Is it a time for concern for Manchester United?
Not that long ago, Manchester United looked unstoppable, unbeatable, invincible, impenetrable. You name it, they looked it.
It seemed a mere formality that they would continue their home dominance over Liverpool last weekend and get a victory that would put even more distance between the two title rivals, but the other bunch of Reds came to play at Old Trafford, and the end result was a 4-1 thumping that saw United defender Nemanja Vidic sent off.
Then, on Saturday, United went to Fulham, and nothing went right, to say the least. Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off, and United slumped to a 2-0 defeat. Honestly, the defeat itself wasn’t particularly surprising, considering that Fulham have been terrific at home this season. But the manner in which it happened, much like the defeat against Liverpool, is what is worth an eyebrow raise or two.
If Liverpool can beat Aston Villa at home today, that will trim the deficit at the top of the English Premier League standings to only one point with eight rounds remaining. Chelsea had a chance to do the same thing on Saturday, but they fell 1-0 at surging Tottenham.
United’s slip has brought some renewed life into a title race that most left for dead just a short time ago, and instead of running away with it like it seemed they were about to, things may well be set to go down to the wire. Now, if you’re a fan of English soccer in general, and you wanted to see the title race go down to the wire (even if it contains the usual suspects), you might be getting your wish. But, if you’re a United fan, you might be getting just a tad nervous.
You do have to wonder just how much of an impact being a part of so many competitions will have. Last season, United did make their run to UEFA Champions League glory, but they were out of the FA Cup in the quarters and out of the Carling Cup in the third round.
This season, United won the Carling Cup, went to Japan and won the FIFA World Club Cup in December, participated in the UEFA Super Cup, and along with being in the Champions League quarters, they’re also in the semifinals of the FA Cup. All told, if United reach the final in both the Champions League and FA Cup, that will total 67 matches (38 EPL, 13 Champions League, 6 FA Cup, 6 Carling Cup, 2 Club World Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Community Shield), compared to 57 last season (38 EPL, 13 CL, 4 FA Cup, 1 Carling Cup, Community Shield). It must be taken into consideration that in the Carling Cup and FA Cup, many younger and fringe players have seen significant time, but it’s a lot of matches, whichever way you stack it.
And while they have a world of quality depth, injuries have been a concern throughout the season, especially in defense. And when you already have concerns about depth in certain areas, it’s a blow when you’re going to have to miss some key players through suspension, as is the case with Vidic, Scholes, and Rooney thanks to their red cards.
But is it time to panic? I’ll say no, because they still do have that match in hand, and the little stumble that they’re experiencing is reminiscent of the one that Barcelona experienced recently but have recovered quite nicely from to re-establish their hold atop the Spanish La Liga. Same script, different team?
United were able to battle back from a tough start to the season to take a commanding advantage in the league, and as experienced, talented, and deep as their squad is, you’d have to expect them to overcome this little rough spell. The fixture list is in their favor down the stretch, and Sir Alex Ferguson will have his side focused, ready, and able to defend their domestic and European titles and potentially add another FA Cup trophy to the collection.
But the chance certainly is there for Liverpool, or even Chelsea, to make a serious run at keeping United from a title three-peat.
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