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The Barclays Premier League 2013-14 season kicks off Saturday and before a ball has been kicked, the negativity and pessimism surrounding reigning champions Manchester Uniteds title credentials have reached a fevered pitch. Paul Postma Jersey . Its an unusual, rare spot United find itself - being second-guessed. And the detractors have lined up to take a dig. Heed my warning - rule out Manchester United at your own peril. No more Sir Alex Ferguson earning points. The new manager, David Moyes, has never won a trophy (never mind last weekends Community Shield) nor managed past the qualifying stages of the Champions League. No desired marquee central midfielder landing at Old Trafford thus far in the summer transfer window. And how can we forget a less than stellar pre-season tour and a disgruntled Wayne Rooney. All these factors weigh heavily as to why many predict United to finish no better than 3rd in the table come May 11. Without a match being played, the narrative among pundits, bloggers, opposing supporters and even some who live and breathe United football; the upcoming season will prove to be one of adjustment, transition and struggle. Many reminisce about yesteryear and the difficulty the club had in replacing the likewise legendary Sir Matt Busby. When the predecessor sets the bar so high, and if the incumbent doesnt meet the lofty standard of past years, the new manager is assumed destined to fail. All this is on the plate of the new man, Moyes. And by the way, Sir Alex and Sir Bobby are upstairs watching. Good luck with that. Sir Alex Fergusons message to supporters after his final victory at the Theatre of Dreams to "stand by the new manager" was heard, but whether its abided during inevitable blips that will come over a lengthy campaign will be a true test of patience and belief in the manager. Moyes was Fergusons personal choice as successor. Yet Fergusons choice has come into question already. The suggestion players wont want to play for Moyes the way they wanted to play for Ferguson is far too simplistic. But to the average onlooker and inactivity in the transfer window to support the notion, initial panic and criticism of the hire has been widespread. Uniteds difficult start to the schedule (Swansea, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in their first five matches) will be a further test. The return of manager Jose Mourinho to Chelsea and cross-town rival Manchester City spending upwards of another £90 million in the transfer window are sexier storylines. Time will tell how much, if any, these two teams have improved from a season ago. But for a team thats only lost a seldom-used Paul Scholes from a squad that ran away with the Premier League a season ago, the predicted demise of United is completely overblown. Doomsday talk is nothing new. After selling Cristiano Ronaldo, or not keeping up with Citys big spending, or even losing 1-0 to Everton in last years opener, shots are taken at United whenever the team shows the slightest vulnerability. Thats what happens when you spend your time at the top. Man United finished 11 points atop the league last May. Ive heard more times than I can count that Ferguson earned the team upwards of 10 more points than they deserved. What a crock. Apparently Ferguson was the one finishing late in matches, as Robin van Persie did multiple occasions early in the season when United looked a step off. 26 goals and eight assists say much about the quality of the player. Or how about the stand out play of Michael Carrick, being the straw that stirred the drink in Uniteds midfield in a season the production from typically useful wing players simply was not there. A combined two goals for Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Nani in a year they ran away with a title. A title came in a year Shinji Kagawa was both misused and under utilized. A title still came as captain Nemanja Vidic recovered from knee surgery, deputized under a watchful eye. Through it all, title number 20 was celebrated United have won the title three of the last five years, and the one year they lost, it was on goal differential in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. We all acknowledge the greatness of Sir Alex, but the man doesnt walk on water. The players had something to do with it. And the team remains in tact. Vidic, Giggs, Ferdinand, Evra, and Carrick remain the stalwarts. They bring a balance - a quiet confidence to the bunch. A track record of winning will do that. They may not come with the style of others, but the substance is undeniable. Theyve helped cultivate a winning environment and one of internal accountability. With a new manager and coaching staff, the transition is eased with players as such. The more astute United observer recognizes the Ferguson era was marked by development with in. Bringing young players through, whether developed at United or purchased before their prime, has been instrumental to success. As has the marquee signings but without the nucleus of youth, a team lacks a proper balance. This changing of the guard from Sir Alex to Moyes is another chance for the club to take advantage of the stockpiled young talent by giving them a chance. 