Manchester United went back to the top of the Barclays Premier League on Monday night thanks to a late first-half goal by Wayne Rooney. This very important league fixture ended in controversy, when Fulham were denied what looked like a certain penalty in the dying moments, after referee Michael Oliver gave Michael Carrick the benefit of doubt following his clumsy challenge on Danny Murphy inside the box.
Understandably, and all too predictably, there has been plenty of media focus on "yet another penalty that wasn't given to a visiting team at Old Trafford".
Tommy Docherty added his twopenneth on Radio 5-live this week when claiming, "visiting teams do not get many penalties and it has pretty much always been like that". The former Manchester United manager isn't slow at coming forward with controversial views and so the Doc's comments will have surprised few, but at the same time no doubt agitated neutrals and City fans alike. In the hullabaloo that followed, the fact that United were denied what looked like a definite penalty in the first-half for handball has been quickly forgotten. It was ever thus. You win some, you lose some. As Ferguson rightly said "these things tend to even themselves out over a season". Quite.
While the win over Fulham meant that United leapfrogged Man City to open up a slender three point lead at the top of the table, there wasn't really much else to shout about following what was another dire Old Trafford performance by the champions.
Despite dominating possession for long spells, United were simply dreadful and couldn't open up a well organised Fulham defence. Those United fans hoping for a goal avalanche - one that could have wiped out City's goal difference advantage - will have been left disappointed at the fayre served by a United team, that not for the first time at home this season, lacked guile, know-how and any real sense of urgency in the final third.
Increasingly, one finds one-self questioning the quality of the Premier League, because over the last two seasons, United, Chelsea, Arsenal and yes, even Liverpool too, have all seen their performance levels drop and alarmingly so, especially where genuine quality is concerned. In contrast when we look at Barcelona, it's almost as if they are playing a different game - such is their superiority on pretty much every level. Athletic Bilboa gave United a torrid time in the Europa League, in so doing, giving many observers cause to review the generally accepted - but not entirely fair - assertion that there are only two quality teams in La Liga.
United have been rank bad awful in Europe this season, we cannot deny that fact, but so were Arsenal; Manchester City were in a much tougher looking Champions League group and so their elimination was not so difficult to accept for their followers; but like the champions, much less acceptable was the manner in which City were also knocked out of the Europa League - a competition that badly needs to be revamped if it is ever going to be taken *seriously* by Europe's leading clubs.
While we can ask questions, with real justification, about the quality of the Premier League, it's fair to state that Man City and Spurs have improved immensely this season and they've really shaken up the 'top four'. Spurs are currently in a real slump, but City are still fighting tooth and nail to wrest the title from United.
Hopefully, United will go on to retain the title, but there's no real signs that this latest Ferguson team will go on to seriously compete with Europe's elite clubs. If Ferguson is going to make United great again, he must address the glaring issues in midfield. Yes, it was the right decision to bring back Scholes, the United manager has far used his midfield general sparingly and sensibly; in total Scholes has so far played in 14 games, but six of those were from the bench.
There is hope in the form of Paul Pogba. The young French midfield star looks like a prodigious talent. Ferguson must use all of his powers of persuasion to convince Pogba to sign that new contract. Less convincing, is the hope that is Tom Cleverley who increasingly looks like a player whose career could be blighted by injuries, but time will tell. Even if Pogba signs that new deal, Ferguson MUST go out and sign another top quality midfield general.
The United manager also needs to sign another striker, because Welbeck, while being a good link man in certain situations, lacks that vital killer instinct inside the box. Hernandez is the complete opposite of Welbeck - deadly in the box, not so good in open play. United need to sign 'the next Didier Drogba', as much as we hate those comparisons - but that is the type of all round striker Ferguson must strive to find.
Finally, if United do go on the secure their 20th league title, contrary to the views of one well known journalist, the achievement most definitely will NOT surpass that historic, 1999 treble victory.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
United turn tables on City as Pogba set to give champs massive boost...
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There are just ten league games to go, the champions have somehow clawed their way back to the top of the Premier League, and with reports claiming Paul Pogba is set to give Ferguson a massive boost by committing himself to the club by signing a new contract, we cast a critical eye over United's recent performances and ask will the manager and his players make this a season to remember.
It was only a few weeks ago that the prospect of Manchester United knocking Manchester City's off top spot in the Barclays Premier League seemed, even in the eyes of many a die-hard red, improbable at best.
There's no disputing City have been *the team* of the season so far: they have scored the most goals, conceded the least and until the events of last weekend they were top of the table. But City's away form has been letting them down of late and on Sunday they deservedly lost to Swansea, at the Liberty Stadium. With the champions winning at home to West Brom, it meant that for the first time since October, Manchester United were back at the summit of the Premier League. Yet, just 48 hours earlier everyone connected with Manchester United was coming to terms with another deflating home defeat in the Europa League, following Athletic Bilbao's stunning 2-3 win.
Bilbao pretty much out-played United for 90 minutes on Thursday, and Ferguson's less than convincing post-match assertion that United would put matters right this week in the second-leg will not be shared by many supporters; there is an argument for NOT progressing any further in the deservedly maligned competition - the problem is not the quality of the participating teams, no, not a bit of it, it's the bloody ridiculous match schedule and early kick-off's. UEFA need to revisit the scheduling of Europa League fixtures; if they don't, the competition will continue to be a very poor second best to the Champions League.
United's participation and questionable performances in the Europa League will hopefully prove to be a wake-up call for Ferguson, his players, and most importantly, the Glazers', because while the current squad has done okay on the domestic front, the same squad has been lousy in Europe this season. Ferguson desperately needs to add a world-class central midfield playmaker - it is as clear as Fergie's big red nose. The manager's wish-list should also include a striker and another left-back.
As if it should be needed, the recent defeats at home to Ajax and Bilbao will hopefully have given Ferguson even more impetus to sign that world-class playmaker.
Bringing Scholes out of retirement was only a good idea because of the totally ridiculous situation the club finds itself in. Good damn it, Manchester United should NOT be relying on veteran stars like Giggs and Scholes. Scholes has without question fully justified his return and Giggs continues to amaze, but Ferguson is kidding no one: he has been and continues to, paper over the cracks.
The home defeats against Ajax and Bilbao (as good as the Basques undoubtedly were) will hopefully have given Ferguson and his backroom team, good reason to reflect on the current state of the squad. In order to do that, they must look at how the team has performed in Europe this season. United threw it away at home against Basel in the Champions League, and only managed a draw thanks to a dramatic late equaliser by Ashley Young. It was the same story against Benfica at Old Trafford, United were simply not good enough to beat opponents who in years gone by would have been considered as fodder.
Given how poorly England's top clubs have performed in Europe and especially United, many pundits (and this blog included) have concluded that the Premier League isn't currently worthy of its widely accepted status as one of Europe's top leagues: the fact that United, City and Arsenal are already out of the Champions League is testament to that.
