With just one win on their travels this season in the league so far and having lost eight games it is surely too much to hope for that Wolves will come away with anything at all from their trip to Eastlands today. So Manchester City, will barring some sort of minor miracle be lording it over the rest of the division come five o'clock tonight.
United are in action tomorrow, and providing the current league leaders do not lose, then the Red Devils will back at the top come Sunday night, but this game is oh so important. To state that United have been indifferent on the road this season would be an understatement; in too many games the team has failed to either kill off opponents or else they have failed to dominate.
Ask any honest United fan and they will tell you that the current squad has many problem areas and that is largely why we've seen so many games end in draws. Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick have had very difficult seasons so far. Fletcher was taken off after 62 minutes against Liverpool last weekend - he was lucky not to be substituted at half-time, because his passing was nothing short of awful. If we are to believe the rumours, Carrick fell out with Ferguson earlier on in the season and that led to a lengthy spell in the naughty corner.
Anderson, has in some games shown signs of improvement, but still he's nowhere near the finished article. Gibson is nothing more than a one trick pony, and his party piece rarely comes off, his long-range shooting is wayward and off target too often.
United have missed Valencia on the right and as a result in too many games the attack has been unbalanced; you can also factor in the loss of Park who has been away on international duty, but like Fletcher and Carrick the South Korean is inconsistent when selected.
In a bid to solve United's indifferent form, Ferguson has been tweaking his formation, but the ploy of playing Giggs on the right, as he did recently, was to put it mildly ridiculous. Against Liverpool last weekend, we saw Giggs back where he belongs, wide on the left and the Welshman did not disappoint.
If United are to come away with at least a point at Spurs on Sunday, we will need 100% concentration in all departments, better passing from front to back and we will need balance on the flanks. Expect Berbatov to be left on the bench again. Rooney will start with Giggs on the left and Nani on the right.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Gerrard gets his comeuppance and not before time as Liverpool crash out of FA Cup...
As great as he can be when he's at his best, Steven Gerrard finally got what has been coming to him for quite some time; the Liverpool captain was given a straight red at Old Trafford in today's FA Cup tie for what could be described as a typical over the top two-footed Gerrard tackle.
No doubt, in part due to who he is, "Stevie G" has got away with it down the years, with too many referee's appearing to be lenient towards the Liverpool captain but today Webb wasn't about to duck his responsibility.
Thankfully, the recipient of Gerrard's lunge, Michael Carrick was not seriously injured, but when you launch yourself into an airborne two-footed challenge there is a danger of carnage - TV replays confirmed it was the right decision - he had to go. At that point in the contest, Liverpool were already a goal behind after Ryan Giggs had given table-topping United the lead in the first minute.
Referee Howard Webb was in charge of what always is a difficult game for the officials and from the first kick there was controversy, when United were awarded a very soft penalty when Berbatov went down inside the Liverpool penalty area. Giggs converted the resulting spot-kick with a fine low drive to Reinna's left; Liverpool's Spanish stopper appeared to get his fingertips on the ball, but he was powerless to stop it.
From that point onwards, it was always going to be difficult and it was, but with Kenny Dalglish restored as the new manager of Liverpool after a 20 year absence, the visitors ensured that United didn't have it all their own way.
Even with ten men, Liverpool matched United all over the park, especially in midfield where Fletcher and Carrick failed to capitalise on the extra man advantage. Fletcher had a poor game and once again he was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply on too many occasions - though to be fair, he supplied the ball to Berbatov which led to the penalty.
Fletcher got himself needlessly booked early in the first-half after he'd given away the ball; it was a schoolboy error, the Scot should have known he was in close proximity to his marker, but he received the ball, turned and promptly passed it to Dirk Kuyt. Fletcher then fouled Kuyt and Howard Webb booked him. From that point onwards, Fletcher's influence was affected and his passing let him down on numerous occasions, he was eventually replaced by Anderson in the second-half but he did no better and he too got himself needlessly booked after losing the ball just minutes after his introduction.
Johnny Evans hit the woodword with a powerful header just before the break, but apart from that, there wasn't many clear-cut goal scoring opportunities.
United improved after the break and boy did they need to. Liverpool were on the rack briefly but United were unable to break down the visitors.
