manurejournal (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} manurejournal) wrote,@ 2005-10-31 21:38:00 |
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32 - Can We Fix It?
Tonight's entry would like a trick, please.
Matt Busby was a strong believer that you always changed a winning side. Why? So that players wouldn't get into a comfort zone and slacken off from the standards they had set for themselves. Bearing this in mind, what does Alex Ferguson do now, faced with his biggest crisis in 15 years? Because, seemingly, he cannot even change a losing side at the moment. Who is going to be his Mark Robins this time?
These are the main problems that I can see and that have been mentioned throughout the depressing, sprawling maelstrom of tabloid hysteria these last couple of days, and how they could be fixed - within reason.
1) PROBLEM: Formations. A basic, simple formula has given United success since the early 90s. Four at the back, four in midfield with two wingers, one floating forward player and one out-and-out striker. One or two years of a relative lack of success was no need for Ferguson to panic and start adopting systems that were completely foreign to the players employed within it. Nor was a relative lack of success in Europe. Our failings there were down to one or both of two things - an inability to sign the one or two bona fide international superstar class players that would have made Champions League success far easier, and Ferguson's lack of tactical acumen that could cover a slight lack of quality on the personnel front - a la Jose Mourinho at Porto. Or huge slices of luck a la Rafael Benitez.
SOLUTION: 4-4-1-1. Or possibly even 3-5-2. If Ferguson (and/or Quieroz) had the intention of trying to throw opponents off the scent with a formation change, then use one that plays to our strengths. Casting injuries aside, 3-5-2 would make good use of our defensive strengths. Gabriel Heinze has played in such a formation with glowing reviews for Argentina, so employing him on the left hand side of a three at the back, with Gary Neville on the right and Rio Ferdinand or Wes Brown in the middle would be an idea. It then allows two wingers to be played, and during defensive situations two of the three central midfielders drop into the back line whilst Neville and Heinze push wide. Worked alright for Middlesbrough, didn't it?
2) PROBLEM: Players used out of position. Doesn't help anyone. John O'Shea's career is folding in front of our eyes as he is shunted from one position to another. Kieran Richardson is not a left back. And Alan Smith is definitely NOT a central midfielder. His head-to-head with Frank Lampard next weekend is going to be a handicap match. Then we have Rooney being played as a 'floating winger', Paul Scholes as a holding midfielder and Wes Brown's occasional deployment at right-back. There are far too many instances of this. Like-for-like swaps mean that everyone knows where they stand.
SOLUTION: Surely Phil Bardsley's performances are a lesson to Ferguson that although resources are short in supply, that there is still enough there not to move players around so much. Stop putting players in positions they don't know or understand.
3) PROBLEM: Out-of-form players. Rio Ferdinand's sulk-riddled performances are so pathetic in so many ways that it almost makes me want to laugh, really. Grow up, you fucking idiot. What kind of cretin are you? Just signing a contract that it took you months to sign isn't going to make you some kind of messiah. Marry it to some good performances and then we can deal. Until then, take your fat cheques and piss off. And watch some videos of John Terry whilst you're at it. That used to be you. Minus the goals from corners, obviously. Paul Scholes isn't past it and it isn't ideal that he's being played too deep, but his performance on Saturday was the worse I'd ever seen from him. Ruud van Nistelrooy is showing me every reason why he is so hated by opposition fans. Things not going his way? Time to fall on his arse and whinge at the referee. Here's an idea, Ruud - why not try putting in a little thing called a 'workrate'? That might help. And stop diving, it makes me ill. That applies to you too, Cristiano.
SOLUTION: An all-round arse-kick from Ferguson. Simple as.
4) PROBLEM: Poor players. Mikael Silvestre. Am I the only person on this planet who looks at Silvestre and wonders just how in the blue hell this man garnered such a respected reputation as a defender for United and France? Error strewn, positionally inept and poor in the air, I've never understood why he is rated so highly. Just utter crap - except if you need an inch-perfect 60 yars cross-field pass. Alan Smith was not even a particularly great striker, so why would he even make a great midfielder when he hadn't even mastered his natural position? His signing was baffling. Darren Fletcher has been 'promising' for about 3 years now, but simply put he has no drive, no penetration, not enough of a physique, and a lack of confidence to dominate a Manchester United midfield. These are just the current players as well.
SOLUTION: Stop persevering with substandard players. Ferguson's stubbornness is just getting United into deeper trouble. Recall Jonathan Spector and David Jones from loan and get them in the team.
