Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Five Reactions to United’s Victory over Stoke

Who knew it’d be this easy to beat the side sitting eighth in the Premier League?

On a night were United draw level once again with the Middle Eastlands, there’s so much to relish in this abbreviated blog post. Let’s get straight to the goods.

First, father time was brilliant once again in the heart of the Red Devil midfield. What else can you write about the ginger haired half of the evergreen tag-team? Scholes once again absolutely controlled the park along with Carrick. He’s utterly brilliant, United’s new number twenty-two. Now we know why Fergie hasn’t forayed into the transfer market for a central midfielder.

Second, is anyone playing better than Antonio Valencia in the entire Premier League? I’d be shocked if Tony didn’t take home the “Player of the Month” hardware for January. He simply plays a very good, very old-fashioned winger incredibly well. Where would United be without this lad this term? Not top of the league, that’s for sure.

It’ll get real interesting to see Nani, Young, and Park complete for time on the left wing, as the Ecuadorian simply must be the first name Fergie puts on the team sheet these days.

Third, knowing full well I’m repeating the repetitive commentary from our ESPN analysts… Just how bad were Stoke today? You thought they’d be a real handful with their bruising, route one footy, but instead chose to play timid, scared, and lethargic.

United were quite good, but made to look even better by seriously inferior competition, at least on this day. Seriously, how do you reach full time with a 75/25-possession differential? One word: hung-over.

Fourth, yes, yes – we’ve had a Paul Pogba sighting. Given that Ravel Morrison was sold at the deadline to West Ham, our added attention falls on the French youngster, who didn’t disappoint in his seventeen-odd minutes on the pitch. The game didn’t appear too quick for him, as he made a few nifty moves to create space in tight quarters. Hopefully this is just the beginning of a long, accomplished United career.

Fifth, there truly is only one Darron Gibson. On a night where the largest sustained buzz of electricity at Old Trafford came from Mr. 007 himself, as his goal propelled Everton to knock off City 1-0 at Goodison Park, much to every Red Devil’s delight.

How ironic, then, to see the amused glee on the faces of the United faithful as they sang homage to the man they kicked off Twitter in a total of five hours. Thus, it’s only fitting that we pay special thanks to tonight’s Man of the Match, one wearing Toffee Blue, Mr. Darron Gibson.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

United’s Wasted Effort at Anfield

How can such a good performance get wasted so easily, so quickly?

Easy: indecisive play defending corners and ball watching on a punt downfield in the final minutes of the match.

How many times have we witnessed United defenders switch off on the most basic elements of defending?

Way, way too many times this term, that’s for sure.

Before kickoff, you could almost excuse the Red Devils for not getting a result at Anfield, with the mounting injury problems and the aging midfield. No Anderson, Cleverley, Rooney, Jones, Nani, and the list mounts. You’d worry about United’s aging midfield being able to cover enough ground on this day.

Yet, the midfield of Carrick, Giggs, and Scholes were brilliant – they bossed large portions of the match, one where United deserved a result. Scholesy in particular was marvelous, dictating possession like a master conductor.

And the effort was wasted once again.

What is it about cup competitions with this squad and defending?

So many questions and so few the answers right now.

There will be much talk about De Gea’s performance in goal, with Sir Alex placing the Spaniard between the pipes on the ground where he had arguably his best performance earlier in the season.

But, the gamble backfired, and if anything, brought back more questions about his confidence. United’s keeper didn’t loose the match, but his play unsettled the backline and rewarded Liverpool’s aerial assaults.

You really didn’t see Pool scoring from anything outside a set piece or an obvious gift, such as the pen-ultimate goal. Sir Alex has a full-blown keeper controversy on his hands now, with the relative assurance of Lindegaard and deer-in-the-headlights De Gea.

Quickly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight the wonderful performances today. Sure, Giggs and Carrick played well, but United’s best three players were Park, Valencia, and Scholes.

Valencia’s play is old news, as his prototypical wing play caused its usual menace in this match. Liverpool had no answer for him, at least during the first half. He’s been United’s Man of the Month thus far.

Scholes was absolutely magnificent, as he made United look like Barcelona in possession during this match. So cool and assured, United’s new number twenty-two – it highlights exactly what the Reds have missed in central midfield this term. (I still argue that United are 1-2 world class, central midfielders away from being exactly returning to dominate form.)