We must never fall into the trap of confusing excitement with technical quality / genuine class. From a United perspective, despite the glaring weaknesses in the squad, no doubting to the collective annoyance of our noisy neighbours, Fergie's team somehow continues to grind out improbable results.
In a season littered with mistakes and too many setbacks, two recent results standout: United's away wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane. Who among us wouldn't have liked a Fiver for every City fan that found themselves cursing United and Giggsy after the Welshman slotted that winner 75 seconds into added time against Norwich? And then came that very tough looking away assignment at White Hart Lane.
The weekend prior to United's visit to North London, Arsenal had panned Spurs 5-2 at the Emirates. If that wasn't bad enough, Spurs had somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead and then they lost Gareth Bale due to injury.
So going into the Spurs game and following the win at Carrow Road, United had every reason to be confident, but what followed once again left us breathless. Spurs pretty much played United off the park in the first-half, but remarkably, after 69 minutes the champions were 3-0 up. Defoe pulled a late goal back for Spurs but United ran out 1-3 winners.
Those two Premier League away wins could well turn out to be season defining, not least because many pundits and fans alike fully expected United to drop points. It didn't happen and what's more the wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane came in between the two home defeats in the Europa League - which again raises questions about the quality of the League as well as United's title credentials...
But with just 10 league games to go, no one can confidently predict the outcome. We can be sure the battle for the title will continue to provide us with excitement and many talking points.
While it is fair to ask questions about the squad, we cannot deny United have suffered more than most with injuries this season, but on that score, things are starting to look up. Tom Cleverley is fit again - for how long remains to be seen - but if he can win back his starting place, we could see him linking up with Rooney and Young to stunning effect.
Then there's Paul Pogba, who was reportedly set to spurn United in preference for Juventus. Putting it bluntly: Manchester United cannot afford to lose a player like Pogba who has bags of potential. If Pogba joined Juventus, it would have sent out an awful message about the current state of United and yes, it would have reflected badly on the player, but also on Ferguson too. Hopefully, Pogba will soon sign that new contract and he will go on cement a place in the heart of United's engine room over the next 12 months.
If United are going to continue to keep pace with City and go on to retain the title, every player in the squad will have to play close to their best when called upon.
Wayne Rooney is currently in a hot run of scoring form (five from the last three games), but in the eyes of many, he isn't playing even close to his best.
The spotlight has been firmly on David de Gea, and rightly so following some of his performances this season. The young Spanish goalkeeper was under the spotlight because he'd made some awful errors, but following a lengthy spell on the bench, to his eternal credit he has comeback all the stronger and he has started re-pay that huge transfer fee and as well as the manager's faith in him.
United have managed to turn the tables on City (for now), but there will be many more twists and turns before the end of what is turning into a fascinating season. Will the title be decided when United travel to Eastlands for the derby at the end of April, as Roberto Mancini claims? Don't be surprised if it goes to the last game of the season, is our verdict. Fasten your seat-belts, it is going to be a bumpy ride.
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There are just ten league games to go, the champions have somehow clawed their way back to the top of the Premier League, and with reports claiming Paul Pogba is set to give Ferguson a massive boost by committing himself to the club by signing a new contract, we cast a critical eye over United's recent performances and ask will the manager and his players make this a season to remember.
It was only a few weeks ago that the prospect of Manchester United knocking Manchester City's off top spot in the Barclays Premier League seemed, even in the eyes of many a die-hard red, improbable at best.
There's no disputing City have been *the team* of the season so far: they have scored the most goals, conceded the least and until the events of last weekend they were top of the table. But City's away form has been letting them down of late and on Sunday they deservedly lost to Swansea, at the Liberty Stadium. With the champions winning at home to West Brom, it meant that for the first time since October, Manchester United were back at the summit of the Premier League. Yet, just 48 hours earlier everyone connected with Manchester United was coming to terms with another deflating home defeat in the Europa League, following Athletic Bilbao's stunning 2-3 win.
Bilbao pretty much out-played United for 90 minutes on Thursday, and Ferguson's less than convincing post-match assertion that United would put matters right this week in the second-leg will not be shared by many supporters; there is an argument for NOT progressing any further in the deservedly maligned competition - the problem is not the quality of the participating teams, no, not a bit of it, it's the bloody ridiculous match schedule and early kick-off's. UEFA need to revisit the scheduling of Europa League fixtures; if they don't, the competition will continue to be a very poor second best to the Champions League.
United's participation and questionable performances in the Europa League will hopefully prove to be a wake-up call for Ferguson, his players, and most importantly, the Glazers', because while the current squad has done okay on the domestic front, the same squad has been lousy in Europe this season. Ferguson desperately needs to add a world-class central midfield playmaker - it is as clear as Fergie's big red nose. The manager's wish-list should also include a striker and another left-back.
As if it should be needed, the recent defeats at home to Ajax and Bilbao will hopefully have given Ferguson even more impetus to sign that world-class playmaker.
Bringing Scholes out of retirement was only a good idea because of the totally ridiculous situation the club finds itself in. Good damn it, Manchester United should NOT be relying on veteran stars like Giggs and Scholes. Scholes has without question fully justified his return and Giggs continues to amaze, but Ferguson is kidding no one: he has been and continues to, paper over the cracks.
The home defeats against Ajax and Bilbao (as good as the Basques undoubtedly were) will hopefully have given Ferguson and his backroom team, good reason to reflect on the current state of the squad. In order to do that, they must look at how the team has performed in Europe this season. United threw it away at home against Basel in the Champions League, and only managed a draw thanks to a dramatic late equaliser by Ashley Young. It was the same story against Benfica at Old Trafford, United were simply not good enough to beat opponents who in years gone by would have been considered as fodder.
Given how poorly England's top clubs have performed in Europe and especially United, many pundits (and this blog included) have concluded that the Premier League isn't currently worthy of its widely accepted status as one of Europe's top leagues: the fact that United, City and Arsenal are already out of the Champions League is testament to that.
We must never fall into the trap of confusing excitement with technical quality / genuine class. From a United perspective, despite the glaring weaknesses in the squad, no doubting to the collective annoyance of our noisy neighbours, Fergie's team somehow continues to grind out improbable results.
In a season littered with mistakes and too many setbacks, two recent results standout: United's away wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane. Who among us wouldn't have liked a Fiver for every City fan that found themselves cursing United and Giggsy after the Welshman slotted that winner 75 seconds into added time against Norwich? And then came that very tough looking away assignment at White Hart Lane.
The weekend prior to United's visit to North London, Arsenal had panned Spurs 5-2 at the Emirates. If that wasn't bad enough, Spurs had somehow managed to throw away a two-goal lead and then they lost Gareth Bale due to injury.
So going into the Spurs game and following the win at Carrow Road, United had every reason to be confident, but what followed once again left us breathless. Spurs pretty much played United off the park in the first-half, but remarkably, after 69 minutes the champions were 3-0 up. Defoe pulled a late goal back for Spurs but United ran out 1-3 winners.
