Manchester United limped to the summit of the Premier League last night after a late Birmingham equaliser continued their poor run away from home with just one win in eight. Despite this, United remain unbeaten and are at even odds to finish the campaign at the top of the pile. United are reknown for their late shows during games but this season it seems the shoe is on the other foot as rivals look to pounce on their vulnerability late on in games. Sir Alex Ferguson will be frustrated with coming away from St Andrew’s with a solitary point after controlling a scrappy encounter and deservedly taking the lead through an inspired Dimitar Berbatov. However the controversy that surrounded the home side’s equaliser was of more concern to the fiery Scot. He said;
“It was a handball and a foul on the centre half (by Zigic) with their equaliser. He went right through him. If the referee can’t see that what chance have you got?”
Ferguson isn’t used to surrendering leads late on and after suffering similar fates at the hands of Fulham, Everton and West Brom it was thought lessons had been learnt.
However, United’s failure to retain possession of the ball in the dying minutes was what cost them most. The United boss seemed to have got his tactics right by packing the midfield to try and win the battle insuing in the middle of the park. But his decision to substitute a resurgent Anderson for an off-form Darren Fletcher raised a few eyebrows and when United’s midfield crumbled after the Brazilian’s withdrawal, a few raised eyebrows became a kick in the teeth. Fletcher hardly got a kick and after Lee Bowyer’s 89th minute equaliser, Fergie finally decided to bring on Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez. Too little, too late. The continental tactic to break up play and ease pressure off their side is to make a late substitution which Ferguson could have deployed, but he didn’t. The same can be said during those late equalisers at Goodison Park and Craven Cottage respectively. Ferguson noticeabIy used this tactic during his side’s only away win of the season against Stoke whereby after a Tuncay equaliser, Mexican Hernandez came to the rescue. And it worked. Pressure eased and United saw out the win. Had the same technique been deployed last night, United would be running away with this league title that ‘nobody wants to win’.
That said, the Red Devils have returned to much better form of late and cruised through recent games against Sunderland and Blackburn as well as seeing off title rivals Arsenal. The Reds traditionally get into gear during the second half of the season and have shown signs that their best is yet to come. The performances of aforementioned Anderson have been one of the pluses for a United side lacking a real playmaker with Paul Scholes not getting any younger and the likes of Fletcher and Michael Carrick stagnating. His good run has seen him sign a new 5-year-deal at Old Trafford and should he continue this form, he will make his fellow midfielders work hard to displace him from United’s strongest XI.
Dimitar Berbatov is another that surprisingly still divides opinion even though he is enjoying his most fruitful season in front of goal with the season only at the half-way point.
The United faithful are more appreciative of a tryer, a workman who is all over the pitch. This has been his achilles heel when trying to win over the club’s fans. Previous strikers Alan Smith and Carlos Tevez gained hero status at United for their harrying approach even though Smith could only muster a measly 4 goals in his best season at United as a striker while Tevez only netted 5 in his final season in the red half of Manchester.
All things considered, this new United side is taking shape and gathering momentum at the right time but their habit of throwing away vital points late on might come back to hurt them.
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