Authors: Doron, ManUtd24 and Rob

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With the FA Cup taking centre stage last weekend, the “Things” column was brushed to one side. Now league football is back on the agenda, the column returns for it’s second issue/publication/whatever you want to call it. As per last time, Rob will be sharing a couple of thoughts and we have another guest joining us, ManUtd24 – who’s focussed on Scott Parker. We’ll make no attempt to be neutral and we’ll attempt to link back to United where possible but otherwise enjoy our thoughts and ramblings for the second time.

Ryan Giggs and the 80/20 rule

I really don’t know how to feel about Giggsy this season, and the Chelsea game summed it up perfectly for me. After strolling confidently into the pub wearing my United #11 jersey, I saw him put in a midfield display of such wayward passing and defensive irresponsibility that it made me wonder if Joey Barton had put on a Giggs face-mask and snuck into the team. With Rooney mostly released from defensive responsibilities, Sir Ryan left too much mopping-up for Carrick to do, and our display for the first two-thirds of the game became totally disjointed, lacking the calm authority that we saw in the Arsenal game a few weeks ago. It certainly wasn’t the same Maestro Giggs who swept Chelsea aside 3 times and dominated the knockout stages of the Champions League last season.

As it turns out, he was just making me wait, because after Scholes came on and took over the game, our number 11 produced a great left-sided attacking performance – dribbling and bamboozling defenders, playing with confidence, and of course sending in that perfect cross for Chicharito’s equaliser. It turns out that he’s the ultimate exponent of the 80/20 rule – 80% of his impact comes from 20% of his play. Luckily for us, that 80% impact means he’s now got 8 assists in the league, behind only David Silva and our Tony V. Despite all the frustrations, Giggsy’s still got it.

Parker

There are many reasons to dislike Scott Parker. His effortless hair, for example, that fills us all with envy; the fact that he used to play for Chelsea; or the fact that TV commentators and pundits call him “Scotty” as if he’s their mate. He isn’t. But Parker is a good player. A really good one, in fact. It seems, however, that he’s being pulled down for reasons out of his control – Scott Parker’s biggest flaw is simply being Scott Parker – or being Scotty, England’s saviour, Lionheart emerging blood-stained but victorious in battle or any other hyperbolic/jingoistic mush.

Parker is more than someone who shows great “spirit and determination” – no, he can do things that actually mean something on the pitch. He can pass, tackle, intercept, create, score, tackle, pass, create and pass some more. In Tottenham Hotspur’s most recent game against Liverpool – a 0-0 draw that would normally be dismissed as ‘dour’ if not for an adorable cameo by an oblivious cat – he was named Man of the Match for all the right reasons. He made a few vital clearances, including a flurry of them at the end, and had Liverpool’s midfielders in his metaphorical pocket for most the game. He reads the game so well, does Parker. He’s the perfect foil for Luka Modric, too, and that can only be a good thing. Plus, he even managed to restrain himself from hitting Luis Suarez around the face – which is one of the great modern-day achievements, if you ask me.

Just a shame United didn’t go for him in the summer.

A foolish prediction (that’s going to come true)

Making predictions about the title run-in is always a fool’s game, but I fancy myself a bit of a fool today. As the season’s progressed, it’s become increasingly apparent that City’s (thus far) invincible home form is carrying their season. During these tough winter months, they’ve shown that they can be stopped by teams with enough organisation and energy to shut them down, and the luck to nick a goal from somewhere, such as the right boot of Darron Armando MaraGibson. Despite the fact that Yaya Toure is due to return soon from the African Cup of Nations, their remaining away fixtures look tricky, to say the least: Villa, Swansea, Stoke, Arsenal, Norwich, Wolves, Newcastle. Even if we grant that they beat Villa and Wolves, there’s every possibility that they drop more than 3 points in those other fixtures.

Contrast this with United’s run-in. We’ve got more players coming back every week, and have miraculously gone two full matches without any in-game injuries. After the next 3 very tough fixtures (Liverpool, Norwich, Spurs), we have a run of 8 consecutive games against teams currently in the bottom half of the table. United’s record against teams outside of the top 7 thus far: played 15, won 13, drawn 1, lost 1. The next 3 games are absolutely vital, and if our boys can get 6 or 7 points from a possible 9 there, I’d go so far as to say they’re clear favourites, going into the final stretch. Gary Neville was right when he said that City needs to pull away soon; otherwise United will win the league. What I’m trying to say is this: United will win the league.

But even if we don’t win the league, we better beat Liverpool on Saturday.

Bruce’s winger from Derry

At nearly 23, James McClean is no ‘youngster’ in the same way one would consider Welbeck to be a young player. Yet, coming to England having played nearly half his senior games in the Irish First Division (that’s their second division) and having such a positive impact so soon is impressive.

It’s not that Steve Bruce didn’t fancy McClean, after all it was he who signed him – rather, Bruce had his development down to a tee, stating from the outset that he’d need time in Sunderland’s reserves before probably being ready for the first team around Christmas. Bruce would never be there long enough to get the praise he should have done for bringing in and bringing through McClean but it was he and not Martin O’Neill who saw what was possible.

McClean’s rise to prominence under O’Neill has been impressive though. He’s a good mix of an old-school winger and the more modern direct type. When he goes outside he consistently delivers good whipped crosses; and when he comes inside his power takes him past players and he’s a goal threat. You almost have to wonder how much of the ‘MON’ effect at the club has been down to him and natural, quality width. If his form continues through to the end of the season, his days at Sunderland may be numbered.

The league’s best centre back?

It’s a question rather than a statement but Joleon Lescott should, in my opinion, be considered as one of the stand-out centre backs in the season so far.

Often over-looked because of the performances of Kompany, Lescott’s been a bit of an unsung hero for Man City. He turns 30 this summer so should be reaching the peak of his career and there are signs that this is indeed the case. In possession he’s become calmer and a good user of the ball, happy to run with it or play a well-spotted pass. When defending he’s certainly become less erratic and prone to error – there’s no coincidence that he’s become better off the ball as he’s learnt how best to use his physique.

Recent displays at international level as well as club level have been of a high quality and if it wasn’t for the fact that no one’s quite sure who his best partner for England would be, he’d probably have played himself close to first choice. Capello recognised his improvement and it’ll be interesting to see if his replacement does too. With the likes of Smalling and Jones breaking into the scene, it’ll probably be Lescott’s last chance to be first choice at a major tournament.

A thought or two

That was some goal by Cisse for Newcastle. He’d actually looked pretty poor having come off the bench and really slow but there was a glimpse at some of the quality he has as he found the top corner with his left footed strike.

Craig Bellamy may be the signing of the season. Amazing work-rate matched with regular quality in his passing and final ball, Bellamy’s been the man to make Liverpool tick so often. Not that it would have ever happened, but I think he’d have probably done a fairly decent job for United on a free – Glazernomics and all that.

Has football finally been hit by the recession after such a quiet January transfer window? Or, are there just not that many players available at sensible prices? Or are clubs finally realising it’s not worth spending over the odds on players? Or are most clubs happy with where they are in terms of squads? Is the latest trend to pay relatively big on Championship players? Food for thought.

Authors: Doron and Nik

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Manchester United were down in London to try and match City’s win over Fulham and go level on points again with their neighbours at the top of the table. De Gea returned in goal whilst Rooney and Young came back from injuries to start. Chelsea were forced to give Gary Cahill a debut at the back as they suffered from a few injuries. Having been 3-0 down after 50 minutes, United fought back to draw 3-3 but can maybe feel aggrieved to have not taken maximum points.

Here we discuss the talking points of the game and invite Chelsea fans to join in the discussion below.

3 defensive errors = 3 simple goals

The first goal was quite simple to analyse in that Patrice Evra should really be nullifying the threat of Sturridge once the Chelsea player had moved into the box. Sturridge was able to exploit the right side for most of the game with Young not as adept as Park in a defensive positions from the wide left position. (It’s hindisight analysis at its best, but as mentioned below, perhaps Park over Young would have been the smarter choice here.) Once in the position, a trademark shimmy and drop of the shoulder sold Evra short and the Englishman was able to earn a little luck by reaching the by-line and crossing the ball low and hard into the crowded six-yard box. To give Evra a reasonable amount of credit, he aimed to jockey rather than dive in, and was probably wary of showing the youngster inside where he has been deadly of late on his left foot.

The second goal, though exquisite from the little Spaniard, was largely avoidable. Throughout the game, Ferdinand had seemingly been instructed to track Torres whenever in his ‘operational zone’; whether this is in response to the history United (and Vidic in particular) have with Torres is not clear, but nonetheless the scenario materialised. Instead of the pacier and more agile of the two centre-backs in Evans performing this role, Rio marshaled Torres high and wide, which in hindsight was a glaring error (he is far more suited to sitting the deeper of the two centre-backs, reading the game with aplomb). Within a minute of the restart, Rio was thus dragged to the far right side of Chelsea’s attack where Torres typically finds joy in receiving the ball; Evra quickly covered in the centre, and as Ferdinand retreated having left the forward in a ‘safe’ position, the ex-Liverpool man timed his cross to perfection, with Mata – left entirely free by the re-shuffled pack of Rafael, Evans and Evra – finishing superbly on the volley from close range.

The third goal was a farce from start to finish. Having received the ball on the halfway line from Evra, Giggs turns into trouble as his first touch unusually evades him, allowing Meireles to intercept. Sturridge is then able to get a run at the out-of-position Evra, with the latter tripping the forward conceding the freekick. Once again, Mata influences the game here; as with his wonderfully flighted direct freekick in the closing stages, the cross for this particular goal was equally as well executed. Amazingly however, United’s backline is disorganised in the extreme – there are seven United defenders to Chelsea’s three forward players at the time of delivery (see below); Rooney and Rafael are spare at the back whilst Evans and Rio marshal Torres and Sturridge respectively. Luiz (6 foot +), the goal-scorer, sits between Evra and Carrick. With one simple verbal instruction, Ferdinand could have ushered the line 2 meters to the left, meaning that he matched the Portuguese’s height, with Evans and Rooney picking up the remaining players. He moves a fraction too late and with that Chelsea should have put the game to bed. This was defensive zonal marking at its worst, and Fergie would have been apoplectic.

7 United players vs. 3 Chelsea players

4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3: subtle yet effective

Fergie outshone AVB with his changes from the side. Losing 0-3, Hernandez quickly replaced Young (who looked jaded and not ready to replace the recently astute Park), and just past the hour mark we saw the introduction of Scholes, with the resulting tactical change being hugely influential to the outcome. Rafael had once again showed why he is United’s best option at right fullback, and in one sense can think himself as unlucky as he was at the Emirates to be withdrawn. However, Fergie’s thinking here should be rewarded, and the broader tactical shift at this juncture recognised. With Hernandez already on, the boss wanted to move from the starting shape of 4-2-3-1 to a more direct 4-3-3 – the resulting effect being that the midfield trio was able to play in closer union, and with greater width being applied in the final third. With Rooney operating closer to the (Mexican) striker with Welbeck pushing wide right and Giggs (who struggled defensively in a central role during key phases) moving wide left, it also allowed Scholes and Carrick to re-assert United’s influence in the middle Chelsea’s brief ascendancy.

