Manchester United’s Incredulous Champions League exit against Basel has sparked more than just jokes from opposition fans. Many have claimed that United’s midfield needs reinforcing, not only with a quality defensive midfielder but also with a world class playmaker. Along with that, many fans believe that, and I’m talking about United fans, players need to be sold and millions need to be invested.

Is that really necessary though?

For me the answer is no.

Sure, our defeat against Basel in the week was embarrassing – humiliating even, but we were more than unlucky on the night. United created 17 chances, yet only managed to test the goalkeeper 6 times.

Wayne Rooney had a chance he would normally bury in his sleep, yet managed to fluff his lines and miss from a yard out. Basel defender Markus Steinhofer managed to, somehow, get away with volleying the ball back towards his own goal – it cannoned back off the cross bar. Even when United managed to pull a goal back through Phil Jones’header, he should never have had the opportunity – Federico Macheda hit the bar from two yards out with an open goal in front of him.

Basel go mental. Rooney goes to the Europa League...

And that, neatly, brings me on to the supposed deadwood in Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad.

The likes of Macheda, Mame Biram Diouf, Darron Gibson and Jonny Evans have long been seen, by United fans at least, as not good enough for the club.

The young Italian burst onto the scene by scoring a dramatic 92nd minute winner against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, but he has since gone backwards. For evidence, look at his first touch against Basel in the week – he was inside the box, with his back to goal, when Rooney threaded a ball through. Instead of controlling it though, he pushed it so far to the left that it harmlessly trailed off for a goal kick. Talk about making a good first impression from the bench…

Diouf was one of the best strikers at Blackburn - he's one of the worst at United...

And then there is Mame Biram Diouf. Following an impressive start to his footballing career in Norway with Molde – he scored 45 goals in 86 appearances – he joined United. With first team opportunities limited though, he was shipped out to Ewood Park on loan – where he netted 6 goals in 29 appearances. Upon his return to United though, he has managed 1 goal in 5 games. However, many fans believe him to be so far behind the likes of Rooney, Berbatov, Hernandez, Welbeck and Owen that he may as well be sold. I agree with them to be honest.

Sir Alex has, since signing the Senegalese international, admitted that United actually wanted to wait a couple of years before signing him to see how he developed. Maybe they would have been better off looking elsewhere altogether…

And on to the much maligned Irish duo – Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson. The defender has divided United fans since he burst onto the scene in central defence. He’s good when he’s playing well, as his international appearances show, but he is very inconsistent. He was largely at fault for the League Cup defeat against Crystal Palace, and he hardly covered himself in glory against Basel. Does he need to be sold though? Not this season. I think he needs another six months to truly embed himself into the United way of playing. If he can’t cut it after that though? Let him go, with no hesitation.

Gibson is a player I have extremely strong feelings about – he’s awful. He has no passing range, he wastes opportunities from long range and he generally stinks out the midfield. I doubt he’s reading this, but the sooner Sir Alex sells him, the better. He was, according to Sky Sports, very close to joining Steve Bruce’s Sunderland in the summer along with John O’Shea and Wes Brown. He would have done well on Wearside, but he believed himself to be Champions League quality. He isn’t and he needs moving on.

But is the rest of the squad up to standard? Yes I think it is.

Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Nani are world class. Ashley Young, Tom Cleverley, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and David De Gea are all on the verge of greatness and youngsters like Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison are among the best in Europe for their age.

So no, we’re not an average side, we’re still a class act. After all, we did thrash Arsenal 8-2 earlier this year, in case people had forgotten.

Yep, United did that!

But our beloved team may not be playing in the best league in the world any more.

That honour now seems to belong to La Liga.

The Spanish league has come on leaps and bounds since David Beckham’s megabucks transfer to Real Madrid in 2005, and the two best teams in the world now contest, arguably, the most coveted domestic trophy in the world.

Barcelona and Real Madrid are on another level to everyone else in the league, certainly, and it may be in danger of turning into an SPL-like duopoly, but the quality of football cannot be argued with.

The pace may be slower, and the emphasis on tactics greater, but the football that graces the Bernabeau and the Camp Nou is mouthwatering at times. Maybe that is down to the fact that the two teams are playing sides much lower than them in terms of ability, but they manage to replicate it in the Champions League as well.

The fact that Barcelona’s most seen scoreline in La Liga under Pep is 5-0 is not representative of their Champions League form.

They may not dominate Europe’s top competition in the same way they do the poorer teams in La Liga, but they still rip teams to shreds. Look at Arsenal in the Camp Nou and United at Wembley. Certainly, Guardiola has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal, but you still have to blend all the elements together.

And that is what Mourinho is doing at Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo is the second best player in the world by all accounts (although in any other generation he’d be head and shoulders above the rest) and he can rip through teams like a hurricane. Trust me, I know.

There's good, and then there's good.

Away from Ronaldo though, is Kaka (who doesn’t even get in the team), Mesut Ozil (recently voted the tenth best player in the world by FourFourTwo magazine), Iker Casillas (arguably the world’s best goalkeeper) and Angel Di Maria (who has turned into one of the best wingers in the game).

And Mourinho has turned them into a machine – a unit capable of winning every trophy under the sun.

Does the Premier League have a team like that?

It used to be United, in the Ronaldo years. Chelsea had their moments when Mourinho was in charge. Arsenal were right up there when Vieira and Henry formed their backbone.

Now though?

Manchester City thought it was them, following their blistering start to the season, but their exit from the Champions League (on the same night as United may I add!) has poured some cold water on their world domination plans. Players like David Silva (the seventh best player in the world according to, again, FourFourTwo), Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart are all world class but Mancini has yet to truly mould them into a fully functioning unit. He had in the Premier League certainly, but the Champions League seemed to be the Italian’s aim at the beginning of the season – and he has failed.

United are light years away at the moment from the glorious Spanish duo now though. They have the potential to get there – the likes of Jones, Smalling, Cleverley and Welbeck look to be the best English players United have produced since the class of ’92. Now though, they aren’t quite there. We will be though, I’m sure of it.

Actually, in my eyes, the team that are most like Madrid and Barca play in North London. Yep, I think Spurs have earned the right to be compared with the Spanish giants.

That night saw Bale become world class. And Tottenham become title challengers...

I’m sure that will have raised a few eyebrows among WFC readers, but look at the squad old Harry Redknapp has available to him. Gareth Bale, Rafael Van der Vaart, Luka Modric and Scott Parker form the best midfield in the league and, while doubts may persist over a consistent number one, they deserve to be credited as title challengers.

