Manchester United 2-1 West Ham United

Another eventful afternoon for followers of Manchester United, but this week the three points were ours. Van Gaal gave a debut to McNair, partnering Rojo at centre half, with Luke Shaw making his debut at left back to complete an almost unrecongnisable back four. McNair has improved over the last year, but I still find his inclusion over Tom Thorpe absolutely bizarre. Thorpe has been superb for the youth team and apparently impressed at Birmingham in his short spell there on loan. You would have thought that he would have to had been first choice, if Van Gaal waas going to go with a youngster. But no,  the young Irishman was given the nod. That's the kind of decision that would be leading me to think it's time to start looking for a new club.
Anyway that gripe over, United started well and a fine move down the right saw the rejuvenated Rafael put a lovely cross in for Rooney to drive home. Almost immediately the visitors had the chance to equalise, but West Ham's Valencia wildly smashed the ball over the ball. United went two goals up after a decent link up between Falcao and Van Persie saw the Dutchman open his account for the season with a composed right foot finish. United continued to play attractive football and could have added to their tally, but went into the half time break with the two goal lead.
I'd expected the east Londoners to give our makeshift defence a sterner examination than they managed during the first half. But they did up their game at the beginning of the second half. What Rooney was thinking of when he launched into Downing, fuck knows, despite the crowd reaction, it was about as blatant a red card as you could wish to see. From then on, it became a rearguard action. Fair enough, down to ten men, you've got expect to come under pressure. But I was amazed that Van Gaal didn't try to rejig the line up to try and enable us to retain a reasonable amount of possession or leave us with some kind of attacking outlet. Injuries didn't help of course, but to me at least, it was pretty unimpressive stuff. I read somebody on one of the messageboards suggest it was like watching the Bayern Munich champions league game where Rafael got sent off and we ended up just waiting for the Germans to score, that was a good comparison. With all the debate over the offside, what hasn't really been mentioned is that Nolan should really have been able to keep himself onside.
At least the remaining ten players showed at bit of steel, unlike last weeks second half collapse. I thought Valencia and Fletcher did better than i'd expected them to when introduced and i really like the look of Luke Shaw, good going forward, but he can defend as well. He should be able to make that left back spot on his own, but under Van Gaal, who knows.
Three points were vital, more for the fact of trying to put last week behind us than our position in the league table, but it's all very much a work in progress at the moment. I just hope there's lot more progress been made for that clash against the rent boys, because at the moment, I find it hard to see us getting three points on that particular Sunday afternoon

Leicester City 5-3 Manchester United

What a difference a week makes. To be fair, if you had told me last week we would get beat 5-3 at Leicester, I wouldn't have been that shocked. Whilst we looked great going forward, when QPR remembered that going forward wasn't a criminal offence at the beginning of the second half, they got through to De Gea far too easily. The shock of yesterday was the fact that when the third goal went in, we were so on top, you were wondering how many more goals we would get, not how many points we would come out of the game with.
I suppose getting beat 5-3 is an improvement on the dismal Dave season, it's more, United, to get beat 5-3 than the turgid defeats of last season. Worryingly, though our attacking play is on a different planet to last season, our defending seems to have got worse. The summer transfer strategy still appears bizarre, we all knew a centre half and a dominant box to box or defensive midfield dynamo were priorities. We got Rojo, who was sold to us as a left sided centre half, but has played as left back in his two games so far, whilst the £30 million left back Shaw has yet to appear. Rojo didn't particularly impress me last week, but yesterday was worse. I'm sorry but Blackett is never a Manchester United centre half, he has only had this run of games because Van Gaal likes to have a right footer and a left footer at centre half. Johnny Evans seems to have reverted to the panicky defender we hoped we had seen the back of. When he's fit that is, I'm close to giving up on the trio of Jones, Evans and Smalling. It doesn't matter how good they are, if they are forever picking up injuries. As for Rafael, I didn't blame him for the penalty that led to the second goal, that was diabolical refereeing, that completely changed the course of the game. But we have seen him long enough to know he is never going to be the best defensive right back. If Tom Thorpe doesn't get a chance at United over the next couple of months, he should start looking for a new club, because if he doesn't get a run in this defence, he'll never get a go.
In front of them Blind and Herrera are both decent midfield players, but both are a little too lightweight and slow to protect such a dodgy defence. Carrick can't get fit quick enough for me, those reds who suggested he might find it hard to get back into this team got their answer very quickly.
Going forward was a strange one. Yes we played some great stuff and scored three excellent goals. But for all the talk of philosophy, the goals and most of our better moments in their third of the pitch were the result of brilliant players doing things off the cuff. And for me, for the second week running, when Di Maria had to be replaced, the team reverted to the slow ponderous aimless football of the Moyes era. It's frightning how important to the team he seems to be, don't get me wrong I think he is a fantastic footballer, but when he isn't on the pitch, the rest of the team have got to step up to the plate.
It's pointless for me to talk about Rooney, he didn't do enough, in his "favourite" position, but the talk from Van Gaal on Friday that his captain was close to undropable was fucking depresssing. Van Persie wasn't terrible, but was nowhere near the level you'd hope for. It's too early to judge Falcao, it was a brilliant turn and cross to set up the first goal and the lob that struck the crossbar was sublime. That front three as a combination doesn't look right to me though. So one step forward, two steps back, I thought the Moyes era was over.

