Antonio Valencia suffered a horrific broken left leg as Manchester United struggled to break down a stubborn Rangers at Old Trafford. The Ecuadorian winger suffered the injury on the hour as Sir Alex Ferguson’s side failed to score for the first time this season, leaving the Reds disappointed on Champions League matchday one.
Ferguson made 10 changes to the side that drew with Everton on Saturday as the manager sought to use his full squad against the Scottish champions. Arguably it proved too many with United lacking inspiration against a team that rarely ventured out of its own half.
“The criticism will be that I didn’t play a strong team but I think I had a strong team,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“People forget I played seven or eight of them in the Charity Sheild – I thought it was a really strong team.
“We need ten points to qualify and our home record has been very good over the years. That’s one point and now we need nine more from five games.
“If we’d won the game everybody would have said we deserved it but we didn’t make any great chances. Most of the chances were from outside the box from Darron Gibson so we have to give credit to Rangers for that.”
Indeed, with Scholes rested United looked to a central midfield pairing of Darron Gibson and Darren Fletcher to provide a creative spark. It failed to come, with Gibson in particular guilty of shirking his big chance in the United side.
But if United’s midfield fell flat then there was understandable cause in the second half with the shock of Valencia’s injury. The winger needed oxygen after an horrific broken left leg just above the ankle. United’s players looked visibly shocked as the 25-year-old winger was taken from the field on a stretcher.
Yet United offered little in the previous 60 minutes either, with Rangers’ players camped deep in their own half save for the occasional foray forward. After all, it was United’s responsibility to break the away side down. In that respect the Reds conspicuously failed.
Not that United fell short of opportunities, with Gibson testing McGregor from range within the opening quarter-hour. Then Wayne Rooney, partnered by Javier Hernández in attack, tried to pass to his Mexican colleague when shooting may have been the better option minutes later.
Still, none of United’s midfielders seemed willing to run beyond the ball, let alone playing between the lines, with Gibson often guilty of unimaginative and sometimes lax distribution. On this evidence Ferguson has not found the absent Paul Scholes’ successor just yet.
At times this was attritional football at its very worst, with Rangers’ lone striker Kenny Miller often 40 yards from his nearest colleague. Chris Smalling, on his full début, and Rio Ferdinand, returning from long-term injury, rarely had to break sweat as United monopolised possession.
Indeed, captain-for-the-night Ferdinand increasingly spent more time in midfield as United sought the breakthrough in the second period. Ryan Giggs, on for the stricken Valencia, and then Michael Owen were introduced to little avail.
Gibson, who too often chose to shoot wildly from range, went close from 25 yards just after the break as Rangers successfully kept United at arm’s length. Deploying five at the back and four in front, Rangers offered possibly the most defensive formation ever seen at Old Trafford.
But United failed to find the opening, with Park Ji-Sung tucking inside and Valencia – before the sickening injury – unable to get beyond Rangers’ full-backs.
As United pressed forward in the second period Rangers dared to venture outside their own half and the Scottish side had a decent shout for a penalty as Smalling clipped Kirk Broadfoot’s ankle inside the area.
It was perhaps the visitors only half chance as the game petered out to a disappointing draw.
“Rangers came here and set out their stall to defend and you have to respect that,” said the returning Ferdinand.
“They did what they came to do. We had a few shots from outside the box but our final ball wasn’t good enough. It’s frustrating, we knew how they’d play but we couldn’t break them down.
“We passed the ball from side to side but didn’t really get through them.”
In that United will recall six Premier League matches plus the FA Cup third round where the side lost in failing to score last season. This time the result isn’t calamitous but the lack of inspiration from United’s midfield is palpable.
Shame then that the club failed to do anything to address the problem this summer. Even more sickening for the knowledge that one of United’s better players of the past year – Valencia – will surely miss much of the coming season.
Match facts
United: Kuszczak; Ferdinand, Brown, Smalling, Fabio Da Silva (Evans 75), Park Ji-Sung (Owen 75), Fletcher, Valencia (Giggs 63), Gibson; Rooney, Hernandez.
Man-of-the-match: Darren Fletcher
Attendance: 74,408
Possession: United 54% – 46% Rangers
Attempts: 15 – 3
On target: 7 – 0
Corners: 3 – 0
Fouls: 16 – 10
Hope Valencia makes it back to top level football.
Time for Orbetan to step up.
The buck stops with Fergie
Appalling stuff against an appalling opponent. Why wasn’t the lack of creativity in midfield addressed during the summer. Owen barely got a kick when he came on, as there was no decent supply. This is going to be a long season, and is looking like a transition year.