Those two Premier League away wins could well turn out to be season defining, not least because many pundits and fans alike fully expected United to drop points. It didn't happen and what's more the wins at Carrow Road and White Hart Lane came in between the two home defeats in the Europa League - which again raises questions about the quality of the League as well as United's title credentials...
But with just 10 league games to go, no one can confidently predict the outcome. We can be sure the battle for the title will continue to provide us with excitement and many talking points.
While it is fair to ask questions about the squad, we cannot deny United have suffered more than most with injuries this season, but on that score, things are starting to look up. Tom Cleverley is fit again - for how long remains to be seen - but if he can win back his starting place, we could see him linking up with Rooney and Young to stunning effect.
Then there's Paul Pogba, who was reportedly set to spurn United in preference for Juventus. Putting it bluntly: Manchester United cannot afford to lose a player like Pogba who has bags of potential. If Pogba joined Juventus, it would have sent out an awful message about the current state of United and yes, it would have reflected badly on the player, but also on Ferguson too. Hopefully, Pogba will soon sign that new contract and he will go on cement a place in the heart of United's engine room over the next 12 months.
If United are going to continue to keep pace with City and go on to retain the title, every player in the squad will have to play close to their best when called upon.
Wayne Rooney is currently in a hot run of scoring form (five from the last three games), but in the eyes of many, he isn't playing even close to his best.
The spotlight has been firmly on David de Gea, and rightly so following some of his performances this season. The young Spanish goalkeeper was under the spotlight because he'd made some awful errors, but following a lengthy spell on the bench, to his eternal credit he has comeback all the stronger and he has started re-pay that huge transfer fee and as well as the manager's faith in him.
United have managed to turn the tables on City (for now), but there will be many more twists and turns before the end of what is turning into a fascinating season. Will the title be decided when United travel to Eastlands for the derby at the end of April, as Roberto Mancini claims? Don't be surprised if it goes to the last game of the season, is our verdict. Fasten your seat-belts, it is going to be a bumpy ride.
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
City piling on pressure on United: Can the champions keep pace with the league leaders?
Many United fans won't like to acknowledge it, but it is beginning to look like a case of WHEN and not IF Manchester City will be crowned champions. Truth be told, our 'noisy neighbours' have been playing like champions elect all season, and whisper this quietly, some of their football has been sublime at times. David Silva will justifiably win the Players' Player of the Year and the Football Writers' Player of the Year. Why, oh why didn't Manchester United ever make a bid to sign Silva? Only Ferguson can answer that question. We could ask the same question about Aguero too.
While giving our time-honoured bitter rivals credit, we know that City have become nothing more than a 'rich-man's play thing' and should their Arabian owners ever grow tired of throwing endless amounts of money at what was hitherto a hopeless lost cause, they will return to their previous 'also-ran' status in short order.
It's a totally different scenario where United and the Glazer family are concerned. United were a cash rich club before being taken over in 2005 by the loathsome Floridian family. It is one of the greatest ironies, that it was precisely because United were so strong financially, which in turn allowed the Glazers' to leverage a debt mountain onto the club.
In sharp contrast to the ownership regime at City, if the Glazers' ever sold out to someone who could actually afford the asking price without borrowing on a sickening scale, the said owner would make a fortune, because United, despite their debt concerns, are still a prodigious money making machine. In other words, in contrast to City, United would prosper should the Glazers' ever sell out: We will never say that about the prospect of City's owners walking away.
For now, even the most die-hard red cannot argue that Mancini has spent wisely and he's built a formidable squad. As far as the title race is concerned, with 13 games still to play, quite obviously, it isn't yet over - the Fat Lady hasn't sung, but for sure, she's been heard clearing her throat in anticipation.
Should Manchester United fail to win away at Norwich and Spurs the battle for the Premier League trophy will more than likely be all but lost; from that point onwards Ferguson and everyone connected with United will almost certainly start to mentally prepare to finish as runner-up (if indeed that isn't the case already - we have to believe that is NOT the case, nor should it be).
Realistically, City don't look like a team who are going to drop many points between now and the end of the season - that is the blunt truth of the matter.
United have put up a pretty good fight thus far: that is the champions have apart from a few notable exceptions; the shameful 6-1 derby reverse and losing at home to Blackburn.
The absolute doomsday scenario for United fans, is that City will be effectively crowned champions when the two teams meet in the derby at Eastlands at the end of April.
As ever, there is of course another more hopeful scenario: United could go on to win at Norwich and at Spurs, the champions then edge out City in a tightly fought derby and go on to retain the title. If that happens it will be among Ferguson's finest achievements and it will likely bring down the curtain on his glittering career, but will it happen?
While giving our time-honoured bitter rivals credit, we know that City have become nothing more than a 'rich-man's play thing' and should their Arabian owners ever grow tired of throwing endless amounts of money at what was hitherto a hopeless lost cause, they will return to their previous 'also-ran' status in short order.
It's a totally different scenario where United and the Glazer family are concerned. United were a cash rich club before being taken over in 2005 by the loathsome Floridian family. It is one of the greatest ironies, that it was precisely because United were so strong financially, which in turn allowed the Glazers' to leverage a debt mountain onto the club.
In sharp contrast to the ownership regime at City, if the Glazers' ever sold out to someone who could actually afford the asking price without borrowing on a sickening scale, the said owner would make a fortune, because United, despite their debt concerns, are still a prodigious money making machine. In other words, in contrast to City, United would prosper should the Glazers' ever sell out: We will never say that about the prospect of City's owners walking away.
For now, even the most die-hard red cannot argue that Mancini has spent wisely and he's built a formidable squad. As far as the title race is concerned, with 13 games still to play, quite obviously, it isn't yet over - the Fat Lady hasn't sung, but for sure, she's been heard clearing her throat in anticipation.
Should Manchester United fail to win away at Norwich and Spurs the battle for the Premier League trophy will more than likely be all but lost; from that point onwards Ferguson and everyone connected with United will almost certainly start to mentally prepare to finish as runner-up (if indeed that isn't the case already - we have to believe that is NOT the case, nor should it be).
Realistically, City don't look like a team who are going to drop many points between now and the end of the season - that is the blunt truth of the matter.
United have put up a pretty good fight thus far: that is the champions have apart from a few notable exceptions; the shameful 6-1 derby reverse and losing at home to Blackburn.
The absolute doomsday scenario for United fans, is that City will be effectively crowned champions when the two teams meet in the derby at Eastlands at the end of April.
As ever, there is of course another more hopeful scenario: United could go on to win at Norwich and at Spurs, the champions then edge out City in a tightly fought derby and go on to retain the title. If that happens it will be among Ferguson's finest achievements and it will likely bring down the curtain on his glittering career, but will it happen?
