Well it was entertaining, if not quite in the way, we had hoped when we went in 3-1 at the break. After the dreadful start, conceding in the first couple of minutes United responded pretty well and whilst 3-1 may have flattered us a little, it seemed more a question of how many goals we could rack up for the goal difference rather than would we go onto win.
I was reasonably happy with the side picked, though suprised to see us line up in a straight 4-4-2 and to hear Fergie had said that this will remain our preferred formation. How many blogs were written in the summer discussing 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and the rest, what's the online version of forests cut down for nothing. Gary Neville wrote a pretty good column yesterday, where in previewing the Liverpool v City game he mentioned the evolution of United's defensive tactics during his United career and what he wrote ties in with my thoughts on United's present problems. Basically United back their central defenders to be good enough to defend man on man, the full backs are told to push on and central midfield will not have a holding man. Whilst central midfield may not have a Keane or a Robson, when the back four is so injury prone and changeable we are going to ship in goals whilst we stay with those tactics.
To be brutal ou defence at the moment isn't good enough, Evra is past it, he got skinned again far too easily a couple of times on Saturday. Rafael is not someone you would ever put total trust in to do a defensive job and he is the only real right back we have got. We have a lot of centre halves but they are all injury prone. In fact if Smalling and Jones don't start getting the games they need to improve their game, Fergie might have to be in the market for an experienced centre half next summer. So to my mind our problems are more to do with our defence than the engine room.
In fact if we look at the midfield they played reasonably well at Everton and during the first half on Saturday, they were excellent. I thought Cleverley had a decent game at Goodison and was very good on Saturday. They did fade out of the game a bit too much on Saturday in the second half, but with Anderson in the team, that was no suprise really. The Brazillian's performance spilt opinion, some thought he played well, whilst others just saw the same old, same old. I would be more in the second camp, for him he did okay, but for us that isn't good enough.
Van Persie had a reasonable first full game for the club, you could see he was still feeling his way into the club, he was never quite sure how deep to drop in build up play and how to interact with his team mates. That brilliant equalisng goal must have helped settle any nerves and i thought he got better and better as the game went on.
I thought it was fitting that his fellow summer signing Kagawa got the second goal, he was excellent again, he started alongside Van Persie but as the first half progressed he dropped deeper and was popping up everywhere, working hard into the bargain. With him playing like that, you could see us not getting over run in midfield as much as last season.
When Rafael got the third i had visions of more goals in the second half and an improved goal difference. We had chances to get a third but when De Gea and Vidic had their "misunderstanding" we ended up trying to see the game out for the three points. It wasn't easy as Fulham gave it a real go, and in Dembele they possibly had the best performer on the pitch. I can see why United have been looking at him, he is a good player, he uses the ball well and is hard to knock off the ball, not that i expect United to go in for him.
Rooney's injury was the big downside of the afternoon, though on the upside it will give Van Persie and Kagawa more of a settled run in the team. I'd still be concerned if i was Hernandez, i'm not sure how many starts he is going to see this season. There was a rumour that Nani walked away from the ground when told he wasn't even on the bench. Not really the reaction you're looking for, i'm not sure he can complain too much after his performance on Monday night though.
We all seem to say we are a team in transition every season, but there can be no doubts that we really are this season. To be honest before the season i had a sneaking suspicion we would get that championship trophy back. But after the first two games i can see another roller coaster season, with the highs and lows of last season. As long as we're competing for the title come May, play the type of football seen in the first half on Saturday and don't lose 6-1 at home to City, i can live with that.
Mark Ogden writes that Saturday's initial prognosis of a month out for Rooney was too optimistic and it could be nearer two months out for the forward. He also points out what a big season it is for Rooney, he reckons Van Persie wasn't bought to play alongside him, but to lay down a challenge to the scouser to get his hunger back for the game. If you add Kagawa to that list, that's a replacement for his deep lying role as well. It still wouldn't amaze may to see him leave the club over the next year or two. It's up to him really, a couple of years down the road we could be a real force in Europe again, affairs off the pich notwithstanding, wouldn't he want to be a part of that.
The Guardian's Jamie Jackson compares Kagawa to goal scoring midfield legends Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson as he writes United won't miss Rooney to the extent we would before the Japanese playmaker was bought. You could see from his first few appearances on the pre-season tour that he was going to be a top player.
The Mail are reporting that Spurs are prepared to swoop on the club to take Anderson and Nani to White hart lane. I'm sure there's a load of reds who would be willing to drive him down there to get rid of Anderson,not quite as many would be glad to see Nani go, but he has more than his share of critics. I'd prefer to keep Nani myself, but wonder whether he will ever add consistency to his game. It seems he has his critics within the club as well, it seemed fairly obvious United have been trying to hawk him to the highest bidder this summer. I'm sure the Glazer's was like to recoup some funds before transfer deadline day now the IPO is out of the way.
