Manchester United and a case of mistaken identity

Article by e-Manchester United Correspondent Mark Harbottle

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When the squad line up was released on Sunday afternoon, I think it would be reasonable for most Manchester United fans to feel fairly optimistic. Rooney captaining a side which included youth and experience; arguably England’s future defensive partnership Jones and Smalling supported by our (historically) reliable defensive duo Fletcher and Carrick. Pulling the strings in the attack Kagawa and Mata were each given the role of number 10, we had been waiting for these two to play again since impressing against Newcastle. Finally, a fresh faced Nani and Buttner were back – both players with something to prove. This would be a match where control and a win was expected. How unfortunately wrong we were...

Possession was a given in this game. Everton have been exceptional all season, every single player taking it up a notch but their passing style was sacrificed for controlling the game without the ball. I think I got bored watching 7 red shirts surrounding a box with no one in it by about the 20th minute. Everyone was weaving in and out of each other looking for intricate and attractive football, but there was no cutting edge, no defence-splitting through ball. Perhaps this is the sacrifice of having so many playmakers on a pitch.

If we’re not going to caress the ball into the box through beautiful football, then maybe we can create enough chances to shoot…I thought positively. Alas, there were enough chances to take a crack from 25 yards but we were either afraid to do so, or the powers that be in the dressing room have deterred this method of play in favour of pass and move.

Everton didn’t just show us that counter attacking football worked, they taught us how to do it. We almost did that against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but the German outfit had the killer instinct, the eye for goal and simply the players with enough quality to finish off a move built from the defensive line. We simply couldn’t handle Everton’s pace, and we didn’t have the quality on the pitch to put the ball in the back of the net. Perhaps it would be easy to just criticise each player; Nani is not the same as he was, Rooney looked stranded, Kagawa lost the ball more times than a child playing in the garden. But this game showed so much more than that. Even in the last 20 minutes Everton’s possession increased – they didn’t look stronger, but Manchester United looked weaker. We were reluctant to give it a go, playing with a defeatist attitude. This has never been a trait of this club. Who are we now?

Looking for a single place to point a finger I think most would struggle, but we would all think of the Manager first. This squad won the premier league by a canter last season. We’ve lost 10 out of 22 games this season, and will finish outside the top four for the first time in over a decade. This is not the same team, but Moyes is the only difference. Are we forced to place blame in his direction?

Media gossip suggests Moyes will be out in the summer, others indicate we could have a week left before he is replaced. Something dramatic has to happen because I’m not sure how I’d feel saying “good effort David. Here’s two hundred million pounds, see you in September. Good luck”.

Best case scenario? I don’t think there is one. Perhaps all we need is to write the season off and send the lads off home / to the beach / World Cup, and let them come back with desire and desperation to prove everyone wrong. Perhaps the other option is a major clear out of squad and backroom staff and start again. Pretend this season never happened. That won’t come cheap, and Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal won’t let us forget that for…ever!

If in fact nothing does change by way of men on the payroll, what must be dramatically reviewed is Moyes’ vision, the style of play and formation. Every team above us in the league has a style of play; Brendan’s pass and build, Chelsea’s brick wall defence or City’s powerful forward play. The Manchester United of old will be wondering what Moyes is actually trying to do. I know I would accept a 7th place (or worse) finish if I could see the bigger picture, but I’m not convinced the players know much more than we do at this stage. I wonder if Moyes’ fingers are crossed any more than mine right now.

I hope you can add your thoughts / comments. You can follow me on twitter @harbottle_mark

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