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A 2-1 defeat to FC Basel saw Manchester United eliminated from the UEFA Champions League meaning that Fergie’s men will be playing in the Europa League from now on.
The chickens have surely come home to roost. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men were left wanting on a bitterly disappointing night in Basel as last season’s runners-up crashed out of the UEFA Champions League and into the micky-mouse Lea…sorry Europa League.
A Shock? Yes, that cannot be denied. Deserved? That in itself is debatable. Expected? Well, that depends on how closely you have been watching the Red Devils in recent months.
We at In The Stands are far from surprised; in fact, United’s elimination from Europe’s elite cup competition has aided in shedding some much needed light on the problems currently besetting Fergie’s men.
Here are some reasons as to why Manchester United will be playing European football on a Thursday night from now on. Try not to laugh too hard at the back there!
Ahead of Saturday’s friendly between England and Spain, In The Stands looks back to the pair’s last match where goals by David Villa and Fernando Llorente sealed an easy 2-0 win for the hosts.
David Villa and Fernando Llorente were the heroes for Spain as they brushed aside a feeble English threat in a resounding 2-0 friendly win at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan.
It was a reality check with apocalyptic accuracy as Fabio Capello’s men were hung out to dry on a cold Spanish night on February 11th 2009. On a positive note the match also saw former England captain David Beckham draw level with 1966 World Cup-winning captain Bobby Moore on 108 caps.
Spain of course went on to lift their first ever World Cup crown one year later whilst England crashed and burn at the last 16 stage at the hands of old enemies Germany.
A double from Mario Balotelli, Edin Dzeko and solo goals from Sergio Aguero and David Silva saw Manchester City crush Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford in an unbelievable Premier League encounter.
The ‘noisy neighbours’ have not only created a racket, they have taken over the streets, all avenues, the high roads and the city centre itself!
Where oh where do you begin? Maybe with the fact that this was the day, the day of all days when every single football fan in the land knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Manchester City are not just genuine title contenders (we knew that already), but the number one favourites to bag a first Premier League crown.
6-1?! Even the scoreline seems surreal when compared to the significance of the result and the sheer power of the performance by Roberto Mancini’s charges.
Everyone kicks you when you’re down – that’s how it works, right? One minute you’re a legend; grooming the best players the Premier League has ever seen – winning two doubles on the way. The next your youthful team deserts you.
Arsene Wenger: the artist, the philosopher, the best manager the English Premier League has ever seen are complements that have become all the more distance. The sheer delight to be managed by a genius is no longer the divine priority – it’s money.
The game has changed. Players have become fickle, their feet have become more itchy and their price has become inflated. For example, It was clear that Samir Nasri wanted to move to Manchester United to play under, arguably, a manager better than Wenger – a move that I understand. But money, again, became a bargaining chip; Nasri could have waited to next year – but Arsenal knew this wasn’t a viable option because his price would devalue significantly. To add to this, hefty contract negotiations and a promise to buy the league would have drawn Nasri away from another season at Arsenal. We must also remember that this ‘saga’ started because Nasri felt he deserved a contract as large as the departed Cesc Fabregas (believed to be around £100,000 per week)
Newcastle United finished last season in a respectable twelfth position, but what their finishing position masked was the loss of Andy Carroll. With the new season only two weeks away, and with top scorer Kevin Nolan gone to West Ham, Newcastle desperately need to find a new striker who can fire in the goals.
Newcastle United with Andy Carroll
Prior to selling Andy Carroll to Liverpool, Newcastle United had acquired 30 points and scored 36 goals in total. Not bad for Premier League newcomers. Andy Carroll had scored 11 of those 36 goals (30%) and the team were scoring 1.6 goals per match, whilst conceding 1.3 goals.
At that point, Newcastle had played 23 games in total and were accruing 1.3 points per game. This meant that they sat ninth in the Premier League and were only eight points off of fifth placed Spurs.
Newcastle United without Andy Carroll
Manchester United turned around a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 against Manchester City in the season’s Community Shield curtain raiser at Wembley.
Nani netted the decisive third in stoppage time after he seized on Vincent Kompany’s mistake to round Joe Hart and tuck home the third.
The Portuguese winger also clipped home the equaliser in the 57th minute after Joleon Lescott and Edin Dzeko had given Manchester City a 2-0 halftime lead.
So it is a 19th Community Shield and another trophy for Sir Alex Ferguson whose desire to win we imagine will never cease to abate.
With the season just one week away, just what have we learnt from United’s Community Shield win?
1. Never Ever Doubt Manchester United!
Why this is ‘new’ is beyond us. It should really be replaced by reminding football fans up and down the land that Manchester United remain the safest bet to bag the 2011/2012 Premier League crown.
Arsenal were defeated 2-1 by Portuguese giants Benfica in Saturday’s Eusebio Cup and although the match was little more than a pre-season friendly, it proved it harbinger for what Gooners can expect this season.
In short, Arsenal fans ought to be worried and for good reason. Within 90 short minutes in the legendary Stadium of Light perched beautifully within the Lisbon city centre, up crept the same old problems besetting Arsene Wenger’s men.