Fergie, who chose not to select Scholes for the 3rd time in a week despite his excellent form (self-inflicted then given the manager’s precision planning) was probably always going to use the midfielder for half an hour either way, whether chasing the game or for protecting a lead. By removing Rafael instead of say, Giggs, he tried to exploit Chelsea’s apparent lack of width on the left side – with Bosingwa and Malouda pinned back by Valencia (see chalkboard 1), Mata in a free role and Torres drifting horizontally throughout. Valencia was thus sure to see more of the ball high up the field than at the Emirates, and sure enough, his astute one-two with Welbeck down the right ended in Rooney’s parried shot, and Giggs’ sublime assist for Hernandez.

Chalkboard 1: Valencia able to curtail Malouda influence starting deep

Giggs’ width proved crucial then, again just like his assist for Valencia at the Emirates after a similar shift in position (and his vital assist for Rooney there in the Champions League); the application of the cross was executed with the experience of a trained assassin, able to block out the chaos that surrounded him, he picked out the excellent movement of Hernandez who had evaded Luiz not once, but three times in quick succession. At 1-3 United were now keeping Chelsea’s fullbacks in retreat, restricting Matas influence, and allowing Rio to defend and keep his position without worrying about Torres; and Rooney to collude with greater fluidity as part of a front four. AVB’s removal of Sturridge for Romeu on the other hand was textbook naivety – as a player who operates in a highly static defensive role, it was a change that was unsuited to such a frenetic and fast-paced game. Fergie’s re-jigging allowed United to claim a vital point from a seemingly impossible situation.

Maturing Rafael

Right back has been an interesting spot this season with Smalling, Jones and Valencia playing more in that position than the squad’s stand-out natural right back, Rafael. It would seem that the twins are made of glass, every time they get fit they then pick up an injury again soon after – Rafael recently acknowledged this may have something to do with his whole-hearted attitude to playing and says he won’t curb it.

In his short United career so far, Rafael’s been associated more with his attacking play – direct, skilful and dangerous; as opposed to his defending. Rather, he’s been criticised for being rash, too enthusiastic and somewhat naive. However, his recent return to the first team after injury has seen something of a new Rafael.

Chalkboard 2: Rafael tackles against Chelsea and Arsenal

His new found maturity has seen defensive work and learning pay off as he’s managed to replicate Evra but on the right hand side. His reading of players, particularly the more elusive, skilful opponents is superb and he no longer dives into tackles too early but has nearly perfected picking the opportune moment to commit. The chalkboards above show how solid he was against both Chelsea and Arsenal (not shown is the Liverpool game but he was great in that too). So much so, that of the full backs, he’s got the best tackle success rate this season (69% – by comparison, Evra is 64%) and makes more tackles per game than any other player in the squad.

Rooney grafts again

Rooney received a lot of praise after the Arsenal game for his work-rate and ‘team performance’. The same can be said of him this time round too. For a lot of the first half he cut a peripheral figure – involved in flashes of neat passing but with little zest to his game. After half time and United had fallen three behind he morphed into a different player.

Despite missing the Liverpool and Stoke games due to injury, he was tireless today, chasing and hounding Chelsea players all over the pitch. He was particularly impressive when picking the ball up deep, beating one man before accelerating forward into space that seemed to open up in front of him. In the latter stages in particular he was finding space in the style of a classic ‘number 10′ – between the lines, much like Van der Vaart does – and was therefore almost impossible to pick up.

Chalkboard 3: Rooney’s passing and tackling

The one area of Rooney’s game that was poor today was his final ball. As can be seen above, most of his failed passes came when attempting balls in the final part of the pitch. In fact, he failed to make a single successful pass to any United player in the area. Maybe this was due to good defending or the sheer number of defenders back for Chelsea, but it was the sole source of frustration in his performance today. It goes without saying, his two penalties were superbly well taken – with 19 goals from 25 games in all competitions this season, he’s once again proving crucial to United.

Rio’s booed

We’ve all done it. When an ex-player returns to the ground he once graced the whistles, jeering and boos ring round like an Atomic Kitten concert at Old Trafford. The boos and jeering and also on show when an opposition player smashes into a player on your side and gets aways with a yellow card or, just a warning. Its infuriating! How dare that man prance around the turf having gotten away with such an injustice. Boos ringing around a ground are part of the pantomime of football, which should never change. But to boo someone, possibly based upon the fact that they are the relation of a person who reported a racist incident against the captain of their football club – is one of the most moronic things I’ve ever heard.

I want to find out from Chelsea fans (those who agreed with the booing and those that opposed it) what the reason was for it? Is it because Ferdinand is the brother of Anton Ferdinand? Is it because Rio Ferdinand doesn’t (apparently) see eye to eye with the Chelsea skipper? Is it because Rio Ferdinand shunned the captaincy based upon the circus the last time? We’re interested to find out as I couldn’t work out the reason for the booing. Perhaps if the mother of both Rio and Anton were present she get some stick as well? Since they’re related, of course.

Fan mentality suggests that once a pocket of fans start booing, others will follow – there’s a good chance a lot of the fans actually had no idea why they were booing Rio. Anyways, it is quite clear to see the stance here, but I’m trying very hard to see a logical argument for it. We, as always, welcome sensible debates and points – so any Chelsea fan that wants to discuss this maturely, is more than welcome.

Other thoughts:

Finally there was some positivity around De Gea after the game. He could do nothing about any of the goals conceded and definitely played a part in winning a point. In the last minutes of the game, Juan Mata’s fabulous free kick look destined for the top corner but De Gea at full stretch produced a world class save to keep the scores level. For a keeper who’s ability to save long range shots was questioned in Spain, that was a stunning moment of goalkeeping.

Paul Scholes. There was a lot of cynicism around his return to the side but if possible he looks even fitter and better than any time in the past four years. His introduction, coupled with the change in shape had a huge impact on the game. His ability to control the tempo of play and still ping balls across the pitch at will is a huge asset. As mentioned on Twitter, his return just highlights how mad it was to not replace him in the summer.

Should Fergie have started Hernandez instead of Welbeck? As soon as Hernandez came on he had Cahill and Luiz scared, holding a high line and making clever darting runs. Indeed his movement for the equaliser was outstanding and undefendable. Welbeck had been working hard all game and has been excellent recently but he seemed to drop deep too often and maybe got too emotionally involved with the defenders. After the game, Fergie said:

“To be honest, I maybe should have played Chicharito from the start. When he came on, he just had them on toast really. He really put them under pressure with his movement and positional play. Danny Welbeck has been terrific and he’s going to be a top player. But when Chicharito came on in the second half, it was a different game.”

Summary

Another season where United leave Stamford Bridge without three points. Despite playing well and being denied a penalty, United found themselves behind at half-time. Daniel Sturridge’s quick feet and trickery saw him beat Evra before pulling the ball back across goal where it hit Evans and went in. After the break United were quickly three behind. First Torres’ cross was superbly volleyed in from close range by Mata before Luiz’s header took a huge deflection off Ferdinand and left De Gea with no chance.

Ferguson’s reaction was to gamble and change the shape of the team. It paid off as United scored two quick penalties won by Evra and Welbeck – the second a little fortunate as Welbeck seemed to trip himself up. Rooney took both penalties well and United found themselves level after 80 minnutes. Rooney’s shot was parried wide by Cech but Giggs was the first to react and his ball in found Hernandez unmarked (due to great movement) and he easily scored. United couldn’t find a fourth to produce a remarkable comeback but had De Gea to thank for any points at all – Juan Mata’s late free-kick look destined for the top corner until a wonderful outstretched hand of De Gea kept it out.

All in all a point was a good return considering what had happened but it’s hard not to feel that United should have won the game and, as usual, only made it difficult for themselves – the draw shouldn’t mask the fact Chelsea were there for the taking and United should have returned north with three points. United next face Liverpool at home in the league on Saturday in the lunch time kick off.

Authors: Stretford End and Nik

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Manchester United won their third Premier League game on the spin, having beaten Arsenal and Bolton recently, with a 2-0 victory over Stoke City. Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov converted two penalties for the Champions, who are now level on points with league leaders Manchester City. United were missing Wayne Rooney, Phil Jones and Ashley Young – to name a few – but still managed a 33rd league win over Stoke City. United also managed to give a league debut to a young goalkeeper.

Here we discuss the talking points of the game and invite Stoke fans to join in the discussion below.

How United unlocked the door

Tuesday evening was a strange one in the sense that Stoke City theoretically played with three ‘forwards’ yet failed to field any in reality. Pulis’ men were well drilled from the off, setting up in somewhat of a ’4-4-2′, with Walters left, Pennant right, Jones and Crouch ahead of Whitehead and Palacios. But this doesn’t tell the entire story; Pulis was happy to concede the majority of the posession (United had 75% with a pass completion rate of 90%) in the hope that they would either nick one on the break or settle for 0-0 draw. Jones and Crouch started so deep when without the ball that they were effectively the 3rd and 4th central midfield players, with only one asked to press the United backline according to the position of the ball (Jones would nominally press from right to left, Crouch in the opposite manner). The deeply held line also had the effect of pulling Jermaine Pennant back for a large part of the first half in particular, where the former Liverpool player often found himself trying to combat Park and the left of centre Hernandez in the right back position (with Williamson pulled central). It was no coincidence that it was Pennant then who conceded the penalty that led to the crucial opening goal, clumsily sticking a leg out to foul the (admitedly clever) Park who had reached the ball first.

United struggle to penetrate: 3/22 successful crosses and 303 completed passes, 0-38 mins

Up until this point United had really struggled to breach the 10-man defensive strategy – especially with Stoke pressing each player so vigourously. Getting the ball wide to Park and Valencia as quick as possible was part of the strategy, but despite their best efforts, and the doubling up of Stoke defenders the wingers struggled to make an impact. Scholes and Carrick (who completed nearly 250 passes together) continued to penetrate from the centre, and both ball-playing centre backs (see Evans’ dashboard for passing, 93 passes) were often found high upfield as they sought to gain numerical advantage in and around the away team’s penalty area. Despite United’s dominance frustratingly not leading to clear goal-scoring opportunities, their patience was finally rewarded – with the Stoke City system effectively their downfall.

When trying to break on the counter down the left hand side with Walters, he was so deep that it only took the most basic of defensive interceptions from Smalling from which the move that led to the vital opener initiated. Valencia was quick to the ball, drawing out Wilson as well as Huth and Palacios, meaning that the Ecuadorian could find the unmarked and effervescent Berbatov, just on the edge of the area. With Stoke shuffling their backline accordingly, Berbatov’s neat lay-off to Scholes allowed the revived playmaker to survey the scene and play in Park with a perfectly weighted through-ball. It was an equally brave and disastrous approach from Pulis – brave in that his system had pretty much worked to pefection at that point (see chalkboard, 303/342 passes [114 in the final third] until the 38th minute), but disastrous in that such a deep and defensive approach was always likely to be counter-productive if their defence was to be breached. At 0-1, Pulis’ men were drained, confused and ineffective – their passing in the final third non-existent.

