THE ROOT CAUSE OF UNITED'S PROBLEMS

Back in mid-September RI reported on the Sanctuary:

‘Word reaches RI (from associates of ****) that Queiroz called a meeting pre-season and effectively told the players: "Chelsea won the league with sixteen 1-0s last season, that's what we've got to aim for." The implication was that if United get a goal lead the priority is to defend it, not to chase a second.’

Today’s Guardian reports Queirozzzzz’s comments yesterday:

Sir Alex Ferguson made a staunch defence of Carlos Queirozzzz at the weekend and yesterday it was the turn of the Manchester United manager's increasingly prominent sidekick to speak for himself.

Making no apologies for bringing a more defensive approach to the club, the Portuguese assistant took a leaf out of the George Graham manual of management by stating that United should pick up the habit of winning more matches 1-0.

Queirozzzz's role at Old Trafford has become so extensive it might be a more accurate description of his job to call him joint manager. With the extra responsibilities - tactics, training and, increasingly, media duties - has come criticism from many supporters that he has brought conservative ploys to a club once famed for a spirit of adventure. Queirozzzz, however, is unruffled by the allegations.

"We trust ourselves and we trust our strategy. If you think about last season, there were many games when Chelsea won 1-0. We know if we defend properly and keep a clean sheet there will be chances to score one goal and we can win the game. And after that win we can get another win. More wins lead to more wins and when you have a couple of 1-0 wins they start to become two, three or four. This is the story of the game."

However it is difficult to believe that United's fans will accept that. Supporters want a return to the swashbuckling ways of old rather than those of a tactician who last month stated that "the final product is to defend well, avoid goals. If we need to defend with 10 players behind the ball, we are going to do that. Those results when you score three, four, five goals, they don't come often".

Yesterday he returned to the subject. "All great winning teams, attacking teams, they have a defensive approach. Look at the Chicago Bulls in basketball. They were the best attacking team in the league yet they won all their trophies in terms of their defensive approach to the game. The more you defend and the better you defend, the easier it is to attack."