MLB Celebrates Jackie Robinson Day

Charlie Klein

One of the greatest athletes of all-time will be celebrated today and tomorrow at stadiums all around Major League Baseball as the league salutes Jackie Robinson, the first African American player to play in MLB.

The main location of celebration will be Yankee Stadium, where Jackie's widow Rachel Robinson, and his daughter Sharon will be in attendance.

I will not bore you with retelling the story of Jackie's career, as it is pretty well-known. But I would like to reiterate the importance of celebrating the diversity that he helped usher into the game we all love today. While it truly took far too long to integrate baseball, it began a tide of integration around the nation. Six years before the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated separate but equal and ordered the integration of U.S. public schools, Robinson broke into America's most sacred game.

On this day all players around the league wear the number 42 as a show of solidarity. Mariners designated hitter Ken Griffey Junior petitioned commissioner Bud Selig three years ago to be allowed to wear the number himself and to allow players to wear it at their own discretion. This led to every player wearing the number, so when you tune in to watch your favorite team today or tomorrow, do not get confused as to why every player is wearing 42.

This can also lead to fun comments like "42 is really hitting the ball well today" or "I think 42's not been having his best game out there."

When you watch baseball tonight or tomorrow, take a few minutes to reflect on the legacy of Jackie Robinson.

On The Road Again: The Story of the Other Nelson

Charlie Klein

Almost everyone has heard Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again." In it, Nelson sings about his love of traveling and doing his thing in new cities to which he has never been. Nelson Cruz's career as a Major League Baseball player has run just like the song, except that I am willing to bet that Cruz would have been perfectly happy to settle down. And boy has he done so in Texas.

Not very many people know the story behind Nelson Cruz. Most around baseball are only familiar with the player from last season and his torrid start to 2010. What many may not know is what it took for Cruz to become the player he is today.

I am sure that Mets fans have been reminded that Nelson Cruz signed as an amateur free agent all the way back in 1998. Imagine how his bat could be helping them right now. After two unsuccessful years in the Mets system, Cruz was traded to the Oakland Athletics for shortstop Jorge Velandia on August 30, 2000. Velandia hit for a combined average of .190 while he was with the Mets over three seasons. I'm willing to bet then Mets General Manager Steve Phillips would like to have that deal back (amongst his many other regrettable transgressions).

Cruz never registered a major league at bat with the Oakland Athletics. He was again traded to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of a package for infielder Keith Ginter in 2004. Cruz only registered five major league at-bats with the Brew Crew before he was on the road again, this time part of a deal with the Texas Rangers as part of a deal that sent Carlos Lee to the Rangers in exchange for Laynce Nix, Kevin Mench, Francisco Cordero and Julian Cordero in 2006. Talk about a one sided trade. Of the package the Brewers got in return, only Francisco Cordero turned out to be as advertised.

It was in Texas that Nelson Cruz finally found a home. And his impact was immediate. On September 4, 2006, against the Athletics, Cruz hit a broken bat inside the park homerun. A simply unimaginable feat. But his time had not yet come.

During the 2008 season, Cruz tore up the Pacific Coast League, batting for a .342 average with 37 homeruns and 99 RBIs; and earned himself the PCL MVP Award in the process. By this point, he had managed to gain the attention of the Texas Rangers, who purchased his contract and put him on their 25 man roster in the 2009 season.

Up until 2009, Nelson Cruz had been the baseball equivalent of a migrant worker. Unwanted by three major league teams, he became almost as well traveled as George Clooney in Up In The Air. The combination of incredible perseverance and the right hitting coach catalyzed the fantastic hitter we all know today.

In 2009, Cruz took Major League Baseball by storm. Part of the Rangers youth movement, a movement of quite a few draft picks and false dawns that finally came together last season to form one of the most explosive offenses in the league, Cruz truly sparkled. He mashed 33 homeruns in his first full season in MLB and batted in 76 runs. And he finished second in the Home Run Derby to Prince Fielder.

And now in 2010 Cruz is off to another torrid start. He has hit six homeruns in the first eight games of the season, becoming the first player to accomplish that feat since Alex Rodriguez did the same for the New York Yankees in 2007.

His manager Ron Washington said, "Cruz hit 33 last year. All he's doing is showing it wasn't a fluke."

Denver Broncos Cut Their Losses

Charlie Klein

The Denver Broncos traded Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for a second round pick in this year's draft and the Dolphins second round selection in the 2011 draft. The Dolphins then agreed on a four year $47.5 million, with $29 of that guaranteed.

