Grim, i don't know which was worse, thinking we would lose before the kick off or going into game to game with hope. There have been plenty of doomlords around United's support since the Everton debacle, but i thought we had a chance going into this game.
That confidence took a dent though when i read the rumours that Park would start. That could only mean one thing, that it would be 4-5-1 and he would start in midfield. I had no problem with the formation but i did have a problem with the Korean starting. He has done a job for us in the past, but as we have seen against Barca, against the very best opposition, his work rate doesn't compensate for ability on the ball. It's not even as though his work rate is that special nowadays. I understand why Fergie wanted to get an extra body in midfield, who couldn't after our defensive disasters this season. But i was never confident that why could go there and shut shop and catch them on the break, well not with that team anyway. What is wrong with Cleverley at the moment, he was tailor made for last night, i'm afraid his injury record means Fergie would be wise not to be basing his future plans for his midfield around him.
United started reasonably well, taking the game to City, pressing hard and keeping possession pretty well. But once City got into the game United just got deeper and deeper leaving Rooney an isolated figure and though we looked fairly assured at the back we possessed no attacking threat whatsoever. The goal came at a killer time, though City had been in our half for most of the first 45 minutes, they hadn't really looked like scoring. So to conced from a bog standard corner, just about summed up our season at the back, we actually defend decently and we still found a way to shoot ourselves in the foot. To be fair to Smalling he had a pretty good game, that apart, seeing how little football he has actually played in the second half of the season.
I have no idea why Fergie didn't take Park off straight away at half time, it was obvious his plans hadn't worked and that Welbeck or possibly Valencia would have to come on. To me that was just 15 minutes wasted, pusuing failed tactics. Even when the changes were made, it was hard to escape the feeling that this wasn't to be our night. Our game just never clicked at all, we hardly created a decent chance all night. You can look at that two ways, we aren't as good as City or Fergie got his tactics spectacularly wrong. Player for player, squad for squad, City probably are better than us, but they weren't anything special last night. It probably wasn't the night for experimentation but i would have liked to have seen Valencia in that team somewhere last night, he has played in central midfield, thoug not for us, he would surely given Rooney more support which was where our game fell apart.
One last thought on the game, i don't think Michael Carrick has ever played as well as he did last night in a red shirt. He was the only one who could really say he didn't deserve to be on the losing side.
The season isn't finished yet, Newcastle is no pushover, their that result at Wigan could hardly have come at a worse time for us though. Three points for City and it will be all over, our game against Swansea will either be as flat as a pancake or unbareably tense. That last ten minutes against Everton looks even worse in retrospect.
That confidence took a dent though when i read the rumours that Park would start. That could only mean one thing, that it would be 4-5-1 and he would start in midfield. I had no problem with the formation but i did have a problem with the Korean starting. He has done a job for us in the past, but as we have seen against Barca, against the very best opposition, his work rate doesn't compensate for ability on the ball. It's not even as though his work rate is that special nowadays. I understand why Fergie wanted to get an extra body in midfield, who couldn't after our defensive disasters this season. But i was never confident that why could go there and shut shop and catch them on the break, well not with that team anyway. What is wrong with Cleverley at the moment, he was tailor made for last night, i'm afraid his injury record means Fergie would be wise not to be basing his future plans for his midfield around him.
United started reasonably well, taking the game to City, pressing hard and keeping possession pretty well. But once City got into the game United just got deeper and deeper leaving Rooney an isolated figure and though we looked fairly assured at the back we possessed no attacking threat whatsoever. The goal came at a killer time, though City had been in our half for most of the first 45 minutes, they hadn't really looked like scoring. So to conced from a bog standard corner, just about summed up our season at the back, we actually defend decently and we still found a way to shoot ourselves in the foot. To be fair to Smalling he had a pretty good game, that apart, seeing how little football he has actually played in the second half of the season.
I have no idea why Fergie didn't take Park off straight away at half time, it was obvious his plans hadn't worked and that Welbeck or possibly Valencia would have to come on. To me that was just 15 minutes wasted, pusuing failed tactics. Even when the changes were made, it was hard to escape the feeling that this wasn't to be our night. Our game just never clicked at all, we hardly created a decent chance all night. You can look at that two ways, we aren't as good as City or Fergie got his tactics spectacularly wrong. Player for player, squad for squad, City probably are better than us, but they weren't anything special last night. It probably wasn't the night for experimentation but i would have liked to have seen Valencia in that team somewhere last night, he has played in central midfield, thoug not for us, he would surely given Rooney more support which was where our game fell apart.
One last thought on the game, i don't think Michael Carrick has ever played as well as he did last night in a red shirt. He was the only one who could really say he didn't deserve to be on the losing side.
The season isn't finished yet, Newcastle is no pushover, their that result at Wigan could hardly have come at a worse time for us though. Three points for City and it will be all over, our game against Swansea will either be as flat as a pancake or unbareably tense. That last ten minutes against Everton looks even worse in retrospect.
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