SOMETHING strange happened this week. Suddenly, Manchester United is back in the title race.
To be honest, it’s more like Liverpool’s recent run of poor form and injuries that brought them closer to this result. Whether or not this United team can remain on top is another question altogether.
I recently wrote about a Malaysia Who’s Who for LFC First 11, and with the big top-of-the-table MU - LFC game on Sunday night, what if we were to list the Malaysia Who’s Who for Manchester United First 11?
As usual, this is a list that was derived from what we can gather in the public domain:
● Former Prime Minister and current Member of Parliament (MP) for Pekan, YB Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak
● Chairman of Maybank, Tan Sri Zamzairani Mohd Isa
● Country Managing Director, Accenture Malaysia, Azwan Baharuddin,
● Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Khairy Jamaluddi
● Group Managing Director, Glomac Bhd, Datuk Seri Fateh Iskandar Mansor
● Former Minister and UMNO Supreme Council member, Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan
● Executive Director, Symphony, Datuk Abdul Hamid Sheikh Mohamad
● Group Chief Executive Officer, CIMB, Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad
● Former Minister of Youth and Sports & current Member of Parliament (MP) for Muar, YB Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
● Chairman, Asia Pacific Member Advisory Council (MAC), Dato Sri Irmohizam Ibrahim
● Chief Executive Officer, Futurise, Mahadhir Aziz
● President of the Malaysia Digital Association, Nicholas Sagau
● Former Chairman, National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) and entrepreneur, Datuk Hans Isaac
● Football Association of Selangor (FAS) Deputy President, Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar
● Actor, Zizan Razak
● Chief Executive Officer, Malaysian Football League, Kevin Ramalingam
● Former Finance Minister, Tun Dr Abdul Daim Zainuddin
How would we line up this team? In typical 4-3-3 format, here we go:
Goalkeeper
It has to be former Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak. He has managed to repel every single attack, and is seen to have grown in strength since 2018. However, Najib cannot remain smug. 'Handling' outside his box has him red-carded like Sergio Romero. The ball is still in play, and one false move could see him go down the annals of infamy like Massimo Taibi.
Defence
Kevin Ramalingam (CB)
Shahril Mokhtar (CB)
Syed Saddiq (LB)
Mahadhir Aziz (RB)
Kevin and Shahril are the two pillars in central defence. They are adept leaders, both in football and in the corporate world: nothing gets past them. Left back Syed Saddiq is in the Gary Neville mould: snaking in and out on the wings and sometimes with an inswinger that normally misses. Mahadhir will `futurise’ the right back position, keeping everyone in the `sandbox’ of despair.
Midfielders
Zamzairani Mohd Isa (LM)
Azwan Baharuddin (RM)
Abdul Rahman Ahmad (DM)
Any Old Trafford team will require a strong midfield. Zamzairani's iconic Bryan Robson-like status is coupled with the younger Azwan's energy in 'distrupting' traditional set-ups. Abdul Rahman's business turnaround skills can be used to hold off any threats and transform problems into opportunities. They will be a handful for most teams; not all, but most.
Forwards
Khairy Jamaluddin (ST)
Hans Isaac (ST)
Abdul Rahman Dahlan (CF)
This is a formidable strike force. In Khairy Jamaluddin and Hans Isaac, you have two power forwards who will not mince their words, PhD or no PhD. KJ will provide the 'vaccine' for any situation. Rahman, on the other hand, will lurk in the shadows, unseen, and, before you know it, come at you and score that ‘extra time, Fergie-time’ goal; his magnetic, almost telepathic, connection with KJ is quite legendary.
Substitutes
Fateh Iskandar Mansor
Abdul Hamid Sheikh Mohamad
Irmohizam Ibrahim
Nicholas Sagau
Zizan Razak
Of course, you will need a strong bench with the right resolve, leadership, character and creative juices to take Manchester United to where it will eventually be: a top six position in the Premier League.
Manager
Abdul Daim Zainuddin
Who else but the venerable Daim, who is well respected (and feared by all), just like Alex Ferguson. Need I say more? Cross him if you dare! ─ The Vibes, 17 January, 2021
