Tactical genius or tinker?

Chris Brierley

March 05, 2008

MASTER tactician or meddling tinker man? The jury is still out on Sir Alex Ferguson's team selection against Lyons.

There were thousands of raised eyebrows at Old Trafford last night when the United team sheet was read out.

Wasn't this supposed to be United's A team on show for a vital European night.

But there was no Paul Scholes, veteran campaigner of many a Champions League encounter.

And no Carlos Tevez - the man Sir Alex has likened to Eric Cantona.

Neither was there room for £18m summer signing Owen Hargreaves.

Instead, we had the 19-year-old Brazilian Anderson and the Portuguese tyro Nani and most surprisingly of all Darren Fletcher, still young at 24, running the midfield along with Michael Carrick.

So how did they fair?

Anderson provided the pass for Cristiano Ronaldo's goal and linked up well with Nani on a couple of occasions but it was a frustrating night with most of his passes failing to find the mark. He was finally replaced - to a standing ovation - by Tevez in the 70th minute.

Nani clearly has great potential but last night we only saw glimpses of it. He was booked for a rash challenge in the first half and had a couple of good chances in the second when he cut in from the right wing.

Fletcher gave the kind of performance we've come to expect of him - solid but not spectacular.

Yet with Carrick he formed a sturdy barrier in midfield.

But at the end of the day, and whatever the tactics and personnel, it's results that count.

And last night the team that Ferguson put out got the job done and United advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

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Gerry, Glastonbury (05/03/2008 at 10:33)

The team looked a bit of a mess as the game wore on and the best I can come up with is role on the Pompy game!

Pete Sydney (05/03/2008 at 10:52)

We won.

Who cares how boring it was or how unimaginitive we we were we defended well. This is what we need to do in Europe. If the Champions League was about winning with style all the time then the Scousers would only have 4.

Good job for winning SAF.

It amazes me how people can't be delighted with the win. What would you write if they played perfectly and lost to a freak 25 yard goal.

Ronaldo is a real match winner. Great finish.

MOM is Vidic though. He looked strong all game.

You lucky 76000 to be there

brian meanwell (05/03/2008 at 10:53)

Anderson provided the pass for Ronaldo's goal? What!

RCH, Salford (05/03/2008 at 10:54)

Neither, really. He never was, never will be a tactical genius, occasional gambler;) yes. I can't get too fired up about whatever this hack is suggesting, like this match was a surprising Benitez style foul up like when ever el tinker leaves out (God forbid) Stevie me or Torres. Whether Scholes was playing or Zidane we'd still approach this game as we always do in Europe in the same nervous, negative style and look as uncomfortable and invite the opposition on.

wazza10 (05/03/2008 at 10:59)

The 451 system can only work if and if only Rooney discovers how to bury chances away.

Otherwise if we are to play like that we need a proper centre foward

bobbydazzler (05/03/2008 at 11:19)

pete sydney my 3 tickets and transport costs for last night came to 138 quid. we got the win but it was shite to watch. suspect if you went to a concert shelled so much out and the band were going through the motions or lip synching you would have a different perspective.

D.S, Manchester (05/03/2008 at 11:41)

spot on "wazza10"...sometimes i question rooneys position as a striker, his finishing its just not right. anytime benzema had the ball u feared for the worst, he's aggresive and given any other defenders not the ones we have in vidic and ferdinand you would bet he would have done something like last fortnight again and i wish i could say the same about our rooney or he could generate the same amount of fear into opposition teams and their supporters as this benzema guy does. its amazing how many times he got the ball infront of the 18yard box and had his back to the goal...and would somebody plz tell him to quit with the stupid chip ball cos it doesnt look like its ever gonna work this season and put some of the chances away...i would be ashamed if i was him being in the same team as ronaldo, 30-12 to a winger its horrible.

Frank Old Trafford (05/03/2008 at 11:49)

What a terrible article!!!

No beginning no middle and no end.

We all know he's no tactical genius but with the players at his disposal he doesn't have to be.

In fact what he has to do is what he's best at, putting a team out that allows the players to express themselves. It's just that in Europe he hasn't got the bottle anymore to do it, or has he?

