The changing face of Manchester United

Writes Robin Johnson,

It is a strange summer when one man is worth fifty-six million pounds Stirling. It is a downright ridiculous one when another is worth eighty, yet that is the reality which Real Madrid’s extravagant spending has presented, creating a grossly inflated market from which a new level of club spending in football has emerged.

Yet, despite an abundance of reports regarding David Villa, Karim Benzema and Sergio Aguero, and the loss of a player famous for his goal-scoring ability almost as much as his petulance, Sir Alex Ferguson has remained a pioneer of limited spending which has divided the fans; although it is true that extravagant player valuing, such as fifty-million for an unproven Argentine,

Is fifteen goals, including only five in the league and six in the League Cup against the likes of Queen’s Park Rangers and Blackburn, good return for £25 million? Is it “good value”? No, especially when, for free, you can bring in a striker who managed to still hit ten league goals in a relegated side. Enter Michael Owen stage left, who, judging by two impressive performances in Asia, is more than likely to at least match Tevez’s total, if not easily surpass it.

Furthermore, the exchange of Carlos Tevez for Michael Owen not only is a wise decision financially and tactically, it is likely to prove popular in the dressing room. For, despite all the claims that he loved the club and the fans, Carlos Tevez’s frequent moans to various Argentinean radio stations will not have been unnoticed by his teammates. His criticisms of Ferguson and the insinuations that he is superior to Dimitar Berbatov can hardly have done much good for the Bulgarian’s confidence, nor earned him the mutual respect which should exist between all teammates. Replace that with a well-respected goal poacher who has already played with the English contingent at United and is not likely to moan at having to fight for a place in the team, and you have to congratulate Ferguson for his tactics here.

Can Tevez be forgiven by United fans, who he claims he still loves? In my opinion, no. To play the fans against the most successful British manager of all time is low, but to make the comments he has made since leaving the club, such as promising to “shout in Ferguson’s face” is disgraceful. Michael Owen was hardly a popular player with the Old Trafford faithful after his Liverpool days, but it is only that connection that has made him so; he has never shown such a vile personality as Tevez, who can fully expect to learn what the United fans truly think of him when he returns on September 22nd.

As for the other departure this summer, Cristiano Ronaldo, I wish him nothing but success at Real Madrid. It is true that his actions were disrespectful towards his employers last summer – a “slave” on £120k a week indeed – but he put them aside for the benefit of the team and left Ferguson with enough time to plan this summer. His conduct has been excellent since leaving United, wishing the team all the best and leaving with kind words and grace. He has left to play for his boyhood club, which all football fans can respect – we would all do the same thing. It does help his case that his actions have entirely contrasted with those of Tevez; far from severing all his ties with the club that enhanced his reputation so dramatically over six years, he has even discussed possibly returning one day – I would welcome him back with open arms.

So Ronaldo forgiven, Tevez turncoat. Yet what does the exit of two of the “fabulous four” which fans cried out to see play together, normally ignored, mean for the club? Certainly, a change of face for the team. Despite still having household names Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand to sell shirts, as well as the ever-popular Ji-Sung Park, United have lost the global appeal that comes along with the best player in the world. Suddenly, La Liga has stolen a march on its rivals due to a storming Barcelona side, Florentino Perez’s dreaming and a sensational Spanish run. Suddenly, the Premier League is playing catch-up, and along with it United, Chelsea and Liverpool. Expect merchandising sales to fall.

And on the field, United suddenly look very limited in the goalscoring department, with Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen the only three players to hit double figures last season. Goals from midfield will be a necessity in the coming season to compensate for the lack of Ronaldo, and United’s set-pieces will certainly be less threatening.

What has Ferguson done to combat this turn of events? Very, very little. I have yet to feel more disgruntled with a transfer window than this one. However, I am not the most successful British manager of all time. Ferguson knows what he is doing and Michael Owen is beginning to look like a Manchester United player, scoring goals and linking up well with our midfield. We will need to keep him in top condition to have any chance of retaining the Premiership, a task easier said than done.

As for United’s other transfer activity this summer, Gabriel Obertan is not expected to play much, and is a curious signing, but I had never heard of Cristiano Ronaldo before the summer of 2003. Antonio Valencia’s form dipped dramatically during the second half of last season, yet he has pace in abundance mixed with scorching skills; I have always expected his arrival.

Clearly, we have not replaced Ronaldo’s goals or glamour with a marquee signing which many fans expected, and this has caused widespread apathy. This will only augment should United’s new signings fail to gel and the team fail to adapt to the new systems Ferguson will have planned to compensate for the sudden loss of Ronaldo’s attacking threat, and Rooney will have to step up to the mantle.

The signings are a far cry from the likes of David Villa and Karim Benzema, and this may well breed contempt for the new arrivals among fans, which may diffuse to the rest of the players. Perhaps Ferguson still has plans to raise the morale amongst and motivate everyone at the club, but if he is to be believed, this is not the case. It seems we will have to expect huge improvements from our current players.

One thing is for certain; the dynamics, the appeal and the very face of the club have all changed this summer. On the verge of the start of the season, when United could win a historic fourth consecutive title, this does not seem an ideal time for rebuilding. The wily Scot that has masterminded eleven others, and only made slight alterations to his squad, clearly feels the word “depleted” does not apply to it.