Sunday 13 March 2011

United and Arsenal - A Fork in the Path

A WONDERFULLY open FA Cup quarter-final yesterday between Manchester United and Arsenal gave neutrals a fascinating perspective on two teams at crucial points of the season, and gave both managers food for thought afterwards as the season reaches its climax. It’s definitely squeaky bum time now.

Not that you’d think Arsenal had any chance of finishing this season moderately successful if you listened to the majority of BBC 5 Live fans after the game yesterday, phoning in yet again, saying it was time for Wenger to go.

Apparently, it’s a sad state of affairs when you are dumped out of two competitions within a week by minnows such as Barcelona and Manchester United, and maybe Arsenal fans are right to question the competence of a team just 3 points of the top of the Barclays Premier League, with a game in hand.

For Manchester United, yesterday’s fixture was supposed to be the chance to deliver a crushing psychological blow to Arsene Wenger’s players, but despite the victory, the truth is that both teams still have everything to play for, and yesterday’s result may have helped both teams rather than hindered them.

For Arsenal, the Gunners now can focus their strengths on capturing their first Premier League since 2004’s ‘Invincibles’ season. True, seeing success in three cup competitions is tough to deal with, but very rarely does a team winning the Premier League have it easy in the run-in. Even Wenger’s 2004 side had to deal with a hard-to-take FA Cup exit to United in a semi final at Villa Park.

Winning the League Cup would have given Wenger’s side a lift, but in reality the League Cup for a club like Arsenal is not enough to win on its own. As so often relayed by lazy football pundits, it is the Premier League that is your ‘bread and butter’, or as Wenger’s French would like to put it, your ‘pain et le beurre’.

With Robin Van Persie back to full fitness (apart from possible deafness), Arsenal still have a genuine chance this season of winning the title. They need Theo Walcott back, and a fit Cesc Fabregas is a bonus for any side, but Arsenal’s remaining fixtures aren’t too tough for the experienced Wenger to overcome. A crucial game in hand against rivals Tottenham could help decide their fate, but they also face United at home on May 1, a side that has struggled badly away from home by their standards.

Losing in the manner they did yesterday wouldn’t be too much of a worry for Arsenal. United are always going to create chances at Old Trafford, but Edwin Van der Sar’s man of the match performance said enough about the chances Arsenal had. Arsenal created a hell of a lot more openings at Old Trafford yesterday than they have done in previous years, and those pointing out that United had 7 defenders playing outfield yesterday should ponder whether a team with that many defensive players should be allowing so many opportunities for the opposition to score.

Indeed, it is Arsenal’s defence that now gives Wenger the biggest headache. Despite critics of the Gunners pointing out to a flimsy back line that seems destined to cost them one again, it should be mentioned that before the Champions League exit at the Nou Camp in midweek, Arsenal had kept clean sheets in SEVEN of their last nine league games.

However, Johan Djourou’s injury has dealt Wenger a massive blow. Djourou’s form since the turn of the season has been fantastic, with the 24-year-old Swiss international offering a calmness not seen in Arsenal’s back four since Tony Adams. It is no coincidence that since Djourou made the centre back position his own after the Christmas, Wenger’s men have remained unbeaten in the Premier League.

The dislocated shoulder he suffered yesterday will now keep him out for the rest of the season, and with Thomas Vermaelen injured and Sebastian Squillachi struggling for form, Wenger may struggle to hold together a defence now marshalled by the ever-improving Laurent Koscielny. Gael Clichy’s failure to understand an offside trap isn’t going to help anyone either.

For Manchester United, yesterday’s victory was more significant for themselves psychologically, rather than affecting the mental state of the Gunners. Coming on the back of two morale-sapping defeats away at Chelsea and Liverpool, United found themselves on the brink of collapse. However, a victory with clearly a makeshift set-up gives confidence to those players on the fringes of the United first team that they can have a major say in the rest of United’s season.

Sir Alex Ferguson said he opted for a team that would provide the most energy yesterday, and the likes of Rooney, Hernandez and the Da Silva twins put in a brilliant shift to rattle the Arsenal players. The United manager must now be more confident in the abilities of young talent of Fabio and Rafael as attacking options as well in the full back positions, and you get the feeling he would now trust Chris Smalling in the biggest of games. Smalling has matured quickly this season, and the chance to be the long term replacement for Rio Ferdinand looks increasingly likely.

In a tiring season for United, Javier Hernandez is the refreshing option that Ferguson likes at this stage of the season. The United manager currently seems unsure in what fixtures United would benefit from playing Dimitar Berbatov. Berbatov on his own up front has never really worked due to his less-than-admirable work-rate and his preference to drop deep, and despite Berbatov enjoying his most successful season, it is clear that his manager still feels United operate better without him in the big fixtures.

Hernandez’s ability to play on the shoulder of the last defender is something the United manager feels his team needs at the moment, and with Wayne Rooney filling in wide positions and playing increasingly defensively in the crucial stage of the season, the Mexican gives the team an outlet of relief up front. Indeed Ferguson has always enjoyed a counter-attacking team, which was evident when the Scot showed preference for Louis Saha ahead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy in the last few months of the 2005/2006 season.

United suffered burn-out badly in the 2006/2007 season, losing to AC Milan in the Champions League Semi Finals, and losing an FA Cup final to Chelsea days after the Old Trafford club had secured the Premier League title. Yesterday’s efforts will not have gone unnoticed by Ferguson, and despite a season that they have played below their high standards at times, the United boss may well feel they have enough in the tank to last the pace to pick up at least one trophy.

In another boost for United, Antonio Valencia’s highly impressive run-out yesterday will give the team’s effectiveness in wide positions fresh impetus, an area which was looking increasingly troublesome in recent months, as the team relied heavily on Nani to provide that magic spark.

The season is not over for Arsenal or United by any means. For United, it is somewhat unfortunate that success in multiple competitions means increased tiredness, thus affecting their capacity for each fixture they play. For Arsenal, staff and supporters may well be forlorn about the possibility of yet another season without a trophy, but with just the Premier League to focus on, Wenger’s critics may want to just see how the season turns out before they reach for the red button.

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