Manchester United’s left-back position is Ferguson’s oversight
Are we really that badly off in defense that we have Silvestre playing at left-back? Presumably the move was to give Manchester United more defensive cover as Patrice Evra can be exposed at times, but our 3rd choice left back from last season and a player who has never been a fan favourite is now the first person Ferguson looks to when we need a reliable defender?
This raises another question - Ferguson knew throughout last season that Heinze’s agents were causing a fuss and that as a result, Manchester United could lose him over the summer. Despite of that knowledge, we let two quality left-backs, Gareth Bale and Leighton Baines, pass. Both players would have added immeasurably to Manchester United’s ability to defend AND attack on the left flank, both are potentially better than Patrice Evra and if offered the chance, wouldn’t both players have gone to the league champions?
It’s sad to see Silvestre get injured (especially since he had an injury layoff over the summer) even if I’d rather have him leave than stay. Hopefully we’ll see more of Pique and Evans in the near future (we definitely will in the Carling Cup). Neither of them are accomplished enough to be regular starters for Manchester United but let’s just say I’m not fully confident of our defensive strength in the left back position.
Everyone talks about the Brazilian kids joining us in January 2008 or July 2008, but they’ll be treated much like Pique and Evans are being treated now - and that leaves us weakened in the left-back position, which is annoying as hell when you consider that there were two quality left backs on the market and we missed both of them.
When the Gareth Bale saga was being played out in the press last season I’d said that unless one of our three defenders was leaving, Manchester United had no need for the player. However, the situation with Heinze was a lot clearer to Ferguson than it was to us, and as a manager you look after the club first. Ferguson should have secured backup for that position - someone better than what we already had on the books, but apparently the boss trusts the two French left-backs more than two fullbacks who are younger and perhaps much better as well.
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The fact of the matter is, Gareth Bale didn’t want to join Manchester United, he wanted to join Spurs so he would be guaranteed regular first team football.
Leigthon Baines is an Everton supporter, and once they showed their interest, he wasn’t going to go anywhere else. Also, even if we did approach Baines, he would not get in ahead of Evra, and not be content with with the amount of games he would have got at United compared to being a first team regular at Everton.
People are getting carried away with arrival of the Brazilian Twins. They are going to be starting out in the Academy, with the outside possibility of the reserves, but there is absolutely no chance they’ll be seen in the first team for quite some time yet. They are just kids for God sake and nowhere near the experience level and physical level yet for the first team.
We have enough cover at left back with O’Shea, Evra and Silvestre, but it’s just unfortunate that we’ve now lost O’Shea and Silvestre through injury.
I fully expect Adam Eckersley to be drafted in, who is a cracking left back in my opinion and fully deserves his chance. I’ve never seen the boy play a bad game and is definitely good enough and ready for the Premiership. He is 21 years old now and I believe his time has come.
There is no need to panic and I believe Ferguson was correct not to move for a left back during the summer.
Im a Man Utd fan till i die and i think this article is utter nonsense. Just because Bale scored today and Sylvestre got injured plqying in a position Evra usually plays in, typically someone says ” We should have bought Bale”. If Bale would have had an average game and Evra played at left back and had a good game it would have been ” Fergie makes the right decision”. Get with the programme and stop believing all the bull shit hype the tabloids create and control.UTTER BOLLOCKS.
Whether Bale and Baines have great games or average games today doesn’t detract from the fact that they’re good players, which is more than we can say about Silvestre and O’Shea.
As for Evra? Regardless of my opinion of him, having one decent defender at left-back is not the way to go forward for Manchester United.
A poor article tbh.
There are few better left backs around than Evra, & there is (in no particular order) O’Shea, Silvestre & Pique to cover - all reasonable left backs.
The principle reason for the team selection was that Evra was played to provide a more competitive midfield as - without Hargreaves & with Giggs being played up front - a midfield containing Ronaldo and a wet-behind-the-ears Nani would have been too lightweight.
Poor.
