Manchester United - no first-choice center backs, no problem?
It’s April, the season is coming to a head, there’s a United-Chelsea game ahead that could decide the season as United do their best to hold off Chelsea for the Premier League title. There’s a crucial Champions League game coming up at Old Trafford. United have just drawn away at Riverside, a game they probably would have lost, and lost Rio to injury. Nemanja Vidic is injured. No Saha to give us an extra angle of attack up front. Neville is probably not fit enough to start so either O’Shea or a midfielder will have to slot in the right-back post as Brown moves to center-back.
It’s April 2007 - will United lose after coming so close?
Ah yes. Last season. No Vidic, no Rio, no Neville. Heinze and Brown at center-back. Giggs, Rooney and Ronaldo being our only creative outlets. Defensively weak. Offensively crippled. How would this team play?
Not too bad, actually.
Last year, United came up against Milan in the first leg of their semi-final and it was Kaka v United as the home side won 3-2. A tough game for United’s defence, but certainly much better than the insipid performance that came in the 2nd leg. In the domestic league though, United shined and come through in crucial away games, especially that Everton game that probably decided the domestic title.
This week, United play Roma at home in the second leg of their quarter-final, with no Rio or Vidic at the back. They have an advantage of 2 away goals but at this point that is slim pickings considering that both Brown and Pique are in for a start as center backs. Then there’s the revenge game at Old Trafford against Arsenal, an away game against Blackburn (could it be Everton all over again for us?) and then the big Chelsea game. In between we’ll probably play one leg of the CL semis as well, assuming we negotiate past Roma safely.
We should be worried. It’s the worst possible time to lose your center backs, and any further injuries in training or during a game will leave this side woefully exposed.
Except that this is exactly the sort of situations that we’ve been facing throughout the years - and more often than not, this side has come up trumps. Against Roma, United might line up like this:
Starting XI: van der Sar, O’Shea, Brown, Pique, Evra, Ronaldo, Carrick, Scholes, Giggs, Tevez, Rooney
Bench (alternative): Kuszczak, Neville, Silvestre, Hargreaves, Anderson, Park, Nani
And I’d back that team to beat Roma at Old Trafford. Sure, we will concede a goal, but this lineup will definitely put away a couple of goals and that should be enough to take United to the semi-finals and to the record of 11 straight home wins in the Champions League.
We’ve been here before. We’ve DONE it before. After running themselves into the ground all season, players like Ronaldo, Rooney and Brown will have to lift their game and be leaders for another month or so. No excuses - this team is good enough to cross the finish line top of the table.
And of course, like last year, we should have Vidic and Rio back by May, so what’s there to worry about? 
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With a weakened back 4 I fully expect Hargreaves to be selected to sit in front of the centre backs as additional cover.
i predict tough times for the red devils. they will be in trouble if they meet Barca (assuming they aal progress) in the CL and against Arsenal & Chelsea in the EPL. i have a feeling Chelsea might steal it from them.
I personally thought we were pretty lucky to get that 3-2 result against Milan, our defence was all over the place. Not to mention the fact that Heinze has been given the CB position for Argentina on many occasion. Brown and Silvestre can get that position only if every man and his dog are injured. And O’Shea is pretty much clueless. All I can say is thank god Ronaldo’s on our team as he would pretty much tear O’Shea up.
Hargreaves as an emergency right-back anyone?
I think Hargreaves would be better off sheltering the defence. O’Shea is capable at right back and Brown and Pique are at least natural central defenders. Brown has experience and is a great tackler, while I’ve been impressed by Pique’s aerial ability. The main problem is always going to be positioning but hopefully they keep their heads. I still have the image of Evra and Heinze colliding in vain as Kaka cut our defence to pieces. While Roma do not have Kaka, they still have Mancini, Vucinic et al, who are capable of causing us problems.
Ahmed, didn’t know you posted here too!
