Welcome back everyone...
To the Midweek Topic, to keep you busy till Friday's Question of the Week.
After a goodbye to Nike, let's say hello to our new prize sponsor for this month, cable television channel ESPN STAR Sports.
They've thrown in a weekly package of products bearing their name (which The Postman's assistant Lim Say Heng is posing with in the picture at the top), for Letter-of-the-Week winners, and a separate ultimate prize for the Writer of the Month.
That is, an autographed 2006 World Cup England jersey framed with a certificate of authenticity, signed by all their star players like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, David Beckham, and even former manager Sven-Goran Eriksson (which I'm holding).
You will see this month's first Letter of the Week in the usual spread of views in today's The New Paper.
But how to be a Writer of the Month for March?
Don't just answer the Question of the Week, but every Midweek Topic posted here, starting today.
So now that Paul Scholes has been suspended for the next three domestic matches following his red card last Saturday, how serious a loss will it be?
After all, midfield balance is one of the key things a manager always tries to maintain, and Alex Ferguson has steadily achieved that with him and Michael Carrick this season.
Who do you see stepping into the fold to replace Scholes, and how will the midfield be adjusted without losing that all-important balance?
Tell us, in not more than 200 words, (please click link right for auto word counter).
Post your views here by clicking on "comments" below my sign-off here or e-mail us by clicking the link right, and writing under the heading "Midweek Topic".
At your service,
Ernest Luis
The Postman
The New Paper
(PS. E-mailers and especially bloggers, e-mail us your full name, age, occupation, contact numbers and favourite teams, to be in the running)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
51 comments:
It will still be with a 4 man midfield with GIggs coming in to parter Carrick, flanked by Ronaldo and Ji Sung/Fletcher if they opt for an offensive midfield.
Other options could be like O'Shea or even Ferdinand himself might stand in as a central midfielder in Scholes' position, without disrupting Man U's flow. Of course, this might compromise abit on their attacking prowess.
For me, a bigger worry lies in the striking department. Hopefully, the rest of the team can help contribute to improve the goal difference because out of nowhere, Chelsea has close the GD gap to 16 goals only.
The next 3 matches will be a test of Man U's title credentials. Go through that unscathed, it will strengthen their belief that this year will be their year and there will be no repeat of 1998. Anything can happen in this crucial leg of the race and that's the beauty of football - the beautiful game.
The loss of Scholes for next 3 matches surely is causing some serious concerns for Sir Alex but there are a few able candidates in the team who can came in and do a good job for at least 3 matches.
The vision,passing,creativity and long blasting shots from Scholes is irreplaceable,however depending on how Sir Alex want to modify his team playing style without Scholes,certain players can gel into the midfield with ease.
If Sir Alex wants to maintain that kind of attacking threat Scholes possesses,he can simply just slot Giggs into the Scholes role and bring in "3-lungs" Park on Giggs's wing.Giggs have the skills and the experiences to play in that role,perhaps he lacks Scholes's vision but surely he got a much cooler head and tackles better than Scholes.Or Sir Alex might prefer a more solid midfield which can soaked up oppositions attacking play then O'Shea can shore up the midfield and allow Carrick more freedom to attack and spray those dangerous searching passes around.
Actually I will prefer to see Sir Alex trying Park in the attacking midfield role.He has shown during his stint with PSV that teams like Lyon and AC Milan struggled to deal with his energetic display in that role.Others like Fletcher and Richardson could play their part too but I rather they warm the bench for just a little longer.
The next 3 matches (vs Boro,Bolton and Blackburn) are already tough with or without Scholes so it doesn't matter anyway.You can't win matches relying on a certain players.Its time the replacement killers to stand up,be counted and contribute in such a critical stage of the season.
The loss of Scholes for next 3 matches surely is causing some serious concerns for Sir Alex but there are a few able candidates in the team who can came in and do a good job for at least 3 matches.
The vision,passing,creativity and long blasting shots from Scholes is irreplaceable,however depending on how Sir Alex want to modify his team playing style without Scholes,certain players can gel into the midfield with ease.
If Sir Alex wants to maintain that kind of attacking threat Scholes possesses,he can simply just slot Giggs into the Scholes role and bring in "3-lungs" Park on Giggs's wing.Giggs have the skills and the experiences to play in that role,perhaps he lacks Scholes's vision but surely he got a much cooler head and tackles better than Scholes.Or Sir Alex might prefer a more solid midfield which can soaked up oppositions attacking play then O'Shea can shore up the midfield and allow Carrick more freedom to attack and spray those dangerous searching passes around.