Berbatov, contrary to the view of the match sponsors, did not have a great game, the Bulgarian's touch deserted him today. Giggs was United's best performer and by some distance - he made one mazey run down the left early in the second-half, one that was reminiscent of days of yore. Giggs is a left winger and Fergie should play him in his best position because once again he showed that he is still capable of performing at the highest level and in his favoured position.
With no Nemanja Vidic due to injury, Rio Ferdinand marshalled United's back four alongside Evans, on the whole they handled Fernando Torres quite well, but it's fair to say the Spanish striker was starved of service after the Gerrard sending off.
Wayne Rooney was left out of the United squad due to an ankle injury, his replacement Hernandez did okay, but he was replaced by Michael Owen late on in the second-half. Owen looked quite sharp on his return to the first-team, but the goal the United fans were hoping for didn't materialise.
Ferguson will be delighted with the result, if not entirely satisfied with the level of what was at times another unconvincing performance against a team who have been struggling. Liverpool fans will also be happy, not least because Dalglish is back in harness.
No doubt, in part due to who he is, "Stevie G" has got away with it down the years, with too many referee's appearing to be lenient towards the Liverpool captain but today Webb wasn't about to duck his responsibility.
Thankfully, the recipient of Gerrard's lunge, Michael Carrick was not seriously injured, but when you launch yourself into an airborne two-footed challenge there is a danger of carnage - TV replays confirmed it was the right decision - he had to go. At that point in the contest, Liverpool were already a goal behind after Ryan Giggs had given table-topping United the lead in the first minute.
Referee Howard Webb was in charge of what always is a difficult game for the officials and from the first kick there was controversy, when United were awarded a very soft penalty when Berbatov went down inside the Liverpool penalty area. Giggs converted the resulting spot-kick with a fine low drive to Reinna's left; Liverpool's Spanish stopper appeared to get his fingertips on the ball, but he was powerless to stop it.
From that point onwards, it was always going to be difficult and it was, but with Kenny Dalglish restored as the new manager of Liverpool after a 20 year absence, the visitors ensured that United didn't have it all their own way.
Even with ten men, Liverpool matched United all over the park, especially in midfield where Fletcher and Carrick failed to capitalise on the extra man advantage. Fletcher had a poor game and once again he was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply on too many occasions - though to be fair, he supplied the ball to Berbatov which led to the penalty.
Fletcher got himself needlessly booked early in the first-half after he'd given away the ball; it was a schoolboy error, the Scot should have known he was in close proximity to his marker, but he received the ball, turned and promptly passed it to Dirk Kuyt. Fletcher then fouled Kuyt and Howard Webb booked him. From that point onwards, Fletcher's influence was affected and his passing let him down on numerous occasions, he was eventually replaced by Anderson in the second-half but he did no better and he too got himself needlessly booked after losing the ball just minutes after his introduction.
Johnny Evans hit the woodword with a powerful header just before the break, but apart from that, there wasn't many clear-cut goal scoring opportunities.
United improved after the break and boy did they need to. Liverpool were on the rack briefly but United were unable to break down the visitors.
Berbatov, contrary to the view of the match sponsors, did not have a great game, the Bulgarian's touch deserted him today. Giggs was United's best performer and by some distance - he made one mazey run down the left early in the second-half, one that was reminiscent of days of yore. Giggs is a left winger and Fergie should play him in his best position because once again he showed that he is still capable of performing at the highest level and in his favoured position.
With no Nemanja Vidic due to injury, Rio Ferdinand marshalled United's back four alongside Evans, on the whole they handled Fernando Torres quite well, but it's fair to say the Spanish striker was starved of service after the Gerrard sending off.
Wayne Rooney was left out of the United squad due to an ankle injury, his replacement Hernandez did okay, but he was replaced by Michael Owen late on in the second-half. Owen looked quite sharp on his return to the first-team, but the goal the United fans were hoping for didn't materialise.
Ferguson will be delighted with the result, if not entirely satisfied with the level of what was at times another unconvincing performance against a team who have been struggling. Liverpool fans will also be happy, not least because Dalglish is back in harness.
Should Howson and Henderson be on Fergie's transfer radar?
