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| On a Premier League Wednesday with nine games played simultaneously, spectacular goals and the top five teams each victorious, it was another home loss for Manchester United taking the headlines. Whenever United loses, its crisis. When other top teams slip up, its the quirky nature of the Premier League. The predictable reaction speaks to the sky-high expectations for a team proven perennial contender and 13 times Premier League champion. While its premature to suggest United have abdicated their throne, retaining their title this term has become improbable. Setting the bar lower to Champions League qualification even seems an uphill climb for a team reflecting United only in colours and crest. The mighty have fallen. But how far? After Wednesdays 1-0 loss to Everton, Manchester United sits 9th: Uniteds lowest ever position after 14 games. The home form is most disconcerting. David Moyes side has already been shut out twice at Old Trafford this campaign. Their eight home goals for is equal to the likes of West Ham, who have no true striker and one less than last place Sunderland. In comparison, Manchester City has scored 29 at home in the same number of games. Thats a Grand Canyon sized difference between supposed rivals on the field. The gap, incredible considering United finished 11 points ahead of City a season ago. Wednesdays loss is merely salt in the wound. The Everton away support mocked Moyes throughout. United support most likely felt like doing the same, if it were not the previous instructions by his predecessor, "your job now is to stand by our new manager." Wariness persists about the new man. While the players and staff all say the right things, belief amongst even the most ardent supporter wavers. Patience is preached. That narrative is difficult to swallow for supporters who have grown accustomed to winning trophies at a club with the bankroll to support ambition. Perhaps Sir Alex saw this coming. Perhaps he had got everything he could out of this group of players. Perhaps he knew the team needed an overhaul. And perhaps that was a little bit too much for a 71-year-old manager with nothing to prove to start over and rebuild. And perhaps banking on ownership to actually use the clubs financial might to address the issues in the side was something Ferguson could no longer stomach. This argument is less about the man in charge, rather than the team on the field. The goals United would score a year ago are now finding the woodwork. The challenges are sloppy. The shape leaves much to desire. Its striking the team couldnt rise up to the challenge of Everton; a fixture that was always going to be circled on the calendar, no matter where Everton and Manchester United sat in the table. The fact Moyes former team sat above his current gave added urgency. The Reds didnt respond. Yes, Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck hit post and crossbar respectively. But the chances for Everton were as good, or better than what United could muster. The irony, plain to see, with a United transfer targets injury replacement Bryan Oviedo scoring the match winner. The Everton midfield, which was plucked of Marouane Fellaini at the transfer window, was dominant throughout, with Fellainis replacements James McCarthy and Gareth Barry keeping the shape United only wished they could have. And Fellaini, fortunate to have stayed on the field after an ugly challenge, and looking a shell of the influential player he was while wearing blue. "We never felt inferior," remarked a jubilant Everton manager, Roberto Martinez. A Martinez managed team had never scored a goal at Old Trafford, let alone win. His Everton team in one try did what Moyes Everton couldnt accomplish in over a decade – win at Old Trafford. It was a measured, calculated and composed approach by the visitors. Time after time, they exposed the weakness in Uniteds midfield. United can still maintain possession of the ball in the middle of the park. But the east-west ball movement lack cutting edge and fluidity. The end result is a stale, predictable product. Most noticeably, Uniteds inability to put high pressure on the ball, and subsequent lack of numbers in attack on the counter left United at the mercy of a superior Everton midfield. Vintage United teams over the last two decades were deadly at forcing mistakes through putting pressure on the ball and forcing teams out of their element. It was always near textbook counter-attacking football. That was the Manchester United way. When in possession, Sir Alex Fergusons United would attack in waves. It would be relentless and it would break you down. This new United sits back. And when on the ball, there are very few options in support. Everton were vastly superior at both pressing the ball and attacking in numbers, just as West Brom were in a shock away victory at the Theatre of Dreams earlier this season. Fluid movement on and off the ball and purposeful possession broke down United. These were no fluky, lucky away victories. They were well earned. We should fall short of calling United a bad team. They are still a good team with a collection of players able to compete. But they have simply fallen back to the pack. Hanging in and grinding out points is where the team is. Thats not a bad thing. Its just not typical United. Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney have match changing, game winner abilities. Outside f the two, the squad falls short on top talent. So system, discipline, and effort need be relied upon. No matter what happens in January, Moyes number one job is to get his midfield right. He would likely trade his entire midfield roster for the likes of one of Eden Hazard, Yaya Toure, or Mesut Ozil – all top players for title contending teams. Likewise for Juan Mata, Oscar Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla – you get the picture. In the midfield, Manchester United is playing from a deficit. The discourse coming from Old Trafford has to change. It cannot be about moral victories. Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward saying United will remain strong financially without winning trophies sends the wrong message. The expectation is winning, not profit. The league is becoming clearer: Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea are clear title threats. Liverpool, Everton, and Spurs are in the second tier. Is United better than the aforementioned three? Certainly not based upon form. This is the challenge for United and their new manager. These may be early days, but its gut-check time. A suspended Wayne Rooney Saturday doesnt make matters any easier. The team has responded before. Will they respond this time around, for this manager? Other Musings - Luis Suarez is on a run for the ages, scoring 13 goals in nine games this season. The bite seen around the world and the summer of discontent seems to be a distant memory. But this is Suarez were talking about. Dependability is not his middle name. One has to wonder what is his value now? Liverpool famously rejected Arsenals audacious bid of just over £40 million. What is Barcelona or Real Madrid offer £80 million? Can Liverpool afford to lose him, no matter the price? Qualifying for Champions League is massive for the short-term future of the club. And could very well determine if Suarez continues on at Anfield. - After just 90 seconds Wednesday, Niklas Bendtner scored his first Arsenal goal in 1,005 days. In very Bendtner like fashion, he later missed an absolute sitter. Can Arsene Wenger afford not going into Januarys transfer window to buy another striker? Or can Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski be decent enough options, providing cover for Olivier Giroud? The decision could be the difference between winning the league. - Andre Villas-Boas outburst at the press doesnt bode well for the Spurs manager. The Portuguese manager has bigger fish to fry than petty public spats with those who cover the team. Finding requisite width and appropriate attacking formation tops his to-do list. The lack of influence through the wing positions despite worlds of talent is troubling. Two late goals at Craven Cottage spared his blushes. Maintaining focus is paramount. AVB has the players. Time to bring it all together. - Southamptons dream run has been derailed for the time being. A difficult stretch has seen the team lose their top goalkeeper and concede eight times in their last three after giving up just five in their previous 11. It doesnt get any easier, with games against top teams Manchester City, Newcastle and Spurs in their next three Twitter - @WheelerTSNEmail - gareth.wheeler@bellmedia.ca. NFL Jerseys China . Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres came to an agreement on a big trade that may only offer incremental improvement to the Blues in their quest for a Stanley Cup. Wholesale NHL Jerseys Authentic . Dr. James Andrews is to operate next week on the 24-year-old pitcher, who made the AL All-Star team last year. Moore will be the first Rays pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery since Jason Isringhausen in June 2009. http://www.jerseysnhlfromchina.us/ . Teams one through twenty competing in Englands top flight are each fatally flawed. A wide-open, highly competitive and mistake-filled season has followed. Cheap NHL Jerseys . These days, just about anyone can get a taste of the friendship that has blossomed between All-Star Kevin Durant and Oklahoma City Thunder teammate James Harden, most famous in the past two weeks or so for the elbow to the head he took from the Los Angeles Lakers Metta World Peace. NHL Jerseys China . Team officials did not indicate the extent of the injury Saturday, simply listing Rose with "left knee soreness." Rose has played two preseason games without any sign of problems. The first NBA game in South America now will be missing its biggest star. OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Golden State Warriors are banking on Andrew Boguts future in the Bay Area. The Warriors and the often-injured centre agreed to a contract extension Friday, a day after the team finished the preseason. A person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press it was for three years and $36 million and could be worth up to about $42 million with incentives. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms had not been publicly disclosed. Boguts contract was set to expire after this season. "We put a lot of money into believing hes going to be healthy," general manager Bob Myers said. "In this business, youre taking risks on players, whether they stay healthy or not. We used all our analysis, all the things we knew, all the information that was at hand with us to make the decision we did. "Size is a scarcity in the NBA, and we felt like this was somebody we needed to have going forward to be a successful NBA basketball team. Hes a big piece of our recent and past success and hopefully future success. So for us, we were willing to take that risk, and we think its a good one." The Warriors acquired Bogut in a trade-deadline deal in March 2012 that sent guard Monta Ellis to Milwaukee. Bogut did not play for Golden State that season while recovering from a fractured left ankle. The 7-footer from Australia missed 50 of 82 games last season, mostly because of soreness in his surgically repaired ankle. He also battled back and knee injuries while averaging a career-low 5.8 points to go with 7.7 rebounds, but he was at his best in the playoffs, making a major difference on defence to help the Warriors get to the second round. Myers, Bogut and Boguts agent, David Bauman, spoke generally in May about an extension and agreed to revisit talks more seriously this October. Bogut said he gave the Warriors a Friday deadline to get a deal done because he didnt want negotiations to drag into the regular season, which begins Wednesday night at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. "I was never a greedy guy that was going to come and say, Pay me X or Im walking or pay me X or Im going to free agency," Bogut said.dddddddddddd. "I think Im realistic about the injuries that Ive had and the tough times that Ive had with the organization and the pressure that theyve faced with fans for making the trade. It was one of those things where we came to common ground and I was happy. I couldve easily said, Ill wait till the off-season and easily make more money in the long run and have someone just chasing you. But Im happy with my deal right now." When Bogut has played, he has played well. He has career averages of 12.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.58 blocks in 440 regular-season games over eight seasons. Staying healthy enough to play, though, has been a constant battle since Milwaukee made him the No. 1 overall pick out of Utah in the 2005 draft. Bogut took anti-inflammatory injections just to stay on the court in the playoffs last season, but he showed up in the biggest moments despite his limitations. He had 21 rebounds, 14 points, four blocks and three assists in the Game 6 clincher against Denver in the first round. He also fought through pain until the eventual Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs sent the Warriors home in six games in the second round. Bogut missed the end of the 2009-10 season with Milwaukee when he dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall to the floor. He also missed significant time with an injured lower back in the 2008-09 season. Bogut has repeatedly called the injuries "freak accidents," but the setbacks have taken a toll, physically and mentally. At one point while rehabbing his ankle most of last season, Bogut said he was in a "dark place" and even considered retirement. Instead, Golden States surprising playoffs -- and his role in it -- left him rejuvenated. He lost about 15 pounds this off-season, showing up in training camp in great shape. "Just kind of surreal," Bogut said. 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