Ageing veterans and youngsters with plenty to prove. Adam Bate wonders whether Sir Alex Ferguson has made a mistake by not investing in the Manchester United midfield.
Monday 19 November 2012 23:31, UK
Has Sir Alex Ferguson made a significant error by not investing in a dominant midfielder?
Manchester United dominated Norwich in many of the key statistics at the weekend. And yet, while they may have dominated possession of the ball, you only had to watch the game to appreciate they didn't dominate the Canaries. For many, the sight of a near 39-year-old Ryan Giggs traipsing around the midfield is just the latest in a series of example of why Sir Alex Ferguson erred in eschewing the opportunity to sign a central midfielder in the summer. It's a recurring complaint from United fans. Often murmured; sometimes bellowed. At a club that became divided upon the issue of what colour strip supporters should wear, it takes quite something to unite the fans - but unite them it has. There is, of course, a danger in bringing everything back to the thorny midfield issue. After all, United have won 14 of 18 games this season. It's anything but a crisis. But it's tempting to suggest that falling behind 11 times already this season and keeping just three clean sheets indicates that more steel is needed. The defence is being left exposed. Ferguson remains reluctant to admit this is a personnel issue and it's little wonder given that, despite the restrictions of the Glazer regime, the manager has spent big on other areas of the field. The semantics have occasionally veered into the bizarre. "I don't think we've had a holding player since I've been here," he told the club's official website at the start of the season. "We've never had a holding player. We tried to get Roy Keane to do that but he just couldn't do it. He had to play a way that was his own way of playing, so I've not had it for 25 years. Why should I think about it now?" Perhaps he sees Michael Carrick fulfilling this role. "I think Michael Carrick has had his best season at the club," he added. "I'm very hopeful now he will have an authority that will stand us in good stead for the next two or three years. That will be an important role for Michael, to replace Paul Scholes in that department." The notion of the elegant Carrick as midfield enforcer is not so strange despite the fact he does not fit the snarling image of a Keane or a Paul Ince. Not only is the game changing, as Ferguson is keen to stress, but the England international was actually among the top tacklers in the Premier League last season. The expected names are all there - Lee Cattermole, Joey Barton, Scott Parker, Youssouf Mulumbu and Cheick Tiote. And there is the name of the more languid Carrick right alongside them.Michael Carrick | ||
Category | 2011/12 | 2012/13 |
Tackles per game | 3.00 | 1.58 |
Interceptions per game | 2.37 | 1.67 |
PL stats - 2011/12 | |
Player (City & United only) | Successful through-balls |
David Silva | 18 |
Samir Nasri | 14 |
Yaya Toure | 11 |
Ryan Giggs | 7 |
Wayne Rooney | 7 |
Player (all Prem) | Mins per assist (3+) |
Antonio Valencia | 163.1 |
Ryan Giggs | 183.3 |
David Silva | 187.8 |
Juan Mata | 194.7 |
Steven Pienaar | 208.8 |