This season seems to be one step forward and then another one back. The morning started with the news at lot of us wanted to hear that Januzaj had signed a new long term contract. So most reds walked to the stadium with a spring in their step, hoping we could string two wins together for the first time this season.
Having said all that, given our form, and even though we had won up at Sunderland, the actual performance hadn't really been anything to write home about other than Januzaj's superb staring debut, I don't think there would have been too many reds who were over confident ahead of the game. Add to that Southampton's fine start to the season and excellent defensive record, the three points they took at Anfield and we all knew United would to have to be near their best.
Well United were never really at their best, Southampton put in a performance the equal of the last time they visited Old trafford when their pressing game caused us all sorts of problems and yet we had enough chances to have took the three points.
It was a strange games in some respects, because even though United's performance faltered the longer the second half went on, until the last ten minutes the opposition hardly threatened De Gea's goal. What was very apparent though, was how they grew stronger towards that last ten minutes, whilst United seemed to wilt. Whilst some of that was down to tactics and questionable substitutions, tha amount of times that teams have seemed stronger, fitter and faster than United over the last couple of seasons is starting to become too regular an occurence. This was an issue before Moyes took over, so whatever the merits, or not, as the case maybe, of Moyes more strenuous training regime, it's a problem that needs a solution.
Once more Januzaj was a sining light in the gloom of our poor early season form. He provided three passes during that first half that showed there will be life after Paul Scholes after all. I thought Nani had a reasonable game on the other flank, he created a couple of great chances during the first half, Rooney should have scored from one of his pull backs.
The central area of the park, once again was a problem. I don't really see how we can go on playing two out and out centre forwards, which is what we seem to be doing. There wasn't much evidence of Rooney dropping into the hole, especially during the first half. What was worse, when he did drop back, he was as much of a problem for our defence as for them. He almost set them up for two goals for Southampton with lax passing and the longer the game went the worse his game went. Broken record time, but he's nowhere near the player he was, whatever propoganda United and the media try to give out.
Up front, Van Persie got his goal and hit the woodwork with a fine header, but his body language looked shit. Moyes is on record as saying he's trying to forge a partnership between Van Persie and Rooney. Well it aint working at the moment, in any shape or form. It's obvious they both want to be the main man, the number nine, well on form there isn't much to choose between them, but we know, I think, Van Persie will be here next season, can we say that about Rooney. Given all that, Moyes, it seems to me, is going to have a big decsion to make, a possible headache, that he and United's board gave themselves when they insisted Rooney stay at the club in the summer.
Tactically, Moyes substitutions were very iffy, bringing Giggs on was fair enough, but for Nani, surely it should have been for either Fellaini or Rooney. Personally I would have preferred to have seen Kagawa come on for Rooney, playing deeper to try and improve our possession. As for Fellaini, he just looks absolutely lost, he doesn't seem to have anything in his locker at all. I'm on record as saying I didn't fancy him, never particularly rating him when he was at Everton, but i never imagined he was as poor as we have seen so far at United. I don't know whether it's his injury that's impeding him, he's overawed playing with better players or whether that is his actual level. Whichever it is Moyes needs him to come good, if the gimps are ever going to trust him with those scarce transfer funds.
The substitution that still has me scratching my head was Smalling for Rooney. The central defensive partnership between Jones and Evans at centre half was the best we have seen so far this season. The longer the game went, the stronger Jones, in particular, became. So for Moyes, so late in the game, to break them up and push Jones into central midfield, lost me I'm afraid. Of course that meant the marking for that fateful corner would have been all altered, which can't have helped during the muddle that led to their equaliser.
I suppose some will think it's just not good enough to be failing to be Southampton's and West Brom's of this world at Old trafford. But they have both given the lie to the theory that the premier league isn't as strong as the media hype would have you believe. I would have gone along with that over the last few seasons, but both West Brom and Southampton had players of a pretty high standard and both outfits played as teams. Saying that, of course you can't only be taking only home one point against them if you have any aspirations to reataining the title. It's too early to say that's impossible yet, despite our league position and the amount of points we are behind Arsenal. But given our form and tactics I fear it won't be long before we can say it's impossible
Having said all that, given our form, and even though we had won up at Sunderland, the actual performance hadn't really been anything to write home about other than Januzaj's superb staring debut, I don't think there would have been too many reds who were over confident ahead of the game. Add to that Southampton's fine start to the season and excellent defensive record, the three points they took at Anfield and we all knew United would to have to be near their best.