Actually I will prefer to see Sir Alex trying Park in the attacking midfield role.He has shown during his stint with PSV that teams like Lyon and AC Milan struggled to deal with his energetic display in that role.Others like Fletcher and Richardson could play their part too but I rather they warm the bench for just a little longer.
The next 3 matches (vs Boro,Bolton and Blackburn) are already tough with or without Scholes so it doesn't matter anyway.You can't win matches relying on a certain players.Its time the replacement killers to stand up,be counted and contribute in such a critical stage of the season.
Opps sry peeps,my white elephant com can't stand the tremors caused by the Indo earthquake.Gone a bit bonkers and did a double entry.heh.
John O'Shea, proven to be an excellent left-sided central midfielder, is at ease in Paul Scholes position.Gabriel Heinze has shown his ability, as Left-Midfielder, in providing accurate crosses from the left wing.Ji Sung is also another ideal candidate as left-midfielder.
With Cristiano Ronaldo as right midfielder, Ryan Giggs can play the role of back up striker behind Louis Saha.
Another alternative is Gary Neville as right-midfielder, Cristiano Ronaldo as left-midfielder, with Ryan Giggs behind Louis Saha and John O'Shea in Paul Scholes position.
Striker and midfield are in balance, might end up with scores like 3-0 or 4-0 victories and winning 9 points in the absence of Paul Scholes.
As long as there aren't any more injuries or suspensions and continue to win remaining 9 games.Manchester United will EPL with the help of Chelsea's losses to Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal or drawn games.
From : Chester Low
We can expect the usual suspects like O'Shea, Fletcher or even Giggs.
1) My personal favourite would be to see Giggs replace Scholes in a straight swop. Park would then play in Giggs role. Even though he played on the left for PSV, i think he is more comfortable on the right and thus Ronaldo could be switched to the left. The balance is not really affected because Park seldom disappoints when he plays and Ronaldo is equally adept on the left where he is most dangerous when he cuts inside the rightback. We have seen how successful Giggs was last season when Scholes was out with eye op. With his ageing legs, Giggs has modified himself and is now able to play a more telling ball earlier than in the past. His creativity ahead of the other two candidates would put him in good stead.
2)However, if Fletcher was fit (last heard he was out for two weeks if my memory serves me right), i think he would have been Fergie's choice to replace Scholes. True, his eye for the telling pass may not be as keen as that of Scholes. But Fletch does have his strengths. He runs alot. We are of course not looking for a camel. He makes himself available in the opposing penalty box, scores crucial goals and does more than his fair share of spadework. He has partnered Carrick more than once this season when Scholes was rested and the midfield seemed all right. Another added plus would be that the midfield balance would not be disrupted.
3)My least favourite choice would be O Shea. O Shea might have scored the crucial winner against Pool but he is afterall a defensive midfielder. Carrick's main strength is to break up play through interceptions and play short passes to start attacks. Thus, i think the creativity in midfield will suffer.
Of course, the above scenarios would be assuming Rooney was fit. Rooney's absence would see Giggs/Ronaldo but probably Giggs playing support striker with Ronaldo's pace causing more damage on the flanks and choice 2) would be the logical choice in that case.
Cheers,
kel
Scholes is a massive loss for Man Utd. You only had to watch the second half of their cup game with Reading to see how badly they miss him. He's been a revelation this season. When you think that they spent £16m on Carrick, how much is Scholes worth?
The real danger for Ferguson is that he now has to build his midfield around the inconsistent flakiness of Darren Fletcher, surely the most average player to pull on a Man Utd shirt since Eric Djemba-Djemba
I think Fletcher is better than Richardson,not by much though.
Everyone's been talking about Giggs taking over Scholesy. But has anyone thought of Rooney taking over Scholes' position or even the return of Alan Smith???
When Scholes first started out his career, he was the link between midfield and attack, sometimes partnering Cantona or Andy Cole in attack. From then on, he played deeper in midfield but still exuding more influence through his passes and popping into the box to score the odd goal. When United had corners, he would be lurking outside the box to have a crack at goal.
