Manchester United came away from their showdown with title-rivals Chelsea with a victory. A victory that I would argue they didn’t deserve, but a victory nonetheless.
I won’t go into the minutiae of game and each and every decision (as I’m am sure that this is something that has already been done on countless message-boards across the internet landscape) except to say that United got lucky when it came to two-or-three match-changing decisions.
But the purpose of this article isn’t to bemoan United’s luck. It’s to consider what Sir Alex Ferguson needs to do moving forward.
Despite the result on Sunday, there are still some obvious weaknesses in this Manchester United side. Indeed, I’d argue that Chelsea are still firm favourites in the title race. The Blues have a more complete squad, with talented individuals like Eden Hazard and Juan Mata who will United just can’t match.
Wayne Rooney and Robin Van Persie aside, there’s very little ‘special’ about this Manchester United side. With that in mind, it’s unlikely that this recent transfer rumour will do much to excite fan’s imaginations.
According to the Daily Mirror, United are interested in West Brom’s ace midfielder Claudio Yacob. They even suggest that Sir Alex Ferguson has sent ‘spies’ (how dramatic) to watch his last three appearances. Whether or not there’s any truth to these claims, remains to be seen. It does, however, represent an intriguing proposition.
The Baggies picked up Yacob on a free last summer. Since then, the 25-year-old Argentine midfielder has settled into life in the Premier League with consummate ease. From what we’ve seen, he has a powerful presence, a strong tackle and a smart reading of the game. He’s got the energy to get about the pitch and aid the attack.
Despite this, I’m not sure if this would be a good move for Sir Alex. I’m no snob. I understand that players from clubs lower down the League can play an important role with sides challenging for the Premier League (take Antonio Valencia for example). The fact is, however, Yacob has thus far only managed 8 appearances for West Brom. Whilst he’s impressed, that’s not a large enough sample to justify Sir Alex gambling on him.
Besides, why should United go for a cheap option when it comes to a midfield enforcer? Why not spend big and get a Yann M’Vila, or some other such talent? This move just wouldn’t make sense to me.
What’s your take? Would Claudio Yacob fit in at Old Trafford?
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i doubt that very much. I think United need someone the class of Vidal, and a Matt Hummels. That, and they have a squad to match the very best. Imagine, De Gea, Rafael (who u must do a piece on), Vidic, Hummels, Evra, Vidal, Kagawa, Young, Valencia, RVP, Rooney? Then bench Scholes, Smalling, Cleverley, Welbeck, Chicharito.