Fergie recently stated there would be no new additions to the United squad during the transfer window; whether or not that assertion proves to be true only time will tell. There is however, no doubt that United are lacking genuine star quality in central midfield. Sooner or later Ferguson will have to make a move in the transfer market in a bid to do something about the paucity in the United engine room, because clearly Paul Scholes despite his age, is still the main creative force - putting it bluntly, this is a ridiculous state of affairs.
The question is, who should Ferguson buy? With the exception of Wesley Sneijder and Kaka, there aren't that many obvious exceptional targets.
English players usually command a premium if they are proven at the highest level, but with the possible exception of the unattainable Steven Gerrard, there are no qualifying British players. But, that most definitely is not the case when it comes to rising young stars of the English game.
Two young players spring to mind: Sunderland's Jordan Henderson and Leeds United's Jonny Howson, both players have been receiving rave reviews and both are being tipped as future senior England players.
The United manager has been linked with Sunderland's Jordan Henderson over the last few weeks and there has been renewed speculation over the weekend.
Howson was in action at the Emirates yesterday in the FA Cup, he was recently rewarded with a new contract, no doubt to ward off interest from Premier League predators.
As ever, the problem for Ferguson is that he needs to be sure that both players will live up to expectations as the asking price for either player is likely to be high. United failed to make a decisive move for Gareth Bale and Spurs won that particular transfer battle; it was by no means the first time that Spurs have beaten United to the punch when searching for new blood. The North London club also snapped up Michael Carrick and Berbatov, both for the right money - the former for proverbial peanuts.
Daniel Comolli, the former Spurs "director of football strategy" was responsible for signing Bale and Berbatov, and now the Frenchman is working at Liverpool in a similar role. If United do not make their move for Howson and or Henderson, it's a fair bet that the likes of Spurs and Liverpool will and if that happens the current league leaders could live to regret not being more decisive as was the case with Gareth Bale.
As we saw with Gareth Bale, the likelihood is that Ferguson will not make his move because he is not prepared to gamble, but failure to do so could prove to be costly; if United wanted to buy Bale now the asking price would be prohibitive.
The question is, who should Ferguson buy? With the exception of Wesley Sneijder and Kaka, there aren't that many obvious exceptional targets.
English players usually command a premium if they are proven at the highest level, but with the possible exception of the unattainable Steven Gerrard, there are no qualifying British players. But, that most definitely is not the case when it comes to rising young stars of the English game.
Two young players spring to mind: Sunderland's Jordan Henderson and Leeds United's Jonny Howson, both players have been receiving rave reviews and both are being tipped as future senior England players.
The United manager has been linked with Sunderland's Jordan Henderson over the last few weeks and there has been renewed speculation over the weekend.
Howson was in action at the Emirates yesterday in the FA Cup, he was recently rewarded with a new contract, no doubt to ward off interest from Premier League predators.
As ever, the problem for Ferguson is that he needs to be sure that both players will live up to expectations as the asking price for either player is likely to be high. United failed to make a decisive move for Gareth Bale and Spurs won that particular transfer battle; it was by no means the first time that Spurs have beaten United to the punch when searching for new blood. The North London club also snapped up Michael Carrick and Berbatov, both for the right money - the former for proverbial peanuts.
Daniel Comolli, the former Spurs "director of football strategy" was responsible for signing Bale and Berbatov, and now the Frenchman is working at Liverpool in a similar role. If United do not make their move for Howson and or Henderson, it's a fair bet that the likes of Spurs and Liverpool will and if that happens the current league leaders could live to regret not being more decisive as was the case with Gareth Bale.
As we saw with Gareth Bale, the likelihood is that Ferguson will not make his move because he is not prepared to gamble, but failure to do so could prove to be costly; if United wanted to buy Bale now the asking price would be prohibitive.
FA Cup: Despite the turmoil at Anfield, Liverpool should not be under estimated...
United are in FA Cup action later today, when Liverpool are the visitors to Old Trafford. The Anfield club have just parted company with manager Roy Hodgson. Kop hero, Kenny Dalglish has been given the manager's job until the end of the season. Dalglish is a respected former player and manager, his appointment was widely predicted. Liverpool needed to do something in a bid to kick-start what has been a very disappointing season so far and it doesn't get much tougher than a trip to Old Tafford.