Good article. I think we can pull through this ‘defensive crisis’ better than last year. Firstly, I think Neville will come off the bench v. Roma, making his full comeback v. Arsenal, bringing some needed leadership to the team in the absence of Rio/ Vidic. A defence of Evra Brown Pique Neville with JOS and, as a last resort, Silvestre, is not too bad, especially if we play Hargreaves just in front (Gary, he is a good right back, but while our injuries are in the centre we need Hargreaves protecting Pique and Brown) That is the game I’m most worried about- by the CL semi final and the Chelsea match our rocks should be back.
ummmh some shaky man united fans, fear can be a terrible thing u know. the pressure is now on united especially with vidic and rio out injured let’s see how they respond. i wonder what mr. bilal you will writing or saying if things don’t go united’s way, good luck all the same.
Sam…. ummm.. Ahmed is the owner……
That’s just what he wants you to think. In reality this is my website…
lol Utsav! I’ve only ever read his articles on Red Rants, it never occurs to me that people can write for other websites too- this is the first time I’ve been on this one!
Ahmed is a Man Utd fan so I am not surprised he has gone for the ‘nothing to worry about’ angle. I on the other hand am a Chelsea fan and I hope Man Utd crumble without Vidic and Rio, those two are irreplaceable and when you have O’Shea, Brown and Pique as your replacements you have to admit you are worried. I was worried the whole time Alex and Ben Haim were playing together, or even Alex and Carvalho so to say you’ll get through it is a bit of an overstatement. Brown and O’Shea are laughable at times so I hope to god they have to play at the weekend together against Arsenal and then we will defintely have a premiership count down on our hands.
However I expect a miraculous recovery from Rio in the same mode as a ‘John Terry is injured’ cover up.
http://www.footballfilter.com
If we’re going by the ‘laughable’ yardstick, Terry is to slapstick comedy what Ronaldo is to diving.
Brown and Pique, if they play central defence, will do just fine. O’Shea is weaker, but still able to play as a central defender.
At this stage, it has a lot more to do with confidence than ability - even poor players can have outstanding games if they try hard enough (Fletcher’s big games have been like that).
i know i would shit i mean look at the top at chelseas and arsenals back 4 compared to uniteds now
Arsenal:eboue gallas toure clichy
Chelsea:Alex Carvalho Terry Cole
Man U:Evra Pique brown or sylvestre
id be worried u got arsenal coming up after that chelsea champs league i know ud be shitting in ur pants playing almost any club left in the semi-finals of the champs league and ur jus 3 up on chelski
here we go again ahmed, face the fact u man united fans are becoming very worried and scared all of a sudden. u are trying to hide behind confidence probably more than the man united players themselves. apparently u must be more worried than ferguson, when it was arsenal u got very body workedout, now its your turn u are trying to sweep the issue under the carpet, lucky 4 man u rio’s injury is not a broken foot as earlier feared but if 4 any reason he doesn’t play ur defence will be exposed as we saw yesterday against boro. u were lucky to have gotten a draw, against arsenal and chelsea u dont stand a chance with that kind of defence.
I cant wait for our next three games after which we shut these doubters face up and in the right manner by not yapping and by showing the results
stamford bridge - the fortress vs the boys from the theatre of dreams your so fucking ON
It’s fine for you to hit the panic switch after every injury and drawn game (or home defeat), but that’s just being fickle and lacking faith in your team. You backed them in the good times, you back them in the bad times as well and give them the support they need to get through.
I don’t see what benefit can be achieved through saying: ‘Oh shit, our defenders are out, we’re doomed!’ other than to perpetrate mass hysteria - and when does that help?
Gallas and Toure haven’t looked that great recently- you’ve been shipping goals all over the place and Eboue is a liability. I’d probably take them over man utd’s second choice but I’d have to think about it for a second.
i don’t see any trouble in defense as we have brown ,pique ,evra and hargraves as our back four but what makes me more unpleasant is the the way arsenal supporters are making voice as we have lost two points to bro in the last six games but they lost more than 10 points in such time .so pleas arsenal funs stop mocking you will have another loose of three points next week and Liverpool will kick you off the champion leag this evening so pleas give us some rest at least until next august .
I know I’m the only one who thinks that Tevez is nowhere near Man Utd quality but if ever we have needed a 4-5-1 formation it’s tomorrow. The only question is who will play? Carrick or Anderson. As much as I love Anderson I have to say Carrick.