Old order struggle to survive
Yesterday, a snippy David Moyes spoke to the international media for less than three minutes. It was further evidence of a manager under extreme pressure, and unwilling to speak in the circumstances, perhaps because every uninspiring comment about “luck” and “trying” only serves to increase that pressure.
Arsene Wenger, at the least, responded to questions about Arsenal’s startling 5-1 defeat to Liverpool in the only way he could — by attempting to realign perceptions of it.
“You cannot consider one game as the trend, the pattern of the season,” the Arsenal manager said. “It’s an accident, not a welcome one of course, a very disappointing one, but a successful season is decided by how you respond to that.”
That may be more true of tonight’s game at the Emirates than most. For all the hyperbole around these matches, and particularly a fixture of faded significance like Arsenal-United, this encounter could genuinely prove one of the most decisive of the campaign.
An Arsenal defeat could “emotionally” damage their title challenge to a huge degree, given the ramifications of losing two big games at the very beginning of such an exacting run.
Another loss for United, meanwhile, could finally send their season — and potentially the entire new regime — into a terminal tailspin. On the day after the 2-2 draw with Fulham, Moyes met with Old Trafford officials for two hours. It is understood the club is still intent on taking the ultimate long-term view to his situation, and obviously placing faith in the future, but it’s equally difficult to think another awful performance wouldn’t cause a reality check.
Arsenal’s rampant form of September to November has long evaporated, first interrupted by defeat at Manchester City and then deadened by the frustrating 0-0 draw against Chelsea. It says much that all of Arsenal’s last three home games ended in the exact same pattern, with grinding 2-0 wins against lesser sides thanks to second-half goals. In the right circumstances, that can be looked upon as resilience, but only if you use it to then rouse the team.
With Arsenal it was as if the level of performance had been gradually receding, to the point they were just about managing to keep it together.
A rampant Liverpool, then, were well set to blow that away. While the Anfield side’s devastating display probably exaggerated both Arsenal’s flaws and the scale of the defeat, it’s difficult not to think problems were already there to be exposed.
If that game was the first to truly bring Wenger’s issues to the fore, however, Fulham’s 2-2 draw at Old Trafford brought United’s to a head.
That frankly ludicrous match was the extreme distillation of everything wrong at the club. Despite playing the division’s bottom club, badly lacking in confidence themselves, it was United’s dismal mindset that proved more decisive, as they suffered yet another result that champions shouldn’t.
Fulham have the third worst defensive record of any top-division English side in 40 years, but that didn’t stop United attempting the same one-dimensional approach that has proven so drably predictable this season. The 81 crosses took it to absurd levels.
This, for all the problems that were not of Moyes’ making, is now United’s main problem. It is also potentially why he is just not suited to this job. At least attempting to play through midfield would surely be more beneficial than just throwing everything in from the wings in the most orthodox way.
Worse, it’s not as if United’s thoroughbred forwards are even suited to that approach. Robin van Persie is one of the most polished players in the world on the ground, and hardly a battering ram, so why keep pumping the ball at his head? If that’s the pursuit, and a creator like Juan Mata is restricted to merely crossing from the wing, then why didn’t Moyes go after Andy Carroll rather than the Spaniard?
United have won 10 of their last 13 matches against Arsenal, with November’s 1-0 at Old Trafford coming largely because the new boss borrowed Alex Ferguson’s old disruptive approach that Wenger struggled with.
Moyes needs it to work tonight more than ever. Wenger, as a consequence, may need to finally change approach rather drastically. Both teams badly need a response. Their campaigns could hinge on it.
* Arsene Wenger says Mesut Ozil must focus on what convinced Arsenal to make him the club’s record signing rather than become obsessed with living up to expectations. The £42.5m German star was again subdued in the 5-1 trashing at Liverpool. His last eight games have returned two assists while he has not scored for 11 games.
“Ozil feels the pressure of course, because he knows a lot is expected when you are a big transfer,” said Wenger. “He should not worry about that, just play in the team and enjoy it, give his best. That is the best way to deal with it.”
