Review: United Go Out Of Europe …
With a post-mortem underway into United’s meek surrender in Milan, Sir Alex should brace himself for a critical drenching.
First to reach for his bucket of bile was shameless Fergie-basher Tommy Docherty.
“Playing Vidic was a disaster,” the Doc declared. “When you’re out for four or five weeks and the surgeon says you’re ready, you may be fit but you’re not ready to play. United were outclassed. ”
The Manchester Evening News, was less willing to cuff Fergie whilst he was down but could not resist lamenting United’s lack of a charismatic leader who could, by sheer force of character, galvanise the side when required.
“This United team, for all its brilliance, its speed and verve, is still lacking an iconic figure, a man who can dredge a game from the depths,” the newspaper confessed. “Ferguson played into Milan’s hands slightly by playing Ronaldo down the left. Unfortunately, that decision also plonked Ronaldo in Gattuso territory, and the man who happily calls himself Milan’s “peasant” was not about to give rich-boy Ronaldo an opportunity to display his wealth of skills.”
The BBC perhaps got closer to the truth by suggesting that United might have been sunk even before the match began. It claimed the remedy for Euro pain was squad improvement.
“United have not been convincing away from home for several years in Europe now,” the BBC admitted. “What United do need is more depth to their squad.”
Oliver Holt, writing in the Mirror, gave an indication of the ultimate destination of all the disappointment United’s defeat had generated. “How long does he [Ferguson] keep chasing the dream now?” Holt wondered. “How long do United let him chase it? Are they content with domestic dominance or do they really want to move to the next level? The crushing reality for United fans is that things appear to have come full circle and in Europe at least, United are chasing Liverpool again.”
Ouch! Such is the lot of a United manager to be caught eternally between contempt and congratulation. Have the critics forgotten so quickly last week’s Old Trafford victory or even the Roman slaughter? United suffered a bad day at the office in Milan. Everything that could go wrong, did so. Milan boss Carlo Ancelloti admitted he had never seen his side play so well. It was United’s gall to be patsy in a spectacle of compelling football.
On balance, Ferguson was right to risk Vidic. The manager looked at his blundering second string defenders and concluded that his team would be better off even with a recently injured centre half, plainly lacking in match fitness. It is less an indication that the manager is losing his mind, than a crushing indictment of the current form of Heinze, O’Shea and Brown and of course, a recognition of the scale of United’s injuries and the dislocation caused by Evra’s s silly suspension. Only with hindsight was the selection of the Serb a gamble not worth taking.
Bemoaning United’s squad depth is an old favourite even within these pages but there were few complaints when United rattled in eight goals against Roma with Heinze, Brown, Fletcher, O’Shea, Richardson, Solskjaer and Smith playing king-size roles. The paucity of the playing pool was accentuated by a string of injuries which depleted United greviously. Moreover, one man’s tinkering is another’s squad refreshment. Sir Alex has been denied this option for weeks. Something had to give.
What is undeniable is that United are far in advance of the progress schedule Sir Alex set for his players after the debacle of last year’s campaign. Respect and confidence have been restored and great experience gained.
What is equally true is that there is still much to learn, particlarly when the team is called away from Old Trafford. The statistics beggar belief. United have lost three of their last four Champions League away matches and eight of the previous 13 games. Milan now joins, my goodness, Copenhagen and Glasgow, as a theatre of doom this season, where United were dismantled without reply. United currently lack the stubborn, bloody mindedness of the great cup teams, who can dig out a result even in the most desperate of circumstances. The anticipated employment of Owen Hargreaves is intended to give United just the doggedness required of the very best.
United will be better for the San Siro humbling but Sir Alex will long regret the gruesome injury list that deprived him of the services of his first choice back four. Like all United fans, the manager will be saddened by the dramatic decline of Gabriel Heinze and may conclude that Wes Brown, Kieran Richardson and Louis Saha have had their day in red too. United’s squad was decimated in defence but at least Sir Alex had cover. The manager will recognise that to challenge on three or four fronts next term, he will need a bigger, better, more evenly-balanced pool from which to select.
After trouncing Roma 8-3 on aggregate, many believed United were destined to reach Athens. United hit a peak rarely seen in elite European competition. Now, in the wake of sobering defeat, with Liverpool in the final too, there remains one nagging thought: If only United had saved the best for last?
