If Ferguson had the financial backing....

[Sir Tokyo Sexwale]

Speechless

 

A new low in journalism?

 

Manchester United's defeat at Stamford Bridge was not a great surprise. It is the effectiveness of Sir Alex Ferguson's side in this campaign that ought really to take us aback. They remain leaders of the Premier League, even if there is now rough terrain to be covered, with trips ahead to Anfield on Sunday and the Emirates in May. There mighteasily have been a satisfactory draw with Chelsea.

 

The penalty that cost United the game did not seem justified since it was difficult to discern a foul when the contact between Chris Smalling and Yuri Zhirkov verged on the unavoidable. Any blame that attaches to the centre-half lay in his decision, a moment before, to try to take a touch on the ball instead of clearing it. This defender has still had an outstanding debut campaign with United.

 

He and others may well have been overachieving until now. The quality of the results has seldom been questioned even while the standard of the side is doubted. For all the acclaim Ferguson has received, there is still a delay in recognising just how adroit he has been in a time of restricted options. He must, for instance, take more care in the use he makes of veterans who have to be nursed through the campaign.

 

Scholes and Ryan Giggs last started a Premier League away match together at Bolton in September. Injuries, of course, have been a factor but that too reflects the vulnerability of age. Ferguson's deployment of his assets continues to be a tour de force. There was not the slightest prospect that there would be signings in the January transfer window to compare with Carlo Ancelotti's purchase of Fernando Torres and David Luiz.

 

That expenditure, however, reflected Chelsea's needs as much as their funds. Roman Abramovich's club are still in an intense struggle to ensure that they have Champions League football next season. The immediate outlook is far rosier for United and Arsenal, beaten five times in 27 league fixtures, are not the most indefatigable of rivals to Ferguson's team. Any strain on the Old Trafford manager lies in the need to reshape his side for the long term.

 

A player such as Dimitar Berbatov was the subject of rightful acclaim not so long ago but that approval is now receding a little. He is without a goal since 25 January. While Ferguson's assessment of the Chelsea defence would have been a notable factor, the preference to start with Javier Hernández at Stamford Bridge should remind Berbatov that he has not completely convinced the manager of his reliability as a spearhead for the attack.

 

It takes constant readjustment for Ferguson to nudge the side through the programme. Rafael da Silva, for instance, lost his place following the defeat at Wolves in the middle of last month and the right-back post was taken by John O'Shea, a more stolid type who will not be exuberant on the overlap. Managerial finesse conceals the truth that Ferguson is in a difficult period.

 

Since the 2009 Champions League final, Ferguson does not not appear to have had the funds for radical updating of the squad. Of the 14 men used in the course of that 2-0 defeat to Barcelona, only two have left. They, all the same, were Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo. There has been no attempt to make acquisitions of that calibre and cost.

 

Ferguson is not given to whining about that particular issue. To do so would make him appear weaker and, in any case, there would be no point to such appeals if he judges that the funds would not be available from the owners. With good cause, he has always backed his acumen. The budget, for instance, is all but unlimited at Manchester City but Roberto Mancini has far to go before there is a line-up with the impact of United's.

 

Nothing has gone gravely wrong for the Old Trafford side yet. Indeed, they are accustomed to wearing a rueful expression as they leave Stamford Bridge, a ground where they have not won since 2002. The main thought really should be of the impact Ferguson might have with a budget even a little closer to that of City or to the one that Abramovich seems to be authorising once more.

[surf]

don't know where to begin with that. oh i know, "The penalty that cost United the game did not seem justified since it was difficult to discern a foul when the contact between Chris Smalling and Yuri Zhirkov verged on the unavoidable." , how about every other game this season where they've benefited form penalties and red cards and are being blatantly favoured by referees and the FA. How about that you lazy lazy journalist.

[muleskinner]

Kevin mcarra is a d****ead, loves blowing smoke up the mancs ring.

[Bailo]

Poor, poor underfunded Mancs. £8m on Hernandez, £7m on the criminally underused Bebe lest we forget.

[Cobs]

If only poor Ferguson could have picked a £30m striker like Berbatov to play up front alongside the £27m striker Rooney

[Stevie H]

how many players do chelsea have in their squad who cost 30m or over? how many do united have?

[johngibo YPC]

Poor, poor underfunded Mancs. £8m on Hernandez, £7m on the criminally underused Bebe lest we forget.

 

They have been underfunded over the last few years. We sound like the people who were having a go at Rafa. 'But you spunked 18m on Aquilani'

[Bailo]

They have been underfunded over the last few years. We sound like the people who were having a go at Rafa. 'But you spunked 18m on Aquilani'

I missed all these articles diminishing Ferguson's achievements when he was spending big money. And like Cobs said, he had a £30m player on the bench and a £27m player starting. It's as if the excuse machine for Ferguson has been cranked up to max by his friends in the media.

[Cobs]

and then there's the £18m they spent on Carrick, the £18m they spent on Nani, the £11m they spent on a 4th/5th choice centre back - Smalling

 

your heart has to bleed for this underfunded team...

 

 

 

feck off

Edited March 3, 2011 by Cobs

[johngibo YPC]

I missed all these articles diminishing Ferguson's achievements when he was spending big money. And like Cobs said, he had a £30m player on the bench and a £27m player starting. It's as if the excuse machine for Ferguson has been cranked up to max by his friends in the media.

