Well if we were slightly disappointed at Saturday's fare, what is there to say about last night. We were poor, very poor, we looked as far away as you can, to a team with pretensions to winning the tournament, until the second half substitutions saw the real Manchester United.
Last night was back to the plodding 4-3-3 that we see too often in Europe away from home where we go to silence the home crowd, but end up sending ourselves to sleep. On paper the midfield wasn't exactly inspiring, but i expected something better than the first half from them. For all those claiming all Anderon needs is a run of games, how do they explain last night. That was back to the Anderson that makes you tear your hair out, how often did he give the ball away in the first half. He improved slightly in the second half, but then again, he had to. I've always been a big Giggs fan, but he needs Carrick next to him, if he's going to play in the centre of the park against half decent opposition. Rooney was the pick of the three, but even he didn't hit the heights until that last fifteen minutes, still he looks the part when dropped deeper.
I have never been keen on Hernandez up front on his own, he is always better feeding off someone just behind him. Last night didn't do much to change my mind,not that he played badly, he had no service to speak off, but the difference when Van Persie came on was there for all to see. As bad as our midfield was, we got no joy out wide either. Welbeck likes to come inside and needs players to see his runs quick enough to feed them. But the play was so ponderous last night there was no chance of that happening. Meaning he just ended up either running the ball back into midfield or back to Evra.
On the other wing Nani saw plenty of the ball, but for all that he did with it, he might as well have not been on the pitch. The game changed as much when Rafael came on at right back allowing Valencia to switch to the right flank as when Van Persie entered the fray. If Nani can't bring more than that display to the table when he gets his chance, Fergie may as well let him go in January.
We looked shakier than of late at the back, but with Valencia at right back and the returning Smalling at centre half, i suppose that was inevitable. Aside from the penalty he gave away, Evans didn't look as solid as he has recently, i hope it wasn't because he didn't have Rio next to him, but i expect it may have been
There was no disputing their penalty shout and they made no mistake in putting it away. It was one of those nights where i couldn't really see us getting back into it, we had been so bad up to that point. The best i was hoping for after that, was some wonder goal or a mistake from them to allow us to leave with a point. Well we got the mistake for the equaliser, as the goalie came out into no mans land and Van Persie needed no invitation to shoot from outside the box into an empty net. The way the game had gone i was more than happy to settle for that.
But now Valencia started to really attack his man and it was down the right, that the cross came that led to the challenge on Rooney that saw us awarded a penalty. It was very harsh for me, i wouldn't have been happy if it had been given against us. Rooney took the spot kick, to the surprise of some, he converted it, after a fashion, slipping as he hit it.
The third and final goal was cruel on the hosts, again it came from the right flank, a cross touched on by Rooney for Hernandez at the back post. Inexplicably the Mexican then tried to do a George Best and beat three men before putting in, he got lucky when the ball rebounded to him and his lightning reflexes saw him bundle it home.
It was a travesty of a scoreline really, but a great result that should allow some of our returning defenders to get some game time, it would have been a great time to give Keane and Lingard a game, but it's probably better for them to be out on loan. I'd like to see Powell get a run out in both games, there seems no reason why Fergie shouldn't give him a proper taster of first team football, now we have already topped the group.
Hopefully the big guns will be back into the team for Saturday, it's about time we saw Scholes back in the middle and this Villa team seems the kind of opposition he should relish.
Last night was back to the plodding 4-3-3 that we see too often in Europe away from home where we go to silence the home crowd, but end up sending ourselves to sleep. On paper the midfield wasn't exactly inspiring, but i expected something better than the first half from them. For all those claiming all Anderon needs is a run of games, how do they explain last night. That was back to the Anderson that makes you tear your hair out, how often did he give the ball away in the first half. He improved slightly in the second half, but then again, he had to. I've always been a big Giggs fan, but he needs Carrick next to him, if he's going to play in the centre of the park against half decent opposition. Rooney was the pick of the three, but even he didn't hit the heights until that last fifteen minutes, still he looks the part when dropped deeper.
I have never been keen on Hernandez up front on his own, he is always better feeding off someone just behind him. Last night didn't do much to change my mind,not that he played badly, he had no service to speak off, but the difference when Van Persie came on was there for all to see. As bad as our midfield was, we got no joy out wide either. Welbeck likes to come inside and needs players to see his runs quick enough to feed them. But the play was so ponderous last night there was no chance of that happening. Meaning he just ended up either running the ball back into midfield or back to Evra.
On the other wing Nani saw plenty of the ball, but for all that he did with it, he might as well have not been on the pitch. The game changed as much when Rafael came on at right back allowing Valencia to switch to the right flank as when Van Persie entered the fray. If Nani can't bring more than that display to the table when he gets his chance, Fergie may as well let him go in January.
We looked shakier than of late at the back, but with Valencia at right back and the returning Smalling at centre half, i suppose that was inevitable. Aside from the penalty he gave away, Evans didn't look as solid as he has recently, i hope it wasn't because he didn't have Rio next to him, but i expect it may have been
There was no disputing their penalty shout and they made no mistake in putting it away. It was one of those nights where i couldn't really see us getting back into it, we had been so bad up to that point. The best i was hoping for after that, was some wonder goal or a mistake from them to allow us to leave with a point. Well we got the mistake for the equaliser, as the goalie came out into no mans land and Van Persie needed no invitation to shoot from outside the box into an empty net. The way the game had gone i was more than happy to settle for that.
But now Valencia started to really attack his man and it was down the right, that the cross came that led to the challenge on Rooney that saw us awarded a penalty. It was very harsh for me, i wouldn't have been happy if it had been given against us. Rooney took the spot kick, to the surprise of some, he converted it, after a fashion, slipping as he hit it.
The third and final goal was cruel on the hosts, again it came from the right flank, a cross touched on by Rooney for Hernandez at the back post. Inexplicably the Mexican then tried to do a George Best and beat three men before putting in, he got lucky when the ball rebounded to him and his lightning reflexes saw him bundle it home.
It was a travesty of a scoreline really, but a great result that should allow some of our returning defenders to get some game time, it would have been a great time to give Keane and Lingard a game, but it's probably better for them to be out on loan. I'd like to see Powell get a run out in both games, there seems no reason why Fergie shouldn't give him a proper taster of first team football, now we have already topped the group.
Hopefully the big guns will be back into the team for Saturday, it's about time we saw Scholes back in the middle and this Villa team seems the kind of opposition he should relish.
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