UNITED TO STRUGGLE WITHOUT OLD FASHIONED CENTRE FORWARD
Posted by Napolean in Alex Ferguson, Man United, Owen Hargreaves, Wayne Rooney | 10 October 2007
A net bursting 4-0 victory over a capitulating Wigan provided Sir Alex Ferguson with some welcome relief after a stuttering start to this season’s campaign by the champions who were beginning to take over the mantle left by the Arsenal Team of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.
It would’ve been a difficult task to emulate the blistering start to the 2006-7 campaign and to be fair apart from the first three games United have been solid even without the Talismanic Neville and the loss of Heinze and Silvestre. However, Ferguson seems to be preparing United for an onslaught on Europe this year. The team has a much more measured approach, taking less risk, and as a consequence scoring fewer goals. One thing Sir Alex has overlooked is that with all the attacking options at his disposal, unless Louis Saha can stay fit for a full season, there is no one in the United team who can be the cog and lead the line up front.
As with the midfield where most teams play a holding midfielder to allow the more creative feet to be more flexible and fluid, Hamann for City, Mascherano for Liverpool, Makelele for Chelsea and Hargreaves/Carrick for United, if United are to be successful at playing with a more measured approach it will become prevalent that they need an Old Fashioned Centre Forward in the mould of Mark Hughes. The perfect option at present would be Dean Ashton who is proving himself, when injury free (and hopefully doesn’t turn out to be troubled like Saha), to be a real handful for some of the best defenders in the world.
Although Rooney & Tevez are both tenacious and bullish, it is not their natural game to be playing with their backs to goal. They both lose some of their creative influence when they have to take on this responsibility and with a lack of imposing height will lose the majority of headers that get pumped up to them, giving easy pickings for the opposing teams to take control of possession.
Other Teams that are better than Wigan will stifle United’s front line because there is no cognitive player who can link the midfield and attack. When Saha is fully fit he should be played by Ferguson and more goals will follow. However, there is no alternative to a player who I think has massive talent but who year after year only manages to play half a season through injury. Who can fill the void? Have your say, what do you think? Comments more than welcome…
Comments
Just three words - Klaas Jan Huntelaar!
This article is not complete without a mention of Arsenal's Flamini included with the rest as a holding midfielder. He allows Fabregas to shine!
I think Nicholas Anelka should be bought next january.
You mention that you think Sir Alex has 'overlooked' the need for a more old fashioned centre forward... Do you really rate Sir Alex that lowly so as to actually consider that he 'overlooked' such an obvious area? You may forget that he made an enquiry for Berbatov but was kindly told that his money was of no use by Spurs... Furthermore, I don't believe that Tevez was bought because he was seen as a necessity to the team but rather because he was available and the manager thought he would be a valuable player for the squad... Sir Alex is still in the market for that target man forward, he has overlooked nothing.
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