I've probably started a similar version of this thread before at some point, but, I was watching our 2009/2010 League cup second leg vs City on MUTV earlier, and it was just interesting to watch that United team (which I remember being underwhelming compared to the previous seasons) compared to the current one.
A few (mainly obvious) things that it was pretty difficult not to note due to how stark the contract was:
1) We used to have MUCH better footballers. Near enough every pass was precise, every player could bring the ball under control and keep possession even under tight pressure from multiple opponents. Most of the decision making was very good. Every player seemed both composed but would also move the ball immediately rather than need 2-3 seconds to think about where to play it. Every single pass seemed to have a forward thinking purpose to it. No one was falling to the floor the second they were challenged because they were all strong enough to hold the opponent off unless there was an opportunistic reason to win a foul. Then obviously there's Scholes who would just make the whole game look easy. I don't think its an exaggeration to say any player in that team would be our best player now. Apart from probably Fletcher, but then even with him I'm not sure if he was just quiet because Carrick and Scholes were next to him.
2) We used to have players who worked MUCH harder and were far more pro-active. A little bit damning on the current team, but watching this game back really brought it into contrast. Every player is constantly on the move. Defensively as soon as the ball is loose there is ALWAYS a United player either first to pick it up or immediately challenging for it. The reaction is instant. As soon as one player engages defensively, the forward or midfielder on that side is reacting to act as cover. The team looked like a well drilled hard working unit and you could see how much more difficult it was making it for an actually pretty decent City side to even string a spell of possession together. Compare that to now where I wouldn't say we are lazy, but most of our players don't even seem to react until an opponent has already picked up the ball. Even Nani who I remember being quite infuriating, would stick out like a sore thumb now due to being so much more disciplined and hard working/aggressive than all of our other forwards. This probably contributes somewhat to point 1 above
3) Walking while in possession of the ball. Not a single United player did this, at a single point, in the entire 90 minutes. They were either running with it or passing it. I remember it infuriated me when this walking about in possession started to creep into our game, and now it seems to be standard, particularly for our defenders. Rio/Vidic (or Evans in this case) are giving the ball straight to the midfield or moving purposely into space. There isn't time for the opposition to set and face them and it visibly makes a difference because it means as soon as we're in possession we are on the attack. None of the 3 minutes of dithering about between the back four before the ball even attempts to go anywhere. Maybe this was a bit different if we played teams who sat back, but I don't remember it being.
4) The idea SAF was tactically naive or had started to be left behind by the modern game, I think is somewhat of a myth. The way were set up and playing was very similar to how a lot of the better sides play now. Aggressive and organised out of possession and then direct in possession, but with little to no percentage balls. VDS sweeping around is area and rarely if ever punting it aimlessly up the pitch apart from in the 90th minute. Boxing opponents in, passing patterns, deliberate exploiting of space. The team pressing and dropping off as a unit with noticeable difference between pressing and defensive shape. It was blatant there was a lot of tactical organisation drilled into the team and I think that's something it was harder to notice at the time because we'd just take it for granted as a basic base level of every performance, for years. I would say the pace and athleticism of the game in the modern day has definitely increased, but even so I don't think many current teams could live with that United side as it was then, because there was just no real let up in the physicality and its not like any of them were slow.
5) Howard Webb was a genuinely terrible referee, even by today's standards. I mean Jesus fecking christ. No wonder things are getting worse under him.
6) Craig Bellamy. Not a point to note other than that I forgot how irrationally angry he always was. What a weirdo.
A few (mainly obvious) things that it was pretty difficult not to note due to how stark the contract was:
1) We used to have MUCH better footballers. Near enough every pass was precise, every player could bring the ball under control and keep possession even under tight pressure from multiple opponents. Most of the decision making was very good. Every player seemed both composed but would also move the ball immediately rather than need 2-3 seconds to think about where to play it. Every single pass seemed to have a forward thinking purpose to it. No one was falling to the floor the second they were challenged because they were all strong enough to hold the opponent off unless there was an opportunistic reason to win a foul. Then obviously there's Scholes who would just make the whole game look easy. I don't think its an exaggeration to say any player in that team would be our best player now. Apart from probably Fletcher, but then even with him I'm not sure if he was just quiet because Carrick and Scholes were next to him.
2) We used to have players who worked MUCH harder and were far more pro-active. A little bit damning on the current team, but watching this game back really brought it into contrast. Every player is constantly on the move. Defensively as soon as the ball is loose there is ALWAYS a United player either first to pick it up or immediately challenging for it. The reaction is instant. As soon as one player engages defensively, the forward or midfielder on that side is reacting to act as cover. The team looked like a well drilled hard working unit and you could see how much more difficult it was making it for an actually pretty decent City side to even string a spell of possession together. Compare that to now where I wouldn't say we are lazy, but most of our players don't even seem to react until an opponent has already picked up the ball. Even Nani who I remember being quite infuriating, would stick out like a sore thumb now due to being so much more disciplined and hard working/aggressive than all of our other forwards. This probably contributes somewhat to point 1 above
3) Walking while in possession of the ball. Not a single United player did this, at a single point, in the entire 90 minutes. They were either running with it or passing it. I remember it infuriated me when this walking about in possession started to creep into our game, and now it seems to be standard, particularly for our defenders. Rio/Vidic (or Evans in this case) are giving the ball straight to the midfield or moving purposely into space. There isn't time for the opposition to set and face them and it visibly makes a difference because it means as soon as we're in possession we are on the attack. None of the 3 minutes of dithering about between the back four before the ball even attempts to go anywhere. Maybe this was a bit different if we played teams who sat back, but I don't remember it being.
4) The idea SAF was tactically naive or had started to be left behind by the modern game, I think is somewhat of a myth. The way were set up and playing was very similar to how a lot of the better sides play now. Aggressive and organised out of possession and then direct in possession, but with little to no percentage balls. VDS sweeping around is area and rarely if ever punting it aimlessly up the pitch apart from in the 90th minute. Boxing opponents in, passing patterns, deliberate exploiting of space. The team pressing and dropping off as a unit with noticeable difference between pressing and defensive shape. It was blatant there was a lot of tactical organisation drilled into the team and I think that's something it was harder to notice at the time because we'd just take it for granted as a basic base level of every performance, for years. I would say the pace and athleticism of the game in the modern day has definitely increased, but even so I don't think many current teams could live with that United side as it was then, because there was just no real let up in the physicality and its not like any of them were slow.
5) Howard Webb was a genuinely terrible referee, even by today's standards. I mean Jesus fecking christ. No wonder things are getting worse under him.
6) Craig Bellamy. Not a point to note other than that I forgot how irrationally angry he always was. What a weirdo.