Sunday, February 05, 2012
Pressure on De Gea and Ferguson as United look to keep pace with leaders City at Chelsea...
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Manchester United are set to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what has become a very important Premier League fixture in recent seasons, largely thanks to the self-indulgence of Roman Abramovich. The champions are currently three points behind Manchester City, and Ferguson will want to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Ahead of the game, the United team news is both good and bad; good because Tom Cleverley is reportedly fit again, as is Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani, but it's not so good where goalkeepers are concerned, because Anders Lindegaard, the club's new number one is out injured for up to six weeks.
Lindegaard had managed to dislodge David de Gea, following a string of high-profile errors by the former Athletico Madrid youngster. However, Lindegaard sustained a training ground injury which led to a recall for De Gea for last weekend's FA Cup tie at Anfield, but once again the young Spanish stopper was badly at fault for one of Liverpool's goals. United were eventually knocked out of the FA Cup. Not for the first time this season, United were dumped out of a cup competition, partly because of a goalkeeping error.
At one point during Sunday's FA Cup tie, it looked as though De Gea had a touch of 'Anfield flu'; it looked as though he wanted to be replaced...and for no obvious reason. Daniel Taylor of the Guardian later wrote that it was akin to Basil Fawlty complaining about his old shrapnel wound playing up...
But whatever we are to make of De Gea's Anfield antics, United's season has been blighted by injuries.
Both De Gea and Lindegaard subsequently missed the midweek win over Stoke City, in which United ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to two converted penalty kicks by Berbatov and Hernandez. Ben Amos was in goal for United against Stoke, but he will likely be on the bench at Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the no.1 goalkeeper position is a matter of serious concern for Ferguson, despite what he might say publicly...
Ferguson splashed out £18m on De Gea last summer and so it comes as no great surprise that he has been defending the Spaniard this week, he would, wouldn't he? The fact is, no amount of spin will deflect attention away from De Gea - the spotlight is very much on him today and it will be for the remainder of the campaign, but this is entirely a self-made situation.
Ferguson's judgement has to be questioned too, because, frankly, de Gea looks ill-equipped to succeed in the Premier League. It wouldn't matter if De Gea was playing for any other Premier League club - if rivals' see a perceived weakness they will make every attempt to exploit that weakness.
When he arrived at United, it was reported that De Gea had conceded the most goals from distance in La Liga last season. As if that wasn't bad enough, to put it bluntly, the former Athletico Madrid 'keeper has been found badly wanting when it comes to dealing with crosses into the United penalty area. Many supporters and pundits are now asking themselves what exactly did United see in De Gea? Sure, he makes the occasional eye-catching save, but that's no use if you continue to make basic errors.
Top-class goalkeepers' pride themselves on keeping clean sheets and not making too many mistakes. So far in his short United career, de Gea has spectacularly failed to live up to expectations.
De Gea's presence in between the sticks will not inspire confidence in the United back-four, quite the reverse, at least that is the big danger. Mutual trust and effective communication are vital elements in any strong defensive unit, and it is safe to assume that United's central defenders are less than 100% sure what de Gea will do when that ball is pumped into those danger areas.
No one, including Ferguson, needs to be reminded that all successful teams are built on solid foundations. It is hard to believe that it was presumably the same scouting network that identified a world-class goalkeeper to be like Peter Schmeichel. Signing Edwin van der Sar was an easy to decision to make; but those two apart, they have to a large degree been fabulous exceptions to the rule.
When we look back down the years, despite all of his wonderful success, Ferguson has really struggled at times to find reliable goalkeepers; Massimo Taibi aka the "Venetian Blind" and hapless Ben Foster are just two names from the list of many failures.
With the benefit of hindsight, clearly, Manchester United made a big mistake when allowing Tim Howard to leave the club to join Everton. Howard is a safer bet than any of Ferguson's current options, barring possibly Lindegaard, but the jury is very out on him too.
If de Gea is going to justify his hefty price tag and earn the right to be selected in the United first team and into the bargain silence his many critics, then today at Stamford Bridge would be a good place to start to prove his worth.
As if more spice were needed ahead of this important West London fixture, we have the prospect of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand facing-off following the unsavoury racism storm involving the now deposed England skipper and Rio's younger brother, Anton. Let us hope Monday's headlines focus on football (and no more mistakes) instead of alleged acts of racism.
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Manchester United are set to take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in what has become a very important Premier League fixture in recent seasons, largely thanks to the self-indulgence of Roman Abramovich. The champions are currently three points behind Manchester City, and Ferguson will want to keep the pressure on the league leaders.
Ahead of the game, the United team news is both good and bad; good because Tom Cleverley is reportedly fit again, as is Ashley Young, Wayne Rooney and Nani, but it's not so good where goalkeepers are concerned, because Anders Lindegaard, the club's new number one is out injured for up to six weeks.
Lindegaard had managed to dislodge David de Gea, following a string of high-profile errors by the former Athletico Madrid youngster. However, Lindegaard sustained a training ground injury which led to a recall for De Gea for last weekend's FA Cup tie at Anfield, but once again the young Spanish stopper was badly at fault for one of Liverpool's goals. United were eventually knocked out of the FA Cup. Not for the first time this season, United were dumped out of a cup competition, partly because of a goalkeeping error.
At one point during Sunday's FA Cup tie, it looked as though De Gea had a touch of 'Anfield flu'; it looked as though he wanted to be replaced...and for no obvious reason. Daniel Taylor of the Guardian later wrote that it was akin to Basil Fawlty complaining about his old shrapnel wound playing up...
But whatever we are to make of De Gea's Anfield antics, United's season has been blighted by injuries.
Both De Gea and Lindegaard subsequently missed the midweek win over Stoke City, in which United ran out 2-0 winners, thanks to two converted penalty kicks by Berbatov and Hernandez. Ben Amos was in goal for United against Stoke, but he will likely be on the bench at Stamford Bridge. Nonetheless, the no.1 goalkeeper position is a matter of serious concern for Ferguson, despite what he might say publicly...
Ferguson splashed out £18m on De Gea last summer and so it comes as no great surprise that he has been defending the Spaniard this week, he would, wouldn't he? The fact is, no amount of spin will deflect attention away from De Gea - the spotlight is very much on him today and it will be for the remainder of the campaign, but this is entirely a self-made situation.
Ferguson's judgement has to be questioned too, because, frankly, de Gea looks ill-equipped to succeed in the Premier League. It wouldn't matter if De Gea was playing for any other Premier League club - if rivals' see a perceived weakness they will make every attempt to exploit that weakness.
When he arrived at United, it was reported that De Gea had conceded the most goals from distance in La Liga last season. As if that wasn't bad enough, to put it bluntly, the former Athletico Madrid 'keeper has been found badly wanting when it comes to dealing with crosses into the United penalty area. Many supporters and pundits are now asking themselves what exactly did United see in De Gea? Sure, he makes the occasional eye-catching save, but that's no use if you continue to make basic errors.
