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Manchester United Comment: Vidic To The Rescue As Defenders Drop Like Flies
Serbian must find his best form and forge rock-solid defence
18-Nov-2009 5:15:51 PM
Nemanja Vidic has returned to fitness at the perfect time as Jonny Evans and Rio Ferdinand are keeping the physiotherapists at Manchester United busy.
At this stage last season, Vidic was the guiding light in the club’s push for a 14-match clean sheet record that earned him a third Premier League winner’s medal. He will need to be the defensive leader again in the coming weeks as he bears the burden of plugging the gaps emerging at the rear.
The Serbian international’s 45-minute run out against Evans’ Northern Ireland ended at the same moment as his colleague pulled out with a calf strain. Ferdinand didn’t even get to add another England cap to his collection as his long-standing injury curse struck again a fortnight ago.
With fit centre-backs at a premium, Sir Alex Ferguson will have his fingers crossed that Vidic comes through tonight’s World Cup warm-up against South Korea unscathed. Another blow and Wes Brown will be the only experienced hand the manager has to call on in that area for the weekend visit of Everton.
The galvanising effect that the Serbian colossus’ participation should have cannot be overstated. Suspension and a calf knock of his own have prevented him taking to the pitch since the humiliating 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in October.
At this stage last season, Vidic was the guiding light in the club’s push for a 14-match clean sheet record that earned him a third Premier League winner’s medal. He will need to be the defensive leader again in the coming weeks as he bears the burden of plugging the gaps emerging at the rear.
The Serbian international’s 45-minute run out against Evans’ Northern Ireland ended at the same moment as his colleague pulled out with a calf strain. Ferdinand didn’t even get to add another England cap to his collection as his long-standing injury curse struck again a fortnight ago.
With fit centre-backs at a premium, Sir Alex Ferguson will have his fingers crossed that Vidic comes through tonight’s World Cup warm-up against South Korea unscathed. Another blow and Wes Brown will be the only experienced hand the manager has to call on in that area for the weekend visit of Everton.
The galvanising effect that the Serbian colossus’ participation should have cannot be overstated. Suspension and a calf knock of his own have prevented him taking to the pitch since the humiliating 2-0 defeat to Liverpool in October.
Sidelined | Evans and Ferdinand are out
Vidic saw red that day, but exorcised the demons of last season as his accomplished display made him the star man at the back. A soft first booking led to his marching orders for another offence later in the match, but his bruising confrontation with Fernando Torres beforehand hinted at a return to the form that saw a clean sweep of the awards at the in-house Player of the Year ceremony in May.
That United took until March last season to concede the same volume of goals registered at present has owed much to his and Ferdinand’s patchy form. Slow to kick into gear at the start of a campaign, he has always cranked up the pace as the hectic Christmas schedule looms, though.
The trick must be repeated to claw back the five-point gap to table-toppers Chelsea. Understudies Brown and Evans performed beyond expectations in the 1-0 reversal at Stamford Bridge, but memories of their abysmal appearance in shipping three goals to Russian also-rans CSKA Moscow are hard to forget.
Vidic has not been without fault, but possesses the pedigree to drag his team-mates through the winter months. He must step up to the mark once more to ensure the Mancunians race out of the blocks when domestic duty resumes this weekend.
Matt Monaghan
Inside Goal.Com
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