Lots of clubs are one bad result away from a crisis. In Manchester United’s case, make that one good result.
Beat Sunderland at Old Trafford tonight and David Moyes’s team are condemned to a Capital One Cup Final against Manchester City, whom Manuel Pellegrini has made a football machine of daunting efficiency.
Pellegrini tried to dilute his side at West Ham and failed. All he did was reach Wembley on a 9-0 aggregate and unveil a new star in Marcos Lopes. So City even have an answer to Adnan Januzaj.
Lopes, born in Brazil but raised in Portugal, is just 18 — nearly a year younger than the United prodigy. He was likewise nicked from another club’s academy — Januzaj came from Anderlecht, Lopes from Benfica — and his talent similarly catches your breath.
While he seamlessly combined with Sergio Aguero, the likes of Costel Pantilimon, Dedryck Boyata and Joleon Lescott kept a clean sheet against the Hammers, whose return to League action at Chelsea next Wednesday seems likely to be just as passive.
While Sam Allardyce’s lot are the butt of East London, United suffer Mancunian wit (“once they were Goliath — and then came David”). Even if they win tonight, City folk will chortle that it gives them a chance of getting back to where they belong — the Europa League.
But the joke will eventually pall. I am not forecasting a Wembley shock — though Birmingham did beat Arsenal in this event three years ago — or even that United will sweep aside an improving Sunderland.
Moyes, however, has time and money on his side. The signing of Juan Mata will just be the start. Later will come the exit of Wayne Rooney, possibly in exchange for Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale.
And the new team will have the muscle Financial Fair Play gives United. Although there’s concern about the owners, crisis obliges the Glazers to choose between investing or getting out. Either way, United fans will smile again.
