Manchester United are in trouble. It is not hard to see why, but it is a shame that it has come to this. On Wednesday night they are eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage - the first finalist from the year before to not reach the knockout stage the following season.
United are out of Europe, although they are physically now in the Europa League mentally they will not be competing. Following the FA Cup draw last Sunday, they have been drawn away to neighbours Man City in the third round of the world's most prestigious cup competition. It now bears out that following the first weekend in January, Man United - the champions of Europe - may only be fighting on two fronts and after the hurried Christmas schedule they could be further behind the same City neighbours in the title chase, and even behind current third place Tottenham who are undefeated in 11 games, with winnable encounters before the 22nd Dec match with Chelsea.
Man United are in a bit of a tailspin, following their shooting out of the blocks in August and September which included the 8-2 home win over Arsenal; United are suffering on many fronts - they are not scoring goals, they are not dominating games, they are suffering a whole host of injuries and players are playing low on confidence due to a collective loss of form.
Starting from the back - David de Gea was signed with many worrying over his transferring to a new league and a new country; he has not disappointed being at fault for several goals including the first at Basle on Wednesday night. The keeper needs to be a leader from behind, and currently the defence are not assured of his positioning, handling and control.
Constant injuries to the back line mean a lack of continuity and consistency - both Ferdinand and Vidic suffered injuries in the first few weeks meaning an elevation for Phil Jones and Chris Smalling who faired admirably, now Vidic is out for the season suffering medial ligament damage in Switzerland. Jones will have to play the rest of the season at the back, great for his English aspirations but not the best situation for United for the remainder of the campaign.
The midfield has suffered from the retirement of Paul Scholes and the lack of play for Ryan Giggs (who was United's best player on Wednesday), yet you cannot rely on a 37 year old to lead a midfield. Tom Cleverly was doing really well yet his creativity is definitely missing from United, Michael Carrick is a good passer but lacks the creative impulse to grab a game by the scruff of the neck like a Gerrard or Scholes might. Nani has been hot and cold like he always is, Anderson is a mis-step and Ashley Young is suffering from injuries himself.
Upfront, Ferguson appeared to find a brilliant partnership between Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck until Welbeck pulled up with a hamstring in that 8-2 victory and yet Rooney has not seemed the same player since Montenegro where he was sent off following the arrest of his uncle for match fixing. Rooney has been playing with a cloud over his head since late October and is struggling to score.
United are still winning games but without that zest and dominance of past seasons, winning 1-0 away from home at Swansea and Villa. Victories but unconvincing ones do little for faith and confidence from the stands.
In some respects, I wish that United had done the impossible at Wembley in May against Barcelona and defeat one of the best teams of all time. If that had happened, Alex Ferguson might well have retired and walked out on his terms (much like Tony La Russa with baseball's St.Louis Cardinals) with his work complete. United would have been the undisputed best team in Europe, League Champions and Champions League winners (for a 3rd time) instead Ferguson is walking around looking for the perfect ending. He has put his money were his mouth is and bought in young talent (Jones, Young, de Gea) coupled with rejuvenated youngsters from loans (Cleverley, Welbeck) to try and create another famous side. This side's inexperience with European football was most abundant in the group stages as they struggled to win at home against Basle and Benfica. Maybe next season in the Champions League will be the time for them.
However, now it looks like the ambitions for the season have altered due to the dominance of City's squad, this is a squad game now in the Premier League, City's 25 is much better than United's and they are scoring at will. City will fluff their lines at some point this season, oddly they have saved their banana skins for Europe and facing Napoli. United went through this last year and went on to win the league by some distance in the end.
Ferguson has seen it all in his 25 years, but I am not sure he has ever seen a more inept and embarassing performance as that on Wednesday night. Now he must become accustomed to Thursday night, Sunday afternoon football in February and March, as will City.
Yet since the 6-1 demolition at Old Trafford, City are still moving forward wheres we are still awaiting a United response. And as the nights get longer, there will be plenty for Ferguson to mull over this winter.
