NEIL MOXLEY From blockbuster to faded TV soap opera
Fwolwloww. Tew. eurk: @peoplesport THERE was a time when the world stopped for the latest episode in the explosive serial between two of English football’s genuine big-hitters.
Arsenal versus Manchester United guaranteed angst, aggro and drama – and it drew viewers from Bodmin to Boston and from Brisbane to Bogota.
None of them had more than a passing interest but, at 4pm on the appointed Sunday, that fixture guaranteed more action than a matinee blockbuster starring Harrison Ford or Sylvester Stallone.
If you were lucky, there was flying pizza, mad midfield t ackles, confrontation in the players’ tunnel, and head-to-head combat on the field.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger would set the scene in a build- up that barely disguised their contempt for one another. And then it would all kick off. There have been some iconic moments. Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira locking horns in the tunnel at Highbury after Manchester United’s Irishman stepped in to save poor Gary Neville from being picked on – that was probably the last time Red Nev was lost for words.
Antics
Then we had the sight of r e f e r e e Graham Pol l desperately trying to stand between the duo as they attempted to dominate the midfield battle. Thierry Henry scored one of the best goals of the Premier League era, thumping home a winner from 30 yards – and then produced a celebration to match. “Wazzup!” Remember? At Old Trafford, Wenger upset Fergie by winning the title on his own patch. Ouch, that must have hurt. But we have also seen Arsenal being smashed for eight and six, Wenger being sent to the stands and ending up on the dug-out like a naughty child. Martin Keown celebrated in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s face after a penalty miss; Cesc Fabregas was at the centre of a melee in the tunnel that sparked “Pizzagate”; Wayne Rooney took a tumble to end the Invincibles’ glory run – proving this week’s debate over Marcus Rashford’s antics is not new. Whenever THE LA ST WORD ...
those two Goliaths of the game went faceto-face – and normally the result had a significant bearing on the title race – then something had to give.
It was must-see because everyone knew that, with so many good players, so many egos, and two rival managers drunk on competitive spirit, it was inevitable sparks would fly.
Stardust
But that was then. And this is now. This week, Jose Mourinho talked about “resting” Manchester United’s players, while Arsenal have been an irrelevance in the race to land this year’s Premier League crown.
Looking down the cast list of the two sides, there is no stardust anywhere, apart from in Alexis Sanchez’s boots.
Mourinho’s most influential player has been Zlatan Ibrahimovic. A striker who is now nearer 40 than 30.
In midfield, Michael Carrick is still earning a living. He doesn’t look out of place. He will celebrate his 36th birthday in two months’ time.
David De Gea is the one player of genuine global quality in the ranks at Old Trafford and the club is fighting a rearguard action to keep hold of him, with Real Madrid’s quest likely to bear fruit this summer.
At the Emirates, the situation is no better. Sanchez is asking for £300,000 a week. Or else he will find it – and increased chances of silverware too – at Chelsea. Mesut Ozil is football’s equivalent of a flat-track bully. Produces against the ne’er- do- wells but consistently fails when it matters.
The rest of Wenger’s crew are energetic, talented, petulant – but miles off that vintage of yesteryear.
This clash no longer draws in those interested bystanders – because it’s not relevant. It should be, of course. But it isn’t. And until this fixture features box-office players, going to war in games where neither team would take a step back, both Manchester United and Arsenal know exactly where they stand.
And that is some way behind the rest.