United’s EPL odds 2013 / 2014 are drifting and they are currently out at $3.60 with Sportsbet, out from $3.00 only a few weeks ago. This is purely down to lack of activity in the transfer market.

To count the number of players apparently courted by Manchester United during this closed season, who have turned them down, you need one of those cool scientific calculators you got at school, and a degree in Trigonometry, here is a list of all the players it seems United have tried to sign in the last two months:

Thiago Alcantara (Went to Bayern Munich to join up with a manager who didn’t play him at Barca)
Cesc Fabregas (Likes the Barca bench too much)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Seemingly happy being disliked at Madrid)
Mesut Ozil (Likes the Madrid bench too much)
Robert Lewandowski (Wants to join Bayern Munich)
Paulinho (Went to Spurs)
Willian (Went to Chelsea)
Eto’o (Went to Chelsea)

Now these are all big name players and the draw of the European Champions, or one of Spain’s top 2 might be enough to tempt anyone away from the drizzle of Manchester, however, it is not many years ago that United were selling cast offs to Madrid (Beckham and RVN), and when United were way ahead of the likes of Bayern Munich in the pecking order to European football. However players picking Spurs or Chelsea over United? What has happened?

So what has changed? It is easy to jump on the Sir Alex Ferguson answer. The lack of the world’s most successful manager might be a reason for players looking elsewhere, however this shift in power happened whilst Ferguson was still at the helm.

Look at the success City had in recruiting Nasri (lucky escape for United), Ya Ya Toure and Aguero, all players heavily linked with United, all players who went to City. Hazard to Chelsea was also an example, he was a long time target of Old Trafford, yet he signs for Chelsea. It is money? Both City and Chelsea are bankrolled to an extreme and pay massive wages, but so can United. Sure Manchester City pay over the odds for players however it is understood that United offered Arsenal the same for Nasri as City, but the player chose City.

In reality this is a far from new phenomenon, with the execption of Robin Van Persie, when was the last time United were seen to be recruiting a really top player? No disrespect to Kagawa, Jones, de Gea, Young, Valencia, Hernadez and co, who will all go on to become very good if not great players, but its not quite the same as breaking the world record transfer fee with the signing of Veron, or the signing of the world’s most expensive defender in Rio Ferdinand, or smashing the world record for a teenager with the capture of Wayne Rooney, or the huge signing of Ruud van Nistelrooy, or Roy Keane, or Bryan Robson is it?

United used to be at the very forefront of the world biggest soccer transfers, now they just scrape into the Top 20 with their purchase of Rio Ferdinand over 10 years ago! In fact of the Top 50 transfers of all time, United are listed just 4 times as buyers (Ferdinand, Rooney, Berbatov, Veron), Real Madrid are listed 11 times, Barcelona 6, PSG 5, Chelsea 5, Manchester City 4, and crucially, many of those signings are recent.

Is it just money? It is no coincidence that PSG, City and Chelsea appear in those lists, as do Zenit St Petersburg, Anzi and Monaco, who are all bankrolled by single individuals or states. Yes maybe it is. If a club on the French Riviera, or sun drenched Spain, or in the world’s most cosmopolitan city comes calling offering mega bucks I can see why a player would join, but what happened to that desire to play for United? And how are City recruiting so well?

City are buying players with huge wages, and whilst United are amongst the biggest players in the world for the very best players (Rooney and RVP are rumoured to earn c. $500k per week), United won’t pay that for ‘average players’ City play in excess of $200k per week to almost anyone, the lad who cleans the boots is probably earning more than most United players.

However the biggest reason is that whilst United have continued to dominate the EPL, they are failing in Europe. Since beating Chelsea in 2008, and being recognised as the second best team only to Barca in the following years, United have gone backwards. Players now look at where the money is, but also where the balance of power is shifting to, and that is away from Old Trafford.

United need to strike back, buy some world class players, pay big money for the likes of Fabregas (offer €100m), Bale (offer $250m) or god forbid, Suarez (offer $100m) and show the world they mean business. Unless the Old Trafford hierarchy do something dramatic, quickly, I can see Manchester United fading into Liverpool-like obscurity and as a United fan, that makes me feel ill.