This trade works out well for both sides. The Dolphins are willing to throw the dice on this move as they expect that with a different coaching staff in a new city Marshall can produce at the level that everyone believes he can. They are heading into the 2010 season with Chad Henne as their starting quarterback and felt that they needed to give him a true number one receiver to throw to.

For the Broncos, this trade was all about cutting their losses. The team clearly felt that it was better off without the distraction that Marshall was during his last season in Bronco blue and orange. Such antics included intentionally dropping passes in practice, which resulted in a suspension. The two second round choices provide them with greater flexibility in either draft to trade up if they so desire or to add more quality players to a roster that needs them.

If you view Marshall as a guaranteed Pro Bowl all-everything receiver on the level of Steve Smith or Andre Johnson, then you have to think that the Dolphins stole Marshall from the Broncos. And after reading some Broncos fans' opinions, some of them clearly have selective memories. They still think Marshall is the greatest receiver ever and refuse to understand why their team would want to deal him.

This trade at least appears to be a good deal for all parties involved.

NHL Playoffs 2010: The Wild Wild West

Charlie Klein

The NHL Playoffs begin tomorrow night and I could not be more excited. What makes this year's edition better than those in years past is the fact that there is no clear cut favorite to win it all. Anything can and will happen.

1. San Jose Sharks

8. Colorado Avalanche

This math up pits the expected versus the unexpected. The San Jose Sharks were the unanimous pick to win the Western Conference at the beginning of the season and the Avalanche were picked by everyone to finish in the cellar of the West. Surprise surprise, the Avs are in the playoffs. And I am as surprised as anyone. 

The Sharks won the Western Conference last season and then were eliminated in the first round by the Anaheim Ducks. But I do not expect history to repeat itself this year. The key difference between last year's Anaheim Ducks and this year's Colorado Avalanche is Swiss sensation Jonas Hiller. Craig Anderson, the Avs goalie, is no Jonas Hiller. While the Sharks have shown a capacity for choking in the playoffs, do not expect them to do so in this round. 

WINNER: Sharks in 5.

4. Phoenix Coyotes

5. Detroit Red Wings

A very smart friend of mine told me the other day that if there is no clear cut team in the West, just pick the Red Wings. And that's what I am going to do, at least for this round. The Red Wings got hot at the end of the season, winning 15 of their last 20. Chris Osgood is healthy again and the Wings still have Niklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. They have all of the playoff experience to carry this team through. 

The Phoenix Coyotes have had an incredible season. To say they have exceeded expectations is a massive understatement. Ilya Bryzgalov has played other-worldy and the Coyotes defense has held opposing teams to a third best goals per game average (2.39). That being said, they lack that go to player for scoring that becomes necessary in the playoffs. If the Red Wings can equal their defensive efforts, the Wings have a major advantage in scoring. I think this series will go the full seven, with the Red Wings coming out on top.

WINNER: Red Wings in seven.

3. Vancouver Canucks

6. Los Angeles Kings 

This series preview is particularly difficult for me to write considering that I have been a Canucks fan for almost a decade. That being said, I still get a sinking feeling every time I remember that they have to play the Kings in the first round. I think it will be a tricky series for the Canucks. The last time these two teams played the Kings stomped the Canucks 8-3. Was not even close. The Kings have the scoring (Anze Kopitar), the grit (Dustin Brown), the flair (Drew Doughty), and the goaltending (Jonathan Quick) necessary to make some noise in the playoffs. 

But the Canucks just do it better. They have this year's Art Ross winner in Henrik Sedin and one of the league's best lines, if not the best line, with the Sedin Twins and Alexandre Burrows. The Canucks have six players with 20 or more goals (Burrows, Samuelsson, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin,  Ryan Kesler, and Mason Raymond) and have great depth across their top three lines. While their defense is still missing Willie Mitchell, Sami Salo, Shane O'Brien (out for disciplinary reasons), and Aaron Rome. The Canucks still have the hulking figure of Roberto Luongo between the pipes, and I fully expect him to make up for the missing defensemen in this series. He has a career goals against average versus the Kings of 2.40 and a 2.20 goals against average at GM Place this season. 

WINNER: Canucks in 6.

2. Chicago Blackhawks

7. Nashville Predators

The Chicago Blackhawks can really score. The Nashville Predators really cannot. The Blackhawks will win this series with relative ease for that reason. Players like Patrick Kane (88 points), Duncan Keith (69 points), Jonathan Toews (68 points), Patrick Sharp (66), and Marion Hossa (51 points) make such a declaration that simple. The Predators top scorers this season (Steve Sullivan and Patric Hornqvist) have the same as Chicago's fifth best scorer. Simply put, the Predators do not have the offensive capabilities to take advantage of the Blackhawks goalie problem. 