Ahmed I think that you are still a bit hung up on the whole Heinze thing. Look, the only bad decision is playing Silvestre as first choice left back when Evra is better in that position and we have Nani and Giggs who should have started left-mid. I don’t know why SAF has suddenly decided that Silvestre is the way forward. O’Shea is a good full back he is just rarely played there. He started off as a left-back and was good going forward and in defense but then he was played in CM and CB due to shortages of players and they became seen as his positions despite playing his best games as a full back. Last season he played a few games at RB when the defenders were all injured and I thought he had some decent games.
Yes it would have good to have bought Bale or Baines but would either of them be starting before Evra? It’s better for the players and if in 3 or 4 years United need a LB then they can buy Bale for 20m, it may seem steep but if we had gone for him during the Summer the price probably would have been lifted to at least 15m. That would probably help United in the long run.
Quite frankly as long as Evra plays LB I’m happy. He has improved greatly defensively this season and has arguably been our best/most consistant player. For the record Silvestre getting injured is a good thing because now Evra has to play LB. Maybe that Eckersley kid is good enough for cover, he is decent enough in FM but then again I probably shouldn’t make judgements from a game.
Evra is one of the best performing left backs in England right now so the position is rightly his. We have able covers in O’Shea and Silvestre. There is no need to buy another one. Bale and Baines are good leftbacks but overhyped and not Man United quality yet.
we need a new right back more than a left back because wes browns crossing just isnt the standard of which garrys is. I no we are going to get these 2 brazilan kids come over but just like anderson will probs not play and to say we will win the carling cup for sure is being a bit over realistic considering fergie has said he wants to play all the youngsters ok arsenal got to the final with there kids but mostly that is there team with even fabregas involved in this. Our back four though have been good this season with only letting the one against portsmouth in and that shot from range against city and as soon as the front guys all hit form we could see some 3-0s or 4-0s I think the best thing to do is wait till next season then think about cover left back if Silvestre then goes and a new right back. Maybe in january we could get another stricker park will be back then so the league and champions league are still there for us yet
If you guys are talkin about Anderton & Nani when you say Brazilian ‘kids’ or ‘twins’, you do know that only ONE of them is actually Brazilian right? Is there some other Brazilian ‘wunderkind’ MU have bought i don’t know about?
I agree we need a right back more than a left back. Wes Brown defending is as good as ever… but his crossings are and will forever be ATROCIOUS…cos he is a CB by nature. So relying on the aging Gary Neville is also something we have to ponder and act upon.
I say play Pique, Simpson or even Bardsley for that matter. With Wes Brown at Rb, the whole attacking football i concentrated on the left and there is not rightside width to speak of. With Ronaldo back it was a little better… but then its still stagnanted the offense…
So RB and S needed mroe urgently than a LB where we have covers in Pique, Evans and even Eckersley yeah…
i think Gareth Bale is too good to be missed by Man Utd. But don’t worry, when he become a better player, Man Utd would sign him ( hopefully ).
yeah sign bale as the world’s most expensive leftback in the future right? hahahha! like the overpriced carrick!
cool………….
Spiral Architect,
Do you actually support Man Utd. Do you even have a clue what you are talking about. Nani and Anderson Brazilian twins????? We are talking about defenders here. Ill say no more.
Read this
And ironically enough, readers of this article would do well to read my piece from June 10 - here.
Liam - Fergie chose Silvestre because 1) he’s better defensively than Evra (think about that for a second) and 2) because he was resting Nani and Saha for Sporting so Giggsy had to play supporting striker.
Baines and Bale are technically better players - Baines is also defensively stronger, while both are better shooters as well.
i think that Bale was always more suited to be a Left winger, would have have much rather see him there than Nani.
Anyway in that left back role, we do need to add something to it. Silvestre has been passed it for ages and can never do anything rite, did u see the amount of times Evra had to Track back and help him coz he was in the worst postions possible. Pique and Evans r centre back, lets keep it that way. O’shea is a uility player adn it would be shame for him to suck in that left back role when he could be fighting fires esle where. So we have to bring in, and there’sonly one man for it Giorgio Chiellini. He’s the biscuit, strong, powerful, smart beyond his age good in the air and at crossing. But it’s his positioning that the best, never in a wrong one.
