Your regular line of programming has resumed.
But please bear with us on this continuous break in transmission. Our radars continue to encounter a slight but recurring hitch.
Normal (qualitative) service will soon return.
(Next season).
The events of yesterday's match against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford could easily have written itself. Same 'ol, same 'ol. Draw. 0-0. Close chances. Mkhitaryan in the 66th. Rashford in the 70th. Utter domination. Overwhelming possession. Poor finishing. Witchcraft Inspired goalkeeping. 2 points dropped.
Thankfully though, we were spared the usual excuses of bad officiating (everybody suffers those), injuries (same), fixture congestion (Dear Jose, we play so many games because, believe it or not, we are progressing in competitions which is actually a good thing!), opponent's negative tactics (hhhrrump) and bad luck (Nothing a salt shaker can't fix).
What we got instead was the truth, which like, Lieutenant Kaffee, we could handle all along:
“Today for 90 minutes, Valencia was consistent, Ashley Young was consistent, Marcos Rojo was consistent, Eric Bailly was consistent, Fellaini was consistent, Carrick was consistent,” he said, of his defence and midfield. “And the other ones were not consistent, the other ones were a flash of talent, a glimpse of talent, almost a goal and we need to keep opponents and this is deja vu all season. When you score a goal against these teams, you don’t win 1-0. You win three or 4-0 because if we score a goal the game is open and you have a different story. Then they have to play a different way and we are not consistent on this. We miss easy chances.”
Mourinho further added:
"In football, especially in teams that want to win things, you need consistency in the individual. In these teams at this level you need to be consistent.”
The major challenge faced by this team has been blindingly obvious all this while - an abject lack of consistent fire power. This itself occasioned by the preceding lack of quality front men. For all of Zlatan's excellence, there should be no doubt by this time that he is in a subtle decline. He's not as mobile as he used to be (that is to be expected due to advancing age) but he's also probably the chief perp of missing easy chances. Rashford, as we continue to see, has a lot of work to do and still requires adult supervision. Martial is inconsistent. Lingard, a pat-down average player, is a scorer of good goals but not a good goalscorer. Rooney should be on his way out.
The midfielders have also not contributed as much as they should have. Only Mata, perhaps, contributes his fair share and he may be out for the rest of the season. Mikky, Pogba, Herrara don't score enough. Same goes for everyone else.
But there is hope.
Watching the game and retrospectively reviewing most of our other games this season, I saw a lot of positives that should serve as solid platforms for next season's challenge. This optimistic outlook may actually have been birthed by a certain resignation to what is increasingly becoming inevitable - United does not currently possess the wherewithal to challenge for a top 4 spot and win the Europa League Cup. This should however not be a reason for sadness at this point.
If indeed the truth sets you free and the recognition that you have a problem is the first step to recovery, then we are on the right path. When Sir Alex's team lost the league to goal difference in his penultimate retirement year, he acknowledged what the issue was and promptly paid a premium for a peak but injury-risk Robin van Persie the next season. The rest is history. Mourinho finally admitting what has been the singular albatross for our title hopes this season, can only bode well. While Louis Van Gaal had his own tactical peculiarities, I was always of the position that no manager on earth could legislate for a striker's inability to poke the ball into a gaping net or for a midfielder to complete a simple pass. His tactics may have been conservative and somewhat restrictive but that wouldn't and shouldn't excuse a glaring lack of quality in the same players, most of whom where hitherto regarded in lofty standings. I have said this before and continue to point it out.
Mourinho is building (has built?) a very solid structure for the team. For all the many Old Trafford draws, the team remains notoriously hard to beat. His 1st coaching commandment of 'If We Can't Win, Let's Not Lose' has taken firm root in the ethos of this team. Deliberately side-stepping the wishes-as-horses trap, if even a fraction of our wayward finishing were converted, the song would be much different now.
Along with the on-going renovation, the team is also under-going a deconstruction. Some players are being eased out and a new spine is developing. The manager is learning to reinvent himself and is also navigating personal uncharted territory - He has not finished less than 3rd position in any club he has managed for a full season.
So, 5 points behind 5th place Manchester City but with a game in hand. 10 games left. Chelsea still to visit while we still go to the Emirates, Etihad and White Hart Lane (Daunting?). Everton come visiting on Tuesday though. Hopefully, the ball and Joe Robles' net would be as friendly as Mourinho and Tony Pulis are..
Signing Out,
B.L...
In Other News:
* The only reason this would not stop being news to me is that I can't tell whether it would be the last time I may be witnessing the absolute genius and gift that is Roger Federer. Miami Open Final. Raphael Nadal again in the way. The Fed-Ex rolled on. 6-3, 6-3. Remarkable...
* ...Speaking of which, the new Invincibles, Celtic FC have won their 6th straight Scottish League with 'only' 8 games to spare. Brendan Rodgers' side would become the second Scottish team since 1899 (Rangers) to win the league undefeated if they can manage it but they would definitely be the first to do it in a 38-game format. They are also well primed for a domestic treble. Liverpool don't know what they are missing...Expect Bayern Munich to similarly roll out the celebration banners in the next couple of weeks even though said banners had been printed since December. Juventus had its printed at the end of last season so not to waste the printer's time...
* Chelsea lost at home 1-2 to Allardyce's Crystal Palace. So?
* If you were a television station, which would you be?
All hail Roger!!
ReplyDeleteI've accepted the fact that our team is in transition, that's all