Red Rants |
- Kagawa going nowhere
- United in Serie A midfielder swap?
- Moyes’ future “not worthy of a debate”
- Penalties, Kagawa and fear – five lessons from United’s Capital punishment
| Posted: 24 Jan 2014 04:50 AM PST
Kagawa has yet again struggled to make a decisive impact on his United career, having started only 12 games between Premier League and Champions League this season without registering neither a goal nor an assist so far and only showing glimpses of his talent, such as in the 5-0 win away at Leverkusen.
With Juan Mata poised to arrive at Old Trafford – even though, in typical United fashion, the transfer is being dragged on as Chelsea seem to have stalled on the deal – the Japanese playmaker has been linked with a move away from United, with both Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid reportedly interest in the 24-year-old’s services. Kagawa’s agent, Thomas Kroth, has however denied the rumours that wanted the former Dortmund midfielder poised to end his United’s career this month. “At this moment I am sure Shinji will stay. There has been no contact and so it is just rumours,” Kroth told Sky Sports. The Japanese’s agent also believes that Juan Mata’s arrival at the club won’t force his client out of the club, and when asked whether Kagawa could be heading for the Old Trafford’s exit door, Kroth replied: “No, it is my opinion that he will stay.” Kagawa has often been played out of position by David Moyes this season, much as Sir Alex Ferguson had done before him, and while Mata’s arrival could reduce the Japanese’s opportunities, it could also benefit him, for David Moyes could operate Mata, Kagawa and Wayne Rooney behind the main striker, thus deploying the Japanese in his favourite role. |
| United in Serie A midfielder swap? Posted: 24 Jan 2014 02:59 AM PST
Carrick, however, symbolises the catastrophic bad luck United have endured with injuries this season, for having just returned from a six-week absence following surgery on his Achilles tendon, the 32-year-old will now miss up to a month after picking up an ankle injury in Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semifinal against Sunderland.
The injury means Carrick will most certainly miss the trip to Arsenal on February 12 and Olympiakos two weeks later, meaning David Moyes will now have to reshuffle his – ever so poor – cards in the middle of the park, where the United manager can now only count on Ryan Giggs, Phil Jones, Tom Cleverley and Marouane Fellaini – remember him? The mop-haired fella we purchased a few months for an exorbitant price. With dithering Dave trying to force his way to the table of the Premier League big spenders by splashing out £37m on Juan Mata, Carrick’s injury might force the United manager to spend some more between now and the end of the January transfer window and, hopefully, on a central midfielder. Having scouted pretty much every single interpreter of the role across Europe, the rumours that want Moyes willing to purchase the sort of player United have desperately needed for years are growing louder and more insistent, with a host of names being tipped to be United’s number one target over the next nine days. With Yohan Cabaye likely to either remain at St. James’ Park or to ditch the Angel of the North for the Eiffel Tower and Ilkay Gundogan a target for Real Madrid, thus largely out of United’s range, the latest name to emerge in “Moyes’ quest for a central midfielder” lotto is Fredy Guarin. The Inter Milan midfielder had already been linked to United at the start of the month, before Chelsea looked set to bag the Colombian’s signature, only for him to remain in Milan, where he was then subject of the sort of farce that could only unfold in Serie A. Inter and Juventus had reached a deal to swap Guarin for Mirko Vucinic, before Inter Milan’s president Erick Tohir pulled the plug on the swap, after Inter’s ultras had threatened to make life rather uncomfortable for all the parties involved. A central midfielder by trade, Guarin can be deployed further up the pitch or deeper as defensive midfielder and possesses a good range of passing, coupled with an instinct for scoring goals – he has three in 18 Serie A games so far this season – and has easily been one of Inter’s best performers since arriving at the San Siro 18 months ago. Reports suggest that Inter Milan would be prepared to open talks with United over a possible swap including Javier Hernandez, as the Italian outfit are desperate for a striker, which is what led them to then aborted attempt to swap Guarin with Vucinic, and Chicharito would fit the bill. The Mexican has often been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this season, mainly due to his limited opportunities earlier in the season, but even after scoring twice in his last two appearances, Hernandez has struggled to reproduce the form he showed last season. Chicharito has scored just two league goals in 14 appearances this season – although only four of those were starts – and with Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie set to return to the fold he could find himself on the bench again soon and, potentially, be deemed surplus to requirements by Moyes. The question is – how far is the United manager prepared to go to strengthen his midfield this month? |
| Moyes’ future “not worthy of a debate” Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:55 PM PST
With the FA Cup and the Premier League already gone down the drain, United are left with only one chance of trophy this season, but not even the most ardent of Reds – or the most optimistic of gamblers – would bet on David Moyes’ men lifting United’s fourth European Cup in Lisbon later on this season.
United are currently on course for their worst ever finish since 1989, but the club remains behind Moyes, as shown by the decision to sanction a £37m expenditure for Chelsea’s Juan Mata, which will bring Moyes’ spending to £64m after his ill-advised purchased of Marouane Fellaini on deadline day last summer. Decline on the pitch this season has led to £300m being wiped off United’s share price, while the club has dropped out of the top three of Deloitte's football rich list for the first time ever, but today’s reports suggest that the Glazers have no intention of parting ways with the man they tied to a six-year deal last July. One newspaper claims that while the Glazers are “less than impressed”, "the future of the manager is not even worthy of a debate." With a growing number of fans expressing doubts over whether Moyes can turn things around at United, the Scotsman must be desperate for Juan Mata to give his club a lift and propel towards a Champions League spot. Paddy Crerand believes Mata’s arrival will turn United’s season around. "I think any signing, particularly a player of Mata's quality, will lift everyone," said Crerand. "The crowd need a lift, because they're a bit disappointed. The crowd and everyone at the club just needs a lift right now, and maybe the signing of Mata can do that. He's that kind of player,” said the 1968 European Cup winner. "Chelsea are strong in the middle of the park and have three or four world-class players there, just like United were a few years ago. But when Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie are back, that will also make a big difference to United, because they're two top players."
