so, what do you think?

As long as we don't implode and Sir Alex starts to care about league games again, we have a chance. But I don't think we should talk about this for another month.

 

Like they say, there's still a lot of soccer to be played. But its good to control your own destiny. Still, talk of winning out shouldn't be replacing talk of winning one game at a time. I think we're in a great position, but we need to keep focus on each game.

Funny how just a few weeks ago, people were talking about the league competition being all but over. That game against Leeds was crucial, and really gave the team some confidence. Now its back to talk of a League and CL double. Let's hope it keeps up.

 

I wouldn't get overconfident at this point. Unlike a few years ago when United would overpower other teams at will, they are often hanging on to victories and getting wins where perhaps a draw was the deserved result. I'm not complaining - winning the title is all about getting points and champions are able to get points when they don't play that well.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are more dominating of their opponents. Yesterday they faltered, but they were resting key players for their crucial trip to Valencia this week, and they were facing a team that plays well at home and has the best keeper in the world. Arsenal will likely regain their form very quickly.

Remember, if things stay the same, United still have to go to Highbury and get 3 points. That is no easy task. For the rest of the season, United should concentrate on playing with focus and intensity, and getting results.

 

I'm not getting overly confident about making the necessary run. Not like it can't happen but there's still some very tricky matches left -- besides going to Highbury -- that we'll have to win, including trips to Newcastle, Tottenham, and Everton and matches at home vs. Liverpool and Blackburn.

It'll be very tough to go without dropping points in that run-in.

 

I agree with you soccerholic. I don't know if Alex is doing it deliberately but Utd are playing for 25 minutes, going a goal up, then cutting back on the pace and commitment and playing to hold on for the 1-0 win. It didn't work against Leeds and could have gone horribly wrong against Villa had they finished better.

Utd are not the dominating side they were 3 years ago. I think they're tailoring their style of play to the pace of European football and this is much less effective against the higher pace of Premiership football. They beat Arsenal when they had many players out and played a more aggressive game and lost to them when they had their full squad and played much less aggressively. They've lost to teams like Bolton and Man City when they've failed to deal with a high speed pressing game from the opposition.

To win the Premiership they may well need to beat Arsenal at Highbury. I don't see them doing that with performances like the ones they have given in their Premiership games since the full squad came back. Keane has not regained his former domination. Giggs is hopelessly out of form. Beckham plays fitfully. Scholes, Mr reliable for me, had a very poor game against Villa. Veron, of course, seldom plays well in the Premiership games. Solksjaer has lost his goal scoring touch.

They're still in touch with the Premiership title because Arsenal have faultered recently. I think we need Arsenal to continue to do that or become more committed in the remaining Premiership games. At the moment I feel that Utd are not taking these games seriously enough.

 

I think you are spot on with your comments, machoward. I do think United's change of style from 3 years ago is a direct result of Alex trying to win Europe again. In '00, after United lost in the quarters to Madrid, Alex said that they should have played more tactically when they went down early instead of the all out attacking that they usually did back then. He thought they were being hurt in Europe by the attacking style that did so well for them in England. Since then, we have seen a change to a more conservative, tactical style of soccer - witness the 4-5-1. It's worked well in Europe, but not nearly as well in England.

 

Sure, if they will all their remaining games, they will win the league. I'm glad that Arsenal and Chelsea tied in the FA Cup, hopefully the replay will go to extra time and all the way to penalties. The more games the Arse play they will have less time to recover for the next game.
Either way, United are plodding along, not playing the free flowing football of a few years ago. We have a couple of tough games with Liverpool and Newcastle before the Arsenal game. I'd like to say we will win all these games but who knows?
A priority for this summer is to get a new good striking partner for Van Nistelrooy. The defense looks like it is fixed up and there are plenty of options in midfield.

 

United have the more difficult schedule of the 3. I added up the total points earned for the opponants of each of the 3 teams for the remainder of the season. Heres what I got:

The Arse: 312
Man Utd: 392
Newcastle: 308

So Newcastle have a slightly easier schedule than Arsenal based on this. But this rational goes out the window when teams like Bolton and West Brom are hanging on to dear life in the relegation battle and will probably cause an upset or two. There is usually 1 such team each year.

 

true enough about the bottom dwellers. I'd rather face midtable oppostion than relegation threatened teams. of course that's not Utds problem - they face mostly top teams.

 

Seeing that United have lost to Bolton and Leeds this year, and have fared well against Arse, Newcastle, and Chelsea, I'm not sure that playing a tougher schedule works against them.

 

I think that again comes down to the style of play. It's the weaker sides that play a destructive, pressing game - don't give the skilfull players time on the ball - that seems to upset the cohesion of Utd's play. They seem to be half a yard slower than the opposition when they meet this. They can clearly raise their game - they did so in the first 20/25 minutes of the last two Premiership matches - but then they've taken a goal lead and then backed off. Presumably there's a need not to take too much out of themselves with so many matches to play. But it's a risky strategy if that's deliberate becausea single goal is easily lost as Leeds proved. And then, when the opposition gets the goal, all the momentum is with them and it's difficult to get back into the game.

I agree, I think Alex's mind has become fixed upon the idea that a different style of play is needed for success in Europe. I think that's why he bought Veron and Blanc. These are "classy" players but they epitomise the pace difference between European games and Premiership games which I think has now passed on to the rest of the team.

You just don't see any more the quick incisive passing movements that we saw 3 years ago.

 

Once again, machoward, I think your analysis is excellent.