Saturday, March 19, 2011

Belief Beats Bolton

It’s another ho-hum match at Old Trafford, with the outcome never in question – boring, boring, United.

Yeah, right.

The old cliché holds true: never, ever count out Manchester United, especially at home and even when down to ten men.

How often have we witnessed this late drama? Countless times, really.

It’s an absolutely fantastic result, one that’s become self-perpetuating as the more frequent the Red Devils pull these games out the more the likely the players believe it will happen again.

But, when looking back before kickoff, the match was far from the expected, with a total of only two defensive midfielders on the park for both teams.

Free flowing football and goals, as in plural, were the expectation here, not a nervy 1-0 finish thanks to Berbatov slotting home Nani’s rebound in the 88th minute.

United cash in their “Get Out of Jail Free” card to move five points ahead of Arsenal, who drew 2-2 at the Hawthorns today.

The Bolton match had all the ingredients necessary for a bogey tie, with piling injuries, the Wanderers’ overall form and the need to “get up” for another match after the emotional FA Cup and Champions League victories this past week.

And, true to form, United started very flat, with players getting caught in possession, placing misdirected passes, and producing sloppy defending at times.

If you had to bet the house on whether or not Bolton would score in this match, given the backline, many ardent United supporters might have bet on Coyle’s men scoring over a clean sheet.

Not that there weren’t chances in this match on both sides.

United were incredibly unlucky not to have won a penalty in the 9th minute off of Chicharito’s put-back from six yards from a Brown knockdown. The ball ricocheted off Gary Cahill’s arm in a bang-bang manner, so the player knew nothing about it, but the arm was definitely away from the body and prevented the ball from reaching the target – a stone-cold penalty in my book.

Andre Marriner saw otherwise.

Rooney also had a couple of longer-range lasers that were a couple of meters off-target in the match. Largely, though, you could easily argue that Bolton had as good if not better chances than the Red Devils for much of this match.

With Jonny Evans sent off with a straight red card for a bone-crunching 50-50 ball with Stuart Holden, you knew United would press and Bolton would have opportunities as well.

The match was setup for the Wanderers to get at least a point from OT.

Matthew Taylor’s wide-open header from eight yards put directly at van der Sar was a shocking miss. Taylor could have taken a touch, lit a campfire, started cooking dinner and then shot, had he known – an incredibly fortunate miss for Fergie’s men.

Given such a miss, you also knew – somehow – United would likely score, as teams pay a heavy price for missing guilt-edged chances at Old Trafford.

And, true to form, Berba pounced on a generous rebound offered up by the normally reliable Jaaskelainen to take home the full three points.

As Old Trafford erupted into “We take what we want” followed by “We shall not be moved,” you cannot underestimate the impact on Chelsea and City watching from the comforts of home.

This has all the appearances of being one of, if not, “the” difference makers in the title run-in. Belief time-and-time again comes to the forefront of a Sir Alex Ferguson managed side.

Let’s hope Fergie pulls a Joe Paterno and manages well past his 70th birthday. After all, these late game heroics never, ever get old and give credence to United banners that read: “Not arrogant. Just Better.”

Better indeed.


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Player Ratings: Van der Sar 6; Evra 6; Smalling 7; Evans 4; Brown 5 (Fabio 6); Giggs 6; Carrick 7; Nani 6; Valencia 6; Chicharito 6; Rooney 6; Berbatov 6.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Boy Has Goals In Him

Opening nil-nil away in the Champions League knockout round can provide for a tricky home fixture, with the away side only needing to draw.

Yet, United possess a formidable home record against European competition – nobody envies Marseille’s task, so we got that going for us, which is nice.

And, to further complicate emotions ahead of kickoff, we learn Nemanja Vidic will not play, giving us a backline of O’Shea, Smalling, Brown and Evra. Uh, okay.

A measure of worry for Red Devil supporters contrasts with a measure of hope for the French side. Shades of a 1-1 draw with Monaco in ’97 – ’98 surly crossed Deschamps’ mind.

But ultimately, none shall pass here, as Sir Alex’s men do enough to reach the Champions League quarterfinals for the fifth time in a row, a tremendous achievement of consistency in this competition.

Here are three reactions to today’s match.

First off, what an enormous victory, given it was accomplished without Rio, Vidic, as well as O’Shea and Rafael with the latter two coming off within the same match and both players sustaining identical hamstring injuries.

