There was widespread relief when Manchester United finally bowed to the inevitable and sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, because by the end of his final season in England all the preening and posturing had even begun to annoy people inside Old Trafford. In addition to his undoubted talents as a flying winger and prodigious goalscorer - he did not just score a prodigious number of goals for a winger, he scored a number of prodigious goals - Ronaldo seemed to relish the role of pantomime villain and his departure was never going to go unnoticed or unremarked.

It is still a jump, however, to conclude that United will miss their most conspicuous asset to the extent that other teams are now favourites for the title. A somewhat self-centred Ronaldo did not always manage to galvanise the team in some of the big games last season, and at no time during the league campaign that brought Sir Alex Ferguson a record-equalling 18th title was anyone remarking that United were a one-man team.

While that criticism might have been valid the season before, when Ronaldo's unexpected tally of 42 goals took United to the major prizes despite a lack of penetration from the rest of the forward line, the winger was not as outstanding last time out and Ferguson's desire to use either him or Ryan Giggs through the middle was one factor in Wayne Rooney being forced out to the left wing.

Ferguson actually claimed Rooney enjoyed being out on the left last season and was adapting successfully to the position, though it now appears that blueprint has been torn up. United seem likely to return to something based on a more conventional 4-4-2 with Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov first choice strikers and Michael Owen and Federico Macheda in reserve. On paper, at least, that suggests a considerable goal threat, and before writing off United's chances of a fourth title it would be wise to wait and see whether Berbatov and Rooney can come into their own given extended runs in their favoured positions.

Owen's impact depends very much on whether the new system works, since he will not prosper in anything that requires him to play in midfield or alone up front. If Berbatov and Rooney form a successful partnership his appearances could be limited anyway, though even as an impact or emergency sub he seems certain to score more goals than the five Carlos Tevez managed in the league last season.

Though Antonio Valencia is hardly a like for like replacement for Ronaldo he is an exciting winger, with all the pace and control necessary to exploit the space he will find on United's right. His acquisition makes sense and it is probably astute of Ferguson not to go in search of anything more galactic for the moment, yet given the extent to which United were taken apart in Rome it is perhaps surprising central midfield has not been strengthened.

United are well off for defensive midfielders, even allowing for the continued absence of Owen Hargreaves, but with Giggs and Paul Scholes winding down, the cleverness and creativity is going to have to come from Nani or Anderson. About time, some might say. Others might not be so optimistic, although the two front players are both adept at starting from deep positions and instigating attacks rather than just waiting to finish them. Apart from the injuries that are increasingly disrupting the Rio Ferdinand-Nemaja Vidic partnership in central defence, and the slight uncertainty over the goalkeeping succession, United are sound at the back and can offer an attacking threat from both full-back positions.

There is a danger, especially if they switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2, that United will resemble England and stand or fall by how well Rooney plays. But England do not have a Berbatov, or anyone like him, and ultimately United will stand or fall by how well their two main attacking threats combine. They hardly combined at all last season but Ferguson seems willing to change the system to give them every chance. The question now is how well they take it, with Berbatov in particular under pressure to deliver and needing already to improve on his less than decisive contribution to the new era in the Community Shield game. At least penalty shoot-outs do not feature in the Premier League, so given the massive amount of title-winning experience within the club it seems reasonable to suppose a fourth consecutive domestic crown is possible, maybe even probable. But unless the Berbatov-Rooney axis can be very clever indeed it is equally likely United will be rumbled again in Europe.

In: Antonio Valencia (Wigan, £16m), Michael Owen (Newcastle, free), Gabriel Obertan (Bordeaux, undisclosed).

Out: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, £80m), Fraizer Campbell (Sunderland, £3.5m), Carlos Tevez (contract expired), Manucho (Real Valladolid, undisclosed), Lee Martin (Ipswich, undisclosed), Richard Eckersley (Burnley, undisclosed), Rodrigo Possebon (Braga, loan).

Certati dupa finala Ligii pierduta de Manchester cu Barcelona, Sir Alex si Rooney vor sa se impace inainte de noul sezon din Anglia. Cei doi au lansat provocarea verii. Rooney va fi noul "Cristiano Ronaldo" al lui Manchester.

Sir Alex vrea sa-i faca pe plac lui Rooney si i-a garantat in sezonul viitor ca-l va pune pe teren oriunde ii va spune jucatorul.

Dar asta nu se va intampla fara un "pret". Rooney i-a garantat lui Ferguson ca va marca cel putin cat Cristiano Ronaldo, pe vremea cat juca la Manchester, iar Ferguson i-a impus 25 de goluri in toate competiile in acest sezon.

Anul trecut, Rooney a marcat 20 de goluri la Manchester, spre deosebire de fostul "CR7", care a reusit o performanta incredibila, 67 de goluri in toate competiile in ultimii 2 ani.

"25 de goluri e o tinta pe care o pot atinge. Sunt incantat de propunerea lui Ferguson", a declarat Rooney pentru TheSun.