I’m a United fan and I can accept that. I can also accept that our elimination from the starry Champions League was deserved. And I can also accept that winning the league will be one hell of a feat for Sir Alex Ferguson.

But, as a United fan, I’m sure that the boys will bounce back next season. And next season, our boys may just be men.

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I was gazing North from the balcony of our hotel, the glowing lights of the town huddled at my feet. Far below, the sea stretched away through the night towards a lost horizon. Somewhere out therein the open sea lay the ancient ruined island of…….

…Canvey.

It was another trip to Essex and that island, but this time not for Stones to pit their wits against the Islanders themselves.   Instead,  the Beachboys of Concord Rangers were the destination for the surfing safari, although, like most trips to Essex, it was not an appealing adventure for most of the Stones faithful.

I, at least, had the excuse of being six thousand miles away, with work ‘forcing’me to journey to the native shores of the original Beach Boys.  As the match kicked off, I must confess to have been sitting at a gate in LAX, awaiting a flight to San Francisco.   Still, through the ethereal umbilical cord known as Twitter, I remained connected to the match in Essex, courtesy of a loyal band of @Wealdstone_FC tweeters led by Bananas and Howie J.

Weather wise, I had the better end of the deal, despite the approach of ‘winter’in So Cal.   Eight time zones away, it was a damp, cold and windy isle awaiting the arrival of the rolling Stones.  The beach at Canvey is not Malibu or Santa Monica on the brightest of summer days, let alone an autumn Saturday, thus these Beach Boys don’t exactly emulate their namesakes.  Still, it’s a winter game we play, and the visitors were hopeful of disrupting any harmony the locals might muster, three-part or otherwise.

Stones trotted out Jon North in goal, James Hammond, Scott McCubbin, Wes Parker and Alan Massey across the back,  Alex Dyer, Kurtney Brooks, David Hicks, and Brett Assombalonga in the middle, with Richard Jolly and Nicci Ahamed in attack.  Chris O’Leary had been pencilled in to start but exhibited flu symptoms during the warm-up.  Relegated to the bench, he was joined by Sean Cronin, ‘F’Scott Fitzgerald, Conor Smith and Eddie Adjei.   Peter Dean, if you’ll remember, was missing through suspension.

A quiet start was soon shattered when Richard Jolly capitalised on an uncertain defence, darting in and  squaring the ball across the box and into the path of Britt Assombalonga, who gave the Stones a thirteenth minute lead.  Having opened his account in his third week with the club, the travelling fans were finally, and boisterously, free to do the Assombalonga Conga.  The routine had been long-planned, as, from a lyrical perspective, spontaneity was out of the question when confronted with the challenge of rhyming Assombalonga.

Sadly though, it wasn’t the start of another dominating Stones performance, as the home side responded to the goal, stepping up the pace while Wealdstone struggled in the ever-increasing grey to find the movement and passing that had put paid to Banbury in midweek.  Yet, Gordon Bartlett’s back line held strong, with good challenges and blocks across the defence limiting Jon North’s workload — although when called upon, he performed admirably.

Still, on thirty-two minutes, the Beachboys equalised, when a cross was met with a sharp header.  Whether it was a home forward, or Hicksy or Wes Parker with an own goal remains a matter of contention, and I didn’t have a great seat to comment with any authority.  Thankfully, it remained the only real opportunity either side created in the opening half, with Gordon Bartlett easily the less pleased of the two bosses at intermission, considering that Wealdstone’s 4 – 4 – 2 was bossed across the park by Concord’s 4 – 3 – 3.

Stones then enjoyed an early resurgence in the second stanza, albeit their best effort a shot from David Hicks unfortunately too close to the goaltender to really test his resolve.  As the match wore on, though, Rangers re-established their dominance, but Jon North remained untroubled, called upon to block just a single close-range effort.

That penetration sparked a change, as Gordon Bartlett made a rare triple substitution, the closest thing the gaffer could manage to a collective kick in the rear for his lethargic attack.  Fitzy, Cronin and Smith came on for McCubbin, Brooks and Hicks; the changes also reorganising the Stones, to deal with the troublesome Concord forwards.

With ten minutes remaining, Harry Elmes left a chance begging, for which his side would pay dearly.  Three minutes later, Stones snatched the winner. A sharp cross from Stones new Conga King repaid Richard Jolly’s first half favour.   Jolls’first time volley from  twenty yards deflected slightly off a defender’s legs and nestled in the back of the net. It was potentially the second own goal of the match but one that Jolls will surely claim, as he’d generally need a map to find the target from 20 yards!

The home side continued to press as the game came to a close and Stones did their best to keep the ball (and the three points).  After several matches where the Stones defence let down a prodigious attack in the latter stages, it was good to see the club steal one after the back line had kept them in the match for the majority of the ninety minutes.

By the time you read this, Stones will have been in Cup action against Enfield town in the next round of the Middlesex Cup on Tuesday evening.  However, the primary focus, win, lose or draw, will be firmly on Saturday;’s home tie with local rivals Uxbridge in the FA Trophy tournament.  Two ties in five days, both against sides from the division below, but both on excellent runs and topping their respective divisions; winnable matches, but challenging nonetheless.  While the fixtures form a definitive week in Stones’2011-12 campaign, I’ll be trading the Pacific Coast Highway for a reverse trip along the Oregon Trail, with stops in Portland and then across the Great Divide into Denver and Boulder, Colorado.   I hear the weekend forecast for the UK is calling for sleet and snow, so, even in leaving California behind, I’ll remain well in tune with events on the home front.

Roger Slater is a longtime Wealdstone FC supporter and, with even longer-time Stones manager Gordon Bartlett, co-wrote Off The Bench – A Quarter Century of Non-League Management, available on order from you local bookstore or directly from the Wealdstone FC Club Shop.  It is also available in e-book form, if postage and handling aren’t your thing, by clicking on the link below.

Special thanks to Steve Foster, the official Wealdstone FC shutterbug, who agrees with everyone else that James Hammond picked the wrong time to do the Assombalonga Conga.  If you would like to see more Wealdstone photos, go to:  

https://picasaweb.google.com/wealdstonefc  

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Another international break is upon us.  They seem to be coming fast and furious, this autumn.  Then again, so does Newcastle.  Inexplicably, the Magpies are in third place, ahead of familiar names and expected Champions League contenders Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.  It’s not a distant third, either; the Geordies are just a single point behind Manchester United.  In the armed forces and the constabulary, on the high seas and anywhere else where radio is still a common form of communication, the call sign for such unexplained phenomenon is Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.