“It’s déjà vu all over again,” to quote Yogi Berra.

Imagine for a moment, let’s say last Friday, you were able to peek into the future and only see the two starting elevens and team sheets against Arsenal and Marseille, without any other information.

Would you have believed United would beat both teams?

Sure, there’s always a strong chance simply because we’re talking about United at home, but really, many a rational mind would foresee Ferguson’s men dropping one of these two matches given the players available.

The fact the Red Devils found ways to win with improvised lineups and tactics is a credit to the entire organization, from the Tea Lady to Rooney to Sir Alex himself – playing the United way pays off yet again.

A player gets hurt and up steps the next player. It’s as simple as that.

Thus, we give props to VDS and the entire back line for playing their hearts out and getting the result today. Sure, there were some mistakes. Sure, Marseille had some chances. But largely, the revolving door of players at right back along with the improvised partnership of Brown and Smalling did well enough and that was brilliant today. Mission accomplished.

Second, what else can you say about Chicharito?

It’s more like “Little Assassin” instead of “Little Pea,” or, as a fellow blogger – forget which one – wrote a while back “the Mexicutioner” in a nod to a famous boxer and a MLB pitcher – take your pick.

The second game on the trot Hernandez’ exquisitely timed runs pay off huge for United, as they catch defenders off guard and either lead to tap-ins chances or some wonderful pockets of space for others to exploit behind the line.

The attacking formula reads: Rooney + Chicharito + Width = Goals. It’s as simple as that.

And finally, Rooney was absolutely magnificent today, with his runs and range of passing was essential to the United attack. Given time and space, Wazza provided today much of what will leave with Scholes’ eventual retirement, especially with Chicharito leading the line.

What’s scary is that Rooney and Hernandez haven’t played all that much together, as they occasionally make the same run or don’t anticipate the other’s actions. This combination will only get better in the coming days. It’s as simple as that.

Or, as in Sir Alex’s words:

“It's been developing well. Where Wayne has been playing in the past couple of games he is a real threat. He has such power and speed and Hernandez is unbelievable with his movement. The boy has goals in him.''

Goals indeed.

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Back at you after the Bolton match. Cheers.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Sir Alex’s Gamble Pays Off Handsomely

A midfield combination of Fabio, Gibson, O’Shea and Rafael might have raised some eyebrows amongst the Red Devil faithful ahead of today’s match. No Nani, Anderson, Rio or Park available. Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, and Giggs look to be saved for the Champions League on Tuesday.

Arsenal, too, are missing key players such as Fabregas, Song, Szczesny and Walcott. Improvisation would be key for both squads.

Would the twins be a worthy gamble on the wing?

Yes, indeed they were, as here are five quick reactions to today’s 2-0 win.

First, it’s always brilliant to beat Arsenal and add pressure on Wenger, who, with mounting injuries seem primed to drop points once their EPL campaign resumes after yet another disappointment.

Sir Alex’s pre-match prediction that whoever won would likely take the Premiership title was perfectly calculated to wind up the press and mount even more stress on the seriously one-dimensional Arsenal. The expression on Wenger’s face was worth a thousand words after the match. How can the Gunners recover when the manager needs a therapist?

Second, today came down primarily to tactics, with both sides unable to field anything near their first-choice squad due to numerous injuries.

Immediately it became clear that both da Silvas would push forward with their respective gas tanks not-to-exceed 65 minutes and Rooney would seek to link play and drop back into central midfield when United loose possession to partner with Irish duo.

Arsenal would stress possession and fluidity, while United would play tight and look for the dangerous counter.

Yet again, Fergie gets the better of Wenger both in the short- and long-run, as the victory knocks the North Londoners out of the FA Cup and Brown, Gibson, and O’Shea eat up valuable minutes for a tired central midfield core ahead of the Champions League and EPL campaigns. Sir Alex is that master of calculated risk, as evidenced yet again today. Who would have envisioned United creating so many chances given the lineup? Not me, for one.

Fourth, Arsenal demonstrates they only know how to play one way: possession football that requires plenty of space. If you play compact and counter against the Gunners, teams can get a result against Wenger’s men as evidenced by Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final. As today’s commentators stressed, Arsenal have yet to find the right team mix between attack and defense, with the latter lacking sorely when they need it most.

Fourth, welcome back, Antonio! Valencia played an excellent 45 minutes today, as he was one of the better players on the park in the second half. His return couldn’t have come at a better time after Nani’s injury.

