To study the early stages of the fourth and final match of the unforgettable saga between Meath and Dublin in 1991 is to engage in an examination of a masterclass of how to succeed against adversity. Now read on…
Consider that, before the ball was thrown in even, Sean Boylan’s side had lost Terry Ferguson to a back injury in the dressing room, then Bernard Flynn hobbles off and is replaced by Finian Murtagh who in turn is carried off meaning that the original super sub Mattie McCabe had to be drafted into action well ahead of schedule.
Oh, and all of that is without mentioning Colm O’Rourke being the meat in a Keith Barr-Eamon Heery sandwich and being knocked out cold for a while before somehow returning to the fray and playing a pivotal role in both Meath goals as the Royals pulled off one of the greatest salvation acts ever seen in the old ground.
Fast forward to last Sunday’s Manchester derby and the visiting blue corner gave an exhibition of how to play a man light for 74 minutes. I’m a United fan all my life but I’ve no bother admitting that if Phil Foden’s was a merited red card Bruno Fernandes absolutely also should have been shown one.
After all he had definitely kicked out at Foden before the City man stupidly retaliated. However, I would lay equal blame at Michael Carrick’s door for not taking his skipper off because as has been proven repeatedly over the years, when he morphs from the PFA Player Of The Year into the Portuguese prince of petulance United would be better off without him.
In my view he should count himself very lucky not to have been joining Foden for an early shower. Especially as he continued whining at the admittedly abysmal Michael Oliver. The cocky sod with the whistle certainly gave the red half of the Lancashire labyrinth plenty of reason to put him nearer the junk mail folder than the Christmas card list but the thing which drives me berserk about Bruno is, a top drawer performer like him – which he has been acknowledged as being by his peers – shouldn’t have to be acting the bo**** like he tends to do when things are going against him or the team.
Compare the United skipper’s reaction to adversity to that of City’s talisman Erling Haaland or perhaps even more pointedly new recruit Elliot Anderson and you arrive at a microcosm of the difference between the neighbours for. 13 years and counting now.
Now, at this juncture it’s worth pointing out that Roy Keane always seems to have his knife in Fernandes – who has he not you could fairly ask – but there’s a seminal point there which all within Old Trafford would do well to heed.
The best leaders make their statements by doing. Yes, Roy often went a bit harem scarem about getting his point across but you’d rather that any day of the week than the Bruno alternative.
This corner couldn’t concur with the Cobh colossus that the Foden incident wasn’t a red card but he was bang on the money that the other person involved in the incident was very fortunate indeed to stay on the field.
Especially given the fusspot in charge of the whistle. Michael is one of those egotists – like Roy’s old nemesis David Ellery before him – who likes to make it all about him. However, as much as I despise falling into the lazy trap of blaming the manager and in no way am I suggesting Carrick’s tenure should be under scrutiny, his team’s game management seriously has to be called into question over the last couple of weeks.
Granted, a little bit of an allowance would have to be given for the two screamers of goals pilfered by Everton on their own patch last week but one would find it extremely difficult to advance any mitigating factors in relation to United’s latest derby day capitulation.
For as much as it used to be said – only partly in jest – that the brilliant Meath team alluded to earlier played their best football when down to 14 men. I don’t think I’d go that far but there’s no doubt coping mechanisms were developed. Such as one player from each line dropping back a slot, which meant that all sectors of the field were adequately covered with the only discernible difference being that they would operate with a two man inside line – usually O’Rourke and Flynn – so you wouldn’t exactly be weakening the armoury!
Reason for mentioning the above is a pondering as to how Manchester United deployed their extra man for the 74 minutes which followed Foden getting the gate. Because whatever the intention was its manifestation turned out to be another lame duck when it mattered most.
Furthermore, you do have to wonder at what point do the club begin to ponder the viability of players such as Matijas De Ligt and Luke Shaw and Lenny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte, to name but a few. That’s before taking into consideration that the club currently appear to have more goalkeepers on their books than items on the dinner menu!
Including but probably not limited to Sene Lamans, Karl Darlow, Dermot Mee and, STILL, Tom Heaton (why?) The latter must surely have passed out the late and much loved Les Sealey for being part of the furniture around Old Trafford and Carrington – or The Cliff as the training ground was dating back to when Les and Gary Walsh job shared custodian duties before the arrival of the Great Dane and the many who followed to attempt the thankless and impossible task of attempting to replace St Peter.
And what makes the longevity Heaton has achieved as a Red Devil most difficult to understand – or admirable from his own perspective depending on what way you look at it – is knowledge of the expedience with which several netminders were shown the door down Sir Matt Busby Way.
Players such as Massimo Tiaibi, Fabian Barthez, Mark Bosnich, Kevin Pilkington, Tony Coton, Andre Onana, David De Gea and Altay Bayindaar. I’ve probably left some out there too. Anyway, in light of the above, you would wonder what, or who, gives Heaton such staying power. But more luck to him.
Not that his still being there has anything to do with Carrick – that is known of anyway – but stuff like that could yet be used as a stick with which to beat the manager. You do wonder how long the honeymoon period will be allowed to run for, but you can be sure two defeats in the first four league matches will have some reaching for the grease gun for the bacon slicer. Even though both were against the runaway top two.
Leave a Reply