Lets put an end to players choosing a reserve team over the glorious Red of Manchester United, stop players from taking the inflated pay cheques on offer at Eastlands, or in Russia and start attracting the very best players to Manchester, the red side of Manchester. You’ve got to look big and act big to be big, and I am sorry to say, that the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Napoli are currently looking bigger than United.

Manchester City look to have beaten Real Madrid to the signature of Spain midfielder Isco in a deal thought to be worth $45m for cash strapped Malaga. With Fernandinho and Navas already signed City are leading the way in terms of spend so far. This one looks like a done deal to us and it might be worth backing City for the EPL title at odds of $3.10 before they sign too many more players and their odds tighten.

Meanwhile at Old Trafford Manchester United seem to have secured the signing of Barcelona’s Spain U21 midfield genuis Thiago Alcantara. Following his hatrick in the game against Italy, United keeper David De Gea signed his captain’s match ball with the words Nos Vemos en Manchester, which means “See you in Manchester”. United are willing to trigger the former Brazil World Cup winner Marzinho’s son’s release clause at a reasonably low $34m. This story has a lot of legs, and we think Alcantara will be lining up in United midfield come August 18th. Done deal.

Another Barcelona player another Manchester United rumour. This time is it Cesc Fabregas who continues to be linked with a move away from Camp Nou to Trafford Old. We can’t see Barca letting two young Spanish midfielders leave in one season, unless they need to recoup some Neymar money. Cesc will be irritating teams in La Liga next season not La EPL.

Wayne Rooney seems to be still interesting Arsenal, with billionaire shareholder Alisher Usmanov urging Arsene Wenger to try and sign the want-away-maybe-not-want-away striker. With Moyes now at the helm and Rooney being used widely on United’s marketing materials we can’t see him leaving unless United are able to pursuade a certain Polish Centre Forward to join them from Borussia Dortmund. Rooney to stay at Old Trafford.

We’ve added our EPL Round 1 Previews, with our tips for the first round matches.

Part 1 of our EPL Round 1 Odds and Betting Guide
Part 2 of our EPL Round 1 Odds and Betting Guide

Luis Suarez is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, who appear to be doing their utmost to sign every top player thay can, now that rivals Barcelona have secured the services of Neymar. Suarez, who has a less than savoury reputation in England is now talking about “a change of environment” and is understood to be asking for almost $300,000 per week in wages! This one could be a very realistic proposition, however I struggle to see where the Madristas are going to play him.

Suarez’s Uruguay are in action on Thursday against France, where he might be lining up against arch nemesis Patrice Evra again. Uruguay are $2.25 whilst France are $3.00. A draw is an attractive $3.30 and is where our money is going.

The future of Wayne Rooney is also less than clear, gossip seems to link him to a big money move to PSG, however, the installation of David Moyes as the new Manchester United manager might chnage that. Certainly within United circles the club seems to be trying hard to keep Rooney, whereas the fans seem to want him to leave. We think Rooney will still be a United player come the start of next season.

Rooney is likely to be in action in the new Maracana, as Brazil take on England on Monday morning. Brazil are priced at a very short $1.57 with England available at odds of $5.50. England don’t look like they have much idea recently and the 1-1 draw against Ireland was an example of the insipid performamces they have put in recently. There is no value backing Brazil outright, but backing Brazil half time and Brazil full time is a decent $2.40 bet.

Back in Madrid, President Florentino Perez has slapped a €1billion price tag on the head of forward Cristiano Ronaldo, however we have heard posturing like this before from Perez, so Ronaldo to Manchester United or PSG is still an outside possibility a far as we are concerned.

Portugal take on Russia on Saturday, and are heavy favourites at $1.91, we quite like the Russian team and will be betting on them at $3.80.

Finally Australia travel to Japan for a soccer game on Tuesday, and it shows how far Japan’s star (or sun) has risen in world football (or how far the Aussies have fallen) than Japan are no better than $1.83 with Australia a big $4.00. Sad as I am, I cannot see the Aussies pulling of a victory in this one.