Transition into what?
A transition year, is when you bring in new players and it takes a year for them to blend in… that’s fine for the likes of Chico and Smalling… but the place we’re most desperate for new blood is midfield.
This year we should have brought in Scholes successor, and given him a year to play with, and to deputise for the wee master… in fact… this should have been done last year, to put the wind up Andersons kilt.
Now, we’ve got to suck it up, and get more games out of Scholes than he’s capable of giving… which will probably mean sub standard performances from him later in the season.
Fuck only knows what Ferguson is thinking, but you would think that a man like him, on his last year or two in charge would want to go out on a high… build a monster team and have one last crack at the Champs League. Now if the Glazers are denying him the funds to do that, then that’s one thing… but Ferguson staunchly defends them and stubbornly claims that what we’ve got is good enough.
FFS Fergie… this may not have been our best 11, but ffs, that was only Rangers at home… what can we expect against Chumpski, Real, Barca… ???
Anyway… to the main point… bad luck for Valencia… will he be able to cut it at the top level again?
[blockquote]“People forget I played seven or eight of them in the Charity Sheild[/blockquote]
When I read comments like this my blood starts to boil, now Alex Ferguson is so complacent that he reckons that a team that plays in the Charity shield is good enough to play in Champions League even if it is against Rangers, regardless of who our next opponent is you start with your best team and rest players once you have the points in the bag.
The loss of Valencia could be a telling one who do we really have on the right wing that can when he was in form do the job as well as Valencia.
now that valencia’s out probably for 8-9 months,we only have nani,giggs,park to play on wings.we’re gonna have to switch to 4-3-3 at some point in our season with berba in the centre and nani,rooney,park,giggs on either sides of him.only time when we really looked convincing in 4-3-3 was when queiroz was with us.its time to bring him back.
we have Obertan but can’t the streetkid also play on the wing and so could Chico I guess
yesterday was not about glazers, it was about fergus
long term OK, it’s at least arguable that this is a direct result of Glazers, but shit squad selection? shit substitutions?
I’m sure MUST will be starting a campaign now that Valencia’s broken leg was a result of the Glazers LBO.
Alf you are right if as I think we are suggesting that this is a Fergal issue not Glazers. Sure Glazers are the rot – but fuck me, are we the only ones who cannot see the shitness that was on offer yesterday.
I don;t think we are that far off it Fergal would stop collecting strikers. Fucking hell we need two enforcers to help Fletch and Scholes – think our defence is good with Rio and attack is good with roo and berbs but fuck me the midfield was awful
What does Macheda have to do to get a game? Owen, yet again, brought nothing to the party
Owen is a complete waste of space. I just don’t understand why he’s at the club. Ok so he scored a goal against City – wtf else did he do all last season?
Carling Cup Final goal?
Hat trick away to Wolfsburg?
Triggs – So two goals that actually mean anything and a hat-trick in a dead rubber… hardly worth a two year contract (with might I add an option for a third).
I’m not his biggest fan, just thought that you’d been a tad unfair there.
I think Fergie signed Owen for his influence on the other strikers as much as anything. Say what you like about him as a footballer but he knows how to get himself into goalscoring positions. I don’t think his presence last year and Roo’s transformation into a goalscorer – particualrly in the air – is a complete coincidence. Rooney has stated himself, that he’s learnt a lot from him.
That said, I think Kiko should have come on last night.
Frustrating to say the least. Exceptionally poor from the midfield, but for me, Darron Gibson in particular. Yes, he is still young – 23 I believe? – but he offers nothing from what I’ve seen. Flashing shots either side of the posts and over the bar aren’t end product. “Going close” isn’t a productive use of the ball – and yes, you miss “100% of the shots you don’t take” but for the love of Jebus, if we don’t move the ball quickly we’re never going to break down a fucking 5 – 4 – 1.
I think there’s some ‘credit’ to be given to Rangers. They parked the bus, but in my opinion, we should have been good enough to break them down. With AV out for the season, I can only hope Obertan steps up as some of you guys have mentioned, and Bébé gets a fair kick of the ball.
As for DG – out he goes IMO. Anderson is up next to prove himself – and he needs a run of games to be fair. Give him 8 games, if he doesn’t perform, ship him off too.
Stick a world class midfielder into this side – somebody who opens the doors, plays between the lines – and it would transform it completely. Definitely question marks over a lot of players but central midfield is the biggest.