Despite the turmoil, Liverpool will believe there's every reason to be confident about facing United who have been very unconvincing at times this season. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are the obvious danger men and Vidic & Co. will need no reminders from Ferguson.
United lead the Premier League by two points while Liverpool are languishing in the wrong half of the table - the need for Dalglish's team to improve is obvious - but the supporters and managers of both clubs will be looking for signs of better things to come. A win for either side will be a big confidence booster ahead of the battles that lie ahead.
It remains to be seen if Wayne Rooney will start having missed the midweek win against Stoke due to an ankle injury. Ferguson hinted that Hernandez could get the nod, but that's unlikely if Rooney is 100% fit. Rooney is hungry for goals having scored just one from open play since last March; a brace against Liverpool would help heal the love following his recent troubles.
Irrespective of who starts up front for United today, the league leaders must improve the service from the flanks. On too many recent occasions, United haven't been creating enough goal-scoring opportunities; this is largely down to the lack of quality from the flanks, coupled with the recurring problem of giving the ball away cheaply in central midfield.
Despite the turmoil, Liverpool will believe there's every reason to be confident about facing United who have been very unconvincing at times this season. Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are the obvious danger men and Vidic & Co. will need no reminders from Ferguson.
United lead the Premier League by two points while Liverpool are languishing in the wrong half of the table - the need for Dalglish's team to improve is obvious - but the supporters and managers of both clubs will be looking for signs of better things to come. A win for either side will be a big confidence booster ahead of the battles that lie ahead.
It remains to be seen if Wayne Rooney will start having missed the midweek win against Stoke due to an ankle injury. Ferguson hinted that Hernandez could get the nod, but that's unlikely if Rooney is 100% fit. Rooney is hungry for goals having scored just one from open play since last March; a brace against Liverpool would help heal the love following his recent troubles.
Irrespective of who starts up front for United today, the league leaders must improve the service from the flanks. On too many recent occasions, United haven't been creating enough goal-scoring opportunities; this is largely down to the lack of quality from the flanks, coupled with the recurring problem of giving the ball away cheaply in central midfield.
Friday, January 07, 2011
United must improve, or else City could secure title...
United might well have a two point lead at the summit of the Barclays Premier League, but followers of the club must have doubts about the team's ability to stay at the top, given our away record.
Just a week ago Nemanja Vidic said "Our away record is not something we're proud of, yet here we are top and still unbeaten. But we want to improve and we must play better." The United captain is right, because the leaders still have to travel to Stamford Bridge, The Emirates, White Hart Lane, Anfield and neighbours City have to come to Old Trafford. The problem is so far this season United have struggled against the clubs outside of the top four and so the biggest tests are yet to come.
At the beginning of the season, it looked as though Chelsea would once again be the team to beat, but following the sacking of Ray Wilkins the West London club have fallen away in the title race. While it would be foolish to write off Chelsea, it now looks as though it will be United, City and Arsenal who will be the main challengers. If United were playing well away from home and winning, then there'd be good reason to be optimistic about travelling to Aresenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs.
The worry is United have been unconvincing, especially away from home where the leaders have drawn an incredible seven games - that's twice as many as City. United have only won twice on the road; at Stoke and at West Brom. In contrast City have won six games on their travels.
So what exactly has the problem been this season? There is no simple answer, there are in fact many reasons. United have been lacking width in some recent games and there's no doubt that Valencia has been missed on the right.
Ferguson, somewhat bizarrely, started the away game Birmingham with Giggs on the right; Ryan has been a great professional, but he's one of the most one-footed player's in the division - sometimes these switches can work when the player in question cuts inside on to his stronger foot - but in this instance the ploy failed miserably - but that was just one game. Despite being top of the division currently, there has been too many un-United-like peformances this season.
Matters have not been helped by the constant changes in midfield. Players like Fletcher has been in and out of the starting eleven over the last few weeks and you wonder if it that has been entirely down to injuries, or has it been the case that Ferguson has been unhappy with his inconsistent form? Anderson has blown hot and cold, but he like Fletcher he has been inconsistent.
