Injured Rio has more to worry about than JT’s job

YES, yes: I know the international break fell well for us but, lordy, how time has dragged since the Reds last played. An annual winter break? No thanks, Fergie.

Mind you, I must admit I did enjoy some aspects of the international hoopla. Hearing Ingerlund fans whingeing for days on end because Capello dared to field a rotated team brought hollow laughter to all us United fans, who have become accustomed to seeing our ideal first XI trot out a dozen times a year, if we’re lucky.

Scotland’s Banana-Gate had its moments too; surely the giveaway to the mystery’s Germanic solution was the notion that there had been a fruit-bearing Jock? Especially as the item in question hadn’t been deep-fried.

Best of all, though, was Capello’s response to the latest moans about his supposedly poor command of English. In growling: “You only need a hundred words to talk to footballers, anyway,” he struck a blow against the ludicrous attempts to ‘academise’ the sport over the past 20 years. Football is a simple game, often ruined by those who try to over-complicate it or freight it with ‘intellectual’ heft — and the unpretentious way Sergeant-Major Capello treats it, as though it were simply some kind of platoon PT exercise, is totally refreshing.

It is even more amusing when some Lance-Corporal gets ideas above his station and thus receives a smack in the mush from the RSM’s marching stick.

Such was the fate of our Rio, who appeared to think he warranted a silver tray and a billet doux to accompany his captaincy termination.

Word is that Ferdinand may wish to focus his attention on matters closer to home, as the Men In Shadows have started whispering to hacks that his time at Old Trafford might be drawing to an end. Certainly, his apparent agitation for a new contract has come at a bad moment, given he is rarely seen these days outside the confines of Twitter, and in light of the rumour that the Glazers are looking to institute some kind of pay freeze policy.

It has also been suggested to me from well-connected US sources that MLS movers ‘n’ shakers, seeking a new Beckham Effect, are considering a cheeky approach for his services later this year, and one wonders whether United would be tempted to let him go, such has been the unexpectedly superb showing by Chris Smalling so far.

Not to mention the potential impact the putative arrival of Jack Rodwell might have on our configuration.

Still, let us not get ahead of ourselves. Even the Rio-sceptics like me accept that his return to the fray as we approach squeaky-bum time is devoutly to be wished, especially if we get past Chelsea to face European opposition in the semi-finals, where Rio’s undoubted sophistication as a reader of the European type of game will be at a premium.

Sadly, the flickering hopes of seeing Owen Hargreaves make a similarly well-timed return appear to have been dashed. Only 10 days ago, he was on the verge of being named on the bench, which would have completed the most unexpected comeback since, well, his last one.

It was not to be, though: apparently his new shoulder injury has simply demonstrated that he is the new Louis Saha and can thus expect to be discarded in June the minute his contract expires.

It’ll be potential injuries to fans rather than to players that’ll be on the mind as we head to Upton Park on Saturday, for a kick-off brought forward just far enough to make the trip a dawn-defying affair.

We shudder at the memory of our last visit, in the League Cup, and of certain notorious title-chasing episodes there from our past — we certainly didn’t need more than a hundred words to express what we thought of the players back then, anyway…