18-year-old Adnan Januzaj was arguably Uniteds brightest star pre-season. A gifted left-footed player whos better suited playing a more central attacking role has earned his chance to play. Wilfried Zaha, an outside right midfielder, was Fergusons final purchase, and a proper one at that, for £15 million from Crystal Palace. Zaha looks ready to slot into a starting position and has worked his way into the England side, all at the age of 20. Right-back Rafael, 23, continues to develop into a top defender in the league, and goalkeeper David De Gea was voted into the PFA Team of the Year last season. De Gea is 22. These are a few of the many cases where United is well position for the present and future. It may be less sexy than spending outlandishly, over-paying for talent to appease a fan base or the pundits. But they provide substance, they provide a backbone and they illustrate a plan. It will be strange seeing Moyes on the touchline and not seeing the wily Ferguson animated, checking his watch and chomping his gum. The Ferguson era was special. Its hard to believe there will be another like it - 26 years and 49 trophies. Now, without Ferguson comes another kind of excitement. Its anticipation of the unknown and thats not a bad thing. A tactical refresher and a different voice may be what this group of top players needs to remain fresh. Moyes knows the Premier League. His away record at the top teams while at Everton is irrelevant. Hes at Manchester United now, surrounded by talent he could only dream of at Goodison. The commitment to Uniteds vast array of sponsors and overall pressure that come with the job has heightened. But football is football and thats what Moyes will be evaluated on. Moyes will learn on the job what type of players he needs to add to fit his system. Patience is being preached and not being well received. Whether its Fabregas, Ozil, Modric, Fellaini or other, players will arrive. Rushing to judgment right now before the transfer window has even closed and before weve seen a Moyes team even play a truly competitive match serves no purpose. Its a fruitless exercise playing fantasy football manager. It makes more sense for Moyes to rely on a group currently champions than carelessly shaking things up, going about his business like a drunken sailor. But that seems to be what the masses expect. Its the biggest mistake made in modern football; throw money at something and problems go away. The message isnt not to spend. Its to spend wisely and timely and on your own accord. The support of United in this piece isnt meant to serve as cheerleading material. Its to warn not to count this group out. Not just yet. The team has its vulnerabilities. Its plain to see upgrades to the central midfield are needed long-term and an unhappy Rooney doesnt jive either. Both issues will be settled in due time. Sir Alex was often questioned throughout his tenure at Old Trafford despite his success. His greatest responses to criticism werent behind a microphone, they happened on the field. Time and time again, Manchester United proved critics wrong. Theyve shown they are bigger than one man. They have proven to be winners. Moyes and Manchester Uniteds newest challenge starts Saturday. Rule out Manchester United at your own peril. TSN 1050 Radio will host doubleheader action from the Barclays Premier League this weekend. Join myself and Kristian Jack on Saturday for Arsenals match against Aston Villa before Swansea faces Manchester United. The action unfolds on TSN 1050 Radio at 9:30am et/6:30am pt. On Sunday, Crystal Palace faces Tottenham ahead of Chelsea and Hull City going head-to-head. Sundays coverage on TSN 1050 Radio begins at 8:30am et/5:30am pt. You can reach Gareth at gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca or follow him on Twitter, @WheelerTSN Derek Sanderson Jersey . The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists detailed in a report how Russian and international journalists have been harassed and prevented from covering sensitive stories in Sochi such as the abuse of migrant workers and environmental issues. Sean Kuraly Jersey . -- For one night, Nick Calathes provided a big reason to believe the Memphis Grizzlies might be able to withstand the loss of Mike Conley on a short-term basis. http://www.thebostonbruinshockey.com/anders-bjork-hockey-jersey/ . Durant had 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation and made the go-ahead foul shots in overtime to lift the Thunder past the Wizards 106-105. John Wall missed a driving layup attempt at the buzzer for Washington, which was seeking its third straight win.Phoenix, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Gerald Green scored 24 points off the bench and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Denver Nuggets, 120-112, on Wednesday. Eric Bledsoe deposited 21 points with 10 assists, Goran Dragic scored 20 and Markieff Morris totaled 15 points with 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Suns, who have won five of their last six. Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 19 points, while Timofey Mozgov and Arron Afflalo each contributed 18 points, with Mozgov pulling down 13 rebounds in the setback. Denver had its five-game winning streak snapped. With the game knotted up at 64-64 at halftime, Phoenix opened the third on a 14-4 run. Dragic scored the first five points of the run, then capped it with a layup with 7:06 left in the quarter. There was a stretch there in the third quarter where we played pretty good defense, then we made some shots, Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. Greens 3-pointer made it 85-74 minutes later, but Denver countered with eight straight to cut the deficit to three. However, Green knocked down a pair of 3s over the final 1 1/2 minutes to help the Suns take a 93-86 lead into the fourth. PPhoenix slowly built its advantage back to double digits in the final frame, with Green scoring seven straight points to give the hosts a 110-94 edge. Custom Boston Bruins Jerseys. Green hit a falling-away 3 before punctuating his little run with a thunderous alley-oop slam that lifted the Suns faithful to their feet. The Suns took their foot off the gas over the final six minutes of play, but their lead held up to snap the Nuggets winning streak. Although Phoenix jumped out to a quick lead in the first, the Nuggets took advantage on a 14-4 run that gave them a 14-9 lead. The Suns regained control later in the frame on an 11-0 run and they had a 34-30 lead entering the second. There were seven lead changes and three ties in the second quarter as the two teams headed into the locker room all tied up. Game Notes Denver has lost 16 of its last 19 trips to Phoenix ... Marcus Morris had 14 points while Alex Len and PJ Tucker chipped in with 10 points apiece off the bench for the Suns ... Phoenix made 52 percent of its 3-pointers and limited the Nuggets to 32 percent from beyond the arc. 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