Rooney is basically doing the same thing during corners and his style of play when bringing the ball from a deeper position is similar to Scholes. Smith should return anytime now and the attack could be well covered if Giggs joins in or if Fergie is brave enough to blood in Dong Fangzhuo.
Before his injury, Smith added steel in midfield, something which Carrick does not provide on a regular basis. Carrick could then take over Scholes role as the playmaker. Either way, I see Fletcher or O'Shea slotting in midfield for the match against Boro this Sat...
I think Rooney is not mature to play deep in midfield yet. Playing in Scholes's position means having to curb the attacking instincts at times because he will have to do his fair share of defending. If Rooney plays there, we could see him running around aimlessly and with his power, we are suppressing one of the biggest threat at carrying the ball right up to the opposing penalty area. Anyway, his best position is right behind Saha in front of the midfielders. This way, he is seldom picked up by the midfield or defence on the opposing team.
I think despite coming through a reserve game unscathed, Smith is still not match fit. It will be too risky to use games in this crucial stretch to allow a man who has been away from the top for almost the whole season to regain his full fitness. To play alittle if Man U is leading would be all right. But i think Fergie would not risk playing him from the start. I guess he would be playing in attack even if he was fit because i think Man U is well covered with the likes of O Shea as a defensive midfield. The problem is keeping the creativity there while also keeping the balance right. Hence my suggestions above. But these are subjective and only Sir will know what he plans to unleash on his next few opponents. We await with bated breath.
Cheers,
kel
Its simply straight forward,either put Giggs in the middle and bring on Park to the left or simply replace Scholes with Park.
This is also s sign that Man U should start replacing the 2 veterans-Scholes and Giggs.Time flies,they used to be the prodigys,alongside more experienced players like Cantona and Ince,now they have become the veterans.
Its great to see the two playing the best football in their final days but its time to see new blood coming in.It will be mouth-watering to see Owen Hargreaves coming home or even Nigel Reo-Cooker when the season ends cos the Hammers are almost certain to go down.Lols.
Name:Nick
Email:nickybai@hotmail.com
Occupation:Student
I think United does not anybody in reserve to replace the Ginger-Haired Prince. His passing, vision and the way he dictates the tempo and influences the game is crucial for United and I would be hard-pressed to think of anybody capable of providing that in his absence except for maybe, Mr. Rooney.
Against lesser teams, maybe United could get away with it playing the Fletchers or the O'Sheas but against the top guns? I don't think so. Giggs maybe given the job but I don't think playing Rooney in there is a bad idea. His workrate and commitment is phenomenal and we have seen plenty of times how he drops back to help the team defend.
Rooney has great vision, is a good passer and packs a wonderful shot. He naturally likes to drop deep to receive the ball and him coming in from deep will mean defenders will not be able to pick him up easily. Hence, there is no reason why he cannot perform in that role.
Knowing Fergie, he probably play either Giggs or O'Shea in the middle and put Park on the wings. But Rooney should be perfect for that role.
As much as you'd like to see Reo-Coker donning the United jersey, I doubt Fergie would want to take a player who does not pull his socks up and battle on when the going gets tough. Hargreaves is likely to be in come August.
Rooney not matured or defensive enough to play in midfield??? I think I've lost count the number of times he managed to drop back and win the ball back when the defence was caught out. That's desire for you.
But yeah I won't disagree on the fact that O'Shea would slot in very nicely. We're still well covered, that I'm quite confident of...
Yeah, I pretty much agree with most, that's for Giggs to come in for Scholes, and Park or someone else to come into the unoccupied wing. To play in the middle, you basically need to have the experience, and I think Giggs is one who would have that.
And anyway, I really don't think Scholes' absence will really affect Man U that much... Alright, I do recognise he's an integral of the team (and I think he contributes more in centre midfield than Carrick), but at least from my personal viewpoint, it could have been worse if they lost someone like Ronaldo. Moreover, Man U have most of their next few matches without Scholes at home, so it shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
I also think this would be the period when Fergie would want to show everyone why Man U deserve to be the champs, so they would be determined not to let the absence of one man affect the team too much.
Oh yeah btw, Say Heng & Ernest have the potential for a modelling career! :P
Yeah..he does track back and i do know he possesses the desire. But what i was referring to is there will be a tradeoff between attacking and defending if he was playing in Scholes's position. He can't have the best of both worlds, certainly not now. He has said before that he is not matured enough to play there because he knows when he attacks, there will be gaps at the back and vice versa. And in Scholes's position, you need to do both, and do both well. Thus his maturity or may be understanding of the game is not quite the level that giggs or scholes yet.
