I reckon we (Manchester United) would have done a lot better - scored more points - had we not lost Heinze and Scholes for much of the season, and had had a manager that thought there were better tactics than to persist with Smith in midfield. It's not a coincidence that our season picked up when SAF was unable to continue writing S M I T H down on the teamsheet - at least, in a central midfield role. His (SAF's) general control of the selections - particularly for central midfield - has been woeful, for the most part. It is only now that he has very little alternative other than to stick with the new-found central midfield pairing of Giggs and O'Shea that we're approaching anything like consistently good performances.
I too believe we'll improve next season. I am also preparing myself for a few shocks. I strongly suspect SAF has a major clear-out planned. I don't want to see Neville, Ferdinand, Scholes, Giggs or van Nistelrooy go - but I'm afraid one or all of them might be shown the door. I just don't have a lot of confidence in SAF - to be blunt. I'd much rather all of those players stayed and SAF went into retirement. Again - as I've said before - I think Martin O'Neil would do a much, much better job. I can't see him building a team around Smith in midfield, for instance.
bellamy againRafa ready for £6million raid Thu, Apr 20 2006 11:11 Rafa Benitez is set to...
Almost every game he (SAF) still has to take off one of the midfielders and replace him with a striker or defender at some point. He just can't help himself it seems. I honestly can't put this repeated depletion of the midfield down to anything other than stupidity. Maybe he's becoming senile - I don't know. Maybe he has 100% faith in the crop of midfielders currently out on loan? If he's not senile he must have something up his sleeves. Someone ready and waiting in the wings maybe? Maybe he sees the game being compressed so much with both defensive lines full of sprinters practically shaking hands on the halfway line so that no midfield exists? I dunno. Any ideas?
Mike.
PS. OK - bring it on. Flame away.
Dave.G
