Season Report Card 2011/12

We ended the season trophyless. Since Ronaldo left, this has probably been the likely outcome for some years, yet thru sheer dumb luck and the utterly pathetic state of the league, we've always ended with some silverware. This season, we finally got our comeuppance. It took a while but when it eventually came, it came with a vengence. To be more precise, it came in the final 2 minutes of injury time.

So that beggars the question: how will we react to this failure? In previous seasons, we've always returned stronger and more resilient, but this time round, the feelings around me amongst my fellow United fans seem alittle subdued. The league looks like it's going to get harder for a number of reasons.

Firstly, it certainly looks like we're unable, or unwilling, to compete amongst the rest of the clubs for the signatures of the best available talent out there. From David Gill to Sir Alex, the message is simple, we're not able or willing to spend big money on big names. Being dumped out of the Champions League early and not winning any silverware also means we lose out on some big money, which directly affects our spending power (not that we had much in the first place). From that standpoint, it seems we'd be back to spending stupid money on prospects instead of spending stupid money on proven talent.

Secondly, it seems the rest of the teams below us are really going to spend big money. Arsenal has already gotten a proven players in Podolski. Spurs are, in my opinion, a top team. All they need to do is go out and get a real manager. Chelsea is going to spend big, especially after the euphoria of winning the Champions League. And lastly, we all know what Manchester Shitty is going to do in Middle Eastlands.

In short, all the teams around us are improving, or building from a strong talent-base. All, except us.

The only advantage we over everyone else is that we have Alex Ferguson. If he can motivate the troops, we can compete. If not, we'd be what we actually are, a team good enough to enter the Champions League, but not good enough for the top honours anymore.

There are only two reasons why we ended up where we are. The first is that everyone around us fucked up beyond all recognition. Chelsea were never in the races this season, and Spurs were hit by some managerial uncertainty. Arsenal is Arsenal, and Liverpool was managed by someone living in the stone age. The second is that we were carried by our 3 wingers, Ashley Young, Valencia and Nani at various points in the season. The trio took turns to keep us in the race, either with crosses or with goals.

With all that said, this makes for grim reading:

The Grades:

David De Gea (B+)
Considering his age, he's done pretty well. With the price tag that he came with, he had a jittery start to his career and it definitely cost us some points. But credit has to be given to his form towards the end of the season. He single-handedly kept us in some games and in the hunt towards the latter parts of the season. More will definitely be expected of him in the years to come. Definitely room for major improvement.

Anders Lindeggard (B+)
He settled in well. Solid but not spectacular. Would most probably have been the key man down the run-in had he not been injured. Given De Gea's late season form and the pricetag he came along with, Anders would probably have to spend his career on the bench.

Ben Amos (B)
Not too sure if B is a fair grade. He saw precious little time, but when he did, he didn't fuck up. That's all you can ask for a 3rd choice keeper.


Patrice Evra (C-)
C for captain, and leading by example certainly isn't in his resume. You can count of one hand the number of good games he's had all season, and he's played in most games. In fact he probably was responsible for a huge number of points we lost in the beginning of the season. I suspect the only reason why he starts so much for us is that we have no one plying their trade at left-back. Buying a left-back ranks very highly on my wishlist for next season.

Rio Ferdinard (B)
Missed a good chunk of the beginning of the season. When he returned, he proved himself to be adequate enough despite a bad back.

Johnny Evans (B)
The problem with Evans is that he doesn't instill and confidence of those around him or the fans. Whenever the fans see his name on the teamsheet, there are more groans than cheers. However in his defense (pun fully intended), he's performed his job well without being spectacular.

Smalling (B-)
He was blamed for the goal at Shitty. However to me, it was the team that defended badly. Truth be told, he suffered from second season syndrome. There were times he was really good, but there were times he was really bad too.

Phil Jones (B+)
He really deserved an A, He burst onto the scene full of promise but injuries derailed his season. He never looked like that same guy after he returned from injury. Remains to be seen if he can find any consistency next season.