We have also seen United starting 'bread and butter' away games with a European like 4-3-3 formation; clearly Ferguson does not trust any two midfield players to start with 4-4-2 against the likes of Birmingham, who admittedly are enjoying a good season, but you'd normally expect the Red Devils to approach such away games with a more attacking line-up.
Then there's the question of who should lead the line when Fergie starts with 4-3-3; last season, that man would have been Rooney because he's deemed most suitable to play the lone striker role, but of course the former Everton star has been mired in controversey and his form has been patchy since he returned to the team.
When Fergie starts with a 4-3-3 formation, the balance hasn't been quite right, because while Rooney can and will drift out on to the left wing, he's not a specialist winger. United need Rooney in the box like last season when he plundered all those goals.
For those looking for positivity, the defence has played very well since Rio Ferdinand recovered from his early season injury problems alongside the defensive rock that is Vidic. Wayne Rooney has been showing some recent signs that the hunger and desire is coming back to something like what we have come to expect. Valencia will hopefully come back at some point in February in time for the title run-in, that's assuming United are still in contention. And finally (but don't bet on this actually happening)Brazilian ace, Kaka has been linked with a loan move to United..
Ferguson is confident that United's form will improve over the course of the second half of the season, but the manager is basing that prediction on previous years - the worry is United have been playing nothing like their best in the first half of the season. Hopefully, Ferguson will be proven right, again...
Of the other title contenders Manchester City are a very real threat, they have the best away record in the division and their defence has been solid. As we saw against Arsenal this week, City's brand of football isn't pretty, more functional, but they have demonstrated that they can grind out results when the need arises, much like United have done down the years.
Hopefully, Arsenal will keep up the presssure on United and City, because for obvious reasons we Reds fans want the title race won by the current leaders or else one of the London clubs...
Just a week ago Nemanja Vidic said "Our away record is not something we're proud of, yet here we are top and still unbeaten. But we want to improve and we must play better." The United captain is right, because the leaders still have to travel to Stamford Bridge, The Emirates, White Hart Lane, Anfield and neighbours City have to come to Old Trafford. The problem is so far this season United have struggled against the clubs outside of the top four and so the biggest tests are yet to come.
At the beginning of the season, it looked as though Chelsea would once again be the team to beat, but following the sacking of Ray Wilkins the West London club have fallen away in the title race. While it would be foolish to write off Chelsea, it now looks as though it will be United, City and Arsenal who will be the main challengers. If United were playing well away from home and winning, then there'd be good reason to be optimistic about travelling to Aresenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Spurs.
The worry is United have been unconvincing, especially away from home where the leaders have drawn an incredible seven games - that's twice as many as City. United have only won twice on the road; at Stoke and at West Brom. In contrast City have won six games on their travels.
So what exactly has the problem been this season? There is no simple answer, there are in fact many reasons. United have been lacking width in some recent games and there's no doubt that Valencia has been missed on the right.
Ferguson, somewhat bizarrely, started the away game Birmingham with Giggs on the right; Ryan has been a great professional, but he's one of the most one-footed player's in the division - sometimes these switches can work when the player in question cuts inside on to his stronger foot - but in this instance the ploy failed miserably - but that was just one game. Despite being top of the division currently, there has been too many un-United-like peformances this season.
Matters have not been helped by the constant changes in midfield. Players like Fletcher has been in and out of the starting eleven over the last few weeks and you wonder if it that has been entirely down to injuries, or has it been the case that Ferguson has been unhappy with his inconsistent form? Anderson has blown hot and cold, but he like Fletcher he has been inconsistent.
We have also seen United starting 'bread and butter' away games with a European like 4-3-3 formation; clearly Ferguson does not trust any two midfield players to start with 4-4-2 against the likes of Birmingham, who admittedly are enjoying a good season, but you'd normally expect the Red Devils to approach such away games with a more attacking line-up.
Then there's the question of who should lead the line when Fergie starts with 4-3-3; last season, that man would have been Rooney because he's deemed most suitable to play the lone striker role, but of course the former Everton star has been mired in controversey and his form has been patchy since he returned to the team.
When Fergie starts with a 4-3-3 formation, the balance hasn't been quite right, because while Rooney can and will drift out on to the left wing, he's not a specialist winger. United need Rooney in the box like last season when he plundered all those goals.