Cheers,
kel
Putting Darren Fletcher is out of the question as we saw in many past matches how he has failed to provide quality passes to make good strikes at goal. Although he does exhibit the occasional brilliance but we can't afford to take chances now that the campaign has reached a crucial stage. Carrick has not produced the goods nor really shown the vision he was signed for despite claims contrary from SAF. Will he be asked to come to the fore while O Shea covers his responsibilities ? This combination doesn’t look good to me.
Giggs/Carrick is not bad a choice in the midfield and Park could come in for Giggs but I find the suggestion of putting Rooney there with Carrick quite plausible. We saw how Rooney has the audacity to make some really good through passes which ordinary footballers wouldn't and couldn't. His vision somehow defies his age. In this capacity he could allow Giggs to play Saha upfront with him dropping just behind these front two - a sort of back up striker and attacking midfielder rolled into one. Park has proved he is an able backup for Giggs. Alan Smith is not yet ready mainly because he has not been in action for a while. I think it will be a big mistake to put someone not yet in rhythm and syn to replace others who have already achieved some teamwork even if he is fit (which he isn't anyway). And Rio? Errh...better not disturb the best defence in the Premiership unnecessarily.
Anyway SAF will know what to do. He is too wily and experienced for us to worry for him. My guess is he will stick to O Shea with Carrick taking Scholes role. Not my favorite but he is the boss, he knows best.
Hey hey putting Rooney is definately in the middle is out cos I just read from Soccernet that Larrson is going home and Saha is injured,OMG!
I think the main concern is now the strike force rather than the midfield cos Rooney is the only fully-fit striker.
Although I'm no a Man U fan,it'll be interesting to see how they pull through the last lap and I'm sure the neutral fans would want to see a new champion after 2 years of Blues.
Yes. Fletcher is out for virtually the remaining of the season. For what I am writing now, please refer to in the first entry. Thus, choice 2 in which i took Fletcher to replace Scholes is no longer valid. I guess Giggs could come in (ie choice 1) to partner Carrick. But if Saha remains out from his injury, i guess choice 3 (O Shea partners Carrick in Scholes absence) will materialise. I hope the injury jinx doesn't strike now. But if it does strike and Man U remains unscathed, let's see what Mourinho and his merrymen have to say.
Cheers,
kel
errmm..clarifications: O Shea to partner Carrick if Saha remains injured because i guess Giggs is needed to partner Rooney upfront.
Seems like the Ladyluck is having a change of heart right now with the injuries slowly globbling up the Devils.Solskjaer out,Fletcher as well and now Evra and Saha joining them in the treatment room too.Maybe soon we will discussing who will be playing as an emergency striker,defender or even goalkeeper.
Seriously I'm more worried in the strikers department than the absence of Scholes as we know for sure he will be back after his 3 match ban but without any proven striker in the squad that could really be a hard blow to their title challenge at this stage.We all know Rooney is not a polished diamond yet and he is best as the 2nd striker position.Put him up front alone and it will be restricting his movement and lessen the damages he can do to opponents.
Larsson going back to Sweden after impressing during his short stint in Manchester,thanks him for his telling contributions there.Smith not fit for much of the season so how fit can he be now?Rossi on loan and we have an untried Dong.Ah man nightmare.Perhaps Ron and Roo can just tag team and run havoc up front together.If not the last throw of dice,Mr Rio take his place up front.Unthinkable but worth a try.heh
Great match coming up in 15min,Liverpool vs Barcelona.May the better team wins.
Cheers
I know I am not in the right page but who cares.. I mean, AS A LIVERPOOL FAN, IM SUPER DUPER HAPPY NOW....
"It proves that so long you control the game and keep the ball to yourself, the opponent cant do much.. 2005 Champion has kicked 2006 Champ out of the competition. Against ALL odds, Quarter Final, here WE COME... "
:)
I'm having somewhat mixed feelings right now. More happy than upset, because after all, Liverpool won!Ok, not exactly, but well, we won the entire tie, and thoroughly deserved to win over the 2 legs. Should have been by a much larger margin though. Yeah, that's the disappointing part. We were producing an almost exact replica of the game we had against Man U, especially in the first half, when we had 10 shots (3 of which hit the woodwork I think, and there was that double-save by Valdes). There were so many chances, even more than in the game against Man U, and they were good chances too, but we just couldn't score!