Rafael (A)
I really like Rafael's improvement this season. He doesn't start as much as he should. He's cut down on those silly, reckless challenges that tend to put us in dangerous positions. Whenever he roams forward, he creates trouble with paired with Nani or Valencia. Unfortunately for him, it looks like he's behind the packing order behind Smalling and Jones for that right-back position.

Paul Scholes (A+)
You can insert all your Jesus jokes here. Since the last two thousand years, there hasn't been a second coming that meant so much to so many people.

Michael Carrick (C+)
Sigh, I really dread this entry. Carrick is a good guy, he really is. He's always done what he's been asked to do. In any other club, he would and should be a star, but not with us. For some reason, he's just not what we signed him for. But because he's one of the first names on the teamsheet, we need a creative midfielder in the worst way possible, even if it's just to ensure he doesn't get to play and hold us back.

Cleverley (B)
The way he started the season, you would think we'd be rid of Carrick. Unfortunately he got injured. He was never the same sure after he came back from injury....twice.

Anderson (B)
Woulda, coulda, shoulda. His partnership with Cleverley in the centre of the park was a beauty to behold. Together, they did everything in midfield that we wished Carrick would do on his best day. But like Cleverley, he got injured and never came back.

Park Ji Sung (B-)
He was used sparingly this season. And whenever he was called upon, he did a man's job until Yaya Toure came along.

Ryan Giggs (B-)
Father Time can only be so kind for so long. It's obvious age has caught up with Giggsy. You can see he's tried his best and many a times, his best is no longer good enough. If there is one thing I really hope I would never see is, Giggs and Scholes paired up together ever again, unless it's to confuse Father Time.

Ashley Young (A)
I really didn't like the signing at the beginning of the season, but gradually came to terms with it. His wing play has been good and has scored important goals. He's one of the few reasons to cheer this season.

Antonio Valencia (A)
As bad as and as inconsistant as the season has been, Valencia has been one of the few players who was consistant when he's not injured. Like Ashley Young, he's been a joy to watch, despite the fact he's a one-trick pony, albeit a very good one-trick pony.

Nani (A)
He's still as inconsistant as hell. However as inconsistant as he is, he's possibly one of our most important players. He can single-handedly change the game with a dribble or a shot. He's our poor man's version of Ronaldo.

Wayne Rooney (C)
Just before you say I'm out of my mind for giving a 27-goal man a C, hear me out first. Let me start off by saying Rooney oozes with talent. Just a couple of years ago, we were comparing Rooney, Messi and Ronaldo. But now, Rooney has fallen so far off the stratosphere that he's breathing a completely different density of air from the other two. The problem with Rooney is his terrible inconsistency. When he disappears, he does so completely for ridiculously long stretches of 15-20 games at a time. In fact he becomes a distraction when he plays badly. Without an adequate backup, he's all we've got. So it's either feast or famine with Rooney and you need to ask yourselves if this is good enough for a club like United.


Javier Hernandez (B-)
All I can say is Chicharito can't dribble, can't pass, can't cross. However he has one talent that outshines everyone on the team except maybe Owen. He can put the goddamn ball into the net. He's suffering from second season syndrome and I expect him to come back with a vengence next season. That's especially so if he gets some rest in the off-season after 2 full years consecutive.


Danny Welbeck (B+)
That loan spell with Sunderland last season did wonders to his confidence. There's been some significant improvement to his all round play. I'm looking forward to what he can do next season.

Dimitar Berbatov (B)
I honestly don't know what more you can ask from the man. I think he's gotten the short end of the stick here. He was the joint top scorer last season and he's hardly featured this season. And to add insult to injury, instead of letting him go, the club held on to his rights for another season. As much as I utterly hate his style of play when he does get a chance to play, I think he's being mistreated by the club in the worst way possible. With his treatment and that of Kuszczak last season, the club could very well be starting to gain a reputation of being dicks to their out-of-favour players.

The Ungradeables:

Nemanja Vidic
Boy, did we miss him this season. Not saying that our central pairing of Rio and Evans are that bad, but with Vidic around, at least we'd have a real captain, instead of the rudderless and soulless team we were put thru the entire season.

