English Premier League Predictions: The FA Community Shield Manchester Derby

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(Bleacher Report)It is truly almost that time. This weekend sees the Barclay's Premier League fans get a glimpse at two of the most talked about teams for next season. With Manchester United out to defend their record 19th English Championship, their cross town rivals Manchester City hope to knock the mighty Red Devils off their perch.

Last season saw all the money that has been pumped into City finally pay off as they defeated Stoke City at Wembley to claim the 2011 FA Cup. It was their first piece of Silverware in 35 years as they last lifted the League Cup in 1976 over Newcastle United.

The season also saw the Citizens break into the UEFA Champions League by securing a third place finish in the table. It is the closest they have come to a top flight Championship since they last finished second in 1976-77.

Manchester United are fresh off a record breaking League season, while suffering another European failure thanks to Barcelona. Sir Alex Ferguson led the Red Devils to their 13th League title under his tenure, and it is their third in the last five seasons.

No longer do they share the top spot with Liverpool for the most English Domestic League titles, and it has them ready to continue broadening the gap.

However, they will have to face off against a tough and determined Manchester City squad, that has much left to prove. City was last involved in a Community Shield competition in 1973 when they lost to Burnley at Main Road.

United have had much more recent success in the early season fixture as they have won four in the last ten years. Their most recent was last years 2010 edition when they took down 2009-10 League winners Chelsea in a 3-1 victory in front of a packed Wembley Stadium.

This year the game will be an excellent competition as City will want to start their season off with a win by showing they are genuine title contenders, and this will probably be the make or break season for Roberto Mancini at the helm of the money rich club.

His most recent addition, Sergio Aguero will probably not be on display at the start, but his selection process will be difficult none the less as he now has a plethora of front men to choose from even more than before.

Sir Alex Ferguson will approach the match as he always does, with the intent of winning outright, and he has some new faces that will be seeing their first action with the Red Devils while their is a piece of Silverware on the Line.

I truly believe Mario Balotelli will be one to watch for City if the mouthy striker plays. Carlos Tevez could also be a thorn in the side if he makes a cameo, as he is always out to stick it to his former employers. Wayne Rooney has a lot to prove after being highly criticized last season for his believed dip in form, although his bicycle goal against City in the last match where these two faced off is one to remember.

Predicted Line-Ups

Manchester City Starting XI: Joe Hart; Micah Richards, Vincent Kompany, Stefan Savic, Gael Clichy; Nigel De Jong, Gareth Barry; David Silva, Yaya Toure, James Milner; Mario Balotelli.

Manchester United Starting XI: David De Gea; Rafael Da Silva, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra; Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Ryan Giggs, Park Ji-Sung; Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen.

Match Prediction: Manchester United 3 - 1 Manchester City.


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Ranking the Top 10 English Players Who've Played in Foreign Leagues

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(Bleacher Report) England is the birthplace of the world's greatest game. Not only does it have the title of home of the beautiful game, but it is also home to many legendary players in the sport.

Men like Peter Shilton, who holds the record for the most caps in the English National Team at 125, and Manchester United immortal, Sir Bobby Charlton. Billy Wright also is an immortalized English man as he spent his entire career at Wolverhampton Wanderers during their glory years and also was capped 105 times by the Three Lions National Team.

However, not all Englishmen have played there entire career for clubs on their own soil. Some felt it was time to venture out at one point or another for at least several years to make a name for themselves on a different nations stage.

The following is a list of 10 of England's best exports that succeeded on European or other worldly soil. Also as a side note, many articles that I found in my research include players that were born in Wales and Scotland, so in my version I want to keep it to players strictly from England and not the entire UK. So if you wonder why you aren't seeing Paul Lambert or Graeme Souness, they were born in Scotland and Wales......Click Here to View the Slideshow.

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Liverpool FC: Would Michael Owen Be Welcomed Back?