For those looking for positivity, the defence has played very well since Rio Ferdinand recovered from his early season injury problems alongside the defensive rock that is Vidic. Wayne Rooney has been showing some recent signs that the hunger and desire is coming back to something like what we have come to expect. Valencia will hopefully come back at some point in February in time for the title run-in, that's assuming United are still in contention. And finally (but don't bet on this actually happening)Brazilian ace, Kaka has been linked with a loan move to United..
Ferguson is confident that United's form will improve over the course of the second half of the season, but the manager is basing that prediction on previous years - the worry is United have been playing nothing like their best in the first half of the season. Hopefully, Ferguson will be proven right, again...
Of the other title contenders Manchester City are a very real threat, they have the best away record in the division and their defence has been solid. As we saw against Arsenal this week, City's brand of football isn't pretty, more functional, but they have demonstrated that they can grind out results when the need arises, much like United have done down the years.
Hopefully, Arsenal will keep up the presssure on United and City, because for obvious reasons we Reds fans want the title race won by the current leaders or else one of the London clubs...
Wednesday, January 05, 2011
Ferguson, his vendettas and the abuse of power...
As many avid football fans will know The Times recently made the mistake of charging to view their website content - a move which lead to the loss of over 90% of page-views - well that was a pity because today Matthew Syed wrote a great article in which he outlines some of Fergie's failings. Thankfully, you can read the article via the following link:
Ferguson's abuse of power...
Among many other things, Syed highlights the recent sacking of Fergie's son who was the Preston manager and the subsequent recall of the young United trio who'd been on-loan at the Lancashire club.
United fans the world over admire our illustrious leader, because of the great things he's done for our club, but surely even the most ardent Fergie follower will find it difficult to disagree with the calls for something to be done in order to bring the manager into line.
Ferguson's abuse of power...
Among many other things, Syed highlights the recent sacking of Fergie's son who was the Preston manager and the subsequent recall of the young United trio who'd been on-loan at the Lancashire club.
United fans the world over admire our illustrious leader, because of the great things he's done for our club, but surely even the most ardent Fergie follower will find it difficult to disagree with the calls for something to be done in order to bring the manager into line.
Sunday, January 02, 2011
United get lucky at WBA: Is misplaced loyalty to Neville getting in the way of common sense?
United travelled to the Hawthorns yesterday and came away with three points, it was only the second away of the season. Wayne Rooney scored his first goal from open play since last March, with a well directed low header from an Evra cross in just the third minute. Rooney has endured a self-inflicted difficult couple of months following his much publicised contract spat with the club, but the relief and joy at scoring yesterday was there for all to see.
However, from that point onwards, it was the home team who dominated what was an absorbing contest and it's fair to say United looked very out of sorts again on their travels.
It came as no great surprise when James Morrison equalised with what could be one of the goals of the season. Nemanja Vidic initially won a header on the edge of the United penalty area, but the ball bounced invitingly to Morrison who unleashed a thunderbolt from fully 25 yards out, the ball flew beyond Kuszczak in the United goal.
West Brom were all over the visitors like a rash as they peppered the United goal with long range shots; Paul Scharner narrowly missed the far post with a bullet header after he'd out-foxed Nemja Vidic.
From an attacking perpsective, United were barely creating anything; too many players in the red shirt were wasteful in possession in midfield, which has been a recurring problem this season, especially when playing away from Old Trafford.
Carrick and Anderson were tasked with manning the engine room, with Fletcher on the right, but Thomas and Dorrans were running into wide open spaces down United's all too often exposed right flank, where West Brom always seemed to have an extra man.
Ferguson will no doubt have raised a few eyebrows when electing to give Gary Neville only his second start of the season for what was likely to be a tricky away game.
Ironically, Gary Neville featured in the only other away win to date against Stoke City - a game in which he was fortunate not to be given a red card; and yesterday against West Brom, once again he should have been sent-off, on this occasion for bringing down Graham Dorrans inside the penalty area and no honest United fan will argue with the point.
