Red Rants |
- “It was always going to take time”
- Will United be gunned down again?
- Keane: “United need six players”
| “It was always going to take time” Posted: 12 Feb 2014 12:06 AM PST
With United now resigned to miss out on the Champions League for the first time in 19 years, next summer’s transfer window could define the club’s medium and long term future, given that United will have to replace the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra as well as – hopefully – signing a midfielder or two.
Moyes was keen to make those things clear at yesterday’s press conference, where he almost appeared to be feeling the strain for the first time this season. "I was given a six-year contract because it was a long-term deal. "It was always going to take time. There is rebuilding going on year after year here, and we will continue to try to do that,” said Moyes. "I just keep doing the job because I know that we're doing the right job. We'll do the same things, we'll make sure things are right – prepare the players well and things will change I have no doubt. "The supporters have been fantastic. That's why the right clubs, pick the right managers and the right managers pick the right clubs. You pick clubs where you know is the right place for you,” explained the United manager. "That's why I always hoped and dreamed that Manchester United would come for me – and they did in the end." 14 points off tonight’s opponents Arsenal, nine points adrift fourth-placed Liverpool and 21 points worse off the last night are numbers that make for some disappointing reading, but Moyes said that it’s impossible to point the finger to the cause of United’s dismal season, purely because there are different factors that have contributed to it. "The improvement in the teams in the Premier League has been big," explained Moyes. "There have been a lot of improvements from sides in the Premier League and obviously we've not done as well as we did last year. "I think there are certain different reasons for it, I don't think there's any particular one. I think there's a combination of different things – the change of manager being one of them. But lots of other things as well. "We're trying to see how our results have not been as good as they have been. They should be, and we will continue to look at that. There's no one person or one thing [to blame]. There are several different things that we'll look to change or alter, but there's no one thing,” said the United manager. "I think the players are doing great. I think I've got a great group of players. I'm very fortunate I took over the champions and I think the players have been terrific."
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| Will United be gunned down again? Posted: 11 Feb 2014 09:14 AM PST
Less than a year on and the guard of honour has almost turned into a walk of shame, with United so catastrophically bad that even the novelty factor deriving from being crap after two decades of success has now worn off, Reds seemingly accepting that the United we all knew has simply evaporated this season.
Considering that Arsenal were handed one of their worst thrashings since Dwight Yorke tore them apart in 22 minutes 13 years ago, one would expect United to travel south full of confidence and determined to deal another blow to the Gunners’ season, which, with superb timing, looks to be crumbling in February yet again. Instead, United, perhaps for the first time in a long time, will step onto the pitch at the Emirates with very little hope of walking off it with a point or three in their pockets. Nihilism? Perhaps. Loss of faith? Not yet, not entirely anyway. Realistic approach? Absolutely, particularly given the dismal showing on Sunday. The fact is, as we’ve known for quite some time this season, that United are nowhere near as good as they were last season nor, and that’s a lot more important, are they as mentally tough as they were – or rather, had to be – under Fergie, which doesn’t bode well for our hopes of winning tomorrow, given that Arsenal will be desperate to get their season back on track. Talking tactics after what we’ve witnessed this season is about as useful as playing curling with a pair of slippers on and likely to be even less effective, given that the blueprint, whereas we like it or not, has been set: spray the ball wide, hoof it in the box, try to win it back. Repeat. Over and over again. Likewise, talking about selection is similarly pointless, given that regardless of the personnel the tactics remain the same, with Juan Mata exiled on one of the wings, while Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie starved of chances, while Ashley Young receives the ball, checks back inside, drops his shoulder and then loses possession – Adnan Januzaj was rested against Fulham, but one suspects Moyes has caught Fergie’s “Young plays well in big games” bug. Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley could start again in midfield – providing that Cleverley has stopped sobbing into his pillow about people who misunderstand his game, that is – while the less is said about the back four, the better. Is Rio Ferdinand still a footballer?Does Nemanja Vidic care anymore? Do we care about him caring or not anymore? In years gone by, an under-performing United side slated by the press would have filled us with a strange sort of confidence ahead of such a big game. This side struggled to beat the side bottom of the league, have lost a third of their away games in the Premier League this season, while Arsenal have the league’s best defensive record at home. David Moyes has said that he hopes a win at the Emirates could inspire his side for the remainder of the season and while his optimism and defiance are admirable, we all thought we had turned a corner when we beat Arsenal at home in November. It proved to be the first of many false dawns but, bar a minor miracle, we won’t have such a problem come Thursday morning, for it’s hard to fathom United getting anything at all tomorrow. “20 times, 20 times Man United” – last season it epitomised our celebrations at the Emirates, tomorrow it’ll likely sound like a last bastion of defiance. |
| Keane: “United need six players” Posted: 11 Feb 2014 05:52 AM PST
United’s woes plunged to a whole new level on Sunday, when United struggled to find the net against bottom of the table Fulham, before netting twice in three minutes only to concede yet another late equaliser, as they did against Southampton and Cardiff earlier in the season.
David Moyes’ pedestrian tactics have come under intense scrutiny, given United’s inability to put even the likes of Fulham to sword – even though the Reds did create more chances against the Cottagers than in other occasions this season – but Keane believes the problem doesn’t lie with the manager, but with the personnel at Moyes’ disposal. “I think Man United need five or six players. If it happens in the summer then instead of being fearful of it, embrace it – it's exciting,” the former United captain told the Mirror. “These can be exciting times for Man United. Get them back to the very top where they belong. “They've kind of cut corners in terms of transfers in the last few years, they've not gone out and got the big players, and it's just caught up with them this year.” Speaking about David Moyes, Keane said: “I think the man deserves plenty of time. I think people have been afraid to use the word that there might be ‘rebuilding’ going on but that’s exactly the word I would use.” |
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