Fergie’s challenge

Wednesday, 13/01/2010

“Everywhere you go, you always take the weather with you.” So sang Crowded House back in 1991. With their team struggling to recapture the form of past glories, Manchester United fans must be hoping that Sir Alex Ferguson’s constant summer of success continues at Old Trafford, writes fan Lee Price.
As the country was brought to a halt by the big freeze last week, a similar winter of discontent is brewing in Manchester. An uninspiring draw with Birmingham on Sunday evening was just the latest in a series of unconvincing performances from the reigning champions.
And, despite supposedly having the majority of Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer fee available to strengthen his squad, Fergie is insistent that he won’t be looking at the market this month.
Citing a perceived lack of value, Fergie will apparently place his faith in the misfiring Dimitar Berbatov, the inconsistent Nani and an ageing Paul Scholes.
His most notable summer signing, Michael Owen, has struggled to get game time recently – even over-looked on Sunday in favour of the untried Mame Biram Diouf.
Antonio Valencia has settled well in the team, but is some way short of a Ronaldo, while Gabriel Obertan has only been deployed in fits and spurts. Is Ferguson right to stick with what he’s got?
The talismanic Wayne Rooney has led the line admirably, but even the Premier League’s top scorer in 2009 can’t single-handedly drag United to glory. The evergreen Ryan Giggs is still being relied upon to make game-changing contributions as no-one else seems to be ready to step up to the plate.
Still in the title race, it isn’t too late to save United’s season. Some fans would even accept a season of transition after losing such a key component in Ronaldo, but United’s tradition of success dictates that they don’t. That and the level of debt that the club needs to service.
For the first time in the Premier League era, are we about to see United’s dominance of the league – in terms of both standings and finance – usurped by their rivals?
With billionaires running local rivals City and the main title threats Chelsea, while Arsenal are financially secure, United are dogged by the huge level of debt put onto them by their American owners, the Glazer family.
I’m not suggesting that United are a spent force, merely a fading one – and if Fergie’s hands are truly tied in terms of expenditure, then the wind may well change.

. Man United fan Lee Price runs www.football-previews.com

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