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發表於 2005-12-9 08:43 PM
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Blind faith in Man United - Gray
Obviously, I was in Lisbon to watch Manchester United go out of the Champions League but I still can't work out how it happened. I don't think anyone at the club can explain it either.
How can a team with so much talent, that is playing so well in their own league, lose a match that mattered so much against a club that wouldn't be good enough to stay in the Premiership?
United got off to a great start when Paul Scholes scored after six minutes and they were looking good but instead of killing the game off they sat back and got edgy.
They were quicker and better than Benfica but they didn't capitalise on their better quality. It looked as though they were saying 'we might only need a draw to go through and we will be good enough to hold you off'.
By adopting that attitude they handed the initiative back to Benfica and when you do that it can be really difficult to regain it.
The sad thing is that I do not remember the Benfica keeper having a save to make in the second half and when you are chasing the game, that is very disappointing.
But it's not the first time we have seen Manchester United struggle for a cutting edge in Europe. At least they looked like they had a goal in them in Lisbon; against Lille they were even worse.
They have only scored three goals in six Champions League matches and as a result they have finished bottom of a group that was so ordinary they should have gone through if they had played with one leg tied behind their backs and wearing blindfolds!
There is no doubt that Sir Alex Ferguson sent out a team that was good enough to beat Benfica. They had far better individuals but the Portuguese champions had a team spirit that United couldn't match.
It struck me as a game tailor-made for Roy Keane. He would have given a few ear-bashings, the odd cuff around the ear and got them back into shape, but he is no longer there. Gary Neville may turn out to be a very good captain but at the moment they are striving for a vocal leader on the pitch.
This can be a watershed moment for Manchester United because they needed something to galvanise them and make them change. However, I don't think there will be any immediate repercussions. A change of manager would definitely be a knee-jerk reaction and wrong.
People will point the finger at Sir Alex, but ultimately there comes a time when the players need to take a good look at themselves and admit they weren't good enough. Those players don't need me to tell them they underperformed - they know who they are.
Having said that, going out of the Champions League at the group stage after only winning one FA Cup in the last two years means Ferguson is on the shakiest ground he has been on in a long long time.
I find it ridiculous to say that he is under pressure when you think how much he has won, but that is the nature of the game today. When you have been as successful as he has, I think you almost deserve a period of grace to sort it out when things go wrong. But sadly, the fans who have enjoyed his glory years are now calling for his head.
United only have the Premiership to go for now, so they can focus all their energies on chasing Chelsea. The next few games will be massive for them.
Their next two - against Everton and Wigan - are live on Sky Sports. If they win those it will ease the pressure on Ferguson and his men, but if they get anything less than six points, the pressure will be immense.
有冇人翻譯下．．．．．．？？ |
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