Wednesday, 2 April 2014

Guardiola: Rooney simulated contact

14:19

By: TBMU Admin On: 14:19   In:   No comments

Guardiola: Rooney simulated contact

Guardiola: Rooney simulated contact

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 09:35 PM PDT

Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger received a second yellow card late on at Old Trafford, for a lunge at English striker Rooney - with the German collecting the ball, and also his opponent in a rash challenge. Immediately after the incident, Guardiola intimated Rooney exacerbated the contact as he went down, with Schweinsteiger now suspended for the return leg of the quarter-final at Allianz Arena on April 9. Guardiola will also be without the services of defender Javi Martinez, who was also cautioned late in Manchester. But the Spaniard was particularly aggrieved by referee Carlos Velasco Carballos decision to send off Schweinsteiger. Absolutely not, Guardiola responded, when asked if he agreed with the decision. I just spoke with the referee and he knows my opinion. He gave me his opinion and I have to respect that. To win the Champions League you have to overcome everything, so at times during the competition that happens. Its a pity. They are very important players for us. We will try to reach the semi-finals so they can play then. United boss David Moyes had no concerns with the decision, backing his striker. I think Schweinsteiger trips Wayne up. Its a booking - or at least a foul, the former Everton man said.

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Pace crucial to Uniteds chances, says Vidic

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 07:57 PM PDT

Honours are even heading into next weeks quarter-final second leg in Munich after United held the defending champions to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. Without the services of first-team regulars Robin van Persie (injured), Patrice Evra (suspended) and Rafael (injured), United were always facing an uphill battle against Bayerns possession-based game, but David Moyes men frustrated their German opponents and could have easily taken a lead to Allianz Arena. And Vidic, who opened the scoring for United, believes the pace of Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney can lead the club to their first semi-final appearance since the 2010-11 season, when they dismantled Schalke before being outclassed by Barcelona in the final at Wembley. It was a tough game and a good result and I think it will be the same game next week, Vidic told Sky Sports. They will have the same possession, especially as its their own ground, but if we keep the shape we can hurt them with our pace. We felt we had good positions and were solid, but one mistake was punished and they showed what a good team they are. They had a lot of possession but we accepted they would and we tried to counter attack. Meanwhile, United team-mate Alexander Buttner echoed his skippers confidence, though the Premier League giants have never beaten Bayern in Munich in three previous attempts. Of course we can do it, we always believe in ourselves, said Buttner, who replaced suspended Frenchman Evra at left back. We had chances to score more goals and we have to focus on that. In defence we did well and we didnt give a lot away just the goal. I think we have a good chance.

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Pep frustrated by Man Uniteds defensive style

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 02:55 PM PDT

The first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final ended level following second-half goals from Nemanja Vidic and Bastian Schweinsteiger. While the latter was sent off late on after picking up a second yellow card, Bayern remain favourites to progress having secured an away goal ahead of next week's second leg in Munich. Coach Guardiola, who is looking to emulate predecessor Jupp Heynckes by securing a treble, acknowledged the challenge his side faced in attempting to break down a disciplined United outfit. "It's not easy against a team that put so many bodies behind the ball. We scored an away goal. That's important," he said. "We will try to win the return leg. I have complete faith in my players. "We scored an away goal, which is important, but we also got lucky that efforts from (Danny) Welbeck and (Wayne) Rooney did not go in. The goal we conceded was difficult to defend. "It is always dangerous when you go into the second leg with a 1-1 draw, but even a 2-1 victory would have been dangerous. "I am sure we can do it. I have full confidence in my players and hope the fans in Munich will push us like the United supporters did for their team."

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Moyes talks up United hopes after Bayern draw

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 02:32 PM PDT

Captain Nemanja Vidic gave United the lead at Old Trafford on Tuesday in the first leg of a quarter-final tie against the European champions, before Bastian Schweinsteiger grabbed a crucial away goal for Bayern. While the Germany international was later shown a second yellow card for a foul on Wayne Rooney, his strike handed Bayern a slight advantage ahead of next weeks second leg in Munich. Despite missing the opportunity to inflict a rare defeat on Pep Guardiolas men following Vidics opener, Moyes feels his side have a strong chance of progressing to the last four. We know we have to score a goal (in the second leg), he said. If we dont score, Bayern will have done enough to go through. Weve given ourselves a great opportunity to try and get a win. We said before we want to give ourselves a fighting chance in Munich. Weve done that. The players played really well. Im delighted with the performance, but disappointed we conceded a goal. It was a gutsy performance, the crowd were great, it was a great atmosphere.

