There have been many questions raised over the form of Manchester United, or rather the lack of it in the ongoing season of the Barclays Premier League. There can be arguments and counter-arguments to that effect analysing every aspect of United’s performance
in detail, but at the end of the day one only needs to look at the Premier League table and United’s position on it to gauge the health of their season.
United currently hold second place in the league table with 28 points which is the same as top-placed Chelsea, whose goal difference is the only thing keeping them on top in spite of their recent wretched run that has seen them suffer 3 losses in their last
4 games in the Premier League. It is true that neither do they seem to be the force they were 2 or 3 years ago, nor does Old Trafford look like the impregnable fortress of yesteryears where visiting teams would not even think of getting a point, but the fact
that United have a young and upcoming team at the moment must be kept in mind. They do not boast in their squad players who can be compared to the likes of Best, Cantona, Keane, Beckham, Schmeichel and Cole all of whom were part of United at some point in
their great history.
Still United are the joint top-scorers in the league, along with Chelsea and Arsenal, with a tally of 28 goals to date. They have been quite solid at the back too, having kept 6 clean sheets in 14 games. Let us analyse United’s performance in all areas of
the pitch.
At the back they have been miserly as usual, giving away only 15 goals. Apart from the occasional mistake that all keepers are expected to make, Edwin Van der Sar has been his usual dependable self. Their preferred centre back partnership of Nemanja Vidic
and England skipper Rio Ferdinand is now back in place, and the team looks much better.
While Ferdinand still looks to be finding his feet after his long lay-off, Vidic has been in phenomenal form at the heart of United’s defence. Patrice Evra too has displayed much of the form that has seen him hold his place as a regular in United’s back
four. The only area of concern in defence is the position of right-back, which Rafael occupies right now. The Brazilian youngster is a good prospect but does make some mistakes due to his lack of experience.
In the middle of the park Darren Fletcher is the glue that holds the Red Devils together. He is fast developing into a fine replacement for the veteran Paul Scholes, displaying the same tenacity and even a little of the vision that has been a trademark of
Scholsey’s game for much of his career at old Trafford.
Michael Carrick and Scholes himself are doing a decent enough job at the moment in United’s midfield, and even though Paul Scholes is not the same player he was a few years ago, he still has it in him to command the midfield in big games.
On the wings are Nani and Obertan while Hernandez too is doing fine work. Nani is the Premier League’s top player in terms of assists, with 9 up till now. Although he may not be the favourite of many people due to his antagonising personality, he is still
a very decent footballer.
Spearheading the attack this season have been Dimitar Berbatov and the young Mexican sensation Javier Hernandez, in the absence of Wayne Rooney. Berbatov has been good too, but Hernandez has truly been an inspired signing by Sir Alex, his pace and movement
have given United some much needed thrust at the top of the field. Wayne Rooney’s return to the team last week against Wigan also augurs well for United, and his quick return to form and full fitness is what all Old Trafford’s faithful must be hoping for.
In conclusion, United’s season is certainly not as bad as many quarters are making it out to be, and if their post-Christmas revivals of the past are anything to go by, they will certainly be challenging for the title till the end of the season.
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