 

On Sunday we are likely to have a £22m player up front with a £35m player on the bench. It still doesn't mean we have been or can compete financially with Man City and Chelsea though

Man U have probably had a negative net spend in the last four years. The fact that they have been able to stay very competitive is a very good achievement, even if it has been aided by some dark arts

[Woodsyla]

They have been underfunded over the last few years. We sound like the people who were having a go at Rafa. 'But you spunked 18m on Aquilani'

Exactly, for two years he has had to balance the books and without the outrageous fee for Ronaldo they would be even more threadbare. He is finding out what we found out, you can't win trophies without spending money, they are top of the league but this is arguably the poorest United side for 15 years. They may well go on and win it this season but they wont dominate the next 10 years if they don't start splashing the cash.

[Bailo]

On Sunday we are likely to have a £22m player up front with a £35m player on the bench. It still doesn't mean we have been or can compete financially with Man City and Chelsea though

Man U have probably had a negative net spend in the last four years. The fact that they have been able to stay very competitive is a very good achievement, even if it has been aided by some dark arts

I agree to an extent, and their competitiveness is impressive, but I think this season certainly that's a indictment on the quality of the rest of the pack.

 

Irrespective of that, they've had a net negative spend because they lost one (admittedly crucial) player for a hell of a lot of money. It's not the same as us, who lost 3 over the same period.

[johngibo YPC]

I agree to an extent, and their competitiveness is impressive, but I think this season certainly that's a indictment on the quality of the rest of the pack.

 

Irrespective of that, they've had a net negative spend because they lost one (admittedly crucial) player for a hell of a lot of money. It's not the same as us, who lost 3 over the same period.

 

It is indeed, but we;ve probably won a couple of titles that way as well. My dad always says a couple of the Liverpool title winning teams weren't up to much, and won it on belief more than anything

 

We lost 3? Do you mean Alonso, Masch and Torres? Because we dropped from 2nd to 7th when we had only lost the first one

And Tevez was a big player for them as well

[Cobs]

It is indeed, but we;ve probably won a couple of titles that way as well. My dad always says a couple of the Liverpool title winning teams weren't up to much, and won it on belief more than anything

 

 

which ones?

[johngibo YPC]

which ones?

 

He didn't think much of the last league winning team

And one of the years he reckons Souness won it on his own and the team wasn't up to much. Although i presume that team included Kenny

[StevieC]

and then there's the £18m they spent on Carrick, the £18m they spent on Nani, the £11m they spent on a 4th/5th choice centre back - Smalling

 

your heart has to bleed for this underfunded team...

 

 

 

feck off

 

 

Don't forget Anderson. Or Hargreaves. Or the two Serbians who barely got a game...

 

Their f*cking subs bench is full of players who cost more then most club's record signings.

[Cobs]

He didn't think much of the last league winning team

And one of the years he reckons Souness won it on his own and the team wasn't up to much. Although i presume that team included Kenny

 

that'll be the team that beat Palace 9-0 ?

 

pretty hard to knock any of the sides 76-90, always gonna be the way that some were better than others but thinking back only the 81-2 side stunk the place out for a while before storming to the title in the 2nd half of the season. Was all much more even in terms of spending back then too.

 

Don't forget Anderson. Or Hargreaves. Or the two Serbians who barely got a game...

 

Their f*cking subs bench is full of players who cost more then most club's record signings.

 

was only going on their team the other night - otherwise the £33m on Ferdinand would have got a mention too

[Bailo]

It is indeed, but we;ve probably won a couple of titles that way as well. My dad always says a couple of the Liverpool title winning teams weren't up to much, and won it on belief more than anything

 

We lost 3? Do you mean Alonso, Masch and Torres? Because we dropped from 2nd to 7th when we had only lost the first one

And Tevez was a big player for them as well

Again, there are elements I completely agree with, but I'm not having comparisons with us. The Mancs have been funded way beyond us, and the majority of the league, for ages now. As soon as someone richer comes along, they and their press buddies are screaming "unfair".

 

Didn't see many articles claiming Ferdinand's, Carrick's, Vidic's, Rooney's or Berbatov's etc transfer made them unfairly position compared to the rest of the league.

[johngibo YPC]

Don't forget Anderson. Or Hargreaves. Or the two Serbians who barely got a game...

 

 

I don't think they actually ended up buying them Serbians did they? Certainly not one of them

[Raj]

I don't think they actually ended up buying them Serbians did they? Certainly not one of them

 

They bought Tosic. Not the other fella, who is doing ok at Fiorentina

[johngibo YPC]

Again, there are elements I completely agree with, but I'm not having comparisons with us. The Mancs have been funded way beyond us, and the majority of the league, for ages now. As soon as someone richer comes along, they and their press buddies are screaming "unfair".

 

 

Noone is saying its unfair. They are just acknowedging a fact

[Stevie H]

I don't think they actually ended up buying them Serbians did they? Certainly not one of them

they bought tosic, the wrong one. ljajic is the player. think they still paid 7m or so for tosic and he's sh*te.

[richwilks]

they bought tosic, the wrong one. ljajic is the player. think they still paid 7m or so for tosic and he's sh*te.

 

But Fergie doesn't make mistakes when he signs players.

[Stevie H]

But Fergie doesn't make mistakes when he signs players.

sure he does, he's made plenty. tends to ship them before they do any lasting damage though or they're completely low-risk in the first place.

 

apparently the player he regrets most not signing is xabi alonso.

[ManxRed]

But Fergie doesn't make mistakes when he signs players.

 

Veron, Djemba x 2, David Bellion, Anderson, and so on.