KingPig, Hyde (05/03/2008 at 12:10)

SAF and CQ picked a specific team and game plan to negate Lyon's strengths. They learnt from the first leg and adapted. It worked. Argument over? It appears not...

We all want Harlem Globetrotter style victories, but that doesn't happen often in the rarefied altitude of the Champion's League. Do not underestimate the cream of the French league.

Rooney has been criticised for his performances as the "lone striker." To my eyes he scares defences into sitting deep, pulling the opposition midfield deep, thus giving room for the likes of Ronaldo. He may not get the ball as often as would be liked, but this is a TEAM game. Fergie sets up the midfield to find the greatest balance between defence and support for Rooney. The formation is thusly driven by the opposition.

Embrace the squad, enjoy every player's unique talents, and savour Fergie's answer to the problems posed by other managers. But most of all don't forget that all of us on this web site are not even worthy to uncork fergie's bottle of red.

bobbydazzler (05/03/2008 at 12:12)

ds benzema is far more of a real centre foward. rooney is far better player when he plays with support. pity fergie cant see it. agree with you frank and the fear factor. fergie does not have the nous or bottle to have a go in europe anymore.

Iben Wong (05/03/2008 at 13:29)

With this team and tactics we can lose to anybody.....and we may even win sometime!
This was that "sometime".
Our players were very confused and unsure of what they should be doing or where they should be playing on the pitch (except for DF who does his usual running around flailing impression of one of "Jerry's kids").
Thank God for the strength and consistency of our back 5!!!

Django (05/03/2008 at 13:47)

Good result against a good team, underestimated by the media.
With Rooney wandering though, it seemed, at times, that we were playing without any forwards at all. We will need to up the goal threat in the next round.

Twosips, Deansgate, work, sigh. (05/03/2008 at 13:56)

Gonna have to agree, Frank - bloody awful article.

Chris Brierely, go back to school...or read some of Chris Bailey's recent efforts on the city side, which have been top notch.

tooth&claw, manchester (05/03/2008 at 14:03)

SAF is hugely underrated tactically. He's the best in the business and always has been. What he's done recently though is buy players who are comfortable in a variety of formations (as opposed to tactics). Therein lies our advance these last two seasons. Yes, some of the combinations are designed to kill a game rather than excite but we still get plenty of excitement over the course of a season and I can sometimes take more joy from a Wes Brown challenge or Vidic's headed goal from a corner or a Carrick or Fletcher interception than a dozen stepovers. We are on the brink of being unstoppable and some people want to go back to the bad old days.

Balders, Tier 2 Stretford (05/03/2008 at 14:29)

BobbyD, i know when i'm away on hols i just hope utd win & don't care about the performance but it's different when i'm spending my hard earned cash!!

anyway, tactical genius... OH YES, so much so that were 2nd best AT HOME TO LYON!!

tooth&claw, manchester (05/03/2008 at 14:42)

Balders, 2nd best to Lyon? That will console them as they sit in France and watch us in the next round. Sheesh.

Steve, Glossop (05/03/2008 at 14:45)

Tactical genius my backside but I dont think he's ever pretended to be. My point is does Fergie actually pick the side these days?

bernie, manchester (05/03/2008 at 15:36)

why the surprise that Hargreaves only came on in injury time ie was on the pitch for around a minute or two.Look at his appearances they have usually been followed by a game where he didnt play.no accident here he did cost 17 million. i think he will be used sparingly throughout his career as the medics at o.t got it wrong again, ie Saha! Scholes is okay at home in Europe against unthreatening oppostion like Lyon but the mobility and energy of Fletcher is probably used as scholes chooses just to ping 40 yard passes. he isnt as effective against the bigboys consistently anymore or the danger he once was.the leaving of Tevez on the bench is fergie trying to be too tactical, at home to LYON!THIS FROM A MAN WHO HASNT GOT HIS TOP COACHING BADGES! BAFFLING!

KingPig, Hyde (05/03/2008 at 15:58)

Could somebody help me please?