Music

Echo & the Bunnymen - Meteorites: It sounds as if it could have been made in their eighties heyday, which means it's a pretty good album. Though I'm not sure there's a track on it that would have made it onto a greatest hits record. Still back on form.

Fujiya & Miyagi - Artificial Sweetners: Another fine album from the indie/techno outfit, I never read much about them in the press, but they are one of the better UK bands.

Gruff Rhys - American Interiors: Another album without the rest of the Super Furries, this one his fifth solo album. Whoever he records with, he delivers, one of the best recording artists in these islands at the present time.

Little Dragon - Nubuma Rubberband: An excellent indie electro pop albumfrom the Scandanavian outfit, I've heard them before, but not a full albums worth, good stuff.

Shit Robot - We Got a Love: A fine second album from the Irish dj/producer, tunes to get you on the dance floor, but no cheesy crap.

Smoke Fairies - Smoke Fairies: The third album from the UK female indie/folk duo is decent enough, but not as memorable as some of their competition.

Thee Oh Sees - Drop: The prolific US indie outfit have another album out and it's another winner, not one of their very best, but still a cracking bit of noisy guitar indie rock.

Manchester United 4-0 QPR

It's hard to not get a little giddy after Sunday's performance, that was the most attractive and promising game of football at Old trafford for a fair while. But we have to take into account just how poor the opposition were, the first half especially, they looked like a team that should expect to go straight back down. But how can you not get excited at being able to watch Di Maria every week, or seeing something that resembled a competent central midfield dominate proceedings.
The moment that the team was announced, or should I say the moment it was announced that United would start with a back four, things were looking up. The players looked far more comfortable lining up with a back four. Van Gaal has said he hasn't finished with a back three, if so it will be interesting to see whether we get anywhere near yesterdays level of performance when we got back to 3-5-2.
We got better performances all around the pitch, not just the obvious ones of Di Maria, Blind and Herrera. Rojo put in a decent 90 minutes at left back and rafael seemed rejuvenated, that was his best game for a long time. It has to be remembered they weren't greatly troubled, until the second half at least. When I saw the team i had expected Rojo to start at centre half with Blackett at centre half. If there was a down side to the day, it was when QPR did wake up in the second half and had a bit of a go, we did look shaky through the middle. And whilst I don't think Evans and Blackett is a centre back partnership for the future, that wasn't the only problem defensively.
Blind was a revelation, his use of the ball was superb, neat and tidy, give and go, keeping thing ticking over nicely. But we had read about his lack of pace and lack of physical presence and that could be a problem. I read some reds suggesting Carrick would struggle to get back into the team, well not for me. What yesterday showed was that whilst Blind and Herrera are both nice footballers, they are both a little on the slow side, so against a City, Chelsea et al, I would still be wanting to Carrick in front of that back four.
That's a problem fore the future though. The revelation has to be just how good Di Maria is, he is world class, we did not overpay for him. He's a far more complete footballer than Bale for instance, that little dinked ball with the outside of his left foot for Van Persie in the second half was worth the admission money on it's own. He was involved in everything.
We have to get to it eventually, but Rooney and Van Persie still aren't the answer for me. I know I bang on about Rooney's lack of mobility, and it's still there, but yesterday he was involved in the build up play and did link up well at times. But Van Persie didn't excel at all, he actually doesn't really even look like he's enjoying his football at the moment. I watched him playing for Holland against the Czech Republic on TV  last week and he gave the same kind of scratchy performance he had given in the world cup. Falcao didn't too much when he came on, but that was due the rest of the team not picking out his runs. He made some great runs, and I can't see it being too long before he gets a bit of a run in the side. At the moment Van Persie would be the man most in danger of losing his spot.
How long will it be before Januzaj starts a game, he was only for ten minutes or so, but he made things happen and on another day could have bagged a couple of goals. Watching him and Di Maria in the same side is going to be a joy.
So it's official, we can look forward to going to games at Old trafford again, praise fucking be for that.

