Ferguson absolutely has to replace Ronaldo and Tevez, who scored one-third of United's league goals last season. If he doesn't, he can kiss his Premier League and European Champions League hopes goodbye.
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Manchester United poised for a shopping spree
GRAHAME L. JONES / ON SOCCER
The British powerhouse hasn't spent much yet but has a lot of cash on hand. Expect Sir Alex Ferguson to make a major move or two before all is said and done.
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Liverpool's plight
By all rights, Liverpool should have won the Premier League title last season. Under Manager Rafael Benitez, it scored more goals (77) than any other team, had a better goal difference (50) than any other team and lost fewer games (two) than any other team.
On top of that, Liverpool defeated Manchester United twice, 2-1 at home and 4-1 in Manchester. It was clearly the better club.
Liverpool's downfall, though, came in dropping points at home to such nonentities as Stoke City, West Ham United and Hull City, teams that it should have thrashed.
Benitez would like to strengthen the squad, but all he has accomplished to date is to sign England international defender Glen Johnson for $28 million, which is more than Johnson is worth, and to lock talismanic midfielder Steven Gerrard, 29, into a four-year, $227,000-a-week contract through 2013.
Meanwhile, Benitez has been fighting off Real Madrid in its attempts to lure Spanish international midfielder Xabi Alonso away from Anfield, and European champion Barcelona in its effort to take Argentine international midfielder Javier Mascherano to Spain to join countryman Lionel Messi.
The 18-time English champion has slapped an $80-million price tag on each player, though, and so far that seems to be working.
"Right now there is an insurmountable economic barrier, but that's something that can change," Miguel Pardeza, Real Madrid's sporting director, said Friday of any Alonso deal.
How Liverpool fares in 2009-10 will ultimately depend on keeping the Spanish wolves from its door and beating the English sheep when they show up at Anfield.
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Chelsea's dilemma
Like Manchester United, Chelsea on Thursday sets off on its summer travels. Instead of Asia, though, it is heading to the U.S., for games in such scenic spots as Pasadena, Baltimore and Arlington, Texas.
The July 21 friendly against Italian champion Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl should prove especially interesting. It pits Jose Mourinho, who coached the Blues to two Premier League titles, against Carlo Ancelotti, who left AC Milan this summer to take charge of Chelsea.
"He is no friend of mine," Mourinho said last week of Ancelotti.
