Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Roberto Martinez's great escapists, Wigan, last Saturday was all
about the old guard, with starts for the likes of Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand,
and the impeccable Paul Scholes.
They all played their part in the routine win, not least
Scholes, who orchestrated the play from midfield before showing precision
timing to convert from close range, and open the scoring in what was his 700th
appearance for the club.
There have been fears though among United supporters that
age will soon catch up with the old guard, leaving a huge hole in the Red
Devils’ starting XI.
Well, despite not possessing the unlimited resources like
his near neighbours, United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, does appear to be looking
towards the future, with two of his summer signings showing signs of their
potential.
First, full-back, Alex Buttner, a low key arrival from
Vitesse, put in a stirring display that will put real pressure on Patrice Evra.
The young Dutchman never stopped running, looking solid at
the back as well as getting forward to support the attacks.
In the second half, one of his forays into the penalty area produced
the decisive second goal, his sweeping cross-shot deflected home by Javier
Hernandez.
Three minutes later, it got even better, the 23-year-old
skipping past three players in the box before firing in a shot that squirmed
past Ali Al-Habsi for a dream debut goal.
With the game won, Ferguson withdrew Giggs and Scholes, with
former Crewe youngster, Nick Powell, coming onto the field.
Within minutes, the 18-year-old collected the ball 25 yards
out before powering home a spectacular fourth. It was a strike reminiscent of
Scholes and one that suggested Powell could well fill the great man’s boots after
all.
The talk before the game was about the old guard; the talk
after it was about the new generation. Fergie looks like he has done it again.
Follow the link for the latest news on the Premier League
and Champions League, as well as the latest betting picks from Lee Dixon.
No comments:
Post a Comment