Top-class goalkeepers' pride themselves on keeping clean sheets and not making too many mistakes. So far in his short United career, de Gea has spectacularly failed to live up to expectations.
De Gea's presence in between the sticks will not inspire confidence in the United back-four, quite the reverse, at least that is the big danger. Mutual trust and effective communication are vital elements in any strong defensive unit, and it is safe to assume that United's central defenders are less than 100% sure what de Gea will do when that ball is pumped into those danger areas.
No one, including Ferguson, needs to be reminded that all successful teams are built on solid foundations. It is hard to believe that it was presumably the same scouting network that identified a world-class goalkeeper to be like Peter Schmeichel. Signing Edwin van der Sar was an easy to decision to make; but those two apart, they have to a large degree been fabulous exceptions to the rule.
When we look back down the years, despite all of his wonderful success, Ferguson has really struggled at times to find reliable goalkeepers; Massimo Taibi aka the "Venetian Blind" and hapless Ben Foster are just two names from the list of many failures.
With the benefit of hindsight, clearly, Manchester United made a big mistake when allowing Tim Howard to leave the club to join Everton. Howard is a safer bet than any of Ferguson's current options, barring possibly Lindegaard, but the jury is very out on him too.
If de Gea is going to justify his hefty price tag and earn the right to be selected in the United first team and into the bargain silence his many critics, then today at Stamford Bridge would be a good place to start to prove his worth.
As if more spice were needed ahead of this important West London fixture, we have the prospect of John Terry and Rio Ferdinand facing-off following the unsavoury racism storm involving the now deposed England skipper and Rio's younger brother, Anton. Let us hope Monday's headlines focus on football (and no more mistakes) instead of alleged acts of racism.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Mourinho unlikely to choose cash-strapped Manchester United...
News that Jose Mourinho could be about to de-camp to yet another club will no doubt result in managers at some of Europe's top clubs looking over their shoulders. It was ever thus.
Mourinho is of course hugely successful; his wins to games ratio at 69% is astonishing, that's an incredible ll% higher than Ferguson's - though, it's true the United manager has been around for a lot longer.
Mourinho, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in the eyes of many he is the finest club coach in the world. If we are to assume he could move on this summer, will he come to Manchester United and take over from Ferguson? The odds of Jose becoming to Old Trafford will be short, not because it is likely to happen, but because many United fans will back the current Real Manager. The bookies favourite doesn't always win...
When and if Jose moves on, he will have the pick of the top jobs - including the United job...but why would Mourinho take over a debt ridden, cash-strapped club when there's more attractive offers on the table? Mourinho is a winner, but wherever he's been since he left Porto, he has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market and that simply would NOT happen at Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be able to meet Mourinho's financial demands. In contrast, sadly, United have lost much of their clout in the transfer market since the Glazer family takeover in 2005. Ferguson can no longer compete effectively because of the financial constraints placed upon him.
Whoever takes over from Ferguson is on a hiding to nothing - after all his success who, apart from Mourinho could follow that? But, it's extremely doubtful that Jose would accept the United job, because it represents too much of a challenge.
Mourinho is of course hugely successful; his wins to games ratio at 69% is astonishing, that's an incredible ll% higher than Ferguson's - though, it's true the United manager has been around for a lot longer.
Mourinho, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but in the eyes of many he is the finest club coach in the world. If we are to assume he could move on this summer, will he come to Manchester United and take over from Ferguson? The odds of Jose becoming to Old Trafford will be short, not because it is likely to happen, but because many United fans will back the current Real Manager. The bookies favourite doesn't always win...
When and if Jose moves on, he will have the pick of the top jobs - including the United job...but why would Mourinho take over a debt ridden, cash-strapped club when there's more attractive offers on the table? Mourinho is a winner, but wherever he's been since he left Porto, he has been backed to the hilt in the transfer market and that simply would NOT happen at Old Trafford.
Chelsea and Manchester City will be able to meet Mourinho's financial demands. In contrast, sadly, United have lost much of their clout in the transfer market since the Glazer family takeover in 2005. Ferguson can no longer compete effectively because of the financial constraints placed upon him.
Whoever takes over from Ferguson is on a hiding to nothing - after all his success who, apart from Mourinho could follow that? But, it's extremely doubtful that Jose would accept the United job, because it represents too much of a challenge.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
No excuses for De Gea and United as Liverpool deliver FA Cup KO....
Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup at Anfield on Saturday by a less than impressive Liverpool team. United enjoyed the lions share of possession for long periods of a game that they by and large controlled, but the champions were once again guilty of making costly defensive errors and at the other end they were toothless up front.
Ferguson elected to start with Carrick, Giggs and Scholes in the engine room - a decision that can only be described as a gamble. United's central midfield trio had a combined grand old age of 107. As if that wasn't enough of a concern, United were also without the services of Wayne Rooney, thanks to yet another injury.
The fact that United went on to control the game for long periods of this FA Cup tie, probably says more about Liverpool than the champions - though the Merseyside club may well counter that they'd had a tough game in midweek against Man City....
Despite his years and his lay-off, it was Paul Scholes who pulled the strings in midfield. Strangely, Liverpool seemed to be content to sit back and wait to hit United on the break - much to the annoyance of those on the Kop - who let their feelings known throughout...
Valencia was very unlucky not to open the scoring on 16 minutes, but his superb drive hit the base of Reina's far post. As things turned out, that was one of the few efforts on goal by the visitors, much to the collective disappointment of the 5,000 or so United fans who'd travelled to Anfield for what is always a grudge match, but on this occasion even more so than normal following the Evra and Suarez spat and subsequent lengthy suspension for the Uruguayan.
Liverpool went on to win the tie by the odd goal in three, but annoyingly for United fans, they were handed victory on a plate by David De Gea and Patrice Evra - both were guilty of making basic errors.
Liverpool were poor - but they didn't have to be *that good* to beat United and that is the real sickener for Ferguson, the supporters and players. Liverpool didn't have to work for their victory - it was handed to them on a plate.
Following a spell on the sidelines, under-fire 'keeper David De Gea was somewhat surprisingly brought back into the white-hot atmosphere of Anfield. The young Spanish goalkeeper appears to have lost his spot as the number one goalkeeper at Old Trafford, but with United playing in the FA Cup this was an opportunity to give the former Athletico Madrid goalkeeper a chance to redeem himself.
Sadly, it all went badly wrong again for De Gea, as he was largely responsible for Liverpool taking the lead on 21 minutes. Gerrard's corner into a crowded penalty area was headed home by Agger.
