United’s injury list could cost them the title

Manchester United’s injury problems don’t seem to be going away fast, with an injury list longer than any club in the premier League Sir Alex is being forced into a very different kind of game.

The kind where his wingers and midfielders are being used to shore up the gaping holes in his backline. Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick drew rave reviews after their performance against Wigan and rightly so. Carrick dictated the pace of the game, in a fashion I haven’t seen since he became a useless pile of player at United. Valencia’s raids down the touchline were a nightmare for Wigan’s back-three, but how long can they keep up with this.

Surely in the next fixture, if Phil Jones is fit, then a pairing of Chris Smalling and the ex-Blackburn man should be paired. Their fixture against Steve Kean’s Blackburn should provide a veritable aerial bombardment for the United backline, with Chris Samba, Yakubu and Scott Dann all towering over the makeshift back four Sir Alex is being forced to field.

Sir Alex does have Ezekiel Fryers on the bench, but a baptism of fire against a team who will rarely want to play any ‘football’ may be too early. So my question is will United look for defensive reinforcements in January.

Of course not, Sir Alex believes in his methods and will not reinforce over January, he will rely on the torrid form of Jonny Evans and the aging Rio Ferdinand while utilizing the future of England’s central defence in central midfield.  

I’m not saying that Sir Alex’s faith in his current squad is wrong; I just believe that without fit central defenders and full backs against the better sides. The Arsenal’s the Chelsea’s and of course the Man City’s, they will be found wanting.

I said it here first. United defenders get fit soon, or El Thrashico (6-1) could be again on the horizon.