It’s depressing to wake up at half past three in the morning hoping to catch a Manchester United victory and the first two names you see on the teamsheet are Ben Foster and Gary Neville. It’s even more disheartening trying to get back to sleep two hours later having seen them lose their first Champions League group match at home in eight years to a team who lost 8-0 to Liverpool on their last visit to England.
Still, Besiktas should be allowed to enjoy their moment, which undoubtedly their maniacal supporters will be doing. After all, smaller sides seldom feature in the Champions League headlines and a win at Old Trafford is a remarkable achievement considering that no Turkish team has won in England for eight years.
Top spot in the group should have been sealed last night but Fergie’s fledglings, in baseball terms, stepped up to the plate and struck out. There was a real lack of urgency and pressure from the men (or boys) in red which translated into a flat, disjointed performance against the Turkish champions. I guess Wolfsburg’s defeat in Moscow just prior to kick-off gave the players a false sense of confidence.
Gabriel Obertan and Danny Welbeck were the only ones to really emerge with any credit on a night when Anderson showed the world that having bags of potential alone is not enough to make one a quality footballer. He was the senior man in the central midfield and should have stamped his authority on the game but was time and again let down by his poor touches and wayward passing. I wonder if we will still be talking about how the Brazilian could be a great player when he is in his thirties.
Someone who is in his thirties but no longer a great player is Gary Neville, who looked as lost as Kanye West at a Taylor Swift concert. Today’s game, today’s players and today’s balls are all too fast for the club captain and retirement sooner rather than later is the inevitable option.
One thing that Neville can teach Federico Macheda is that you give 110 percent for that badge on your jersey situated above your heart. The young Italian displayed a defiant and petulant attitude that would even put Mr Grumpy himself – Dimitar Berbatov – to shame. It looks like he thinks he’s better than he actually is. It will be a waste to see a player with so much undoubted talent fall by the wayside and I hope Sir Alex Ferguson will be able to polish this gem and maybe add some detergent to clean his mouth.
A week after Ben Foster describe his life at United as frustrating, I would use that very same word to describe his performance on the night. The Turkish champions had two shots on goals in ninety minutes and he let one of them in. It might have taken a slight deflection off Rafael but he was nonetheless flat footed and not quick enough to get across the goal, not helped by his dubious starting position. It’s a testament to just how dire the England goalkeeping situation is that he still looks a certainty to be on the plane to South Africa next summer.
A bright spark on the night was Obertan who, despite some misplaced passes, provided good width and penetration down the right flank. It was a positive performance from the former Bordeaux starlet who not only displayed some excellent off the ball movement but also the confidence to want the ball played to him at every available opportunity.
I don’t agree that there was very little at stake in this match. Finishing as group runners-up not only increases your chances of facing Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next round but also means that United plays their first leg at home, where away goals could play a big part.
Of course, winning the group could still see United being paired up with either of the Milan sides. But compared to last season, I cannot confidently say that the Red Devils can get a goal or two at the Nou Camp or San Siro.
The youngsters whom Sir Alex placed his faith should have grabbed this opportunity on the big stage by the scruff of the neck. Instead, we are left wondering about the long term futures of the likes of Darron Gibson, Macheda and most alarmingly, Anderson. There is definitely potential in these players but what differentiates the Messis and Kakas of this world from the rest is the realization of that ability and performing when it matters most on the pitch.
This defeat has made it a somewhat drab Thanksgiving for Sir Alex as he gathers for dinner with wife Cathy and his three sons. Still, it’s a much happier place to be than at the Benitez household.
Filed under: UEFA Champions League | Leave a Comment
Tags: anderson, ben foster, besiktas, champions league, danny welbeck, england, english league, federico macheda, football, gabriel obertan, manchester united, neville, old trafford, premier league, rafa benitez, sir alex ferguson, soccer, turkish football, uefa, World Cup
Keep Your Eyes On The Ball
A word of advice for Rio Ferdinand: you will have plenty of time to attend movie premieres, start a music label and run your very own magazine when you decide to hang up your boots. Until then, as long as a fat cheque comes to your house every week signed by Manchester United Football Club, kindly concentrate all your energy and effort on the pitch.
