First and foremost, after halting this blog for nearly two months, I wanted to share the reason behind my absence before reacting to United’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal.
Early this past December, my wife, Jill, was diagnosed with breast cancer, which came as a total shock after her first mammogram. Understandably, my focus turned to supporting her and subsequently stopping my weekly United post.
Fast-forward to the present and the diagnosis couldn’t be better. The cancer was removed, it hadn’t spread, and the survival odds are 97% to the good. Jill still faces 6 weeks of radiation after we take a much-deserved vacation to Mexico in mid-February.
Thus, the blog’s back.
And what an incredible, welcome-back match, one with headlines such as “Rooney and United Run Riot” (Soccernet) and “Slick United Punish Sloppy Arsenal” (BBC Football) attempting to capture the game’s essence.
From the United perspective, the six-pointer provides precious relief from building anxiety surrounding the club’s financial debts and moves it to within one point of Chelsea.
From the Arsenal perspective, the game feels a bit like U2’s “Stuck in a Moment”, one they can’t escape and one eerily reminiscent of the last two encounters with United and Chelsea at the Emirates. Or past title campaigns for that matter. Take your pick.
While there’s so much to relish here, from the devilishly-delightful counterattack led by Rooney and his 100th Premier League goal to the midfield genius of Fletcher, Scholes and Carrick playing in space behind the front three, my focus today centers on the tactics that involved none other than Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha’s coming out party.
Suffice it to say that through December, Nani had disappointed everyone, including himself. After United’s very uneven performance and fortuitous draw at home with Sunderland last October, I wrote:
“As we’ve seen all too often, Nani kills off attacks with wrong decisions that can lead both strikers to a self-fulfilling, downward cycle where frustration begets more frustration. All-too-inferior defenders can play Nani straight up as they stay goal-side and wait for him to inevitably show too much ball or hit an absurd cross. Right now, his play seems to infect the entire attack.”
Today, Nani infected the entire attack alright, but this time with the menace and electricity desperately needed to play effectively with one lone striker against top-level competition.
Such a threat had not been seen in a United shirt since the departure of his fellow countryman, and with all the deference in the world to Rooney’s superb play today, Nani fully deserved his Man of the Match honors, since his dribbling and darting opened the scoring.
Fergie’s 4-5-1 formation, one that becomes 4-3-3 in attack, demands exceptionally athletic, fit, and gifted wing play to work properly, as it allows United to absorb pressure, quickly transition into the counterattack, and create gaps of space just behind the front three for the central midfielders to weave their passing magic.
We know Park’s full of industry, but can lack a clinical edge in the area.
We know Valencia’s been impressive in stretches, but is still learning how to use his speed and strength to his maximum advantage, and at times he seems to want to become the second-coming of David Beckham – cross after predictable cross – but without the pin-point delivery.
That’s what makes Nani’s technical trickery so important.
United desperately needs someone with pace and the ability to dribble through opponents to pull apart defenses and create space for others. Today’s match clearly demonstrates what happens when you add this dimension to the wing, one I’m sure Valencia duly noted given his ability and reluctance to run at defenders.
One game doesn’t make a season, but you couldn’t help but feel as though Nani turned a huge developmental corner in the past fortnight, one which will bring him the confidence to turn in more electric performances in the future.
Well done, Luís Carlos Almeida da Cunha. Enjoy the bubbly, the first of many yet to come.
Back at you after the Pompey match. Cheers.