A debut for young Ben Amos

Ben Amos had made six appearances for United previously to the match against Stoke City, however none of these came in the league. Amos is now level with former United goal keeper Nick Culkin with a single Premier League appearance to his name (Culkin came on in the dying seconds against Arsenal back in 1999 when Raimond Van der Gouw was injured), although I’m sure United’s number 40 will pick up more appearances than his predecessor. Amos was decent in possession, only giving the ball away when forced to go long to Hernandez and Berbatov. Crouch and Jones didn’t have a single shot on target between them and Stoke only had two shots on target all night – so the youngster wasn’t really tested in the absence of David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard. Paul Pogba also made his league debut despite speculation about his current contract.

Penalties: Yes or no?

Tony Pulis was quoted as saying the following after the game:

“Jermaine is adamant, although it doesn’t show it on the television, that he played the ball first. On the second, it’s not a free-kick before the penalty. Then Valencia runs across Jon Walters and falls over. When you come to Old Trafford, if there’s decisions going, they go with the home side.”

The comments from the Stoke manager indicate that he didn’t think either were a penalty and cited “being at Old Trafford” as one of the reasons as to why they were given. As shots were quite limited all game (United’s two on target were penalties), it is easy to see why Pulis is frustrated by the two goal defeat, however I think it is hard to argue against both decisions. Pennant clips Park, whilst Walters drags Valencia back (see below):

Park gets to the ball before Pennant and hits the ball towards goal

If Pennant had of got a touch, the ball would have gone toward the byline, rather than towards the goal

Walters clearly tugs Valencia hindering his progress towards goal

So what are your thoughts? Penalties or not? Should Evra have had a penalty in the second half?

Player Focus

Park deserves a mention for playing with remarkable nouse and intelligence for the second consecutive game. His link up play with Evra and Hernandez was particularly good, as was his left to centre movement, dragging opponents out of position.

Scholes and Carrick reigned back the years. In a performance that was once typical of the complimentary central pairing, their mutual understanding, dilligence and precision across the pitch was outstanding. Both goals were the result of clever play from the centre in the first instance. As per the game at Anfield, Scholes seemed to thrive on the challenge of a combative opposing midfield. His close control and quick thinking were a joy to watch – 8 months since retiring, who’d have thought it?

Evans dashboard

Evans played in the ‘Pique’ role, frequently taking the ball forward and either beating his man, or laying the ball off out wide in order to push for a position in the final third. When a team sets its stall out as Stoke did, one of the centre backs must take the opportunity to step out and improve the passing angle and forward penetration. Jonny did this with aplomb. Will be sorely disappointed with his lax challenge on Carroll at the weekend, but has grown in confidence in recent months and is arguably the club’s best centre half at the moment.

Summary

A dominant United performance ended with a comfy victory over a lacklustre Stoke side. Maybe the one frustrating point was that United couldn’t add more goals to boost their goal difference, particularly on a night when Man City lost. Scholes and Carrick were once again at the centre of United’s play, orchestrating everything going on ahead of them. The game provided a good chance to rest Welbeck and Pogba made his league debut – an impressive cameo.

United are at Chelsea on Sunday, another big game against a team out of form and sorts. Young, Nani and Rooney all should make the squad along with De Gea so numbers should be better – hopefully no one’s being rushed back though.

Authors: Doron, Nik and Rob

Follow Doron, Nik and Rob on Twitter

Despite being a website with content about Man United written by Man United fans – we all happen to not only enjoy football in general, but watch a lot of it. Therefore, we’re trying something new – a weekly column looking at a few learnings and observations from the weekend’s football and not necessarily just in England. A new scribe shall be joining us on this column, Trinidad & Tobago’s finest, Rob. We’ll make no attempt to be neutral and we’ll attempt to link back to United where possible but otherwise enjoy our thoughts and ramblings.

Michael Oliver’s star is rising fast

Newly promoted to the Fifa list of referees this year, Michael Oliver is making exuberant progress in only his second full season on the Premier League. Given plenty of time on the sidelines (at the highest level) as fourth official last season and at the start of this, Oliver has been learning his trade vicariously, much in the same way as Ole Solskjaer did as a United legend from the bench. Referee bosses have been cautious in handling what looks like the hottest British talent in many years, gradually easing him in to pressure cooker of top-flight football. In a turbulent period for referees in this country, Oliver has stood out as the jewel in the proverbial crown. His fitness is exemplary, his positioning improving by the game and his calm demeanour and management of hot-headed ‘superstars’ unimaginably superlative given his age. In recent weeks his appointments have been more high profile too; Swansea v Arsenal last week, a West Midlands derby this (drafted in as Atkinson’s replacement on his ‘week off’). Nothing typified Oliver’s confident and no-nonsense approach than his dismissal of Karl Henry on Saturday for a stamp on Albrighton. In the right position as always, the 26 year old calmly surveyed the scene whilst approaching Henry, turned in behind the midfielder allowing a greater control of the situation and showed him the red card. You know you’re doing a good job when Mick McCarthy doesn’t even complain about your decision. Oliver is no longer one ‘for the future’, his star is rising fast, but he has already arrived.

Patrice Evra is still the best left-back in the Premier League

United captain Patrice Evra now seems well and truly out of the rut that saw him lose his swashbuckling form in and around the disastrous French World Cup campaign. In the months following the summer of 2010, Evra’s usual defensive domineering displays turned into placid, error-prone offerings; Last season there was a distinct change in emphasis, Evra instructed not to be so cavalier, and when he did venture into the final third his delivery was often very poor. Yet he remained in a successful side, and importantly, Fergie’s most trusted asset. This season has seen him gradually re-find his mojo and attacking acumen, with Smalling’s and Jones’ presence at right fullback crucial – their natural tendency as a centre half to form a three-man centre when the fullback is high gives Evra the confidence to attack with verve. Whilst it is true that Evra’s forays forward have often left United short down the left side, Ferdinand’s switch to left centre-half has aided the defensive shape. As has Young’s defensive work on that side, often in tandem with Carrick’s ubiquitous presence in the midfield sweeper role that he has made his own.

In fact, it has been the inverted wing play of both Young and Nani down United’s left side that has accidentally on purpose re-enlivened Evra’s spirit. Their movement inside as part of a fluid front four approach, has allowed the Frenchman the opportunity exploit the space, and he is a constant threat when in the mood he displayed at the Emirates – whether it was assisting Park’s opener versus Wigan or doing the same for Hernandez in the crucial game at Everton, or simply starting the moves with an interception that led to both the openers versus Arsenal and City away, Patrice is once again proving why the modern-day fullback is of vital importance to the team’s potency. He has also improved his general defensive outlay, particularly evident in the bigger games; notably more considered in his positioning in these games, he has worked hard to track his opponent as we saw with Walcott’s anonymity yesterday, and he has also helped out in central areas. Man of the match performances against Chelsea and Arsenal were the reward for his diligence, and his output versus City in the Cup, Totenham at home and Liverpool away should not go unnoticed.

With Cole struggling, many will point towards Jose Enrique’s progression at Liverpool or Baines’ work ethic and crossing ability as proof that there are better left sided fullbacks in the league. But both are far from the finished article and lack the ‘completeness’ of the Evra package. Not 31 until May this year, the left back is at his peak for a defender, and worryingly for United’s closest rivals, he seems to be finding consistency just at the right time.

Boo sucks to Arsenal “fans”

I’ll put this simply: Arsenal fans do not deserve a manager as good as Arsene Wenger. Before a season starts, “In Arsene We Trust” is the motto, but when the footy gets going, they mumble songs, murmur and whinge despite the excellent home form of their players and the surroundings of their brilliant new stadium. Booing when Wenger, one of the great youth developers of the Premier League, subbed a tiring 18-year old off? It was a truly cringe-worthy moment.

Their reaction could’ve been to give a standing ovation for a coruscating performance by a great young talent. But they decided to negate all that, by booing both a substitute and the manager, shattering the confidence of an already demoralised player, and killing the very significant tide of momentum their team had at that point in the game. They couldn’t do anything about the substitution being made or not, but they certainly did something to the morale of the team. Credit them, not Arshavin, with the assist for United’s winner.

Things that Arsenal fans should’ve been more concerned about:
1. Djourou.
2. The most overrated player in the Premier League playing at left back for them.
3. Ramsey getting tired after playing a hell of a lot of games this season… hmm, young player fitness issues? NAH.
4. Ignasi Miquel. He didn’t play, but I just find he has a weird face.

I’d love to see Arshavin come to United on a free, and smash a hat trick past them next season. Also, Arsene, could you resign from AFC and come manage the Trinidad and Tobago national team? We’ve got some good young players! Anyway, Arsenal “fans” are rubbish.

On the road… to a great away record

Few things in life can beat an away win over Arsenal. But one thing that’s been quietly overlooked is the amazing turnaround in our team’s away form. This campaign, United have the best away record in the league – albeit with some extremely taxing trips to come. What exactly has changed?

For one, aggression in midfield has been key. The mauling at Newcastle aside, United haven’t been overrun as often or as severely as they were last season, where Villa, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Wolves can each claim to have dominated United in central areas.

The side has been pressing and controlling the middle third with more authority, showing renewed vigour away from home *insert Giggsy pun*. Last season, United were 17th in the league at tackles per game (with 18.3), and 16th in terms of interceptions (14.6) away from home. This season’s away record sees the side jump to 6th in tackling (20.8) and 7th in interceptions (16.9). When the energy of Cleverley and Anderson was used earlier in the season, the attacking tailspin it created was too much for opposition defences to handle. The Jones-Carrick combo against Villa and QPR showed a pleasing mix of steel and silk, and could feature again when The Greatest Man in the Universe returns from injury in a few weeks.

When Giggs and Carrick have played together, they’ve relied on the finer arts of passing and dribbling to tire the opposition, and that’s helped to put teams like Fulham to bed by halftime. The Arsenal game demonstrated this very well, and if the first-half finishing from Danny and Nani had been better, it could’ve been a very comfy win. Even with Carrick carrying Giggs on a feathered palanquin (until Scholesy came on), and nursing a hamstring injury for 45 minutes, United dominated possession and dictated the tempo in the first half, while retaining the shape and fortitude in the second to repel a stirring Arsenal comeback, snatch a fine winner, and see out the game.

P.S. I could’ve named this bit “Best away record in the league? Blame Michael Carrick.” Since coming back from injury, he’s been sensational. According to WhoScored’s average player ratings, the Geordie Guardiola has been the 6th best player in the Premier League this season. Caveat: WhoScored also has Nasri in 10th place, so take this ranking with a pinch or an industrial silo full of salt, as appropriate.

Darron Gibson’s role at Everton

Since moving to Everton, Gibson has started in both league games away to Villa and home to Blackburn but what’s his role been and how’s he done?

Given plenty of responsibility, Gibson’s been used centrally as a link-man between Cahill and Fellaini. Whilst often found as the deepest of the three, he’s by no means played far back for Everton, he has license to push on. He’s certainly benefited from playing as part of a three and having players who move a lot around him – it’s given him freedom to play some nice attacking passes.

