When the clocks went back, time was marching on for the Reds to show some title muscle.
The reigning champions had been handed a daunting start to the 2008-09 campaign and, coupled with a UEFA Super Cup date in Monaco, it had left them playing catch up.
Four points dropped in autumn against rivals Liverpool and Chelsea meant Sir Alex Ferguson's title holders were really up against it. When British Summer Time officially ended last year United had played eight matches, had amassed 15 points, were in sixth position and were eight points behind leaders Liverpool.
They, of course, magnificently whittled down the advantage to romp home.
Dauntingly for their challengers this term the Reds could have laid down an extremely solid foundation in the autumn programme.
Clocks
BST this season will end 24 hours after a date at Anfield against Liverpool.
The fixture computer has been much kinder to Fergie and his squad this time.
The big home matches are against Arsenal and City but both of those clubs could still be having teething problems as Mark Hughes and Arsene Wenger restructure their squads and look for the right formula.
United have ten matches up to the time when the clocks go forward on October 26 and then I expect them to have 26 title points on board.
Here are my predictions...
United 2 Birmingham City 0: Reds off and running.
Burnley 1 United 3: No way United will slip up against the newcomers.
Wigan 0 United 2: Never easy here but Reds have too much.
United 2 Arsenal 1: On paper tough but United have home advantage.
Tottenham 1 United 1: Always difficult. Remember that 5-3 victory after being three down?
United 2 City 1: Bragging rights will be very important.
Stoke City 1 United 2: So long as they watch the long throws.
United 3 Sunderland 0. Banker on home soil.
United 2 Bolton 0: United's attack will have too much for their neighbours.
Liverpool 2 United 2: Fergie won't let them lose this crunch.
United's record at the end of October: P10, W8, L0, D2, Pts 26.
Position: Top
What do you think? Have your say.
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I would settle for that! do you realse though Ronaldo and Tevez are no longer at UNITED!
Your glasses are not rose coloured - they're possitively bright ManU red! Your prediction would be most welcome though.
Waste of time thinking about it really football keeps us interested because anything can happen in a game sendings off penalties injuries, but as long as your dreaming how about this : p38, w 38, L 0, pts 114 that scenario is just as possable as yours !! tipsters = people with nothing else to talk or write about.
Sounds good to me. Lose one, draw one. 26 points. The way the team played on Sunday fills me with confidence provided they don't go to sleep after the first goal.
Is anyone else worried about the upcoming season, if fergie pulls off retaining the league trophy at the end of this season it will be one of his biggest achievements, we have done everything possible to make it harder for ourselves by not getting in replacements. Never have I seen and heard so many pundits and opposition players talking our threat down since the prem years started, I think everyone bar us utd fans have us down as 3/4th place. The squad is a major worry in my eyes we got the trophies in the end last season but our general play was awful in most matches,and we have lost the worlds best player now, we have lost great players before but never one at the top of his game and hailed as the worlds best, plus his goal tally is unreplaceable from anyone in the squad, if rooney is out we have berba who doesn't run and owen who cant, also everyone bar fergie doesn't seem to realise how weak our midfield is,centrally we have no goal threat,pace or movement, fletcher astonishly is now our main man,and if we are being honest he is pretty limited,carrick is poor and anderson just hasn't performed, leaving us untested gibson, another year older scholes and giggs and the waste of transfer hargreaves. Defence is fine as long as rio/vidic stay fit, evra could do with some competition and we have no reliable rb, also we still havent replaced scholes,giggs,neville or vds as next season is surely there last.
Please I welcome people coming on and having a go and easing my worries and telling me it's going to be okay, pre-season nerves I guess, but we could be missing out on trophies by not investing some money into the squad especially when our main rivals have added, thankfully not loads but some food for thought chelsea still have a bigger squad than us full of established internationals,arsenal are on a record breaking 21 games unbeaten and pool finished 2nd halfs with more points than the others,we usually start well then struggle in the 2nd.
Incredibly optimistic, and 10 games in with 25+ points is a glorious prospect but where's the fun in that!!
I won't be surprised if everyone loses a few in the initial stages of the season although stuart ripley's lovely looking 114 points would be an absolute delight.
But 3 draws then a win against the gooners wouldn't shock me one little bit.
Edinburgh red, you're a doomlord, and you wrote all that? What team is there to fear? Chelsea? Ageing team. Scousers, no chance with Alonso, zero without him. Arsenal? No, not potent enough. citeh?..yeah right..move along nothing to see. The surprise team for me will be Tottenham, now go and have a lie down pal.
Go on then, it's only a bit of fun.
Birmingham City: Win
Burnley: Win
Wigan: Win
Arsenal: Draw
Tottenham: Draw
City: Easy win
Stoke City: Win
Sunderland: Win
Bolton: Win
Liverpool: Draw
United's record at the end of October: P10, W7, L0, D3, Pts 24. Top.
I predict that United fans will sing abusive songs all Season, but get on their high horse when City stroll into Town.
Strange obsession with the seasons. Must be a pagan.
Edinburgh - pipe down, Fergie knows what he is doing. If he thinks we can do ok with what we have, who are you to question him? Just have a little faith and get behind the team - whoever SAF picks.
I expect United to more fluid in attack this season. No stops in the movements every time the ball falls into the feet of CR. I also look forward to United reverting to a more collective attacking style, and hope that the departure of CR will allow WR and DB, in particular, to display their talents. But it is difficult to say how this will affect results.
Whalley Bridge Cynic, should that read Whalley Bridge clinic Cos I think that's where you are writing from.
Whatever happens it won't be dull, never is
A bit ambitious there Stuart!
It's odds on they will open with a draw against Brum at home, so there's another two points gone.
Liverpool will pull out everything for the win, another point gone. And I can see Ciddy getting a draw as they treat the game like a CL final, 2 more points gone.
So 21 points is nearer the mark.
edinburgh red....Believe!
only care that we are top of the pile in may 4 in a row come on sir alex lets make history.
edinburgh red - keep yourself and your comments to the confines of scotland please.
Whaley Bridge cynic - dead right we will sir. the more abusive the better
If MU win the PL or the CL the biggest winner will be SAF, he will be declared as the best manager in the world. If we don´t win any trophies , don´t worry , there are two big excuses (Ronaldo and Tevez).
Somebody said here that don't worry about Chelsea because their getting older and don't worry about Liverpool because the sold Alonso, jajajaja that's funny. I think that we are the team getting more players older (Giggs, Scholes, Nevile VDS) and we are selling more talent than Liverpool.
I think 23 pts will be more realistic for me.
Whaley Bridge cynic.,
12/08/2009 at 13:27
I predict I will ignore your cynicism.........there done it
It's OK saying that we have an easy start but we will inevitably have a difficult patch which will occur when we have European and Cup games going on!
Even with that start half the posters on this site will still be calling for SAF's head....while criticizing veterans, pining for players gone, and lamenting the lack of starting opportunities for the greenhorns.....