Fergie’s flouncing masks big problems
“We are not struggling.” When Alex Ferguson flounced out of a Champions League Matchday 5 press conference after a mild enquiry from the BBC’s Matt Slater, it was evident that Manchester United were, indeed, struggling.
Typically, as Ferguson’s worries increase, his manners decline in proportion. Recall his threats to have a journalist blacklisted as he fretted over Barcelona in the days leading up to May’s embarrassment at Wembley.
When you consider the scale of his rudeness over the years, it’s tempting, then, to find a karmic element behind his team’s demotion to Thursday night football this week. But we were down that route before in 2005 and found it was a slip road that immediately doubled back onto another highway of United success. Instead, there may be more prosaic reasons behind Ferguson’s own Euro crisis. Here are ten of them:
1. The False Start
After eight Premier League games in 2010/11, United had accumulated just 14 points. This time the tally was 20, from a punishing opening schedule taking in Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.
But United’s favoured stride pattern has invariably been steady out of the blocks, power through winter, then find cruising speed when prizes loom into sight. But the Man City juggernaut has left little margin for error. Did conditioning schedules change? When another gear was needed Wednesday, it wasn’t there.
2. Glazernomics
While Ferguson might have enjoyed economic advantage through much of his time at United, he has arguably overachieved in recent seasons, given the net transfer spend at the club and the debt profile inflicted by its owners.
The competing Sheikh Mansour purse has limited his purchasing options, as has the UK 50p tax rate for high earners, meaning a footballer with designs on taking home 100k per week must look towards City or Chelsea. The clamour for Wesley Sneijder may be overstated, given his recent form, but a midfielder of substance was essential.
3. Michael Essien’s injuries
In a season when the Premier League race ought to have been abandoned due to lack of interest, United essentially won it with one impressively virile win over Chelsea in May. But, it was a Chelsea side whose spirit was not matched by flagging legs, with Essien’s engine room role filled by a shadow. Perhaps that win, and the two-leg demolition of the Blues in the Champions League, convinced Ferguson his midfield remained competent.
4. Relocating Rooney
Briefly attempting to convert Wayne Rooney into Bobby Charlton simply interrupted his goalscoring flow and could only undermine the rest of his midfield options.
5. Gilesy’s Tap Theorem
For decades, Ferguson has willfully defied John Giles’s insistence that you can’t turn form on and off like a tap. Until now. What must have been a giddy reaction to an inviting Group C draw spilled into complacency as he focused on resisting City’s domestic challenge and rotated through midweek, tinkering the rhythm out of his side.
6. Duncan Edwards’ memory
Or Ferguson’s infatuation with the devil in Mr Jones, a seeming belief that, like the great Busby Babe, the ex-Blackburn youngster can solve every problem in every position. There has been too much responsibility too soon. Jones contributed a gauche own-goal against Benfica and in midweek Xherdan Shaqiri prospered when floating through his territory.
7. Back to the Future
United’s style this autumn recalled the cut and thrust of Fergie’s teams of the mid-90s. A straight 4-4-2. For Sharpe, Giggs and Kanchelskis, rotate Nani, Young and Valencia. Unfortunately, without an Ince or Keane, it won’t work in big games. And wasn’t trusted against Basel.
8. Stale ways
Patrice Evra’s lethargy lately hasn’t been out of keeping with a vibe of entitlement evident in United displays. Might a fresh voice be needed at Carrington? Mike Phelan will soon have been four years in the assistant role, about the average lifespan for Fergie’s right-hand men.
9. Giggy’s Shame
In truth, he played quite well on Wednesday night. But isn’t there something in the way he now carries himself that suggests more than further natural decline? He certainly contributed little to United’s overall campaign.
10. The Goalkeeper
David de Gea’s save stats seem impressive but there is no sense of a reassuring presence to his defenders. Perhaps it’s just the subtraction of van Der Sar’s experience has proved too great a loss. Or maybe Fergie should have listened to Kelly Cates instead of performing another flounce.