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UEFA Champions League: Man United 1 Bayern Munich 1

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 01:40 PM PDT

Moyes has endured a rocky debut season, but his United side showed their defensive steel despite coming under intense pressure from Bayern in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final at Old Trafford. The hosts were under the cosh for almost the entire match but captain Nemanja Vidic grabbed the opening goal 13 minutes into the second half as Europe's premier club competition continued to represent a bright spot in United's otherwise troublesome campaign. Despite their fall from grace domestically, the Premier League champions had won all four of their European ties at Old Trafford this season prior to Tuesday and that run looked set to continue when Vidic produced a header of the highest quality from Wayne Rooney's corner. Vidic, departing for Inter at the end of the season, gave United the platform for victory but they were unable to build on it as the recently crowned German championsequalised through Bastian Schweinsteiger just eight minutes later. The away goal will make life that bit harder for United when they make the trip to Munich, with Pep Guardiola's side holding a slight advantage as the Spaniard looks to replicate predecessor Jupp Heynckes in securing a treble. However, Guardiola will be without Schweinsteiger for the second leg after the midfield lynchpin picked up a second yellow card late on for a foul on Rooney. Danny Welbeck thought he had opened the scoring early on, only to be penalised for a high foot in the build-up. After a fairly even opening 10 minutes, Bayern began to assert their quality, dominating possession and creating a succession of half-chances. However, the hosts stood firm and did well to deny their opponents any clear sights of goal. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben were involved in much of Bayern's best work but even they were unable to manufacture an opportunity until the Dutchman brought a stunning save from David de Gea with a curling left-footed effort from just outside the penalty area. Welbeck then tested Manuel Neuer from range and went on to waste the best chance of the half after being put through one-on-one. The England international attempted to beat Bayern's goalkeeper with a cheeky lofted effort, but Neuer was not fooled and palmed the ball away with his right hand. The second half continued in much the same vein, with Bayern keeping possession and probing to little effect. Bayern were made to pay for their inability to break down United when Vidic headed his side in front - angling his effort past Neuer after Rooney had delivered a corner from the left. Their joy was short-lived, however, as Schweinsteiger rifled home a knockdown from substitute Mario Mandzukic to bring the atmosphere at Old Trafford down a notch. While Guardiola's men were unable to clinch a second away goal, they will remain heavy favourites to progress, although Moyes can take heart from the recent performances of Premier League rivals Manchester City and Arsenal at the Allianz Arena. City won 3-2 in Munich in this season's group stage while Arsenal have picked up a draw and a win on their last two visits to Bavaria.

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United need to be realistic, says Neville

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 05:07 AM PDT

The Premier League champions take on Bundesliga winners and UEFA Champions League holders Bayern in the first leg of their European quarter-final at Old Trafford on Tuesday, with the Germans the clear favourites to progress. Pep Guardiolas side have only lost once in all competitions this season, to Manchester City in December, and they arrive in England a week after securing their 24th domestic title. Neville admits that facing Bayern will not be easy for an inconsistent United side, who have struggled this season under new boss David Moyes, and he has warned the fans not to expect too much. Id say, going into this game, were hopeful rather than confident, the former right-back said in Uniteds matchday programme. Thats just being realistic - Bayern are at the absolute top of their game. Youre talking about a team at the absolute peak of its powers, while Manchester United is in transition. Theres no avoiding the fact that this is the toughest draw United could have faced.

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Is Real Madrid showdown this Borussia Dortmund teams last shot at glory?