What makes the club’s early success so surprising is that their chairman has developed a reputation for doing everything that a team owner can to guarantee that his club sinks into mediocrity.  Discount sportswear magnate Mike Ashley has applied the rules of business to football, much to the derision of all of us who know that running a club is much like owning a yacht; in that they’re both bottomless money pits.  If spending large amounts of cash with no other return than a few moments of pleasure causes you concern, then football isn’t for you.

Chairmen such as Jack Walker and Peter Ridsdale have experienced both the adoration and hatred of their supporters, with the love flowing so long as they lavished money on their respective clubs.  When the well ran dry, however, and they had to tighten their belts, they quickly became pariahs.  Yet, more reviled still are those owners at big clubs who seemingly sit on their money, when it could be used to improve the club.  Supporters would like nothing more than to see the back of such skinflints.

The Red Knights at Manchester United have had little success in dislodging the Glazers because Sir Alex Ferguson has proven adept at developing young talent and keeping the Red Devils in the top two for so long that it seems as though they have never been any lower in the table.  The Kop, however, mounted an impressive guerrilla campaign to force the club’s board to sell against the wishes of the overextended Americans Tom Hicks and George Gillett.

The Toon Army’s war against Ashley has not been nearly so effective, as evident in the fact that while both the Glazers and Hicks & Gillett became very reluctant to show themselves at matches, Ashley proudly dons the Newcastle kit and sits amidst the fans at every game at hallowed St James Park.

Sit there he does, though, rooting on his Magpies, despite the massive outcry from those around him when he attempted to rename the club’s historic ground for marketing purposes; despite the overwhelming condemnation when he failed to hire Alan Shearer as manager, even though everyone else believed that the former captain was the man to bring them immediately back to the top flight; despite the unanimous disgust at his sacking of Chris Hughton after the oft called upon caretaker boss had done the job in Shearer’s stead and more, knocking Chelsea out of the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge, defeating Arsenal in the league and guiding the Magpies into the top five of the Premier League in the opening months of their return campaign; despite the outrage when he hired personal friend Alan Pardew as Hughton’s replacement shortly after Pardew had been sacked for coaching Southampton to the bottom of the League One table; despite selling hometown hero and Shearer heir apparent Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35 million and reinvesting little, if any of the profit; despite allowing team morale to sink to the point where captain Kevin Nolan forced a sale to newly relegated West Ham, now managed by one-time Toon boss Sam Allardyce; despite those two champions of free speech and public protest via Twitter, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton, following Nolan out the door, the former sold, again to Liverpool, and the latter permitted to move to QPR on a free transfer; and despite replacing the three departed Britons and single Spaniard with so many French-speaking players that there was a run on Rosetta Stone software in local bookshops.

That’s a lot of spite for any man to endure, yet Ashley has done so.  What’s worse, the combination of Toon’s recent success and the unimpressive performances of those he has discarded in the name of efficiency, workplace harmony and cost consciousness has largely, with the exception of renaming the ground, proven him to be right; one man against tens of thousands, a lone voice in the wilderness.  When you’re talking about a man who sells jogging suits to overweight couch potatoes at a discount, that’s frankly embarrassing.

Yet, here we are.  Newcastle is one of only two unbeaten teams in the Premier League; the other, ironically, being obscenely wealthy Manchester City.  Toon may not have played anyone of consequence other than the then-floundering Gunners, but, unlike the Liverpool side partially staffed by former Magpies Carroll and Enrique, they have taken all the points which one would expect of them.

A former fringe player under Hughton, striker Leon Best, and new arrival Demba Ba, who passed Kevin Nolan on his way out the Upton Park door, have made people forget Carroll, whereas the Geordie giant’s meager haul of goals in a red strip have left the Kop all too mindful of his exorbitant price tag.

Pardew has his squad fully confident and playing amazingly consistent football, while Hughton, again in charge of a freshly demoted side with no money to spend, is finding it difficult to weave his magic a second time.  Birmingham is four points out of the playoff positions and one place away from the bottom half of the table.  Hardly the dominance the former Irish international enjoyed with Newcastle.

The outspoken Barton is leading QPR, who are holding up well in the middle of the Premier League standings, although he personally has felt a backlash after putting the knife to Arsene Wenger and Wolves enforcer Karl Henry in one hundred and forty characters or less.

Most notable of all is the general lack of respect from the public for Alan Shearer as a broadcaster, largely down to his casual approach to research in preparedness for the World Cup in South Africa.  After all, who would want a manager who saw no need to do his homework?

As ludicrous as it seems, all the evidence leads one to the conclusion that a football club can be run both competitively and profitably at the same time.  Of course, after the international break, Newcastle face a run of games against their fellow clubs in the Champions League frame.  The daunting trifecta of matches begins with a tour of Manchester; Saturday the nineteenth at a stadium which is itself a cautionary tale in naming rights, the Etihad Campus, against City, and seven days later at Old Trafford against United.  Finally, Chelsea journey Tyneside on third December, hoping to prey on a bruised, battered and demoralised Toon.

If that is in fact what the Blues discover when they arrive, and they have their way, then the lack of points from the three fixtures may affect the Magpies through the remainder of the season.  On the other hand, if Pardew’s squad can come away with three solid performances and a result or two, there is no telling how high the club will go or whether its supporters will actually come to love their universally despised owner.  After all, when has that ever been the case in Geordieland?

_____________________________________________________________________________

There are two sides to every story.

For many, the international break is a rare chance to see the cream of each nation’s crop pitted against each other in exciting and passionate matches which drum up national pride like no other, at least until the next, distant, round of international fixtures are played.  For international football fans, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

For those who prefer the club scene, with its day in, day out action, ethnically diverse squads, and players such as Wayne Rooney playing the villain’s role, rather than (fallen) hero, the international break is nothing more than a frustrating period, where nothing really happens and the threat of one of your key players being lost to injury in a ‘meaningless’encounter is very real.  For league fans, absence makes the heart skip a beat or leap into one’s mouth.

With the only news issuing from Cobham or Stamford Bridge being the club taking the first steps towards building a new ground and Jose ‘Am I Out of Position Again?’Bosingwa somehow earning a new contract, I’ve decided to ease my nerves over seeing Juan Mata, Petr Cech or Ramires return to the club on crutches by focusing on manager André Villas-Boas’performance to date.

Overall, the results under the Portuguese have reflected the club’s steady improvement, as they adapt to the new boss’system.  Chelsea started the season slowly, perhaps even unconvincingly, but the Swansea and Bolton maulings have added some gloss to a solid start that leaves the Blues in third place behind Manchester United and City.