And I saw a bit of the highlights of the Valencia v Inter Milan game. They made what happened in the Carling Cup Final look pretty minor in comparison. This time, the brawl seemed to even extend into the press conference area! From what I saw, the mass brawl seemed to involved more Inter than Valencia players, but that Valencia sub David Navarro looked rather mad to me. He ran onto the pitch, punched that Inter player, and started running off as he was chased by the Inter players. (The Inter players lost in the game of catching though and couldn't catch Navarro, as one by one they started tripping and falling.)
Crazy stuff!
Congrats Liverpool, you thoroughly deserved to go through. And you kicked the defending champions out! Chelsea old-boy sllotted one past Reina, pretty fantastic performance although you must be wondering how come you can keep losing! LOL.
Where got!
We where got keep losing! *ROARS*
Only two times what! =X
Yup, over the two legs, we definitely deserve to win Barca. But if we want to win the entire competition, we'd have to learn how to put the ball into the back of the net first!
Oh boy, the Valencia-Inter game was madness. I've been reading various forums and people were either applauding or slating David Navarro. They were amazed he managed to elude two sliding tackles made on him, one I vividly remember was from Julio Cruz.
UEFA have a big task in their hands after this round. They already have the Lille case to look into but I guess that pales in comparison as to what happened at the Mestalla. I won't be surprised if all three teams are thrown out and banned for a year or two. Then we can start seeing the Inter players moving again. Italian football is becoming more and more a joke...
On another note, I'm sure all you Darren Fletcher haters are rejoicing at his injury. Saha's injured again (what's new?), maybe it won't hurt to try out Dong or Smith or recall Rossi if things get worse on the injury front. You never know, they might just turn out to be trump cards like a certain John O' Shea at Anfield last Saturday...
Hey, say until like that.. (Ouch)...LOL
The ball is round mah.... =x
Hey some of you guys out there, for goodness sake the topic is about Man U's midfield balance not Liverpool's or Chelsea's victories yesterday. Congrats to both teams for making into the next round but pls do not digress, you can do it at another place or session.
Back to the topic. We can think of all ways to tinker with the various combis (now that the rumoured injuries are all coming in at an inopportune time) but somehow I feel we should never ever touch the defenders especially central defence. SAF seldom meddle with that section. He knows very well that if central defenders are out of syn with one another they can make stupid and often irreversible damages.Putting Rio anyway other than his rightful place - central defence - will be a potential disaster. This will mean all 3 departments are now shuffled and I can bet you the flow of Man U's game will dissipate right away. We have not yet reach the stage to press the panic button and tinker with Rio's role.
As for the other combi, Saha's purported injury will likely determine the ultimate midfield selection for the Lille game. For now it looks like O Shea/Carrick combi is the most likely pair for SAF and it may just be used for a while till Scholes is back from suspension.
But we will never really know what SAF has in mind. The wily old fox may yet have some more tricks up in his sleeves to pull off some more surprises (like Henrik Larsson's short term signing)!?
Lady La La wants to strangle Lady Luck, after LIVERPOOL 0 MANCHESTER UNITED 1, resulted in standing by Liverpool to ride out their luck to in their well deserved loss to Barcelona (Barca fans absolutely agree with me)
Chelsea's Mourinho, as usual whining Manchester United wins by luck, has finally the company of Lady Luck to ride out in their undeserved 2-1 win over Porto (Porto fans definitely agree with me.)
Manchester United's victorious triump over Lille, with strikers injury crisis, is the result of Lady Luck standing by her husband Red Devils.
From: Chester Low
Giggs, Rooney and Ji Sung to partner Carrick in Central Midfield, need to look at their plus and negative points of their game.
Rooney, pacey with powerful shots and willing to help out in defence, tend to be reckless in tackles and loses temper easily.Result in likely two yellow-carded or direct red-carded in the same match.
Ji Sung, has perform well in central midfield during his days in PSV Endhoven, may be ineffective due to aggressive robust play by opposing attacking midfielders in EPL.
Giggs, his ability to play extremely well in left or right and central midfielder, is as effective as back up striker.He may be slow due to aging or his vision is not as good as Scholes.But Giggs is a better tackler and having excellent temper, which allows him to produce one or more magics, that translate into goals.
