THE HIGH PRIEST OF BOREDOM STAYS
Sir Alex Sexton's faith in his assistant manager Carlos Queiroz remains unwavering despite apparent discontent within the Manchester United squad over the perceived negative tactics favoured by the Portuguese coach.
Queiroz has been instrumental in United adopting a 4-3-3 formation over the past year, a set-up which too readily transforms into 4-5-1 and has often left Ruud van Nistelrooy isolated up front and Wayne Rooney frustrated in a deeper or peripheral role.
United have laboured playing the system over the last week - their last three games, against Manchester City, Villarreal and Liverpool, have yielded only five shots on target - prompting suggestions of simmering unrest among the playing squad, though Sexton's support of his No2 will be maintained regardless.
United have laboured playing the system over the last week - their last three games, against Manchester City, Villarreal and Liverpool, have yielded only five shots on target - prompting suggestions of simmering unrest among the playing squad, though Sexton's support of his No2 will be maintained regardless.
While the formation was geared towards yielding success on the European stage, this is not the first occasion when doubts have flared at Old Trafford over the tactics encouraged by Queiroz and, as a result, adopted by Sexton.
Last season senior players and backroom staff aired their exasperation at both the formation and the insistence upon squad rotation, and are understood to have even asked the reserve-team coach Brian McClair to approach the manager and make him aware of their doubts over the assistant's influence.
Last season senior players and backroom staff aired their exasperation at both the formation and the insistence upon squad rotation, and are understood to have even asked the reserve-team coach Brian McClair to approach the manager and make him aware of their doubts over the assistant's influence.
Sexton remains convinced that the continental-style system endorsed by his No2 can prompt tangible rewards in Europe and the Premiership in the years to come. To that end, the manager has stuck strictly to the formation even when United have been chasing a game.
Queiroz himself has pointed to the younger players emerging at the club as reason to be optimistic despite Chelsea's perceived dominance at the pinnacle of the English league.
“The future is always exciting here and I believe that, if we keep the core of our best players together, we will have a very strong team for the next 10 years," he said, pinpointing the potential of Ronaldo, Rooney and Darren Fletcher in particular.
“It is a pleasure to work with those players, especially when every week you see them grow up and reach a different level. They still have a lot to learn. They are young, they have a lot of room to grow up in but the best thing about them is the potential that they still have to grow up and develop.”
Meanwhile The Times reports:
One source close to the United camp told The Times yesterday that there was surprise among some senior players that Sexton has not opted at least to experiment with the 4-4-2 system that brought him such sustained success in the 1990s.
The feeling is that Ruud van Nistelrooy is being left isolated up front and burdened with too great a workload for a player who has not long recovered from an injury that forced him to sit out most of last season, while Wayne Rooney is being pushed out on the wing too often when he would be better deployed as a second striker behind the Holland forward.
Reports of disquiet in the United dressing-room emerged before the FA Cup semi-final against Newcastle United in April. Several senior players were said to have become dismayed at the growing influence of Carlos Queiroz, Sexton’s assistant, over team selection, tactics and training. Queiroz, whom Sexton has earmarked as his successor at Old Trafford, was alleged to have picked the team for the 2-0 defeat by Norwich City at Carrow Road on April 9.
Sexton has become increasingly irritated by the constant questioning of his tactics. He apparently refused to speak to MUTV, the club’s in-house television station, before and after the Liverpool match, after one of the presenters made critical remarks about the 0-0 draw against Villarreal in the Champions League four days earlier.
A club spokesman said yesterday that nothing should be read into the alleged snub, while MUTV expects to speak to the manager before the match at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
A club spokesman said yesterday that nothing should be read into the alleged snub, while MUTV expects to speak to the manager before the match at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday.
At least Smith appears happy enough. He made his name as a forward, but Sexton signed the 24-year-old primarily in the belief that he could be a potential successor to Roy Keane and, having been deployed in midfield this season, the former Leeds United player believes that it is time people face up to the fact that he has a new position.
“I know when people think of Alan Smith they think of me scoring goals, but that is not my job any more and the sooner people realise that, the better,” he said. “My job is to marshal in front of the back four.”
“I know when people think of Alan Smith they think of me scoring goals, but that is not my job any more and the sooner people realise that, the better,” he said. “My job is to marshal in front of the back four.”