IF DAVID MOYES was to be judged purely on Manchester United’s Champions League form, he would be regarded as a near-unequivocal success.
United this year had one of their smoothest passages beyond the group stage in recent memory, rarely looking in any trouble and going unbeaten, while their last-16 match illustrated their considerable character — after losing the first leg 2-0 with star striker Robin van Persie uncharacteristically missing at least one sitter that should have put them in decent stead for the second leg, they demonstrated the type of resolve they are often accused of lacking under Moyes and secured an emphatic 3-0 win in the return fixture at Old Trafford.
Last night meanwhile, they did what Arsenal, Barcelona and Juventus among others have failed to do in recent times, and claimed a first-leg 1-1 draw with a team that any self-respecting football hipster will tell you is the best in the world currently — Bayern Munich.
Yet these dogged and occasionally even inspired displays are undermined by one inconvenient and hugely significant fact — when judged in the context of Manchester United’s typically high standards, their Premier League form this year has been atrocious at best.
Some people have dismissed this domestic/European disparity by claiming that the early stages of the Champions League are a glorified phoney war — a series of mismatches that any half-decent side should breeze through with undue ease. But are Bayer Leverkusen — currently the fourth-best team in the Bundesliga — really that much inferior to the six teams above Manchester United in the Premier League? Are the sides in question also considerably superior to Shakhtar? Considering that Tottenham scraped past a weaker Ukrainian side in the Europa League in the form of Dnipro, it’s unlikely. Even Olympiakos would surely give a good game to most Premier League teams — they did, after all, knock out Benfica, who barring the final 15 minutes, outclassed Spurs over two legs in a recent European encounter.
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Moreover, United’s gallant display against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Bayern Munich ostensibly defies logic, particularly when measured against the Red Devils’ poor season and their frequent tendency to implode whenever they come up against a patently superior side in the league.
Yet while United excel in Europe, they mysteriously continue to flounder domestically. Are the players simply more motivated for big Eurpean nights? Hardly — if they needed a sense of occasion to inspire them, then why did they deliver such pathetic performances recently against both Liverpool and Manchester City?
All of the evidence suggests United are simply better equipped to deal with European rather than Premier League football. Is this because David Moyes has somehow discovered the perfect tactics to adopt in the Champions League? While his ideas, in general, have been solid in Europe, in contrast with the occasionally ill-advised systems he has employed in the Premier League (the disastrous 4-3-3 utilised in opening minutes at home to City springs to mind), this factor alone is hardly enough to prompt such a significant improvement.
And while their defence has hardly been exemplary, it is generally agreed that United’s big problem this season has been midfield. The main issue appears to be that their players lack the aggression, speed and tireless work-rate to compete with the physicality of exceptionally tenacious and ultra-disciplined players such as Fernandinho, Jordan Henderson and Ramires.
Yet in European football, games are invariably played at a less hectic pace compared with the Premier League. Teams are far more willing to employ a patient build-up with numerous passes, compared with the direct style favoured by the majority of British teams, while a lack of energy and abrasiveness in the middle of the park aren’t as likely to be punished so severely.
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(The United midfield has been frequently dominated in big Premier League games by players such as Jordan Henderson)
United’s primary midfielders, however, are perfectly suited to this European style. Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini, Ryan Giggs, Shinji Kagawa and even Adnan Januzaj (though he’s rarely picked in the Champions League) all seem more comfortable when the tempo is slightly lower than usual and they are allowed more time on the ball. They are footballers who favour technical prowess over tackling and thinking over running.
Giggs, in particular, epitomises the contrast between United in Europe and at home. Moyes has not received much praise since taking over as manager at Old Trafford, but his use of the Welsh star is one area where he deserves substantial credit. In the Champions League this season, United are unbeaten in games that Giggs has started, winning four and drawing two. Meanwhile, under the same circumstances in the Premier League, United have won four and lost two. The fact that Giggs has started as many matches in Europe this season as he has in the Premier League indicates Moyes is well aware that the veteran is of much more use to him away from the hustle and bustle of domestic action, in games where footballing intelligence is needed more so than the energy that a less naturally gifted player such as Tom Cleverley might provide.
In addition, Arsenal are another side who often look far more accomplished in Europe compared with the Premier League — while they were beaten in the last-16 of the Champions League by a superior Bayern Munich outfit, the German side never looked likely to destroy the Gunners the way sides such as Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool have done, with each putting five or more past Arsene Wenger’s men at one point this season.
And curiously, between the two occasions in which Arsenal have met United this season, just one goal has been scored, with both these two cultured, creative midfields somewhat ironically appearing to cancel each other out more often than not.
Conversely, for all their brilliance in the Premier League, both Man City and Chelsea have not been quite so convincing in Europe. City often found it tough going against technically proficient teams such as Bayern and Barca (as most would, to be fair) and were ultimately easily eliminated by the latter. Chelsea have been better while still not looking totally comfortable — they were beaten twice by Basel in the group stages, before qualifying and overcoming a relatively weak Galatasaray team. Tonight’s match against PSG should therefore give a more accurate idea of whether or not they are capable of emulating their Premier League form.
All of which doesn’t mean United are going to beat Bayern and win the Champions League — they are still a side with problems and limitations stark enough to surely prevent them from ultimately triumphing against the very best teams in Europe as well as in the Premier League. But for those baffled as to why they secured an unexpectedly positive result last night, consider the midfield factor a partial explanation, coupled with with the one-off nature of the occasion and the fact that Bayern were conspicuously below their best.
