displayed enough during their
recent nine-game unbeaten run
to suggest their bad start was just
a minor blip, but is David Moyes
hindering his side with endless
squad adjustments?
It's fair to say David Moyes has
suffered what can only be
described as a baptism of fire in
succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson.
The manner in which the Scot
bemoaned an admittedly
awkward fixture list smacked of
desperation amidst a set of poor
early results but his new troops
have been brutally exploited in
the short time he has had to
acclimatise to new surroundings.
An impregnable forward line of
Wayne Rooney and Robin van
Persie has put the champions on
a road to recovery in recent times
and a nine-match unbeaten run
in all competitions, capped by the
impressive win over leaders
Arsenal at the weekend, would
appear to indicate Moyes and his
side are firmly back on track.
But, as the international hiatus
approaches, Moyes would be ill-
advised not to use the rare time
afforded to him in these next two
weeks to give serious
consideration to a definitive
starting XI. Van Persie and
Rooney's individual brilliance
have seen United restore some
natural order but, if the
champions are to retain their
crown, consistency must be
found.
Moyes has been the enemy of his
own downfall in that respect,
constantly looking to tinker with
his line-up and the results have
been telling.
The fact United have not selected
the same line-up in consecutive
matches at all this season
confirms what every United fan
already knew, that the new man
in charge simply doesn't know
what his best team is yet.
While the striker positions and
David de Gea in goal largely pick
themselves, United have been left
with eight positions of
uncertainty, with only Patrice
Evra able to stake any
meaningful claim for his place in
the first-team reckoning.
Stalwarts Nemanja Vidic and Rio
Ferdinand have looked unsettled,
while Chris Smalling has, at
times, looked out of his depth
when deputising for Rafael, who
has hardly enjoyed a flawless
start of his own.
But it is ahead of the defence
where Moyes' most pressing
concerns lie.
Michael Carrick is considered
undroppable by sections of the
Old Trafford faithful but he has
failed to transfer his outstanding
2012/2013 title-winning form to
this campaign while Tom
Cleverley's worrying regression,
the farce Ryan Giggs is rapidly
approaching his 40th birthday
and Anderson's lack of any
meaningful contribution means
Marouane Fellaini has been
handed simply too many midfield
auditions.
Moyes' persistent selection of the
man he shelled out some £27m
on in the closing hours of the
transfer window has been met
with distaste by United
supporters and despite the
former Everton boss' assertion
that he did not "need" Mesut Ozil,
he is fooling no-one.
Even in beating Arsenal on
Sunday, United recorded just 44%
possession and a passing
accuracy stat of 75% will hardly
set pulses racing in the creativity
stakes. Fellaini's prolonged spell
in the side has come at a cost in
what seems some sort of a
justification on Moyes' part for
convincing his owners to part
with such a sum.
And as harsh as it may seem on
Fellaini, it cannot be swatted
away as mere coincidence that
the Belgian's relegation to the
bench since the disappointing 1-1
draw with Southampton has
produced an upturn in results.
In fact, his only return to the first-
team fold since resulted in a red
card and dropped Champions
League points for United in a
tame 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad.
Moyes has kept with tradition
and experimented largely since
the Saints stalemate, with a
mixture of Carrick, Cleverley,
Giggs and Jones vying for the two
midfield spots.
Carrick's Squawka Performance
Score of 340 far outshines his
fellow team-mates in midfield,
with a consistent showing across
the board in terms of his
defensive and attacking output
and when in possession of the
ball. The England international's
place is secure.
Jones did his chances of
cementing his place in the other
central midfield berth no harm at
all on Sunday, suffocating the
Gunners' gang of technicians as
Ozil, Santi Cazorla et al struggled
to play through a diligent United
defence. The ex-Blackburn
Rovers defender's part in the
system was critical in securing a
result that hauls his side right
back into title contention.
But that's not all that his game
consists of, an average pass
accuracy of 88% makes sure of
that, a figure which dwarfs
Carrick's total of 86%. His
contributions at the back are not
to be sniffed at either, with a 71%
tackling success rate, no errors in
the defensive third of the pitch
and nine defensive actions
epitomising some of his more
authentic qualities.
Cleverley offers the more creative
option of the two in
accompanying Carrick but
despite his six key passes
usurping Jones' efforts in that
department, the fact Carrick has
made 11 already suggests the
former Wigan loanee's assets
may be rendered slightly
irrelevant.
His 72% tackling success rate and
89% passing accuracy, however,
would appear to paint a slightly
different picture.
Fellaini falls in between the two
categories. One key pass in six
appearances hardly marks him
out as the playmaker type, a
disappointing 29% shot accuracy
from seven shots refuses him the
right to act as a box-to-box man
but an 83% tackle success rate
and a 76% headed duel success
illustrates a role to be played yet
for the mega money buy.
Ultimately, Moyes' engine-room
combination will depend on the
opponents. Cleverley or Fellaini
could have potentially been
overrun by Arsenal's array of
creative talents but Jones fitted
the bill in this particular context
for the task that needed to be
carried out. It's a hair's width
between Jones and Cleverley in
terms of the figures but the
former shades it on the basis
Carrick is given licence to roam in
the central areas.
Out wide has proven to be
another area for concern for
Moyes. United fame themselves
on great wing play but it has been
in limited supply for some time
now.
Ashley Young and Nani have
been castigated to the point of no
return at United and a defensive
error apiece, especially given
their roles in the team, illustrate
an almighty fall from grace for
two talented widemen. They're
out of the picture, which leaves
us with Shinji Kagawa, Danny
Welbeck and the currently
preferred duo of Antonio
Valencia and Adnan Januzaj.
Valencia's tireless work in
bombing up and down the right
wing was again evident at the
weekend and is a primary reason
why he has to be considered for a
starting role. HIs three average
defensive actions are more than
any other of United's wingers,
barring Shinji Kagawa's
matching tally.
Kagawa also excels in the
shooting department, with a
100% accuracy, but it must be
factored in that he has only
attempted one shot. Valencia has
recorded two shots with a 50%
accuracy but Januzaj's 50% from
10 shots is a far more impressive
total and indicates a willingness
to shoot from the Belgian
prodigy, something missing from
those behind Rooney and Van
Persie.
The emergence of Januzaj has
been a positive sub plot in
United's otherwise
underwhelming start and his
four chances created - one an
assist - are third only to
Valencia's seven and Nani's nine.
Januzaj's brace at Sunderland
rescued United from the jaws of
defeat and leaves him joint-third
with Welbeck on two goals in the
league, with Valencia registering
his sole strike in the 3-1 win at
Fulham.
Where Januzaj surprisingly
disappoints is in his passing, with
his 78% accuracy falling way
below Valencia (82%), Welbeck
(86%) and Kagawa (87%).
Welbeck, like Valencia, offers
efficiency going backwards as
well as forwards, reflected in his
80% tackling success rate, but his
11% take on success rate for a
winger is simply not good
enough, in stark contrast to
Januzaj (64%) and Kagawa
(50%), with the Japanese also
holding a staggering 90% tackling
success rate.
Like with Jones' role on Sunday,
Danny Welbeck and Shinji
Kagawa possess the traits needed
against certain opposition. For
the all-round product, though,
virtual ever-present Valencia and
the ever-improving Januzaj offer
United threats in every
department.
A settled midfield quartet of
Januzaj, Jones, Carrick and
Valencia dovetailing with the
outstanding Rooney and Van
Persie can keep United on their
road to recovery without any
further hiccups.
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless device from MTN
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