Galacticos United

Some United fans are delighted that United have finally splashed the cash and splashed it big time, others are a little disturbed that the club has lost it's soul a little, though recognise that we have bought top quality. I tend to go with the latter, though having said that, i can't deny that I'm very excited about the thought of Di Maria and Falcao in the same side.
It wasn't the fact of us spending big, I've wanted us to do that for a couple of seasons, it's the fact that we all knew the two positions we really needed to fill were a top class centre half and either a box to box midfield dynamo or a top notch defensive midfielder. True we have got one out and out central midfield player and two who can play there, but only time will tell whether they are the right fit. We haven't managed to sign a top class centre back, and i feel we may still have to fix that at some point. The signing of Falcao really came out of the blue, and though I would have said a centre forward was the least of our problems, at least in relation to elsewhere in the squad, having watched the first three games, it looks as if it was going to become one. Van Gaal came in apparently with the idea of fixing the teams formation around Van Persie and Rooney up front. Maybe he's seen what we've been seeing for two seasons now, they just don't gel. I'd like to think he's seen that Rooney has seen better days and is planning for the future, you live in hope.
I was bitterly disappointed that we've let Welbeck go, when i watch Rooney and for that matter, Van Persie's lethargic performance over the last season or so, I can understand why he was demanding first team football. I fully expect him to do well at Arsenal and what's more I hope he does. But if he does, I'll always think that he should have been doing that in a red shirt. I've never argued that he was going to be the next Ruud Van Nistelroy, but not all forwards are. Mark Hughes and Cantona as a partnership weren't really 20 goals a season men, but they got their share and brought other players into the game making us more effective. Anyway it's done now, I'm going to try and forget all about it.
Danny was the last real Manchester lad, that was a nailed on first team squad member, unfortunately. The Manchester in Manchester United means something to me, so I hope Van Gaal is able to bring a Keane, a Thorpe or a Pearson through.
All said and done, though we have made some great signings, I hope nobody is kidding themselves that Manchester is the dream club of all these Spanish speaking players you can bet you're life they would jump at the chance to join or in Di Maria's case go back to Real Madrid, if the chance ever arrives.
Woodward has been basking in the acclaim that's been to readily given by some of the more clued up reds to my surprise, I'd like to know the list of targets Van Gaal gave him after the Swansea defeat, we'd really be able to judge the job he's done then. The one big plus is that the Glazer family have had to used United money that we can be pretty sure they hadn't wanted to spend on improving the squad instead of their own bank accounts. Roll on QPR at home.

Music

Brian Eno & Karl Hyde - Somedays: I wasn't really sure what to expect from this, Underworld with a bit of input from the experimental Eno or an album leaning more to the Eno sound. It's more to the Hyde side without sounding too much like Underworld and it's pretty good.

