High-Speed United

In the summer of 2012, whilst many were indulging in the sportsfest of the Olympics and the European Championships, only one thing will have been on Sir Alex Ferguson’s mind: how to wrestle the title back onto the right side of Manchester. As he plotted and schemed, his mind may have well been cast back to the last time the Olympics and European Championships came round.

That time, in 2008, United fans were looking back on a famous double characterized by fast, attacking football. As Dimitar Berbatov’s agent intimated some months ago, Ferguson is looking to add more speed to the game. Perhaps a throwback to 2008 is exactly what Fergie is after.

The team of 2008 was an array of attacking talent characterised by energy, organisation, and an elegant fluidity. The front four, most often comprised of Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez, would cause havoc for opposition defences by swapping positions, drifting inside, drifting outside and running at players. The defence was the rock solid foundation upon which the team was built, and the midfield was the source of transition from defence to attack; the workers, the hub of the team.

The main criticism of this side was the lack of a number 9 striker, someone who would maintain their goal-orientated position and finish the many chances created by this attacking talent, whilst removing some of the goalscoring burden off Cristiano Ronaldo. So Ferguson moved to address this. He signed the classy Dimitar Berbatov, as well as giving Wayne Rooney more of an out and out striker’s role.

In the meantime Ronaldo and Tevez left the club. A more formulaic method of slowing building the play to culminate in goals brought further trophies to Old Trafford, but never the same adventure of the previous years. The thoughtful approach of a playmaking Scholes and Carrick with goal-focused strikers would never match the excitement of the dynamic years prior. It also meant more predictability. Pleasure and enthusiasm are requirements at Manchester United, and perhaps a return to the exhilaration of 2008 would give that.

Brief glimpses of a high-speed United were on display last season. The front four of Nani, Young, Rooney and Welbeck were the new Giggs, Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez. Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley and Anderson in midfield both added a thrust and forward drive to the team that has been missing in the absences of the Brazilian and Darren Fletcher through injury, and the now-departed Owen Hargreaves.

This season has seen the introduction of Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, very much forward-thinking players who play with a speed and awareness only rivalled by the very best. The rejuvenation of Javier Hernandez has been a revelation as he terrorizes defences with his movement and instinct, whilst the swashbuckling enterprises of Patrice Evra and Rafael at full-back have added more suave to the United attack.

A more energetic style may be the natural progression at Old Trafford as dynamic youngsters make their names known too. The likes of Tom Cleverley, Danny Welbeck, Phil Jones, Nick Powell and Rafael are the bedrock of the years ahead, and possess innate liveliness and zest.

United at times are still pragmatic and stale, but show all the potential of being a potent force. Performances this season have been docile, only at times for United to majestically awake from their slumber and cut down the opposition, before returning to a state of drowsiness. All the ingredients are there however for United to be firing on all cylinders when the time comes. Speed may well be the name of the game if United are to snatch back their most desired trophies this season.