Maybe the biggest asset Gibson’s brought so far is his reading of the game, something he maybe wasn’t appreciated for at United or never got the chance to show. He’s made numerous interceptions in his first two games and has been key to ball retention. Whether Gibson is a bit too one-dimensional remains to be seen but he certainly provides a nice foil for those around him. If though Moyes does at some point decide to play two in the middle it’ll be interesting to see if he keeps his place – for now the early signs are solid and encouraging.

Fulham’s (mini) revival

Impressive wins over Arsenal and Newcastle in recent league games have seen something of the Fulham that Martin Jol envisaged when he took over. Make no mistake about it, two men in particular have been central to it.

Zamora’s recall to the side has served to prove just how important a player he is both for club and potentially for country with Euro 2012 looming. His link-up with Dempsey has been intriguing to say the least. The Newcastle game in particular, where Dempsey scored a hat-trick was fascinating. Despite playing as a striker, Zamora regularly dropped deep and was on the ball over twice as much as Dempsey, who, as soon as Zamora was in possession, set off on a forward run. One might have expected it to be the other way round but with Dempsey being direct and all-rounded, and Johnson fast, Zamora’s physical presence deeper is unnerving for opposition players and he ends up winning the ball on numerous occasions.

Murphy’s contribution also can’t be overlooked. As a deep playmaker he’s still one of the best passers in the league and is regularly spotting opportunities to float delightfully weighted forward passes.

Whilst Fulham are starting to tick at home they are just one of four sides who’ve only won once away from home – their seven goals scored in eleven away games is the worst record in the league and maybe Jol needs to have faith in the attacking football that’s recently been so successful at Craven Cottage.

The weekend’s unsung hero: David Luiz

Having been the subject of a lot of criticism this season, David Luiz turned in a really excellent performance away to Norwich. Up against physical and bullying strikers Morison and Holt this game had trouble written all over it.

However, it was Luiz’s partner, Terry, who appeared to be the one who struggled. Luiz was assured, confident and strong, Refusing to allow Holt or Morison get the better of him, Luiz for once used his physical presence to win battles and the signs that he appears to be learning are starting to show. Whilst in the past he’s committed to tackles too early and has been turned, this time he perfectly judged when to get tight and when to allow space between himself and the strikers.

Chelsea’s defending has been questionable at times this season but Luiz was crucial to a really impressive clean sheet.

Authors: Doron and Nik

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With the players knowing that City had beaten Spurs, United took to the field knowing they had to match their rivals and beat Arsenal. Arsenal were hoping to avoid a third straight league defeat and importantly put some pressure on Chelsea in the Champions League positions. Ferdinand missed out due to a back injury whilst Giggs partnered Carrick in the middle. For Arsenal, Oxlade-Chamberlain was handed a Premier League debut and Vermaelen was passed fit to start.

Below, we discuss the talking points and invite Arsenal fans as well as United fans to join in the discussion.

Park for Rafael

Rafael looked disillusioned and dejected as he warbled off down the tunnel having been subbed for Park with 12 minutes to go, and it is hard not to have sympathy for the young Brazilian. Gradually finding his match fitness of late, Rafael is getting more minutes on the pitch, and was even mooted to start today, with Arsenal having to resort to playing Vermalen (a centreback) at fullback. In fact he probably should have done, in place of the slightly erratic (possibly lacking match sharpness) Phil Jones. When the latter got injured early on in the first half, Rafael’s introduction gave United more of a balance and the away team quickly exerted their control on the game. Rafael and Valencia worked well in synergy down the right side, despite the majority of United’s ambition very much being down the left with Evra and Nani in the first half.

Chalkboard 1: Valencia pulled back deep

Then two things happened: Firstly Rafael was harshly cautioned by Mike Dean for slightly tugging at Van Persie’s shirt as the forward pounced on a loose ball and drove forward. (It was Dean, who has perhaps ‘categorised’ the Brazilian who cautioned, and sent him off, in a fixture away at Spurs two seasons ago for a similar offence, but this one was even harsher.) And secondly, the fullback later went on a marauding and opportunist run on the counter, as Arsenal were left short at the back. Rooney slid him in perfectly, only for Koscielny to execute a perfectly timed tackle and distribute up field. Because Arsenal had already committed numbers to the attack, United’s three-man defence was overwhelmed and Oxlade-Chambers laid in Van Persie to finish. He was subbed shortly after by the aggrieved Ferguson (for Park), and United can think themselves lucky to have snatched the game in the manner they did. Valencia was moved to right back to counter Arshavin, but as Park drifted infield, the Ecuadorian did exactly what Rafael attempted and seized the initiative; scoring from the position he knows best, wide right. The manager may well tell us that the substitute was in fear of second caution or injury, but the truth is Rafael was intelligent in his defensive display throughout. This slightly defensive substitution aside (see chalkboard), United won away again, and hopefully the fit again Rafa can challenge Sagna as the league’s best in the months and years to come.

Nani’s wizardry

If it were a boxing match, the ref would have ended the fight much earlier than half time, something Arsene Wenger did for Johan Djourou. Wenger may have made a daft substitution later on in the match, however he had no choice in taking off Djourou as he was terrorised all afternoon by United’s number seventeen.

Whether it was a dummy, step over or burst of pace – Nani had the beating of Djourou all day long. To be fair to the make shift Arsenal fullback, he had little support from Theo Walcott or Alex Song – who was no doubt more occupied with Wayne Rooney (more on that in a bit). Many reds may have been critical with Nani’s final ball or his hesitance at certain times when he got in behind the Arsenal defence, but his build up play and constant threat down the left hand side no doubt shook Djourou. The chalkboard below highlights how Michael Carrick tried to shift play to the left hand side for Nani to latch on to:

Chalkboard 2: Carrick passing

The goal may have come from a sublime Ryan Giggs cross, however Djourou’s awful defending – where he failed to cross down United’s number eleven and made himself as narrow as possible to block the cross – was due to his nightmare first half up against the Portuguese winger. Valencia, for me, was MOTM – but Nani was a joy to watch at times against Arsenal.

Appreciating Rooney

After strange form and missed penalties, Rooney decided to put in one of his most selfless displays of the season. Playing behind Welbeck, Rooney not only occupied Alex Song but also stopped him. Song is somewhat under-appreciated by non-Arsenal fans, he’s not just a player who breaks up play but he’s a ball carrier too. In the past, Anderson has been deployed as the destroyer but on this occasion it was Rooney.

Chalkboard 3: Rooney tackling and Song passing

Rooney won an impressive nine out of eleven tackles and forced Song not only to play higher but to play more horizontally than usual. That’s not necessarily a bad thing but considering Arsenal like to play through the middle, it forced them to change their tactics. Rooney’s own passing may have been inaccurate but he didn’t have a shot all game and constantly played for the team both defensively and offensively.

Strong at the back

Rafael’s contribution has already been touched upon but I think in general it’s worth stating just how impressive United were defensively. Evra was awarded man of the match and he had some swagger back in his game as he marauded forward down the left. On the other side Rafael showed how good it is to have a natural right back play in that position. Between them they won an impressive 16 tackles:

Chalkboard 4: Evra and Rafael tackles

The real bonus for United though came in the middle. With Ferdinand missing due to yet another back injury (he could be back for Liverpool), Evans and Smalling were paired together. As per many performances this season, they were imperious. Smalling is a natural and scarily may well be our second best centre back already, behind Vidic. Despite one slip he showed his calmness in possession and cleverness when defending. He seems to compliment Evans well – Jonny’s equally as comfortable with the ball at his feet but seems to enjoy contact that bit sooner than Smalling. Not only did they keep Van Persie quiet for most of the game, but they reduced him to a minimal involvement and played a big part in his poor 44% passing accuracy. It seems hard to look beyond the Smalling-Evans pairing as the long-term option.

United’s away support

It may seem a bias point to make, but I make it sincerely nonetheless. Having been part of the ‘away crowd’ for a large part of the 90’s and a lot of the noughties, I can safely say that United’s away following is always absolutely superb, if not the best in the country (however you measure that). Not only do they (we) have an unequalled array of songs across the land, often singing heartily throughout any given game, but they also seem to have a unique telepathic understanding at times, more so when the chips are down. This can often translate into spontaneous vocal support for the team, differing from the general revelry shared in games where the result is less ‘meaningful’ or at risk. Today, after a brief period of stunned silence after Arsenal’s equaliser, United’s following sprung into action. The clock read nine minutes to go, and with Valencia receiving the ball in an advanced position on the right, testosterone-infused shouts of ‘United’ were heard echoing around the stadium. The group just ‘knew’ that this was their moment, United’s moment; a crucial juncture in the title race had been reached, with City clinching a late winner versus Spurs only two hours earlier. The team sensed it too, and more to the point, Valencia did. Buoyed by the crowd his dribble was opportunism and direct wing-play at its best. While Arshavin was harshly criticised in the aftermath, there was only ever going to be one outcome with the Ecuadorian in this kind of mood. Valencia even had the panache and concentration to pull the ball back for Welbeck, who subsequently stroked the ball into an empty net. Cue wild celebrations from the players and Fergie alike; but more importantly, cue frenzied outpouring of emotion from the little section away in the far left corner of the Emirates. They had sensed the 3 points was there for the taking, but more importantly, they had impelled it to happen.

Summary

United made sure they matched Man City by winning 2-1 at Arsenal. A hard game took its toll though as yet more players picked up injuries and knocks – Rooney, Rafael, Jones, Nani and Carrick all could face some time out.

Arsenal started both halves strongly, lead by Oxlade-Chamberlain on his debut. In the middle, Rosicky had his most effective game in a long time but his performance was bettered by Carrick for United who was and his controlling-best. United always looked dangerous on the counter-attack and regularly got joy out wide through Nani. Right on half time they got what they deserved as Valencia powerfully headed in a perfect Giggs cross.

Arsenal’s response was positive and various efforts from outside the penalty area were fired in on goal but Lindegaard was untroubled. Welbeck lead the line well for United and could well have scored a few goals on the break but good defending from Mertesacker and Koscielny denied him. Arsenal drew level late on through Van Persie. His finish was instinctive and deadly after a clever through ball from Oxlade-Chamberlain. The goal stemmed from a quick break after United had committed men forward.

Arsenal’s fans turned from delirious to grumpy soon after though as Arshavin replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain. Boos rang around the Emirates and a chorus of “you don’t know what you’re doing” could be heard. Sure enough, United went on to score a winner which Arshavin maybe could have done better on. Valencia’s surging run into the area saw him exchange passes with Park before he had the presence of mind to lay the ball back to Welbeck who scored but was incredibly left unmarked.

United’s walking-wounded collapsed at the full time whistle but most still found the energy to go and applaud the away fans. An exhausting day in London may have taken its toll injury-wise but United showed an incredible amount of character to win such a hard-fought game. Next up is a trip to Anfield in the FA Cup. With the league looking increasingly tight, Fergie’s team selection and possible prioritising of the league should make for an interesting weekend.

