Make a speech when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret – a very poignant quote especially in the current climate of football at Old Trafford.
During and following the loss to West Ham on Tuesday, I heard some extraordinary claims in regards to some of our players with Jonny Evans coming under exceptionally heavy fire. Yes his performance wasn’t the best and yes he has been in a rut but some of the things said were out of order.
Fans have their right to voice their opinions positive or negative, I wouldn’t be here writing this if this wasn’t the case but when a professional, current or retired, offers their opinion it garners special attention as has been the case when ex-Red Viv Anderson voiced his concerns on the current crop of youngsters.
Anderson, who works for MUTV, also picked out Evans performance as a cause for concern but the point that especially got my back up was:
“It was a hard night. It was a learning curve for these young lads and I don’t think they are quite up to the task as everyone seemed to think they were. The manager put his trust in six or seven 20 to 21-year-olds, thinking they were good enough to get a result, and it didn’t work.
It’s backfired on him [Fergie], you could see that in his face. He’s going to have to really think about the younger lads because they obviously can’t match up to his or this club’s expectations.”
Indeed the changes Sir Alex made did not quite come off as he expected but to call into question the ability of these youngsters off of this is ridiculous.
If we go back one year to the game against Besiktas at Old Trafford, there was a similar outcry following the 1-0 defeat but one of the players that came in for the most stick that night is now the talk of the town, Danny Welbeck. People criticised Rafael for his part in the goal but he is now most fan’s choice for number 1 right back. Gerard Pique and Nani played when we lost to Coventry in the same competition in 2007 again both have gone on to prove their worth.
A single game is rarely the making of a player and to call into question these youngsters ability after a poor showing is a shock to me especially coming from an ex pro. Not everyone that played on Tuesday will be a roaring success, that’s life but each and every player has ability. They wouldn’t be at the club if not.
Nobody is saying they should not be criticised I have done so myself but some of these youngsters have played a part in our Carling Cup triumphs for the past 2 seasons as well our FA Cup run in 2009 so to declare them to be not up to the task is ridiculous and screams ‘knee jerk’.
I look forward to looking back on this game and smiling as the players that have been deemed ‘not up to the task’ make an impact in the future.
Credit explained? Oi Malcom have a look!
i watched that on mutv it is not as bad as you may see all he ment was the young players are not ready and will take a few years.
Perhaps but it is the choice of words, statements like:
“He’s going to have to really think about the younger lads because they obviously can’t match up to his or this club’s expectations.”
seem to me like he has made his decision on players a bunch of youngsters. The fact he is commenting can be seen as his showing he cares as if he didn’t he could have just let it pass but he should really choose his words more carefully
Vanderson may be right. Fergie hasn’t much of a track record when it comes to bringing youth through cough
You pretty much summed up my thoughts, particularly the 2007 loss. The Coventry loss also teaches that bringing up youth is a gamble which means where losing is just as inevitable as winning. I know that a few guys who played that night are now with other clubs and didn’t meet United standards. But I’d say even one success of develping a youth into a long-term United player is worth several who don’t. Virtually every manager sees the Carling Cup as youth development tool, so it’s going overboard to say a selection backfires when that’s the intent all along.
Beyond that, it’s a basic overaction. I’d say Evans was the only one (and Macheda to an extent) coming into the game in a poor run of form, so it’s ridiculous to suggest several don’t match the club’s expectations based on one game.
I’m going for broke here and calling a spade a spade. What is so wrong about Johnny Evans this season is that he has been bullied by anyone who is ‘man” enough to take him on. He is a “sissy” in his play – shrieking any physical confrontation. That is why Ferguson described the goals conceded as “soft” or as I have put it “sissier”. That is why I call him the “Irish Bank of Manchester” as physically he looks strong but in actuality, a house of cards.
People do forget that earlier he was physically up to someone like drogba..I really believe that his confidence is shattered and that he really dreads getting time on the pitch..If not for his apparent lack of pace, i would have suggested giving a bit more time on the left back position, less of a risk and adequate game time..I really really want him to succeed here and want him to establish as a major force..I just want him to grow some balls and buff up a bit..Maybe obertan can train him:)
I say we tie him to a poll and have Gibson blast shots at him for about an hour…but is that a bit excessive?
Na, he’d only get hit once….
Haha, if even that!
Why would some writers pick up a pen and end up sending mischievious write ups? Fergie not known for breeding youmgsters? Giggs, becks, scholes,robson, bruce, c.ronaldo,evra, nani,fletcher,wes etc joined utd at what age? The current crops in my opinion are just over hyped and we expect so great a result from a stuttering obertan, a shaky evans, a pedestrian oshea who is never a utd material. The gaffer should play: Eikrem, Cleverly,Ajose and Morrison the real and true ‘redsters’
fabio was excellent in blackburn game and not that bad in the westham match…. its evans, oshea, fletcher bebe, obertan and to some extent giggs who underperformed that made look fabio worse than he really was…. even rafael struggled when he came on… smalling and anderson had an okay game and so was hernandez… and we have seen in the past if u don’t/ can’t provide service to him there is no point bringing in macheda… and the goalkeeper was poor too… i think its time for eikrem given his chance…