As promised in my last blog, some 5 months ago (Wow, so lazy!) I will now cover the following topics. Barcelona, the greatest team ever? United's spending? The Europa League? Rooney's International ban reduced? I am going to leave the Europa League and Rooney's ban reduction as quite frankly my interest in these issues has waned to almost non-existent.
Barcelona, while playing the best football on the planet are set to end an historic season without their 2 most coveted of possessions, La Liga and the Champions' League. Historic due to the astronomical amount of goals the majestic Messi has plundered in the 2011-12 campaign, currently a colossal 72. He has become only the second player to pass 70 goals in a first division season (currently 50 in La Liga alone, another record), the other being the legendary Archie Stark of the acclaimed Bethlehem Steel in the American Soccer League in 1924-25. The latter I think we can all agree can be discounted. However, Messi's accomplishments have not been enough to keep Jose Mourinho's slippery paws off the La Liga title. This in part due to the sterling endeavours of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has scored an incredible 45 goals, this in itself would be another record in any other season. While Ronaldo has been backed up by Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema, both contributing 22 and 20 goals respectively, Messi has missed serial goalscorer David Villa to share the burden. His season-ending injury in the Club World Championship in December 2011 has proved to be a pivotal moment in Barcelona's season. Aside from Messi, Barcelona do not have another player registered on the top 10 goalscorers chart. From what I have seen, Alexis Sanchez looks a special talent but hasn't successfully filled David Villa's capacious boots, contributing only a meagre 11. In Europe, Barca have been supreme until they came up against a blue ten man wall in the form of Roman Abramovich's lavishly assembled Chelski. Even the previously immortal Lionel Messi missed a penalty, when things like that happen you know it's going to be your night. Amazingly they seemed to run out of ideas against Chelsea, never really creating a clear opening and then the unthinkable happened, Fernando Torres marauded upfield with no Barcelona player in sight and cooly rounded Valdez and thus putting the tie beyond doubt. Gary Neville's goalgasm being the highlight of that move. Despite of their shortcomings, I still feel Barca are the best club side on the planet. Although with Pep Guardiola deciding to call it a day, the jury's out on whether they can return to their former glories of 2011, where they comprehensively beat a Manchester United side bereft of ideas of how to combat what has been dubbed the 'carousel'.
This is a nice segue to United's spending. The 2011 Champions' League final was one of the most difficult to watch in recent memory (for myself and many other United fans I imagine), Carrick and Giggs again got the runaround from the holy trinity of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi. United hadn't improved or learnt any lessons of 2009, in fact they had regressed. Selling Ronaldo and not replacing him has relegated them to a second tier European side, it is down to the genius of Fergie that they even reached the final. For clarification I class Barca, Real and Bayern as top tier teams. European teams aside, I am going to look at the Net Spending of England's top Premier League teams over the majority of the lifetime of the Glazers' ownership of Manchester United. I have purposely left FC out of that title as they ceased to be that entity thanks to Peter Kenyon in 1997 but that's another issue. Manchester United's Net Spend between 2006 and 2011 amounts to £51m, some way short of the £250m promised pre-takeover. Add £500m going out of the club due to Interest Payments/Bond Buybacks, which benefit Manchester United in no way whatsoever, that have been funded in the large part by season-on-season ticket increases i.e. the fans. Now you can start to see why there have been movements such as 'Green and Gold'. £51m Net Spend is actually the 8th highest in the Premier League, obviously Man City coming top with £418m. The next challenger to Man City is Chelsea with a Net Spend of £155m. United are actually behind Liverpool, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Tottenham and even Stoke City when it comes to Net Spend in the last 5 years. I might add that this is somewhat skewed by the £80m sale of Ronaldo but even without that money (£131m), United would still be some way behind Chelsea and Man City. But United would still have the 145 goals in 143 games hitman. What is even more alarming is that United's Net Spend is even less than Hull and Burnley's in the last 3 years. However, as long as Fergie is in charge, United will continue to be competitive and attendances will still be high. I think it was a fantasy of mine to see mass boycotts, judging by the people around me at games this season I do not see any change in stance but I certainly won't be renewing.
As for this season, it is looking like we will see a Premier League title being decided by Goal Difference for the first time in it's 20 year history. The advantage is currently plus 8 in Man City's favour, that swing of 10 in the second Manchester derby of the season is now looking to be decisive. Had Man Utd shut up shop and that game ended 2-1 or even 3-1, the gap would be non-existant or just 2. Fine margins indeed, losing at home to Blackburn and conceding 2 late goals to draw with Everton are now looking to be the key moments in the title race for United. It is interesting to note that United have been defeated 5 times at home in all competitions this season, all 5 coming without the presence of Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick. Although Carrick did play in the defeat to Blackburn but it was at centre half with Rafael and Park acting as the shield in front of the makeshift back four. Carrick has his detractors as he doesn't score enough goals and can go missing in big games but his value is vastly under-estimated in screening the defence. The last Manchester derby of the season produced a disappointing display for the reds but considering how much praise has been lavished upon Man City, they only won 1-0, scored from a set piece and De Gea only had one other save to make. So it was not as one sided as the ABUs love to depict. Granted 0 shots on target is unacceptable, United played for the draw and it back-fired. That is 2 wins apiece for the Manchester clubs this season and currently locked on level points. Where has it gone wrong for United this season, losing the captain Vidic has been hugely detrimental, losing the big-game player in Fletcher, Cleverly being injured most of the season, the worst injury crisis in Fergie's tenure in December and bedding in a new young goalkeeper as well as other youngsters have all contributed to United's downfall so to still be in with a shout is an over-achievement. While I have heard many times that Manchester is blue, facts tend to prove the opposite. So lets set the record straight once and for all, Manchester United have had a higher average attendance than Manchester City EVERY season since 1947, this included 3 seasons when United played at City's own ground due to Old Trafford being bombed in the war.