Congratulations to Rangers for giving a textbook lesson to other weak teams in how to contain a Scholes (and Berbatov)-less United
In games like that, where there are 10 men behind the ball, the central midfielders have to be the architects rather than the engine room. Also, the full backs see a lot of possession and have to play well offensively. The central midfielders last night ran around and shot from distance a lot but created nothing. The full backs, going forward, were terrible – but for one decent cross by Fabio. It also didn’t help that our most creative player is in terrible form.
I was watching the Spurs game at the same time and couldn’t help gazing at Marin and thinking this is exactly what we need – a linking player who plays in the holes, in the mould of Modric.
Yesterday was terrible, but I think allowance should be made for the general rustiness of some of the players and the ultra negative tactics of Rangers. If we win on Sunday with a good performance, this will all be forgiven.
Triggs – Marin is a great player but there’s not a chance Werder are going to get caught with their pants down twice. He’ll be very expensive.
I’ve long given up hope of United signing anyone I’ve ever heard of!
Also, Park has his uses but unlocking teams that have parked the bus is not one of them – ridiculous call from Fergie
that’s just bollocks Ed, he is a striker with limited uses but put him in the type of game that suits him and he is as good as any
Owen is no use whatsoever with a packed penalty box when players are fucking about trying to bang their heads against a wall. What fucking use was Rooney yesterday; Rooney is also very limited in games where there is limited space in final third and limited counter attacking changes.
hwr Rooney can make something out of nothing; Owen rarely can. Owen needs space to run into and a one-on-one situation. That was never going to happen yesterday when teams park the bus, there simply is no space to run into.
he should have put on mecheda who is far, far better with his back against goal.
look at Owen’s goals for united and his whole career, he needs space to run into. it was a SHIT substitution by Fergus and absolutely not Owen’s fault
what we need yesterday was a player with awesome movement and dynamite energy, i.e., a Tevez who could get the defence moving a bit
the most clinical finisher is Owen but a style of play that uses that type of forward is very rare these days. he needs to be deployed when we are one-nil up and other side is “up for it” and there are gaps; in such situations he has and will score. no doubt.
danniitronix – To be honest I think he’s shot as a player otherwise he’d be playing more often. Pace gone all that’s left is finishing if he gets the chance, but let’s be honest how many times does United walk the ball into the net Barca style.
Owen’s goals have come against:
West Ham (x1) – Premier League, relegation threatened
Wolfsburg (x3) – Champions League, dead rubber
Aston Villa (x1) – Carling Cup
CSKA Moscow (x1) – Champions League
Manchester City (x1) – Premier League
Barnsley (x1) – Carling Cup
Wigan Athletic (x1) – Premier League, relegation threatened
By my reckoning that’s 3 goals that actually mean anything all season, in the meantime Macheda who’s meant to be the future of our club is sat “stagnating” to use Fergie’s words in the reserves. It’s criminal. Perhaps you’re right – the type of game that suits him is either a) pointless, or b) against shite opposition.
Are you saying that the Carling Cup Final was pointless or that Villa are shite?
Plus the Wolfsburg game was not a dead rubber. United were through, but still trying to come top of the group and Wolfsburg were fighting to stay in the competition.
how often did he play last season? count minutes to goals and compare to the rest of the strikers at united and epl. a bet he is nowhere near as shit as you make out
Owen had a role to play last season, but now Hernandez is here I can’t see him staying beyond the end of the season. Hernandez is similar to a young Owen, quick and a predator in the box.
Feel terrible for Valencia, horrific injury. Broke his leg in two places.
He’s out for at least six months and with the state of our medical team, probably much longer.
Newcastle United midfielder Alan Smith admits he hasn’t been the same player since breaking his leg at Liverpool while still with Manchester United.
The injury, and his year-long struggle to regain full fitness, forced Smith to reconsider his best position, and his Manchester United future.
He is now fighting for the central defensive midfield role at Newcastle and the run-out at Stamford Bridge came after losing his place to new signing Cheik Tiote at the weekend.
Smith told the Daily Mail: “I’ve not been the same player since my injury. Eduardo had the same injury and he struggled so much and the thing is you’ve got to make the best of it.
“I’ve changed my position and I’m still trying to learn that and it’s good for me, it’s interesting.
“Every game and every week is definitely a bonus because it would have been so easy to pack it in or not fight hard enough to get back in and so easy to let your standards drop.
“It takes hours of work, hopefully Antonio Valencia will be able to get back to the level that he was at before. I know it will be very difficult but I’d like to wish him all the best.”
I’ll be amazed if Valencia is as quick as he used to be