Although the Blues did succumb to United at Old Trafford, in their only loss so far, that result contained plenty of positives for Villas-Boas’ new side.  One of the chief concerns regarding Villas-Boas’appointment was his ability to deal with older players.  At 33, he is the same age as some of the players.  Hired to wean the club off its dependence on Frank Lampard, John Terry and Didier Drogba, loyal supporters worried that his approach to the greybeards might be too abrupt.

Apart from dropping Frank Lampard to the bench for a game or two, that hasn’t been the case, and the demotion served to reignite Lamps’competitive fire, earning the new gaffer plaudits for his man-management skills.

After being taken off at half-time in the loss against United and then going unused against Swansea, you could find epitaphs for Lampard littering the media landscape.  The midfielder, however, replied with the footballer’s version of Mark Twain’s famous declaration, his four goals in the first two matches after being restored to the starting eleven exposing the hyperbole riddling reports of his demise.

After much talk in the summer about the need for Chelsea to retire the old guard, Villas-Boas has managed to prove he is his own man while still making the best use of the remnants of the Class of Mourinho.  That is especially vital with the enforcement of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play right around the corner.  Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Everton, with goals from John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and Ramires was the perfect case in point.  Yet, the project is hardly limited to those three players.

Raul Meireles, at twenty-eight, is the oldest of Chelsea’s six summer signings.  In recruiting youth, Villas-Boas has set the foundation for the club’s future.  Fleet winger Juan Mata (23), powerful striker Romelu Lukaku (18), promising goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (19), and holding and attacking mids Oriol Romeu (20) and Ulises Davila (20), respectively, AVB has addressed needs across the board. On top of that, there is the confidence he has shown in the twenty-two year old Sturridge, whose form since returning from his loan spell at Bolton has embarrassed Roman Abramovich, in light of the oligarch’s £50 million purchase of the less-than-impressive Fernando Torres.

While AVB’s signings indicate an eye towards the future, the youngsters on the flanks, Mata and Sturridge, whose creativity has injected some life into the stodgy Blues’attack, already regard themselves as starting players for Chelsea, while Lukaku and Romeu are on the cusp of gaining a spot in the starting XI.  Priced out of a move for their number one target in Luka Modric, and outbid for second choice Javier Pastore by PSG, Villas-Boas has not flinched, proving to his free-spending chairman that value can be found without breaking the bank.

Even better, the creativity and service of Sturridge and Mata has begun to revive the flagging form of Torres, despite the self-pitying forwards unwarranted criticism of Chelsea’s lack of speed in passing the ball.  In feeding him ball after ball in dangerous positions, the pair, Mata especially, have forced Nando to eat his words.

Success from their young players may turn out to be a double-edged sword for fans at the Bridge, however.  With Wayne Rooney being sent off against Montenegro, Sturridge may be deservedly selected to the England squad for the upcoming friendlies.  Although his style is criticised by some, scoring three goals in the three games he has played in the league (after serving a three-match ban to begin the season) is a pretty good way to shut them up.

If Sturridge stays in form, questions surrounding Rooney’s temperament and the abilities of players currently ahead of him in the pecking order — namely Bobby Zamora, Theo Walcott and Andy Carroll –the youngster may find himself on the pitch in Poland and the Ukraine.  Mata’s play must also be forcing him into the thoughts of Spanish national coach Vicente del Bosque, although La Roja are a more difficult line-up to crack.  Success on the international stage would be wonderful for both players and also raise Chelsea’s profile further, but there is always the spectre of injury.

Regardless of the price to be paid for developing players, Villas-Boas has enjoyed a fine start to his Chelsea coaching career.  The team has remained competitive in the midst of rebuilding, his signings are integrating into the team very well, he’s forged a strong rapport with the veterans, and addressed the lack of creativity, in turn, coaxing better performances from marquee striker Fernando Torres.

While he hasn’t fully come to grips with the English media (who, other than Jose Mourinho, does?), and it may take a longer run of results to finally quiet his critics, nothing the Portuguese has done thus far would suggest that he won’t be at Chelsea for as long as he chooses.

The wagons arrived at noon (well, 11am-ish); a long shining line that coursed through the station. In single file they eased around the orange I-beam structure and moved toward the platforms. As carriages slowed to a crawl and stopped, our students sprang out and raced to the doors to begin their journey……

The first true away outing of the season was preceded by a fortnight of intense planning by a plethora of Stones supporters, regardless of age or occupation.  Such careful forethought is required when taking the long and winding train to Lewes, lest bad things happen.

Superbly orchestrated by tour-master in chief Chelski, some forty odd travellers from those of single digit years to a few in their fifties made their presence known at the local Weatherspoons Pub on Victoria Station at around 10am for a Travellers Breakfast and an early ale – ginger for the tots – in preparation for a highly anticipated day out in the unseasonably warm late summer sun, in pretty Lewes in Sussex, the eponymous football club our hosts for the day.

The first real bonus of the day was the Group Travel ticket – well worth investigation if you travel in any numbers via any branch of what used to be known as British Rail and now goes under various guises, such as First, Virgin, One and the like – as it reduced the cost for the return journey from London to a measly £10, including a donation to the Supporters Club funds, as everything about Wealdstone FC generally does.

With a carriage all but commandeered, the journey and merriment began with a soon to be traditional, indeed possibly legendary ‘Away Travel Quiz’ put together by our very own Stones snapper, Steve Foster — whose photo’s often appear on these pages — The entertainment was accompanied by further malt based refreshments, free of charge as yet a further squeezing of the final drop from the tenners handed over.  Many thanks to Chelski for displaying the traditional — and, at this level, requisite — club treasurer characteristic of deriving the greatest possible value out of every pound!

The only (slight) disappointments were that the ale was a bit warmer than one would wish and the quiz, with its prize of a large tin of Belgian Chocolate Biscuits, was won by Scummer and Sabbatical Boy.  For those unaware of the vernacular or the historical relationship between Wealdstone and our local rivals, ‘Scummer’ is a former fan of local rivals H*rr*w B*r* — whose name, upon pain of noogie –shall never be fully typed in the Wealdstone annals — who saw the light some eight or nine years ago, thereby reducing the opposition’s loyal home support by a considerable percentage.  Sabbatical Boy has, for various reasons, been forced to call time on his professed love of all things Wealdstone, now and then.  Naturally, he has always come crawling back, but one wonders if he will ever learn what is truly important in life?  Fair play to them both, however.  On this occasion at least, they knew more than the rest of us regarding club history, winning their biscuits by the meager but hard-fought margin of two points, and causing the hour-long journey to fly past.  In such happy spirits, Lewes, on an 85^o Fahrenheit afternoon is an excellent destination for a thirsty traveller with a lust for the finer ales in life.