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Why Manchester United are better in Europe than in the Premier League
IF DAVID MOYES was to be judged purely on Manchester United’s Champions League form, he would be regarded as a near-unequivocal success.
United this year had one of their smoothest passages beyond the group stage in recent memory, rarely looking in any trouble and going unbeaten, while their last-16 match illustrated their considerable character — after losing the first leg 2-0 with star striker Robin van Persie uncharacteristically missing at least one sitter that should have put them in decent stead for the second leg, they demonstrated the type of resolve they are often accused of lacking under Moyes and secured an emphatic 3-0 win in the return fixture at Old Trafford.
Last night meanwhile, they did what Arsenal, Barcelona and Juventus among others have failed to do in recent times, and claimed a first-leg 1-1 draw with a team that any self-respecting football hipster will tell you is the best in the world currently — Bayern Munich.
Yet these dogged and occasionally even inspired displays are undermined by one inconvenient and hugely significant fact — when judged in the context of Manchester United’s typically high standards, their Premier League form this year has been atrocious at best.
Some people have dismissed this domestic/European disparity by claiming that the early stages of the Champions League are a glorified phoney war — a series of mismatches that any half-decent side should breeze through with undue ease. But are Bayer Leverkusen — currently the fourth-best team in the Bundesliga — really that much inferior to the six teams above Manchester United in the Premier League? Are the sides in question also considerably superior to Shakhtar? Considering that Tottenham scraped past a weaker Ukrainian side in the Europa League in the form of Dnipro, it’s unlikely. Even Olympiakos would surely give a good game to most Premier League teams — they did, after all, knock out Benfica, who barring the final 15 minutes, outclassed Spurs over two legs in a recent European encounter.
Moreover, United’s gallant display against Pep Guardiola’s all-conquering Bayern Munich ostensibly defies logic, particularly when measured against the Red Devils’ poor season and their frequent tendency to implode whenever they come up against a patently superior side in the league.
All of the evidence suggests United are simply better equipped to deal with European rather than Premier League football. Is this because David Moyes has somehow discovered the perfect tactics to adopt in the Champions League? While his ideas, in general, have been solid in Europe, in contrast with the occasionally ill-advised systems he has employed in the Premier League (the disastrous 4-3-3 utilised in opening minutes at home to City springs to mind), this factor alone is hardly enough to prompt such a significant improvement.
And while their defence has hardly been exemplary, it is generally agreed that United’s big problem this season has been midfield. The main issue appears to be that their players lack the aggression, speed and tireless work-rate to compete with the physicality of exceptionally tenacious and ultra-disciplined players such as Fernandinho, Jordan Henderson and Ramires.
Yet in European football, games are invariably played at a less hectic pace compared with the Premier League. Teams are far more willing to employ a patient build-up with numerous passes, compared with the direct style favoured by the majority of British teams, while a lack of energy and abrasiveness in the middle of the park aren’t as likely to be punished so severely.
(The United midfield has been frequently dominated in big Premier League games by players such as Jordan Henderson)
United’s primary midfielders, however, are perfectly suited to this European style. Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini, Ryan Giggs, Shinji Kagawa and even Adnan Januzaj (though he’s rarely picked in the Champions League) all seem more comfortable when the tempo is slightly lower than usual and they are allowed more time on the ball. They are footballers who favour technical prowess over tackling and thinking over running.
Giggs, in particular, epitomises the contrast between United in Europe and at home. Moyes has not received much praise since taking over as manager at Old Trafford, but his use of the Welsh star is one area where he deserves substantial credit. In the Champions League this season, United are unbeaten in games that Giggs has started, winning four and drawing two. Meanwhile, under the same circumstances in the Premier League, United have won four and lost two. The fact that Giggs has started as many matches in Europe this season as he has in the Premier League indicates Moyes is well aware that the veteran is of much more use to him away from the hustle and bustle of domestic action, in games where footballing intelligence is needed more so than the energy that a less naturally gifted player such as Tom Cleverley might provide.
In addition, Arsenal are another side who often look far more accomplished in Europe compared with the Premier League — while they were beaten in the last-16 of the Champions League by a superior Bayern Munich outfit, the German side never looked likely to destroy the Gunners the way sides such as Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool have done, with each putting five or more past Arsene Wenger’s men at one point this season.
Conversely, for all their brilliance in the Premier League, both Man City and Chelsea have not been quite so convincing in Europe. City often found it tough going against technically proficient teams such as Bayern and Barca (as most would, to be fair) and were ultimately easily eliminated by the latter. Chelsea have been better while still not looking totally comfortable — they were beaten twice by Basel in the group stages, before qualifying and overcoming a relatively weak Galatasaray team. Tonight’s match against PSG should therefore give a more accurate idea of whether or not they are capable of emulating their Premier League form.
All of which doesn’t mean United are going to beat Bayern and win the Champions League — they are still a side with problems and limitations stark enough to surely prevent them from ultimately triumphing against the very best teams in Europe as well as in the Premier League. But for those baffled as to why they secured an unexpectedly positive result last night, consider the midfield factor a partial explanation, coupled with with the one-off nature of the occasion and the fact that Bayern were conspicuously below their best.
Like football? Follow TheScore.ie’s dedicated Twitter account @football_ie
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