The Declaration Of Martial Law...

Perhaps only when Michael Carrick writes his auto-biography (He looks like the studious type), Wayne Rooney's is ghost-written or a Chelsea rat currently breeding in the Manchester United locker room snitches, may we fully understand the internal politics at play in some of the team selections in this 2016/17 season which is turning out to be quite remarkable.

There have been puzzling selections which are made further confounding when the rationale for such choices are explained.

Without pretending to be the manager, a superficial analysis of what is evidently required to make the team more efficient can be projected by majority of fans and these have so far been proved correct over the course of the season: Neither Smalling nor Fellaini should ordinarily be a starter (and I'm employing all the euphemism I can muster in that statement), Memphis Depay should be let go for his own good, Carrick should get game-time and there was no way a supposedly then not-up-to-scratch Henrikh Mkhitaryan could have been worse off than what was on show earlier in the season.

Two more seemingly obvious battles are still yet to be won in this regard. The first is making Juan Mata start from the right wing. I will be the first to admit that the team has mostly gotten away with it and has in fact looked pretty at times when employing this tactic but it's just not right that a slightly-built and slow world-class creator is shunted to the wing while a similarly gifted but speedy technician is played in the middle. Yes, Mikki has been productive in that role and indeed anywhere he has been asked to play but I dare say the effectiveness of the team can be improved by 200% if the roles are interchanged as we witnessed in the build up to the 1st goal against Watford yesterday.

The 2nd battle, which I have picked up as a personal campaign, is the apparent marginalisation of Anthony Martial. One match will of course never tell the full story but it has been further solidified that there is none better than Martial on the left side for United, the reasons which were fully on show yesterday and I have previously explained. Simply put, Martial is currently untouchable in that position. But in the words of the Mourinho;

"I'm happy with Anthony's last two weeks of work. The way he faced the work, hard work, with more concentration and more determination...That's why I gave him this gift, to start this game. Normally, after Leicester, I'd start with the same players and keep Marcus in the team. I just felt that Marcus doesn't need a boost because he's playing all the time. Anthony was maybe feeling a little bit down and needed a gift. He answered in the best way." 

If another non-English manager made the above statement, I would have dismissed some of the phrasings as translation gremlins. But Mourinho is a very smart witty man who uses apt literary figures of speech to drive home his points so his comments shall be evaluated exactly as stated:

1. "last two weeks of work" - Martial's last game before yesterday was a Man-of-the-Match performance against Wigan in the FA Cup where he provided 2 assists and generally terrorised Wigan's back (and waist) line. See match article here . Martial has also been involved in more EPL goals for United than any other player since his debut (22. 14 goals and 8 assists). I can not phantom just how 'lazy' Martial may have been in the last 2 weeks not to warrant a look in to the current United squad.

2. "...this gift, to start this game/needed a gift" - An outright insult. I simply can't interpret this in any other way. Martial has arguably been our most in-form attacker since the turn of the year. He merits his place in the starting line-up. Mourinho considering what should be an objective decision a 'gift' reeks of mischief and perhaps maybe the rumoured attempts to shunt the player out of the club are not so far-fetched after all...

3. "...I'd start with the same players and keep Marcus in the team"  - There are too many things wrong with this statement. Mourinho doesn't usually start with the same team whether after victory or draw. Check. Marcus has clearly not been that effective in that left-sided attacking role. Check. Talking about to "keep Marcus in the team" like it's an obligation rather than an unbiased decision. Check.

Add to the above the already developing paranoia of watching Zlatan and Pogba, the BFFs, several times ignore a free Martial and attempt to pass to each another even when in more constricted positions (however both somewhat regularly make ill-considered passes even when Martial is not on the pitch so...). Martial admittedly also made a couple of wrong final passes in the 18' which I suspect is due to the irrational habit of  our attackers attempting to locate Zlatan even when better placed to shoot or make runs. I kept yelling like at Martial to lift his now slumping shoulders and 'pepper dem' like I know only he can (Apparently, even his chief antagonist was screaming something similar) as any perceived sub-par or average performance could lead to a cruel justification of extended wood time.

