Active Stocks
Thu Mar 28 2024 14:09:24
  1. Tata Steel share price
  2. 155.95 2.03%
  1. HDFC Bank share price
  2. 1,456.40 1.09%
  1. ITC share price
  2. 431.00 0.70%
  1. Power Grid Corporation Of India share price
  2. 277.70 2.45%
  1. State Bank Of India share price
  2. 756.35 3.04%
Business News/ Opinion / Blogs/  PLAY THINGS: United we fall
BackBack

PLAY THINGS: United we fall

It has been seven months of hell for Manchester United, and they are showing no signs of a fightback

Manchester United’s English defender Phil Jones (C) and Rafael (R) challenge Liverpool’s striker Luis Suarez (L) during the English Premier League football match at Old Trafford in Manchester on 16 March. Photo: AFP Premium
Manchester United’s English defender Phil Jones (C) and Rafael (R) challenge Liverpool’s striker Luis Suarez (L) during the English Premier League football match at Old Trafford in Manchester on 16 March. Photo: AFP

Is it not delicious to watch the spectacular decline of Manchester United, that bastion of Premier League power rarely breached in recent years, but now crumbling pitifully under a new general? Or, depending on the point-of-view, it might be excruciating—Arsenal fans like me know all about the feeling, as a team goes from being invincible to utterly exposed. Any which way you look at it though, the Manchester United downfall is shocking. This is, more or less, the same group of players that won the league last season, its 20th title at that level. There have been no notable players leaving—if anything, there were two strong players, Marouane Fellaini of the retro-afro, and Juan Mata, who were bought for a massive sum of money. But the United midfield is in disarray, their strikers look demoralised, and the defence is barely holding on.

Just how bad is the situation? Let’s look at their last match in the league, which they lost 3-0 to Liverpool on Sunday. Liverpool passed and crossed and stole the ball with consummate ease. United looked like they were a team headed for relegation, with their defenders and midfielders relying on blasting hopeful long balls into the opposition penalty box, a stategy used only by the very hopeless. More troubling than the defeat itself is the manner of the capitulation—United were fielding what is, on paper, their strongest side. Michael Carrick and Fellaini as the anchors, Adnan Januzaj, Mata, Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie up front is a site that should make any football manager happy. Not one of them looked like they were world class players when they took the field, and they have been consistent about this over the last few months. Fellaini looks clueless, running everywhere but getting nowhere, and Mata looks lost on the flank, eyeing his coveted central midfield position wistfully.

It has been seven months of hell—a humiliating 4-1 loss in the Manchester derby, home defeats to lowly West Brom, and middle-of-the-table Everton and Newcastle, elimination from the two domestic cup competitions at the hands of Sunderland and Swansea, two teams who could never imagine defeating United a few months back, and then a 2-0 loss against Olympiakos in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 match. Their second leg is on Wednesday night at Old Trafford, where the home fans expect to see their team bow out of that competition too. They are currently 12 points off one of the tio four spots in the league, which is the criteria for qualification for Champions League place for next year. So the probability is very high that United will miss only their second ever season of Champions League football since 1993. The bad news continues like car without brakes—if United lose even one of their remaining nine games in the EPL, they will hit the mark for their poorest points tally since the Premier League era started in 1992. In the middle of all this, Ryan Giggs, player-cum-coach and a man who defines United, has mysteriously disappeared. He neither appears on the team-sheet, nor on the subs bench, nor next to his manager in the dugout.

All this because the indomitable Sir Alex Ferguson retired and a new manager, David Moyes, took over this season? When you have someone as wildly succesful as Ferguson run a club for 27 years, there is bound to be a fallout when he leaves. But few expected that the situation would get this dire. Moyes is staring at the exit.

This weekly series talks about all things play—from real to virtual, stadiums to playstations, and football games to board games.

Unlock a world of Benefits! From insightful newsletters to real-time stock tracking, breaking news and a personalized newsfeed – it's all here, just a click away! Login Now!

Catch all the Business News, Market News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
More Less
Published: 18 Mar 2014, 07:20 PM IST
Next Story footLogo
Recommended For You
Switch to the Mint app for fast and personalized news - Get App