Well, where the fuck did that come from, I wasn't really expecting that much from last night, though I did quite like the starting eleven when I saw it. Leverkeusen were terrible, that has to be said, but still, United counter attacked like the United of old and during the latter stages went for their throat, instead of sitting back and settling for the three points.
The team had a better balance to it, with Kagawa in the hole and Rooney up front and the centre midfield of Giggs and Jones was on a different level to that engine room selected for Cardiff. Giggs was excellent, and Jones was quietly effective, with Kagawa dropping deeper and knitting attack and midfield far better than Rooney has so far this season when deployed as the number ten. Rooney started as the number 9, which for me is his best position and just as importantly seems to be where he wasnts to play. He had a good game last night, as he did on Sunday, I still think Van Perise, on form is the better player, though no doubt when the Dutchman returns to the squad, it will be Kagawa who returns to the flank.
I thought Valencia had a pretty good game last night, even if he was playing against a make shift left back, his form has improved as the season has gone on. He's still not the rampaging right winger of his first full season at the club, but he's not the shell of a player that he had become last season, thank god. Nani had a reasonable game on his re-introduction to the first team after his being booed off the pitch against Stoke City. He started erratically but got more dangerous as the game went along, ending it with a fine take from Giggs sublime pass and an excellent finish
If you could script a European away game, it couldn't have been scripted much better than last night. We kept them quiet for the first 20 minutes, whilst looking occasionaly threatening on the break, taking the lead at the end of that period of play with a lovely goal started by Kagawa on the counter with Tony V finishing off Rooney's cross at the back post. I'm racking my brains to remember a goal scored by us on the counter attack away from home this season, I still can't think of one. There's not much, that's more exciting in football than goals started in your own half and finished off at pace.
The second goal, was basically poor defending from the home team, and their heads did seem to drop then. They didn't really seriously threaten United's goal for the rest of the game and the rest of the night was one which the players and watching reds could enjoy.
What really thrilled me about last night was the way we kept going, right until the end, it's always done my head in, the amount of times United basically settle for the three points when a couple of goals up. Surely when you have a big squad, there is less justice in doing this, players aren't sure whether they'll be playing the next game, so they shouldn't be going down a gear, taking it easy. If that's a trait Moyes has started to get through to the players, rather than just one of those nights where we clicked and the opposition were poor, then i'm impressed and hope to see more.
Pity they aren't a premier league side, our goal difference would have been noticeably improved if the nine goals we have scored during our two Champions league tiesagainst them had been scored in the premier league. Of course it's back to domestic matters on Sunday, where despite Tottenham's debacle last Sunday at City, it will probably be a really tough game. They'll be a few changes no doubt, if he's fit I expect Welbeck to start, and of course Van Persie will walk into the team as well. Hopefully Vidic is fit to return at the expense of Ferdinand, who once more had a couple of wobbly moments again last night. It's becoming a bit hard to know what to expect from us at the moment, fortunately for us, you could say that for most of our challengers.
The team had a better balance to it, with Kagawa in the hole and Rooney up front and the centre midfield of Giggs and Jones was on a different level to that engine room selected for Cardiff. Giggs was excellent, and Jones was quietly effective, with Kagawa dropping deeper and knitting attack and midfield far better than Rooney has so far this season when deployed as the number ten. Rooney started as the number 9, which for me is his best position and just as importantly seems to be where he wasnts to play. He had a good game last night, as he did on Sunday, I still think Van Perise, on form is the better player, though no doubt when the Dutchman returns to the squad, it will be Kagawa who returns to the flank.
I thought Valencia had a pretty good game last night, even if he was playing against a make shift left back, his form has improved as the season has gone on. He's still not the rampaging right winger of his first full season at the club, but he's not the shell of a player that he had become last season, thank god. Nani had a reasonable game on his re-introduction to the first team after his being booed off the pitch against Stoke City. He started erratically but got more dangerous as the game went along, ending it with a fine take from Giggs sublime pass and an excellent finish
If you could script a European away game, it couldn't have been scripted much better than last night. We kept them quiet for the first 20 minutes, whilst looking occasionaly threatening on the break, taking the lead at the end of that period of play with a lovely goal started by Kagawa on the counter with Tony V finishing off Rooney's cross at the back post. I'm racking my brains to remember a goal scored by us on the counter attack away from home this season, I still can't think of one. There's not much, that's more exciting in football than goals started in your own half and finished off at pace.
The second goal, was basically poor defending from the home team, and their heads did seem to drop then. They didn't really seriously threaten United's goal for the rest of the game and the rest of the night was one which the players and watching reds could enjoy.
What really thrilled me about last night was the way we kept going, right until the end, it's always done my head in, the amount of times United basically settle for the three points when a couple of goals up. Surely when you have a big squad, there is less justice in doing this, players aren't sure whether they'll be playing the next game, so they shouldn't be going down a gear, taking it easy. If that's a trait Moyes has started to get through to the players, rather than just one of those nights where we clicked and the opposition were poor, then i'm impressed and hope to see more.
Pity they aren't a premier league side, our goal difference would have been noticeably improved if the nine goals we have scored during our two Champions league tiesagainst them had been scored in the premier league. Of course it's back to domestic matters on Sunday, where despite Tottenham's debacle last Sunday at City, it will probably be a really tough game. They'll be a few changes no doubt, if he's fit I expect Welbeck to start, and of course Van Persie will walk into the team as well. Hopefully Vidic is fit to return at the expense of Ferdinand, who once more had a couple of wobbly moments again last night. It's becoming a bit hard to know what to expect from us at the moment, fortunately for us, you could say that for most of our challengers.
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