Chelsea and Manchester United bored us to death on Sunday evening. What was touted as a showdown between the Premier League's two best sides, a title-decider if you will, turned out to be the poorest game on show this weekend, a classic anti-climax to a game hyped up like no other throughout the week.
Chelsea have been top dogs in the league so far, with all their players having been together for a number of years now. Players like Terry, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba, Cole etc are all at their peak, and with Ancelotti's much talked-about Diamond formation firmly in place, the Blues have banished the disappointments of last season, and moved forward.
United, on the other hand, were written off by many after they sold off Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the transfer window, without really replacing the quality and magic they brought to the side. They're always in the hunt for the title, at least when Fergie's around, but when pundits remark that "United might fancy a draw, or even nick a win", you know that this isn't the strongest Red Devils side you will see.
It was still a game that interested fans and neutrals alike, but by the time the final whistle blew, you had endured one of the most painfully boring matches played between these two teams in a long time. Even the Blackburn Rovers - Portsmouth game saw more absorbing moments, if you talk about attacking football, and that's really saying something. The top two of English football failed to create anything memorable on the pitch, with the most entertaining moment being that of Johnny Evans bringing down Ricardo Carvalho, which resulted in kind of a coming-together of both teams near the center circle. What a shame.
Chelsea will be delighted with the result, although realizing at the same time that they will need to play better against the big teams to get their hands on silverware this season. Ancelotti's four-man midfield of Deco, Lampard, Ballack, and Essien hardly got into their groove, as United packed the midfield with five men, three of them more industrious than creative. Carletto will know that the the three points are a huge bonus, as his side did nothing to warrant them, and sneaked through thanks to a setpiece.
The Blues possess a far more potent attack than Manchester United. On their day, that midfield, combined with the pace of Anelka, and brute strength of Didier Drogba, can destroy opponents, but United kept them at bay. Deco was stifled, Lampard couldn't create any openings, while Evans and Brown did a good job on Drogba. However, to say that United put in an excellent performance, is stretching it a bit too far.
If football was all about defending, then yes, United were excellent. If it was about trying to keep a clean sheet, then yes, they were excellent. If it was about earning a point at your title rival's home ground, then yes, they indeed were excellent. However, the way I see it, that's not what Manchester United are about, and that's not what they should be about either.
The fact of the matter is, neither Chelsea nor Manchester United deserved to win this game. And if at all it were possible, both should have lost. While Chelsea's otherwise dangerous attacking force was neutralized by United's midfield, Fergie's wards were completely toothless in attack, something United fans are sadly coming to terms with.
With no Ronaldo and Tevez, United are now heavily reliant on Ryan Giggs to turn back the clock every game, especially when up against a decent side. Giggs did just that against Arsenal and City, but misfired here, and there went United's hopes of conjuring anything of note in the final third. Valencia comes off as a very mediocre winger by United's standards, and even though he has done well in fits and starts this season, he's a far cry from his predecessor in that role.
Anderson, Carrick, and Fletcher ran all over the pitch, not allowing Chelsea to play their game, and did a wonderful job. Amidst all this, was one man, Wayne Rooney, who worked his socks off like never before, and was the best player on the park. However, even the opportunities that he created for himself or his teammates were mostly from outside the box, and more half-chances than anything else.
So while many pundits have been bandying about how United put in a "stellar" performance, and were "robbed" of a draw, Sir Alex will know that he has other problems, real problems. He knows deep inside that it wasn't the kind of attacking performance expected of his team, something which, worryingly, has become more and more of a habit in the last few weeks.
Ferguson has once again turned all the focus to the referee, as he always does, but United cannot complain too much. Would Wes Brown, who went down a little too easily, have prevented the goal if he was on his feet? Highly doubtful. Was Van Der Sar really distracted by Drogba? He seemed to have given up the moment the ball deflected off Terry's head. The foul wasn't one, although it was clumsy, but United should have tried to create a goal before or after Chelsea went up rather than focus on the referee.
I've always believed one thing. You cannot complain about losing a football match if you don't score a goal. Or at least, you cannot complain about losing if you haven't created a single clear-cut chance all game. Maybe they can look at it as bad luck catching up with them, after how they beat Arsenal and Manchester City earlier in the season.
Chelsea were poor too, but they know that they can step it up against sides who don't defend as well as United do, and they have done that in recent weeks. Chelsea were untroubled in defence, and the fans were so relaxed, that one gentleman was brushing his teeth in the front row as Salomon Kalou was coming on to the pitch (Do catch that video on the internet)!
As for United, they have to dig deep to find a way to increase their attacking threat. It's all too dependent on Rooney and Giggs at the moment. Maybe Owen needs to be given a few more starts, maybe Anderson needs to play a more attacking role. Or maybe, Obertan is the man who can provide that "spark" to their season.
That's the difference between Manchester United of last season and this. It was belief last term. This season, it's hope.
