United still on track on all fronts
Many teams have nudged close to greatness, only to find that the schedule demanded of teams fighting on multiple fronts has proved overwhelming and their are enough hard luck tales about teams destined to win doubles and trebles to fill several books.
United have, of course, set the standard for comprehensive success in 1999 with their treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League. A magnificent achievement, make no mistake, but the depth and quality of Alex Ferguson’s current squad has surely set new standards of excellence and provided the manager with an enviable reservoir of resources from which to plunder during the business end of the season.
Consider who was missing at Craven Cottage as they eased their way into the semi-finals stage of the FA Cup for a record 26th time. Faced with a much-improved Premier League team who have established a considerable reputation when playing on their testing home pitch, Ferguson was able to give Cristiano Ronaldo the day off ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League second leg with Inter Milan and allow Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Dimitar Berbatov to watch the comprehensive demolition unfold whilst untroubled on the subs bench.
A first-half injury to Rio Ferdinand caused some concern to Ferguson who now faces an anxious wait before discovering whether the ankle injury sustained by the England centre-back will be enough to prevent him playing a role as United attempt to prevent Inter scoring an invaluable away goal. The defender left Craven Cottage wearing a protective boot but the form of deputy Jonny Evans has been such that even the loss of so influential a figure as Ferdinand wouldn’t be felt as keenly as it would in most other clubs.
Yet as well as Evans has performed recently, the real ace in Ferguson’s pack is Carlos Tevez. The Argentine has had plenty of match action this season but there is no doubt that he remains Ferguson’s first reserve when it comes to the Scot settling on his forward options. Wayne Rooney is untouchable in the manager’s eyes and, no matter how frustrating his occasionally casual approach, Dimitar Berbatov is clearly seen by the manager as possessing the added ingredient that differentiates great players from the merely good.
So on an afternoon when Ferguson was happy to rest the Bulgarian, the opportunity arose for Tevez to show why he is just about the best back-up man in the business right now.
Tevez’s instinctive leap at the far post produced his side’s 20th minute opening goal before an incisive run from halfway was capped by a venomous shot eight minutes before the break and the tie was over as a contest.
Rooney added the third five minutes after the interval and, with Ferguson having already introduced three youngsters to give more experienced legs a break, Park Ji-Sung underlined his own claims with an excellent goal that was fully deserved after performance that combined skill and hard graft in equal measure. “My biggest concern is picking the right team and I’m leaving out great players all the time and that is not easy for me,” said Ferguson. “I hope by the end of the year we all recognise that everyone has made a great contribution.”
For Fulham manager Roy Hodgson, the afternoon had proved a chastening experience and as a former manager of Inter, he was as well placed as anyone to assess United’s next challenge. Hodgson still has friends at the San Siro and remained guarded in his assessment of the likely outcome.
“I think Manchester United will start as favourites as they are against any team they play at Old Trafford,” said the manager.
“They are the champions of Europe. It will be tough for Inter to take on United at Old Trafford.
“They have a few players who will come back into the team who have been rested here today.
“You are talking about two teams very much on the same level. I don’t think we are playing on the same level,” he added.
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