Fergie's Choice

I'm going to get straight to the point. With all due respect to Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson, I believe the team are paying the price for the manager's indecision. In the early 2000's (2001 I believe) United were beaten by a Real Madrid who, under Vincente del Bosque, played a zonally pressurised 4-3-3 and subsequently dominated midfield and controlled the game. Being a man who learns from his mistakes, Sir Alex began to change the system the club plays away from the orthodox 4-4-2 and towards the now dominant 4-3-3.

This change seemed to be a gradual one but without a doubt working. Ronaldo playing as a striker off the right wing, but in a slightly withdrawn role, and Rooney moving centrally and onto the left wing meant that there was space for Tevez up front and sufficient movement for the system to be a hybrid of the old 4-4-2 and the future 4-3-3.

At the same time, players like Nani and Anderson were brought in to fit into the wide striker and attacking midfielder roles, and more emphasis was placed on the passing and interception role which Carrick so aptly performs in central midfield. The club seemed to be taking a definite step forward.

But then Berbatov arrived, and things seemed to change. Nani was pushed backwards into midfield while Tevez's work rate was preferred to an additional player in midfield and once again things went well for a bit before going south in a European competition. Suddenly things seemed to shift again with Tevez being released and Ronaldo being sold.

Nani was pushed up again and Rooney was used alone up front, particularly during big European clashes but at the same time Valencia (a classic midfield winger) was bought which appeared to send mixed messages.

Now things seem to have gotten even worse. Hernandez has been bought, and just recently SAF stated in an interview that he has always preferred a dual striker system, but the youth who have been bought (Hernandez, Bebe) and are coming out of the academy (Obertan, Macheda, Wellbeck) clearly fit into a 4-3-3 system.

The squad lacks cohesion. By that I mean that at a club like Chelsea or Arsenal, the first team play a system, in both of those cases a 4-3-3, and the youth academy play the same system. This means that players being promoted can integrate into the first team immediately and there is little or no transition period.

Personally, I think that Fergie enjoys the way a 4-4-2 plays and is more comfortable with working it on a tactical level but resigned himself to playing with the single striker up front. With Harold Redknapp and Tottenham's rise to prominence and success while playing a 4-4-2, Ferguson has perhaps had his head turned and seems to be torn between what he prefers and now believes can work versus what experience tells him works.

I think that which ever he chooses he needs to make a final decision. It's not fair on the younger players who are coming through and perhaps not getting a chance, and it's becoming detrimental to the club's results.