JUST THE TRUTH....Source of the truth cannever make nonsense of it. Daily Mails Jamie Redknapp: When you look at the players in midfield at Manchester United and Chelsea, it’s hard to see anyone from United making it into Jose Mourinho’s side. They will think that’s a slur but unfortunately for them it’s a fact. Michael Carrick is a very good player and would have made it, but Nemanja Matic makes that tough for him now. Adnan Januzaj could become world class, but you still wouldn’t pick him ahead of Eden Hazard at the moment. United are not short of good players, they’re short of great players. They won the league at a canter last season, so this is not a bad squad, but every other side improved over the summer and United got left behind. They are missing that stardust and, particularly when Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie do not play, they are missing match- winners. Januzaj has been sensational and one of David Moyes’s most productive players, but, him apart, United lack creativity in the middle. Chelsea’s midfielders have scored 26 Premier League goals this season while United’s have scored just seven. Only Januzaj and Antonio Valencia have any assists (two each) and the entire United midfield has made just 96 chances. Between them, Eden Hazard, Oscar, Willian and Juan Mata have created 122 chances and across the squad, eight Chelsea midfielders have assisted goals. It’s that kind of creativity United are crying out for. It’s a shame for Marouane Fellaini that he’s injured, because with Rooney out, Moyes could have used him further forward as another option. Even so, I’m still not sure he is a United player. Towards the end of my career, when I lined up in the tunnel against them, you would look across and see Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. They were the game-changers but it’s hard to see that in the current United midfield. Instead, it’s Chelsea who have the exceptional talents. Hazard is the form man, but anyone in football won’t be surprised by his progress. Joe Cole said he was the best player he’d played with while he was on loan at Lille and now, with extra experience, he is performing out of his skin. Willian has really impressed me, too, and is a lot tougher than I thought he would be. We all know how good Oscar is. Then you look at the rest of Chelsea’s midfielders and the strength in depth is obvious. Any club that can afford to leave Mata on the bench is a contender for the title.
Posted on: Sat, 18 Jan 2014 06:54:07 +0000
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