Today’s improvised line-up demonstrates precisely what’s possible with a maestro dictating tempo and a gaudy 57% possession stat the result.

And finally, we return our attention to Park, who netted United’s only goal.

Sir Alex asks his number thirteen to play so many roles and he does so with great energy, versatility, and drive. It’s no accident that Park scores on the biggest of stages, as he’s upped his play to match his manager’s belief.

At times, he can be frustrating when he gets outmuscled off the ball, but that’s a fine price to play for his ubiquitous presence on the pitch. The lad’s ability to pop-up in the box unmarked while tracking loads of land defending deserves special merit. He was simply brilliant today, as Fergie asked him to play a vital role in United’s attack and he did so with his usual energy and aplomb.

The only positive – and a stretch at that – is that United have fewer fixtures on the docket now to allow the injured time to heal and get match fit for the rest of the campaign.

It was a big ask of the current squad to knock off City and Pool away in successive fixtures in the FA Cup.

It’s all the more tragic because Ferguson’s men played well enough to pull of this improbable double, only to leave Anfield ruing a wasted this effort.

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Back at you after the Stoke match. Cheers.

Sunday, January 22, 2012

United’s Historic Victory Over Arsenal

Today marks the first live EPL match shown on major network TV in the US, a remarkable development and one that recognizes the growing popularity of the beautiful game, particularly the Premier League, in the States.

Today also may signal the end for one of the most successful managers in the EPL history, as Arsene Wenger’s outdueled by Sir Alex yet again and the pressure mounts in North London.

But before analyzing this match, let me digress about Fox Sports for a moment.

On this lovely day, where you don’t need an expensive cable TV package to watch live football from England, the brain wizards at Fox decide to turn the game’s build-up into NFL-light, with a ridiculous voice-over more fitting for a pre-programmed, classic rock station than a footy match. Even my wife, a non-sporting-type, found the build-up comical in the extreme.

Next, why is Piers Morgan replacing Warren Barton in the commentary chair?

Just because he’s got better name recognition in the US doesn’t merit his inclusion on this set, as he’s a hyper-biased Gunner season ticket holder who whines incessantly about his beloved (?!) club, especially his lobbying for Wenger to get sacked. Not exactly the contribution you’re looking for to grow your audience in this hemisphere.

Yet, as much as it pains me to write this, I totally agree with the former head of Hackers of the – err, excuse me – NEWS of the World.

Wenger’s substitution of Oxlade-Chamberlain – arguably Arsenal’s best player – for Arshavin proved the biggest tactical blunder of the match, with Valencia blowing by the half-hearted Russian to create United’s game-winning goal.

Those boos directed at Wenger, this time, may point the Frenchman toward the exit door, given the reaction of Van Persie to Oxlade-Chamberlain’s substitution, who’ll leave Arsenal in a nanosecond if they fall out of Champions League contention. We may all look back at the losses to Swansea and United as Wenger’s tipping point.

Ah, but enough about the Gunners woes and on to three reactions to the Red Devil’s performance.

First, it’s the same story yet again for Sir Alex’s men, as goes the Red Devil wide play so goes the United attack. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that United were brilliant yet again on the flanks, with North Londoners missing their first- and second-choice full backs and Wenger deploying four center halves across the back.

Repeatedly, United played lovely diagonal balls across the pitch to the left wing, where Nani and an overlapping Evra toyed with Djourou and company mercilessly. THE only thing lacking in the Portuguese’s play was his final ball, which was unable to pick out the correct scoring connection time and again.

Thus, it took an overlapping Giggs to pick out Valencia on the far post with an inch-perfect cross for the Ecuadorian to nod home emphatically to make it one-nil United just before half. Which provides a nice transition to my next point.

Once again, Valencia is my Man of the Match with his goal and assist leading the Reds to victory.

Antonio was wonderful, albeit in a more patient role today, with much of the menace coming down his opposite wing. Credit to the number twenty-five, who held his shape, tracked back, and surged to the far post repeatedly without good service much of the first half. But, when the cross finally came, he pounced on it.

