Where is the Midfield?

I know, I know. Its still early days and definitely too early to start moaning about Manchester United's performance this season. After all, its just one defeat. I didn't see the match last night but can't say I hadn't seen it coming. The United midfield looked sordid in the Community Shield and in Saturday's game and all it took was a team with some spunk and toughness like Burnley to hand us that inevitable defeat.

The Detractors are truly out this time, sharpening their blades, waiting for this weekend's trip to the DW. Normally I do not give much credence to their never-ending tantrums choose to put my faith in Fergie instead but this time around I cannot help but feel that there is substance in what they are saying.

So I went through the squad and came up with some combinations but failed to come up with a XI that would win us matches week in week out. There is no bite, no spark( whatever you want to call it) and I think the problem essentially lies in the midfield. Yes, Our injured list in the defence is long. With both Vida and Rio out we always look a bit shaky back there. The right backs have been a source of headache for three seasons running now. Gary hasn't had a good season in years and looks lost when he plays. Wes Brown and Hargreaves have been perennially crocked and now I hear that we are planning to extend Hargreaves' contract....SWEET! The Da Silva twins are too immature, especially Rafael. They are good going forward but can't defend for their lives.

The Midfield
I refuse to talk about Ronaldo here....Enough has been said..Lets look at the squad we have.

Fletch is good, hard working, a fighter but he is no Roy Keane. He can't get you the goals nor is he creative as Scholesy. Scholesy plays a good game once in a while but age is catching up with him and I can't see him playing two games a week come the Champions League. Carrick has never looked threatening especially when the opponents have been able to pressure(read muscle) the midfield. The Champions League final against Chelsea was a great case in this point. Carrick had a really great first half but once Chelsea tightened the screws in the second he was struggling to find his feet. Anderson and Nani are the worst buys we made in years and I am shocked Fergie has persisted with them. I haven't seen any improvement in either for years and they are just plain "shite". Valencia is a good runner and crosser, again, I can't see him giving us the goals. Park is a runner and hard worker, and the new kid Obertan, I have no clue.

Giggsy has been our best midfielder over the past year. He is aging like wine. That pass in the Community shield to Rooney for the late equaliser...What a peach!! But he has the same problem as Scholesy....too old for the league.

Now, I can't put together a four that can win us matches consistently, far less the Champions league and the Premiership.

I think its time Fergie dipped his fingers into the transfer cookie jar and came up with some quality. David Silva on the left would be a nice addition....Swap him for Nani plus money, I say.(though I don't think any self-respecting team would pay for Nani..but I thought the same about Adebayor...worth 25 mn pounds now!!) At 23, he would be a great investment for the future. He is a wonderfully creative passer and has a pretty good goal-scoring record . His critics rant that he has no right foot but Nani doesn't have either!!

Rafael Van der Vaart is also a great option....At 12.5 mn pounds he is a steal. He can add that creativity that our mid is lacking so badly now and he can score goals and take free kicks. He is also young enough and has a good fitness record( not another Hargreaves, please)

For about 25 mn I think we can have a couple of very decent midfielders and shell off Nani(what a relief!!) Hey, when we gave 30 mn for Berba we can afford to give this much for two players who I am sure can set us right for this season and the future.

For all those who think I have panicked after a loss to Burnley I would like to say that I am glad we have lost early. History has it that we have done best when we lose early in the season. I just hope we have enough ammunition to turn it around this time.

Economics for the Soul

i just wrapped up my first set of mid-terms at IIM Bangalore. I barely scraped through the three hectic days(six subjects)....had to make do with only 4 hours sleep in that time!! The results are not out yet but I am not worried. Its not because I have done exceedingly well, just that my studies have taught me a couple of things(at last!!) that serve as a balm for the losers and the depressed. So I decided to go ahead and share them here to ease the pain of others ;-)

Concept 1
Sunk Cost
I learnt this in micro-economics and it goes like this: sunk costs are costs that cannot be recovered once they have been incurred. Any future action will not take this cost into consideration. In English, this would mean that once we have done something we should not worry about it and it should not affect our future action. Drawing the corollary, just don't worry about anything you have done.Its sunk..its gone.( Economists have just stolen this from common sense, I guess.
(Check out this for more on Economists....http://www.youtube.comwatch?v=VVp8UGjECt4)

Concept 2
Hindsight and the Curse of Knowledge
You may not believe me but this is actually a concept, not in economics per se....But it finds application there. So I went ahead and included it under the head anyway. So here is how it goes....
Suppose I did not study for the exam. Before the exam I felt that my time would be best spent by watching a movie/ playing a game/ chatting up random girls ( things that would have made me happy then or what I thought was best for me then) . Now, If I fare poorly in the exam then I can console myself with the argument I had based my earlier decision without knowing that the paper was going to be tough. Based on the information that was available to me before the exam I had made a rational decision. So what I had done was right. So what am I crying about now if that is so??
For the more mathematically inclined, I am recalibrating prior probabilities on hindsight which I cannot do.
Really Cool Concept!

I guess If I fail at everything then I will turn to Economics . I have many such useless(read useful) pearls of wisdom in my bag which I can dole out to poor MBA students.
So go out and enjoy life...there is a perfectly good reason for you to do so now.