EDITORIAL ENGLISH

Editorial

‘ALL WE NEED IS A BIT OF MATURITY’

The old adage that ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’ is particularly relevant to Manchester United’s current predicament. Bundled out of the Carling Cup semi‑final and with a rampant Manchester City running away with the league, the long, hard and painful wait for a more positive domestic season will ostensibly have to wait.

Yet despite the lack of consistency in the league and the ignominy of an early Champions League exit, there is still plenty to look forward to as a top‑four finish is certainly not guaranteed and there is plenty to play for! Moreover, our recent foray in the Europa League has been very positive and there is ‘that’ small matter of trying to win the FA Cup.

Truth be told, despite Manchester United leading the Premier League table at a point in time, most fans knew that the thought of genuinely winning the championship was merely ephemeral in nature. Inasmuch as a resurgent Paul Pogba has made a difference, there are problems with the back four that demand immediate rectification. Strikers win you games, but defenders win you championships – yet goalkeeping mistakes and simple errors at the back have already cost United dear. Up and until the centre-back issue is fully resolved, it will take a while for United to genuinely mount a serious assault on the league championship. Successful United sides always boasted a feared partnership with fans certainly reminiscing the days of Bruce & Pallister, Stam and Johnsen and more recently, Ferdinand and Vidic.

Moreover, considering the team is relatively young - inconsistency becomes an issue and the odd shock result (Sheffield United at home for starters) is bound to occur - especially when an inexperienced squad finds itself in unfamiliar waters. Nevertheless, this is all part of the learning process and being able to lead the table at a point in time will do wonders for most of the young players coming through. Compounding everything is the fact that Pep Guardiola managed to rekindle a misfiring Manchester City with the Blues achieving an insurmountable run of results leaving everyone in their wake. Give credit where credit is due – and City are right on course to achieve a third title within four seasons.

What is certainly pleasing is the added impetus that Edinson Cavani has added to the squad. Here is a perennial winner who has managed to blend in quite nicely - with touches of exquisiteness and quality oozing across the Old Trafford pitch. Cavani’s addition has proven to be most welcome at a time when United needed that added ‘panache’ up front - considering Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are still finding their feet and Anthony Martial is known to be consistently inconsistent. Give Cavani some space and watch him work wonders as his mere presence alone already galvanises the squad.

The two fixtures against Liverpool in January showed how far United had come and the confrontations reflected an improvement on the club’s mental attitude and fortitude - something that hadn’t been seen in a considerably long time. The game at Anfield should have seen United emerge with all three points with Paul Pogba literally ruing a missed opportunity to edge himself in the history books. However, the FA Cup tie at Old Trafford was doubly pleasing and a joy to watch.

Despite Liverpool offering stiff resilience, the manner in which United won re-emphasized the fact that we are certainly no longer pushovers. Bruno Fernandes’s exquisitely taken free kick summed up a 90 minutes where (barring a short spell of dominance from the Scousers) Manchester United looked like the Red Devils of old...hungry on the ball, aggressive, physical and more importantly- never giving in. One can only hope that Ole’s man can carry on this good run of form in the cup all the way to the final stages of the competition!

Another major plus point was Manchester United’s away performance vs Real Sociedad (despite the fact that the game was played at a neutral venue). Spanish opposition are notoriously difficult to play against and the club’s record against Iberian clubs is far from pleasing - nonetheless, considering Real Sociedad’s run of form in La Liga and boasting the likes of Adnan Januzaj and David Silva in their ranks, Ole’s men ran riot on a night where the Reds displayed a mental and tactical acumen which hadn’t been witnessed away from home since the days of Sir Alex.

United’s positive transitions and counter attacks left the Spaniards in their wake as four well taken goals ensured that United’s passage to the round of 16 was all but booked. A tie which had ‘banana skin’ written all over it proved to be all but over before the Reds even touched base in Manchester - yet another testament to United’s maturity and quality.

March will certainly prove a make-or-break season for the club. Some feisty encounters are to be played out and there are old scores to settle at the Manchester Derby when the Reds visit the Etihad on the 7th of March. The gruelling run of fixtures is expected to take its toll on the players, but this is where squadrotation will play a critical role. Barring the odd injury here and there, it is expected that the full squad will be contributing accordingly to make sure the Red Devils finish the season on a strong note.

Finally, it is impossible to end this editorial without mentioning United’s fabled philosophy – so beautifully captured when Amad Diallo and Shola Shoretire made their debuts for the Red Devils. Despite a club in transition and with constant pressure to win a league championship, senior management are still working hard to introduce very talented youngsters within the group and for both Diallo and Shoretire, the future is certainly bright. One can only hope the positivity and alacrity generated by youth is constantly complemented by a robustness and maturity that is imbued within players such Cavani, Fernandes and Pogba. Surely, United can only get better if this philosophy and roadmap is maintained!