I was reasonably happy with the side picked, though suprised to see us line up in a straight 4-4-2 and to hear Fergie had said that this will remain our preferred formation. How many blogs were written in the summer discussing 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3 and the rest, what's the online version of forests cut down for nothing. Gary Neville wrote a pretty good column yesterday, where in previewing the Liverpool v City game he mentioned the evolution of United's defensive tactics during his United career and what he wrote ties in with my thoughts on United's present problems. Basically United back their central defenders to be good enough to defend man on man, the full backs are told to push on and central midfield will not have a holding man. Whilst central midfield may not have a Keane or a Robson, when the back four is so injury prone and changeable we are going to ship in goals whilst we stay with those tactics.
To be brutal ou defence at the moment isn't good enough, Evra is past it, he got skinned again far too easily a couple of times on Saturday. Rafael is not someone you would ever put total trust in to do a defensive job and he is the only real right back we have got. We have a lot of centre halves but they are all injury prone. In fact if Smalling and Jones don't start getting the games they need to improve their game, Fergie might have to be in the market for an experienced centre half next summer. So to my mind our problems are more to do with our defence than the engine room.
In fact if we look at the midfield they played reasonably well at Everton and during the first half on Saturday, they were excellent. I thought Cleverley had a decent game at Goodison and was very good on Saturday. They did fade out of the game a bit too much on Saturday in the second half, but with Anderson in the team, that was no suprise really. The Brazillian's performance spilt opinion, some thought he played well, whilst others just saw the same old, same old. I would be more in the second camp, for him he did okay, but for us that isn't good enough.
Van Persie had a reasonable first full game for the club, you could see he was still feeling his way into the club, he was never quite sure how deep to drop in build up play and how to interact with his team mates. That brilliant equalisng goal must have helped settle any nerves and i thought he got better and better as the game went on.
I thought it was fitting that his fellow summer signing Kagawa got the second goal, he was excellent again, he started alongside Van Persie but as the first half progressed he dropped deeper and was popping up everywhere, working hard into the bargain. With him playing like that, you could see us not getting over run in midfield as much as last season.
When Rafael got the third i had visions of more goals in the second half and an improved goal difference. We had chances to get a third but when De Gea and Vidic had their "misunderstanding" we ended up trying to see the game out for the three points. It wasn't easy as Fulham gave it a real go, and in Dembele they possibly had the best performer on the pitch. I can see why United have been looking at him, he is a good player, he uses the ball well and is hard to knock off the ball, not that i expect United to go in for him.
Rooney's injury was the big downside of the afternoon, though on the upside it will give Van Persie and Kagawa more of a settled run in the team. I'd still be concerned if i was Hernandez, i'm not sure how many starts he is going to see this season. There was a rumour that Nani walked away from the ground when told he wasn't even on the bench. Not really the reaction you're looking for, i'm not sure he can complain too much after his performance on Monday night though.
We all seem to say we are a team in transition every season, but there can be no doubts that we really are this season. To be honest before the season i had a sneaking suspicion we would get that championship trophy back. But after the first two games i can see another roller coaster season, with the highs and lows of last season. As long as we're competing for the title come May, play the type of football seen in the first half on Saturday and don't lose 6-1 at home to City, i can live with that.
Mark Ogden writes that Saturday's initial prognosis of a month out for Rooney was too optimistic and it could be nearer two months out for the forward. He also points out what a big season it is for Rooney, he reckons Van Persie wasn't bought to play alongside him, but to lay down a challenge to the scouser to get his hunger back for the game. If you add Kagawa to that list, that's a replacement for his deep lying role as well. It still wouldn't amaze may to see him leave the club over the next year or two. It's up to him really, a couple of years down the road we could be a real force in Europe again, affairs off the pich notwithstanding, wouldn't he want to be a part of that.
The Guardian's Jamie Jackson compares Kagawa to goal scoring midfield legends Paul Scholes and Bryan Robson as he writes United won't miss Rooney to the extent we would before the Japanese playmaker was bought. You could see from his first few appearances on the pre-season tour that he was going to be a top player.
The Mail are reporting that Spurs are prepared to swoop on the club to take Anderson and Nani to White hart lane. I'm sure there's a load of reds who would be willing to drive him down there to get rid of Anderson,not quite as many would be glad to see Nani go, but he has more than his share of critics. I'd prefer to keep Nani myself, but wonder whether he will ever add consistency to his game. It seems he has his critics within the club as well, it seemed fairly obvious United have been trying to hawk him to the highest bidder this summer. I'm sure the Glazer's was like to recoup some funds before transfer deadline day now the IPO is out of the way.
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