What a blessing to see his pace, strength, and crosses from the right wing. United have missed consistent crossing from wide players and this should add greater menace to the United attack.

And last, United rebound from disappointment yet again with a total team effort, as it’s been something like nine years since the Red Devils have lost three on the trot, an absolutely remarkable stat.

Many, many players deserve special recognition after the victory:
• Vidic and Smalling were immense in the heart of defense.
• Van der Sar was a rock star and MOTM.
• O’Shea and Gibson largely played well in shielding the back four.
• Da Silva twins did really well with their newfound freedom to press forward, as evidenced by Fabio’s timely rebound-stab-goal from Chicharito’s header.
• Chicharito was a tireless runner whom the Arsenal back line needed to track all afternoon. This edge created the space for the da Silva’s, Rooney, and others to join the effective counter attack.
• Rooney looked brilliant tracking back for the ball and linking the attack. He, too, demonstrated boundless energy moving forward and could easily have had a hat trick with the form he possessed last year. Wazza couldn’t choose a better time to hit form than the present, with so much still at stake.

This well-deserved victory keeps double and treble hopes alight ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Marseille.

Yet again, Ferguson demonstrates his uncanny ability to mix the alchemy of his tactics and squad selection just right, with key players rested, valuable minutes given squad players, and a calculated gamble that lead to a menacing counter attacking victory.

Every single one of us loves Sir Alex Ferguson indeed.

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I’ll be back at you after the Marseille match. Cheers.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Sound of Silence

What’s there to say after such an abject loss?

Not much, as evidenced by United failing to speak with the media after the comprehensive thumping.

A Red Devils rant in the media would only register an amber-level on the former Terror Alert scale. But nothing: that’s Spinal Tap “eleven” territory.

Certainly nobody circles the wagons better than Sir Alex. Yet today it feels different.

Could it be that Fergie holds some doubts about his own club’s ability to push on this year?

Or, could it be this is simply the bitterest of losses to a hated rival on the cusp of the beloved Number Nineteen?

Regardless, something feels slightly awry here.

Much whining will be focused on Carrick’s tracking or Nani’s inexplicable header across his own goal, but collectively, United were poor – very poor – and nothing can hide the nakedness of this performance.

Or, as Rio tweeted from the comforts of home "Bad result today no excuses.”

True, oh so very true.

As this season unfolds, it becomes clearer and clearer to me that what United lack are a creative, pull-the-strings playmaker not named Scholes or Giggs and a world-class, none-shall-pass holding midfielder that covers a large tracks of land and calms those around him.

Fergie thought he answered the holding midfielder role with the purchase of Owen Hargreaves, but we all know how that panned out.

Another midfield candidate, Anderson, too has been plagued with injuries and has had some question his approach to the game, with events away from the pitch, as you could argue that he’s regressed from his impressive first year in the EPL.

Michael Carrick doesn’t provide enough bite, cover or confidence passing and moving forward anymore. (BTW, what happened to the Carrick of 2008-2009?)

While the only really creative player to emerge from the current squad thus far is Nani, but his style relies too heavily on dribbling and pace to place all your creativity needs in his basket. Teammates around the gifted Portuguese player never really know when he’ll pass them the ball, unlike the evergreen twosome, and this can lead to a disjointed attack.

United need someone else to pull the strings from the center of the park and let Nani be Nani on the wing, assuming he can come back soon from the ghastly gash on his leg, as the pictures circling the internet look horrible.

After all is said and done, today’s loss in and of itself still leaves United on top of the table even if Arsenal win their match in-hand, albeit if only on goal differential.

We’re still in pole position.

But, today’s sounds of silence speak louder than words and that doesn’t feel right at the moment.

Let’s just hope it’s only the sting of a horrible loss at Anfield and not something deeper.

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Back at you after the sixth round FA Cup match with Arsenal. Cheers.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Pool Preview: The World of Schadenfreude

With the pop culture machine spinning all things Charlie Sheen all the time, there’s a renewed global appreciation for “schadenfreude,” as evidenced with over a million Twitter subscribers watching “Mr. Tigers-blood” implode this past week.

Similarly, United-haters delighted in watching Rooney continuously receive the butt-end of Sideshow Bob’s knees on Tuesday. A bit of justice, some must have reasoned for the non-red-card the week previous.