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 04:00 AM PDT

Sprains, strains and tears: that's been the story of Borussia Dortmund this season. Twelve months ago Klopp-mania was in full bloom, but this year the team is struggling to reach previous levels thanks to a string of serious and unexpected long-term injuries. It's been a double blow for die Schwarzgelben. Along with those injuries, the team will also lose Robert Lewandowski, who will follow Mario Gotze and join rivals Bayern Munich this coming summer. It's not an exaggeration to claim the Polish striker is irreplaceable. There's a reason Nuri Sahin called him 'the body'; not only is he all muscle, but his psychical presence up front, defensive awareness, ball control, hold-up play and prolific goalscoring is a rare blend. He's special, and even the club's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has said there won't be another one of him. But for Dortmund, climbing hurdles and losing star players isn't uncommon. The club have promised to splash money on new signings this summer to bolster and rebuild the squad. Without Lewandowski their shot at glory perhaps seems a long one, but Dortmund's European dreams took a knock early in the season when their injury list started to multiply. In all honesty, it's more of a collective problem than an individual one. BVB aren't a one-man team. Having to play a fortified Real Madrid side without five of Jurgen Klopp's first-choice players is bad enough, but to face them in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals in the Santiago Bernabeu without Lewandowski makes matters worse. After all, the forward netted four goals in the semi-final first leg against Los Blancos last season. Missing from last year's first-choice team that faced the Spanish giants are also Ilkay Gundogan, Jakub Blaszczykowski, Neven Subotic, Marcel Schmelzer, Sven Bender, Lewandowski (for first leg) and Gotze, now of Bayern. That leaves Klopp relying on the likes of Kevin Grosskreutz, 21-year-old Erik Durm, Sebastian Kehl, and Greece stopper Sokratis - not the preferred faces you'd want lining up against the likes of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, with enough discipline and planning, football can bring strange results. Madrid are clear favourites, and with the German side's injury list it's easy to see why. Misfortune Watching die Schwarzgelben, there's a lot amiss. Injuries have clearly affected their performances and style of play. The high tempo, gegenpressing, quick passing and vollgas fussball isn't there. When it is, it tends to come in sparks. But taking their foot off the gas could also be the result of tired legs and a means to preserve energy, a way to deal with the injuries and lack of depth. Perhaps 'coping' is a more accurate description of their football this time around, particularly in comparisson to the captivating brand international audiences fell in love with last year. Currently out of order, BVB's cohesion, combination and link-up play have all taken a blow since the injury crisis. The team's lack of depth and rotations have also placed a higher burden on Marco Reus and Nuri Sahin, who have both at times looked in need of a rest. Losing Blaszczykowski and Bender only added to that frustration. The back four has also been hit hard, and at one point Klopp's first choices were all injured, resulting in a makeshift defence. He's switched the defenders and has employed countless of different pairings this season. Although Lukasz Piszczek has returned after missing the entire first half of the season, he's still far from his previous levels of intensity. Schmelzer, who was just coming back into form, was recently hit with another injury and is sidelined until the end of April. It's hard to blame the absence of one player alone, because what made Dortmund so special was their team chemistry. Klopp could alleviate the situation by making more use of Milos Jojic, Jonas Hofmann, Marvin Ducksch, Marian Sarr, Julian Schieber and Durm. The next generation of black and yellows could benefit from the exposure, but their inexperience leaves the Dortmund coach pondering with hesitation. Summer signings Henrikh Mkhtitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have shown considerable promise, but results haven't been as stellar. The Armenian's vision and creativity is undeniable, but he'll likely come to the fore next season with more Bundesliga experience under his belt. Meanwhile, Gabon international Aubameyangis a mixed case - he shines in some games but lacks presence in others. His defensive contributions have improved and he's still adapting to the pace of the Bundesliga, but with time, consistency will come. Short-term injuries throughout the season to Mkhitaryan, Mats Hummels and Sokratis have also made it difficult to create a sense of stability and cohesion among the squad. Binoculars But it's not all doom and gloom at the Ruhr club. This is a team that wants to consistently challenge for the domestic and European titles. This year they've been bruised hard, but very few clubs with Dortmund's depth (or even those with more backup) could cope with injuries of this magnitude. That makes reaching the final eight in the Champions League all the more satisfying. Klopp himself said the knockout stages are simply a bonus this