Ideally, Ryan Giggs is the best choice to replace Scholes, but I still opt for reliable John O'Shea.
It is Wing Wizards Park Ji Sung, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Rambo Wayne Rooney that indirectly put Manchester United above Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal plus the rest of EPL teams.
From: Chester Low
The 3-match suspension for Scholes certainly is a big blow. But Manchester United had enough midfield cover. O'Shea or Fletcher can be drafted in to take the central role. Another alternative will be Ji Sung will come in on the right flank with Ronaldo going to the left and Giggs partnering Carrick at centre.
Without Scholes, the goals will still come so there's not much of a problem.
With Manchester United clenching onto pole position, the absence of its enigmatic midfielder Paul Scholes will probably not stop United from chugging across the finishing line come May.
It is without doubt that the expertise of the 32-year-old veteran will be sorely missed in the engine room but with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Darren Fletcher and even John O’Shea ready to fill his void, perhaps Sir Alex Ferguson can still breathe easy for now.
The midfield tandem of Scholes and Michael Carrick has been disrupted but it may turn out to be a blessing in disguise as Ferguson’s hand is forced into experimenting different combinations that may prove beneficial in the long run.
Giggs can move inwards for Park Ji-Sung or Kieran Richardson to roam the left flank or alternatively, revert back to its favoured formation in Europe of pulling the marauding Wayne Rooney back into the hole behind the striker.
Failing which, United can fall back on a holding player in the mould of O’Shea or Fletcher to complement Carrick’s neat passing and gives the latter the license to venture forward too.
The unassailable nine-point lead at the top will provide United’s fledglings with a huge psychological boost in securing the Premiership title with relative ease.
Those who've been posting today, haven't you read some of the entries before you or even the news that Fletcher is out for the rest of the season?
>>Chelsea's Mourinho, as usual whining Manchester United wins by luck, has finally the company of Lady Luck to ride out in their undeserved 2-1 win over Porto (Porto fans definitely agree with me.)
Undeserved? Why? Care to explain, or is that just the normal irrational banter?
Okay, my bad.
Guess Fletcher's absence will further compound Fergie's woes.
Perhaps this is what the Premiership has been crying out for - a blip for the Red Devils.
This will set us up for an exciting finale as a decimated United squad grapples with a fast-recovering Chelsea squad almost back to full strength.
I personally feel that Scholes will be a great loss for Man Utd as he has been one of the best players for Man Utd this season, after Ronaldo and Giggs.
Carrick's £16m price tag wasn't worth at all. He didn't contribute a lot during his stay at Old Trafford for that huge price tag.
I think Park is the 'unsung hero' in the Man Utd's squad. He has great potential to become a great star. He's also speedy.
I think Alex should play Park and Ronaldo on the flanks. These two players have the speed to attack consistently and hold the possesion, and make beautiful crosses in for the strikers.
In the middle, he should place Giggs and Richardson. Giggs, being one of the stars of the season for Man Utd and his great football. Richardson should be given a chance to prove his worth!
>>This will set us up for an exciting finale as a decimated United squad grapples with a fast-recovering Chelsea squad almost back to full strength.
You put that very nicely indeed. I'm hoping it happens. The blip I mean.
While Chelsea had defensive woes then, now has Man U’s luck run out with the temporary lack of attacking options?
Now that there are other injuries, Scholes’ 3-match ban could be critical.
I would go for a 4-3-3 formation with Giggs & Park playing alongside Rooney while O'Shea
& Ronaldo will hold the flanks. Carrick would be the anchorman. Rossi & Richardson will be the bench-warmers.
I’m going for an attacking style as Man U have emerged unscathed from the last few matches due to VDS crucial saves. Hence, Man U needs to score more than they concede.
There will only be a minor shift in the balance of the midfield. After all, Scholes’ role is to push the ball forward & also to lurk in his 30-yard danger area. With the front 5 playing tentatively open roles, Rooney or Park can fill that vacuum as they like.
Though it’s a new combination, these players could create sparks which have been sorely lacking in the past few games. If this is gonna be Man U’s championship, then you will see goals from this new formation, coming from almost anyone. That’s Man U edge.. So far.
At such crucial last hurdle in the title race I don't think Sir Alex will be tempering much with his formation too much unless he really have no other solutions.