It was a pre-season game with significance, not so much in terms of the result, rather in terms of naked exposure. If ever one match could be used as a template for change than this was it.
So what did In The Stands learn from the match? Well read on…
The Arsenal Defence is Appalling
The first and the most pertinent thing to emerge from Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat was the shocking state of the Gunners’ defence.
A Thierry Henry inspired New York Red Bulls grabbed a well-deserved 1-1 draw with Arsenal to lift the Emirates Cup and ensure a very happy return to North London for the Frenchman.
Given a throughly warm reception by some 60,000 Gooners prior to the game, the Arsenal legend led the New York Red Bulls attack with conviction and vigour.
‘Titi’ was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet himself after his right-footed shot flashed inches wide of Wojciech Szczesny’s goal, before the Polish shot-stopper dived at full stretch to keep out the striker’s free-kick.
Against the run of play, Robin Van Persie then headed the Gunners into a 41st minute from Tomas Rosicky’s free-kick.
However, Wenger’s men were denied the opportunity to bag their third Emirates Cup in four seasons when the visitors equalized seven minutes from time.
Wantaway Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero has joined Manchester City from Atletico Madrid for an estimated £38million.
With the departure of Carlos Tevez not yet set in stone, should Roberto Mancini’s top summer transfer target has now been snapped up bit of course, it will be another class striker in the Citizens roster and another potential headache for the Italian boss.
So that’s Sergio Aguero, a temperamental but ultimately talented Mario Balotelli, a hungry Edin Dzeko and of course the enigma-inducing Carlos Tevez. Just where will they all fit in Roberto?
It is a headache besetting City’s commander in chief and we for one can only struggle to advise the former Inter Milan boss. What are his options?
Does he consign a badly unsettled Carlos Tevez to the subs bench after the Argentine’s very public departure plea.
At times bordering on saccharine to a tad disheartening, the face of Manchester has expressed his desire to spend more time with his wife and children and if that means quitting Eastlands than nothing will stop City’s top scorer.
The latter point must be stressed. Tevez was City’s leading goalscorer last time out and complements City’s style of play well.
A luxury sub or a man who will waltz into the Barcelona premier XI? In The Stands’ Rolly Pelovangu investigates.
Many questions arise concerning Cesc Fabregas’ impending move back to his boyhood club.
Of course Cesc ought to remember this is not the same Barca side which he left in 2003. When a 16-year-old Fabregas left Catalonia to join Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles in 2003, the Gunners were arguably Europe’s number one side whereas struggling Barca were in the midst of a 5-year barren spell.
How fate has a funny way of throwing up coincidences! The 24-year-old will now join Europe’s number 1 side and one of the best teams (if not the best) in the history of world football, whilst he leaves behind a team in the midst of a 6-year trophy drought.
Strange thing is, Fabregas already plays for a great team; Spain, and guess what, he is little more than a luxury sub for La Roja Furia.
So, that being so, what will change if he joins Pep Guardiola’s team of masters?
Chelsea have three strikers to choose from – Didier Drogba, Romelu Lukaku and Fernando Torres. But who should play and who will sit on the bench?
Chelsea coach Andre Villas Boas is spoilt for choice as he weighs up his striking choices ahead of the new season with up to three class strikers vying for a place in the Blues attack. The list does not even include the ever-improving Daniel Sturridge and super-sub Salomon Kalou.
On Saturday striker Didier Drogba insisted that he will fight for his place in the Blues frontline and will not buck under the pressure from a (maybe) reinvigorated Torres and new signing Romelu Lukaku whose arrival has many commentators speculating about the big Ivorian’s future at Stamford Bridge.
“I’m 33, I’m the oldest player and it feels strange, but I’m not worried,” he told the Daily Mirror
“If I deserve to play, I will play. If I’m not good, I won’t. There’s always competition in the team and you can’t be the only striker. Even two years ago, there was still competition because I still had to perform.
“Daniel [Sturridge] could have played before and Salomon [Kalou]. When I’m on the pitch, competition or not, I need to perform.”
In The Stands have pulled out all the stops in an attempt to accurately predict the winner of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League Final between Barcelona and Manchester United. Read on for more details…
So who is going to win tonight? Take your pick; Blaugrana or Red Devils? Pep or Fergie? ‘Wazza’ or the ‘Flea’. A repeat of Rome or some sweet Mancunian revenge? Still undecided? Worry not.
The whizz kids and footballing experts here at In The Stands have sought to provide a comprehensive, analytical, scientific and psychological account of just who will be lifting the famous jug-eared trophy at Wembley come the close of Saturday.
Barcelona Are Quiet Favourites
Beginning with the very basics; Barcelona’s philosophy of ‘we score more goals than you’ backed up by their ‘Cruyff inspired 4-3-3 formation’ does not and will not change. They go into the match as quiet favorites (although they will never admit it). Pep Guardiola’s men know if they bring almost their best game they will win – simple as that.
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