Shot from Distance 4.8.2010: Fergie's lost the plot, again.

If this isn't the best piece I have ever written, it's because "typical Germans" have placed an influence on how I write my blogs.

Because Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher, Edwin van der Sar, or Wayne Rooney would never, ever try to influence the referee into a decision. No not them, they behave like little angels..................... you can see I obviously have a lot of time for Sir Alex's remarks after United went out on away goals to Bayern Munich yesterday in the UEFA Champions League. I need to start by berating the people who have put comments to articles or message boards that insist Fergie's comments about "typical Germans" were racist. Racist would have been if the Grumpy Scot would have dropped an n-bomb on us in referring to Didier Drogba and his offside goal on Saturday. If you want to call it taking a jab at a culture, then you are on the right track.
Yes, I think the comment was over the top, and I might give some leeway to the fact that the match ended, his team was bounced at home, and he was furious about it. Yet, never, never, never, never attack a culture or a creed or a religion in any post game rant. He is only making himself fair game to the rest of us. It's bad enough he has a whine and a pop at the officials after seemingly every match he lost. When he wins, Ferguson credits his players and the opposition for the effort. When he loses, an official's fault. At least that's the priority and after that is a small quip about the other team being deserving, or in the case of yesterday, a wonder goal that sent them out.
Finally, it's not "typical German" behavior, it's gamesmanship no matter who is playing. Whether you like it or not, all teams do it. I remember a couple years back when Liverpool and Inter played, Marco Materazzi was on a yellow, he fouls Fernando Torres. Torres looks up at the official with 2 fingers in the air to signal "2nd yellow." Of course Materazzi's tackle was a little harsher than Rafael's challenge, but nonetheless the influence came from Torres (might not have mattered but he did it anyway). Players and managers will work the officials. It happens in football, and it pretty much happens in every other sport (college hoop season just finished, and Coach K for Duke is a master at this).

So Rafael was sent off and everyone wants to say that was the turning point. To me that's a typical loser excuse, seen and heard it enough. I have a few things for the United players and their oenophiliac of a manager (wine lover for those of you who are inadequately educated) to consider for the next time:

1. Pay Attention. The loss of concentration from the United players when they did have 11 players out there contributed to their downfall far more than Rafael being sent off. Simply look at the two goals from Ivica Olic over the tie. Evra getting dispossessed way too cheaply toward the end of the first leg and the lack of defenders and poor marking on the goal at Old Trafford just before halftime in the 2nd leg. If you're good enough to lift the cup with the big ears, you need to avoid both of those situations and close things out.
2. Wayne Rooney can't be the be-all end-all of how you perform. If you're relying on one player to get it done for you, or to even inspire you, it's pretty surprising you got this far in the first place. If you're playing for a team like Manchester United, that should mean you are a professional playing at the highest level. Yes, Wayne Rooney is very influential, and up until his injury was maybe neck and neck with Messi in World Player of the Year status. However, it becomes what the team can do. United had 90 minutes without Rooney against Chelsea, and had a sample of what they needed to do to adjust without his presence. So when they had to bring him off, the team should have stepped up, no matter how many men they had out there. Nani took cue, but the rest of the team looked far too complacent. Which leads me to......
3. No matter the numbers, you have to have a striker out there. If anything, to have a reference for the other 8 players and goalkeeper to play to. I think Ferguson is a managerial genius, all those trohies say so. But that should have been a double-substitution on 55 minutes, with Berbatov on for Rooney and John O'Shea ending Darren Gibson's night (or Michael Carrick's). With no true striker, that is an unreasonable amount of pressure for United's rearguard to absorb. Sir should claim some responsibility for that and soon, to deflect the attention of his cultural jab.

I have only been aware of one occasion where Ferguson conceded defeat, that was last season's Champions League final loss to Barcelona. And the way that match went, he had no choice but to credit the Blaugrana. This is just something we're going to have to live with when you are talking about Sir Alex Ferguson. A brilliant manager, one of the best of all time, but a man who endangers having his history tarnished because he continues to point fingers publicly than to accept responsibility.