Why United are an implosion waiting to happen

Another smash-and-grab RvP winner later, we sit celebrating three points in the bag. But unlike the Southampton game, the win and euphoria after it wasn’t enough to gloss over a below-par performance from our midfield. To say we didn’t deserve to win last night would be an understatement, as we were underwhelming for most of the game while Liverpool, credit to them, fought till the very end!

Alarm bells should start ringing around Old Trafford because a mediocre Liverpool midfield, hardly masters of possession football, controlled the game for long periods. Even after going one-man down, they managed to keep us on the back foot and they well-and-truly deserved to win the game.

This is no overreaction or exaggeration of events because this is the same Liverpool team that were made to look like a bunch of amateurs by Arsenal a few games ago. This game gave us an idea of exactly where our midfield stood with respect to the top teams in the league and sadly, being outdone by a team no longer considered to be among to top teams makes the whole thing even more worrying.

I know criticizing the team is easy, but then I saw no positives other than our defence. It was for me a poor showing against a team that has been struggling in the league. No matter what the occassion or the atmosphere in the stadium was, we looked pathetic in midfield. We didn’t look like a team that was capable of challenging for the title, let alone win it!

Playing Giggs in midfield has paid off in the past but his inability to retain possession has become a common sight off late, and playing him alongside Carrick on the night turned out to be a disastrous combination. Giggs is, and forever will be one of the greatest wingers in our history but he just isn’t cut out to be a central midfielder, especially in close games when keeping the ball is vital.

Even after Liverpool lost Shelvey, they still looked the better team and picked up where they left in the second half as Steven Gerrard scored barely minutes into the restart. And like most of the games before this, conceding a goal was the kick the team needed to wake up and perform. Even then, it took a lot of huffing, puffing and of course some much-needed Scholesy magic to sneak a win against a team that ended the game with nine men.

Shelvey’s Red: The game changing moment.

Unfortunately, the problem was not only that we were poor when in possession, as we didn’t really take any efforts to close Liverpool down and win the ball back when they had the ball. We seemed more happy to sit back and defend, and let Liverpool take their time on the ball.

The midfield is what really creates the beautiful football we crave. It’s responsible for the clever passes, connecting defence to attack, creating chances and intercepting the opposition’s chances. They are, to put it simply, what makes the team tick. But on Sunday night, we failed in every single one of those areas until Scholes came on! Carrick, for all his passing brilliance, just can’t make his mark on a game when he is partnered by a midfielder who can’t retain possession and keep the ball moving.

Sir Alex’s reluctance to play either Anderson or Cleverley, both of whom at the very least add an energy and drive to the team, surprised me, especially because neither Carrick or Giggs had the energy and dynamism in their game, which was our undoing. No matter how much you believe that Sir Alex is a great manager, he made a mistake in going with Giggs in midfield and it would have backfired on us had Shelvey not been sent off for that rash challenge on Evans.

Future of United’s Midfield?

When we come up against teams that are either technically or physically superior to us in midfield, we are going to struggle with Carrick and Giggs playing together. The past few weeks have highlighted the importance of having a top midfield, and while we might have a top defence and a world class attack, it will always be an uphill battle when the midfield is incapable of performing, one that we are more than likely to lose!

With Scholes and Carrick, we have a midfield that will succeed, which they have shown time and again. But we can’t expect Scholes to come through for us every game. He will have a bad game once in a while too, and when that happens, aren’t we doomed? Carrick cannot alone save us as he seems to struggle at times when partnered with the likes of Cleverley.

Why is that?

Well, It’s mainly because Michael Carrick has developed into a player who loves to sit deep, and as we all know, Cleverley loves to get forward with the ball. But when playing alongside Carrick, after making one of his darting runs, Cleverley’s pass back to his partner always ends up going deep to where Carrick is positioned, meaning that the 20-25 yards that Cleverley pushed the opposition back with his run is undone with him having to make a return pass that deep!

Meanwhile, we have Anderson, who has a lot to prove, and is a more suited midfield partner for Cleverley. Anderson’s movement and drive is something Cleverley needs in a midfield partner. Sir Alex should start giving them a chance, as they have already shown that together their dynamic play is really effective, and though we could see our defence exposed to counter attacks, we at least don’t spend a majority of the game in our own half!

With several more big games on the horizon, Sir Alex will have take the risk and play Cleverley and/or Anderson because they offer the energy that none of our experienced midfielders possess or can offer considering their age! I haven’t mentioned Darren Fletcher because we still don’t know if he’s still the player he was 2-3 seasons back, but if he can return to his best then we don’t have much to worry.

We face Tottenham, Newcastle, Stoke, Chelsea and Arsenal in the coming Premier League weekends and all these teams, well maybe except for Stoke, have a very formidable midfield. Also in between these games we have the Champions League fixtures that cannot be ignored, so to expect a 37-year-old to rescue us every time is just too much.

If we don’t see some changes in our midfield, then we are basically a time bomb that is waiting to implode, and when that day comes, I really fear the worst because that is how poor a team can get if the midfield is so dysfunctional!