Neither Cristobal Huet nor Antti Niemi have laid a strong claim on the number one spot this season. Both of their seasons have been marred with inconsistency. But I think a solid rotation of the pair will put Chicago in the next round.

Some mention of course has to be made of the Predators defensemen Shea Weber and Ryan Suter. Both were standout players at the Olympics for Team Canada and Team USA respectively. Their defense this season is the reason the Predators made the playoffs. Can they shut down Kane, Toews, and Sharp? That will be one of the more interesting battles in these playoffs. And Preds goaltender Pekka Rinne has had himself a decent season with a 2.53 goals against average. But I do not think it will be enough in this series. 

WINNER: Blackhawks in 5. 

And the Quest for the Cup Begins...

Charlie Klein

In just a few days time, the symptoms of cup crazy will erupt in 16 cities across North America. One of my favorite sporting events year in and year out, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are sure to be incredible this year. For my money Lord Stanley's Cup is the most beautiful trophy in professional sports, easily outclassing the Lombardi and World Series Trophies (the NBA Finals trophy looks like a rec league piece compared to it).

So who will hoist Lord Stanley's above their head? Will it be Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals? Or will it be Roberto Luongo of the Vancouver Canucks? Sidney Crosby perhaps? Or will it be someone we had no idea could win it? That's the beauty of a single elimination tournament baby! Let's begin with the match ups in the Eastern Conference.

1. Washington Capitals

vs.

8. Montreal Canadiens

Of the many intriguing matchups, the Caps Habs series pits one team with an incredible history with one out to create some of it's own. The Canadiens have won 24 Stanley Cups and have largely been given credit for giving birth to everything great that we know in hockey. Players like Maurice "Pocket Rocket" Richard, Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, Guy LaFleur, Jacques LeMaire, among many others. However, none of those players are on the current Habs roster. And that is why I fully expect the Washington Capitals to make short work of the Habs in this series.

Having already written at length about the Capitals this year, I do not need to spend too much time explain why I think they will advance. I'll just give you a few names. You may have heard them somewhere before. Alexander Ovechkin, Niklas Backstrom, Mike Green, Alexander Semin, Mike Knuble, and Jose Theodore. Those are my six reasons why the Capitals will win this series. The one wild card in this series is if either goaltender for the Habs comes to play and gets hot. If Halak or Price play other-worldly, the Habs have a shot. But I doubt that. It will be interesting to see how Theodore handles his return to Montreal, the place where it all started all those years and trades ago. What a story it would be if he led the Capitals to a cup.

WINNER: Capitals in five games.

4. Pittsburgh Penguins

5. Ottawa Senators

Both teams in this series are immensely talented. There's no doubt about that. But one team has Sidney Crosby, and the other does not. Unfortunately for the Senators, they are not that team. If Alexei Kovalev would have been healthy it would have made for an interesting storyline. The Senators do still have Daniel Alfredsson and Jason Spezza, but Ottawa's top scorers do not compare with the Penguins'. Additionally, Marc-Andre Fleury has the playoff experience necessary to take the Penguins into the next round.

WINNER: Penguins in six.

3. Buffalo Sabres

6. Boston Bruins

For me, this series comes down to which team's Vezina Trophy candidate shows up for this series. My money is on Ryan Miller continuing his fantastic season in this year's playoffs. While I do like some of Boston's forwards, none of them have the talent level required to score with enough regularity to beat Ryan Miller over the course of a best of seven series. That being said, Buffalo's forwards do not do much for me either, as there is no 30 goal scorer among the bunch. Ultimately I do not think that Buffalo's offensive shortcomings will prevent them from advancing.

WINNER: Sabres in six.

2. New Jersey Devils

7. Philadelphia Flyers

Written off by yours truly at the beginning of the season, the New Jersey Devils have quietly ascended to the top three of the Eastern Conference. Goaltender Martin Brodeur continues to prove that while the times may change his stellar play in net doesn't. Like Jay-Z, Brodeur is still dropping hit performance after hit performance as he gets into his late 30s. The Devils have finally added a big goal scorer in Ilya Kovalchuk for the stretch run and the vital offense he provides could be the key to this series. 

