It wasn’t the quest for second place that made Manchester United giddy with ambition at Highbury on Tuesday. We already knew how they looked when all they have to scrap over is the runners-up position in the Premiership. In May of last year, they could not stir themselves to stop Chelsea from taking that berth and drew 1-1 with them at Old Trafford.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were subdued and the crowd took the cue to sink into indifference. It was the last home match of the season and plenty of people had left before the players embarked on a half-hearted lap of honour at full-time.
United might still finish third again, but it is becoming clearer than ever that the club dare not allow their prestige to come into question. On Tuesday they and Arsenal were labouring to escape Chelsea’s shadow — and both clubs will do this on many occasions to come.
During last week’s League Cup defeat by Jose Mourinho’s side, United fans tried to taunt the visitors.
”You’re not Chelsea any more,” they chanted. Stamford Bridge regulars might be happy if their hitherto underperforming club are no longer recognisable, so the home crowd honed the allegation by bellowing that they had sold their ”heart to the Russian”.
There was effrontery in the charge. When did Old Trafford last get mistaken for a workers’ commune? The ”no logo” campaigners would feel they had strayed into an enemy encampment if they entered this stronghold of Nike and Vodafone. In fairness to United, however, a fairly dispersed share ownership has created a faint sense of community involvement to offset the commercialism that lets Ferguson compete strongly in the transfer market.
The Scot has referred to Chelsea as ”the money machine” but Old Trafford also cranks out bales of bank notes. A strong Ferguson line-up has cost £105,4-million. Chelsea have had to pay £30-million more for their favoured XI, but the gap is small considering that United still benefit from wonderful home-grown talents.
The level of stress will, however, increase for Ferguson. Chelsea’s £88-million losses in Roman Abramovich’s first season do not upset a man who also saw turnover rise by 40% to £152-million. It is no longer possible to laugh at the idea that the Russian, with no knowledge of the sport, saw a potential for further growth in football that few ”experts” suspected.
When billionaires agree business, it is best to listen carefully. Malcolm Glazer must envisage spectacular returns from United since he still looks determined to spend more than £800-million to get control. He and Abramovich foresee global expansion.
Presumably they have both concluded, for example, that the few clubs who maintain a special status will sell television coverage more lucratively throughout the world once they own the broadcast rights to their own games.
Glazer will be resisted by smart, determined supporters’ groups but, even if the American is repelled, the Old Trafford board will have to react to the financial aggressiveness of Abramovich. If it feels beleaguered, just think of the anxiety at Highbury.
At £46,75-million, Arsène Wenger’s preferred side was purchased at slightly over a third of the sum Chelsea paid for theirs. Should the outlay be maintained or increased at Stamford Bridge, though, there will be an even steeper challenge to come for the Arsenal manager.
His side, marvellous as they can be to watch, seems to have a gossamer fragility when set beside Mourinho’s. Arsenal also have to show that they are sound enough to cope with United. All the bickering cannot drown out the ringing statistics. The Highbury side have beaten United only once in their past nine meetings.
It is not enough for Arsenal to take grievances alone from those results and Wenger aimed to be mellow this week when reflecting on the contentious match with United in October. Even Wenger, despite his highly individual concept of football, indicates that his team have to lay hands on some pragmatism instead of holding on so tightly to a grudge. He must get used to compromises.
It is essential for Wenger to take whatever steps are required to make the maximum use of relatively limited resources in the years ahead.
Unless the Highbury board breaks with tradition and does embark on a stock flotation, Arsenal must be preoccupied with paying for their new stadium at Ashburton Grove.
Whereas Chelsea and United have fortunes at their disposal, the Gunners will be funded purely by the wealth of Wenger’s imagination. — Â