Another action packed game at Old trafford, and though it was entertaining stuff, once again we looked all over the place at the back at times. It's a good job we have a forward line that looks as good on the pitch as it does on paper. As with many others i had feared that the international break had come just at the wrong time for us. We had started and finished in great style in our last game at Newcastle, but Saturday was back to the sluggish starts that has characterised the rest of the season so far.
As far as the football on the pitch goes, Stoke are my least favourite side in the top flight, the football they can only be described as horrible. Fortunately for us, whilst we usually get a tough game down in the potteries they have never really threatened to do anything up here since they returned to the top flight. With the start they made in the first twenty minutes, their best display against us here, for ages, and the goal they eventually scored i'll admit i started to worry if it was going to be one of those seasons, where teams who are usually three point bankers at home, upset the apple cart after Tottenham turned around their Old trafford hoodoo over, on our last home performance. Who knows, if they had took that great chance to go two up who knows, but De Gea was up to the task, some were blaming him for the first goal around me at the game, i've no idea why he had no chance with that.
That seemed to spark United into life and the chances started to come. United were never really that fluent all the game, but the movement was excellent, especially between Rooney, Van Persie and Welbeck. Rooney carried on the improved form he showed at Newcastle, though he can't really be described as being anywhere near back to his best yet. Welbeck was the pick of the three for me, he was unlucky not to end up with more than just the one goal.
The equalising goal saw Van Persie put a cross in that any left winger would have been proud of and Rooney made no mistake in dispatching it.The second goal couldn't have come at a better time, Stoke at the very least deserved to go into the half time break level, so that was a bit of a killer blow. Valencia this time putting in the cross for Van Persie finishing things off. The South American had a funny game, he's not really hit the kind of form we know he's capable of yet this season. Next Sunday, at Stamford bridge, would be a good place to find it.
The third goal after just a minute of the second half was going to be the killer i thought, but no, more poor defending from us, saw Stoke come back to put the outcome in doubt. The final goal that did actually kill the game was probably a bit soft from the visitors point of view, but from ours, another goal from a corner, what's happening there. United coasted through the last twenty minutes, but never really threatened to add to the scoreline.
The next couple of games, it goes without saying are going to be important, i can't really see us coming a cropper at home to Arsenal, but if we defend as we have been away next Sunday at Stamford bridge, it could be embarrassing. The forwards can't keep bailing us out every week, it will be as interesting to see the formation we go with next week as the personnel picked.
I suppose the other talking point from Saturday was Ferguson spitting the dummy out over Ferdinand's decision not to wear that anti-racism T-shirt. I'm afraid Fergie's bang out of order over this as far as i'm concerned. Ferdinand is totally withing his rights not to wear it and i'd even say that he's probably in the right. He may not be every red's cup of tea off the pitch, but the footballing authorities in this country are great at saying the right things, but not so great in acting on those words.
As Ian Whittell says Ferdinand is coming to end of his time at United anyway, so i doubt there will be any meeting of minds between him and Fergie. He wasn't great again on Saturday, he didn't cover himself in any glory for Stoke's second. I still wouldn't be suprised to see a experienced centre back signed in the summer and both Vidic and Ferdinand departing.
But as Hansen writes this morning i'm not sure what Fergie thinks he's going to do to "deal" with Ferdinand's decision.
As far as the football on the pitch goes, Stoke are my least favourite side in the top flight, the football they can only be described as horrible. Fortunately for us, whilst we usually get a tough game down in the potteries they have never really threatened to do anything up here since they returned to the top flight. With the start they made in the first twenty minutes, their best display against us here, for ages, and the goal they eventually scored i'll admit i started to worry if it was going to be one of those seasons, where teams who are usually three point bankers at home, upset the apple cart after Tottenham turned around their Old trafford hoodoo over, on our last home performance. Who knows, if they had took that great chance to go two up who knows, but De Gea was up to the task, some were blaming him for the first goal around me at the game, i've no idea why he had no chance with that.
That seemed to spark United into life and the chances started to come. United were never really that fluent all the game, but the movement was excellent, especially between Rooney, Van Persie and Welbeck. Rooney carried on the improved form he showed at Newcastle, though he can't really be described as being anywhere near back to his best yet. Welbeck was the pick of the three for me, he was unlucky not to end up with more than just the one goal.
The equalising goal saw Van Persie put a cross in that any left winger would have been proud of and Rooney made no mistake in dispatching it.The second goal couldn't have come at a better time, Stoke at the very least deserved to go into the half time break level, so that was a bit of a killer blow. Valencia this time putting in the cross for Van Persie finishing things off. The South American had a funny game, he's not really hit the kind of form we know he's capable of yet this season. Next Sunday, at Stamford bridge, would be a good place to find it.
The third goal after just a minute of the second half was going to be the killer i thought, but no, more poor defending from us, saw Stoke come back to put the outcome in doubt. The final goal that did actually kill the game was probably a bit soft from the visitors point of view, but from ours, another goal from a corner, what's happening there. United coasted through the last twenty minutes, but never really threatened to add to the scoreline.
The next couple of games, it goes without saying are going to be important, i can't really see us coming a cropper at home to Arsenal, but if we defend as we have been away next Sunday at Stamford bridge, it could be embarrassing. The forwards can't keep bailing us out every week, it will be as interesting to see the formation we go with next week as the personnel picked.
I suppose the other talking point from Saturday was Ferguson spitting the dummy out over Ferdinand's decision not to wear that anti-racism T-shirt. I'm afraid Fergie's bang out of order over this as far as i'm concerned. Ferdinand is totally withing his rights not to wear it and i'd even say that he's probably in the right. He may not be every red's cup of tea off the pitch, but the footballing authorities in this country are great at saying the right things, but not so great in acting on those words.
As Ian Whittell says Ferdinand is coming to end of his time at United anyway, so i doubt there will be any meeting of minds between him and Fergie. He wasn't great again on Saturday, he didn't cover himself in any glory for Stoke's second. I still wouldn't be suprised to see a experienced centre back signed in the summer and both Vidic and Ferdinand departing.
But as Hansen writes this morning i'm not sure what Fergie thinks he's going to do to "deal" with Ferdinand's decision.
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