At Wembley tomorrow, Manchester United, the English and European champions, take on FA Cup winners Portsmouth in the Community Shield showdown.
Alex Ferguson does not have pleasant memories of Portsmouth's last visit to Old Trafford for an FA Cup quarter-final tie. Harry Redknapp's men pulled off a surprise by beating United 1-0 with a Sulley Muntari penalty to shatter Ferguson's treble bid.
Manchester United, the winners of the first edition of the traditional curtain-raiser after beating Queens Park Rangers 4-0 in 1908, top the all-time victors list with 12 honours following last season's penalty shoot-out success over Chelsea.
At full time, the result was 1-1 (Giggs; Malouda) and then the Red Devils went on to win 3-0 on penalties. Manchester United have shared the shield on four other occasions.
Their last three triumphs in the season opener all came after penalty shoot-outs: vs Chelsea; Arsenal 4-3 (2003); and Chelsea 4-2 (1997).
Portsmouth, as Football League champions in 1949, shared the honour with FA Cup holders Wolves after a 1-1 draw. It was the first time in the history of the one-match affair that the shield was shared by the two finalists.
Since the match's title changed from Charity to Community Shield in 2002, the honour has been claimed by two London sides, Arsenal twice and Chelsea once; and by the two Lancastrian giants, Manchester United twice and Liverpool. The last time the Shield was won by a club outside London and Lancashire was in 1992 when Yorkshire-based Leeds beat Liverpool 4-3.
Portsmouth manager Redknapp has a good cup record over Ferguson. The quarter-final triumph at Old Trafford in March was Redknapp's third noteworthy FA Cup win against the Scottish supremo, having also pulled it off with Bournemouth in 1984 and West Ham in 2001.
In the Premier League, United held the upperhand over Portsmouth last season:
Old Trafford: 2-0 (Ronaldo 2).
Fratton Park: 1-1 (Benjani − Scholes).
Late last month, the two sides met in a friendly match in Nigeria, the Red Devils winning 2-1 (Tevez, Eagles − Defoe). Eagles has since been transferred to Burnley.
Ronaldo sidelined
In the close season, the most shocking news originated from Old Trafford after Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of his desire to move to Real Madrid, adding that he was being treated like a 'slave' at Manchester .
The United fans were turning against him but this week, first Ferguson and then Ronaldo himself announced that the Portuguese was staying at Old Trafford.
However, Ronaldo will miss tomorrow's match as he is recovering from ankle surgery. Striker Wayne Rooney is also out of the picture for United after contracting a virus during United's visit to Nigeria in pre-season.
Ferguson was right to hit out at FIFA president Sepp Blatter whose comments had triggered the 'slavery' controversy. Blatter has a habit of bringing the football world to a standstill with his bizarre statements. The FIFA boss later remarked that his comments had been misinterpreted by the media.
Manchester United have put together a British record transfer deal of £32m to make Argentine striker's Carlos Tevez move permanent. The forward's rights were owned by Iranian businessman Kia Joorabchian, head of the MSI Company. Tevez joined United last season on an initial two-year loan deal.
A boost for the Red Devils was the news that defender Rio Ferdinand is close to full fitness after he missed some of the club's tour matches due to a back injury.
Defender Mikael Silvestre, who was on the verge of leaving Old Trafford, has decided to stay and secure a testimonial match for spending 10 seasons at the club.
Although Ronaldo had a great season for United, critics were also impressed by their solid rearguard, led by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and those two defensive pillars, Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. Wes Brown also proved useful for United last season, be it as a fullback or in the middle of defence.
The fans are hoping that the team will not suffer as a result of the departure of Ferguson's assistant Carlos Quieroz, who has taken over the Portugal national team.
Crouch walks tall
Redknapp accepted a club record fee of £12.7m from Inter for midfielder Sulley Muntari. The Pompey boss may have to return to the transfer market to strengthen his midfield after he spent £11m to sign striker Peter Crouch from Liverpool. Crouch, in his second spell with Portsmouth, is looking to secure first-team football with Pompey, something he failed to achieve at Liverpool.
Crouch and ex-Tottenham front-man Jermain Defoe will form 'the little and large' partnership of the Premier League. FA Cup final scorer Kanu has signed a new contract with Portsmouth.
Redknapp, who took his squad for a training camp in South Africa last month, remarked that he needed a central midfielder and a wide player to challenge for a top-six place.
Portsmouth, who recently signed a commercial deal with Air Malta who are now the club's official airline, will make their debut in European competitions this season after qualifying for the UEFA Cup thanks to their success in the FA Cup.
The Blues must improve their home record if they are to break into the top six in the league. The south coast club and their fans have launched a campaign in favour of Redknapp receiving a knighthood.
Fans are also urging those who do not like the game to sign the petition, sensing that their backing would help to make Redknapp a 'Sir' for his service to football.