season. Closer to home, Dortmund's Bundesliga finish isn't any easier. Praising Bayern Munich's historic title win, Klopp quipped that Dortmund "truly need binoculars to see them", neatly summing up the gap between first and second in the league. Of course, last season Dortmund also finished 25 points behind the treble winners, yet they still managed to reach the Champions League final, came out top of the Group of Death and beat Real Madrid twice along the way. This year isn't entirely different. Bayern are just too good for any league at the moment, and as the Dortmund coach stated, the best team in the world just happens to be playing in the Bundesliga right now. Those following the German league will attest to the unpredictability of the competition below first place. Securing a Champions League spot is no easy task, as the black and yellows have shown this season. Even Leverkusen, who at one time were comfortably in second, are now treading thin ice. While die Werkself stubbornly refused to drop points for most of the first half, their form in the Ruckrunde has dipped. Then there's Schalke 04, who always come to life after December and are only trailing BVB by a single point. April will be a tough month for Dortmund. They'll face European challenges, but also meet Bayern and Bayer in the weeks to come. Adding to that hectic schedule is their clash against Wolfsburg in the DFB-Pokal semis. What they need most is to stay focused as the toughest test comes now. Replacements While media reports have linked several more Dortmund players including Hummels, Gundogan and Reus to other clubs, Watzke's recent words have provided a sense of reassurance. He's made clear that after Lewandowski they're not planning to sell any more players. While contract talks with Gundogan are still ongoing and his future remains uncertain, the player has stressed BVB is the first club he'll talk to. Holding on to this trio of top talent will send a strong signal to the rest that Dortmund refuse to become a feeder club. But to consistently challenge and continue their impressive run in the different competitions, the team needs to rebuild and make additions in the summer. Lofty aspirations require depth: that's the biggest lesson the club can take from this season after stretching their squad to the limit and dealing with the consequences. Although Durm, Hofmann and Jojic have performed surprisingly well as rookies, what sort of role they'll play in the future will be interesting. Certainly this team needs reinforcements now. Whoever replaces Lewandowski has huge shoes to fill. Hertha Berlin's Colombian striker Adrian Ramos looks like the front runner, but other names linked to the club include Mame Diouf, Edin Dzeko, Kevin Volland and even Diego Costa. Injuries to Schmelzer and Piszczek also highlighted the need for full-back reinforcements, not to mention centre-backs. Furthermore Gundogan and Bender's lengthy injuries also brought to light the need to sign another top-class holding midfielder. At 34 Sebastian Kehl is too old to play twice a week, while Sahin is not a machine who can play 60 times a season. New beginning Despite English papers going as far as to suggest Klopp will depart for Manchester United or Arsenal this summer, the German coach is committed to Dortmund until 2018. He's made it clear he is dedicated to the project at BVB, an undertaking that won't dissipate into oblivion but is only starting to reach its potential. Is this Dortmund's last shot at glory, then? No. They've been here before, minus the degree of injuries of course. What the team needs is to continue with their vision. A full strength Dortmund side would have been a strong contender for the Champions League, but for now they have probably reached their limit. European glory is never easy, even for clubs with money - Just ask Chelsea and Real Madrid. But highs and lows are natural. This has been an unfortunate, yet still successful, year for the club. "My lads deserve to be in the quarter-finals because they always fight like wolves," said Klopp after they defeated Zenit. No doubt it's deserved, but it's hard not to think of how far the team could have gone if they were all healthy, knowing this is Lewandowski's final season in the black and yellow. Even Lewandowski has stressed he'd like to leave the club with at least a trophy. Battered as they are, that is still a possibility. Winning the Champions League may seem a nice idea, but the German Cup is a more realistic option. No doubt European glory is harder now that teams have noticed this German side as a legitimate force. In fact, when Dortmund were winning back-to-back titles, Bayern Munich were the first to take notice. Thomas Muller recently admitted that Dortmund were part of Bayern's impetus to improve. "Dortmund is no longer eye level, but a team that is very unpleasant," he said. "Dortmund was somewhere our drive to become better." The Bayern forward doesn't think becoming champions in March will always be a formality, however, and says the competition will tighten again. But closing that gap depends on a healthy, rebuilt and stable Borussia Dortmund. Klopp described his team as wolves, and a wolf's intuition never lies. Following these instincts, the team would be wise to add depth this summer, fill the current voids and reach vollgas once again.

