Oct 26, 2011
Following Manchester United's disastrous 6-1 defeat against Manchester City on Sunday, all eyes were on the Red Devils as they travelled to lowly Aldershot hoping to avoid a League Cup upset.
And with strong performances throughout the team, United produced the goods to progress through to the quarter-finals.
The hosts rarely threatened the United goal, though the effort they put into the game was exemplary. The crowd were in full voice during the match, and the home allocation of the ground was nearly full over an hour before kick-off, an astonishing level of commitment from the fans.
However, it only took 15 minutes for United to (somewhat) silence those fans as Dimitar Berbatov scored from inside the box.The Bulgarian started the game up front with Michael Owen, and both put in shifts that will certainly give Sir Alex Ferguson something to think about, if not a complete selection headache.
The standard of the opposition is one reason for this. Owen's movement was sublime throughout – he found himself constantly in space on the shoulder of the last defender – but United will not face opponents of this calibre for some time.
Another is that, as Sir Alex said, the trio of Wayne Rooney, Chicharito and Danny Welbeck have all been so consistent that he has not needed to make any changes.
However, Owen's positional sense and passing – displayed in particular during his goal – are proof of the qualities he still possesses, along with his goalscoring ability, which has never been in question. Berbatov, however, put forward a case that is perhaps more of a dilemma for the manager.
While it seems Owen would be relatively happy with a place on the bench, and perhaps more useful from that position, Berbatov never looks too content with appearing as a substitute, and such is his style that he sometimes seems lost when trying to adjust to the pace after his introduction to a match.
It is quite a fall from grace for the former Tottenham man, who joint top scorer in the Premier League last season, but his well-taken goal and good hold-up play before his assist for Owen displayed his undoubted qualities.
Another interesting partnership in the United side was that of Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic. The captain did not play against City, while the summer signing came on following Jonny Evans' red card.
Both players were imperious in the air, with Jones in particular continuing an impressive start to the season that has drawn comparisons with United's great lost talent Duncan Edwards.
The League Cup also gives Sir Alex a chance to highlight the future stars of his team, though academy graduate Ezekiel Fryers had a quiet game at left-back with little actual defending to do.
However, the introduction of both Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison showcased two midfielders with huge potential, though in different areas.
Pogba kept the ball exceedingly well, shrugging off opponents with a consummate ease that is rarely seen from an 18-year-old.
While in Morrison, Sir Alex has a gifted but precocious asset. If he focuses on football, the 18-year-old could be some player. He possesses skills that some can only dream of, with his passing and vision both exceptional.
The young playmaker was given 20 minutes to impress, and linked up well with Berbatov and spread the ball neatly to Michael Keane, who came on at right-back.
Other positives the United manager can draw from the match was the return of Tom Cleverley after a six-week spell on the sidelines through injury.
The midfielder earned a call-up but not a first appearance for England in Fabio Capello's most recent squad, and he was in fine form at the EBB Stadium, pulling the strings in midfield.
He frequently dropped deep to pick up the ball from Vidic at the back, while his part in the one-touch-passing build-up to the first goal surely won’t have gone unnoticed by Capello.
This match couldn’t have come at a better time for United after their weekend drubbing, and it gave their fringe players such as Berbatov and Owen in particular a chance to remind the boss what he has in reserve.
While both strikers have fallen down the pecking order, with Berbatov in fourth to Owen's fifth, they can justifiably hope for more game time off the back of this match. With fixtures against Otelul Galati, Sunderland and Swansea coming after this weekend's clash with Everton, don't be surprised to see some rotation in the squad.
And realistically, the strikers have done all they can do to ensure they remain in Sir Alex's mind with their displays in the League Cup.
And with strong performances throughout the team, United produced the goods to progress through to the quarter-finals.
The hosts rarely threatened the United goal, though the effort they put into the game was exemplary. The crowd were in full voice during the match, and the home allocation of the ground was nearly full over an hour before kick-off, an astonishing level of commitment from the fans.
However, it only took 15 minutes for United to (somewhat) silence those fans as Dimitar Berbatov scored from inside the box.The Bulgarian started the game up front with Michael Owen, and both put in shifts that will certainly give Sir Alex Ferguson something to think about, if not a complete selection headache.
The standard of the opposition is one reason for this. Owen's movement was sublime throughout – he found himself constantly in space on the shoulder of the last defender – but United will not face opponents of this calibre for some time.
Another is that, as Sir Alex said, the trio of Wayne Rooney, Chicharito and Danny Welbeck have all been so consistent that he has not needed to make any changes.
However, Owen's positional sense and passing – displayed in particular during his goal – are proof of the qualities he still possesses, along with his goalscoring ability, which has never been in question. Berbatov, however, put forward a case that is perhaps more of a dilemma for the manager.
While it seems Owen would be relatively happy with a place on the bench, and perhaps more useful from that position, Berbatov never looks too content with appearing as a substitute, and such is his style that he sometimes seems lost when trying to adjust to the pace after his introduction to a match.
It is quite a fall from grace for the former Tottenham man, who joint top scorer in the Premier League last season, but his well-taken goal and good hold-up play before his assist for Owen displayed his undoubted qualities.
Another interesting partnership in the United side was that of Phil Jones and Nemanja Vidic. The captain did not play against City, while the summer signing came on following Jonny Evans' red card.
Both players were imperious in the air, with Jones in particular continuing an impressive start to the season that has drawn comparisons with United's great lost talent Duncan Edwards.
| THE PECKING ORDER? |
1. ROONEY | 2. WELBECK | 3. CHICHARITO | 4. BERBATOV | 5. OWEN |
| 11 GAMES 10 STARTS | 10 GAMES 7 STARTS | 10 GAMES 5 STARTS | 7 GAMES 3 STARTS | 3 GAMES 2 STARTS |
| 11 GOALS | 5 GOALS | 3 GOALS | 1 GOAL | 2 GOALS |
However, the introduction of both Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison showcased two midfielders with huge potential, though in different areas.
Pogba kept the ball exceedingly well, shrugging off opponents with a consummate ease that is rarely seen from an 18-year-old.
While in Morrison, Sir Alex has a gifted but precocious asset. If he focuses on football, the 18-year-old could be some player. He possesses skills that some can only dream of, with his passing and vision both exceptional.
The young playmaker was given 20 minutes to impress, and linked up well with Berbatov and spread the ball neatly to Michael Keane, who came on at right-back.
Other positives the United manager can draw from the match was the return of Tom Cleverley after a six-week spell on the sidelines through injury.
The midfielder earned a call-up but not a first appearance for England in Fabio Capello's most recent squad, and he was in fine form at the EBB Stadium, pulling the strings in midfield.
He frequently dropped deep to pick up the ball from Vidic at the back, while his part in the one-touch-passing build-up to the first goal surely won’t have gone unnoticed by Capello.
This match couldn’t have come at a better time for United after their weekend drubbing, and it gave their fringe players such as Berbatov and Owen in particular a chance to remind the boss what he has in reserve.
While both strikers have fallen down the pecking order, with Berbatov in fourth to Owen's fifth, they can justifiably hope for more game time off the back of this match. With fixtures against Otelul Galati, Sunderland and Swansea coming after this weekend's clash with Everton, don't be surprised to see some rotation in the squad.
And realistically, the strikers have done all they can do to ensure they remain in Sir Alex's mind with their displays in the League Cup.
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