United looking to future

Thursday, 24/11/2011

by Amit Mistry, Shoot's Man United blogger

After the 2-2 draw against Benfica, United are still not guaranteed qualification into the next stage of the Champions League. They require at least a point against FC Basle to ensure a safe passage to the next round. Sir Alex is confident that United will progress, even though they face a tough game against the Swiss giants.

But if they do crash out in these group stages, it will be another embarrassing moment for the Red Devils this season. It will also hurt the club financially, as United have been prospering by progressing in the competition in the past few years and may have become dependent on that income.

But even if they do progress, how far can they go? I personally think United will at best reach the quarter-finals (providing that they are not drawn against the top seeds of the competition like Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next round). The reason being is that United are a transitional team this season and they will find it difficult to gain victory over the likes of Inter Milan, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid.

Before they had the reliable Edwin van der Sar between the sticks, whilst now they have two inexperienced goalkeepers in the squad in De Gea and Lindegaard.Both are good keepers, but they are not excellent goalkeepers, which are needed to hold out the attacking threats of the best of Europe.

Paul Scholes is no longer in the side, and his creativity and vision was vital in engineering attacking plays against the formidable sides of Europe. The defence is no longer a rock-solid partnership between Ferdinand and Vidic, as the former suffers from chronic injuries.

This is also a squad that is inexperienced as a group together on the European stage. This competition is a first-time experience for the likes of Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley.

Playing in Europe is a different matter to league games, where the tempo is lower and you are punished more severely for any mistakes made. As a collective group, they need to play together in this format for at least two years together to really reap the benefits.

A similar situation can be seen with Manchester City, as they too are struggling to set Europe alight. They have the star players like David Silva and Sergio Aguero, but their individual qualities have not translated into positive results for the team.

One thing that is a certainty for United is that without Rooney they will struggle. He still remain the star player and was the only player to get a goal past Barcelona in last season’s final. If Rooney is missing from the line-up, then I would not be surprised if United do not win in any game they are faced with.

However, all hope is not lost as this is a promising young squad and they can only get better with this baptism of fire. Danny Welbeck is rising in prominence at club and international level. Ashley Young is playing his best football with United as his style of play complements the attaching philosophy of United. Tom Cleverley has demonstrated that he can make the central midfield position his own, and will look to claim it back when he returns from injury.

There is also the possibility for Sir Alex to strengthen the squad in January, which could improve United’s prospects in the competition. The daily rumour mill indicates it will be a creative midfield playmaker, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a defensive midfielder was purchased as well.

United’s European dreams now hangs in the balance. The question is: will United cross that vital threshold to reach the next round of the competition?

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