It can't get any worse than this, the nadir of the season, both phrases been trotted out a fair few times now this season, and were duly etched in print and on the old t'internet last night after yet another debacle. But I'm afraid until we have played both Liverpool and City at home you won't be hearing those words coming from my lips. I am fucking dreading both of those encounters, it's not just getting beat, that worries me, it's that we could very well be taken apart. I'm grimly, against my own better judgement, even, standing by Moyes for another season, hopefully having got rid of a mass of deadwood in the summer and bringing in quality replacements and bringing a few of our youngsters through. But if we were to get taken apart by either of those, I'd be close to joining the Moyes out brigade.
As with a fair few other reds, ahead of last nights clash, I had somehow convinced myself, against all the evidence, that we would at least turn up last night, and would get a result good enough to come back to Old trafford with for us to finish the job. As soon as I saw the team that confidence just evaporated. I didn't expect Januzaj to start, but to not even be on the bench, was just off the scale bonkers. Is Moyes trying to hang himself? Januzaj may not have done himself justice on Saturday, but he's been our one shining light, our only player to be able to make something out of the ordinary happen all season.
Then this sudden resurrection of Ferdinand, after all the rumours of an imminent retirement, why? He has been a shadow of his former self all season, an accident waiting to happen, in almost every game he's played in. I don't know if having Ferdinand alongside him contributed to Smalling having possibly his worst game of the season, but it can't have helped. Cleverley has copped for a load of stick this morning, rightly so, but was Carrick that much better. I have always had a lot of time for Carrick, but his form has tailed off, alarmingly this season, both before and after his lay off in mid winter.
It's pointless mentioning Valencia and Young, they contributed exactly as expected, I don't know what they do in training that left Moyes thinking they would be up to the job last night. Both worked hard and created precisely zilch, no change there then. I had presumed Moyes had been leaving Welbeck out of the squad in preparation for the game last night, wrong again. I had expected us to play a 4-3-3 as we had in the Ukraine earlier in the season with Welbeck starting out wide. At least with Welbeck out wide, you get work rate, pace and someone to worry the opposition at the back. As he proved when he and Kagawa came on and added a little bit of class and urgency to proceedings, too late and to no avail, alas.
There is no way that United can play 4-4-2 against the top sides in Europe, never mind the second tier as we did last night, with our present squad of ageing defenders, invisible midfield and wingers who don't seem to be able to get past a man, never mind get a cross in.
Then, there's the old chestnut of Van Persie and Rooney, we seemed to start the game with the pair of them up front, before our woeful start to the game, forced Rooney to go deep. I thought Rooney's performance showed exactly why his new contract award was idiotic, sure he tried, but the game just passed him by, and by the end of the game with him in central midfield, he could barely keep hold of the ball. I suppose you have to give him some marks for at least trying.
And then we get to his fellow egotistical compadre, Van Persie, he's not a happy bunny is he, that's fair enough, playing in front of that mess, he's a right to be. But put some effort in man, at least. The night was summed up for me, when Smalling bemused himself and Van Persie, by the looks of things, as he managed to put in an almost perfect cross near the end, which the Dutchman controlled perfectly, lost his man and then blasted it over the bar. The type of chance Van Persie has been tucking away for fun over the last few weeks. When it came to his feet, I was almost already celebrating. So no precious away goal that we hadn't deserved anyway.
I suppose there is a chance we can turn it around in the second leg, they are no great shakes and aren't very good on the road. But we won't do it with the team that lined up last night, and to do it I reckon we'll have to score at least four goals, because I can't see us keeping a clean sheet. To be honest, I can see no further than Liverpool at home, we've just got to be more up for the fight, more positive, more fucking Manchester United, please.
As with a fair few other reds, ahead of last nights clash, I had somehow convinced myself, against all the evidence, that we would at least turn up last night, and would get a result good enough to come back to Old trafford with for us to finish the job. As soon as I saw the team that confidence just evaporated. I didn't expect Januzaj to start, but to not even be on the bench, was just off the scale bonkers. Is Moyes trying to hang himself? Januzaj may not have done himself justice on Saturday, but he's been our one shining light, our only player to be able to make something out of the ordinary happen all season.
Then this sudden resurrection of Ferdinand, after all the rumours of an imminent retirement, why? He has been a shadow of his former self all season, an accident waiting to happen, in almost every game he's played in. I don't know if having Ferdinand alongside him contributed to Smalling having possibly his worst game of the season, but it can't have helped. Cleverley has copped for a load of stick this morning, rightly so, but was Carrick that much better. I have always had a lot of time for Carrick, but his form has tailed off, alarmingly this season, both before and after his lay off in mid winter.
It's pointless mentioning Valencia and Young, they contributed exactly as expected, I don't know what they do in training that left Moyes thinking they would be up to the job last night. Both worked hard and created precisely zilch, no change there then. I had presumed Moyes had been leaving Welbeck out of the squad in preparation for the game last night, wrong again. I had expected us to play a 4-3-3 as we had in the Ukraine earlier in the season with Welbeck starting out wide. At least with Welbeck out wide, you get work rate, pace and someone to worry the opposition at the back. As he proved when he and Kagawa came on and added a little bit of class and urgency to proceedings, too late and to no avail, alas.
There is no way that United can play 4-4-2 against the top sides in Europe, never mind the second tier as we did last night, with our present squad of ageing defenders, invisible midfield and wingers who don't seem to be able to get past a man, never mind get a cross in.
Then, there's the old chestnut of Van Persie and Rooney, we seemed to start the game with the pair of them up front, before our woeful start to the game, forced Rooney to go deep. I thought Rooney's performance showed exactly why his new contract award was idiotic, sure he tried, but the game just passed him by, and by the end of the game with him in central midfield, he could barely keep hold of the ball. I suppose you have to give him some marks for at least trying.
And then we get to his fellow egotistical compadre, Van Persie, he's not a happy bunny is he, that's fair enough, playing in front of that mess, he's a right to be. But put some effort in man, at least. The night was summed up for me, when Smalling bemused himself and Van Persie, by the looks of things, as he managed to put in an almost perfect cross near the end, which the Dutchman controlled perfectly, lost his man and then blasted it over the bar. The type of chance Van Persie has been tucking away for fun over the last few weeks. When it came to his feet, I was almost already celebrating. So no precious away goal that we hadn't deserved anyway.
I suppose there is a chance we can turn it around in the second leg, they are no great shakes and aren't very good on the road. But we won't do it with the team that lined up last night, and to do it I reckon we'll have to score at least four goals, because I can't see us keeping a clean sheet. To be honest, I can see no further than Liverpool at home, we've just got to be more up for the fight, more positive, more fucking Manchester United, please.
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