Man Utd vs Chelsea: Only One Winner in Two-Horse Race
Man Utd are incredibly top of the pile at Christmas, and probably wondering how they got there. More pertinent a question might be who let them get there?
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There were a few of stutters from Chelsea early on as their World Cup-weary stars shook and tried to get used to playing, for the most part, out of position while challenges from Arsenal and Liverpool failed to materialise. United could not believe their luck. Consistent performances and a relatively clean injury list saw them sail to the top of the Premiership table unchallenged.
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This while Arsenal look like they still have a lot of work to do if they want to turn the Emirates into a fortress. Though when they are on song, the Londoners are still the most exciting team in the league, they are horribly inconsistent and this will doubtless stop them from getting back into the title race proper this season.
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Liverpool appear to be finding their rhythm at last, but it is all illusionary, their early season programme was tough; picking off the likes of Charlton away, and Fulham and Watford at Anfield in recent weeks hardly qualifies them as championship material. They are more likely good solid candidates for a Champions League qualifiers spot. Alonso, Gerrard, Carragher and possibly Kuyt might be capable, but there are too many Luis Garcias in this side – players who only seem to really turn it on in cup competitions.Â
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United, meanwhile, are in sparkling form, coming back from a hiccup against West Ham and displaying a lot of character with an excellent away win against Martin O’Neill’s tricky Villa side.
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Giggs and Scholes have been outstanding and Saha/Rooney is starting to look like the most efficient front line in the league. At the back, Vidic is starting to show some evidence of being worth the £7million, while Van Der Saar’s class is unquestionable.
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The only problem with United, however, is their lack of squad depth. It would only take one or two injuries to seriously unbalance this team.
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Those waiting on the sidelines: the Wes Browns, Darren Fletchers and Alan Smiths, are just not, for all of their unquestionable commitment to the club, championship-winning material. There is no doubt about it: should any of their key players face a month on the sidelines, this would be a massive blow to their title ambitions.
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Chelsea, on the other hand, might even welcome one or two injuries, at least it might give some of their well-paid, five-star reserves a run in the first team. Their strength in depth is second to none anywhere in the World.
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Liverpool, meanwhile, do have a bigger squad than United, but theirs is brimming with ineffective utility players like Bolo Zenden. Arsenal, too, have strength in numbers, but most of their squad outside the first eleven are untested at the highest level.
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Ferguson’s admission that his transfer kitty is a measly £25million a year (albeit with a £25 million “superstarâ€? fund), simply does not allow him to be able to compete with Mourinho, who can squander that much on £50k-a-week reserve team players several times over.Â
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Chelsea have hit their stride now, and they will return to their efficient, if dull, results-based service of last season.
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Sorry kids, but money still rules, and unless Fergie waves some kind of magic wand over his players that will somehow keep them all injury-free until May, there seems to be no conceivable way the title is going to head back up North in 2007.
- Manchester United and Chelsea plan photo finish and group hugs
- Manchester United and Chelsea season run-in analysis
- Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: It’s just these two, and there’s a long way to go
- Steve McClaren Names England Squad
- This Week’s Premiership & European Fixture List (22-28 August 2006)
Discussion - 15 Responses
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Sorry, are we meant to cry over United’s inability to financially out-muscle another side with Title aspirations?
Oh, what a shame. United were one of the main voices behind the Premier League breakaway all those years ago - a decision based solely on more money for them - less for everyone else. Well, you reap what you sow. Enjoy.
No vitriol necessary from me, mate. Your own green bile suffocates you, hahaha!! No mention at all of the one and only Cristiano !!!!!!!!! Not surprisingly given all the rubbish written about him during the World Cup. the only thing that matters is that WE, genuien United fans, simply adore him!!! And you simply wont admit to the fact that Chelsea is a classless, nouveau riche, plastic construct while WE are the only team in the entire Galaxy with a proper Treble to our name.
Happy New Year
John Schembri
Malta
Vidic is starting to show some evidence of being worth the £7million?
Try rewriting that as Vidic has been the best centreback in the division all season and you might be getting warm… Try taking the blinkers off and using your eyes to appreciate other teams players.
You’d welcome some injuries? How come your manager is crying so much about them then?
EXCUSE ME!!!!
We were lucky to be top???? we could not believe our luck… if its luck then why are chelsea not top at the moment… u mean to say the luck is there as the challenges from arsenal and liverpool vanished. Dude get a life and think straight.. U dont need millions to win a championship.. if money could have bought that chelsea should by now have had 3 trebles…. all u have is 2 premiership and a desire to win the champs league…. get a life… before crapping on man u… think first whether Park (3 months), ole gunner(2 months) and ryan giggs(1 month), evra/heinze (together 2 months) did not get injured…. (4 players)….. apart from smith (since u tghink hez not champion material) U say we were lucky with injuries… Its just that we had the backup to fill in and ronaldo to carry us in the few games that we were under-par… We were effective when all were not fit.. kept winnin and thats y r top…. Nd ur Chelsea have had only cech, cudichini, cole adn terry injured.. ask urself what happens if drogba gets injured…. Not one match could u ppl play wthout him.. he was rested for a few and even in them he had to come off the bench and score for u ppl to win… go and talk ur gop somewhere else if u have to base urself on what half the world says…. ask urself and ull find the answer… chelsea are goin down….