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| Penalties, Kagawa and fear – five lessons from United’s Capital punishment Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:41 AM PST
However, after last night’s debacle against Sunderland we weren’t afforded neither of those two privileges, for United, courtesy of their fearful approach, did not have a chance to win the game in normal time and were indeed lucky to take the contest onto the penalty shootout at all.
Furthermore, while losing a cup semifinal on penalties might be hard to take, United have very little to console themselves with. The last time the Reds succumbed to a defeat on penalties – against Everton in the 2009 FA Cup semifinal – at least we had the prospect of a Champions League final and a title run-in to look forward to. All hope is not lost, however, for there were some lessons to be learnt last night. 1) FEAR The dominant psychological trait for United this season has been fear. Once a powerful tool used to drive the team beyond its limits, fear has now creeped beyond the point of being a useful motivator and has seemingly taken possession of the majority of the players’ minds. Nowhere was this more evident than during the second half and the extra time periods. In years gone by, having scored the opener, United would have poured forward in search of a second, instead they seemed happy to sit back and drag the game to extra time, too unsure of their own abilities to venture in search of another goal. The lack of confidence among the United ranks is nothing short of astounding, with some of the players clearly no longer capable of believing in themselves or their teammates, and if senior figures are struggling to believe in David Moyes, the same can surely be said about the manager now, who was again badly let down by his players. Sunderland sensed United’s fear and their pressure was duly rewarded. 11 men behind the ball is acceptable when facing Barcelona in a Champions League semifinal – see 2008 – but against a side second from bottom in the Premier League is scandalous and neglects everything Manchester United stand for. 2) WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SHINJI Shinji Kagawa was yet again a passenger for a large part of the 60 minutes he spent on the pitch and while his qualities remain superb – as shown, in glimpses, with a couple of intelligent passes in the first half – the Japanese must surely be out running out of time at Old Trafford. It’s hard not to feel for Kagawa, a player who was the hub of a Dortmund side that won a domestic double in Germany, but many fans have allowed their hearts to rule over their hearts and are happy to defend the Japanese ad nauseam. Granted, Kagawa has been largely played out of position, nor is United’s pedestrian approach one that he’s likely to thrive upon, but if an 18-year-old lad like Adnan Januzaj can be effective when deployed behind the striker as well as when utilised wider on the left than, perhaps, it’s time for Kagawa to grow a pair and show us that he can grab games by the scruff of their neck. 3) LITTLE – TIRED – PEA It’s perhaps a tad unfair to criticise Javier Hernandez for, after all, had it not been for Chicharito’s last minute winner, United wouldn’t even have got to penalties, but the Mexican cut a forlorn figure last night. The absence of Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie has placed more weight on Chicharito’s shoulder, one under which Little Pea seems to be buckling, not helped by a team with a game-plan so tragically predictable that it’d be possible to defend against them even blindfolded. Hernandez’s first touch last night was terribly poor – as poor as it’s been all season, in fact – and while the Mexican has never been one to caress the ball, his control and link-up play had improved immensely last season while his struggles this campaign speak of a player who’s confidence is shot and who, perhaps, might benefit from a move away from United. 4) PAYING THE PENALTIES If ever United get to another final – which, truth be told, seems as probable as Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford in the summer – then we better hope it won’t be decided on penalties. United have scored four penalties in their last three shoot-outs and last night’s effort was particularly awful. Danny Welbeck and Phil Jones ballooned their efforts over the bar, while Adnan Januzaj suffered a Ronaldo in Moscow moment and Rafael’s penalty never looked like getting past Vito Mannone either. Had Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney been fit they probably would have taken and scored their penalties – and the same can apply to Michael Carrick – but the issue has deeper roots. Didn’t United coaching staff think that it’d have been a sensible approach to practice penalties, given the not so remote opportunity of the game being decided from the spot? Even more worryingly, what was the selection process behind the penalty takers? Darren Fletcher did a captain’s job by stepping up and scoring, but were the others the designed penalty takers or were they the only players brave enough to put themselves forward? Either way, albeit for different reasons, it was a shambolic way to bow out and questions must be asked. 5) REALITY CHECK After the final whistle, David Moyes admitted that United had deserved to lose and that major improvements are needed. That is all well and good, but six months into the season it’d be a nice change if words were shelved once and for all and facts given a chance to speak. Last night’s defeat was the result many wanted, for it spared us the embarrassment of a – likely – obliteration at the hands of Manchester City at Wembley and while that is a mentality that’s got very little do with United, the sooner we accept the reality, the better. United, quite simply, aren’t good enough at the moment. Talk of finishing in the top four – a failure in itself for Manchester United, for it’d be a trophy only for the club’s accountants – is cheap and easy but, based on last night’s performance, also increasingly hard to fathom. |
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