Author: Doron

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United start a tough run of games with a trip to London to face Arsenal. Both teams have had cursed seasons when it comes to injuries and for Arsenal it shows no signs of letting-up. United will be hoping Spurs can take points of City whilst Arsenal are looking to recover from defeat in Wales last weekend.

The opposition:

Arsenal’s season has been something of a wake-up call for some of the club’s fans. The entertaining style remains but the inability to get results and the lack of quality signed has left plenty disillusioned. A year ago I was inundated with tweets from Gooners who believed they’d win a quadruple and yet now, many of the same fans have been joining in the calls for Wenger to go – his stubbornness and philosophy are failing him – his once ruthless managerial streak is way behind him but he continues to survive off the back of it despite the 7 year drought for a trophy.

With the January window upon us, Wenger will no doubt be under pressure to sign some much needed experience and quality (again). Henry has already signed for a few weeks on loan and whilst he’ll add “know-how”, he won’t necessarily have a huge impact on the pitch. Oddly, Wenger doesn’t seem to trust his squad players – Park’s yet to play in the league for them. Even more bizarre when you consider the injuries they’ve had this season and the fact he was prepared to let Frimpong leave on loan.

Even after this weekend, Arsenal cannot finish inside the top four but fourth place is still very much possible – it’ll be a battle they’re locked in with Newcastle, Liverpool and Chelsea to the end it seems. Unless the FA Cup or the Champions League are won, this may be yet another trophyless year.

Form:

Following defeats against Blackburn and Newcastle, United went to Man City in the FA Cup and won before defeating Bolton at home last weekend. Oddly, United’s away form has been somewhat reliable this season with just one loss and the fewest goals conceded in the league (6). Their last away game, against Newcastle was the only game all season in all competitions that they’ve failed to score.

Arsenal’s form is equally as shabby with just two wins in their last six in the league and no win in 2012. At home, despite their injuries, they’ve only conceded six goals but also not been that prolific, scoring 16 in 10 games. Amazingly, they’ve lost one in every three league games this season.

Rooney’s the only United player in double figures for goals scored (13) with Nani, Hernandez and Berbatov on six. Van Persie is the league’s main man with an impressive 18 goals – Gervinho and Arshavin both have four. Van Persie is also their leading assister with 6, the same number as Walcott. For United, five players have six or more assists: Young, Giggs and Rooney (6); Valencia (7); Nani (8).

Team news:

United are definitely without Vidic, Cleverley, Fletcher, Anderson, Young and Owen. Fabio is a doubt but Smalling, Jones, Welbeck and Rooney are all fit after knocks.

Arsenal’s missing list is somewhat extensive: Jenkinson, Sagna, Gibbs, Santos, Arteta, Diaby, Wilshere, Coquelin, Gervinho, Chamakh. Vermaelen and Henry are huge doubts too.

United formation and starting XI prediction:

For me, there are just two debatable selection issues in this team – the goalkeeper and the right back. Lindegaard has been in goal for the past three games but it would be so Fergie for him to bring in De Gea now, particularly against a team who aren’t renowned for crossing and physical football. With Smalling fit again I think it’s him or Rafael at right back – Fergie likes the Evans/Ferdinand pairing and it’s worked well previously.

The return of Jones is a huge boost and he in midfield with Carrick has proven to be a success before. Welbeck and Rooney is the striking partnership that appears to have the best chemistry and understanding – it’ll be a surprise if that’s played around with.

Key battle:

Stopping Valencia – since being recalled to the starting line-up after the fiasco in Basel, Valencia has been at times, unplayable. He’s created seven goals in the past 6 weeks with classic wing-play, much-like in his first season with the club.

The thing with Valencia is that he’s not like other wingers. He’s both fast and strong, when the two are combined it makes a player so hard to stop. He may not have the tricks but he’s a clever footballer with an amazing ability to forever run.

Stopping him should be simpler than many left backs have made it seem. Valencia’s left foot is rarely used and he’ll almost always look to go outside a defender, faint a cross, then try to get a cross in from the byline. For some reason, despite the predictable nature of his style, most left backs struggle. Tasked with halting him is likely to be Ignasi Miquel, the young Spanish centre back.

Miquel has shone below Arsenal’s first team but isn’t naturally a left back. Against Swansea he struggled – rushing clearances and looking nervy in possession as he gave the ball away on various occasions whilst deep inside his own half. His positioning was poor too but one could argue he was getting minimal help/advice from his centre backs. Should he start he’ll certainly need more protection from probably Arshavin but even so, Valencia must be licking his lips.

History and last meeting:

This will be the 186th league meeting between the two sides and United have a poor history of results away to Arsenal. In the Premier League era they’ve only won 5 out of 19 games, keeping just three clean sheets. Following the 8-2 win at Old Trafford this season, United fans may be interested to know that they’ve never scored more than 5 goals in a game away to Arsenal in the league (1958).

Last year the sides met at the beginning of May at The Emirates and Aaron Ramsey’s goal sealed a win for the Gunners.

Prediction:

United’s away form has been dependable but Arsenal don’t concede many goals at home. Injuries at the back though may be key – United are getting players back at the right time whilst Arsenal seem to be a few weeks away from having that luxury. United will be playing after City and Spurs and tend to respond well to pressure, therefore I predict a 3-1 win for United.

Referee:

Mike Dean – Arsenal haven’t won with him as the referee for 10 games now. Dean’s issued one red card this season and has been awarded more games that any other referee. He shows no clear favouritism to either side in terms of bookings but does award 70% of his yellow cards in the second half of games.

Connections:

It’s the rivalry of old – for me as a young football fan it was what made the latter half of the 90s so exciting.

Quick facts:

- No side has used more players than Arsenal this season (30)
- It’s over a year since United last were involved in a goalless draw in the league
- United have the best away record in the league

They say:

Ferguson on Henry’s return: “There was talk about him coming back last January and it didn’t happen. But to me there are no negatives, just like us bringing back Paul Scholes. When I saw them erecting the statue of Henry I thought that will be a nice lead-in to bringing him back for a short spell. You saw how the fans reacted when he scored the goal against Leeds [in the FA Cup] – it was fantastic. He’s still a great player and the players in the dressing room will be motivated to play with one of Arsenal’s greats.”

Ferguson on Hernandez: “His form in training is fantastic. He is looking really well. That is a bonus because you want variations in the striker’s position. If we get Hernandez back into the frame of things we know what an addition he can be. We know the goals he can score. It will only help us.”

Rooney on Van Persie: “There are a lot of top strikers in the league – Van Persie, Aguero and Yakubu is playing well. But Sunday is not about me and Van Persie. It is about us against Arsenal. That is what we will be focusing on.”

Wenger on how United play against Arsenal: “They sometimes have a very compact midfield to kill our passing game and get us on the counter-attack. They do that very well. I believe that sometimes it works for them, although last year we beat them 1-0 [at the Emirates] in a convincing way. It depends on how well we play on the day, how well we pass the ball through their lines – no matter how many are in there.”

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Author: Herzog’s Child

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Given we’re at the midway point in an already bemusing – some would say disheartening – season, perhaps now is as important a time as ever to glance back over our shoulder at what has gone before surmising what is happening and what will be in the future. Daniel Taylor was the Guardian’s man in Manchester until last week and has just been appointed chief football writer at the newspaper. Our warmest congratulations go towards him on a richly deserved promotion. Daniel has been kind enough to answer at length on a number of issues surrounding United. For this and the insights that follow, I thank him. Daniel has had two Alex Ferguson-related books published, the links for which follow below. Cheers.

Q: Okay, the dull stuff first, Daniel. Despite United’s glaringly obvious deficiencies, their form to this midway point has been admirable. Their away record has vastly improved on last year’s shambles on the road, and despite the two appalling home losses and away defeat at Newcastle they’ve been more or less as consistent as ever. However, there is a complacency to this United side. The midfield issues have been scrutinised thoroughly over the last three years, but throughout the squad there appears to be something lacking. Not just a midfielder, but a driving force, balls. Injuries haven’t helped, of course, but what can we put United’s generally unconvincing displays down to? A lack of genuine quality? Not enough investment? Negligence from the management? And what can be said of Scholes’ return – nostalgia or desperation?

I’ve said for a while that when you analyse the way City were playing until Christmas, the records they have set scoring-wise and the impact of the 6-1 at Old Trafford, United have actually done really well to be only a few points behind. It’s strange because, points-wise, it has actually been one of the more impressive half-seasons of Ferguson’s 25 years in charge – and yet, apart from the opening month or so, it doesn’t really feel like that, does it?

Ferguson himself has been talking about Tottenham playing the best football in the league. I would say it’s probably been City. But the thing is: nobody is making a case for United – not even Ferguson. Injuries, as you say, have been a significant reason and you wonder how City, with a smaller squad, would have coped if it had been the other way around. We’ve seen Jones, Rafael and Rooney all playing in midfield at times, and the Scholes thing . . well, I’m sure he’s given it a hell of a lot of thought and, yes, United do need some experience in there, so it does make sense in a lot of ways. But I’ve sat with Scholes and listened to him talking about how he knew his legs weren’t up to it and how he hated not being the player of old, so it is strange, to say the least, and I’ll be honest, my first thought was that it was a little desperate. Yes, it was a great story him scoring on his first game back at Old Trafford but it doesn’t say a great deal about the club’s spending ambitions or what they really think of Pogba etc.

Everyone talks of United needing another central midfielder; I’d say you actually need two – one to hold, tackle and lay the ball off, and another to play the Modric role. Is the money there? No journalist gets close to the Glazers so we can only guess, like everyone else, but what you can say is that all that stuff they came out with when they took over, spending £25m every season etc, it was PR bullshit, wasn’t it?

Q: Whilst the majority’s immediate concerns are centred on the league campaign, the early exit from Europe, the ever-widening black hole permeating the midfield base and a swathe of other on-field issues, the small minority are still only too rightly concerned with the owners. The continuous spoiling of profit on debt-management will cause many eyes to roll, but for most that’s the only action that takes place. Post-takeover a small furore ensued, but the futility of attempting to change things when your numbers are minute in comparison to the club’s overall fan-base quickly came to light. A significant share of the hardcore cut their financial ties with the club and established FC United. Others have simply stayed away and watch in pubs. More bemoan the club’s perilous state but – for whatever reason – can’t drag themselves away. And many more just watch the game, trust the club and delude themselves into thinking everything’s rosy. Does this highlight just a lack of real care for the club’s health? Has Ferguson’s complicity skewed perceptions for those only too willing to devote total trust in the man? When, if ever, will the majority open their eyes to the damage being waged?

It’s hard for me to answer that last question, but even from the tone I can sense your own disillusionment. The volume has gone down a little on the Glazer protests, the green and gold movement isn’t so prominent and, with that, it’s not getting the media attention that it did before. Plus, of course, Ferguson won’t have a bad word said against the owners. But the same issues are there, and there are an awful lot of “no value in the market” mistruths coming out of Old Trafford. Ferguson broke the transfer record three times in seven years at one point. Now we have a club that has spent less in net transfers than Stoke and Aston Villa over the last five years. OK, spending money doesn’t necessarily equate to success but it can help and has always been a part of United’s success. I think United have been fortunate in one sense because Chelsea and Arsenal are having such erratic seasons and Liverpool are still treading water. Maybe the volume will go up again if City go on to win the league.