Decamping from the train, our motley group walked through the car park and straight into the Landsdown Arms, a pub all but next to the local Harvey’s Brewery, quenching an immediate thirst, in the main, with a pint of Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, though I have to confess that we had a few lager lovers traveling with us.   We then aligned ourselves for the obligatory tour photo, before splitting into groups of three and four to tour a number of the other local hostelries, The John Harvey, The Gardiner’s Arms, The Elephant and Castle, The Kings Head and the Lewes Arms to name just a few of more than a dozen which exist within a square mile or so.

The more culturally enlightened among the clan also indulged the delights of Lewes Castle and Priory on the way to The Dripping Pan, the uniquely named home of Lewes FC. The original purpose of the ground is unclear, although local legend suggests that it was part of a salt making industry run by monks from the adjacent Cluniac Priory. The spoil from the excavation forms the mount behind the ground and both appear in the very earliest maps of Lewes, circa 1745.

Eventually, everyone reunited on the covered terrace behind one goal, mingled in with the home fans, as well as numerous other Stones fans who had driven down.  Songs were sung and much good-humoured banter transpired between the home and away groups, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

It was a fairly even, but unsurprisingly considering the heat, not overly quick first period, marred from Wealdstone’s perspective by the award of a penalty for which no-one had appealed and obviously embarrassed the home fans and some players — not that sentiment prevented Lewes from converting the opportunity!

In the opening forty-five, the home side enjoyed the greater possession and skillfully held onto the ball; a trend that Wealdstone would do well to emulate.  Such command would strengthen at least one weakness in Stones’undoubtedly talented but stuttering, inconsistent side.  Time and again, Lewes demonstrated a great deal of patience, making a simple pass to a teammate while awaiting an opening in the Stones defence.  Fair credit to Stones, however, as few gaps appeared, and when they did – aside from the penalty – Stones coped well.  Jon North was not troubled at all.

After the half-time Hit The Crossbar competition, in which fans from both sides took part, the Stones contingent, apart from a few lazy — or especially thirsty — souls, decamped to the far end of the ground, not wishing to spend forty-five minutes behind our defence, despite the fact that the available refreshments would be a hundred and fifty yards away.

On the pitch, events followed the pattern set in the first half for another thirty minutes, with Lewes maintaining possession and Gordon Bartlett trying to mix things up with a couple of substitutions, hoping to add a little inventiveness which might change the game.

There then occurred a fifty/fifty challenge between Peter Dean and the Lewes keeper, who, to turn a phrase, took a knock. While he was receiving treatment, Dean knocked the ball goal-wards and from where I was – some fifty yards away – it seemed to hit, or at least bounce, near the home physio and injured player.

The referee immediately handed Dean his marching orders, although I cannot be sure if it was for the initial foul or the subsequent action.  In any event, the sending off incensed a number of the travelling fans behind the nearby goal.  This, in turn, brought the home stewards to the fore and there seemed to be a fair bit of finger-pointing and gesticulating from either side, resulting in a minor scuffle.  I can’t really say anymore ‘first had’, as I was so far away, but it was apparent that some of the Stones fans were aggrieved about something other than the performance of the match official.  Eventually, a couple of players went over to diffuse the situation.

Minutes later, there was momentary cause for cheer, as the referee awarded Stones an equally dubious penalty.  The joy was short-lived when Richard Jolly saw his spot kick saved.

Consequently, Stones had lost 1-0, to continue a poor run.   A few of the fans, taken up in the moment, chose to address the management with that point as they left the field.  It was enough to concern the stewards – who by now had called the constabulary – and that resulted in two of the travelling party spending a few extra hours in official accommodations at the Lewes precinct house.

If you wish more detail as to the root cause of the extracurriculars, choose either or both of the club’s fan forums and deduce what you will.  With apologies to Arsene Wenger, I’m sticking to my original story — I was too far away to see what actually happened and know neither the right nor wrong of the matter.  What I do know is that those of us who evaded the long arm of the law made our way into town again in search of a beer or two to sustain us for the journey home.  In the process, we met up with the same home fans with whom we had spent time pre-game.  Happily, the conversation was more football than frolics, in particular, how they had scored from their dodgy penalty and we had missed ours (nyah, nyah).

Regardless of the result, songs were sung and merriment pursued on the homeward journey and, upon arrival, the hardiest souls retired to the The Shakespeare to contemplate the rights and wrongs of Wealdstone FC on the season and afternoon, and to plan for the Tuesday night visit to Cray Wanderers (dispatch to follow), where hopefully the season will be set back on track……….

Roger Slater is a longtime Wealdstone FC supporter and, with even longer-time Stones manager Gordon Bartlett, co-wrote Off The Bench – A Quarter Century of Non-League Management, available on order form you local bookstore or directly from the Wealdstone FC Club Shop.  It is also available in e-book form, if postage and handling aren’t your thing, by clicking on the link below.

Special thanks to Steve Foster, the official Wealdstone FC shutterbug, for the terrace shot from The Dripping Pan.  If you would like to see more Wealdstone photos, go to:  

https://picasaweb.google.com/wealdstonefc  

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Who Was That Masked Man?

It was only on the return trip from Venlo that Gertjan Verbeek could begin to smile. PSV were being held in Nijmegen, FC Twente had dropped two points at home and Feyenoord as well as Ajax had lost. Things were looking up for AZ as the international break dawned.  It was almost too good to be true.

A week ago after a thrilling comeback against a dogged – resurgent it must also be said – Feyenoord side, AZ overtook leaders FC Twente, who had drawn in Amsterdam the day before. It was a personal victory for Verbeek.  Never before had he guided a club to such lofty heights, but caution quickly set in, as the experienced manager was mindful of the length and difficulty of the Eredivisie season.

In what has been a tight and nervy start to the campaigns, with all the favourites progressing in fits and bursts, AZ went into their game against VVV on the back of a massive upsurge, having won five league games on the trot. Believing the sixth to be a foregone conclusion, given that VVV had just three points was a deadly trap waiting to be sprung.  Two of those precious points had been earned against PSV and Ajax, who were lucky to escape De Koel with a draw.

Rasmus Elm opened the scoring for AZ, the sixth consecutive match in which he has found the target.  Nor does Elm need a statistician to tell him how rich his current vein of form is.