In a 4-3-3 formation you need a target man as seen in Chelsea's Drogba or ex-Devil Nistelrooy.Man U could possibly try that with Saha fit but not Rooney,we have seen him played in that role with England and he was left isolated and anonymous for most of the match.There could be a sneak preview of what is under that Scot's sleeves in the match against Lille as Scholes might be missing through injury.
Cheers
No doubt Scholesy's loss will be felt by United, but I believe United has the squad to tide this crisis over. After all, squad depth could be the difference between the contenders and pretenders.
There are a few permutations that can be worked out, either with a straight replacement in Scholesy's position or a tinkering with the team's formation.
1. Giggsy has shown at the closing stages of last season that he can play as a central midfield, forming a good partnership with Sheasy in an unlikely midfield. Therefore, Giggs to replace Scholes. Park on the right while Ronaldo moves to the left.
2. United's main threat this season have come from the flanks. United can play with a 4-5-1 formation when they do not have the ball and move on to a 4-3-3 when they attack.
Larsson to play alone upfront, Rooney the link between him and the midfield. Giggs and Ronaldo to continue their wing wizardry. Carrick and Sheasy to protect the back four to allow the front 4 to do the damage.
Anyway I don't see why Rooney can't play in Scholes' position. Some say that he can't tackle well but all those who has seen Scholes play would agree that he has been sitting out the tackling sessions in training. Rooney has a high work rate in tracking back and his tendency to bookings is similar to Scholes' record anyway.
It remains to be seen if Scholes' absence will affect United badly. Sure, Scholes' passing and vision are much better that those who might come in to replace him. But form is another deciding factor in a player's performance. Like I said in previous posts, fringe players have impressed for us so far. So a Richardon or an O'Shea playing out of their skins could reduce the effects of Scholes' loss.
-Raymond Ng, 19, student, Man U fan
Well, maybe someone up there heard us or something.
Louis Saha is also sidelined now. Guess Man United will face a striking dilemma up front. This must be music to Jose Mourinho's ears.
Pull through this and be hailed as the true hallmark of champions? Or fall spectacularly in their final fash towards the finishing line?
Interesting.
It shouldn't be a problem for manchester united right now. With only 9 league games to go, this is the best chance for fringe players like O'shea and Fletcher to prove their worth in the team, provided they are given the chance.
Worst case scenerio, Sir Alex could even put back on his boots and once again play on the pitch.
I believe Manu will have no problem coping with Scholes' suspension.
Scholes is a key midflelder for Man Utd and he clearly helps to maintain the balance in midfield. Not everyone is able to read the game as well as he can. Such a loss will definitely be felt by the Red Devils, but not serious enough to hinder their trophy chances. Others should be more than capable of filling his shoes.
Will Alan Smith be recalled for the next few games? Previously, Ferguson tried using him in as a Keane replacement, with some success. Maybe he could adapt to become a Scholes replacement?
Other players I feel would be most capable of doing so are Giggs and Fletcher, mainly because both have the maturity and responsibility to perform this playmaker role. Giggs is also experienced enough to perform this role while Fletcher usually plays in central midfield.
Rooney? He's still young and may not be ready as a midfield general for another few years. However, I must admit that though Rooney has the ability, he still needs to control his temperament, to be playmaker.
If I were Fergie, I would simply put Fletcher or Giggs directly in Scholes' position, rather than changing the positions of other players. After all, the philosophy is: "Don't change a winning team." By making too many changes to the teamsheet, this may affect Man Utd's winning balance.
paul scholes is a devastating lost to man u as scholes have good attacking flair and can track back to help in defence in times of need so without scholes man u may lose their attacking flair and let opponents control the pace of the game.fletcher might come in for scholes but young fletcher could be one for the future and i think that he could not uphold the respondbility of scholes by controling the tempo of which man u play and if man u lose vaulable points in the next 3 gsmes chelsea might take advantage of man u plight and win the title.
Comparing the loss of Scholes for 3 matches to that of Larsson for the rest of the season,I think Larsson's absence will be sorely missed even more.
Back to the midfield balance issue,the choice of Fletcher can be written off as he is injured and will be out for quite some time.Its best Man U keeps their midfield compact at the moment as their play is really very average at the moment,winning games with just that special flash of magic by someone.So even if they don't play well,they won't concede any goal.As long as you don't concede,theres always a chance of winning a game.