Q: United’s financial situation is, of course, in complete contrast to Manchester City’s. Many will accept City’s complete transformation from being a club of mediocrity to the richest club in the world is just another sign of the how the game is crippled by money. It hurts to see them edge ever closer to an inevitable league title, but even the most ardent of City supporters would surely admit their pursuits contain a certain hollowness. As a reporter on both clubs, their current jousting at the upper echelons of the league table must be rewarding, particularly for someone like yourself who has no real ties to either side. It’s said that, as a club at least, City are the easier to deal with. Is this true? Other journalists have bemoaned United’s lack of media-friendliness, particularly in recent years. Elsewhere, you have lamented the almost painful experience of Fergie’s press conferences and how they rarely now, if ever, offer much in the way of intrigue. To the outsider it’s hard to perceive. It won’t be for some time, but is it fair to say the journalists following United’s every move are looking forward to the day when a new manager finally does arrive, to be closer to things?

To be honest, Ferguson’s been there so long now it’s almost surreal to imagine what it’s going to be like without him. My own role has changed now and it means I won’t purely be covering Manchester but, for the reporters who are still there every week, it probably will be easier when he’s gone in terms of developing a relationship with the club

The flipside is that everyone is so accustomed to it by now it feels like a normal way of life and you just have to get on with it, whether you like it or not. United keep the media a long arm’s length away and Ferguson decided a long time ago that he was going to view us as a collective menace and that we were all to be disliked. He doesn’t know us individually and what we do, how we work etc. There are reporters from the Indy, Associated Press, Guardian, Mirror, Mail, Star all banned right now, for varying offences or non-offences and, in my opinion, it’s often petty in the extreme and doesn’t do the club any good in the long run.

Obviously I’d rather it wasn’t that way but I’m also conscious that if I start to whine about it there’s not going to be much sympathy. It’s all a bit boo-bloody-hoo isn’t it? It’s still a great job, in a privileged position, and I would never lose sight of that. But yes, I wish they would let the journalists on the plane to away trips and not pretend it’s about filling the seats with sponsors. I wish, when they did up the pressroom a few years ago, they hadn’t removed the plaque for the journalists who died in Munich. I’d like to have known Ferguson properly and work with him in the way that other managers work with the press. But what can you do? It’s the nature of the beast and I’m sure he has some legitimate grievances as well as the fantasy ones. Sometimes journalists do make problems of their own. It’s the same as any profession: there are excellent journalists, good ones, average ones, bad ones. I happen to think United have some very good reporters covering them – the likes of Ian Ladyman, Ian Herbert, Mark Ogden, Jeremy Cross and James Ducker. As for City, yes it’s a lot easier dealing with them, both behind the scenes and also in terms of Mancini’s press conferences. Mancini’s very much into control and power but he’s far more approachable and willing to engage.

Q: The past weeks have centred on two ugly affairs: the John Terry and Anton Ferdinand spat, and the now settled Evra/Suarez race-row. Whilst the grotesque exchanges can be pondered on and be met with disgust, the most remarkable occurrence during the fiascos was the approach with which Liverpool fronted before, during and directly after the case. Justice, they initially declared, would be done. When Suarez was charged, they denounced the F.A.’s conclusion and vehemently supported their player in a deranged statement dressed up to make it look as though Suarez was a member of the U.N. Then the t-shirts followed – worn, we now know, by a number of those who knew the truth all along. The concluding report was damning and offered little room for Liverpool to appeal. The fact that the two clubs involved are fierce rivals perhaps skewed perspectives from various circles, but it was refreshing to see that the majority found Liverpool’s approach repulsive. Away from the articles penned, what was the general reaction throughout media circles and how much damage to their reputation have Liverpool inflicted upon themselves? Do you feel 8 games was a fair ban for the crime?

I think everyone was a bit taken aback by their stance. They’re obviously entitled to defend their player and, fair enough, they should have their say if they feel he has been wronged. That’s absolutely fine. But those statements were so badly written and aggressively worded and I think, in hindsight, they would have done things a lot differently and professionally. When United/Evra had the Chelsea groundsman incident the club travelled down to London with Maurice Watkins acting as their lawyer, whereas Abramovich had hired some of the most powerful legal people in London. United and Evra came out of the case badly and attracted a lot of criticism in the media, and rightly so. United learned their lesson and I think Liverpool have learned theirs because their legal team were badly exposed.

As for whoever was doing their PR, well even the Merseyside journalists who are most supportive of the club will admit in private it’s been handled really badly. It’s been a difficult, sensitive issue and I’ve got a lot of respect for someone like Tony Evans of the Times who has gone with his convictions despite being a Liverpool supporter, despite the abuse he has received as some kind of ‘Judas,’ and been brave enough to say it how it is.

There are some Liverpool fans who seem to believe that it’s some kind of anti-Liverpool agenda, the FA are bent, the Manchester-based journalists are all bias etc etc but the simple fact, when you scrape away everything else, all the smokescreens and diversions and tit-for-tat Liverpool-Manchester arguments, is this: Suarez admitted calling Evra ‘negro’ during a heated argument and the language experts have all confirmed that, in that kind of context, it is offensive.

The QC who chaired the commission – and this is a guy who sat there for five days hearing every scrap of evidence rather than skim-reading a 115-page report and cherry-picking the bits that suit – described it as “simply incredible” to argue otherwise. You can’t get away from that fact, you just can’t.

Q: Twitter, a tool which you utilise, has dramatically changed the way football supporters communicate with one another over the web. Whether it’s friendly nattering and debate between fellow fans, or relentless abuse and winding up between rivals, the medium offers a bemusing insight into the minds of those contaminated by both the game and the internet. I remarked elsewhere that it appears to be a cyber-sanatorium for the mentally deranged, which is probably telling given I use it far too often myself. How do you find using it? As a writer, you’re obviously opening yourself to a plethora of abuse from those incapable of accepting that others will hold a different view, but now and then civil exchanges between regular fans and journalists occur and suddenly it appears useful. Obviously your tweets would attract most attention from United and City supporters: is madness and intelligence in equal share between the two, or does one fan-base contain more level-headed supporters than the other?

The good outweighs the bad on Twitter but, from the World Cup onwards, it has got bigger, angrier and a bit silly at times. For journalists, if you dare to have an opinion you can be sure there will be abuse, almost always anonymous, and accusations of bias against/for United/City/the FA/refs or whoever else suits the argument.

You just have to remind yourself there’s a lot of angry people out there. One guy, for example, on the hottest day of 2011, sat on Twitter and tweeted over 300 things about how much he disliked Mark Ogden. This guy spends all day, every day, abusing journalists and you just think ‘have a look out the window, it’s a big world out there, mate’. Another guy, a United fan, was giving me relentless abuse around the time City were thrashing everyone. He didn’t like the fact I was giving them so much praise so, every day, there was a barrage of insults, what he wanted to do to me etc etc. I googled him in the end and there was an article in a local paper, Staffordshire or somewhere, about him being David Beckham’s number one fan. He’d called his kid Harper Seven in honour of his hero. So what can you do?

That said, I have to say Twitter’s generally very good. It’s difficult to articulate in 140 characters sometimes how you work and what you find is that people assume they know how journalists do their jobs when, really, they have very little idea about the mechanics of the industry – just as I wouldn’t tweet a teacher or doctor about how they should do things differently. But it’s good for info, for contacts and that slightly weird thing when you become friends with people you have never actually met. I’ve had little breaks from it here and there, gone out, talked to real people. Hated it!

Q: How do journalists view the blogging world? The advent of social networking sites has heralded a tidal wave of blogs detailing all football matters. Anyone can know attract an audience and believe what they’re writing is good and offers insight, because the majority of readers will lap up the mundane and clichéd and keep returning. That view coming from one who blogs about the game regularly may appear odd, but removing myself from any bias I see that there are too many and quality ultimately suffers as a result. Is it painful when scores of wannabe writers request reads and retweets, and are there any blogs you regularly read?

If I’m really honest, I’m probably a little bit outdated and still prefer the fanzine scene. It’s one of the things I like about United – they have a very well-connected and strong fanzine community via Red News, Red Issue and United We Stand. I get sent a lot of blogs, people want them retweeted etc and you can feel guilty sometimes because you simply don’t have the time to read them all. Plus retweeting someone else’s work is always a bit dangerous in case there’s something you hadn’t noticed that will then be held against you. But as one example, one of the most sensible things I read about Suarez/Evra was on Republik of Mancunia arguing that supporters on both sides should not turn it into a Manchester-Liverpool thing and not have blind loyalties. I retweeted that one without realising RoM had upset a few Liverpool fans in the past so, naturally, some people took it as me taking sides with United’s fans and more accusations of bias. The whole thing has been very tedious from that angle.

Q: I started dull and I’ll finish likewise. Call it: City or United – who’ll win the title?

City. Sorry, but I think they will do enough providing they stay clear of a real injury crisis. Their squad isn’t as big as people think but they have a really good manager and some brilliant attackers for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Going back to what we were saying earlier about United’s midfield, you look at David Silva and wonder why United didn’t go there.

Thanks again to Daniel. You can buy his first book, This Is The One: Sir Alex Ferguson: The Uncut Story of a Football Genius here; and his latest book, Squeaky Bum Time: The Wit & Wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson here.

Author: Doron

Follow Doron on Twitter

United were looking to build on the nervy but morale boosting win at City last weekend. Bolton meanwhile, despite being at the wrong end of the table had managed to win their last two away games but would have to be without Gary Cahill who was in London to complete a move to Chelsea. United kept Lindegaard in goal and brought Rafael and Evans into defence whilst Scholes was given a start in midfield.

Below, we discuss the talking points and invite Bolton fans as well as United fans to join in the discussion.

Ferdinand and Evans are solid (Rafael and Evra aren’t bad either)

With Jones and Smalling both injured, Evans was recalled after his brief spell out also due to injury. He partnered Ferdinand at the back – a pairing that previously has been assuring and impressive. Evans has been something of a boo-boy – unfancied by a lot of fans because of a dip in form last season and because ‘he always has an error in him’. This year, his red card which lead to the embarrassing home defeat against City hasn’t helped him and it’s sadly what many will associate his season with.

The reality however is somewhat different. Evans has been excellent for United on a regular basis and whilst many will scrunch up their face to stats, he has the best clean sheets to games ration/percentage of our centre backs with 60% of the games he’s played in this season ending up with United keeping a clean sheet. Coincidence? Maybe but I’m inclined to believe there’s something in that stat.

Against Bolton, United’s defence had little to do but generally handled any problems well – with the exception of one sloppy pass leading to N’Gog firing a shot way into orbit. Evans and Ferdinand only had 16 clearances to make whilst Jonny won all of his tackles. As a pairing, they compliment each other quite nicely. Both are ball-players and whilst Rio prefers to coax a defender into an error, Evans would much rather get tight and make an early tackle. Both at various points even went on Jonesesqe runs forward in and out of possession.