The Flyers have displayed all of the grit and determination necessary to make a run in the playoffs as the season wound down. However, they lack the go-to goalie that is absolutely necessary to win in April and May. Brian Boucher, as Rasheed Wallace likes to say, just does not cut the check. 

For good measure, I will include this video:

Couldn't write a piece about the Devils without making a Seinfeld reference, could I? Gotta support the team.

WINNER: Devils in five. 

The Not So Clasico

Charlie Klein

Now I would never confuse myself for a La Liga fan, but about twice a year I tune into the Spanish league to watch the only two teams worth watching play each other. The Real Madrid Barcelona rivalry has been likened to Yankees Red Sox on Viagra, Cialis, and Extenz combined. This is the derby of all derbies in continental Europe.

And yet in all four of the last 'Clasicos' Barcelona have smacked Real Madrid like Ike beat Tina Turner back in the day. Let's put it this way, it just ain't fair. Yesterday's edition was no exception. What was for the most part an un-entertaining match, Lionel Messi provided his usual dose of magic scoring yet another goal for the Blaugrana. On display for everyone to see was the fact that no matter how much money Madrid may spend every summer, they have yet to get it right.

The match also exposed why I have little time for the Spanish league. The fact that the two times these two teams meet decides the title is ridiculous. As much as critics like to point at the lack of parity in the English Premier League, I ask them to look at the La Liga standings. Barca and Real lead third place Valencia by roughly 30 points! Absolutely absurd.

What is even more ludicrous is the amount of money Real spent last summer to in all likelihood finish second again. New Real President Florentino Perez dropped 68.5 million pounds for Kaka, 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo, 30 million pounds for Xabi Alonso, 15 million euros for Raul Albiol, 4 million euros for Alvaro Arbeloa and 35 million euros for Karim Benzema. That is roughly 227 million pounds spent in one summer. And Real still lost both ties with Barca and dropped out of the Champions League at the quarterfinal stage, just like last season.

Now Barcelona are not exempt from this sort of money. The Catalan giants dropped 46 million euros to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan and used Samuel Eto'o, one of their best players for the past few years, as a makeweight in the deal.

Barca draws plaudits from the press for the talents they have produced in their La Masia, but have done their fair share of spending. Examples include Daniel Alves (40 million euros), Thierry Henry (24 million euros), Eric Abidal (15 million euros) and Seydou Keita (14 million euros) among others. So when some so-called footy fan friend of yours goes on forever about how Barcelona does not spend any money, tell them to take a good look at the roster.

Real's 227 million pound summer outlay was simply not enough to deal with one man, Lionel Messi. As much as I would love to be otherwise, this kid is the best player on the planet right now. Titi has 40 goals in all competitions, well on his way to what will probably be yet another Ballon D'Or.

If there is a footballer on the planet who can stop this guy, bet on a record offer from Real. Of all things that Madrid need to do to regain their preeminent status in world football, they need to find someone who can stop Lionel Messi.

Real's main problem in my estimation is their total lack of cohesion on the pitch. They have a lot of individuals but they do not play like a unit. It is all well and good to be able to field a team that includes 2 of the last 3 Ballon D'Or winners, but if the team lacks grit and tackling nous it does nothing for you.

More than that, Real need a manager who can command the respect of his Galacticos. Manuel Pellegrini, for all of his success at Villareal, does not have control of his changing room. With the upheaval currently holding the San Siro under siege, I fully expect Florentino Perez to make an offer to Inter coach Jose Mourinho.

One of the few managers on the planet who could get the respect of his players by simply walking through the door, Mourinho would be able to get the Galacticos to play like a team. And almost as importantly, he has the tactical knowhow to potentially stop Lio Messi. All of this will be on display in a tantalizing Champions League semifinal a week from Tuesday.

Maybe Jose Mourinho will be the one special buy of the Perez Administration 2.0.

This Week In Baseball: A Star Is (Re)born

Charlie Klein

One of my favourite weeks of any year, the first week of baseball usually brings with it engrossing universal optimism and statistical oddities.

Perhaps the most hyped debut for any player coming out of the minor leagues in a long, long time Jason Heyward dazzled the Turner Field crowd on Opening Day. The 20 year-old all-everything Braves starlet hit a moonshot in his first major league at bat.

During his first game he went 2-5 with four RBIs and everyone around baseball began etching his name on the Rookie of the Year Trophy. His second game was not so bad either, going 1 for 3. Then in the next two games he went a combined 0 for 9. So which player will he be this season? Who knows. But for anyone expecting a 30+ homerun season from the kid might be a year off.