Scholes showed just why we are having this discussion in the match against Lille when he was orchestrating the Devils midfield and heavily involved in some of the dangerous moves in the first half.Without him,theres always someone who can take his place and yet keep the balance.Last season we saw the makeshift pair of Giggs and O'Shea did a great job.This time round if Sir Alex have one more option in Carrick.He could switch between the trio for the next 3 matches and get some results I guess.
Tough times for Devils.
Anyway I don't see why Rooney can't play in Scholes' position.
I still do not understand why people are still clamouring for Rooney to play in Scholes position when
1) Saha is injured
2) Solskjaer is injured
3) Larsson is leaving
And yes, this could be the kind of luck that chelsea have been praying for. I think Rooney will not be effective at the top of the 4-5-1 formation. Man U will definitely still play a 4-4-2 except may be in the crucial game at stamford bridge. Now Man U's problem lies not only in the midfield balance but also having to maintain their attacking threat. Its becoming a case of picking whoever who is fit lately. Rooney could partner Smith, who notched up another few minutes against Lille this morning. I think the problem after Saha's injury is no longer Scholes's suspension but who to play in attack. Smith is surely still short of match fitness and even if he plays, he offers a different kind of threat to what Saha would have offered if fit.
However, in a team where there are about 16 different scorers if my memory serves me right, Man U fans can only hope that the goals will not dry up and come from either of these players.
PS:
Carrick's £16m price tag wasn't worth at all. He didn't contribute a lot during his stay at Old Trafford for that huge price tag.
And i still do not understand why people are still criticising carrick despite there being more class in United's midfield this season. I guess this is because carrick's style of play is non-flashy and seldom scores goals but his importance lie in keeping things simple, making crucial interceptions and starts off attacks.
cheers,
kel
My favourite replacement for Scholesy is Carrick/Giggs with Richardson, O’Shea as possible back ups. There is nothing that can replace experience. Larrson, the 35 year old striker has a huge impact for just 3 month at Man U. His movement and timing comes with experience.
Arsenal, knocked out of Carling Cup, FA Cup and Champions League, showed that youth that provided the pace need the experience in the big game. But Arsenal will prove themselves in 2 to 3 years time.
Remember Saha's injury was only confirmed over this 1-2 days. With him out now, it is now a no brainer whether Rooney should still be considered for the midfield role to cover for Scholes. Maybe not but Rooney has recently got himself into a dry spell again. Even Ronaldo playing on the right midfield scored more goals than him. He really needs to raise his game a lot more now that Saha/Ole are both out injured and Larsson returning to his home country. He seemed in fact to be contributing more like a midfield playmaker this season than as a second striker. I also thought he lost the balls fairly cheaply in the final third on a number of occasions.
Contrary to the view of the others, I believe Scholes suspension is going to impact us quite a bit. Why? Because Scholes is the one who controls the tempo of Man U's play. Those who watched the Lille and Liverpool games can see why. When Scholes is on song, the team plays well. When he is being shackled or when he is having an off day, the team play suffers. Maybe Alan Smith needs to be rushed back now as the key striker with Rooney playing just off him.
Mid field wise, I feel Carrick plays "well" only because of Scholes. In many of the games he really played it safe and spent alot of time making ridiculously simple passes to Scholes as if to abdicate all the attacking responsibilities to him. His are no frill, non flashy passing alright but he should take on more of the attacking responsibilities and make better defence splitting passes that we all thought he was capable of and bought for. It will be interesting to see if he can perform consistently well in Scholes' playmaker role for the next 3 matches.
I think Carrick/Giggs is a safer choice with Park on the left using O Shea as backup than the highly volatile Richardson.
Well Kelvin my point was that I see Rooney being able to play in Scholes' position and not that he should play there right now considering Man U's injury list.
Rooney is not an out-and-out striker but he is the last option United has at the moment, unless Fergie decides to place his trust in Smith and the untried Dong. Smith has been doing fairly well in the reserves but it will be a step-up to face Premiership oppositions. I think he should be given at least 30 minutes this weekend as his hold up play will be helpful to allow to push up to support in attack. Pending the success of his comeback, we could see him starting the next Premiership game.
-Raymond Ng
With Scholes being suspended for the next 3 games I can see Park coming into the picture.Giggs and Park will play on the flanks and in the central midfield will be Carrick and Ronaldo.Park and Ronaldo can keep changing their roles so as to confuse opposition and Ronaldo is the deadliest when he starts to draft inside.
Post a Comment