“It’s unbelievable. One ball after another from me is flying in.  I’ve scored in six games in a row. Six goals in eight league matches – that’s more than my total of five from the whole of the previous season.”

The highly rated teenager Adam Maher added a second, followed by Simon Poulsen. Robert Cullen added a consolation for Venlo at the end but it’s now eight games without victory for a side that was touted to struggle.

AZ, the 2009 champion under Louis van Gaal, can thank their victory over PSV on the opening weekend for their rapid start. The only sour note has been a 2-0 home defeat to former boss Co Adriaanse’s FC Twente. A squad rich in talent including Jóhann Guðmundsson, Maarten Martens, Pontus Wernbloom, Roy Beerens, Brett Holman and Jozy Altidore has brought consistency to the side, a far cry from last season’s continual ups and downs.

Noting the difficulty of playing in Europe on Thursday evenings and then having a short window to prepare for their weekend match, Verbeek was upbeat about his club’s approach.

“This is another step towards maturity.  It’s a good time to see how the players handle this. It’s not fun for them, but I have not heard anyone complain.”

AZ had to stop over in Bulgaria on their return from a 1-1 draw against Metalist, an arrangement which didn’t go down well with Verbeek, leaving his side only one day to prepare for Venlo.

“It’s certainly not a good way to promote a country that will organise Euro 2012, [considering that] its government didn’t give us enough fuel.”

Again Verbeek dismissed any talk of the championship, calling it nonsense at this stage. A reserved manager who keeps things in perspective and doesn’t get ahead of himself may be refreshing, but his side, not considered to be in the mix before the season began, is nonetheless four points ahead of the pack.

On the other hand, there’s no reason that the players, as voiced by Simon Poulsen, shouldn’t believe in themselves.

“While we are on top, we go for the title.”

The three-horse race between champion Ajax, Twente and PSV is suddenly a five-sided affair, with ex-AZ gaffer Ronald Koeman’s Feyenoord and the Alkmaar side having joined the fray.  For the outsiders, it may be a false dawn which fades as the season progresses, but for neutrals it will be fun while it lasts.

Eredivisie Round-up

The weekend might have ended even more brightly, but for PSV leaving it very late in Nijmegen.  Scoring twice in the last five minutes, first through Zakaria Labyad and then Tim Matavž, spoiling AZ’s hopes of being the only top side to claim three points on the weekend.  PSV boss Fred Rutten wasn’t in a celebratory mood afterwards, warning his side that they need to better adapt to the rigours of Thursday-Sunday football, as Alkmaar has.

Feyenoord were humiliated at home to Den Haag, 0-3.  Back-to-back defeats have derailed Ronald Koeman’s renaissance at the club.

Meanwhile, FC Twente were minutes away from a far bigger shock at home.  Cruising early against bottom side Excelsior – who often looked unsuited to the position in which they find themselves – were suddenly 2-1 down with just minutes to go.  As he did the week before, Luuk de Jong salvaged the point with a header.  Whereas against Ajax it was sweet a point gained, this left a sour taste with two points lost.

Speaking of Ajax, the last unbeaten run of the season came to an end at FC Groningen.  On the back of their Champions League defeat at the hands of Real Madrid, talk going into the game surrounded how best to use the talents of Theo Janssen.  Frank de Boer kept the same XI but a midfield that is starting to look abject failed to control the game for large parts.  Eventually, a penalty converted by Leandro Bacuna after Gregory van der Wiel was sent off consigned De Boer to only his third league defeat as a manager.

Ahead of the international break, AZ are four points clear of FC Twente and PSV, the biggest gap between first and second since April, 2010, and their best start since 1980-81. However, the six-game run is not only threatened by the lull in action, a trip to the Amsterdam ArenA for a stiff test against Ajax looms.

Oranje on the Ranje

Huub Stevens began life back at FC Schalke with a 2-1 victory over former side Hamburg SV. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar‘s brace, his second goal a far better application of martial arts than that for which Nigel de Jong is known.

Ruud van Nistelrooy renewed his quest for fifty La Liga goals after scoring his first goal for Málaga CF against Getafe. The tally was his forty-seventh overall, matching Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona mark. However, it’s still a long way to Roy Makaay’s century with Tenerife and Deportivo La Coruña. the Dutch record for the Spanish top flight.

Rafael van der Vaart scored his fourth North London Derby goal, the most by a Spurs player in the Premier League era.  He’s also likely to fill in for Wesley Sneijder when L’Oranje play Moldova and Sweden. Maarten Stekelenburg is also a doubt, meaning Tim Krul of Newcastle or Michel Vorm of Swansea City could take a deserved turn between the sticks.

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In an age long forgotten at the Emirates, also known as the 2003/04 season, a team under the stewardship of Arsene Wenger managed to do what many thought was impossible. They made their way through an entire season without losing a single game. Nary a one. That team, brace yourselves, was Arsenal. The pale imitation of that squad, who take to the pitch these days, couldn’t hold a candle to their ancestors. Striking genius Thierry Henry, midfield marshal Patrick Vieira and unbeatable defender Sol Campbell all turned out week after week for the Londoners as they navigated their way through 38 games with 26 wins and 12 draws.

As the newest generation of United take the league by storm, the question I feel compelled to ask is can Fergie’s new fledglings replicate that achievement?

Their form so far has been nothing short of magical. They appeared human in a stuttering 2-1 opening day win over West Bromwich Albion but, apart from that, have been untouchable since the campaign began, putting eight past a potential Champions League rival?  Roaring back after spotting rich, noisy neighbours City a 2-0 lead in the Community Shield and soaking up the pressure, then clinically finishing their chances against Chelsea, unlike a certain Spanish striker struggling with his form, suggests that United are a cut above the rest of the Premier League, at the moment.

Of course, the Invincibles were past their infant stage when they ran the table. relied on experience rather than youth, as Manchester United do now. In their starting XI, they had a thirty-four year old goalkeeper, in Jens Lehmann, and a thirty-five year old centre forward in Dennis Bergkamp. The youngest players in that famous first eleven were Ashley Cole and Kolo Toure, both twenty-three at the time. By comparison, nine of the players Sir Alex Ferguson has deployed in league play, this season, are twenty-three or younger and only Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand are over thirty.

Without that depth of experience to smooth over the rough moments, can United match Arsenal’s achievement?  So far this season the answer is yes, as the Red Devils have almost casually swept all opposition aside.  Yet, in such a difficult competition, where it was bottom of the table Wolves who ended United’s attempt at the feat in ’10-11, you have to wonder how long their dominance and good fortune can last.