While Jason Heyward was grabbing all of the headlines, Toronto Blue Jays centerfielder Vernon Wells announced to the rest of the league that he was back. Of his seven hits this season, four of them have been homeruns. While in his hometown of Arlington, Texas, Wells also drove in seven RBIs as the Jay got off to a great start against the Texas Rangers.

It may be too soon to say that Wells will be the player that the Jays broke the bank to re-sign back in 2006 (to the tune of seven years, $126 million), he has had himself quite a week.


Performers of the Week Team

Outfield: Nelson Cruz (Texas Rangers), Garrett Jones (Pittsburgh Pirates), and Vernon Wells (Toronto Blue Jays).

First Base: Ryan Howard (Philadelphia Phillies)
Second Base: Mark Ellis (Oakland Athletics)
Shortstop: Edgar Renteria (San Francisco Giants)
Third Base: Placido Polanco (Philadelphia Phillies)

Pitcher: Roy Halladay (Philadelphia Phillies)

Designated Hitter: Vladimir Guererro (Texas Rangers)

And, just for the theme of the post, I'm going to throw this in there:

Manchester United's Squad Re-Tool For 2010

Charlie Klein

With only four games remaining in the 2009/2010 Premier League season, Manchester United appears to be on the verge of doing something it has not done since 2006: watch another team lift the Barclays Premier League Trophy. While the sight of John Terry, famed adulterer and son of a drug dealer, lifting the trophy will be disgusting in and of itself, it will also serve to motivate the United board in the summer transfer window.

Let's face facts, Manchester United are on the precipice of another retooling phase. The current squad as it presently stands did not have what was required to advance to the semifinal stage of the Champions League and a team that appears to be a few players short for the League honors.

Having won the Premier League three years in a row and made the semifinal stage in the last three Champions Leagues, Manchester United has experienced high levels of success. But, having watched some of its better players from those teams in Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo leave Old Trafford, it is about time that Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill sought to replace them.

United have concerns in each third of the pitch. I shall begin by covering their needs in the defensive third. Chris Smalling was brought in from Fulham during the January window as a long-term replacement for either Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic. Smalling, 20, is a 6'4" central defender who has played for the England Under-20 and Under-21 sides and has shown some potential, drawing comparisons to Rio Ferdinand from the English press. Assuming that Ferdinand is fit for next season and that Vidic does not opt for sunnier skies and warmer temperatures this summer, Smalling's importance within the side remains minute.

The true areas of concern for United lie at goalkeeper and right back. While Edwin Van Der Sar has demonstrated time after time that he has been the best United keeper since Peter Schmeichel, Van Der Sar is getting up there in years and figures to play a more limited role between the sticks at Old Trafford next season. With that thought in mind, here are a few names of possible successors to Van Der Sar as the United number one.

There have been numerous rumblings about Hugo Lloris of Olympique Lyonnais coming to Old Trafford in the summer. Llloris, 23, impressed in the second leg of Lyonnais' quarterfinal tie with Bordeaux, making save after save to put his side in the semifinals versus Bayern Munich. Lloris fits Fergie's age requirement and his cost could not be overly prohibitive. United could also throw in a player like Anderson to sweeten the deal, should it be required.

Igor Akinfeev, the CSKA and Russian National Team keeper, has also been rumored to be heading towards the northwest of England. Akinfeev, 24, has had a fantastic season for CSKA Moscow, who made it to the quarterfinal stage of the Champions League this season. Akinfeev fulfills the age requirement and is not going to break the bank either.

Sir Alex also faces questions about the state of his right backs. While Gary Neville has drawn praise from the press for not being as completely washed up as many believed him to be at the end of last season, he remains a far cry from the player he used to be. Moreover, if United harbor serious ambitions of winning the league next season, they will need to add an experienced right back to hold the position until Rafael is ready to take on the role.

There are two players who I would hold as uniquely qualified to fill that position: Douglas Maicon of Inter Milan and Phillipp Lahm of Bayern Munich. While both will be expensive buys, both are worth every penny. Each of them are exceptional in both ends of the pitch. Maicon, 28, might be a bit old for Sir Alex, but for the right bid, perhaps in the region of 20 million euro, Maicon could be in United red next season. Lahm, 26, is a bit younger than Maicon and posseses almost as much attacking nous. While Lahm's natural position is on the left side of defense, he has had a great season on the right for Louis Van Gaal's team.