They were flanked by Rafael, making his first start of the season in the right back position, and the ever-present Evra.

Chalkboard 1: Evra passing and Rafael tackling heatmap

Evra, as ever played high up the pitch and was accurate with his passing. It’s interesting to see that he didn’t attempt a single cross all game – this coupled with Valencia’s dominance down the right shows how United had clearly highlighted Bolton’s left side as a weakness. Evra’s performances have often been highlighted as below-par this season but recently he seems to be back to the level we’re all accustomed to.

Rafael understandably appeared rusty but 90 injury-free minutes were a welcome and encouraging sign. He is a super young player who, like Evra, likes to play in the opposition’s half. Yesterday was a good example of his attacking defensive play (!) – he made 10 tackles with half of them inside the final third of the pitch. Smalling and Jones have both been excellent as stand-in right backs but you cannot beat a natural and Rafael’s got all the hallmarks of a great full back.

One midfielder grabbed the headlines but his partner was the star

Paul Scholes completed his remarkable return to the side with a start and a goal. Even the fans who were dismayed by the club’s readiness to welcome him back couldn’t help but feel a little fuzzy inside when he scored just before half time. His performance wasn’t as bad as Match Of The Day suggested but also not really headline worthy. Yes, his passing accuracy was again above 90% but only a couple were telling and early on a loose ball nearly played United into trouble. A couple of classic cross field passes didn’t come off for him but for an hour he kept up with the pace enough and offered a good outlet next to Carrick. Goal aside, he even found himself making late runs into the box on other occasions.

His partner though was the stand out performer in the middle of the pitch. Despite missing eight of United’s league games this season, Carrick’s arguably been the most consistent and best performer. Carrick of course is a statistician’s dream – makes more passes than anyone else, has a higher accuracy than anyone else, makes more interceptions than anyone else etc but he’s also a fine footballer.

Chalkboard 2: Carrick passing and interceptions

Passing accuracy means your opposition don’t have the ball and therefore can’t score but the ‘sideways/backwards’ label that many throw onto Carrick is indeed unfair. That myth has been somewhat dispelled this season and yesterday would have seen maybe the assist of the season had Welbeck’s shot found the net. Whilst United lack true world class quality in the middle, they have arguably the best reader of the game there in Carrick. His 6 interceptions were nearly half of all the interceptions made by United and he’s the only player in United’s side to have made more than 35 this season; averaged more than 3 a game; and averaged making one more regularly than every 30 minutes. These stats and facts may not be fancy but they’re crucial to the team.

It’s hard not to agree with Fergie who said after yesterday’s win:

“His (Carrick’s) form in the last few weeks has been pivotal to all of our performances”

Maybe the only thing I’d say is that “weeks” should have been “months”.

Form: Valencia and Welbeck

In recent weeks Valencia has propelled himself to the top of United’s assist charts – joint top with Nani in the league (7) and in all competitions (9). He was described by Fergie as “absolutely brilliant” yesterday and Evra suggested that Bolton’s left back (Ricketts) must have had a problem with his abductor muscles by the end of the game because Antonio’s so strong.

He tormented Bolton all afternoon whether he has running from within the United half and powering past players or receiving the ball wide to get a cross in. It was also his clever pass that set Welbeck clear from which a penalty was won.

Chalkboard 3: Valencia crossing

Some of his crosses yesterday where unbelievable – it’s amazing he ended the game without an assist. Time and time again he got to the byline and whipped in a low ball with pace on it forcing either a good block or Bogdan to make a parry. One can only imagine the fun Hernandez may have had getting on the end of the crosses had he come on earlier than the 78th minute.

The other player who’s form is good and in his case has never really dipped this season is Welbeck. His energy, enthusiasm and movement is so mature – he’s like Tevez in that respect but more in control and more comfortable when on the ball. His style remains languid but at only just 21 he’s already a strong young man, not easily shaken off the ball and his pace is deceiving – long strides easily take him away from defenders.

Welbeck, as has been hinted before, tends to bring the best out of those around him and for that he maybe hasn’t quite received the plaudits he should have done so far this season. His goal yesterday, his fifth in the league this season was richly deserved. His determination to get to the ball first and then have the ability to get a shot away whilst falling backwards under pressure showed he’s not all about style. His goal return maybe should be better but there’s no doubting his influence is being felt beyond goals.

He has his doubters, particularly those who felt he should have flourished aged 17 after his wonder-goal against Stoke but once again he’s proving that with patience comes results. Danny’s the future of United and he’s going to be a star.

Time to define our season

At the end of the first weekend in March, we’ll have a good idea of how successful this season will be. United’s next nine games include away trips to Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs in the league; Liverpool in the FA Cup and Ajax in the Europa League – whilst Liverpool also come to United in the league and Ajax have their return leg at Old Trafford.

Wins against City and Bolton are perfect to get a run of form and momentum going. With big game after big game set to come momentum may be crucial in carrying United into each test. Defeats can see confidence spiral out of control.

Fergie’s use of the squad in particular will have to be clever with easier games such as Stoke at home and Norwich away maybe used to rest key individuals. Even the Europa League may have to be treated somewhat as secondary as the importance of regaining the title comes to the fore.

Summary

United went joint top with City after beating Bolton 3-0 at home. City play tomorrow at Wigan whilst Spurs surprisingly dropped points at home to Wolves.

It was a routine win for United with few scares but the game should have been finished by half time. Chances were missed including a Rooney penalty for the second game running after Welbeck was fouled. Knight was lucky to only see yellow for his foul on Danny whilst Bogdan in goal made a good save. Bogdan was finally beaten by United’s own ginger just before half time. A Nani cross was blocked and Rooney rolled the ball across the six yard box to an unmarked Scholes who couldn’t miss. An amazing moment that would have seemed impossible only a week earlier.

United started the second half sluggishly and it wasn’t until Nani, who’d tried hard but had a poor game; and Scholes, who’d tired were replaced that the game was out of sight. Rooney’s exchange with Giggs saw him slip through Welbeck who toe-poked past Bogdan to make it 2-0. Rooney injured his wrist in the build up but played on – Welbeck though had to be subbed off after slightly twisting his knee (he’ll be ok for Arsenal said Fergie). The win was sealed as Carrick added a third late on – a passed left footed finish from distance allowed him to enjoy a moment with the Stretford End – his first goal at home for two years.

Encouraging performances from various players, most notably Valencia as well as a good 90 minutes for Rafael and the the return of Evans were positive signs. Ferdinand got concussion but it would see everyone who played should be fit for the big game next week. After a recent blip, United appear to be back in some control again. Here’s hoping City slip up at Wigan tomorrow!

Author: Doron

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With City beating Liverpool yesterday, United had to win at Newcastle – something they’ve done fairly often – in order to keep the pressure on their rivals. A response to the Blackburn result was needed for United whilst Newcastle’s own lacklustre display at Anfield couldn’t be repeated. Ferdinand returned along with Giggs and Rooney whilst Lindegaard was chosen in goal.

Below, we discuss the talking points and invite Newcastle fans as well as United fans to join in the discussion.

Lindegaard in as De Gea is dropped

On Friday at his pre-match press conference, Fergie quite firmly stated that he’d play De Gea in goal against both Blackburn and Newcastle. De Gea went on to have a poor game and was one of the factors resulting in a home defeat to Blackburn.

When the team was announced today, Lindegaard was in goal. Amazingly, Fergie had gone against his word and to the surprise of many he even admitted he’d dropped De Gea because of his mistakes. Lindegaard would go on to have a decent enough game – he could do nothing about Ba’s stunning finish, nor Cabaye’s perfect free kick; however he was partly at fault for a communication break-down for the third goal.

I’ve stated before that it’s my belief that De Gea will go on to have a fabulous career at United; I’ve also said that the only way he’ll learn is to be played and get the mistakes out of his system. However, we need a bit of consistency between the stick – if for now, Anders is the right man for the job, then so be it. Give him a period of games in goal and bring De Gea back in when the time is right.

Too many poor performers (again)

Park – there are games that are made for him, that bring out his best attributes – work-rate most obviously. Tonight would have been perfect for him had United taken the lead however once the game was being chased, Park’s attacking abilities were rendered somewhat useless. He’s a better player going forward than he gets credit for but his crossing was poor and he wasn’t getting high enough up the pitch. Despite trying to hold a wide position, his natural instinct is to cut inside and it forced United to play too narrow at times.

Rooney – one of the most forgettable Rooney displays ever which culminated in seeing him subbed off. His movement was poor, his touch often dreadful and his general involvement and enthusiasm was missing. I maintain that when he’s paired with Welbeck, he’s better. As soon as Danny came on and made good runs, space appeared for Rooney. Was a classic ‘moan at everyone else’ Rooney night.

Berbatov – six goals in his previous three appearances was enough to earn him a third consecutive start. His contribution though was minimal. With the exception of a header on goal, he only touched the ball once in the final third of the pitch. His lack of urgency and general deep position gave neither Giggs nor Carrick much to aim at when in possession. Unsurprisingly, United’s game was expanded, stretched and moved higher up the pitch when Welbeck replaced him. Neat touches and sublime control aside, Berbatov proved exactly why Fergie’s left him out in the bigger games this season.

Nani – when he’s good he’s unplayable but when he’s not it shows how important he is to us. Tonight certainly ranks in the “poor” column. It wasn’t so much for him being selfish or not working hard but more that his final ball was awful. He attempted 8 crosses and only one found a United player – most were blocked by the first or second defender. Had it not been for the three players already mentioned having poor games, Fergie may well have considered putting Rafael at right back and moving Valencia onto the right wing with Nani taking an early bath.

Jones – another game at centre back, with another partner, and another poor performance. Jones’ start at United has been exciting but his performances at centre back have hit home that there’s much he has to improve on. Previously it’s been a case of poor positioning and awareness of where opposition strikers are; today though, as it was against Blackburn, he couldn’t handle physical opponents (Ameobi and Ba).

Chalkboard 1: Ferdinand and Jones tackles

Jones never seemed sure whether to commit to a tackle and get close or allow Ba/Ameobi the chance to try and control a ball before committing. Either way, it failed him on 7 out of 15 occasions. Fit again Ferdinand though showed Jones just how to do it, winning all of his tackles.

Hard-working, high-pressing from Newcastle wins the game

Newcastle’s victory came as a result of a hard-working team display. The tone was set by Ba and Ameobi who harassed and harried Ferdinand and Jones every time they were in possession.

Chalkboard 2: Ameobi and Ba tackling heatmap

The heatmap above shows just how high up the pitch Ameobi and Ba attempted their tackles – 100% within the United half and 80% of Ameobi’s in the final third of the pitch. It meant that Newcastle forced Jones and Ferdinand into either long balls or a pass back to Lindegaard to clear. Effectively, Newcastle choked United and where possible cut-out the middle men, Carrick and Giggs.

The desire to win the ball back and in general not allow United space continued past the strikers into the midfield. United’s wingers were often doubled-up on and in the middle a new challenge faced United – two very different styles of defensive play. Tiote was excellent, getting at United players fast and snapping away whereas Cabaye chose not to engage in physical contact but merely faced up to the United midfield, forcing them to try and play around him.

