Originally posted by An Extremely Boring Man:
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Where do you reckon we've gone wrong over the last few years, what do you reckon we should have done instead and what do you reckon we should do to rectify the current 'problems'?</strong><hr></blockquote>
My concern went back to the start of the 1999/2000 season when nothing had been done to freshen the squad. Why should they, was the answer I got from OT. After all, the fantastic treble had been won and considerable money outlayed on the ground and Carrington. My feeling was that it was going to prove very difficult to stay at the top once that position had been achieved. Perhaps two maybe three players should have been brought in, not only to strengthen a couple of positions but also to keep things fresh and competitive. A partner for Stam, a left back to replace the ageing Irwin and a midfielder. Nothing was done and although we rolled over the weaker sides in the PL and won it by a record margin we were left horribly exposed against Real in the CL. Fergie's tactics or lack thereof were called into question for the first time. Same again the next season and the lessons of Real had not been learned. Our main rivals both at home and in Europe had sussed us out and Fergie tried in vain to counteract this development. So they tried to address the team issues with the signing of Veron to open up defences and RVN to score goals more regularly. Fergie tried to make us less predicatable and more fluid in attack using 4-4-1-1 for the first time in Europe. This initially served to confuse more than it benfitted the team. Before the start of last season, Fergie was at loggerheads with the Club over his future role, he seemed to lose focus and there was talk of a take over by his horseracing friends. He allowed McClaren to go and Yorke to uncontrollably languish away. He let Cole go at a crucial time of the season, even allowing for Andy's desire for regular first team football in order to get into the WC. He seemed more motivated by the success of his horse the Rock. The players sensed the "turmoil" and generally the team suddenly was in startling decline. Fergie then announced, just as the board were about to unveil SGE as the new manager, that he was going to stay on. Results improved but we came a poor third in the PL, having succumbed to Arsenal home and away as well as Liverpool on five consecutive occasions. Once again in the ECL we went out at the crucial stage to a side we should have beaten. By this time and even before I felt increasingly that Fergie's time had gone and that in any event we should have been looking for a replacement. Then this season, according to Kenyon,they felt that the only issue which needed addressing was the defence and as a result went out and got the best but the whole transfer budget had been expended . But what about the other issues, such as the strikers who were woefully thin on the ground? The back up for Giggs and the concern over the ability of Silvestre to establish himself as a consistent and effective performer. Amongst all this were the honest, perhaps too honest, revelations by Roy Keane that the team had not been good enough for two seasons and that latterly some members were not pulling their weight. Quite frankly, all this is the responsiblity of the Manager and it is to him we must look for solutions. To be fair I don't think he had the support from the Board regarding funds after the Treble but then again nobody saw the necessity to buy anyone. The huge amounts of money outlayed in the last two seasons have produced mixed results. Quality has been introduced there is no doubt but how that quality is marshalled and embodied in the side is down to Fergie. I think he's still struggling with the formation and how to get the best out of JSV in particular without upsetting Scholes too much. He's set his sights on the ECL and although we will of course compete in the PL, it's the big prize he's after. The cruel spate of injuries however has left us badly exposed and barely able to compete at home. Hopefully, with key players returning, that will not last. Some will accept the situation after such incredible and prolonged success. My view is that the standards have been set and the expectations are too high to allow the situation to decline to anything like that which prevailed in the 70's and 80's for example. I'ts time for a new and fresh approach and I fully expect Fergie to resign at the end of this season be it trophyless or even with the EC once again in his hands. Good luck to him.