Fabio
Can he last half a season? I'm not greedy asking for a whole season. Anything to give Evra a good kick up the arse every now and then would really be nice.

Darren Fletcher
Get well soon. Anything not to see Carrick so often. Familiarity breeds contempt.


And saving the best for last:

Alex Ferguson (C)
I hesitate to say this, but this was a poorly managed season on so many levels. I don't even know where to start.

1. Evra as captain. Really?

2. Getting into a verbal fight with Roy Keane all season long. Keane won every bout by the way. And it wasn't by points either.

3. We didn't get a creative midfielder. We didn't get a defensive midfielder. We didn't get anyone who could play in the centre of the park. We had to have our Jesus jokes. At least Scholes came back rejuvenated.

4. His treatment of Berbatov was deplorable at best. Word gets around.

5. Tactically, there were too many times we played scared. It's either by design or by personale. Either way, it's both his fault.


At least with Ferguson, you know by some hook or by some crook, he's going to motivate this bunch of players. Next season will really show if Ferguson still has it in him to be the manager of this football club.

Of course as fans, we can only hope for the best. It's really beginning to seem like our golden age has ended. With the failure to win silverware, the spectre of debt hanging over us and Ferguson losing the plot alittle, it makes for some challenging times ahead of us.

As for me, I'm optimistic by nature. We're not Liverpool!

Shitty Did A United On Us

Sunderland 0 - Manchester United 1
Scorer
Manchester United: Rooney (20)


Team: De Gea, Rio, Evans, Jones, Evra, Scholes, Carrick, Young (Nani 82), Valencia, Giggs, Rooney

Just how crazy was last night? Was switching between games and it was going to and fro, just like the whole title chase. We went up, they went up, then they went down, only to win it the way we did against Bayern Munich in 99 with 2 crazy goals in injury time.

Before the games started, I had already conceded the title, as most United fans would probably have, but to lose it the way we did, my word, just how painful was that? Prevously I could only sympathise with the Munich fans, but after what happened, I can truly say I empathise with them. We share a certain bond that can only be shared by losers.

I suppose I really should be proud that the lads held up their part of the bargain by winning yesterday's game despite the odds. They pushed Shitty to the limit. The same can't be said about Mark Hughes' side. After word filtered to the players that Stoke had relegated Bolton, the last 5 minutes was dysmal. And it was that last 5 minutes that sealed title for Shitty.

But after a day of milling around and mulling over what could have been, I suppose it's time to look forward to the next season. By not winning the title and exiting the Champions League early, it looks unlikely that we would have a substantial warchest going forward. Already the rumoured players coming in look and sound like rubbish. Well, they aren't exactly terrible per se, but definitely not the sexy buys we're expecting.

It looks like a club like ours, saddled in debt, can only be reduced to buying potential and searching for the next Ronaldo to fall on our laps. Unfortunately, the chances of unearthing a 'Bebe' seems a more likely the norm.

The only hope is that our young players can learn from the experience and mature quickly enough for a rebound season. All in all, we certainly over-achieved here this season. The league looks a tougher place.

Hey, at least on the bright side, we're still in a much better position than Liverpool.

United Win But Unable To Dent Shitty's Chances

Manchester United 2 - Swansea 0
Scorers
Manchester United: Scholes (28), Young (40)


Team: De Gea, Rio (Rafael 88), Smalling, Jones, Evra, Carrick, Scholes (Cleverley 68), Young, Valencia, Rooney (Berbatov 79), Hernandez

Well, unless there is a miracle next week, this season is over. At least we got to see United play a scintillating first half of football.

We came into this game knowing just what the score was and what we had to do. Shitty had defeated a plucky Newcastle 2-0 and a whooping goal difference to boot. There was all to play for and right from the word go, we set out to settle the scores.

We approached the game with reckless abandon and we really rattled the normally calm and composed Swansea. There was plenty to admire from a United perspective. The lads were really up for it, and what we didn't have in quality, we made up with sheer hard work. If we had played anywhere this close, this hard, the title would have been sewn up, but as we all know, we didn't. After a heavy bout of possession and chances at goal, we finally drew the rewards with a Scholes goal. He finished off the good work of Valencia and Carrick.

