Like a good few other reds, I was more than a little taken aback by just how good a performance United put in on Saturday. It wasn't as spectacular as Levrkeusen away or even Swansea on the opening day of the season, but in terms of the way we want to see United playing, it was spot on. United produced a controlled attractive performance, the likes of which would go along way to pushing us back up where we need to be next year if we are to be contesting silverware again.
I can't have been on my own in thinking that was the last thing I would be saying after the game after I saw the team selected.
The front four looked decent on paper, though untried on the pitch so far under the Moyes. The injury to Van Persie wasn't as much of a disaster as some of the press had made out, instead, it was, as some of us had thought, an opportunity to put out the kind of line up that could reproduce the kind of fluid football we saw at the hawthorns after Van Persie had been given the hook.
The back four and the midfield was a different matter though, Carrick at Centre half, we know that can be hit and miss, and Buttner at left back completed an unusual back four. On the day it worked, Buttner in particular had one of his better days. How much that was down to the protection they received from the players in front controlling possession or from how poor West Ham were, who knows. Fletcher and Fellaini had a pretty easy day, though both played reasonably well, it was against a piss poor home side.
That front four of Kagawa, Mata, Rooney and even Young were excellent, no quibbles about how poor West Ham were there. The passing, movement and intercahnge was as good as we've seen all season. I suppose Rooney's goal, coming so early and the sheer brilliance of it, gave the players a massive lift. Rooney looked a liberated man playing up front with no sulking Dutchman in front of him, in fact the whole of the team does. I still think Van Persie is the better centre forward, but there seems to be so much baggage there, it looks as if player and club might be better of with a parting of the way in the summer. Mata had one of his best games since his transfer and Kagawa had perhaps his best game of the season, giving the kind of performance that made his name at Dortmund.
I suppose the only let down was the fact that after getting the second goal before half time, United couldn't go on and do the goal difference a bit of good. Still, the performance was the thing, with City to come tomorrow night, we needed a little bit of a confidence boost. Whether it's the usual, one step forward, two steps back, your guess is good as mine, we'll find out tomorrow.
I can't have been on my own in thinking that was the last thing I would be saying after the game after I saw the team selected.
The front four looked decent on paper, though untried on the pitch so far under the Moyes. The injury to Van Persie wasn't as much of a disaster as some of the press had made out, instead, it was, as some of us had thought, an opportunity to put out the kind of line up that could reproduce the kind of fluid football we saw at the hawthorns after Van Persie had been given the hook.
The back four and the midfield was a different matter though, Carrick at Centre half, we know that can be hit and miss, and Buttner at left back completed an unusual back four. On the day it worked, Buttner in particular had one of his better days. How much that was down to the protection they received from the players in front controlling possession or from how poor West Ham were, who knows. Fletcher and Fellaini had a pretty easy day, though both played reasonably well, it was against a piss poor home side.
That front four of Kagawa, Mata, Rooney and even Young were excellent, no quibbles about how poor West Ham were there. The passing, movement and intercahnge was as good as we've seen all season. I suppose Rooney's goal, coming so early and the sheer brilliance of it, gave the players a massive lift. Rooney looked a liberated man playing up front with no sulking Dutchman in front of him, in fact the whole of the team does. I still think Van Persie is the better centre forward, but there seems to be so much baggage there, it looks as if player and club might be better of with a parting of the way in the summer. Mata had one of his best games since his transfer and Kagawa had perhaps his best game of the season, giving the kind of performance that made his name at Dortmund.
I suppose the only let down was the fact that after getting the second goal before half time, United couldn't go on and do the goal difference a bit of good. Still, the performance was the thing, with City to come tomorrow night, we needed a little bit of a confidence boost. Whether it's the usual, one step forward, two steps back, your guess is good as mine, we'll find out tomorrow.
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