It’s been a magnificent season; winning number 19 and overtaking the scousers, Berbatov winning the golden boot, Nani developing into a real threat, Chicharito exceeding expectations, Valencia’s return from injury, and Rooney’s redemption from a terrible start. However, when you lose on the biggest stage of all, in the final, in the last match of the season, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
I am gutted! It was a valiant effort, and while you can blame the loss on individual errors, or an overly attacking formation, the bottom line is we were beaten by the better team. Not just the better team, but the best team in the world, playing at their very best. Losing to them once hurt, but losing to them again was worse. It’s not that they’re particularly unlikable; apart from some of their play-acting and theatrics they’re a lot more respectable than teams like Madrid or our domestic rivals. It’s the fact that beating them is beginning to look like a tough task for us or any team for that matter.
In Messi they have without doubt the best player in the world, playing alongside probably the 3rd and 4th best players in the world in Xavi and Iniesta. Not to mention other names like Villa, Alves and Pique. Most of them are young and they’ve got the finances to improve. They’re not going to fade away any time soon. So how do you beat them?
First of all, they are not unbeatable. Madrid showed us that this season, when they’re not on their day, they can be frustrated. From a United standpoint we need to invest. Not just to compete for the Champions League, but to cement our grip at the top of English football and keep the mercenaries of Chelsea and Man City at bay (the two clubs I feel capable of challenging for the next few years). We also need to invest due to the retirements and departures expected this summer.
Assuming we have the money, which is a big “if” considering the lack of activity since the Glazers took over, we need to invest in two key areas, on at least 3 players who will improve our first team, rather than add to our squad.
A goalkeeper is top of the list as our Dutch legend is finally hanging up his gloves, and it seems we already have a replacement. De Gea has big gloves to fill, literally and figuratively, and I hope he fulfils the potential that our scouts and management see in him. He’s very young for a keeper; I just hope he can handle the pressures of playing for a club our size.
In my opinion, in defence we are set. Smalling will be the natural replacement for Ferdinand when the time is right. Evans has potential, Vidic is the best centre back in the world, Evra has had a poor season but is still a top player, and the Da Silva’s are really making progress; even O’Shea can do a job. Upfront we are also set. Rooney and Hernandez have developed a frightening partnership which I can’t wait to see blossom even further next year, Berbatov is still around and provides class, and Owen can still prove clinical off the bench as he proved on the last day of the season against Blackpool. We also have Wellbeck coming back from a very good season with Sunderland.
It’s our midfield that really needs the investment. We have a lot of “good” players, but to challenge the likes of Iniesta and Xavi, or to even match the likes of other rival players like Fabregas, Essien, Yaya or Ozil, we need to invest in real class. Nani and Valencia have both shown they work better on the right, so the left is an area we could improve (with all due respect to Park). Ashley Young may be a decent signing, and would improve us particularly with his crossing, but will he scare the big teams? I may be wrong but I think we should be aiming for someone with a higher ceiling than Young, like Alexis Sanchez of Udinese. He can play either wing and has the pace, tricks, power and finishing to cause havoc in the Premiership and in Europe. In centre mid we need someone who can create and score goals, who can give world class support to Rooney and Hernandez. That someone is Wesley Sneijder. How realistic that is depends on how much money we really have, but if possible that would be a marquee signing that would give the club, and our set pieces, a huge boost; he’d thrive in England. Carrick has been decent for the past 2 months and Fletcher has been a good DMC before his decline this season, but perhaps investing in that area of midfield, in a player of a higher class, could be important to thwart the best teams. Lassana Diarra doesn’t always start for Madrid and could be available at a good price. I certainly don’t expect us to get all three of those midfielders, and we may well get none of them, but Fergie can’t unearth gems like Hernandez every season and these are the type of players we can aspire to, that would improve our first team a lot. If they aren’t available, the likes of Charlie Adam and Ashley Young will still be decent signings.
So, that’s my 2 riyals worth regarding what we need in the summer. Coming the day after a loss it may look like a knee-jerk, but I can assure you I’m not the only one who has realised for a while we need some changes.
I’ll leave you with a picture I took in Rome at the Stadio Olympico after our 2-0 loss to Barca, as relevant today as it was then unfortunately. We’ll be back though, and I’m already excited about the new season. Bring on City, bring on Barca, bring on number 20 and number 4.
We’ll keep the red flag flying high, cause Man United will never die
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