In the build up to that Liveroopl goal, De Gea made what can only be described as a 'schoolboy error' when he managed to get caught in no-mans-land - he was nowhere near the ball; knowing he couldn't get to the ball he should have dropped back onto his line, in so doing, giving himself half a chance of making a save from that slightly withdrawn position. The ball ended up in the United net and Ferguson later appeared to blame his defenders for getting in De Gea's way. Frankly, Ferguson's defence is laughable and ridiculous. A commanding goalkeeper like Schmeichel would have knocked his own players and the ball out of harms way, but clearly, De Gea is no match for the Great Dane - or come to that even a Tim Howard.
Liverpool knew that De Gea has a weakness on crosses and the only real question was, why after taking the lead didn't they keep on pressurising De Gea? At least that one was one of the questions asked by ITV's pundits after the game - the answer to that was simple: Liverpool didn't have the ball...
Despite going behind against the run of play, United kept their passing game together, but without penetrating the Liverpool penalty area or testing Reina.
But then, in what seemed like a blink of the eye, United equalised thanks to a very well worked goal on 38 minutes. Rafael combined quite brilliantly with Valencia on the right flank as they carved open the Liverpool defence. The Brazilian's cross found Park lurking deep inside the box, the South Korean finished in impressive style with his first touch - but that was to be the high point of his game, because on too many other occasions he was guilty of giving the ball straight back to Liverpool.
Half-time came and went, many of those in the crowd at Anfield and the millions watching on TV must have wondered if Ferguson would pull De Gea out of the firing line, but he didn't.
The story of the second-half was much like the first; United dominated for long spells but couldn't find a way through. Danny Welbeck looked totally lost up front on his own - he cannot lead the line without help.
Scholes predictably began to fade and he made way for Hernandez on 76 minutes, but to no great affect. It was Dalglish who made the more telling substitutions when sending on Kuyt, Bellamy and Adam for Carragher, Gerrard and Maxi.
Despite chasing the game for long spells without the ball, it was Liverpool who made the vital breakthrough on 88 minutes and a more simple goal you will not see this season. It came from a regulation long punt down field by Reina. Carroll nodded the ball on to unmarked Kuyt who drilled the ball home from deep inside the United box. In the TV replays that followed, it was clear that Evra's positioning was all wrong. United's captain was caught on the wrong side of Kuyt and De Gea could have done much better too.
Roy Keane summed up today: United made too many mistakes at the back and they didn't trouble Reina enough. That summed up United at Anfield in this FA Cup tie. There was very few positives from a United perspective. Rafael and Valencia were two of United's better performers. Scholes and Smalling had decent games, but collectively it wasn't good enough.
In the wake of what has been a disappointing day, Ferguson has many problems to address:
United's midfield continues to creak like an old gate.
How much longer can United continue to expect to rely on Scholes and Giggs?
Would a great club like Barcelona ever find themselves in this ridiculous situation?
It looks as though Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison will be sold and soon - a worrying situation given the hype surrounding two promising young players.
Berbatov's future continues to be the subject of intense speculation; will he be sold before the transfer window closes next week?
It looks as though the money invested in De Gea has been wasted. Anders Lindegaard was signed to be a backup 'keeper and no more than that, but it looks as though the Dane will continue to be the no.1 until Ferguson finds a suitable long-term replacement for Edwin Van der Sar.
Ferguson elected to start with Carrick, Giggs and Scholes in the engine room - a decision that can only be described as a gamble. United's central midfield trio had a combined grand old age of 107. As if that wasn't enough of a concern, United were also without the services of Wayne Rooney, thanks to yet another injury.
The fact that United went on to control the game for long periods of this FA Cup tie, probably says more about Liverpool than the champions - though the Merseyside club may well counter that they'd had a tough game in midweek against Man City....
Despite his years and his lay-off, it was Paul Scholes who pulled the strings in midfield. Strangely, Liverpool seemed to be content to sit back and wait to hit United on the break - much to the annoyance of those on the Kop - who let their feelings known throughout...
Valencia was very unlucky not to open the scoring on 16 minutes, but his superb drive hit the base of Reina's far post. As things turned out, that was one of the few efforts on goal by the visitors, much to the collective disappointment of the 5,000 or so United fans who'd travelled to Anfield for what is always a grudge match, but on this occasion even more so than normal following the Evra and Suarez spat and subsequent lengthy suspension for the Uruguayan.
Liverpool went on to win the tie by the odd goal in three, but annoyingly for United fans, they were handed victory on a plate by David De Gea and Patrice Evra - both were guilty of making basic errors.
Liverpool were poor - but they didn't have to be *that good* to beat United and that is the real sickener for Ferguson, the supporters and players. Liverpool didn't have to work for their victory - it was handed to them on a plate.
Following a spell on the sidelines, under-fire 'keeper David De Gea was somewhat surprisingly brought back into the white-hot atmosphere of Anfield. The young Spanish goalkeeper appears to have lost his spot as the number one goalkeeper at Old Trafford, but with United playing in the FA Cup this was an opportunity to give the former Athletico Madrid goalkeeper a chance to redeem himself.
Sadly, it all went badly wrong again for De Gea, as he was largely responsible for Liverpool taking the lead on 21 minutes. Gerrard's corner into a crowded penalty area was headed home by Agger.
In the build up to that Liveroopl goal, De Gea made what can only be described as a 'schoolboy error' when he managed to get caught in no-mans-land - he was nowhere near the ball; knowing he couldn't get to the ball he should have dropped back onto his line, in so doing, giving himself half a chance of making a save from that slightly withdrawn position. The ball ended up in the United net and Ferguson later appeared to blame his defenders for getting in De Gea's way. Frankly, Ferguson's defence is laughable and ridiculous. A commanding goalkeeper like Schmeichel would have knocked his own players and the ball out of harms way, but clearly, De Gea is no match for the Great Dane - or come to that even a Tim Howard.
Liverpool knew that De Gea has a weakness on crosses and the only real question was, why after taking the lead didn't they keep on pressurising De Gea? At least that one was one of the questions asked by ITV's pundits after the game - the answer to that was simple: Liverpool didn't have the ball...
Despite going behind against the run of play, United kept their passing game together, but without penetrating the Liverpool penalty area or testing Reina.
But then, in what seemed like a blink of the eye, United equalised thanks to a very well worked goal on 38 minutes. Rafael combined quite brilliantly with Valencia on the right flank as they carved open the Liverpool defence. The Brazilian's cross found Park lurking deep inside the box, the South Korean finished in impressive style with his first touch - but that was to be the high point of his game, because on too many other occasions he was guilty of giving the ball straight back to Liverpool.
Half-time came and went, many of those in the crowd at Anfield and the millions watching on TV must have wondered if Ferguson would pull De Gea out of the firing line, but he didn't.
The story of the second-half was much like the first; United dominated for long spells but couldn't find a way through. Danny Welbeck looked totally lost up front on his own - he cannot lead the line without help.
Scholes predictably began to fade and he made way for Hernandez on 76 minutes, but to no great affect. It was Dalglish who made the more telling substitutions when sending on Kuyt, Bellamy and Adam for Carragher, Gerrard and Maxi.
