Nemanja's Return Not The Only Answer

• 

The Manchester United defence
In their 16 games thus far this season, Manchester United have conceded 23 goals. That's as many as fourth-bottom Aston Villa, more than they conceded after 23 games last season and the same as they let in during the whole 2007/8 campaign.

As with most things in life, there is no single, overriding reason for these problems. The lack of a real screening midfielder, injuries that have meant Sir Alex Ferguson has fielded six different central defensive partnerships in the league and his baffling goalkeeper rotation policy have combined to create defensive uncertainty, and increased the number of individual errors, leading to goals.

Another huge factor has been the absence of Nemanja Vidic, which has meant Ferguson has only been able to pick his first-choice central defensive duo of Vidic and Rio Ferdinand for 167 minutes this season - only one complete game.

That problem will be rectified by Vidic's return on Saturday, and Fergie is understandably delighted.

"It would have been crazy to play him against City but against Sunderland... definitely," he said.

"It's a big bonus to have him back. He is a real competitor with that uncompromising way of his. He likes defending - that's what it is."

However, United must not assume that Vidic's return will sort them out absolutely. The number of factors that have contributed to their leaky backline mean that one player coming back into the team is not a 'magic bullet' that will solve all their woes. Indeed, in that one game Ferdinand and Vidic started together, United conceded twice to Southampton.

Ferguson needs some more luck with injuries for sure, but he could also do with not messing around with David de Gea and Anders Lindegaard. Pick one, preferably the young Spaniard, and stick with him.


Norwich
Here's a stat for you - only one side in Europe's top five leagues (England, Spain, France, Germany and Italy) have a longer unbeaten run than Norwich. And that team would be Barcelona.

Norwich don't have Leo Messi (although some of their supporters do have an insufferable habit of referring to Wes Hoolahan as 'Wessi'), but they have now gone nine games without defeat, and last week got the old 'away win' monkey off their backs, bagging their first three points on the road by holding on against Swansea.

It's Wigan at home this weekend. You'd back them to make it ten, wouldn't you?


Everton and Stoke
Speaking of teams in good form, only Norwich and Manchester United have more points from the past eight games than Stoke, who host an Everton side presumably still giddy from mugging Spurs last weekend.

Could be the game of the weekend.


Newcastle
At the opposite end of the form table are Newcastle, having lost five of their last six, and after failing to build on their win over Wigan with the defeat at Fulham.

"I'm worried in so much as we are not picking up enough points, that is pretty evident," Pardew said after that game.

"Although the performances against Stoke, Wigan and against Fulham have improved, it is a worry we don't have enough points on the board."

Indeed. Newcastle should not necessarily be judged too harshly next to last season, when they quite clearly over-performed, but even with their injury problems (which actually isn't much of an excuse, since only Steven Taylor and Yohan Cabaye are missing from their first eleven) they should be higher than 14th.

One reason might be that they're playing the wrong sort of tactics. They comfortably play the most long balls in the Premier League (they average 77 per game - Aston Villa are next on the list with 67) but win less than half of their aerial duels. They are also the only team yet to score from a set piece this season - not a definitive indication that none of their team can head a ball, but it does suggest that Pardew has some areas to improve in.

They have Manchester City this weekend. Not a pushover, but they do have their own problems...


Roberto Mancini
Even if you ignore the defensive issues, this is not a vintage United team - even the most strident Fergie loyalist can surely agree on that. They have exactly the same number of points they did after 16 games of last season, but then they were second, two behind City.

Now they're top, six ahead of their rivals. Again, there are multiple reasons for this, but what is a simpler conclusion to reach is that City just aren't taking advantage of United's weaknesses. Not that Mancini seems to think there is a big problem, mind.

"Things aren't going well but I know we will still have a great year," said Mancini after the derby defeat last weekend.

"United have more experience but we have a much better team and play much better football."

It seemed curious for Mancini to make a point of saying that City, six points in arrears, have a better team than the lot across town. It's a simplistic point, but if the team is better and they're still losing, don't the fingers of blame start to point in one, nicely-scarfed direction?

With the resources at his disposal, Mancini's side should be some distance ahead of United. That they're not is a reflection on him.

This weekend they travel to Newcastle, wherelast season a shrewd Mancini tactical change and Yaya Toure's force of will combined for a victory that would set up the final day title win. If you believe in symbolism at all, this would be the perfect time for City to restart their season.


Arsenal
At the moment, Arsenal fans seem like a man who knows he's about to be sacked from a job he doesn't really want anyway. Confusion and mixed emotions reign. Something is gone behind the eyes, the spark of enthusiasm has disappeared, and is replaced by an anxiety and nervousness. The old sporting adage of the pain of defeat being more profound than the joy of victory can rarely have been more apparent than here.

Every victory is a relief, an alleviation of tension rather than an expression of happiness, while defeats are grimly expected.

It probably hurts so much because the time when Arsenal were the exact opposite of this is not only in recent memory, but was orchestrated by Arsene Wenger. Wenger's great teams were free-flowing and expressive, carefree and not crippled by fear. This is different.

To judge everything from a look is dangerous, but there was a moment on Tuesday night when the camera cut to Wenger, and he looked bereft. It was as if he didn't know what to do anymore, he had no answer to what was happening in front of him. The charge that he has run out of ideas has been made many times, but this was almost a physical manifestation of the arguments.

Of course, all of this could be wrong. Wenger could turn Arsenal's season around soon, and he'll shrug safely in the knowledge that he was right all along. After all, they are only two points off the fourth place that apparently qualifies as a trophy these days.

However, a full-strength Arsenal couldn't find it in the spirit that Wenger keeps banging on about to beat a League Two side this week, so you can understand why their fans aren't in the greatest of humours. They will be watching nervously on Monday as they travel to Reading, a side who have lost their last five games and sit second-bottom of the table. It wasn't like this, not so long ago.


QPR
It's getting better, but still no win. Tick tock, Harry.


West Ham
It will be interesting to see how West Ham do without Mohamed Diame, a driving force in their midfield and credited with inspiring the turnaround in their win over Chelsea after his half-time introduction.

Diame will now miss at least three weeks, leaving Sam Allardyce to rather furtively hope that Alou Diarra would make a return sooner, rather than later.


Spurs
As Matthew Stanger pointed out in Winners & Losers, Spurs have now conceded ten goals in the last 15 minutes of matches. It's cost them eight points so far this season, meaning that if they had kept it tight late on they'd have 34 points and be second.

It cost them a victory last weekend, so with Swansea visiting on Sunday, who of course profited rather nicely from their last trip to north London, Andre Villas-Boas needs to make sure his team concentrates right until the end.

Nick Miller - follow him on Twitter