United’s Display At Anfield Showed Why Moyes Should Never Have Let Ozil Join Arsenal

As Manchester United watched Mesut Ozil join rivals Arsenal on deadline day, United fan ‘Devanney1’ tells us why the loss at Liverpool showed why the club should have signed the German international.

When Moyes named his team for Sunday’s game a feeling of dread hit my stomach. On the wings were Ryan Giggs and Ashley Young – who has had about three good games for United – signified a long, drab and disappointing afternoon; and that is what United fans got culminating in a 1-0 defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool. Ninety minuets of miss placed passes and juggling the ball tirelessly along the back line with no ideas how to create an opening for the ever increasingly frustrated Van Persie, worryingly it looked a lot like the Chelsea game.

The more I sat there shouting and swearing like a lunatic at the television for substitutions to be made the more I realised that Moyes’ options were severely limited. Who could make a difference? Kagawa did not make the bench, neither did Zaha. Wide players like Nani and Valencia have flattered to deceived for the last twelve months (although both are better players than Young). In central areas our only option was Anderson from the bench: another midfielder who has not had too many good games of late.

In the 63rd minute  when Nani replaced Young and then struggled to control a simple pass gifting the ball back to Gerrard I had an epiphany, a realisation; we have the weakest midfield in the top six. I looked at the team sheets again, and I hate to admit it but I realised I would have chosen Liverpool’s midfield over ours.

To return to Moyes’ lack of options and United’s weak midfield, I am not defending him, but blaming him. Moyes and Woodward have known since the 1st of July that our midfield was not up to scratch, especially in central areas. So what does he do? He freezes the one beacon of hope for our midfield, Kagawa, from the first team and refuses to buy any other players except Fellaini.  On the occasion United did try to sign anyone who would improve the team they dithered after the unattainable Cesc Fabregas or Thiago Alacantra.

And then on deadline day, United  had a chance to make a statement of intent by signing Mesuit Ozil but have let a genuinely world class player go to the Emirates instead. Word is, according to journalists at Sky Sports News, that United don’t need a player in Ozil’s position. What? We played Young and a forty year old Ryan Giggs on the right wing, we created one clear cut chance in ninety minuets. And we don’t need Ozil? Who last season created 17 assists and scored ten goals. Ozil is exactly the type of player United needed on Sunday, a world class creative talent. That is what United have needed for the last five years.

It has been ten years since a United midfielder, Paul Scholes, got in to double figures in the goals tally. With this in mind, United’s transfer philosophy looks even more ridiculous than Arsenal’s, who at least have signed one world class player this season – Ozil.

The reluctance to sign Ozil and United’s lack of ‘bite’ in the market in Moyes first season has set a dangerous precedent, if we are the champions of England and cannot attract the top names what chance will we have next summer? To be honest, with United’s midfield I cannot see them getting close to successive titles, not with the improvement from the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and I hate to say it even Liverpool.

It could be a long season with a lack of any real creativity and Mouranne Fellaini sadly for United fans is not going to change that.

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What do United fans think? Should we have pushed the boat out to sign Ozil? Share your views below.