Despite chasing the game for long spells without the ball, it was Liverpool who made the vital breakthrough on 88 minutes and a more simple goal you will not see this season. It came from a regulation long punt down field by Reina. Carroll nodded the ball on to unmarked Kuyt who drilled the ball home from deep inside the United box. In the TV replays that followed, it was clear that Evra's positioning was all wrong. United's captain was caught on the wrong side of Kuyt and De Gea could have done much better too.
Roy Keane summed up today: United made too many mistakes at the back and they didn't trouble Reina enough. That summed up United at Anfield in this FA Cup tie. There was very few positives from a United perspective. Rafael and Valencia were two of United's better performers. Scholes and Smalling had decent games, but collectively it wasn't good enough.
In the wake of what has been a disappointing day, Ferguson has many problems to address:
United's midfield continues to creak like an old gate.
How much longer can United continue to expect to rely on Scholes and Giggs?
Would a great club like Barcelona ever find themselves in this ridiculous situation?
It looks as though Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison will be sold and soon - a worrying situation given the hype surrounding two promising young players.
Berbatov's future continues to be the subject of intense speculation; will he be sold before the transfer window closes next week?
It looks as though the money invested in De Gea has been wasted. Anders Lindegaard was signed to be a backup 'keeper and no more than that, but it looks as though the Dane will continue to be the no.1 until Ferguson finds a suitable long-term replacement for Edwin Van der Sar.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
United set to lose £30m: Berbatov to move on a free transfer next summer?
The future of Dimitar Berbatov continues to be the subject of intense media speculation. The £30m striker is out of contract next summer and is therefore free to talk to would be suitors.
The former Spurs striker has been linked to CSKA Moscow, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.
Last month, Ferguson hinted that he was ready to activate a clause in the Bulgarian's contract; one that would extend his current deal by 12 months.
However, the 30-year-old’s future must be in serious doubt after he was photographed by the media boarding a flight to Frankfurt.
Manchester United could lose £30m if they are unable to persuade Berbatov to sign that contract extension.
To add to the United manager's woes, he could also lose Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison due to contract issues.
The former Spurs striker has been linked to CSKA Moscow, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen.
Last month, Ferguson hinted that he was ready to activate a clause in the Bulgarian's contract; one that would extend his current deal by 12 months.
However, the 30-year-old’s future must be in serious doubt after he was photographed by the media boarding a flight to Frankfurt.
Manchester United could lose £30m if they are unable to persuade Berbatov to sign that contract extension.
To add to the United manager's woes, he could also lose Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison due to contract issues.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Scholes vindicates return. De Gea left out again, but all is not well at Manchester United....
United went level with Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League thanks to Saturday's three-nil win over struggling Bolton. In truth, for the second home league game in a row, despite the winning margin, United made hard work of it. While the win over Bolton keeps the pressure on leaders City, it was not the performance of champions.
Jonny Evans and Rafael were restored to the United starting eleven, at the expense of Jones and Smalling, both were rested along with Anderson who we are led to believe suffered a knock in training. Interestingly, Paul Pogba was among the United substitutes, but as things turned out, he was left on the bench along with Dimitar Berbatov (more about these two shortly).
But for the poor quality of United's final ball into the Bolton penalty area in the first ten minutes, the champions could have been three-nil up, but that didn't happen.
With Scholes pulling the strings in midfield, United's build up play was good, at least it was until that vital final ball was delivered into the Bolton box.
Rooney failed convert a penalty in the 24th minute, but much credit should go to Adam Bogdan in the Bolton goal who made a fine save. Bogdan, had an excellent first-half, but he could do nothing about Paul Scholes tap-in on the stroke of half-time.
Danny Welbeck very nearly denied Scholes his first comeback goal when he appeared to try to control Rooney's pass, but he failed to do so, luckily for United, the former England midfield general was on-hand to open the scoring.
From that point onwards, United should have gone on to close the goal-difference gap on leaders City, but the crispness of passing, speed of thought and accuracy wasn't there for much of the second-half. At least that was the case as far as too many were concerned in the famous red shirt.
Scholes was the exception - at the grand old age of 37 - he was by far United's most effective midfield player on show. Scholes made the effort to get into the Bolton penalty several times, but the quality of United's final ball wasn't what we have come to expect from Nani and Valencia.
Scholes and Nani were eventually replaced by Giggs and Park in the 68th minute. Scholes didn't look too impressed with the manager's decision - and with some justification too, because he was by some distance United's most effective player on show. At the time of that double substitution, United were only one-nil to the good, no doubt fearing another Old Trafford slip-up, Ferguson took the decision to bring on fresh legs and to rest Scholes.
Former Liverpool striker, David Ngog missed the opportunity to put Bolton on level terms, but instead his shot nearly ended up in the third tier of the East Stand.
United's second-half play was sloppy on too many occasions and this gave the visitors' encouragement to push for an equaliser.
United finally scored a much needed second goal on 73 minutes and once again it was Rooney who was the provider. Despite being the attentions of a Bolton defender, Rooney managed to somehow prod the ball into the path of his strike partner and Welbeck finished with his first touch from just inside the visitors' penalty area.
The joy of scoring looked initially to have come at a high price, as both Rooney and Welbeck were felled just after getting what turned out to be a vital touch on the ball. Welbeck in particular looked to be in real pain as he lay writhing in agony inside the Bolton penalty area. With United travelling to North London next weekend to face Arsenal, the last thing Ferguson needs is more injury concerns.
Michael Carrick eased any prospect of another lapse by the champions when he hammered home a rare goal, one that ensured victory on 83 minutes with a well taken low curling drive into Bogdan's bottom right-hand corner.
In his post-match interview, Ferguson criticised referee Peter Walton for not showing Zat Knight a red card for his trip on Welbeck which led to the penalty. Nothing annoys manager's more than refereeing inconsistencies - fans and pundits alike will concur with the United manager on this aspect of the game.
In summary, Ferguson's decision to bring back Scholes in United's hour of need has been fully vindicated, at least it has for now. Scholes is still by far the most comfortable player on the ball, in any given situation; he is still the best passer of the ball at the club. However, while Scholes is likely to continue to prove his worth for the remainder of the season, his return to the first-team squad has had a knock-on effect where the likes of Anderson and Pogba are concerned.
For the third game in succession, David de Gea was left on the bench and it looks, for now at least, that Anders Lindegaard is the new no.1 goalkeeper at Old Trafford. De Gea will be given at least one more chance but any more mistakes could signal the end of his short United career.
ALL NOT WELL AT MANCHESTER UNITED...
With the January transfer window open, any of hopes of Ferguson adding much needed quality to his squad appear to be hopeful rather than tangible. Not unsurprisingly, Darron Gibson has been sold to Everton for a lowly transfer fee - as little as £500,000 has been reported.
The future of Dimitar Berbatov continues to be the subject of speculation linking the striker to PSG among others including Bayern
The re-emergence of Scholes has had a much talked about knock-on affect where the likes of Anderson and Pogba are concerned.