Thankfully, Martial came good and ended the game with a goal, an assist, a resounding standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful and a(nother) Man-of-the-Match award.

Mr. Jose Mourinho over to you. Do not let fickle emotions over-rule common sense. Remember your recent past. I still want to believe that you are a smart man...

To the game itself, despite what was stellar-football in the first 31 minutes, profligate finishing and 'supernatural' goalkeeping (I say this firmly tongue in cheek) meant the score-line remained goalless.  A Martial mis-kick. The Herrara balloon. Mikki's miss. Zlatan's land to air missiles and point blank saved header. Pogba's, (who had what can be positively termed a 'decent' game) close attempts. The mercurial Mata however came to the rescue by starting and finishing a very good goal in the 32nd minute. 

From then on, United was in control while playing one of its best matches of the season. De Gea had little to do, King Bailly was awesome as usual. Any other defender paired with Eric is the best defensive partnership for the team. He combines the power of Vidic with the silkiness of Rio. Arguably our best summer acquisition. Smalling was decent as was Blind. Herrara and Pogba were appropriate for an attacking formation holding midfield. The only "MMM" I support (Martial, Mata and Mkhitaryan) was excellent and should be the starting trident behind the striker. These fellows 'provide help' and 'get help' for each other.

Zlatan had one of those games that remind that a much mobile, younger and even clinical striker is required to execute the challenge of coming seasons. Zlatan is an excellent player without a doubt but just as true is the fact that he's at the sunset of his career and cannot be considered long term. He's been mostly the saviour in this campaign but he's just as responsible for some of those annoying draws. He's earned the extra year but the attack and indeed game-play should be gradually deconstructed from him as the focal point ("Hi, Rooney!").

Manchester United moved to 5th place for about 2 hours before reverting to 6th again. But it's a happy 6th in context. Only 2 points separate the 2nd to 6th placed teams. Spurs (2) and Arsenal (3) on 50, Liverpool (4) and City (5)(with a game in hand) on 49 and then United on 48. It's not a bad place to be. Considering United still get to play four of the top 5, a lot will rest on the results of those games as goal difference may not be in our favour and should not be relied on. These are the games that the manager should use to earn his pay. The squad is mostly settled now and the quality is not far below any of the other top teams. We are on the crest of an unbeaten 16-run wave and have momentum. Not only is top 4 achievable but the top 2 actually is. 

Our next EPL game is against Bournemouth on the 4th of March. We should hopefully be League Cup winners, into the Europa Cup Round of 16 and the FA Cup Quarterfinals by then. We shouldn't let this opportunity slip.

Next up is the Pogba family re-union on Thursday. United play St. Etienne at Old Trafford in the 1st leg of the Europa Round of 16. Pogba's elder brother, Florentin, is a centre-half for the French side. I expect him to have the more conservative hair-cut and result on the day. And the Reds keep marching on...

Signing Out,

B.L...

In Other News:

* Who has seen the movie 'The Birth Of A Nation' directed by and starring a before now relatively unknown Nat Parker? Without delving into the politics and controversies that later surrounded the release of the film, I think it is one of the most important films of our time. You will see how scriptures and indeed any set of rules or direction can be spun into dangerous propaganda to keep you enslaved. You will be reminded about the power of literacy and knowledge. You may begin to understand the difference between 'freedom' and 'liberty'. A powerful film I strongly recommend.

*Manchester City won the league 3 years ago ago and effectively sacked their manager before Christmas 2015. Chelsea won the league a year after and you-know-who was out of a job before year-end. Leicester City are the reigning champions... 

*Kevin Durant made his 1st return to Oklahoma since his vex-inducing trade to the 'enemy' Golden State Warriors. It was everything you expected and then some. Boos, 'cupcake' T-shirts, a smattering of cheers, an intensely emotional game, trash talking between Durant and triple-double accumulator, Russell Westbrook and of course some highlight reels. It wasn't however particularly competitive. The Warriors won by 130-114. They'll do it all over again next month.

And how was YOUR weekend?