Continuity has been elusive for Manchester United this
season with the preferred centre-halves Rio Ferdinand, above, and
Nemanja Vidic playing together in the Premier League for only 52
minutes. Photograph: Andrew Yates/AFP/Getty Images
The fatal goal in Sunday's debacle was scored by Manchester United themselves. There
was an authority to Darren Fletcher's drive that cut the deficit to
3-1, and the minds of team, support and manager must have started
to swim with thoughts of one more uncanny recovery in the club's
history.
At that moment, it did not seem to matter that the lineup had
been reduced to 10 men by the red card for Jonny Evans, yet the
true consequence of boldness turned out to be the 6-1 rout by
Manchester City. For once, events were beyond the reach of Sir Alex Ferguson.
In a peculiar aftermath it was the overlord of Old Trafford who
spoke as if he had been a passive onlooker. Ferguson suggested that
his side should have adopted a conservative approach and aimed for
a humdrum defeat. Given the three goals scored from the 90th minute
onwards, there was sense to that proposal. The manager, however,
had inadvertently raised another issue.
Any fan was entitled to ask why the side did not do Ferguson's
bidding. Perhaps he and his players were in shock long before
stoppage time. United, after all, had been in reasonably good form
and the talk following matches with lesser teams was often of
regeneration.
Arsenal, collapsing in an 8-2 debacle, were completely unaware
of weakness. It takes performers such as City's David Silva, with
that combination of vision and execution, to cow the Premier League
champions. Even so, United had already been conscious of
difficulties in their midst.
Only once has Ferguson been able to send out the same back four
in consecutive games, against Tottenham Hotspur and then Arsenal.
While the club have a heritage of breezy football, the spontaneity
has been getting out of hand. United have allowed the opposition
more shots on goal than any other club in the Premier League
this season.
The defensive midfielders were overrun by City. That was perhaps
natural with United undermanned, but there have been countless
occasions in football when a 10-man lineup regroups to become more
and more resolute.
Indeed, United are precisely the sort of side who can generally
be counted on for obstinacy. Ferguson would have been ridiculed if
he had pleaded mitigating circumstances because a club of such
renown are meant to be equipped for every type of adversity.
Even so, there are insidious factors. Continuity has been
elusive, with the preferred centre-halves, Rio Ferdinand and
Nemanja Vidic, together in the Premier League for only 52 minutes,
in the win at West Bromwich on the opening weekend.
It is obvious, too, that the emergence of Ferdinand from the
tunnel does not end the discussion about his value now or in the
near future. Fabio Capello can be relied on for brusqueness. "He
has not played enough and last week he was on the bench," said the
England manager after omitting the defender for the squad for the
Euro 2012 qualifier in Montenegro.
At club level, where alternatives are limited, it is not
feasible to be so high-handed. There has to be an assumption that
Ferguson had qualms about Phil Jones, even if he did cost some £18m
from Blackburn Rovers. No one seems sure he is ready yet to be a
top-level centre-half.
The teenager was employed by England on the flank during the 2-2
draw with Montenegro in Podgorica so that he could make powerful
runs. Ferguson let him on to the field against City when there were
only 24 minutes remaining.
The United manager has been so adroit at constructing teams that
the degree of difficulty in the project goes unrecognised. It is
fair to salute Roberto Mancini, the Manchester City manager, for
the development of his side's style, but he operates in a financial
environment that barely exists elsewhere, unless Roman Abramovich
is in the mood to persist with the spree at Chelsea.
United themselves have moments of extravagance, but there is
also an old-fashioned trait that sees them profit by, for instance,
selling Cristiano Ronaldo for £80m in 2009. Disgruntled as fans
were, there was also an appreciation that the attacker was set on
joining Real Madrid.
The paucity of the showing on Sunday is not to be ignored, but
Ferguson's approach will rest, first of all, on making more out of
what he already has. United are far from poor, but the real riches
of Old Trafford lie in the manager's talent.
Wesley Sneijder
Internazionale
The Dutch playmaker was linked with United last summer but a
deal could not be agreed with the player or his club. A genuine
world-class talent
Luka Modric Tottenham
Having been blocked from joining Chelsea, United could be next
to test the Croatian's resolve
Jack Rodwell Everton
The 20-year-old is known to be on the Old Trafford radar. A
dynamic talent
Bastian Schweinsteiger Bayern Munich
Sir Alex Ferguson is thought to be an admirer of the Germany
playmaker
Jorge Merodio Atlético Madrid
The 19-year-old has been likened to Xabi Alonso