Showing posts with label Tom Cleverley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Cleverley. Show all posts
Friday, 9 December 2011
Tuesday, 23 August 2011
Premier League 2011/12 Review - Week#2 - Tuesday 23rd August
Week 2 of the Premier League will be remembered as one where the wheels came off at Arsenal, and the two Manchester clubs laid down markers for the season.
Firstly, lets start with the bad news at the Emirates. Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to a cohesive Liverpool side, admittedly it took the needless sending off of Frimpong (two in two for Arsenal on that front) and the introduction of Luis Suarez to inject something into the rain-soaked affair. Suarez's intervention led to Aaron Ramsey putting through his own net, though a clearance ricocheting off his chest over the stranded Sczezeny can be construed as unlucky, and then Suarez tapped in the sealer in injury time.
Before that Arsenal looked limp in attack - devoid of creation and impetus. The encouraging aspect was that Frimpong was the best player before his dismissal, but the constant ill discipline (81 players sent off in the Wenger era) coupled with absentism through injury of vital players such as Wilshere, means that Arsenal have started the season with no continuity and no formula for success. Along with the uncomfortable saga of Samir Nasri's move to Man.City and you have an anguished Wenger on the sidelines cluthcing at straws putting a team together as best he can.
And all this before a vital Champions League play-off game on Wednesday night in Italy against Udinese, where Arsenal hold a tentative one-nil lead - though Udinese showed enough combative effort to make sure that the second leg will not be easy. Arsenal may well score, but the lack of Wilshere travelling means Wenger may force City's bluff and play Nasri rendering him cup-tied for the season in that competition.
Man.City kept up there 100% record beating Bolton 3-2 at the Reebok thanks to goals from David Silva, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko.
Silva was inspirational, whilst Agureo looked a little off the pace in his first start - later to be substituted by Tevez in a like for like situation. Dzeko led the front well and relishes the prospect of having two people behind him feeding balls to him, and he took the third goal well.
However, it is in defence where the questions will be asked. Kompany and Lescott could not handle the imposing presence of Kevin Davies, who scored Bolton's second with a header simply by outjumping Lescott.
If Mancini, has the belief that they can outscore every team then they probably are capable but teams will ask more questions of their defence than Bolton did, and last year's incarnation of City would probably have dropped points.
As for Man.Utd, they joined their neighbours and Wolves as the only teams who are perfect. United continued their impressive PL record at home against Spurs, not losing at home to them since 1989 when Gary Lineker scored a winner. Gazza did not cry until 1990, now he cries all the time, thats how long ago Spurs last won at Old Trafford.
Spurs, playing there first league game of the season, following the postponement of their home game to Everton following the civil unrest in the area looked a bit of the pace by the end of the game, but for an hour more than held their own against the Champions. Good in possession, creating chances and with Van der Vaart employing a shoot on sight policy against the ropey David de Gea, Tottenham looked good for a point. Until the hour mark when a cross from the ever stable Tom Cleverley was met by the head of Danny Welbeck who again started with Rooney.
After that, the wind fell out of Tottenham and the fight left them and United with the lead and the superiority and a typical boisterous crowd roaring them on, had the wind in their sails. And it was scary at how good United looked, the last half hour was a passage of irresistible passing and movement, never more apparent than the second goal when Welbeck in a one-two with scorer, Anderson, backheeled to the Brazilian who had an easy task of scoring past Brad Friedel, who was impressive in goal on his Spurs' debut and was blameless for any of the goals.
Jermain Defoe hit the post on 88 minutes, and that might have made it interesting but the introduction of a trifecta subs of Hernandez, Park and youngster Giggs meant United could keep possession of the ball and Giggs duly teed up Rooney for the third with a well-placed header.
City may be going to plan at the moment, but United worryingly look a better side at this stage with a stronger squad this season compared to last year's Champions League finalists. With Vidic and Ferdinand injured, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans did an admirable job and maintained a clean sheet, no matter how many times De Gea fumbled the ball - Cleverley is growing slowly in stature, Ashley Young is offering something different on the wing and Welbeck's loan spell at Sunderland has paid dividends as he looks stronger and hungry to impress up front this season. And Fergie has Chicarito and Berbatov available on the bench, and he could still add to the squad with nine days left of the transfer window.
United were my prediction for the title and so far (apart from that worrying keeper) they remain the favourites in that degree.