Well United were never really at their best, Southampton put in a performance the equal of the last time they visited Old trafford when their pressing game caused us all sorts of problems and yet we had enough chances to have took the three points.
It was a strange games in some respects, because even though United's performance faltered the longer the second half went on, until the last ten minutes the opposition hardly threatened De Gea's goal. What was very apparent though, was how they grew stronger towards that last ten minutes, whilst United seemed to wilt. Whilst some of that was down to tactics and questionable substitutions, tha amount of times that teams have seemed stronger, fitter and faster than United over the last couple of seasons is starting to become too regular an occurence. This was an issue before Moyes took over, so whatever the merits, or not, as the case maybe, of Moyes more strenuous training regime, it's a problem that needs a solution.
Once more Januzaj was a sining light in the gloom of our poor early season form. He provided three passes during that first half that showed there will be life after Paul Scholes after all. I thought Nani had a reasonable game on the other flank, he created a couple of great chances during the first half, Rooney should have scored from one of his pull backs.
The central area of the park, once again was a problem. I don't really see how we can go on playing two out and out centre forwards, which is what we seem to be doing. There wasn't much evidence of Rooney dropping into the hole, especially during the first half. What was worse, when he did drop back, he was as much of a problem for our defence as for them. He almost set them up for two goals for Southampton with lax passing and the longer the game went the worse his game went. Broken record time, but he's nowhere near the player he was, whatever propoganda United and the media try to give out.
Up front, Van Persie got his goal and hit the woodwork with a fine header, but his body language looked shit. Moyes is on record as saying he's trying to forge a partnership between Van Persie and Rooney. Well it aint working at the moment, in any shape or form. It's obvious they both want to be the main man, the number nine, well on form there isn't much to choose between them, but we know, I think, Van Persie will be here next season, can we say that about Rooney. Given all that, Moyes, it seems to me, is going to have a big decsion to make, a possible headache, that he and United's board gave themselves when they insisted Rooney stay at the club in the summer.
Tactically, Moyes substitutions were very iffy, bringing Giggs on was fair enough, but for Nani, surely it should have been for either Fellaini or Rooney. Personally I would have preferred to have seen Kagawa come on for Rooney, playing deeper to try and improve our possession. As for Fellaini, he just looks absolutely lost, he doesn't seem to have anything in his locker at all. I'm on record as saying I didn't fancy him, never particularly rating him when he was at Everton, but i never imagined he was as poor as we have seen so far at United. I don't know whether it's his injury that's impeding him, he's overawed playing with better players or whether that is his actual level. Whichever it is Moyes needs him to come good, if the gimps are ever going to trust him with those scarce transfer funds.
The substitution that still has me scratching my head was Smalling for Rooney. The central defensive partnership between Jones and Evans at centre half was the best we have seen so far this season. The longer the game went, the stronger Jones, in particular, became. So for Moyes, so late in the game, to break them up and push Jones into central midfield, lost me I'm afraid. Of course that meant the marking for that fateful corner would have been all altered, which can't have helped during the muddle that led to their equaliser.
I suppose some will think it's just not good enough to be failing to be Southampton's and West Brom's of this world at Old trafford. But they have both given the lie to the theory that the premier league isn't as strong as the media hype would have you believe. I would have gone along with that over the last few seasons, but both West Brom and Southampton had players of a pretty high standard and both outfits played as teams. Saying that, of course you can't only be taking only home one point against them if you have any aspirations to reataining the title. It's too early to say that's impossible yet, despite our league position and the amount of points we are behind Arsenal. But given our form and tactics I fear it won't be long before we can say it's impossible
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