There were chances aplenty but Vorm had another outstanding game to top off his outstanding season. It wasn't until the 40th minute before we were able to snatch another goal. This time Young placed it after Rooney's effort was blocked.

The game was all set up for a flurry of goals from United in the second half. We looked desperate, hungry and angry. We lacked the first two in huge amounts this season, while the last was directed in the wrong areas.

As mentioned earlier, the quality in the squad is just simply woeful. The anticipated second half never materialized. Instead of gunning for the jagular, we just couldn't match the pace of the first half.  Our challenge wimpered off like our season thus far.

Swansea had made adjustments in the half, and they looked like the side they've been all season, dominating the ball and frustrating their opponents. The game that started with a roar, ended with a whimper.

QPR's late winner today somewhat eases their relegation worries marginally. There is still all to do against Shitty if they want to keep their Premiership hopes alive. Unless Mark Hughes pulls a rabbit out of his ass next weekend at the Etihad, it's just very improbable that QPR can get anything off Shitty.

Ferguson has alot of work to do this off-season and I don't fancy being in his shoes. It was announced earlier today that Pogba has signed off to Juventus. In a space of half a year, we've lost two of our most promising midfielders in Morrison and Pogba. In an area where we're most dire in need of reinforcements, we lost two of our best from the reserves.

I can't really blame their decisions either. If I had to wait for my chances behind someone like Carrick, then let's be really honest, either I'm shit or the manager thinks I'm shit. Either way, it doesn't bode well for my future with the club. Not to mention the additional smack in the face of someone returning from retirement given a shoo in, even though he's one of the best in the business.

Would be a terribly interesting off season to see how this circus plays out.

Defeat Ushers In A Changing Of Guard

Manchester City 1 - Manchester United 0
Scorer
Manchester City: Kompany (45)


Team: De Gea, Rio, Smalling, Jones, Evra, Carrick, Park (Welbeck 58), Scholes (Valencia 78), Giggs, Nani (Young 83), Rooney

There is nothing really to say here. The statistics tell the full story. We had ZERO shots on target. We were never in this game and never looked like scoring.

We had started off well, with alot of attacking verve, but it all resulted in nothing. Once Shitty settled their nerves, it was all Shitty. They had our number and it was just a matter of time before they scored. And they did, into injury time of the first half. Kompany lost Smalling from a corner and powered his header into the net. Nothing anyone could have done about it, except Smalling getting closer to his man.

But this defeat is not about Smalling. It was on the entire team. Not only the players, but everyone from the management, from top to bottom. I dare say that this is the worst United team in the last 20 or so years. The only players who have held their weight in gold are the wingers, Young, Valencia and Nani. Without them, we wouldn't even have been close. And the small little thing of the second coming of Scholes. No one else even come close to doing what a United team should be capable of playing.

At case can be made about Rooney's contribution, but really, without the wingers, he is nothing. Carrick is our version of Charlie Adams. A worthy player for a mediocre team, in fact he may even be a star player for a mid-table team, but for a team plying it's trade in winning titles, he's worthless. Solid but worthless. Look at Yaya Toure for Shitty today. Now that's a beast of a player!

Granted we have alot of young players coming thru the ranks, but they are just that right now, young players with potential. Until (if) they reach their potential, they are still young players.

Yet, having said all that, the title is not done and dusted. There are still two games to go and Shitty still has to win them. One is away against an in-form Newcastle and the other at home against a team playing for their Premiership lives in QPR.

We, on the other hand, have to contend to playing 'Barcelona light' in Swansea, and a final game at the Stadium of Light against Sunderland. Both look easy on paper, but mind you, both look like teams that will give us loads of trouble.

Let's face it, even the most optimistic of us have already conceded the title after today's result. It's no longer in our hands. Unless either Newcastle or QPR does us a huge favour, it's really over. And even in the very unlikely scenerio they do, the chances of us fucking up our own games has a higher possibility of happening.

As what Kentona brought up last week, I suppose the silverlining for us is that it's going to be a win-win situation either way.