Fatima Al Qadiri - Asiatisch: Eastern tinged techno ambient that really hits the button.

GoGo Penguin - Fanfares: During the 80's and the 90's of Madchester it would have been hard to conceive of a jazz scene in Manchester, yet we have Matthew Halsall, Nat Birchall and a couple of years this outfit entered the scene. This their debut is a tremendous stuff.

Hakon Stene - Lush laments for lazy mammal: The latest album from the Norwegian jazz/avant garde percussionist, it's minimalist, heavily leaning to the avant garde side of his repetoire, it takes time to get into it, but it's worth the investment.
Liz Green - Haul Away: Another manchester based artist, this is singer/songwriter leftfield, jazzier elements more than woman and guitar, it's pretty good.

Michael Yonkers Band - Microminature: Cult US guitarist whom i had never heard of until i read about this album some time ago now, only just got around to listening to it. I can see why it's got such fervent fans, it's a belter.

Muyei Power - Sierra Leone in 1970's USA: I know nothing about these, except it's superb African funk.

Burnley 0-0 Manchester United

I know if you had looked at the line ups of either team ahead of the game, you would have had to have United as big favourites to come away with all the points on Saturday, but did any red really have any confidence in us to do the business. The introduction of Di Maria was positive, or should that be desperate, that midfield looks as threadbare as ever, no time for the Argentine to bed himself down into his new club.The front three stayed the same, Rooney and Van Persie up top with Mata behind and Valencia and Young out wide.
I was disappointed to see no Januzaj in the starting line up, I'm starting to worry that maybe the young Belgian isn't Van Gaal's cup of tea. The fact he has played in about three different positions when he has been introduced makes you wonder if Van Gaal sees something in him he's uncomfortable with.
The back three of Evans, Jones and Blackett once more looked totally ill at ease in the new look back three formation. The three central defenders just isn't working, that's plain for all to see, I can't say for sure we would have took the points if we'd started with a back four, but I'm sure we would have given it a better crack. Until players are brought in who are comfortable and understand the position, I'm not too sure things are going to get that much better any time soon.
United started slowly, though Di Maria showed enough to look as if he is going to be a proper Manchester United signing as Gary Neville inferred on Twitter during the first half. As usual the midfield has come in for plenty of stick, Di Maria started in the middle but seemed to be as far forward as Mata at times. Fletcher tries, but it's just not there any more, it still seems a bizarre decision to appoint him vice captain, he really should have been a part of the clear out. Mata couldn't get in the game again, and the excuse that he couldn't because of the back three flinging long balls out of defence when they were pressed at the back, maybe a partial excuse, but not a totally convincing one to me. As Di Maria showed, especially in the first half, it was possible to make things happen, Mata just wouldn't try anything the least bit risky.
In front of our non creative creator were the pair who some still seem to think will come good, if they're just given the right service. The service was poor, especially from out wide, there's no denying that, but it has been as plain to see as you can get that those two just cannot, don't like, playing alongside each other.
Van persie wasn't great, he probably should have scored at least one of the couple of chances that he was presented with, but at least he got on the end of those chances. But Rooney was abject, how many times was the ball pinched of him. I've seen Mark Ogden and Danny Taylor write that he may have to move deeper following the arrival of Falcao today. But that lack of pace is as much a hindrance in midfield as it is up front. I sometimes wonder what the fuck is going on there, why on Earth do the club pander to him so fucking much. He's not the player he was and he is never going to be, we should be looking to life beyond him, Christ you'd think he was Ronaldo the way everybody is always discussing how we are going to fit him into the side. You would like to think the arrival of perhaps the best natural centre forward in the world would mean the gruesome twosome are the undroppable's no more.
Given the injuries and incoming signings, I don't know whether this is a good time for us to go into an international break or not. I do know that I'm not exactly looking forward to the next game as I wasn't exactly looking forward to Saturday. I think the project is going to take a lot longer than three months. If we end up playing the kind of football that Van Gaal ended up introducing to Barca and Bayern Munich, it'll be worth the wait. I dread to think where we'll be if that doesn't happen.