Facts v Facts

There's a moral dilemma in honestly analysing the game on Thursday and indeed this odd season.

On one hand, we eventually won the match and are through to the Semi-finals of the Europa League Cup. The team is also on a 22-match unbeaten run in the league (The best run in any of the major European leagues this season) and already has the League Cup in the bag. A top 4 spot in the league is still up for grabs. The Quarter-final exit in the FA Cup was to presumably the best team in the land  this season and was also largely influenced by an early red card. There was even sweet revenge for that loss last week.

Not bad at all, is it?

But like I'm wont to do, I submit statistics to the "eye-test" which I believe give a much more honest assessment of things. While it may be subjective in theory as different individuals may view things from different perspectives as well as enjoy varying ocular advantages, an unbiased attempt at evaluating performances over data will often result in providing a more accurate picture.

For instance, I recall watching almost every match of the 2012 UEFA European Championship and came to a quick (and correct) conclusion that Andres Iniesta was easily the best player of the tournament. His stats in the major categories throughout the event? ONE assist. Yep. That's all. No goal. Just an assist. One of his teammates, Fernando Torres, scored 3 goals and was the top scorer while fellow country men, David Silva and Xavi Hernandez has 3 and 2 assists respectively. How then could a player with just 1 assist in 6 matches so obviously be the best player? As corroborated by the technical committee of the competition, it was simply based on what he did not what the statistics offered.

Bringing it back home, Louis Van Gaal got Manchester United to the Champions League in his 1st season and was within a point of repeating this fundamental requirement in his 2nd. He also managed the club to its first FA Cup win in over a decade. He was fired even before the celebrations had subsided. Why? We all remember what we saw and endured particularly in the 2nd year...

Which again brings me back to this team and this season.

I cannot in good conscience say I was pleased with what I witnessed against Anderlecht. I am glad we qualified but the way and manner it was achieved, admittedly not without its pros, left me very irritable and annoyed. I guess you can't always choose both the 'what' and 'how' but some of what transpired was straight up Laurel and Hardy territory. Having to win that game in extra-time was fantastically indicative of why we have struggled to win in 90 minutes at Old Trafford; uncommon profligacy, I don't think  there has been a big team as wasteful has we have been in the history of modern football. I'll defer to the statisticians on that one.

Yes, we did not lose, we created loads of chances and we eventually scored the winner despite suffering 2 crucial injuries. Never stop. Never quit. 'Cos you're too legit to quit. Rashford is slowly but hopefully rediscovering his goal-scoring instinct (his goal was well taken in spite of him being a director and major shareholder in the WeSquander limited liability company), Carrick's stamina and performance (on this day) belied his age, Fellaini seems more useful when he's called upon to do a 'job' (we already knew this), Shaw (played and) completed 120 minutes unscathed and Mkhitaryan seems to really like the competition.

But this cannot mask amongst several things, the sudden fragility of our defence (moreso now that we have only one fit 1st team centre half), Pogba's continuously baffling football decisions, Mkhitaryan's rapid drop in form, Martial's ongoing lethargic performances (he looked as knackered as the rest in spite of coming on only at extra-time!) and err...the Zlatan conundrum. That performance was unacceptable for a team that harbours much loftier ambitions.

It is cliched to say that the 'table does not lie' but it really doesn't. The simple reason we are in the position we are is because we have played like a team that should be in that position. Forget the bad luck, super goal keepers, injuries and bad officiating theology. There's a reason we are playing in the Europa league and are currently outside looking in at a top 4 position which we have been kept out of for majority of the season. Some results over the unbeaten run period were predictable from the 1st couple of minutes. Others from the line-up. It's not a coincidence. Has there however been some sort of progress? I refer you back to the 2nd paragraph.

But.

There are critical decisions that need to be made before next season where it is generally expected that we are major contenders in all competitions. They include:

1. Do we persist with our youthful strikers and hope they develop into lethal predators next season after overcoming this '2nd-season blip'? Or do we get at least, in my opinion, 2 crack strikers, to get the job done? Knowing fully well that this may hinder the growth of our youthful strikers? 

2. Do we keep Zlatan for another year in which case the team will still be inevitably built around him? Or is it ok to keep a $12 million-per-year 36 year old striker as an 'option' on the bench?

3.  Each to his own device, but do we retain some of the bang average players in this team either because they 'work hard' or are perceived to be 'loyal'? 

4. How many new defenders do we need?

Whatever decisions are made in this regard will fully determine the direction for the team possibly for the next couple of years.

I was hoping for a kick-on from the Chelsea victory but the showing on Thursday reminded me that perhaps form isn't something you just switch on. Was it too much to expect a certain level of consistency from a team that has mostly wobbled its way all season? Perhaps. Still, there was an obvious opportunity...

There were also 2 major injuries suffered by United players in the game; Rojo's was unfortunately largely self-inflicted and Zlatan's was a freak accident. It would seem that neither would be available for the rest of the season. That's a problem whatever way you look at it. Tuanzebe may be introduced to pair with Bailly or Mourinho may persist with Blind who didn't cover himself in glory when he was introduced for Rojo in the 23rd minute. Not exactly comforting either way. 

The Zlatan void also creates a chasm which may be tricky to fill - can Rashford or Martial (Oh, and Rooney) be trusted to execute this very vital part of the season? I sure hope they can. Conceivably still, it may enforce what could be the new template for our attacking strategy. 

Manchester United has been drawn to  play Celta Vigo in the semi-finals of the Europa League. There is however the little matter of Burnley away on Sunday. I kinda still prefer to win in spite of my criticisms... 

Signing Out,

B.L...

In Other News:

* UEFA Champions League Semis: i. The Madrid derby ii. Defence v Attack

* UEFA Europa League Other Semi; Lyon v Ajax

* Fun Fact - Serena Williams was 12 weeks pregnant when she won the 2017 Australian Open. Roger Federer was not.

* I don't particularly like LeBron James. Valid reasons I'll explain some other time. But I'm not stupid enough not recognise that he's...well...the best player of his generation. By a mile. Now, that's someone who can turn on his 'switch'. He's always a different animal when the play-offs start and it's been no different this year.  His team over came a 26 point deficit, an NBA play-off record, to beat the Pacers and take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-7 1st Round series. Now the 3rd highest scorer in Play-off history. Triple double. Monster.