Are United Cracking Up?

Manchester United drew 2-2 with Porto last night, bringing the total number of goals they’ve conceded to 10 in 4 matches. That’s as many as they conceded in their previous 23 games. A staggering statistic, and one that may indicate serious problems at the heart of the United backline.

It could be that Gary Neville is solely responsible, as he followed up his abject performance against Villa with a rotten cameo last night. But he didn’t play against Liverpool, when all the problems began.

The Scousers’ victory at Old Trafford breached the air of impregnability created by United’s clean sheet run – and since then teams have played them with greater confidence, intent and verve. They sense United are fallible – and teams are going for the jugular. Fulham, Villa, and now Porto have each scored two goals against the League and European Champions – and United seem shellshocked.

They have not been potent this season, scoring fewer goals and creating fewer chances than in previous years – a tight 1-0 victory has been their modus operandi. A string of those created their aura of impregnability and invincibility – but once that bubble was burst so spectacularly by Liverpool, what did they have left? Not scoring a lot of goals; but also now conceding them. In points terms, they have 4 from their last 12, by United standards a catastrophic run.

And do they have the tools to get themselves out of it? At the back, Vidic’s aura has been punctured in equal measures and in parallel fashion to his team’s since Torres ran him ragged, Ferdinand has an increasingly worryingly recurring back problem, G Nev is a shambles, Jonny Evans is promising but young and inexperienced, Evra off the boil, O’Shea perhaps not quite up to it – and Edwin Van Der Sar, despite his record run of clean sheets, is widely seen to be on the decline, likely to be usurped by Ben Foster next season.

In midfield, Scholes is on an inexorable decline, Ronaldo has not fired at anything like his best this season, Nani is embarrassing, Anderson unfulfilled, Ji Sung Park uninspiring, Fletcher unconvincing… Carrick has been good but now appears to have gone off the boil, and Giggs has been vintage – but only every other fourth game.

Upfront, Rooney has been fantastic; but Tevez has largely been used off the bench, and Berbatov is yet to find his best form (in my opinion, he’s been bitterly disappointing).

Suddenly, United seem to have problems all over the pitch – a far cry from their invincible form only a couple of weeks back. They travel to Sunderland at the weekend, a game which will reveal much – can they bounce back? Is this is blip? Or is this a wider malaise… are they cracking up?