If the confirmed retirements of Gary Neville and Edwin Van der Sar should have reminded Manchester United fans of anything, it was that nothing lasts forever but, with Sir Alex Ferguson, in his 70th year, once again reverting to his favoured formation of 4-4-2 [deploying Wayne Rooney in a lone striker's role just once, against Arsenal], they may well argue that they do.
With United having lost just once in their 25 League games this season,sitting top of the table and with only Chelsea having conceded less; the team’s defence has been key to results - Vidic and Ferdinand indomitable. But they can also justify their system if measured in goals and correspondingly Dimitar Berbatov leads the League’s charts on 19 - a rate of 1 every 87 minutes; Javier Hernandez - a newcomer to the country and regularly used in teams with Darron Gibson or as a substitute – his record stands comparison with any: 7 League goals and 1 every 104 minutes.
Wayne Rooney – United’s leading scorer last season with 26 goals - he will be as disappointed as any at a return of 4, scoring at a rate of 1 every 286 minutes. Indeed, prior to the team’s most recent fixture [with Aston Villa], a haphazard array of United’s players had scored as many or more League goals than had the United number 10 (2): Giggs (2), Fletcher (2), Vidic (3), Cleverley (3), Mame Biram Diouf (3), Park (4), Welbeck (6), Nani (7), Chicarito (7) and Berbatov (19).
Goals from United's central-midfield are only worth mentioning because they are conspicuous by their absence: Carrick (0), Gibson (0), Fletcher (2), Scholes (1) and Anderson (0) – 3 goals in total, 1 every 1,632 minutes; comparing badly with the strikers [Owen, Rooney, Hernandez and Berbatov] on a goal every 164 minutes; a statistic likely to be high in Ferguson's thoughts when deciding on his best formation.
It has become almost as English a phrase as “petrol prices”, but Rooney’s game is not only about goals and with a pass rate of 1 attempted every 1.69 minutes, he is by some distance the forward most involved in play at the club, bearing comparison with the club’s central-midfielders. His completion rate of 73%, to some extent, a reflection of the distances attempted and the added ambition imbued.
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By comparison with Wayne Rooney: Berbatov makes a pass every 2.24 minutes with a completion rate of 79%; Hernandez attempts a pass every 2.80 minutes and has a completion of 76%. The central-midfielders score higher, as would be expected: Carrick (1.37 minutes per pass); Scholes (1.44 mins/ pass); Fletcher (1.52 mins/ pass); Anderson (1.92 mins/ pass) - an un-weighted, average pass completion of 83% for the midfield.
To put Berbatov's and Rooney’s contributions into context with other strikers: Fernando Torres' hat-trick against Hull City back in September 2009 included 21 passes with 14 successes - 1 pass every 4.29 minutes, with a completion of 67%; during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to United this season, Torres racked-up 16 passes with 7 successes - 1 pass every 5.63 minutes, with a success rate of 44%. During Chelsea's most recent seasonal defeat of Arsenal, Didier Drogba - the fulcrum of their attack that day - tallied 26 passes in total, with 15 successes and 1 pass every 3.46 minutes.
The United manager’s decision to sacrifice a midfielder for a forward player is further vindicated, in the assists, where Carrick, Gibson, Scholes and Anderson have contributed just one in 3,243 minutes; although Darren Fletcher can be credited with contributing 4 alone - 1 assist every 413 minutes. Of the strikers, Wayne Rooney comes top with 10 and 1 assist every 114 minutes - 2nd only to Nani, the League’s leading provider with 12; Berbatov, Owen and Hernandez’s tallies are meager by comparison, with 2, 0 and 1 respectively. Interestingly, Wayne Rooney failed to even make the League’s top 20 providers last season.
To put Berbatov's and Rooney’s contributions into context with other strikers: Fernando Torres' hat-trick against Hull City back in September 2009 included 21 passes with 14 successes - 1 pass every 4.29 minutes, with a completion of 67%; during Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to United this season, Torres racked-up 16 passes with 7 successes - 1 pass every 5.63 minutes, with a success rate of 44%. During Chelsea's most recent seasonal defeat of Arsenal, Didier Drogba - the fulcrum of their attack that day - tallied 26 passes in total, with 15 successes and 1 pass every 3.46 minutes.
The United manager’s decision to sacrifice a midfielder for a forward player is further vindicated, in the assists, where Carrick, Gibson, Scholes and Anderson have contributed just one in 3,243 minutes; although Darren Fletcher can be credited with contributing 4 alone - 1 assist every 413 minutes. Of the strikers, Wayne Rooney comes top with 10 and 1 assist every 114 minutes - 2nd only to Nani, the League’s leading provider with 12; Berbatov, Owen and Hernandez’s tallies are meager by comparison, with 2, 0 and 1 respectively. Interestingly, Wayne Rooney failed to even make the League’s top 20 providers last season.
Challenges may remain for the manager, whilst he works through the season, particularly if he seeks to rotate his strikers. Ferguson speaks increasingly of the collective and of the players need to appreciate it – the implication being, a willingness to acquiesce with perspective and goodwill - but, should a time come when Dimitar Berbatov, Javier Hernandez and the United midfield co-exist most productively; then the manager will be forced to challenge Wayne Rooney’s commitment to the group’s cause more fully, although with Danny Welbeck [another talented player] being added to the group and Rooney under contract; United are no longer beholden to any one striker. But for now, the club will just be hoping that a run of goals satiates the number 10; since it seems that his approach play, no longer does.
Whether the livewire Hernandez can contribute sufficiently to build-up play [thus, utilising his extra goal threat] and feature in a 4-4-2, with either Dimitar Berbatov or Wayne Rooney, against a Real Madrid or a Barcelona, is a question yet to be asked; but the Mexican is stereotypically fast and has shown rare movement, with finishing: imaginative; and in the main, unerring - even evoking images of Gerd Muller.
It is wise to comment that Berbatov and Rooney have also not been tested in a front two against the highest quality, at least not for some time but, unlike almost any other pairing of strikers, they offer an “in-game” involvement quite tantamount to one extra player - an attacking midfielder, given their average positions – pivotal in games where the opposition is likely to deploy three men around centre-midfield. In most other fixtures though, Hernandez's goal threat and ability to exploit high defensive lines, absolutely makes him a viable starter.
If utilising Javier Hernandez, in an impact role, from the bench and - presuming a focused - Wayne Rooney alongside Dimitar Berbatov is United's best bet, should Barcelona come around; then whether any permutation of their midfield could challenge the Catalonian's is another question; but after time spent flirting with 4-2-3-1, 4-6-0 and 4-5-Rooney, Fergie’s romanticised 4-4-2 could be his best bet this year.
It is wise to comment that Berbatov and Rooney have also not been tested in a front two against the highest quality, at least not for some time but, unlike almost any other pairing of strikers, they offer an “in-game” involvement quite tantamount to one extra player - an attacking midfielder, given their average positions – pivotal in games where the opposition is likely to deploy three men around centre-midfield. In most other fixtures though, Hernandez's goal threat and ability to exploit high defensive lines, absolutely makes him a viable starter.
If utilising Javier Hernandez, in an impact role, from the bench and - presuming a focused - Wayne Rooney alongside Dimitar Berbatov is United's best bet, should Barcelona come around; then whether any permutation of their midfield could challenge the Catalonian's is another question; but after time spent flirting with 4-2-3-1, 4-6-0 and 4-5-Rooney, Fergie’s romanticised 4-4-2 could be his best bet this year.
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