Six Positives Fergie Can Take From The Draw With Arsenal
Astonishingly, more people watched United draw with Arsenal than the World Cup Final last year.
Whilst Arsenal’s last-gasp equaliser and United’s defensive frailties caught the headlines after a thriller at the Emirates Stadium, Sir Alex would have been seen the game as conclusive proof that his team is on the road to silverware this season.
ISpy analyses the positives Fergie took from the match…
Successful Tactics
If United’s players were disciplined until an injury-time collapse in concentration, they were aided by a game plan which at last proved the manager could get his tactics right in a big match against the Gunners.
Arsenal have performed well against United in recent seasons and the confidence of the fans was matched by that of the players who started their ‘Cup Final’ by going for United’s throat. But as the game began to take shape, Ferguson’s team answered emphatically any doubts that they can live with Arsenals “so called” beautiful game.
Arsenal’s brightest talents were smothered as United’s fluid front three opened up space for Ryan Giggs to emerge as one of the game’s more important players. Who says United can’t / shouldn’t play 4-3-3?
“It’s a fact that they got out of jail,” thundered Sir Alex later. And he was right.
“I don’t think they created a clearcut chance in the first half,” said midfielder Owen Hargreaves. “So we did a good job controlling their so-called ‘beautiful football’.”
The success of United’s tactical plan brought a grudging tribute from Arsene Wenger. “In the first half, we played with the hand-brake on,” he said. “In the second half we had more freedom but we didn’t find our flowing game completely. We had to rely on character and determination.”
The emergence of Anderson
The young Brazilian did not look out of place against Arsenal’s much vaunted midfield and emerged as a major bonus for the manager at a time when his leading midfielder Paul Scholes has been ruled out until February. The 19 year old was purposeful in his distribution, committed in his tackling and was not overawed in his first major test as a United player. If such progress can be maintained, it will represent another nail in the coffin of Darren Fletcher’s United career.
Title defence
Sir Alex said the game didn’t offer any pointers to the Championship race. “This doesn’t tell you anything,” he ventured. “Both sides are going to be challenging for the title, the draw suits Liverpool and Chelsea. And there are going to be lots of twists and turns yet.”
True enough but the Arsenal leap to the Premiership’s summit and the manner of their comeback underlined that the Gunners are a major threat to United’s crown. Chelsea and Liverpool will also have an important say in the destiny of the Championship race but the Gunners are now the equal of all their challengers after beginning the season as dark horses.
Sir Alex said before the match that he is not surprised by Arsenal’s resurgence. After the game, he might not be unduly worried either. Arsenal are a fine team but as many observers have pointed out, can the Gunners win the title with either Alumni or Lehmann in goal? Do Arsenal have enough firepower to overhaul tight defences during next Spring’s “squeaky bum” period? What happens when Fabregas’ hot streak comes to an end?
The press has been particularly scathing about Manuel Alumnia. “He does not have the store of experience to draw on when times get tough,” the Times reported. “He is not a full international and has little significant history at club level.
“His greatest concentration of appearances came with Osasuna’s B team between the ages of 20 and 22 (he is now 30) and since then he is yet to reach the milestone of 50 league appearances with any club, even Sabadell and Eibar, from Spain’s second division.
“Picked up from humble Albacete Balompié in 2004, his three years at Arsenal have yielded 20 league games.
“This is his longest run in the team as Wenger makes a point to Lehmann, but he is hardly the man to be trusted holding Arsenal’s title chances when his rivals at United, Liverpool and Chelsea can call on a trio of goalkeepers in Van der Sar, José Manuel Reina and Cech with 181 international appearances between them.”
United came through a searching examination at the Emirates and displayed true champion’s class. Sir Alex must know that domestically at least, his team is unlikely to face a bigger threat and will be consoled by the thought that with greater discipline and more decisive finishing his team would have claimed all three points.
Arsenal were rarely the flowing machine that has had observers lauding the team this season. The home side’s joy at the end of the game has been interpreted as a ‘moral victory’ in the pretender’s bid to dethrone United. It was nothing more than relief.
The Guardian was right when it reported: “The reigning champions’ more streetwise approach, born of their greater experience than the current leaders can boast, could yet prove decisive in determining the destiny of the title.”
Saha …Again!
A beautiful pass to Evra which led to United’s second goal and Louis Saha’s name is back in lights.
“Saha made a marvellous contribution when he came on,” Sir Alex said. “He made a great pass for the goal to Evra who squared it for Ronaldo. At that point, I thought we were home and dry.”
United have travelled this road before with the French striker. His ability is unquestioned and he adds to United’s attacking game when he is in the team. Fitness remains the elephantine question mark hanging over his head. Some 67 starts in three years tells its own story.
But if he can be used as an impact player to such devastation…so much the better. Has Fergie found the new Solskjaer?
The Bench
“We have people fit again,” Sir Alex said. “It was the strongest bench I have had this season and that is encouraging for us. I can now alternate our side at times.
“The lads have done a fantastic job to get us into this position and we can change things now when we need to.”
Tinkering may well go down like a dose of salts with some United fans but the manager will need to freshen the team in the coming months, as injuries, suspsensions, fatigue and loss of form take their toll. Fortunately, Ferguson’s careful husbandry of resources has given him more options than at any time in the last five years. A fit Saha can take over seasmlessly from Tevez or Rooney. Brown offers an alternative to the fit-again Neville. Nani can come in for Giggs. Whipsre it gently but rotation might no longer give fans the quivers.
The Attack
“The most important thing is that when you win the ball back you attack,” midfielder Owen Hargreaves said. “We hit the post and had players going forward to catch them out. With the players we’ve got up front we can score at any time.”
After skittling the opposition for sixteen gaols in the previous four matches, United proved they are not flat track bullies by plundering the mean Gunners defence too, even with an off-colour Carlos Tevez.
(On Nov 5th, 2007 at 7:24 pm)
Hi ISpy,
Its Fabregas the King from InsideArsenal blog, I threatened to come back and haunt you after the fixture, but unfortunately, the result was not the arsewhipping you deserved. Credit to ManU except for the cheating Anderson, who frankly you should be labelling a disgrace in very much the same way that we Gooners chastise Eboue. He was not only over awed by the occasion, but he seriously needs to take some Valium, or soon he will be seeing either red cards or the lower tier of the oppo’s stadium, when some burly centreback has kicked him there. From the imaginary yellow card brandished in front of Howard Webb, to the discovery of perpetual gravity defying motion as he rolled over 5 times after the Fabregas tackle, mark my words, he will embarass your club, talented as he is.
Spare a thought for Hargreaves who was so humiliated in midfield, instead of giving the ball away for the umpteenth time, he thumped it into touch for good measure in frustration.
Your lads came and did a job, allowed us to play our beautiful football up to the 18 yd box, then resorted to means fair or foul to repel the attack. Vidic on Hleb, shirt pull, penalty and red card for the big Serb, so YOU WERE LUCKY!
Other points Rooney was his usual brilliant self, Tevez his predictable ordinary over hyped ugly self. Sir Alex is so rattled, that he has started his paranoid mind games six months before the return fixture. I shall be at Old Trafford for that one, to see us lift the Title.
One billion people saw the best that the Premiership had to offer, what a pity they witnessed Ferdinand trying to cheat at the end by claiming the ball didn’t cross the line ala Roy Carroll!
So dream on Alex and Owen, if you thought that Arsenal threw their best at you, you would be sadly mistaken. I bet over the next six fixtures you will be found out, but well played anyway. :-D