I’d say use the money from the Henize deal to get him from Juve
Ahmed -
Thanks for the info.
Beard -
Take a cue from Ahmed about answering legitimate questions. Better yet, don’t answer at all if you feel the question sounds too stupid for you. Saves me the trouble of replying to your condescending prattle. And no, i’m not an MU fan, HENCE the question.
The reason Silvestre started was because LB had to mark Arteta. Say what you want about him, but he’s a solid defensive LB, has a good combination of strength, speed and most importantly for that task, discipline. Arteta is the main creative force for Everton, so SAF decided to shackle him at the expensive of a mor attacking LB. I think it made sense, and he was doing well til injured really…
Ahmed, my sincerest apologies.
Your understanding of football is clearly superior to both mine & Fergie’s.
How the hell did you get to write for this site?! Unreal.
Likewise Sean - after reading your argument, it’s ironic that you suggest Chilleni as an ideal candidate for the left back slot.
Though currently playing at left back, it’s widely accepted (both in Italy and abroad) that heb will develop into a centre back in the long term (a examples past and present such as Richards, Puyol, King etc). You only have to watch him play to realise that.
No Ahmed, I’m simply asserting that it’s infintely superior to yours.
Given the quality (or lack there of) of your articles, I would argue that is this is a far from illogical attestation.
Why is it a problem that we give our third choice left back from last season acouple of games? You make it sound like we lost our first choice, the suberb Patrice Evra. In case you are confused we haven’t. Silveste whilst not my favourite player knows what he is doing and is vastly experienced. For many years he was one of our first choice centre backs and despite recognising the lapses in concentration he did well. He has got a lot more caps than either Baines or Bale who both at the moment show potential but not much more. And the lapses in concentration aren’t as much of an issues in the left back slot.
Ok so now with Silvestre gone are we that short? I don’t think so. Jonny Evans debuted for Northern Ireland at left back and was a big part of keeping Torres and Villa contained on that occasion. I believe Pique could cover if required and O’Shea was great for us whenever called apon last season.
As people have already mentioned the Brazilian twins are arriving from Flumenese in Janurary. The left back of the two is the Brazilian U19 capitan and generally considered to be not only their best player but one of the main sources of creation for the team. Finally Anderson has tried to claim the slot for himself so I think there is plenty of competition.
Your article was a bit doom and gloom and I think quite poor. I think as with most positions at United 90% of other premership teams will look enviously at our starting player and back up and given whats coming through long may it continue!
I disagreed with it simply because it was incorrect.
How’s that?
Of more concern to me is us having to rely on Saha staying fit because without an out and out striker we look ordinary at best.
Yes we are light in defence (again) but you cant legislate for injuries and while I would have been more than happy to see Sly sold off 3 years ago hopefully this will mean one of the youngsters will get a chance.
We have the same problem at right back where Wes is providing adequate cover but he is no Nev, Wes’ crossing is poor at best and we lose a lot of momentum because he constantly passes backwards or sideways. Again, why not play one of our youngsters in their favoured position instead of playing people out of position all the time?
Fergie didn’t see the Heinze situation coming because he’s too arrogant to realise that Man United are NOT by any means what he and some fans (not all, i know many Man U fans that have a lot of sense!) think they are, and that is “the biggest team in the world!” This aint 1999!!!
I agree with Fergie not to buy a new left back because he had Henize and Evra (not to mention O’Shea, Pique etc etc) but what I don’t agree with is the arrogant pig not acknowledging that Heinze wanted to go! What an idiot! How many big name players need to PUNK the blotchy faced man before he realises that Real Madrid, AC Milan, Barcelona and in Heinze’s case the scousers from down the road are just as big if not BIGGER than Man U! And they are not the only ones!
Liverpool did what Man U tried to do with Vieira in summer 2001…except Man U got REJECTED by PV. Heinze REJECTED Man U by wanting to go to their biggest rivals! Robben, Ronaldinho…the list goes on. Man U are REJECTS who live in there own world!
” Spiral Architect”
yes man utd have signed 2 young brazillian fallbacks. one plays on the left defence and the other place right defence.
we signed them at about 9 i think . please correct me if i am wrong.