Chelsea vs Man Utd: Community Shield 2007

The Community Shield is on tonight and it pits last year's Premier League Champions Manchester United against the FA Cup winner Chelsea. I think it will be 1-1 scoreline which leads to a penalty shootout. Tsk. Don't ask me to predict who wins in a penalty shootout.

Man Utd doesn't have a good win record against Chelsea. If this is a League game to be played one or two weeks later, I would expect Man United to win because technically this season, they have a much better team of players than Chelsea. But their new signings will not be playing tonight. It's a pity because it will be exciting to watch Nani, Anderson and Hargreaves play for Man Utd. Chelsea, meanwhile has the services of their new players - Ben Haim, Pizarro, Malouda and Sidwell. And if you look at the team that Man Utd has named for tonight's match, you will realise that Man Utd has only one natural striker in their team - Wayne Rooney, and he is not even an out and out sriker.

I suspect United will play with a 4-3-3 with Flectcher, Carrick and O'Shea as the central midfielders while Rooney will be the central striker supported by Ronaldo and Giggs on the wings. To me, this is not an ideal formation for United. They have always been unbeatable playing with a basic 4-4-2 with two srikers and two wide players in midfield. Playing in the 4-3-3 system with Rooney alone in the central striker position makes Utd weaker. I would prefer a out and out striker in that position, not someone like Rooney who is not good in the air and not a target man.

There's a lot of talk as to which formation will Mourinho choose for his Chelsea team this year. Some say he will revert to his favourite 4-3-3 instead of the 4-4-2 that he used so many times last season. New signing Malouda will play on the left of the three man up front while Joe Cole will be on the right. They sill support Drogba who will play in the central position.

I think based on the teams and formations that these two teams will play tonight, Chelsea is a stronger team. But I think United still have enough to score a goal. So a 1-1 draw in the end followed by a penalty shootout.