Ultimately, if City win the title it will be because Fergie was scared to lose and played a team designed to not lose. Winners don't do that, Barcelona lost a game, but they've also won game after game, title after title by never being afraid to lose and never going out to defend and get lucky. It's a losing tactic no idea what Fergie was thinking or how such a "winner" of a manager could ever end up resorting to that kind of tactic.
But sadly it has happened all too often this season, and several times over recent years. I don't think there is a team around that is as chameleonic as United and it does my head in, we constantly blunt our strengths in order to hide our weaknesses instead of forcing the opposition to deal with us. Our midfield is ****, but by playing two wingers and two strikers it at least drags players out of the central area. Playing as narrow as we did put huge pressure on our midfield, none of whom are especially capable in tight spaces, and it was painful to watch.
By playing as we did, not only were we dominated in the middle but also on the wings where Zabaleta and Clichy had total licence to attack because there was no-one in front of them. City didn't make the best of the space they had, but it meant they at least always had the freedom of the pitch to relieve the little pressure we could put them under. We were so exposed down our left hand side it was embarrassing, and either Nani or Young would have done a far better job covering LB than Giggs. Park was ostensibly our most attacking midfielder but was also asked to mark Yaya Toure, who was constantly making forward runs so we were left light in both defence and attack as a result.
Our team selection was baffling and substitutions even worse.
What concerns me most is that 3 years ago we lost in Rome to Barcelona and allegedly set about bridging the gap to that side, yet here we are a significantly weaker side with none of the problem issues addressed. We have achieved much better consistency against the lower placed sides in the league but our performances in the crunch games (Basel, Bilbao, Liverpool in the cup, City x2) have been shocking.
Last of all, the thing that leaves me most disappointed is this United side is not even exciting to watch any more, there is just a total lack of fight, energy and enthusiasm in our performances. I'd have been happy with the result last night if we could look back on all the great chances we created and good football we played.
This is not a "Fergie out" post but I have wondered for a while if some of the results we have achieved this season have been in spite of his decisions. It is a damning but not surprising statistic that we have not won a game after going behind all year because we have looked utterly clueless on the sidelines at times this year.
