A Manchester United luminary glanced at the team-sheet, took a deep breath and shook his head. “What is the manager effin’ doing?” he exclaimed. It takes a brave man to question the selections of Sir Alex Ferguson but, on the face of it, the line-up to take on West Ham United at Upton Park on Saturday appeared shallow and dysfunctional.
Darren Fletcher started at right back, with Gary Neville and Wes Brown lining central defence. Darron Gibson would pull the strings in midfield, with Paul Scholes, the ageing warrior, playing the holding role. Wayne Rooney was down to scavenge alone up front, with Michael Owen and Dimitar Berbatov, his possible partners, sitting on the bench.
Goodness knows what the Old Trafford sage made of it at the end, with United reduced to ten men by injuries to Neville and Brown and the complement of substitutes having been used. Michael Carrick filled in at centre back, with Patrice Evra alongside, Ryan Giggs retreated to left back and Owen and Berbatov came on to forage in attack. Crazy, mixed-up formations, from start to finish. Square pegs in round holes, a mish-mash of needs-must choices from Ferguson, forced by his lack of fit defenders. Yet did anyone notice? United toyed with West Ham, edged ahead on the stroke of half-time and then pulverised them into submission.
Ferguson does not panic when Plan A disintegrates. Even when Plans B and C have been ripped to shreds, too, the trust in his squad — especially the fringe members, the frustrated B-listers — is absolute. What was he effin’ doing? Taking them out of their comfort zones, asking them to perform alien tasks, demanding versatility in potential adversity. Yet safe in the knowledge that they would not let him down. And they did not.
Had Carlton Cole been available to West Ham, the Neville-Brown, Carrick-Brown and, latterly, Carrick-Evra combinations at the back might have been troubled.
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Cole shows little respect for reputations and would have relished exerting his considerable muscle on Ferguson’s stopgap solutions. Carrick, though, has height and positional awareness to go with his natural elegance as a midfield playmaker. “I’m not exactly the new Rio Ferdinand,” he said. “It was the first time I have ever played there but the lads made it easier by playing the way they did.
“I really enjoyed it. It’s different surroundings and a whole different perspective on the game. You’re not involved as much as you are when you’re in midfield but maybe it will help with my defending when I’m back in midfield.”
Back in midfield? He might have to depose Scholes first. The former England player may be questioning whether there is life for him at Old Trafford after the end of this season and, at 35, he is wise to do so. It was only his eighth start in the Barclays Premier League this season. Yet for calmness under pressure and cussedness in the tackle, Scholes has few peers. “He is an incredible player,” Ferguson said. “He is conducting our play so well at the moment, he’s making it look really good for us.”
Scholes, the master, fired United in front with a bullet of a shot; Gibson, the willing apprentice, thundered in another, his third goal of the week. Antonio Valencia and Rooney completed the demolition. Gianfranco Zola, the West Ham manager, could only marvel at United’s fluidity in victory, which was embellished by Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City. “United are on a different level to us,” he said. “Right now, we can’t compete with them.”
Competing in the Premier League next season — no gimme — is his long-term aim, yet the short-term objective has to be hanging on to Cole, Robert Green and Matthew Upson, his “crown jewels”, during the January transfer window. Finances at Upton Park may dictate otherwise but the Italian is adamant. “As far as I know, we are not going to be under pressure to sell,” he said.”
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After losing 1-0 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last month, United have racked up 11 goals and nine points in three matches. Ferguson knows exactly what he is doing.
West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 5 (sub: P Kurucz, 73min) — J Spector 5, J Tomkins 5, D Gabbidon 4, H Ilunga 4 — J Collison 5, R Kovac 5 (sub: K Dyer, 67 4), S Parker 7, J Stanislas 5 — G Franco 6, Z Hines 4 (sub: A Diamante, 46 5). Substitutes not used: J Faubert, M Da Costa, F Nouble, J Payne. Next: Birmingham City (a).
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): T Kuszczak 5 — D Fletcher 6, G Neville 4 (sub: M Carrick, 34 6), W Brown 6, P Evra 7 — P Scholes 8, Anderson 6 — L A Valencia 6, D Gibson 6 (sub: D Berbatov, 67 4), R Giggs 6 — W Rooney 6 (sub: M Owen, 72). Substitutes not used: B Foster, Park Ji Sung, Nani, R de Laet. Booked: Scholes. Next: Aston Villa (h).
Referee: P Walton. Attendance: 34,980.