Sunday was a sobering day for Manchester United and their fans. A defeat may not have been surprising given how poor we have been since Bolton (whilst
Chelseawas hardly an awful performance, they were the better team and luck won us the day), a 6-1 thumping was beyond belief. There are, admittedly, some mitigating factors, Jonny Evans sending-off: which, by the way, does not make him a bad defender, he’s been excellent this season – but perhaps more significantly the United mentality. It would have been easy to sit back and accept a 3-1 defeat, hardly a disaster given we’d played nearly half the game with 10 men, but it’s not how we go about our business. We went for it and David Silva, the Premier League’s premium player by a distance, tore us to shreds, making it an embarrassing 6-1.
As Bob Dylan once sang, “The times they are a-changing”. United are no longer comfortable in
Manchester, in fact, many would consider City league favourites now. On top of that, most, myself included, would put more City players than United in a Manchester XI (my team, for those who care, Hart, Richards, Vidic, Kompany, Evra, De Jong, Toure, Silva, Young, Rooney, Aguero). However, if English football has learned one thing about Manchester United, it is to never write them off.
It isn’t hard to find positives for United. So far this season United have played 7 of the top 10 – and another one being ourselves – whilst City still have Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and even Stoke away to go. By New Years, there is every chance we will have caught City up and possibly even overtaking and then we can buy a centre midfielder (let me dream, I know it won’t happen) – with Javi Martinez, Yann M’Vila and Danielle De Rossi all possibilities who could be registered for the later stages of the Champions League, assuming United get there which is by no means a certainty if we keep playing with the same complacency that has marked our games since Bolton. On top of this, we are currently 5 points behind City, a concerning margin. Yet last season, we were 6
thand 8 points behind – albeit with a game in hand. It is hardly the time to assume all is lost.
The main position of envy for United fans is City’s midfield. Their defence is no better than ours, the amount of goals conceded is more down to the shocking lack of cover from our midfield, with fans favourite Michael Carrick the only natural defensive midfielder in the squad who, by Sir Alex’s own admission, “doesn’t get going until later on in the season”. In between the sticks, Joe Hart is a better keeper than David De Gea at this point but by no means is it a massive gap. As for attack, Aguero and Rooney are their teams talismans up top, in the top 3 in the Prem with Arsenal’s brilliant Robin Van Persie, and City have startling options in the mercurial but brilliant Mario Balotelli and the inconsistent Edin Dzeko whose mood and confidence dictates whether he’s a Heskey or Drogba. However, in Welbeck, Chicharito, Berbatov and Owen, we aren’t exactly lacking ourselves. The midfields are, however, classes apart. This was a point emphatically proven when Samir Nasri trotted off the bench. A player who would start for United coming on as his team were walking over us 3-0. United are crying out for a Yaya Toure or a Nigel De Jong to cover our defence.
The sheer fact that Tom Cleverley has been missed as though he was Andres Iniesta tells a story in itself. “Chunks” is a fantastic talent, with massive potential but he’s not yet a world class player and in fact, if too much pressure is applied to him, it could end up seeing him not reach the levels he could. The other half of our midfield is our wingers, Nani and Ashley Young. Both are quality players who started brilliantly but have faded a tad, Young perhaps becoming predictable as he seems to forget how good his left foot is and instead always comes in onto his right. Nani, on his day, has the ability to be one of the world’s best. However, that day is all too rare. City, however, have Silva. A majestic player, currently the world’s third best (on form, I would still have him as fifth on ability, hardly a shame to be behind La Liga’s sensational foursome of Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi and Iniesta), he was given the freedom of Manchester and boy, did he take it. His pass for Edin Dzeko’s second was one of the most majestic you are likely to see, finding the Bosnian with laser precision on the half volley.
The question being asked now is how to go improving the midfield. There are those who advocate buying quick and some who think we shouldn’t, just to let Morrison, Pogba, Tunnicliffe and Cleverley advance. Whilst not wanting to get too much into it, the main danger is that, without investment, City could run away with Premier League titles, never mind European football. As the ever spot-on
Samuel Luckhurst pointed out, United are no longer the third favourites in
Europe, Bayern Munich overtaking them in that respect and that won’t change without quality in the centre of the park. Is it worth the risk to not buy and allow the youngsters the chance to shine when we don’t even know if they will be world class? The midfield one is the most pressing for United. Their manager, mentality and the quality they still possess mean United are still very much in the title race, if not the European one. But get the midfield question wrong and that might change. The Blue Moon may be Rising but the Damned United? Certainly not.
