arsenal in 1999-00, Newcastle in 1995-96 and Bolton in 1997-98).
• United hit the woodwork 24 times, more than any other side.
• They came from behind to claim 29 points in the Premier League in 2012-13. Only Newcastle in 2001-02 (34) have claimed more.
• The Red Devils had 20 different goalscorers in 2012-13, a record spread in a single Premier League season.
• United had the two oldest goal scorers (Giggs and Scholes).
• And the team managed the best shot conversion rate in the Premier League in 2012-13 (19.8 per cent).

Big decision: United's potency in attack will hinge on whether Wayne Rooney decides to stay at the club, with Chelsea leading the race to sign him

Where do I buy tickets and how much do they cost?

Tickets can be bought through the official website, via phone, 0161 868 8000 or at the stadium box office, which is open 9-5 Monday to Friday. Tickets range between £41-£53 

Pre-season results

July 13 Singha All Star XI (Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok) - lost 0-1
July 20 A-League All Stars (ANZ, Stadium, Sydney) - won 5-1
July 23 Yokohama F-Marinos (Nissan Stadium, Yokohama) - lost 2-3
July 26 Cerezo Osaka (Osaka Nagai Stadium, Osaka) - drew 2-2
July 29 Kitchee (Hong Kong Stadium, Hong Kong) - won 5-2
August 6 AIK Fotboll (Friends Arena, Stockholm) - drew 1-1
August 9 Sevilla (Old Trafford - Rio Ferdinand Testimonial) - lost 1-3
August 11 Wigan Athletic (Wembley - Community Shield) - won 2-0

FULL PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES

AUGUST
17 Swansea City (a) (Sky Sports, 5.30pm) 

26 Chelsea (h) (Sky Sports, 8pm)

SEPTEMBER

1 Liverpool (a) (Sky Sports, 1.30pm)

14 Crystal Palace (h) (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

22 Manchester City (a) (Sky Sports, 4pm)

28 West Bromwich Albion (h)

OCTOBER
5 Sunderland (a) (Sky Sports, 5.30pm) 

19 Southampton (h)

26 Stoke City (h)

NOVEMBER
2 Fulham (a)

10 Arsenal (h) (Sky Sports, 4.10pm) 

24 Cardiff City (a) (Sky Sports, 4pm)

30 Tottenham Hotspur (a) (BT Sport, 12.45pm)

DECEMBER
3 Everton (h)

7 Newcastle United (h)

14 Aston Villa (a)

21 West Ham United (h)

26 Hull City (a)

28 Norwich City (a)

JANUARY
1 Tottenham Hotspur (h)

11 Swansea City (h)

18 Chelsea (a)

28 Cardiff City (h)

FEBRUARY
1 Stoke City (a)

8 Fulham (h)

12 Arsenal (a)

22 Crystal Palace (a)

MARCH
1 Manchester City (h)

8 West Bromwich Albion (a)

15 Liverpool (h)

22 West Ham United (a)

29 Aston Villa (h)

APRIL
5 Newcastle United (a)

12 Hull City (h)

19 Everton (a)

26 Norwich City (h)

MAY
3 Sunderland (h)

11 Southampton (a)

*Fixtures subject to change