We Shall Not Be Moved

“I don’t think it (game) was extraordinary. Manchester United were very nervous, didn’t play particularly well, but it doesn’t matter – they got the result. You know, what a crisis they are in – out of the last fifteen league games they’ve only won thirteen.”
~ Pat Dolan, on Setanta Sports Live’s post-match analysis

Sometimes it’s easy to loose perspective, especially after keeping fourteen clean sheets in a row only to concede to eleven goals in five games, including two losses and the two terrible away goals to Porto. The continued nervousness amongst the backline should concern us but it is a far cry from a crisis, as Mr. Dolan’s sarcasm so correctly notes.

Rough patches happen to everyone at least once per year and this dip in form won’t matter if we keep nicking results. Points are points, oh Zen-master.

Today Fergie went to a 4-3-3 with Berbatov, Tevez, and Rooney across the front and Scholes, Carrick, and Park across the midfield. No Evra, Ferdinand, or Ronaldo to start. Admittedly, with Berba healthy and Sundlerland prone to putting at least 9 behind the ball, it was the obvious formation of choice.

Early on we were fairly composed and patiently penetrated Sunderland’s defense. The game had the hallmarks of a lop-sided result, as Berba coolly-controlled the ball out wide to Rooney, who’s inch-perfect cross was delicatedly-headed home by Scholes.

Surely, another goal would seal the result and such was the traveling supporters confidence that they began breaking out older songs, ones at-best only tangentially-related to anything on the pitch.

We move from slagging Alan Shearer to the Monkey’s Daydream Believer:

F**k off, Alan Shearer,
Oh what can it mean, to a,
Sad geordie bastard, and a,
Shite football team.

To the next song about the former-Sunderland manager and United captain-of-lore:

Oh Keano's f*in' magic,
He wears a magic hat,
And when he saw Old Trafford,
He said I fancy that,
He didn't sign for Arsenal,
Or Blackburn 'coz they're shite,
He signed for Man United,
'Coz they're f*ing dynamite.

You get the picture: everything was going to plan. Sunderland defended deep and isolated Jones and Cissé up front, while United patiently picked apart the Black Cat defense. An afternoon stroll appeared likely.

Somewhere around 30 minutes it changed.

Maybe it was Vidic’s miscommunication with Foster for a gift-corner. Maybe it was merely going down a goal forced the Sunderland to commit some players forward. Or maybe it was both.

So, while the away supporters considered their vast singing options, Sunderland’s confidence grew, the back four’s nerves surfaced yet again, culminating in Edwards’ cross hitting Jonny Evans and caroming straight out off the post, only to be cleared out of the box by Park.

At half-time it’s still: Sunderland 0 – United 1.

We started the second half brightly, with good attacking possession, but again, the defense seemed anxious and uncertain, ultimately leading to Sunderland’s goal, which came off an entirely-defendable cross.

A poor read, step and whiffed-punch from Foster - what's up with potential England keepers anyway?! - and an equally poor reaction from Evans let Kenyon Jones put in his second-effort, after he muffed his first-touch header. Sunderland 1 – United 1. Game on, as it was yet another bad goal to concede.

We responded well in attack, with Scholes and Rooney both firing chances narrowly wide. You could just feel a second goal in United, with it likely coming from either of my co-Men of the Match, Mr. Scholes and Mr. Rooney.

Who knew it’d come from “Macheda the Magician” (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/index?cc=5901), the 17 year old savior for United, who hadn’t played a minute of first-team action not that long ago. It’s now two games played, two match-winning goals scored for his budding career. Unbelievable.

There will be much debate whether Carrick’s shot was intentionally redirected or simply caromed off our hero.

Sir Alex said after the match: ''He has got something special about him, the boy. I haven't seen the goal, but one of the players said he actually tried it. He side-footed it as it came to him. It's that quick-thinking that goal scorers have got. He has just got that instinct.''

Regardless whether the touch was intentional or not, there’s no doubting the boy’s fast assimilation of a Solskjær-like, super-sub status within the club. His goal knocked the wind out of Sunderland and effectively rendered today’s verdict: game, set, match.

In the days ahead, you wonder what song will Peter Boyle compose for, and which of the nicknames – “Mach the Knife” or “Kiko the Kid” perhaps – will stick with, this young prodigy. All we know now is his impact is beyond massive. Already.

So what was it about that crisis at United?!

When asked: “Are United playing like champions?”

Pat Dolan summarized the mood here: “Well, they’re winning like champions. Six point out of the last two games – that’ll do for Fergie.” That’ll do indeed.

We shall not, we shall not be moved,
We shall not, we shall not be moved,
Just like the team, that's gonna win the football league - again!
We shall not be moved.