How United Can Beat Spurs
Home advantage should give United an excellent chance to chalk up their first win of the season. The widely advertised lack of goals narrows that bonus considerably.
Spurs will come to Old Trafford burdened by mixed form, boardroom confusion and the absence of some excellent players. The loss of England stars Aaron Lennon and Ledley King has surely contributed to the team’s defeat against a spirited Sunderland and the poor display offered when going down to Everton. The rout of Derby, the league’s whipping boys, was much better but an inconclusive tonic.
If United are to have any chance, they will need Paul Scholes to play closer to Tevez and for their wing men to be in top form. The Spurs left is particularly vulnerable and Sir Alex must instruct his attackers to probe the visitors’ weaknesses at full back and midfield. United refusenik Gareth Bale is still not fit and Staltieri and the Korean leftback Lee Young-Pyo struggle at this level. Midfielder Steed Malbranque blows hot and cold. Two good goals against Derby last Saturday gave him the look a solid performer but it is not for nothing that Spurs are desperate to recruit a left sided player. Some of the Frenchman’s crossing is woeful.
Spurs central defender Anthony Gardner is also suffering a dip in form. But he will hardly lie awake at night fearing a confrontation with Carlos Tevez, after watching how easily Micah Richards kept the Argentine on a short leash during the derby. That said, Gardner is no Richards.
Spurs play an open game and if they line up in 4-4-2 formation, are unlikely to have the midfield strength to counter United. Everton’s Arteta bossed the show last week at White Hart Lane and if Hargreaves performs to the same level of his debut, United should take an early grip on midfield proceedings despite the protests of the likely Jenas and Zokora pairing.
That could leave Spurs resorting to the City tactic of allowing United to hold the ball in unthreatening areas and hoping to crowd out the home side’s more dangerous players when they move towards Paul Robinson’s goal. That is so much easier when United cannot field Ronaldo.
But unlike City, Spurs have the pace and offensive power to be dangerous on the counter-attack and will contribute more than three shots in the entire game. The strike force clicked last weekend and Rio and Vidic will not relish a tussle with Berbatov and Keane, if they are preferred by the Spurs manager. With Bent and Defoe on the bench, the newly reprieved Martin Jol has enough resources at his disposal to spring a surprise.
Pascal Chimbonda, once of Wigan, is an important outlet for Spurs and his crossing will be a danger. United will have to close him down to prevent the Frenchman from emerging as a creative source.
Jenas scored a fine goal coming from deep against Derby and in a reasonable display against a naïve Midlands side, Spurs let loose the unpredictable youngster Adel Taarabt. The French midfielder on loan from Lens came on in the second half with the game already won and immediately energised the crowd with his direct runs and the ease and frequency with which he skinned his marker. With better vision, awareness and a willingness to pass, Taarabt might have harnessed his talent to the team’s cause. When he matures, the teenager could be dynamite. Wes Brown, shaken by the limited Benjani at Portsmouth, beware.
United should still win the game but Spurs are a dangerous opponent. With Fergie desperate for a victory and United in need of goals, if only the team was up against Derby!
(On Aug 22nd, 2007 at 11:19 am)
Thoroughly accurate and interesting article. And as a Tottenham fan it’s quite scary that other teams realise how weak our left side is, yet our own manager/chairman/sporting director do not!
Just a few things:
- describing Antony Gardner as suffering from a dip in form is hugely generous considering the man can’t mark (watch how many free-kicks he’ll give away for holding) and only ever passes it back to Robbo.
- Your description of Steed is spot on; he can be pure class, but only for 20 minutes (see Derby match) whereafter he disappears from sight.
- Lee and Stalteri would struggle at League Two level, let alone in the Premiership! Both are awful and the sooner Bale gets fit, the better.
- I think you overlooked the presence of Huddlestone. It is believed that one of the reasons that we sold Carrick to your goodselves, along with the extortionate price you paid and the fact that he wanted to go, was the ex-Derby prospect in our ranks. The guy has just as good if not better vision than Carrick and a powerful shot to boot (see match V Citeh last season). Hopefully the middle two will be Jenas and the Hudd on Sunday, although Zokora may get the nod instead.
- We have suffered horrible from injuries so far this season. King (first choice centre-back) was out before the season even began, then Dawson (second choice CB) got crocked just before our first game, and then in the second match Kaboul got injured too (our third choice CB). Add to that injuries to our £10mil left-back Bale, who we stole off of you (!), our £40mil rated striker Berbatov, who we also stole off you (!), and our young wizard Aaron Lennon, and it’s unsuprising that we’ve struggled so far.
Overall your article is very good, and before your injury to Rooney and Ronaldo’s red I really wasn’t looking forward to the match, but now I think we do have a chance to sneak a win. That said, I would happily take a draw next weekend.