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.
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.
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