Similarly, when the chance came to run at the inept Arshavin, Valencia took full advantage to bypass the elf-like winger on the simplest of faked crosses to cut inside to the box and create the decisive goal, an absolutely brilliant performance from January’s Player of the Month candidate.

Finally, you could look at the contributions of Carrick, Giggs, Welbeck, and the entire backline, any of which deserve mention in this blog. But, it’s the inclusion of the big Dane in net that warrants a closer look.

I can’t recall Lindegaard making any show stopping saves in this match, yet his assuredness, without Rio or Vidic to calm matters, should not be underestimated.

His command in the air, his distribution, and his willingness to chew out anyone - including Giggs today – that does not close down an opponent demonstrates his complete authority in goal.

United’s young defenders need a strong, vocal keeper to provide an extra measure of confidence that comes from clarity. United’s young defenders need Lindegaard between the pipes at this particular moment.

Thus, here we sit on January 22, 2012, only three points out of first place despite all the injuries and European disappointment.

In the future, we may very well look back on the events of this day as a seminal moment for soccer in the US, United’s 2012 title aspirations, and Arsenal’s eventual slide out of the top four.

And hopefully, it’s Piers Morgan’s final appearance in a soccer commentator’s chair.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Five Reactions to United Leaving Bolton Wondering

You can never complain about a 3-0 victory, especially off two successive Premier League defeats. Yet, the score line didn’t accurately reflect the entire shape and form of United’s performance, with the match grinded out in a labored, workman-like fashion.

Here are my five reactions to today’s victory.

First, United dominated possession comfortably but lacked an edge around goal, with Bolton choosing to defend rather than attack.

You’d expect Owen Coyle to learn from Blackburn’s example and have a go at Ferguson’s men, but inexplicably, he left the battering-ram otherwise known as Kevin Davies on the bench and employed 5 midfielders, even late-on with an ideal opportunity to sub off a midfielder and try two strikers for the final 20 minutes down only a goal.

Bolton had some opportunities and space but they were reluctant to commit players forward. On the few occasions the Wanderers caught out United, they misfired horribly in the final third of the pitch, thankfully.

Second, United’s most consistent source of menace was Antonio Valencia, once again, who terrorized Bolton’s defenders all afternoon. His ability to get around the outside of defenders or turn them inside out and deliver immaculate service cannot be underestimated at the moment. The man, fully back from a horrendous ankle injury, is arguably United’s most important and in-form player for several weeks now.

Third, Michael Carrick is class. Pure. And. Simple.

Once again, I can’t recall him getting caught in possession nor leaving a single pass astray. Remarkable. Carrick’s value by now should go without question, as his long-range strike was a fitting jewel to crown his marvelous performance. He’s my co-MOTM with Valencia – both absolutely vital to the Reds success today.

Fourth, he scores goals, that Paul Scholes.

The crowd imploring the ginger-haired-wonder to shoot any time he took possession inside 50 yards from goal brought a nice bit of levity to a largely listless and somewhat, at times, uneasy match.

What a lovely sight to witness the joy on Scholesy’s face again after netting his 151st goal for United, the first since August 2010, which bookend’s Henry’s triumphant return to Arsenal to complete a fitting flashback-trip from father time.

Fifth, with Scholes’ return, that leaves many questions about Ferguson’s midfield. It’s no coincidence that Gibson leaves after going on a bender with Rooney. That move made sense, certainly, with or without a night on the town, which probably expedited matters.

But, you must wonder, what about the lack of minutes for Morrison and Pogba?

Granted, a certain young French midfielder graced the bench today, but he didn’t play, and Morrison’s inability to make the subs list speaks volumes about United’s belief in either signing the lad or his ability to cope with this step up. On either front, it doesn’t bode well for Morrison staying at Old Trafford, despite everything United’s done to protect the troubled lad’s career.

You wonder if both sides are employing hard line tactics, which may fade at the 11th hour, or if in fact the lad thinks he should be playing week in, week out for another EPL club. Time will tell, surly.

Regardless, the Reds sit with City at the top of the league, despite massive injuries, contract drama, transfer rumors, and relatively poor form headed into the most difficult portion of the fixture list.

Let us pray for speedy return to health for the injured, especially Tom Cleverley to bolster the central midfield.