Anderson has failed to consistently live up to expectations - given his hefty price tag the Brazilian has been a disappointment.
In the case of Paul Pogba, United appear to have hit a stumbling block, because the club have revealed ongoing contract negotiations continue to be problematic. This situation has led to speculation about the youngster's future. According to one report over the weekend Manchester City are about to pass up the opportunity of signing Pogba on a pre-contract agreement for fear of causing upset with the neighbours.
Pogba's three year deal expires this summer - though United are thought to have an option to extend his current deal by 12 months. The notion that City wouldn't sign Pogba for fear of upsetting United is, it to put mildly, ridiculous. Man City signed Tevez and Hargreaves - their motives as far as the latter are concerned were questionable at best.
The future of Ravel Morrison has been the subject of much speculation over the last week, with United announcing the highly rated youngster is up for sale. United claimed the player has refused their contract offer, while Morrison has denied knowledge of any offer via Twitter. Newcastle are said to ready to sign Morrison. Manchester United have rejected at least one offer from the Magpies and so it looks as though it is only a matter of time before a deal will be completed.
The extent of United's contract troubles have been added to with the news that Danny Welbeck has become the subject of speculation about his future. United have reportedly offered the young England striker a bumper pay rise in recognition for his improvement and goals this season, but as yet we understand that deal remains unsigned.
Jonny Evans and Rafael were restored to the United starting eleven, at the expense of Jones and Smalling, both were rested along with Anderson who we are led to believe suffered a knock in training. Interestingly, Paul Pogba was among the United substitutes, but as things turned out, he was left on the bench along with Dimitar Berbatov (more about these two shortly).
But for the poor quality of United's final ball into the Bolton penalty area in the first ten minutes, the champions could have been three-nil up, but that didn't happen.
With Scholes pulling the strings in midfield, United's build up play was good, at least it was until that vital final ball was delivered into the Bolton box.
Rooney failed convert a penalty in the 24th minute, but much credit should go to Adam Bogdan in the Bolton goal who made a fine save. Bogdan, had an excellent first-half, but he could do nothing about Paul Scholes tap-in on the stroke of half-time.
Danny Welbeck very nearly denied Scholes his first comeback goal when he appeared to try to control Rooney's pass, but he failed to do so, luckily for United, the former England midfield general was on-hand to open the scoring.
From that point onwards, United should have gone on to close the goal-difference gap on leaders City, but the crispness of passing, speed of thought and accuracy wasn't there for much of the second-half. At least that was the case as far as too many were concerned in the famous red shirt.
Scholes was the exception - at the grand old age of 37 - he was by far United's most effective midfield player on show. Scholes made the effort to get into the Bolton penalty several times, but the quality of United's final ball wasn't what we have come to expect from Nani and Valencia.
Scholes and Nani were eventually replaced by Giggs and Park in the 68th minute. Scholes didn't look too impressed with the manager's decision - and with some justification too, because he was by some distance United's most effective player on show. At the time of that double substitution, United were only one-nil to the good, no doubt fearing another Old Trafford slip-up, Ferguson took the decision to bring on fresh legs and to rest Scholes.
Former Liverpool striker, David Ngog missed the opportunity to put Bolton on level terms, but instead his shot nearly ended up in the third tier of the East Stand.
United's second-half play was sloppy on too many occasions and this gave the visitors' encouragement to push for an equaliser.
United finally scored a much needed second goal on 73 minutes and once again it was Rooney who was the provider. Despite being the attentions of a Bolton defender, Rooney managed to somehow prod the ball into the path of his strike partner and Welbeck finished with his first touch from just inside the visitors' penalty area.
The joy of scoring looked initially to have come at a high price, as both Rooney and Welbeck were felled just after getting what turned out to be a vital touch on the ball. Welbeck in particular looked to be in real pain as he lay writhing in agony inside the Bolton penalty area. With United travelling to North London next weekend to face Arsenal, the last thing Ferguson needs is more injury concerns.
Michael Carrick eased any prospect of another lapse by the champions when he hammered home a rare goal, one that ensured victory on 83 minutes with a well taken low curling drive into Bogdan's bottom right-hand corner.
In his post-match interview, Ferguson criticised referee Peter Walton for not showing Zat Knight a red card for his trip on Welbeck which led to the penalty. Nothing annoys manager's more than refereeing inconsistencies - fans and pundits alike will concur with the United manager on this aspect of the game.
In summary, Ferguson's decision to bring back Scholes in United's hour of need has been fully vindicated, at least it has for now. Scholes is still by far the most comfortable player on the ball, in any given situation; he is still the best passer of the ball at the club. However, while Scholes is likely to continue to prove his worth for the remainder of the season, his return to the first-team squad has had a knock-on effect where the likes of Anderson and Pogba are concerned.
For the third game in succession, David de Gea was left on the bench and it looks, for now at least, that Anders Lindegaard is the new no.1 goalkeeper at Old Trafford. De Gea will be given at least one more chance but any more mistakes could signal the end of his short United career.
ALL NOT WELL AT MANCHESTER UNITED...
With the January transfer window open, any of hopes of Ferguson adding much needed quality to his squad appear to be hopeful rather than tangible. Not unsurprisingly, Darron Gibson has been sold to Everton for a lowly transfer fee - as little as £500,000 has been reported.
The future of Dimitar Berbatov continues to be the subject of speculation linking the striker to PSG among others including Bayern
The re-emergence of Scholes has had a much talked about knock-on affect where the likes of Anderson and Pogba are concerned.
Anderson has failed to consistently live up to expectations - given his hefty price tag the Brazilian has been a disappointment.
In the case of Paul Pogba, United appear to have hit a stumbling block, because the club have revealed ongoing contract negotiations continue to be problematic. This situation has led to speculation about the youngster's future. According to one report over the weekend Manchester City are about to pass up the opportunity of signing Pogba on a pre-contract agreement for fear of causing upset with the neighbours.
Pogba's three year deal expires this summer - though United are thought to have an option to extend his current deal by 12 months. The notion that City wouldn't sign Pogba for fear of upsetting United is, it to put mildly, ridiculous. Man City signed Tevez and Hargreaves - their motives as far as the latter are concerned were questionable at best.
The future of Ravel Morrison has been the subject of much speculation over the last week, with United announcing the highly rated youngster is up for sale. United claimed the player has refused their contract offer, while Morrison has denied knowledge of any offer via Twitter. Newcastle are said to ready to sign Morrison. Manchester United have rejected at least one offer from the Magpies and so it looks as though it is only a matter of time before a deal will be completed.
The extent of United's contract troubles have been added to with the news that Danny Welbeck has become the subject of speculation about his future. United have reportedly offered the young England striker a bumper pay rise in recognition for his improvement and goals this season, but as yet we understand that deal remains unsigned.
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