Ferdinand attended a premiere in London just hours after flying back from the CSKA match in Moscow. The movie he attended was called Dead Man Running (which is how some people would describe the way he’s defending now), which he co-produced with Ashley Cole. A few days later, he was up against Fernando Torres at Anfield and we all know what happened there.
There is no doubting the England international’s quality. On his day, he is the best defender on the planet. Sadly, during the night, he thinks he’s a hip-hop artist.
He has mentioned his desire to continue playing into his late thirties. With his persistent back problem, if he wants to be the English Paulo Maldini, he certainly needs to look after himself and stick to the special core-based training regime United has set out for him, which includes massage therapy several times a week. Most men would give their right hand to get free massages every week.
Sir Alex Ferguson might be regretting his decision not to sign any defensive reinforcements over the summer. He thought, as many of us did, that United’s first choice backline was in good shape and the likes of Jonny Evans, Wes Brown and the da Silva twins would provide more than adequate reinforcement when injuries and suspensions kicked in.
These squad players have not disappointed when called upon. It’s the established personnel like Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and even John O’ Shea, who you could count upon to give a 6.5/10 performance every week in almost any position, that have not stepped up so far this season.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Was it a mistake to let Gerard Pique leave for Barcelona? He’s in the Spanish first XI now but he had struggled with the pace of the English game, one of the reasons why he never made the step up from the reserves and was let go for a paltry six million pounds. Would he have been able to stop Torres from scoring that first goal at Anfield?
Form is temporary, class is permanent. United desperately need Vidic and Ferdinand to re-establish their brick wall at the back. A solid central defensive pairing breathes confidence into the rest of the team. After all, the best offence is a good defence. I’m on a roll with all these sporting clichés!
A bigger problem for Sir Alex has been the lack of a dictator (not the Mussolini kind) in the middle of the park. At this moment in time, no one in a United jersey is in the mould of Cesc Fabregas or Xavi and this has hurt the Red Devils attacking play, especially against the bigger sides. It’s been a long time since the slots of Captain Courageous (Roy Keane) and Captain Creativity (Eric Cantona) were taken up.
Paul Scholes, for all his cross-field passes and terribly mistimed tackling, has looked out of place and breath trying to keep up with the fast paced nature of the game today. A lot of faith seems to be placed on the shoulders of young Gabriel Obertan, who could turn out to be the next Franck Ribery. Put him under too much pressure and he becomes David Bellion.
The risk of being dominated by teams employing packed midfields is greater now that Sir Alex has reverted to the 4-4-2 formation of yesteryear. It has suited the pure wing-play of Antonio Valencia but has heaped plenty of responsibility on the two central midfielders to dominate proceedings.
Whilst Anderson and Darren Fletcher have shown themselves to be up for the task, questions are still being raised over the supply to the forwards through the middle. Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov have dropped back many times out of frustration for the lack of chances being created for them. Would someone like Daniele de Rossi or Yoann Gourcuff be the missing jigsaw piece of the United midfield puzzle?
Again, in hindsight, should Fergie have splashed the Ronaldo transfer cash on David Silva from Valencia? The Spaniard oozes quality and would have been a good fit in the United team. He could rotate the left wing and forward position with Rooney, just as the latter does on England duty with Steven Gerrard to such great effect.
What makes Sir Alex stand apart from all of us is his tremendous foresight. It has served him so well in the past and this season will be no different – I hope. Or else Rio Ferdinand’s music career may be starting sooner than we expected.
Filed under: English Premier League | Leave a Comment
Tags: anderson, barcelona, cesc fabregas, daniele de rossi, darren fletcher, david silva, england, english league, football, gerard pique, manchester united, nemanja vidic, old trafford, paul scholes, premier league, rio ferdinand, sir alex ferguson, soccer, valencia, wayne rooney, World Cup, xavi, yoann gourcuff
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