In defence, Newcastle chose to mix-up their strategy. They pressed high when United had the ball deep, squeezing the space available but when United had the ball in their half, they dropped deep, getting everyone back and ensuring no space behind them could be exploited.

The result of it all was that Newcastle became the first side in the league to keep a clean sheet against United and perfectly exemplified a couple of things. The first, worryingly is just how easy it’s becoming for teams to defend against United – men behind the ball works because United’s forwards are somewhat inconsistent and opposition sides are getting better players. Secondly, and the myth exists, teams always raise their game against United – we’re still their (plural) biggest game of the season and that automatically tends to raise performance levels.

Demba Ba

It would be wrong not to praise Ba after he tormented United. I never realised just how all-rounded he was – big but fully aware of how best to use his frame and he’s quick as well. His touch is excellent and both his hold-up play and link-up very good. His goal was a beautiful finish, it came from a nothing long-ball and whilst Ferdinand may be angry with himself, criticism would seem harsh for what was such an instinctive shot.

As United fell behind and had to chase the game, Ba profited. United committed men forward and huge gaps started to appear between the midfield and defence. Newcastle’s long-ball policy worked a dream as both Ba and Ameobi were able to latch onto almost everyone knowing that they had so much space around them.

What next for United?

As ever, there is something of a circus when United lose, let alone lose two games in a row. My dad who at best is a part-time football fan text me saying “I see United are in a crisis” – he wasn’t trying to wind me up but because of the success United have had, that’s the response of so many fans, both those who support the club and those, like my dad who don’t!

If United are “falling apart” (another phrase he used later on) then City who are just three points ahead must be creaking too. The reality check is that whilst United have flaws, we’re somehow still in a fight at the right end of the table (and that’s with all the injuries we’ve had too).

I know it’s hard for many to accept, especially because it’s used a lot, but this is a ‘transition’ side and may well be for another 18-24 months. It’s the phasing out of certain players and the phasing in of others, some of whom are yet to even make their PL debuts. We have no divine right to win every tournament every year, we of course expect to be competitive, but we can’t always be the best. We’ve been there before and we’ve seen how Fergie has re-built and ultimately gone on to win domestic and European trophies.

The centre midfielder issue remains, and probably won’t go away any time soon. Fergie clearly has faith in youngsters like Pogba and Tunnicliffe but they’re not ready yet and the reality is, some kind of good enough stop-gap (maybe Parker?) should have been acquired. Yet many forget that this side who apparently are rubbish and need revamping, were “amazing” only a few weeks ago after QPR and Fulham. Let’s not even begin to consider where we might be had it not been for all the injuries we’ve had. Our squad’s not great but it’s certainly not as bad as many try to make out that it is.

I wouldn’t say I have blind-faith; I’m not an eternal optimist but I think I try to be a realist where possible and right now I believe in the project that we have going on. I fully support our youth players and think some will have good careers at the club. I think that in the Da Silvas, Smalling, Jones, Cleverley, Welbeck etc we have exciting youngsters. It’s just a case of adding a marquee signing maybe to it all and allowing time for maturity before we hopefully will reap the rewards again of another Fergie-team. Patience is very rare in modern football but United fans have been good at it in the past, and may have to do so again now.

Summary

United missed the chance to put pressure on City and now have only a three point gap to Spurs who have a game in hand after a heavy 3-0 defeat at Newcastle. For once the team consisted of a more familiar midfield and defence but still lacked some balance.

The early exchanges and first half in general was fairly even with neither side creating any kind of opening – Berbatov’s deflected header hit the post and a moment of quality from Ba gave Newcaslte the half time lead. Ba’s goal arrived as Jones was beaten too easily in the air by Ameobi and his flick moved the ball into Ba’s stride and his volley nestled in past Lindegaard.

The second goal was the real killer as a Jones foul gave away a free kick 30 yards out which Cabaye expertly dispatched – again, no chance for Lindegaard. Jones ensured he played a part in every Newcastle goal by mis-judging a long kick from Krul late on and putting it into his own net as he failed to note that Lindegaard had moved.

A dour performance was only made worse by United’s attacking ineptness and a lack of thrust until Welbeck’s arrival – although by then the damage was already done. Next up is a trip to Man City in the FA Cup on Sunday. Realistically, United could lose three in a row but if ever there was a team to stop the run of defeats against, it must be City! Onwards and upwards – our faith and patience is going to continue to be tested!

Author: Doron

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United ended 2011 with a home game against Blackburn, the league’s bottom side before kick-off. It marked the halfway point in the league season and enabled United to end the year at the top of the table should they get at least a point. Blackburn however had other ideas and despite conceding more away goals than any other side, they recorded their first away win of the season to move off the foot of the table.

Below, we discuss the talking points and invite Blackburn fans as well as United fans to join in the discussion.

Team selection and missing men

United made four changes from the team that beat Wigan with De Gea, Jones, Welbeck and for his first league appearance of the season, Rafael coming in. Most telling though was that the centre back pairing of Carrick and Jones was the successful centre midfield pairing at QPR less than two weeks earlier.

United’s lack of fit central midfielders and in general squad was evident as Valencia and Carrick continued at the back; Park and Rafael played in central midfield and Welbeck was asked to play on the left. Only Diouf and an unfit Anderson represented senior players on the bench.

Whilst no explanation was offered for Giggs’ absence, Rooney and Gibson were dropped following an evening out a few days prior. Evans was also fined for the alcohol-fuelled adventure but was injured anyway. Personally I think Fergie got this wrong – he was right to fine the players but given how low on numbers United were, Rooney and Gibson should have at least been on the bench. It meant that excluding Macheda who was finalising a loan to QPR and Giggs who was unaccounted for, United had 11 players missing and were forced into involving unfit players.

Various poor performances and goalkeeper rotation

Despite Jones and Carrick winning 9 of their 11 tackles in the game, the pair got bullied by Yakubu. Carrick of course isn’t a centre back but lost out in the physical battle with Yakubu and was drawn out by him too easily. Jones at centre back is more of a concern. He’s yet to look convincing playing in that position; he’s turned way too easily and a combination of lack of awareness leading to poor positioning let him down too often.

As expected, Rafael’s enthusiasm was endearing and his energy despite missing so much football was good. He isn’t a central midfielder though and seemed way too static in possession:

Chalkboard 1: Rafael passing heatmap

As shown above, Rafael seemed concerned with ensuring he stuck to his side of the pitch, often covering for Nani’s runs forward or doubling up with Valencia. A key characteristic of United’s central midfielder though is there ability to drift all over the pitch – even Carrick when instructed to sit deep doesn’t stick to one side of the pitch.

What Rafael and Park did bring though was work-rate and bite. With Blackburn playing 55% of their passes in the middle third of the pitch, Rafael and Park were kept busy and did reasonably well at winning the ball back.

Chalkboard 2: Rafael and Park tackles

The biggest disappointment of the afternoon came from De Gea. He’s only just turned 21 and it’ll take plenty of time for him to grow, bulk out and get used to English football but his flap for Blackburn’s third goal was one flap too many. He needs to learn and has to do so fast. It was suggested to me on Twitter by David Evans that De Gea may have actually been fouled:

De Gea fouled?

Even if he was fouled, he never really looked like getting close to the ball and had flapped at a cross a few minutes earlier in the game. Even the second goal was a bit dodgy, he seems to like to go down with his feet in front of him and whilst this has seen him make some extraordinary saves, he also has a tendency to get beaten through his legs as a result.

The important thing now is to pick a number one. I’d pick De Gea – he’s been bought as the long-term goalkeeper and he will come good, I don’t doubt that. The only way he’ll learn now is to play games and gain experience of the Premier League even if there are more mistakes to come. He’ll of course be helped by a settled and experienced back four consisting of defenders – it’s hardly been the easiest start for him in that respect.

The problem of course is Lindegaard – when he’s played he’s done well but he has been picked in ‘easier’ games and whilst I don’t have the stats to hand, De Gea’s been considerably the busier of the two goalkeepers. Ferguson quite emphatically said on Friday that De Gea would start against Blackburn and Newcastle and said that the reason for the rotation was to protect David and allow him time to observe and learn. The way forward now is with De Gea, even if it takes him another year to learn, he will do so – the lack of a consistently settled back four cannot be underestimated too.

Worth pointing out by the way that once again, De Gea’s distribution was exceptional – he only gave the ball away twice and some of his long-ball passing, as a sweeper-keeper was scarily accurate.

Valencia continues good form and Evra too does well

If one had to pick out some positives from the game, aside from two more goals from Berbatov, it would have been the fullbacks. After performances below the standard we’ve been used to, Evra’s recent form (with the exception of the first half at QPR) has been superb. Once again, against Blackburn he was excellent and at his best as an attacking force.

Chalkboard 3: Evra and Valencia heatmap

Amazingly, Evra and Valencia played 74% and 78% (respectively) of the their passes inside the Blackburn half. Valencia in particular was always looking to get crosses in and as a result Blackburn were forced into making an amazing 81 clearances and 8 blocks. Valencia was though rewarded with his 7th assist in 5 games and is now United’s leading joint assister.

Two teams with Academy products

Our preview highlighted some of the youngsters who are currently getting games in the Blackburn side. Hanley, Henley and Lowe in particular were excellent. Despite his failings, Kean’s persistence and faith in youth hasn’t been praised enough and maybe that’s one reason why Fergie seems to like him so much.

It wasn’t just Blackburn who were showing off some of their new generation though; United finally gave a debut to William Keane who played the last 9 minutes. The young striker was singled out for praise by Ferguson on Friday in his press conference and has been excellent in the Reserves this season. His appearance off the bench ahead of Diouf just shows how far he’s come. Larnell Cole, Paul Pogba and Zeki Fryers were also on the bench. United’s youngsters are making progress into the first team much sooner than anyone expected yet caution must still be preached. Fergie’s use of them so far has been perfect and no doubt he’ll continue to give them minutes where possible.

A big week ahead

United travel to Newcastle on Wednesday – a tough fixture at a side who’ve been good this season. Yet the defeat to Blackburn will only spur them on and actually, Newcastle’s home record isn’t nearly as good as one might think. They’ve taken 15 points from 27 and thirteen clubs have scored as many or more goals at home than them.

Following the trip to the north-east, United are at City in the FA Cup on Sunday – a huge chance to try and disrupt the form of their rivals. City though have a big task up against Liverpool in the league beforehand and like United, the lost in the last round of fixtures.

Summary

United suffered a shock home defeat to Blackburn despite dominating the game and having nearly 30 efforts on goal. It was Blackburn’s first away league win of the season, lead by Yakubu who now has 12 league goals for them. His first came from the penalty spot after Berbatov hauled down Samba. His second was a goal of his own making as he broke through all too easily before beating De Gea at his near post. United did get back level as Berbatov twice turned in crosses from Rafael and Valencia. Despite pressure on their goal, Blackburn went ahead as Grant Hanley beat De Gea in the air from a corner before heading home unchallenged.

Luckily, United remain joint top after City slipped up at Sunderland but with Spurs chasing hard, only a win will do at Newcastle.