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Timing rather than tactics key to Manchester Uniteds hopes of shocking Bayern

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 03:00 AM PDT

Since Pep Guardiola took charge of Bayern Munich, the newly-crowned Bundesliga champions haven't lost a genuinely competitive game. Their two defeats have come in the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, and in the Champions League against Manchester City – when they'd already sealed qualification to the knockout stage. The lack of losses is an obvious problem for opposition coaches: when formulating an appropriate strategy, there isn't an obvious template to follow. Ahead of Bayern's meeting against Arsenal in the previous round, many looked through the Bayern side and wondered precisely where the weakness was. In terms of positions, there are probably two – Mario Mandzukic is a very good, functional striker but not a genuinely world-class player, hence the imminent signing of Robert Lewandowski to play his role. Still, because Mandzukic plays such an intelligent hold-up role and combines with so many dangerous attacking midfielders, it's difficult to say Bayern are weak up front as a whole, even if their striker isn't perfect. Just look at how many goals they've scored. The other slight weakness is at the back. Again, assess Bayern's 'goals conceded' record this campaign, and this seems a ludicrous accusation. However, a huge part of Bayern's defending comes from proactive aspects of football – keeping the ball, pressing high up the pitch, forcing the opposition back with relentless running from full-back. When Bayern are without possession, however, their centre-backs can be exposed. Jerome Boateng and Dante are both fine footballers, but as Arsenal showed in a brilliant 10-minute opening spell at the Emirates (rather ruined by Mesut Ozil's penalty miss) both can be lured out of position and tempted into clumsy tackles. Boateng's penalty concession was followed by an unnecessary foul halfway inside the opposition half, for which he was fortunate not to receive a second booking – he was hauled off at half-time. Manchester United, then, should expose the Bayern centre-backs as frequently as possible. Clearly, this is easier said than done – Bayern's passing quality means opponents simply don't get many opportunities to attack the centre-backs. United must accept they won't see much of the ball for long periods, and instead concentrate on attacking Bayern at the beginning and end of the game – a 'bookend' strategy, if you like. There is some logic behind this approach. First, Bayern (as well as Barcelona in the Guardiola era) tend to start big matches rather nervously – if pressed and harried from the beginning, they struggle to settle, and need to get into their usual, confident passing rhythm before truly exerting their attacking quality upon the game. If Manchester United can get into Bayern's faces and pressure them energetically early on, this may be extremely effective. The problem, of course, is that this approach doesn't come naturally to United under David Moyes – they tend to sit back in deeper positions. Still, United have a habit of starting European matches at home extremely quickly, and if the fans provide a traditional Old Trafford atmosphere for the clash, there's no reason United can't start strongly and put the opposition centre-backs under pressure. Then, there is likely to be a long, frustrating period of Bayern dominance. United simply must defend well in this period, keeping their shape and counter-attacking whenever possible – it will mainly be about weathering the storm. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel – Bayern fade towards the end of matches. This appears to be part-tiredness - their defensive game depends upon pressing heavily up the pitch, which is rarely sustainable for 90 minutes - and part-complacency. The manner they blew a two-goal lead against Manchester City, ending up losing the game 3-2, shows their tendency to stop playing too early. At Old Trafford, United need to learn lessons from the two English clubs who have hosted Bayern this season. Both Arsenal and Manchester City lost their home matches, but Arsenal registered 66% of their shots in the opening 20 minutes. While Manchester City registered 66% of their shots in the final 20 minutes. In the Bundesliga, three of the 11 goals Bayern have conceded have been after the 86th minute – none of them crucial, but it shows how the opposition can get joy late on. And, as we know, United have a history of winning games late on against Bayern… Whatever approach United try against Bayern, they will be second favourites. But a tactical approach is partly about exposing the opposition's weakness – and Bayern's major weakness might be about a time period, rather than a specific position on the field.