Stoke City away, this weekend, will be a test in itself as the young side will have to cope with a bruising aerial bombardment from the Potters.  United have oodles of talent in their ranks but Tony Pulis’side specialises in frustrating creative players, limiting their space and, when the referee’s attention is diverted, invading it.  When in possession, Stoke love to get the ball out wide and send it flying into the box as soon as the opportunity presents itself, whereas United like to keep it on the carpet. The latter style is definitely easier on the eye, but the former can be just as effective.

Of course, surviving an afternoon at the Britannia won’t guarantee an unbeaten season; it’s just one step along the way.  The next step will be Norwich City at Old Trafford, certainly a more appetising proposition. With all due respect to the Canaries, the smart money says the United will be smiling cats when all is said and done.  However, Liverpool at Anfield follows that, and is an altogether different kettle of fish.

The last time Sir Alex took his men to Anfield, United were taught a masterclass in football by Luis Suarez, going down to defeat, 3-1. With a vastly improved squad, Kenny Dalglish will be confident that he can give Fergie another reality check, especially with Steven Gerrard likely to be fit and firing by the time the fixture rolls around. United fans, however, will be hoping for revenge and, most importantly, a confidence boost for the week after, against Manchester City at Old Trafford.

Those two matches, although early in the campaign, will be a defining point for this young squad. Assuming, and it is a big assumption to make, United will go in unbeaten, then the games take on even more significance. If they come away with a further six points from the double-header, it will put all the pressure on the rest of the league. A win and a draw won’t set the same tone, but will still leave United in the driver’s seat.  Two draws will leave Fergie’s side unbeaten but four dropped points may knock them off their perch at the top.  Three points, while mathematically the better result, would break the current aura of invincibility around the side.  To come away with just a single draw, or nothing, would likely present Sir Alex with the challenge of rebuilding his youthful squad’s confidence, entirely from scratch.

And we wouldn’t want that now would we?

Put your hand down, Mr. Mancini.

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The Primera Division, which sprinted out of the gates, staging four rounds of the Apertura in the opening fortnight of the competition, will ease the pace somewhat this week, to accommodate the national team’s friendly with the USA at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Wednesday evening.

The elimination of groups has provided more clarity in the early going of the Apertura table this year.  Defending Clausura champion Pumas are top on ten points, courtesy of a 2-1 home victory over Apertura holders Monterrey in the midweek.  Efrain Velarde opened the scoring on twenty-five minutes, only for Neri Cardozo to level terms just beyond the half-hour.  Matters seemed destined for a draw, which would have pleased both sides, until Eduardo Herrera, brought on after the break, struck at the death to continue Pumas’perfect start to the campaign — and disrupt the Rayados’.  Perfection was fleeting for UNAM, however, as they struggled to a scoreless draw against resurgent Chivas de Guadalajara on the weekend.

Chivas’main rival, América continued their inconsistency, dropping a midweek match at home, in the Azteca, to lowly Tecos.

The other key match over the week, however, was the mauling suffered by Santos Laguna, also at home, against the Aztec Dogs of Tijuana.  With the newly promoted side having entertained in their opening two tilts against top sides Monterrey and Monarcas, but failing to maintain the pace for the full ninety, Club Tijuana were desperate to claim three points and draw themselves nearer the other clubs in the relegation zone, Tecos, Querétaro and Jaguares.

Juan Rodriguez had dimmed the Xolos’hopes with a goal for the home side on the half-hour, but the relentless visitors ran down their opponents scoring on either side of the break and just past the hour.  For once, they did the damage without their talisman, Joe Corona, getting on the score sheet.  Instead it was midfielder Fernando Arce and forwards Jose Sand and Dayro Moreno who found the mark.

Three points puts Tijuana on a rounded 1.000 points per game average, well within striking distance of the other three drop candidates, all hovering around 1.100 ppg.  The club has dovetailed nicely into the goal happy Mexican top flight.  Only Santos (8) and Monterrey (11) have scored more goals in the campaign and Atlante (6) is the only other side level with the Xolos.  Both Monterrey and Atlante have played an extra game, however.

Holding Santos to just the one goal at their own ground was also a good omen, as the Tijuana will look to move their goal difference into positive numbers in the coming matches.  Next up is a porous Puebla squad, which has already conceded nine goals in just four matches.

That will have to wait until the weekend, though.  First up is the Philadelphia Experiment, in which Jose Manuel de la Torre will attempt to spoil the christening of new US manager Jürgen Klinsmann.  He’ll have to do it without his most potent weapon, however, as Javier Hernandez is still recovering from concussion after a training ground collision suffered with club Manchester United.

Chicharito’s absence creates a bit of irony in the Premier League.  On a short International break, such as this, it is usually the big clubs who suffer the most, with far more of their roster unavailable for training and jet-lagged from travel.  This week, that is not the case, as Fulham’s Carlos Salcedo is the only Premier League regular included in the Mexican lineup and his teammate, Clint Dempsey will be on the opposite side of the ball.  Giovanni dos Santos of Tottenham has also been selected, although he is very much on the periphery of Harry Redknapp’s plans.  Pablo Barrera of relegated West Ham, Francisco Rodriguez of Stuttgart and likely starting netminder Memo Ochoa, just settling at Ligue 1 new boys AJ Ajaccio, make up the remainder of de la Torre’s European contingent.

The Cottagers may be more fortunate than many London residents, however, as the continuing riots threaten to wipe out the London portion of the Premier League table, if not the entire fixture list, now that disturbances are being reported in Liverpool and Bristol, as well.  The tally of matches canceled or postponed, from the England v Holland friendly to London-based Carling Cup matches to Ghana v Nigeria at Vicarage Road, is growing by the hour.  It is not a situation from which one should wish to benefit, but, with an early start to their Europa League campaign, Martin Jol’s side will take any break which comes their way.

Another club which would enjoy a break from International call-ups is the foundering New York Red Bull, who will lose three players to this match:  forward Juan Agudelo and defender Tim Ream to the USMNT and defensive midfielder Rafael Marquez to El Tri.  Now a full eighteen points behind the side which they are supposed to challenge for MLS elitism, the LA Galaxy; in third place in the East and eighth overall; the club needs its players on the training pitch, forming a cohesive unit.   Instead, embattled coach Hans Backe will have to prepare without three key players for Saturday’s crucial match against Chicago Fire.