Let us trust in England’s most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, who’s turning in arguably his most impressive managerial feat, given the injuries and drama around the club going back to Rooney’s near-departure last term.

What a joy to follow the world’s most successful manager at his peak. Every single one of us loves Sir Alex Ferguson.

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Back at you after the Arsenal match. Cheers.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Good, the Bad, and the Victory

The party atmosphere of the first half quickly turned nervy as United hold on for a 3-2 victory to knockout City in the 3rd round of the FA Cup. This match highlighted practically every single Red Devil strength and weakness all in one match.

First, lets revel in the strengths.

Sir Alex got the tactics spot-on with Rooney dropping back into an attacking midfield position, arguably his best position on the pitch, Smalling at center-half with Jones moving wide right, and Welbeck alone upfront, where his size, pace, and ever-improving first touch causes opponents headaches.

Second, United’s attack from wide areas was sublime in the first half, especially the service provided by Valencia on the right, where Kolarov was beaten like a rented mule.

The single-and-critical pass of the entire match came from Antonio’s inch-perfect cross that Rooney adroitly nodded off the underside of the cross-bar to make it 1-0 on the Red’s first real foray into the blue half of the pitch.

The Valencia/Jones and Evra/Nani combination provide the best option to pull defenses apart for United at the moment.

Third, the Red Devils were lethal in front of goal early with Rooney’s aforementioned header and Welbeck’s volley oozing with class. Once United went up 2-0 City were fortunate to only be down 3-0 at half, as Ferguson’s men could have easily been up by four or more.

At half, the discussion revolved around damage control for City, as nobody really thought they stood a chance of making it a game, given the man-advantage and form of the Reds.

But, up steps United’s weaknesses in Technicolor.

First, the Reds make the cardinal mistake of conceding a goal very early in the second half from a set piece just off the area on United’s left-hand side, which immediately lifts City’s play and provides a glimmer of hope for Mancini’s men.

Scoring in the first, say, 10 minutes of the second half is THE only way back in the match the blue moon; otherwise, this match surly ends by a two-or-more-goal differential to United.

Second, the one goal also brings out shaky nerves from the entire back line, especially from Evra, at fault for the foul on Kolarov’s goal and whose knack for getting pulled out of position has become real Achilles heal for the back line.

Too often either Rio of Lindegaard can be seen screaming at the wayward Frenchman, who seems to need some sort of positional shock-collar to hold shape in these matches, or to borrow Gary Neville’s quip about Sideshow Bob, he sometimes plays like he’s controlled by a 10-year-old using a joystick on a Play Station.

Third, Sir Alex’s lack of depth and form in the midfield hath brought Scholesy out of retirement to provide extra cover, leading to all sorts of questions about finances as well as confidence in the current squad.

What must Anderson and Park be thinking when Scholes enters the match before them in the 59th minute?

What did you think seeing Scholesy wearing an unfamiliar number twenty-two as he takes the pitch for his first action all season?

At first glance, surly, happiness for the Reds to see the man who scores goals, yet a twinge of fear because of his potentially poor form and tackling ability in a cauldron of a match. A HUGE gamble by the gaffer, surly crossed many a mind amidst the joy of seeing the ginger-haired-assassin.

Scholes’ ability to play keep-ball paid dividends in the last ten minutes, but bringing him on with 30+ minutes to play proved too risky, as his turnover ultimately led to City making it 3-2 with 25 now-edgy minutes left in the contest.

Thus, even Ferguson got his substitutions out of order, as you wonder if Anderson had come on first and Scholes second, would United have conceded another goal? We’ll never know, but the risk-reward-ratio seemed out-of-whack even for the most die-hard Sir Alex supporter.

Ultimately, though, United did win a huge match to knockout the title-holding, noisy neighbors after two horrible matches.

Full credit goes to the Reds and Rooney for the victory. The number ten answered his critics on a huge stage and demonstrated why he’s a world-class player, as he willed United into the lead with their first opportunity and emphatically kissed the Red Devil Crest yet again in front of City supporters.

So, United move on to the FA Cup’s fourth round at Anfield after ending City’s bid for silverware – a brilliant, brilliant outcome despite the nervy journey.

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Back at you after the Bolton match. Cheers.