Eleven Plus …
It has become something of a trueism this season that man for man United are as good as Chelsea.
Such a view would have provoked laughter when the season began. Chelsea had spent the summer writing eight figure cheques for established world stars and up and coming players of great promise. United by contrast sold Dutch legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy and signed Michael Carrick and an unknown keeper.
Three months on, United are flying and belief is spreading from the manager to the players and now perhaps, to the fans.
Ryan Giggs claims United’s first eleven is the equal of Jose Mourinho’s best side and points effortlessly to United’s table topping form as the most compelling of evidence.
“Player for player we are as good as them,” said the winger. “We have not given them the start this season we have given them in the last couple of seasons. Hopefully we can carry this on.”
Giggs’ prayer that ‘hopefully’ United can continue to give Chelsea a run for their money is a pointer to United’s player capacity from 12 to 20. Here, in two painful demonstrations against Copenhagen and Southend earlier this month, United have revealed a glaring lack of quality in depth. Some explain these defeats by the loan-induced absence of some of United’s better reserves – Bardsley, Pique, Evans and of course Rossi - which has robbed the club of an injection of players able to step into the first team without looking out of place. But few would accept that all of these footballers, talented as they are, would get in United’s first team ahead of the seasoned internationals whose disinterest lead to defeat by the Shrimpers last week.
The lack of reserve quality will be the principal worry of United’s management tomorrow evening as across Europe, international sides take the field in Euro 2008 qualifiers and international friendlies.
Of greatest concern will be Portugal’s game against Kazakhstan. Reports claim that Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to defy Sir Alex by making himself available for selection despite carrying an ankle knock.
Yesterday, Sir Alex expressed his view most clearly. “It’s against Kazakhstan so you would have thought Portugal could handle that without Ronaldo,” he said. “He’s got one of these injuries which is 50-50. I hope he doesn’t play.”
Ronaldo sat out Portugal’s training session yesterday but is confident he will be able to take the field tomorrow. “I’m fine, it was just a small knock. I think one or two days and I will be back to 100 percent,” said the 21-year-old Ronaldo. “I think I’m going to play on Wednesday.”
The player’s enthusiasm to represent his country has been stoked by manager Luis Scolari, who wants the winger to take on a “leadership” role. “We are currently working on a leadership that will be important for the future of the national team with Ronaldo,” Scolari said. “I would like him to become one of the captains of the national team. He has charisma, he is young but he is learning very fast how to overcome some problems within a team.”
The stand-off between Sir Alex and Ronaldo takes place against the background of United’s terrible injury curse which has robbed the first team of important players every week. Injuries to Carrick, Vidic, Giggs, Saha, Heinze and Park have deprived United of quality from the season’s start and yet, the team has defied all the odds to stay ahead of the pack at the top of the table. The latest victim of the jinx is Gary Neville, who has been told to rest a troubling calf problem which has restricted his games for United since his return from the World Cup.
United are not alone in worrying about the threat to club success caused by injuries occurring during international matches. Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger is one of Europe’s most forthright opponents of ‘meaningless friendlies.”
“What the national coaches are doing is like taking the car from his garage without even asking his permission, “Wenger complained. “Then they’ll use his car and abandon it in a field without any petrol in the tank. “We’ll then have to recover it, but it is broken down. Then, a month later, they’ll come to take your car again and, for good measure, you’re expected to be nice about it.”
Expect Sir Alex to be furious indeed if his key players return from international duty unfit for the must-win match against Sheffield United this weekend and for the pivotal showdown with Chelsea, due in less than two weeks. Victory over a powerful but still vulnerable Chelsea would give United psychological lift-off in the battle to claim the Premiership. United will need every player at the top of his game if they are to achieve success. Ronaldo’s role is likely to be crucial. Let us hope Kazakhstan are not cloggers. AU
© Copyright: Absolutely United 2006