Firstly, lets start with the bad news at the Emirates. Arsenal lost 2-0 at home to a cohesive Liverpool side, admittedly it took the needless sending off of Frimpong (two in two for Arsenal on that front) and the introduction of Luis Suarez to inject something into the rain-soaked affair. Suarez's intervention led to Aaron Ramsey putting through his own net, though a clearance ricocheting off his chest over the stranded Sczezeny can be construed as unlucky, and then Suarez tapped in the sealer in injury time.
Before that Arsenal looked limp in attack - devoid of creation and impetus. The encouraging aspect was that Frimpong was the best player before his dismissal, but the constant ill discipline (81 players sent off in the Wenger era) coupled with absentism through injury of vital players such as Wilshere, means that Arsenal have started the season with no continuity and no formula for success. Along with the uncomfortable saga of Samir Nasri's move to Man.City and you have an anguished Wenger on the sidelines cluthcing at straws putting a team together as best he can.
And all this before a vital Champions League play-off game on Wednesday night in Italy against Udinese, where Arsenal hold a tentative one-nil lead - though Udinese showed enough combative effort to make sure that the second leg will not be easy. Arsenal may well score, but the lack of Wilshere travelling means Wenger may force City's bluff and play Nasri rendering him cup-tied for the season in that competition.
Man.City kept up there 100% record beating Bolton 3-2 at the Reebok thanks to goals from David Silva, Gareth Barry and Edin Dzeko.
Silva was inspirational, whilst Agureo looked a little off the pace in his first start - later to be substituted by Tevez in a like for like situation. Dzeko led the front well and relishes the prospect of having two people behind him feeding balls to him, and he took the third goal well.
However, it is in defence where the questions will be asked. Kompany and Lescott could not handle the imposing presence of Kevin Davies, who scored Bolton's second with a header simply by outjumping Lescott.
If Mancini, has the belief that they can outscore every team then they probably are capable but teams will ask more questions of their defence than Bolton did, and last year's incarnation of City would probably have dropped points.
As for Man.Utd, they joined their neighbours and Wolves as the only teams who are perfect. United continued their impressive PL record at home against Spurs, not losing at home to them since 1989 when Gary Lineker scored a winner. Gazza did not cry until 1990, now he cries all the time, thats how long ago Spurs last won at Old Trafford.
Spurs, playing there first league game of the season, following the postponement of their home game to Everton following the civil unrest in the area looked a bit of the pace by the end of the game, but for an hour more than held their own against the Champions. Good in possession, creating chances and with Van der Vaart employing a shoot on sight policy against the ropey David de Gea, Tottenham looked good for a point. Until the hour mark when a cross from the ever stable Tom Cleverley was met by the head of Danny Welbeck who again started with Rooney.
After that, the wind fell out of Tottenham and the fight left them and United with the lead and the superiority and a typical boisterous crowd roaring them on, had the wind in their sails. And it was scary at how good United looked, the last half hour was a passage of irresistible passing and movement, never more apparent than the second goal when Welbeck in a one-two with scorer, Anderson, backheeled to the Brazilian who had an easy task of scoring past Brad Friedel, who was impressive in goal on his Spurs' debut and was blameless for any of the goals.
Jermain Defoe hit the post on 88 minutes, and that might have made it interesting but the introduction of a trifecta subs of Hernandez, Park and youngster Giggs meant United could keep possession of the ball and Giggs duly teed up Rooney for the third with a well-placed header.
City may be going to plan at the moment, but United worryingly look a better side at this stage with a stronger squad this season compared to last year's Champions League finalists. With Vidic and Ferdinand injured, Phil Jones and Jonny Evans did an admirable job and maintained a clean sheet, no matter how many times De Gea fumbled the ball - Cleverley is growing slowly in stature, Ashley Young is offering something different on the wing and Welbeck's loan spell at Sunderland has paid dividends as he looks stronger and hungry to impress up front this season. And Fergie has Chicarito and Berbatov available on the bench, and he could still add to the squad with nine days left of the transfer window.
United were my prediction for the title and so far (apart from that worrying keeper) they remain the favourites in that degree.
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