In the midfield, there is a glaring need for an attacking midfielder. All of the other "top four" teams have one, and it is time that United found one of their own. Rooney cannot be the only goal threat coming down the middle of the pitch, and Sir Alex ought to explore his options this summer. Mesut Ozil, 21, of Werder Bremen would be an excellent option. Still incredibly young, Ozil has displayed a great knack for finding the back of the net. Ozil has scored seven goals for Bremen this season and helped lead them to the UEFA Cup finals last term. He will come with a price, rumored to be in the neigborhood of 17 million euro, but I would love to see what Sir Alex could do with a talent like his. United will face competition for his signature from sides like Bayern Munich and Barcelona among others, but they might be able to guarantee minutes that the other teams cannot.

Outside of Ozil, United do have other options. David Silva, 24, of the Spanish side Valencia, would also be an excellent option as an attacking midfielder for Sir Alex's men. Known as the other David, Silva has excelled for Valencia in La Liga this term, scoring five goals in 25 appearances for the club. At United, his strike rate could definitely improve with the level of talent around him being much better. Valencia will have to at least listen to any offer this summer for their man as their finances remain in an almost Portsmouth-like state of affairs.

They could also seek to fill the role internally by offering Darron Gibson more minutes in an attacking capacity. Gibson, 22, has proven this season that when called upon, he has the ability to fire in goals from anywhere on the pitch. He has scored five goals in all competitions this season, amazing the Stretford End faithful with blazing shots into the top corner. 

Aside from an attacking midfielder, Untited will need to look elsewhere for a defensive midfielder if Owen Hargreaves fails to return from his almost two year absence. Players like Miguel Veloso, Yaya Toure, and the like will have their names linked with the Old Trafford outfit this summer. I am willing to be that Fergie will be content with his options and not feel the need to splash the cash in this particular area.

And finally, the final third is an area in which United must improve. While Wayne Rooney is having the time of his life in front of goal this season to the tune of 26 league goals and Own Goal has chipped in with 13 (he's rumored to be leaving for Madrid in the summer), United's other options in front of goal have foundered. Dimitar Berbatov has failed to live up to his 30 million pound price tag and Michael Owen found himself on an operating table for the umpteenth time in his career.

Having been a public defender of Berbatov for most of his time at United, I have grown tired of waiting for his immense talent to come to fruition at Old Trafford. It seems as though every time a ball is played into him he stumbles and falls in his excitement to get on the ball. In the few games he has played up front on his own he constantly drifts into the midfield or out onto the wings, and is unable to get a good position inside the box when a ball is ready to be crossed in.

Berbatov is still immensely talented and at another club he is still capable of scoring 20-25 goals a season. But not at United. Sir Alex ought to listen to all offers United may receive for the Bulgarian, and must consider selling him in order to sign a better player to fill in for Berbatov's absence.

Assuming that United get a decent offer for Berbatov, that fee in addition to their reserves of cash following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer, should leave them with enough to bid on the best striking talent in this summer's transfer window. Scoring delights such as Karim Benzema, David Villa and Edin Dzeko all appear to be available for the right amount of money.

My bet is on United pursuing Benzema. Sir Alex has noted his displeasure with not being able to lure Benzema to Old Trafford last summer, and Benzema's underwhelming season at the Santiago Bernabeu may be the right combination that unlocks Real Madrid's safe. The emergence of Gonzalo Higuain in tandem with Kaka and Ronaldo means that Real are less needy than they thought they were at the striker position. If United offer them a convincing enough bid, they may be tempted to allow the 22 year-old Frenchman to leave the club this summer.

Many United fans are craving David Villa in United Red next year. While his talent is undeniable, I highly doubt that United will pay what has been rumored in order to sign him. Villa is 28 years old and I cannot imagine that Sir Alex will pay over 25 million pounds for a player that only has three or four years of peak performance left in the tank. If United do sign Villa I will not be mad, I will be just as excited as the rest, I just personally doubt that United will go the distance to get Villa, especially considering the other teams that are also interested in securing his services.

Aside from Berbatov, another player that could be on his way out of Old Trafford is Michael Carrick. The 28 year-old England international has witnessed many ups and downs over the course of his United career. Given his more recent performances, Fergie may look to sell Carrick this summer to raise funds.

My Starting XI for Manchester United in 2010/2011 looks something like this:

Van Der Sar/Lloris

Lahm      Ferdinand    Vidic   Evra

     Hargreaves  Fletcher

Valencia                                                Nani

    Ozil/Benzema

     Rooney

Should United make these changes, I would venture to guesst that they would be amongst the favorites in the Champions League and the favorite in the Premier League. Glory Glory Man United.