2ndly…
Only 30 million transfers are not championship material.. on current form.. fletcher is far more a champ material than ur shevchenko.
“How come your manager is crying so much about them then?” Dude, what else do you expect from Moaninho? lmao
Money isn’t going to buy you points. Goals + Wins will. We’ve got the goals (Roon, Ron, jeeze even oLe’s loving it) &
We’ve got the points - extra in hand only cause you guys ’stumbled’ against Reading.
Khalid isn’t gonna save you, and i dont really think that Paulo F and Ricardo C are even good. Let’s not make me get to Mr Hilarious. And Cole - the great defender - few more clearances + own-goals like that will be fine by me.
We’ve got the squad, we’ve got the backups (who we’ll see more of in the coming weeks). Unlucky with injuries last season, glad the good times are here again.
PS: Super-sub Drogba? Ha! Ronnie makes it look so easy
good on you, Stephen! I was wondering about that as I read . . signs of being worth 7 million? He’s settled down our back four into the best it’s been for the last six or so years!
What well-paid, five-star class reserves are we talking about?
Wayne Bridge?
Chelsea’s actual squad depth is laughable this season.
May I just add, also, that when they do play, they’re played at right back.
I am a chelsea fan and while I hope what you write is correct, I just can’t see it happening. I supported Chelsea before the Abramovich takeover and it is not all money. It takes a good team spirit and other factors as well. Chelsea are having serious problems in defence with Cech, Cudicini and John Terry injured and this is proved by the fact that 6 goals have been conceded in 3 games. If we didn’t have Drogba, we would be in 3rd or possibly 4th. I do respect Man U. and hope it will be an exciting title race… just get your facts straight.
While there exists a plethora of points that can be argued, would you be kind enough to explain why Mourinho last week contemplated playing Drogba in the back four? A decision only halted by the ridiculous entities around Drog. Not that you’ll ever find me declaring Sheva as ‘crap’, but that’s just history - unfortunately, for Chelski atleast, Sheva has been precisely that - crap.
Strength in depth is something that Chelsea can’t really boast either - if it was the case, then the back four wouldn’t have played like a leaking faucet over the festive period. The only thing that the squad can boast is millions of pounds of money hungry players on the bench.
As per the article on a whole, appreciate your sense of humor - needed a few laughs after a long day at work.
first of all vidic is proving to being a bargain buy at 7 million and second man u are showing the depth of their squad in the last couple of games and with players coming back from loan, larsson, and whoever SAF buys man u wil have enough depth to go all the way and win the league.
I have a feeling that this article has been written purely with one thing in mind and that is to provoke, and being a Manchester United fan, I am falling in the trap. Some parts of your assesment of the teams (Chelsea and United) and season so far is so out of touch with reality that I really wonder if you have been watching the same league as the rest of us.
Here is a short list of the most obvious faults:
1. Vidic showing signs???
2. No mention of the premierships best player at the moment: C. Ronaldo.
3. Chelsea have hit their stride? They have just lost it mate.
4. No strength in depth? In the last two games we have made wholesale changes and still coming out on top. Scholes and Rooney were suspended for 3 games early on, we still kept on winning. Wes Brown has proved what a qualityplayer he really is in the last two games and Fletcher keeps on improving.
5. Try saying to Mourinho that he should be welcoming injuries. Together with the arrivals of Ballack and Sheva, the injuries to Petr and John have had a very negative effect on Chelsea, and I am sure Mourinho is absolutely delighted.
This is probably the weakest article I have read so far on Soccerlens and its pity because I have come to enjoy reading the reports and articles here, either they are pro-United or not. This is far beyond the normal standard but I suspect it is just a hick-up.
Rocket: “hiccup”
Completely agree with the rest ^
Check out my website [click the nick] = Those BBC people get everywhere
Anyone can feel free to brag about how good Chelsea are but right now, we’re #1 and so, we deserve complete credit for being the best team in the Premship. Now I’m not going to fall down and worship Chelsea cause they stumbled and let us on our way. It was their stupidity to get rid of Johnson and Huth. Want Silvestre or Bardsley?
End of the day, we’re still #1 = still winning this race.
“Come on Roman, can’t You buy the 6pts from the FA?”
Come on cut d crap…u cant serious bout yr statement saying the cup isnt gonna go north..see what yr chelsea has achieved over the festive period??their record is poorer to that of even blackburn,man city…Three draws and one wins dusn make u a quality team…Money cant win titles bro..its attitute and teamspirit..And one question??wat is Essien doing at right back??serious strategy issues..Morinho is seeming to lag behind wen he is slightly tested…its in adverse situations that the hero in u must come out…last year Chelsea won the title jst coz they had a bucket full of cash and this year the strategy is missing..United for the title..
Oh well, we did get injuries (Neville, Saha ect.) and we still won. But never mind, don’t give up the day job.