Manchester United

Nickname: The Red Devils

Formed: 1878

Stadium: Old Trafford

Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

Last season: Premier League champions, Champions League runners-up, FA Cup semi-finals, League Cup winners, FIFA Club World Cup winners

WITH 11 league titles from the past 17 years and four straight top-two finishes, it would be unthinkable that the Red Devils won’t be in the reckoning for a record fourth consecutive premiership come May, 2010. But much has been reported whether the Sir Alex Ferguson-led squad can win again without attacking midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo – the superstar taking a world record 80 million pound (US$130m) transfer to Real Madrid in June. Wayne Rooney and company will be out to prove they were never a one-man team, not only in the EPL but as they chase more European success. The 2008 European champions and last year’s runners-up to Barcelona seek their fourth Champions League Cup … wouldn’t a Man U and Real Madrid clash be a promoter’s dream? With a strong backline consisting of the imposing centre duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, a talented midfield including Red Devils legend Ryan Giggs, and strike power options from Rooney, Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, the masterful manager Ferguson has the squad to be successful but will no doubt face more challenges without the dead-ball specialist and enigmatic Ronaldo. The famous No. 7 shirt, previously worn by greats George Best, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona, David Beckham, and Ronaldo, will now be on Owen’s back. One of the world’s most famous and richest sporting clubs, Manchester United achieved the rare treble (League title, FA Cup and European Cup) in 1999 and has a record-sharing 18 league premierships. No strangers to success, the Red Devils should never be written off.

Trophy Cabinet – League Titles (18): 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009
FA Cups (11): 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
League Cups (3): 1992, 2006, 2009
European Cups (3): 1968, 1999, 2008
Cup Winners' Cups (1): 1991
Super Cups (1): 1991
Club World Cups (2): 1999, 2008

Squad – GK: 1. Edwin van der Sar; 12. Ben Foster; 29.Tomasz Kuszczak.
Defenders: 2. Gary Neville; 3. Patrice Evra; 5. Rio Ferdinand; 6. Wes Brown; 15.Nemanja Vidic; 20. Da Silva Fabio; 21. Da Silva Rafael; 22. John O'shea; 23. Jonny Evans; 30. Richie de Laet.
Midfielders: 4. Owen Hargreaves; 8. Luis de Abreu Anderson; 11. Ryan Giggs; 13. Ji-Sung Park; 14. Zoran Tosic; 16. Michael Carrick; 17. Luis Carlos Nani; 18. Paul Scholes; 24. Darren Fletcher; 25. Luis Antonio Valencia; 26. Gabriel Obertan; 28. Darron Gibson.
Strikers: 7. Michael Owen; 9. Dimitar Berbatov; 10. Wayne Rooney; 19. Danny Welbeck; 27.Federico Macheda.
In: Luis Antonio Valencia (Wigan), Gabriel Obertan (Bordeaux), Michael Owen (Newcastle).
Out: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland), Richard Eckersley (Burnley), Lee Martin (Ipswich), Carlos Tevez (Manchester City), Rodrigo Possebon (Sporting Braga).