5) PROBLEM: Transfer policy. Ferguson's transfer policy makes no sense. We know we need a midfield player, so why did Ferguson pass over chances to sign Edgar Davids and apparently even Claude Makelele, as well as Mark van Bommel and Thomas Gravesen to sign Kleberson, Liam Miller and Eric Djemba-Djemba? Why does it ALWAYS have to be out-and-out youth? The signing of Davids would have made far more sense whilst we DEVELOPED a player in that position in the meanwhile. Similarly, why no approach for Michael Owen? Ferguson's persistent insistence on refusing to sign players to cover for injuries is wrong. Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not even play for United again. And as for goalkeepers, why did it take so long for Ferguson to stop faffing around with a position that should NEVER be messed around with, signing untried hopefuls and misfit talents instead of solid and dependable stoppers?
SOLUTION: See a good player, sign him. Or attempt to. Dispose of the idea of strictly adhering to a set plan for a certain position.
6) PROBLEM: Carlos Queiroz. His tactics are all very well at continental teams. But in attacking teams like United and indeed Real Madrid, they fail miserably as there is simply not the personnel to carry out such tactics.
SOLUTION: "Thank you for your service, Carlos, but your services are no longer required. Manchester United thanks you for your work. Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out."
7) PROBLEM: Sir Alex Ferguson. A knee-jerk reaction? Absolutely not. Ferguson's extraordinary regular ineptitude in the transfer market recently coupled with an almost unheard of reliance on his assistant manager and a ridiculously stubborn attitude has rendered his position very shaky indeed. A refusal to admit he's wrong and change things is the biggest problem here, I think. It's completely ridiculous that Ferguson would much rather put his pride before the job that he is paid very handsomely to do. His stupid bickering with Arsene Wenger, outmoded psychological warfare with other opposition managers, and his babyish attitude to any media organisation that DARES to question his decisions are all the traits of a deeply arrogant man who has got his priorities all wrong. It used to be all about winning some football matches. Now he's trying to win against the rest of the world too.
SOLUTION: It's over, Fergie. Step down now and allow somebody else to rebuild their own empire. Let us remember a career of unprecedented domestic success brought through brilliant man management and a courage of conviction in wonderful young talent. But thank you. From every one of us.
Tonight's entry would like a trick, please.
Matt Busby was a strong believer that you always changed a winning side. Why? So that players wouldn't get into a comfort zone and slacken off from the standards they had set for themselves. Bearing this in mind, what does Alex Ferguson do now, faced with his biggest crisis in 15 years? Because, seemingly, he cannot even change a losing side at the moment. Who is going to be his Mark Robins this time?
These are the main problems that I can see and that have been mentioned throughout the depressing, sprawling maelstrom of tabloid hysteria these last couple of days, and how they could be fixed - within reason.
1) PROBLEM: Formations. A basic, simple formula has given United success since the early 90s. Four at the back, four in midfield with two wingers, one floating forward player and one out-and-out striker. One or two years of a relative lack of success was no need for Ferguson to panic and start adopting systems that were completely foreign to the players employed within it. Nor was a relative lack of success in Europe. Our failings there were down to one or both of two things - an inability to sign the one or two bona fide international superstar class players that would have made Champions League success far easier, and Ferguson's lack of tactical acumen that could cover a slight lack of quality on the personnel front - a la Jose Mourinho at Porto. Or huge slices of luck a la Rafael Benitez.
SOLUTION: 4-4-1-1. Or possibly even 3-5-2. If Ferguson (and/or Quieroz) had the intention of trying to throw opponents off the scent with a formation change, then use one that plays to our strengths. Casting injuries aside, 3-5-2 would make good use of our defensive strengths. Gabriel Heinze has played in such a formation with glowing reviews for Argentina, so employing him on the left hand side of a three at the back, with Gary Neville on the right and Rio Ferdinand or Wes Brown in the middle would be an idea. It then allows two wingers to be played, and during defensive situations two of the three central midfielders drop into the back line whilst Neville and Heinze push wide. Worked alright for Middlesbrough, didn't it?
2) PROBLEM: Players used out of position. Doesn't help anyone. John O'Shea's career is folding in front of our eyes as he is shunted from one position to another. Kieran Richardson is not a left back. And Alan Smith is definitely NOT a central midfielder. His head-to-head with Frank Lampard next weekend is going to be a handicap match. Then we have Rooney being played as a 'floating winger', Paul Scholes as a holding midfielder and Wes Brown's occasional deployment at right-back. There are far too many instances of this. Like-for-like swaps mean that everyone knows where they stand.