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How Manchester United became underdogs - and why it could make things even worse

Posted: 01 Apr 2014 01:00 AM PDT

A strange thing happened in the days following Manchester United's season-saving comeback against Olympiakos. As the Champions League quarter-final chatter grew ever louder, a cold, stark truth emerged, like a gleaming pear whelk on the sandbanks of a tropical beach. Everybody wanted to draw United. Even before the ceremonial ruffling of balls in pots paired United with behemoths Bayern Munich, the 20-time champions of England were almost universally disregarded. Beforehand, bookmakers had them as 22/1 outsiders; the draw encouraged a further drift to 32/1 no-hopers. PSG coach Laurent Blanc said it "would be nice" to face the Red Devils. Nice, like a trip to visit your auntie. United were the plum draw, a changing room of chumps there for the taking, the Olympiakos of the last eight, the bye to the semi-finals. Reaction to the draw in Germany was enthusiastic at best, condescending at worst. "Luck for Bayern," screamed SportBild's lead article. Kicker said Bayern could "relax" against an "ailing" team, noting with some surprise that, unusually for Manchester United, their own manager David Moyes had billed them as outsiders. Der Spiegel described David Moyes's team as "mediocre" with "many stars but no team". Before we forget – for it already seems a distant memory – this is virtually the same United that won the title by 11 points last season, breezing to the finish line with urgency and panache, and becoming the first team in history to win 25 of their first 30 top-flight games. Few clubs have a finer pedigree in Europe than the one currently getting so much stick that even Tesco Mobile's Twitter account had a pop. United, after all, have been in three of the last six Champions League finals, and over the past decade no team has reached European football's showpiece finale more times. So how did this perception change? And are we entering a new era, that of Manchester United as plucky underdogs? From winners to tryers Unfortunately for Moyes, the unavoidable truth is that much of the blame for this shift in perception lies squarely at his door. As much through his words as his actions or team selections, Moyes must bear responsibility for an almost overnight switch in United's public perception from English football's most formidable opponent to one living by the Glaswegian's most prominent press-conference buzzword: hope. A major transition period was always going to be necessary after Sir Alex Ferguson's uniquely successful 26-year stint, but the crash from defending champs to dead-beats has been unexpectedly meteoric. The gradual rebranding of United as also-rans has been a tale of both deeds and declarations. First, the football. On the pitch, Moyes's United have gone a goal behind in 15 of their first 31 league games, only thrice reversing it to a win – against Stoke, Hull and Sunderland. The last time they lost as many games in a league season, Cher topped the charts with The Shoop Shoop Shoop Song (that's 1990, pop-pickers). They've amassed their most home league defeats for 12 years, won just one of 13 games against the top nine, been beaten home and away by both Manchester City and Liverpool for the first time in history, have fewer points at home than Hull or Norwich and sit six points behind Moyes's old team Everton, who have a game in hand. Generally speaking results have been tolerated: even during the humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, the visitors' celebrations were drowned out by vocal and defiant support. Glass half empty However, as they prepare to face Bayern Munich in what will likely be their last Champions League games for 18 months, what is remarkable is the almost hopeless acceptance of United's long-shot status. Moyes's micro-management style, crippling modesty and dour conservatism have undoubtedly weakened United's position, to the point that even a Europa League place is not guaranteed. Outwardly, pessimism appears to be an inherent part of Moyes's DNA. Indeed there's an argument that it applied as much during his time at Everton as it does now, that the blinding searchlight of scrutiny on Moyes's face at Old Trafford has only served to highlight wrinkles that already existed. There are those at Goodison who still accuse Moyes of playing a Jedi mind trick during his time in charge, in that he took one of England's biggest clubs in terms of league titles won (and the best for number of top-flight seasons) and reduced them to the narrative of a donkey in a stable of thoroughbreds. The "knife to a gunfight" comment ahead of a trip to Manchester City in 2011 lives long in Evertonians' memory, and Roberto Martinez's unbridled optimism has been welcomed like a gulp of fresh air after a stiflingly hot sauna session. Even before his team were paired with Bayern, Moyes had downplayed his team's chances: "I think we probably now, depending on the draw, will go in as underdogs in a lot of the games." He'd written United's Champions League