By Diarmaid Hill (
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How can you talk about "buying quick" -- we've been waiting 3 years for Ferguson to buy a world-class midfielder.
ReplyDeleteInconsistant Edin Dzeko?
ReplyDeleteClearly your as deluded as every other blind United fan, Dzeko is going to destroy Rooney and win the golden boot unless Balotelli or Aguero have something to say about it.
Don't go and lookup Statistics now, you may find yourself actually coming up with some valid points.
You failed when mentioning Evra, Clichy was a far better player and put in a far better performance, there is no way on earth that Rooney is better than Dzeko and current statistics are proof of that.
Three of Rooneys goals this season are penalties FACT.
As for Young well, Nasri and Johnson are far far better wingers full stop.
If you're going to try be non bias then atleast be non bias.
Heres non bias for you, I am english through and through ans Wayne Rooney as a waste of space just like Carlos Tevez.
The only first team player worth even a mention in the United team is Vidic, hes the only player i'd ever consider having at Manchester City if I had to take one from United. Otherwise i'd have none of them.
Give Carrick a chance to play next to Cleverley. They are our two best CM's in retaining the ball. Carricks tactical discipline should work well next to Cleverley's energy. Additionally, we can revert back to a 4-4-1-1 that saw us destroy all challengers. I actually think Carrick's range of passing will work well, he can quickly switch it and find outlets stretching the field (Nani/Young/the high striker). And Cleverley can provide the final ball in the tighter attacking 3rd.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, too much has been made over our demise in the midfield against City. Prior to Johnny Evans getting sent off, we enjoyed more possession. That's hardly a stat inductive of a team over run by Citys talent. Once the sending off occurred we got way too stretched. But all of our players aren't suddenly terrible. Despite the noise from the press and a majority of United fans.
Lastly, City's 2nd and 3rd goal, which effectively killed the game off, occurred because Young and Evra didn't track the overlapping run. They had nothing to do with our CMs.
Forcing a stop gap buy does nothing. We are still in the league and buying players will prohibit Morrison and Progba's growth. Let's remember that Bayern and Barcelona midfield is overwhelmingly dominated by homegrown talent.
@Brookklyn Dweller - You might have had more possession, you were at home and it's your responsibility to take the game to us. However, Balo picked you off on the counter attack and would undoubtedly would have scored a second if not for the cynical foul by Evans. That would have open you up more and we still would have gone on to win the game I think, either way you got spanked.
ReplyDeletePlease....I can't see how Carrick is our best. He's not even "good". Carrick and Gibson should be sold ASAP, for peanuts if necessary. Or swap em for another kid with potential, I don't care. United needs to buy a real hard ass DM like de Rossi and CM like Sniejder, and do it fast. The kids could learn from them.
ReplyDeleteWellbeck is too naive to be thrown into the deep end of big games. Berba and Owens should be used of sold. Macheda should be sent out on loan. Diouf, Kuzchek, Bebe, Carrick, Gibson, sell em all.
Think Carrick would be Cleverley's best partner for sheer freedoms sakes. One holding and let Chunks go where he's most effective.
ReplyDeleteBut for arguments sakes, if I said right now, we don't win the Prem or Champion's League for 2 years and City win the Prem twice, would it be worth it assuming Pogba, Ravel, Tunners and Chunks are all world class?
agree. We have missed Cleverley, who in turn seemed early on to inspire Anderson who has since been poor. But yes we are in need of a world class midfielder who not only inspires, but drives forward, can pass, run with the ball and now and again score!! ring any bells!! (Keano!) Whether Jones in time fills that gap remains to be seen if he is going to be played in bit parts as a central defender and occasional right back. Schneider??? De Rossi?
ReplyDeleteOne thing is for sure Fergie needs to buy in Jan even if that player is euro cup tied....if for nothing else to give us a chance in the Premier league run in!
Silva is the big difference and I wonder now if Nasri will get much of a look in?
Up front it could well be that Berba and own deserve a few proper premier league starts?
Valencia, Nani and Young..whoever plays MUST start taking defenders on, they all look too much to lay it inside.....they can all dribble, so do it!! Get to the by line and cross it...
Come on United we need to pick up our spirits and belief and we will be there or thereabouts come April /May!
M'Vila or Javi Martinez would be my top choices. One of them would do, our wingers and strikers have goals in them, if we settle the defence then we'll be fine.
ReplyDelete