SOLUTION: Surely Phil Bardsley's performances are a lesson to Ferguson that although resources are short in supply, that there is still enough there not to move players around so much. Stop putting players in positions they don't know or understand.
3) PROBLEM: Out-of-form players. Rio Ferdinand's sulk-riddled performances are so pathetic in so many ways that it almost makes me want to laugh, really. Grow up, you fucking idiot. What kind of cretin are you? Just signing a contract that it took you months to sign isn't going to make you some kind of messiah. Marry it to some good performances and then we can deal. Until then, take your fat cheques and piss off. And watch some videos of John Terry whilst you're at it. That used to be you. Minus the goals from corners, obviously. Paul Scholes isn't past it and it isn't ideal that he's being played too deep, but his performance on Saturday was the worse I'd ever seen from him. Ruud van Nistelrooy is showing me every reason why he is so hated by opposition fans. Things not going his way? Time to fall on his arse and whinge at the referee. Here's an idea, Ruud - why not try putting in a little thing called a 'workrate'? That might help. And stop diving, it makes me ill. That applies to you too, Cristiano.
SOLUTION: An all-round arse-kick from Ferguson. Simple as.
4) PROBLEM: Poor players. Mikael Silvestre. Am I the only person on this planet who looks at Silvestre and wonders just how in the blue hell this man garnered such a respected reputation as a defender for United and France? Error strewn, positionally inept and poor in the air, I've never understood why he is rated so highly. Just utter crap - except if you need an inch-perfect 60 yars cross-field pass. Alan Smith was not even a particularly great striker, so why would he even make a great midfielder when he hadn't even mastered his natural position? His signing was baffling. Darren Fletcher has been 'promising' for about 3 years now, but simply put he has no drive, no penetration, not enough of a physique, and a lack of confidence to dominate a Manchester United midfield. These are just the current players as well.
SOLUTION: Stop persevering with substandard players. Ferguson's stubbornness is just getting United into deeper trouble. Recall Jonathan Spector and David Jones from loan and get them in the team.
5) PROBLEM: Transfer policy. Ferguson's transfer policy makes no sense. We know we need a midfield player, so why did Ferguson pass over chances to sign Edgar Davids and apparently even Claude Makelele, as well as Mark van Bommel and Thomas Gravesen to sign Kleberson, Liam Miller and Eric Djemba-Djemba? Why does it ALWAYS have to be out-and-out youth? The signing of Davids would have made far more sense whilst we DEVELOPED a player in that position in the meanwhile. Similarly, why no approach for Michael Owen? Ferguson's persistent insistence on refusing to sign players to cover for injuries is wrong. Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may not even play for United again. And as for goalkeepers, why did it take so long for Ferguson to stop faffing around with a position that should NEVER be messed around with, signing untried hopefuls and misfit talents instead of solid and dependable stoppers?
SOLUTION: See a good player, sign him. Or attempt to. Dispose of the idea of strictly adhering to a set plan for a certain position.
6) PROBLEM: Carlos Queiroz. His tactics are all very well at continental teams. But in attacking teams like United and indeed Real Madrid, they fail miserably as there is simply not the personnel to carry out such tactics.
SOLUTION: "Thank you for your service, Carlos, but your services are no longer required. Manchester United thanks you for your work. Don't let the door hit you in the arse on the way out."
7) PROBLEM: Sir Alex Ferguson. A knee-jerk reaction? Absolutely not. Ferguson's extraordinary regular ineptitude in the transfer market recently coupled with an almost unheard of reliance on his assistant manager and a ridiculously stubborn attitude has rendered his position very shaky indeed. A refusal to admit he's wrong and change things is the biggest problem here, I think. It's completely ridiculous that Ferguson would much rather put his pride before the job that he is paid very handsomely to do. His stupid bickering with Arsene Wenger, outmoded psychological warfare with other opposition managers, and his babyish attitude to any media organisation that DARES to question his decisions are all the traits of a deeply arrogant man who has got his priorities all wrong. It used to be all about winning some football matches. Now he's trying to win against the rest of the world too.
SOLUTION: It's over, Fergie. Step down now and allow somebody else to rebuild their own empire. Let us remember a career of unprecedented domestic success brought through brilliant man management and a courage of conviction in wonderful young talent. But thank you. From every one of us.
