Like a candle in the wind Manchester United are flickering dangerously close, but the flame continues to burn.
With ten minutes remaining at Villa Park, Sir Alex Ferguson and his side were on the verge of losing even further ground on leaders Chelsea. After the insipid draw at City in midweek, a response was needed at their home from home. A response came – eventually.
Once upon a time a week was a long time in football. The uncertain nature of this season’s Premier League means that a period of little over 24 hours can change the scenery dramatically. Going into the weekend four points off Chelsea, that gap could have been extended to critical proportions for the Reds before the stirring late rally and the Blues capitulation to Sunderland. From the embers of arguably their worst performance of the season, United’s unbeaten record staggers on and the deficit at the summit has been trimmed.
That though, will still not wholly warm the cockles of Ferguson as his players depart for another international break. “I could have taken any 10 players off the field because we didn't perform well. We came back well but it was too late and we shouldn't have been in that position” conceded the Scot, reflecting on a point rescued but two more dropped. The inquisitions will continue despite the healthier outlook in terms of numerics, with United again looking far from their inimitable best of recent seasons.
It has been fifteen years since United last lost at Villa Park but rarely has that record looked so under threat. “You never win anything with kids” opined Alan Hansen as he chewed over the Villains mauling of the fresh faced Neville, Scholes, Butt and Beckham back in 1995, but it was Villa’s kids who almost stole the show here, with youngsters Barry Bannan and Jonathon Hogg – with a mere six league appearances between them – highlighting United’s lack of energy and drive in the centre of the park with a bristling display.
Not for the first time this season the list of inadequacies ran deep and familiar. Defensive ineptitude, lethargy in midfield and a lack of attacking spark all contributing to another below par team display. Individually and collectively it was more of the worrying same. The fighting qualities to recover from two down and thus remain unbeaten must be acknowledged, but of principle concern is the fact United continue to deliver such performances and find themselves in such dilemmas. The return of Wayne Rooney can’t come soon enough, but in no way will he be the quick fix remedy to United’s numerous issues.
The rest of the top four have all chalked up three defeats apiece and it is those shortfalls which mean the Reds are still in the title mix, rather than of any great achievement on their own part. It is very difficult to defuse the notion that this is the weakest Premier League in recent memory. Between 2003 and 2005 Arsenal and Chelsea won the league losing one game between them, already this season the current top four have been toppled nine times. Credit where it’s due to the rest, but the top teams will need to be refreshingly honest in their own appraisals if they want results at Villa Park, Eastlands and Stamford Bridge to move back further away from being the norm.
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