Due to Fergie's consistent trophy winning and excellent top-four head to head statistics, I am of the opinion that fergie is a master tactictian. Every footballer who has ever worked for him claim they learnt much from him, so I assume he knows a little bit about the subject matter.

A few of you on this site obviously know a lot more than Fergie, such is the distain you show to his victories. Just so I can fully understand football as well as you, would you please post clear, rational reasons why Fergie has not got a clue?

(I will give £5 to charity for every genuine answer to my question).

Barry Lee, USA (05/03/2008 at 16:41)

4-5-1 doesn't work. Rooney doesn't like it and he has to work too hard to find the ball. The same thing happens every time we do it: we dominate posession without creating a lot of clear cut chances.
These games will only get harder now as the field gets smaller and we will need to provide Rooney with a partner, preferrably Tevez and dispense with Fletcher.

COLIN,, Canada (05/03/2008 at 17:21)

Bobbyd agree, the game was shite to watch.
Iben Wong, yet again you criticized one of the best players on the park because you don't like him and know bollocks about the game. Pretty well everybody is right inasmuch as Fergie picks a team according to the opposition while some people would have the best players starting all the important games. I think this year we will see a combination of Scholes Carrick and Hargreaves emerge as our choice mid field. Anderson is young so has youth on his side. Despite his age, I think we need Paul Scholes in the big games. Hargreaves edges Fletcher because of his experience and I think Fergie is giving Hargreaves a chance to get fully fit. I think we will see Scholes and Hargreaves on Saturday with Roo and Tevez up front. With Nani and Ronny wide, we should be too much for a well organized Pompey but it will be a close one. Fergie may just be the best half time manager in the game. Just my opinion.

TMUF, Manchester (05/03/2008 at 18:19)

Yeh Fergie is no tactician, I mean look at the trophies he has won!

If only he could have got his coaching badges, it would have really made him a great manager instead of being the mediocre manager who has no clue about tactics and doesn't even pick the team.

I wonder what people would have said had we lost!

How can the jury be out? If we were playing Derby in the league then I could understand criticsm after that performance, but we were playing the champions of France for 6 going on 7 years!

Players such as Benzema,Ben Arfa,Toulalan,Juninho,Kallstrom,Grosso,Coupet, these are players who would make any squad in the world better.

How on earth then can winning 1-0 equalling a record and getting thorugh to the q.finals be regarded as anything othere then success?

Just ask Real Madrid if they think Lyon are good team!

de Meester, netherlands (05/03/2008 at 18:40)

Let's not fool ourselves!
I don't think SAF is either!
As many a Red can testify he/ they - Fergoz - have too often got it wrong much to our chagrin!
As someone else hinted Quieroz I think has the final say in the starting XI!No I have nothing against 4-3-3 (4-5-1) fluid as it usually is, as long as it delivers the result!
That we got through - and had a hard fight too, & with us being at home we should have taken more of the initiative!
Well done to Lyon that gave it a go and - why not! You are in the last 16 you've got to!
This disply though does not convince me we are (truthfully) good enough to win the one with the Big ears!
As a team that cannot take, convert chances made is not a good sign!
Art least we won't come up against Milan - again! - after the legion ceremoniously dunped them out - and deserved it!
Hargreaves won't feature in too many consecutive games as we know he's a risk1 So play a strong mid 3, nothing wrong with that!
Anderson still brings me joy and he has been the pleasant surprise of the campaign so far!
Let's see who we get this week! Exciting!!

mickle, midlands (05/03/2008 at 19:30)

fergie is no tactician for sure - but his rotation is working. it is not easy keeping them all happy and involved - but he's doing that.
every time fletcher plays i think he's totally solid. he's an important player in some ways.
we have a really broad squad with different types of skills - it'll keep us solid till the end of the season

adam chance, lowestoft, suffolk (05/03/2008 at 19:57)

Regarding the people on this site who are saying that Fergie isn't a good tactician...
have you ANY idea how stupid you sound?
Fair enough, we might not always agree with his selections, formations, etc, but as for saying he's not a great tactician, well, for once, words fail me.

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