But there was nothing fair about the result of another Atkinson-Job at the Bridge, which denied United at least a point from the match.

How do you put THAT man in charge of THAT match? Did someone put an idle sit-com writer in charge of match officials? Unbelievable.

(And for those that don’t remember the unanimity of the presses reaction to Atkinson’s performance last year, please see The Republic of Mancunia’s
http://therepublikofmancunia.com/what-do-the-press-make-of-the-robbery-at-the-bridge
/ )

The Snood-less Competition

Is it any coincidence that Arsenal coughed up two points at home to Sunderland after the announcement of the impending snood ban?

I think not, as Wenger’s continental contingent surly must have been lost someplace on the grief spectrum between anger and denial.

In all seriousness, after watching two hugely controversial calls go against the Gunners, at home nonetheless, a measure of joy came in the result, but some irritation about watching a ref and linesman play such a crucial role in a game’s, and possibly, the title’s outcome.

Two poorly refereed matches. Two aggrieved clubs with title aspirations.

Should Arsenal loose the league by a point, many will look back, justifiably, on this game the way Red Devils supporters look back to last year’s controversy at the Bridge.

Maybe this development bodes well for United’s luck this term, especially on the heels of Tuesday’s match.

Tactics

And now we move to Sunday’s huge clash between bitter North West rivals – two clubs that truly appreciate each other’s misfortunes.

United enter the match without three center halves, relying on a Brown-Smalling central partnership versus a Luis Suárez-led attack. That’s obviously the key match-up to watch. Will Suárez link well with Gerrard? Will Carroll be fit to play a role in the match? How would all three play together for the first time?

Sir Alex deserves credit for boldly deploying a 4-4-2 against Chelsea, as it allowed United to deploy two forwards, with the injuries to Anderson, Giggs (still recovering a bit), Park, and Valencia all considerations in the formation here.

Tactically, Fergie faces the decision between the European formation and the 4-4-2 used on Tuesday.

There’s merit to considering a tucked-in, three-man midfield of Fletcher, Scholes, and Carrick behind some combo of Nani/Giggs/Rooney out wide, with Berba or Rooney leading the attack. Yet, this inevitably leaves one of the key attacking options out of the formation.

Rather, United would be better served with Giggs, Scholes, Fletcher or Carrick, and Nani in a four-man midfield and Rooney just behind Berbatov leading the line.

This likely is the strongest possible shape, as Wazza’s much more dangerous in central channels than out wide and tucks back admirably to the top of midfield when United loose possession, while Berba should link play better than Chicharito.

In defense, the only real decision point is whether to play O’Shea or Rafael on the right side, with the Irishman likely to get the nod for his aerial presence and experience over the bouncing Brazilian. And, of course, there's the smash-and-grab goal, which is nice.

Top 3 Stats

Many statistics get quoted ahead of this match, such as Liverpool are unbeaten at home against teams in the top half of the table this year or Kenny Dalglish has a horrible record against Sir Alex Ferguson.

But, here are the top three stats that stood out to me ahead of the match.

The first and most shocking stat is that there’s only been one draw in the last twenty-one EPL matches between the clubs.

Maybe it’s just me, but it doesn’t feel that way for some reason, as when United head to Anfield, my knee-jerk prediction is the match will be a very tight – quite likely a 1-1 draw. Yet, recent history proves otherwise. Look for a decisive winner here.

Second, start seeing red – cards, that is.

This is an obvious talking point but justifiably so, as match contains the second-most red cards (13) behind only Everton v Liverpool (19). Often the color of the card produced greatly influences which side wins – think Mascherano or Vidic, for example. There’s always a measure of unpredictable boil to this derby.

The last and most hopeful stat involves United’s bounce-back ability under Sir Alex overall and in recent history. United have won 8 of the last 9 after losing. Regardless of tactics and team selection, look for a very focused effort from Fergie’s men. A victory on this ground would likely propel the Red Devils to the coveted Number Nineteen.

This is the rivalry match, with huge implications for both clubs.

United has the opportunity to take back title momentum less than 24 hours after the Gunners slip-up against Sunderland, who ironically also benefitted from a certain balloon back in October 2009 against Liverpool - some serious schadenfreude indeed.

So, come on, get your beach balls and Cantona masks from the closet and warm up the vocal chords. It’s game on in less than 15 hours.

Here’s to watching the Scousers cry – yet again. Cheers.