Neville was substituted against Stoke in the 46th minute and he was replaced at the Hawthorns in the 71st minute; the fact that the 'club captain' remained on the pitch on both occasions was down to the leniency of the referee. Chris Foy was on duty yesterday and after the game, predictably, there was calls for action to be taken against him from fans and pundits alike. As is often the case when a referee makes a glaring error, the referee appeared to try to make up for his earlier mistake by balancing up proceedings; United were denied a what was a clear penalty in the second-half for what was a clear and blatant hand-ball.
Injuries and old father time have caught up with Neville, and so it's fair to ask if Ferguson's loyalty to this great servant of the club is misplaced? Ferguson selected Neville ahead of Fabio and Wes Brown, but in light of yesterday's lucky escape the United manager will surely conclude that he is courting disaster when selecting the veteran defender ahead of the younger legs of the Da Silva twins.
Neville was up against Jerome Thomas who gave him a torrid time; on too many first-half occasions United were found short of numbers when West Brom were attacking at will down their left; when Neville wasn't actually caught out of position, he did okay on the ball and maybe a run of games would see an improvement in his fitness, but the stakes are so high with rivals Man City breathing down United's necks. Surely the manager cannot afford to take such risks, because in truth, his team was extremely fortunate to have gone into the half-time break with ten outfield players on the pitch and level on terms.
Peter Odemwingie let United off the hook early in the second-half when he missed the opportunity of giving West Brom the lead from the penalty spot after Rio Ferdinand had tripped Jerome Thomas. Ferdinand and Neville exchanged words in the inquest which followed; it looked like a case debating whose responsibility it should have been to mark Thomas.
United's did however improve marginally in the second-period, following Ferguson's minor tactical reshuffle, which saw Fletcher moving into a more central position coupled with switching Obertan to the right.
Ferguson then made a double subsitution sending on Gibson and Hernandez for Obertan and Berbatov. Anderson should have been the one who made way in midfield, because he was largely anonymous and frankly, he didn't look interested all afternoon.
Fergie then did what he should have done at half-time, that is he sent on Fabio for Neville; the young Brazilian was given the runaround once, by Thomas and was booked for what was deemed as a rash challenge, but he eventually steadied the ship down the right and looked better as the half went on.
Hernandez, then did what he did in United's only other away win this season - he scored with a header after he'd been left unmarked in the six-yard box. West Brom rallied late on, but United ground-out what was a very welcome, but controversial three points.
On this form, United will not win back the title, but if you're looking for positives, Rooney scored and he returned to the pitch to seal the win, this when he was injured after being hacked down by Brunt.
By his standards, Rooney didn't have a great game, but he showed signs that the hunger is returning. United need Rooney back running on all cylinders and if today's media speculation is true, the on-loan signing of Kaka would be very welcome to say the least; but whatever happens in the transfer window it looks like it is going to be a very bumpy ride until the end of the season.
However, from that point onwards, it was the home team who dominated what was an absorbing contest and it's fair to say United looked very out of sorts again on their travels.
It came as no great surprise when James Morrison equalised with what could be one of the goals of the season. Nemanja Vidic initially won a header on the edge of the United penalty area, but the ball bounced invitingly to Morrison who unleashed a thunderbolt from fully 25 yards out, the ball flew beyond Kuszczak in the United goal.
West Brom were all over the visitors like a rash as they peppered the United goal with long range shots; Paul Scharner narrowly missed the far post with a bullet header after he'd out-foxed Nemja Vidic.
From an attacking perpsective, United were barely creating anything; too many players in the red shirt were wasteful in possession in midfield, which has been a recurring problem this season, especially when playing away from Old Trafford.
Carrick and Anderson were tasked with manning the engine room, with Fletcher on the right, but Thomas and Dorrans were running into wide open spaces down United's all too often exposed right flank, where West Brom always seemed to have an extra man.
Ferguson will no doubt have raised a few eyebrows when electing to give Gary Neville only his second start of the season for what was likely to be a tricky away game.
Ironically, Gary Neville featured in the only other away win to date against Stoke City - a game in which he was fortunate not to be given a red card; and yesterday against West Brom, once again he should have been sent-off, on this occasion for bringing down Graham Dorrans inside the penalty area and no honest United fan will argue with the point.