chances off as early as September, saying "you need five or six world-class players," and that he didn't have that. There were the comments about Liverpool being favourites ahead of that 3-0 reverse, witheringly ridiculed by Brendan Rodgers, who twisted the knife with uncharacteristically callous glee. And then Manchester City, who doled out another 3-0 humbling, playing at a standard Moyes said United should "aspire to" – an unnecessarily painful and unpopular remark. "March was a real difficult month, we played a lot of good sides. We've got a lot of work to do but while we're playing a lot of the big sides it could be difficult," he stated, perhaps not realising his environment. Big sides? Such comments have had a reducer effect, a drip-feed dragging expectations down to a manageable level. Underdog mentality and performance The psychological effects of adopting an underdog mentality can go either way. "Some players are used to being at clubs where they're underdogs, and they adapt to that and develop a certain fighting spirit," says Richard Nugent, mental coach and MD of Success in Football, who specialise in sports psychology. "However, if a player isn't used to being in that position then it's a very different mindset. From being used to a dominant position and thinking about dominating games, it plants the seed that they won't. Even before they're on the pitch they can be thinking about the fact that they're going to be under pressure or that the other team might be on top. And that's when the psychological effect really kicks in." These changes in mindset have a proven impact on performance, explains Nugent. "It's different if you've got players, as Manchester United have, who are only really used to being not only in a winning team but one that dominates games. One of the key ways in which they can be affected is their confidence. Most people think it's something that comes from the outside, but actually confidence really comes from what you think about and what you pay attention to most." Internalised managerial messages can considerably change players' perceptions, says Nugent. "If in the lead-up to a game, United are doing extra work on defending - or even just when players are by themselves thinking about the game unfolding - and they've heard the manager talking about them being an underdog and being under pressure, that's what they pay attention to." Nor are the effects all in the mind. "It can affect them physically. It can reduce their energy and reduce how strong they feel from moment to moment. The psychological effects can then trigger physiological effects and lead to, for example, being slower off the mark, weaker in the challenge - some research has even shown that it can make you slower across the ground. So mentality can have a huge impact psychologically and physically." Positive underdogs Of course, assuming the role of the underdog isn't always a negative thing - any number of lessons from history have taught us that, from the New York Jets winning the 1969 Superbowl to the Crazy Gang's ball-grabbing band of brothers in the late '80s. Down in London, Jose Mourinho has been playing the underdog card all season but somehow it's seen as a clever mind game – perhaps helped by the fact that Chelsea are top of the league, 18 points above Manchester United. Nugent insists Moyes will have to change his tune if he is to succeed at Old Trafford – in private, if not in public. "Mourinho's message behind closed doors is different: I've no doubt that although Mourinho plays things down to the media, he goes back to his players saying 'I expect us to win'. I'm sure Moyes is saying that too, but there comes a point where absolutely he'll have to do that publicly as well. I think that will be when he has more of his own players in." While Moyes's signings, tactics, team preparation, youth record and ability to motivate and inspire players are all under forensic examination, he continues to enjoy the backing of the United board. For now, a sacking seems unlikely even in the summer. "No manager is prepared for the job at Old Trafford," as Alex Ferguson – Moyes's staunchest supporter – said in 1994, looking back on a tumultuous opening few years in charge. Ferguson later admitted that during this time he had become like a hermit, "sneaking around corners as if some kind of criminal. "It took me three or four years to understand fully the politics and requirements, the demands and pressures," he admitted. Ferguson will identify with Moyes's struggle. What he won't identify with for too much longer, one senses, is United's current defeatist mentality. Its short-term result is that Manchester United head into the Champions League quarter-finals as massive outsiders: the odds on them beating Bayern at Old Trafford are among the longest ever offered for a United home win. If the psychological ploy works, Moyes will take credit. If not, this temporary recasting of United as plucky underdog will have proved a failure. Within the space of a year, Goliath has been brought down to David's level.

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