Meanwhile, in the City of Brotherly Love, the Mexicans will face the first challenge to their ascendancy to the top of CONCACAF, courtesy of their Gold Cup victory over these same (less coach Bob Bradley) Americans.  While just a friendly, there is sufficient enmity between the two teams that both will be playing to win.  For the US, a positive result will offer momentum to the new regime, while a second successive defeat on home soil will offer some traction to the visitors’grip on regional supremacy.  Without Chicharito, the US will be further encouraged to emulate their new coach’s trademark boldness.  Yet, Dos Santos proved at the Gold Cup that he doesn’t need club matches to shine for his country, and, if selected in the starting eleven, should prove a thorn in the US back four’s side.

Klinsmann’s nationality adds another dimension to the affair, as well.  With England and the Netherlands off the cards and Jorgi Löw’s Germany facing off against Brazil, the North American audience may be joined by a large contingent of Teutonic insomniacs, eager to see how their former coach will compare with his replacement.

So, keep a light on.

Nani has stated that he believes United can beat Barcelona next year and I agree with him. In fact, I think United could have beaten Barcelona this year, although it would have been a one-in-ten type of result. Nani’s faith in next year might fall under the same category but forecasting the next 12 months is a pointless exercise. More interesting is what Sir Alex Ferguson could have done to give his team a better chance to win Saturday’s game.

To my mind, since Fergie is regarded as one of the best 2 or 3 managers in the world, the fact that he made a huge mistake in the lead up to the Champions League Final is being overlooked or brushed to the side. That mistake is simple – leaving Dimitar Berbatov off the squad completely.

Can you imagine any other manager leaving the (joint) Golden Boot Winner off of the squad for the biggest game of the year? Admittedly, Berbatov’s replacement in the line-up, Javier Hernandez, has been playing excellently and has more than justified his inclusion in the line-up. I don’t blame Sir Alex for not starting Berbatov but leaving him off the squad completely is inexcusable.

Berbatov’s approach to football is viewed by many in England as lazy and disinterested, his style flying in the face of the dedicated work rate that is so valued in the UK. In contrast, Hernandez’s frenetic pace and constant running epitomize what the typical English punter looks for in his football hero. With such an attitude, United fans would be making a complete flip to call out Ferguson for not subbing Berbatov in for Chicharito.

As well, we’re talking about Sir Alex Bloody Ferguson here.  Twenty-three seasons.  Twenty-three trophies.  Calling him out for screwing up is simply unheard of. Ferguson is too respected. Too feared. He doesn’t screw up.

As I said above, I understand why Ferguson began playing Chicharito more and more towards the end of the season, as well as why he started him in the final. He’s young, energetic, popular and successful. But leaving Berbatov off the squad was simply an error and betrayed a bit of Sir Alex’s usually well-hidden megalomania.

There is no other way to describe it. When United was struggling (by their standards), early in the season, Berbatov became an unlikely savior and netted 20 goals by the end of the season, good enough to earn him a share of the EPL’s Golden Boot Award, as previously noted. What makes this number even more impressive is that his season was essentially ended early, when Hernandez was worked into the squad and began to thrive.

His tally of 13 goals in 27 appearances is also very impressive, especially considering it was his first year in the notoriously ruthless EPL. Because of this success, I don’t fault Fergie for sticking with Hernandez and starting him in the CL Final. The problem was the lack of options on the bench in case things went south for United in the Final.

Ferguson stated after the match that he decided to load his bench with midfielders so as to have more options to combat Barcelona’s midfield.  Not a bad idea, although this left him with only one spot each for a defender and a forward, leaving him to choose between Berbatov and Owen.

"As one Fergie speaking for another, I would have picked Owen over Berbatov, too. I mean, they're both sexy but Michael has such great hair!"

After the match, the manager claimed that he chose Owen because “if you are looking for someone to nick a goal in the last few minutes you want Owen’s experience.” Now, since United being down and having trouble creating chances towards the end of the game was not exactly a surprising turn of events, experience is a good criteria on which to choose your substitutes.

Someone who could go in for Hernandez, knowing how to cause problems for the Barcelona defense might have altered the outcome of the game tremendously. However, there is a big flaw in Ferguson’s choice, Owen’s “experience” at United has come almost entirely against weaker sides in comparatively meaningless matches, rather than against the best sides on the continent.

When examined closely, it becomes clear that Berbatov was left out simply due to the fact that he had fallen out of favor with Ferguson and the Scot had closed his mind on the matter.  That is surprising from such an accomplished manager, especially as the two players’careers are traveling in diametrically opposed directions.

Owen burst onto the scene in 1997 for Liverpool and spent the next 7 years cementing his status as an Anfield legend. He won the Ballon d’Or in 2001 but then moved on to Real Madrid in 2004. He spent one year on the Bernabeu bench before joining Newcastle, who basically paid him to be injured for 4 years.  Finally, last year he came to United and has shown himself to be exactly what he is – an aged striker who has lost the skills that were the keys to his early success. He scored just 5 goals this year, none of which were in European competition.

On the other hand, Berbatov has worked his way up, playing for CSKA Sofia, Bayer Leverkusen and Tottenham Hotspur before signing with United. Berbatov struggled somewhat in his first two years at Old Trafford before exploding this year. In addition to that more upward trend, he was used as a substitute two years ago in Rome when Manchester United faced Barcelona in the Champions League Final.  If you ask me, having played in the Champions League Final against Barcelona once already seems like pretty good experience if you are preparing to do it again.

Barcelona’s second half was an absolute masterpiece, but if Berbatov had been subbed in for Hernandez (who was absent aside from a few offsides early on), he might have made an impact. Hernandez is an energetic, youthful poacher whose success is thus far largely a product of his ability to get to capitalize on chances very close to the goal.  The Catalan’s defence by possession rendered Hernandez invisible by not allowing United to get the ball far enough up the field to get him properly involved. Aside from Rooney’s goal, their deepest penetration was on the two occasions when Victor Valdes punched the ball away at the edge of his area.

Had Owen come on, he would have been an older slower version of Chicharito.  How would that have helped?

Berbatov is a much different player. His experience and high football IQ would have provided Barcelona with a different problem to solve. he is also capable of coming back and holding the ball very well under pressure.  Odds are that it wouldn’t have mattered but if you are looking for an ace-in-the-hole who could score a goal to change the game, an experienced player who won the Premier League’s Golden Boot isn’t a bad option.

Instead of this, Sir Alex Ferguson opted to select an aged veteran who he know wouldn’t play because he couldn’t be effective. My CV wouldn’t get me hired as a manager in a five-a-side community housing league, yet I can’t help thinking that United would have been better served by Berbatov’s presence on the bench.  At the least, it would have been interesting to find out.