Neville was substituted against Stoke in the 46th minute and he was replaced at the Hawthorns in the 71st minute; the fact that the 'club captain' remained on the pitch on both occasions was down to the leniency of the referee. Chris Foy was on duty yesterday and after the game, predictably, there was calls for action to be taken against him from fans and pundits alike. As is often the case when a referee makes a glaring error, the referee appeared to try to make up for his earlier mistake by balancing up proceedings; United were denied a what was a clear penalty in the second-half for what was a clear and blatant hand-ball.
Injuries and old father time have caught up with Neville, and so it's fair to ask if Ferguson's loyalty to this great servant of the club is misplaced? Ferguson selected Neville ahead of Fabio and Wes Brown, but in light of yesterday's lucky escape the United manager will surely conclude that he is courting disaster when selecting the veteran defender ahead of the younger legs of the Da Silva twins.
Neville was up against Jerome Thomas who gave him a torrid time; on too many first-half occasions United were found short of numbers when West Brom were attacking at will down their left; when Neville wasn't actually caught out of position, he did okay on the ball and maybe a run of games would see an improvement in his fitness, but the stakes are so high with rivals Man City breathing down United's necks. Surely the manager cannot afford to take such risks, because in truth, his team was extremely fortunate to have gone into the half-time break with ten outfield players on the pitch and level on terms.
Peter Odemwingie let United off the hook early in the second-half when he missed the opportunity of giving West Brom the lead from the penalty spot after Rio Ferdinand had tripped Jerome Thomas. Ferdinand and Neville exchanged words in the inquest which followed; it looked like a case debating whose responsibility it should have been to mark Thomas.
United's did however improve marginally in the second-period, following Ferguson's minor tactical reshuffle, which saw Fletcher moving into a more central position coupled with switching Obertan to the right.
Ferguson then made a double subsitution sending on Gibson and Hernandez for Obertan and Berbatov. Anderson should have been the one who made way in midfield, because he was largely anonymous and frankly, he didn't look interested all afternoon.
Fergie then did what he should have done at half-time, that is he sent on Fabio for Neville; the young Brazilian was given the runaround once, by Thomas and was booked for what was deemed as a rash challenge, but he eventually steadied the ship down the right and looked better as the half went on.
Hernandez, then did what he did in United's only other away win this season - he scored with a header after he'd been left unmarked in the six-yard box. West Brom rallied late on, but United ground-out what was a very welcome, but controversial three points.
On this form, United will not win back the title, but if you're looking for positives, Rooney scored and he returned to the pitch to seal the win, this when he was injured after being hacked down by Brunt.
By his standards, Rooney didn't have a great game, but he showed signs that the hunger is returning. United need Rooney back running on all cylinders and if today's media speculation is true, the on-loan signing of Kaka would be very welcome to say the least; but whatever happens in the transfer window it looks like it is going to be a very bumpy ride until the end of the season.
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Should Fergie have moved for Beckham, another missed opportunity?
IF we are to believe Ferguson, then United will not be making any new signings this January transfer window. Time will tell if this turns out to be another missed opportunity. United missed out in the summer when Spurs signed Rafael van der Vaart for a knockdown transfer fee and Saturday's morning sports headlines suggest rival boss Harry Redknapp could be about to sign David Beckham on-loan for three months.
United are not exactly blessed with an array of class midfield players right now and so the addition of Beckham would definitely bolster the manager's attacking options. As we saw against Birmingham on Tuesday night, United currently lack cover on the flanks due to the absence of Park who is away on international duty and Valencia who won't be back until the end of February, at the earliest. Nani also missed the trip to St Andrews, but he should be back today when United travel to the Hawthorns where they will hopefully start the new year with a much needed away win.
Perish the thought of Beckham helping Spurs to three points when United travel to White Hart Lane on January 16th.
United are not exactly blessed with an array of class midfield players right now and so the addition of Beckham would definitely bolster the manager's attacking options. As we saw against Birmingham on Tuesday night, United currently lack cover on the flanks due to the absence of Park who is away on international duty and Valencia who won't be back until the end of February, at the earliest. Nani also missed the trip to St Andrews, but he should be back today when United travel to the Hawthorns where they will hopefully start the new year with a much needed away win.
Perish the thought of Beckham helping Spurs to three points when United travel to White Hart Lane on January 16th.
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