Home Rule …
Later today, United will discover the identity of their opponents in the next round of the Champions League.
The Uefa draw will match United against a team of standing for the right to contest the quarter finals of the world’s premier club competition.
Of course, the game will appeal to fans and headline writers everywhere. Sir Alex, who yearns for another Euro bauble, will deploy all his energy in the service of plotting a way past his adversary towards ultimate glory in Athens.
“I think one of the British teams can win and I just hope it is us,” admitted Sir Alex. “I think the team is confident of their ability now. They know they can win games and can play.”
Winger Ryan Giggs was also in optimistic mood. “Nobody is going to relish coming to Old Trafford in the form we are showing,” he said.
The importance of the match may weigh heavily on United’s transfer manoeuvres in the new year. Players ineligible for the competition such as Hargreaves, Defoe and others may be ruled out until the summer. Those upon whom United might rely, could cost the earth.
It is right that United challenge Europe’s best with conviction. Nevertheless, a strong argument can be made for the consideration of European glory as nothing more than a bonus. The club should not make the conquest of the continent its number one priority and should instead focus on home rule. It is not that European success is under-valued. Rather, winning the Premiership title, for this season at least, ought to be Sir Alex’s prime ambition.
A ninth Premiership crown would be a triumph of managership and manpower over money and offer proof of United’s restored pride. For three years, the club has been reduced to the role of also-rans whilst Arsenal and latterly Chelsea claimed bragging rights across the country. This has to stop. Success over a league season would be an enormous psychological bonus to a young and maturing side and would represent the greatest achievement of Sir Alex’s career since 1999, even more so than when the noble giant hunted down Arsenal in 2003. It would be talked about for years.
The peerless Sir Bobby Charlton certainly sees it this way. “I wouldn’t say winning the title this season would be the greatest achievement in Manchester United history but it would be the most pleasant,” he said. “When you come up against Chelsea, who appear to have the finance to be able to buy anyone who is available, it is going to be difficult to finish above them.
“I wouldn’t say we were an underdog but they just seem to collect players. We don’t have the type of unlimited finance to be able to match that and we cannot put an excessive burden on our supporters in terms of ticket prices, so to win the league this season would rate very highly indeed.”
It is not beyond the realm of possibility that United win the Champions League trophy this season. A complete tactical re-think, accompanied by a favourable draw and a lucky bounce or two and United could be toasting their success under an Athenian sky next year. Sir Alex’s grip on the title of Britain’s best-ever boss would be strengthened considerably.
It is equally true that United could win both at home and abroad, enjoying a remarkable, injury-free run to the winners’ podium of both tournaments. Nothing would bring greater joy. The club has the resources for such a feat and of course, has done it before. But this team has yet to scale the heights of the ‘99 vintage.
What if, however, a European triumph came at the expense of another Premiership title? The 2003 league win would become a fading memory as the drift away from sustained excellence over an entire nine month campaign gathered speed. Is this a price worth paying? More to the point, what has Euro gold brought Liverpool, continental conquerers in 2005 but still Premiership middleweights two seasons later?
Just as success in 1993 was the catalyst to a decade of achievement, so might a Premiership title this season come to be seen as the platform for future dominance. It would convince the better players that United are a team worth joining and underscore the efforts of the coaching staff to recruit the brightest young talents. Above all, it would permit Ronaldo and Rooney a taste of victory that would become a thirst and entrench the idea that they can satisfy their ambitions at Old Trafford.
By common consent, United are just two astute purchases away from being a truly formidable unit. If Sir Alex believes that Hargreaves, a player of genuine character, is the man to improve the midfield and he is available at a price United can afford, go get him. If another striker can be secured who would add to the team’s goal threat, bring him in too. These deals might be gambles but they should be risked if by so doing, the title comes home.
United’s activities during the January’s transfer window could hold the key to the destiny of the title. Liverpool and Arsenal have fallen behind unexpectedly, leaving the way clear for a trial of strength between England’s two most accomplished sides. United may not again have such a golden opportunity to knock Mourinho off his perch. Surely, this is an occasion not to be missed. AU
© Copyright: Absolutely United 2006