Will The Boy Wonder Be Welcomed Back if Kenny Signed Him?


by Thomas Atzenhoffer on The Bleacher Report
April 20, 2011

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In what could be a rumor of outlandish proportions in the last few months of the season, there have been whispers that Kenny Dalglish could attempt to bring back a fallen hero of the Kop in hopes of letting him set things right before the end of his career. That fallen hero is former Liverpool wonder boy, Michael Owen.

A recent article contemplating the same question tempted me to dig a bit further and really ask myself and the rest of the Liverpool fans out there the same question. Would we welcome him back with open arms after his time at Manchester United?

To figure out how to even answer that you have to look at all the numbers, both past and present.

At 31, Owen would seem like a gamble, especially considering his injury problems since leaving Liverpool to join Real Madrid in 2004. During his spell with the Reds first team from 1997 till 2004 he scored 118 League goals in 216 appearances, not including his goals in domestic cup ties or European competition.

Though he had a nagging hamstring injury throughout that time he still averaged at least 30 appearances per season during that time. Despite the injury, when your strike rate in league games is a goal every 1.8 games, you are valuable.

His contribution was unparalleled when the 2000-01 Reds won a unique treble of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup and League Cup, and for his efforts, Owen won the Ballon d'Or.

News that probably shook the banks of the Mersey River was Owen's move to Real Madrid in 2004. It stunned the Liverpool fans, and he was dubbed a traitor in many ways but couldn't help but be revered for the contributions he had given the team.

The time he spent in Spain was not as he had imagined as he was reduced to primarily a sub and only started 13 games in La Liga. However, his 13 goals for Los Blancos in his total of 36 appearances remains the highest total scored when compared to minutes played in La Liga history.

After his jaunt in Spain he returned to England, this time for Newcastle United and after a great start to his time on Tyneside, he was sidelined for nearly 18 months with injury after injury following the 2006 World Cup for England.

Upon his return to fitness he was granted the captaincy for Newcastle and would lead the team in scoring before their relegation at the end of the 2009 season at which time he truly became almost, if not completely, hated by Liverpool fans.

The summer of 2009 saw Owen complete a move to Manchester United on a free transfer signing a two-year contract. That was the ultimate insult to his long time Liverpool fans as it was the one team that the Anfield faithful hate above all others. How could their once Kop Hero ever think of putting on a Red Devils jersey?

His time in Manchester hasn't been all roses and riches. He has spent a large portion of time injured there as well and only returned to the United bench on March 19th when they took on Bolton. With the club's addition of Javier Hernandez in the past summer, Owen is likely out of a job.
949839_crop_340x234 Ben Radford/Getty Images

So now comes the true question. With the needs of another striker to play backup to Andy Carroll, Luis Suarez and Dirk Kuyt, would Owen be a long shot, and would he even be welcomed back?

David N'Gog needs to go out on loan, and Daniel Pacheco is close but needs more time to develop as do the rest of the Youngsters. With that in mind, even if Owen wasn't always on the pitch, he has the kind of scoring mentality that the youth could learn from in training.

Also, if there is a manager that he would listen to it has to be Kenny Dalglish. His No. 10 jersey is likely to be available as Joe Cole will more than likely be on his way in the summer, and a free transfer for a former legend might not be too bad of an idea.

In all likelihood, it is 50/50 that he comes. The youth policy of the new owners under John W. Henry is not designed for sensational returns, but Owen might not be as bad of a gamble. His age gives him a few years left if the injuries can remain in check.

That time could be spent as a filler for the likes of Pacheco, Adam Morgan and Jesus Fernandez Saez "Suso," to come of age. All the while, he could maybe roll back the clock and reignite the Kop on a few occasions and bring back some found memories.

It would only be fitting for Owen to have a last shot at glory and retire as a Red with his name remembered for the right reasons. John W. Henry and Fenway Sports Group let Nomar Garciaparra retire a Red Sox, why not let Owen retire a Red and use the money saved from his free transfer to continue injecting youth into the core of the squad and on the wings?