I had been hoping and expecting United to go to Anfield and put a performance in this season, not neccessarily to get the three points, but to give themselves a chance of doing. Well we got the three points, but it was a shocking performance really, even when they were down to ten men, they possibly did enough to have deserved a draw. Don't get me wrong i loved going there and winning, but it would be nice if we could go there and actually put a performance in.
I started to worry as soon as i saw the teamsheet, no Vidic at the back, and Giggs in central midfield, but no Cleverley or Scholes. I've been a big fan of Ryan Giggs down the years, but i have said it before, i don't think Fergie can just drop him into such a big game, when he hasn't been playing regularly. Giggs was poor yesterday, he wasn't on his own admittedly, but surely Cleverley's energy would have preferable in a midfield contest that we seem to lose season after season, and whilst it was eleven v eleven yesterday, we lost out in once more.
The first half, was a total shambles of a display really, i don't think the importance of the day to them yesterday comes into it, our performance, was akin to our last three or four at their place, in fact that first half was probably as bad as we have been there. I was amazed when i saw Nani's name on the teamsheet, after what i've read recently i thought Fergie had long lost faith in him. He has never put even a half decent display at Anfield and it was no suprise to see him not reappear at the start of the second half after an abject 45 minutes. To be fair to him, Valencia was no better, the South American's only meaningful contribution was the run that led to the penalty. I can't recall the right winger having two such poor back to back games for us, pretty worrying really. When we have nothing happening on our flanks, we are generally in trouble.
Van Persie didn't do much, but he had such poor service it's hard to judge him, the pace of there game seemed to unsettle him in the first half, but as i said he had so little of the ball it must have been hard for him to find his feet in the game. Kagawa likewise never really got into it, after a good start he seems to be finding the pace of English football a problem. I was suprised to see him named in the team after his last couple of games, i wouldn't have minded seeing him on the left yesterday, he couldn't have been any worse than Nani.
The sending off obviously changed the game, i don't think there can be much argument that the ref got that right, though obviously the scouse will argue otherwise. United managed to get a foothold in the game after that, even if we never actually got our game together.
The news that Scholes was replacing Nani gave hope at the beginning of the second half, only for our defence, the only department of the team to actually do it's job in the first half, to fall asleep at the beginning of the second to allow Gerrard the time and space to put them a goal up. I'll admit that i feared the worst after that, the way we were playing it was hard to see a goal coming. But it did, and it was a bit of a cracker from Rafael, who had a pretty good game all told. If only he could play like that every week. On the other side Evra was in and out, making some good challnges and interceptions, but going missing in action at others. Hats off to Evans and Ferdinand, i was worried when the news that Vidic was out, but they did their job.
It may not have been a stonewall penalty, but a penalty it was, i didn't think we'd get that kind of decision there though, so full marks to the officials. Despite the goalie getting his hands to the ball, the power it was hit with ensured it ended up in the back of the net. So a poor performance, but three points and with Arsenal going to City and getting a deserved point it ended up being a pretty good day.
I started to worry as soon as i saw the teamsheet, no Vidic at the back, and Giggs in central midfield, but no Cleverley or Scholes. I've been a big fan of Ryan Giggs down the years, but i have said it before, i don't think Fergie can just drop him into such a big game, when he hasn't been playing regularly. Giggs was poor yesterday, he wasn't on his own admittedly, but surely Cleverley's energy would have preferable in a midfield contest that we seem to lose season after season, and whilst it was eleven v eleven yesterday, we lost out in once more.
The first half, was a total shambles of a display really, i don't think the importance of the day to them yesterday comes into it, our performance, was akin to our last three or four at their place, in fact that first half was probably as bad as we have been there. I was amazed when i saw Nani's name on the teamsheet, after what i've read recently i thought Fergie had long lost faith in him. He has never put even a half decent display at Anfield and it was no suprise to see him not reappear at the start of the second half after an abject 45 minutes. To be fair to him, Valencia was no better, the South American's only meaningful contribution was the run that led to the penalty. I can't recall the right winger having two such poor back to back games for us, pretty worrying really. When we have nothing happening on our flanks, we are generally in trouble.
Van Persie didn't do much, but he had such poor service it's hard to judge him, the pace of there game seemed to unsettle him in the first half, but as i said he had so little of the ball it must have been hard for him to find his feet in the game. Kagawa likewise never really got into it, after a good start he seems to be finding the pace of English football a problem. I was suprised to see him named in the team after his last couple of games, i wouldn't have minded seeing him on the left yesterday, he couldn't have been any worse than Nani.
The sending off obviously changed the game, i don't think there can be much argument that the ref got that right, though obviously the scouse will argue otherwise. United managed to get a foothold in the game after that, even if we never actually got our game together.
The news that Scholes was replacing Nani gave hope at the beginning of the second half, only for our defence, the only department of the team to actually do it's job in the first half, to fall asleep at the beginning of the second to allow Gerrard the time and space to put them a goal up. I'll admit that i feared the worst after that, the way we were playing it was hard to see a goal coming. But it did, and it was a bit of a cracker from Rafael, who had a pretty good game all told. If only he could play like that every week. On the other side Evra was in and out, making some good challnges and interceptions, but going missing in action at others. Hats off to Evans and Ferdinand, i was worried when the news that Vidic was out, but they did their job.
It may not have been a stonewall penalty, but a penalty it was, i didn't think we'd get that kind of decision there though, so full marks to the officials. Despite the goalie getting his hands to the ball, the power it was hit with ensured it ended up in the back of the net. So a poor performance, but three points and with Arsenal going to City and getting a deserved point it ended up being a pretty good day.
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