I was confident going into this derby, not so much because we we were on top form, but because we seemed to be improving, whilst they seemed to be all over the place. Even though the game went against us, it was a reasonable assesment of the game to come.
Whilst we seemed to dominate the first 20 minutes, terrtotorially, we didn't create the chances that the possession deserved. And then out of nowhere, De Gea had to make two wonder saves to keep us in the match. One day somebody will explain to me, what it is exactly that leads them to believe Valencia can do a job at right back. Smalling was idiottic to get sent off, but it was easy to see why he lost his head, when he thought he had to charge into the right back position to get the Soth American out of another mess of his own making. The only problem being he was as of the pace as Valencia.
Any chance we had of winning the game disapearred at that moment.There can be argument over the substition of Januzaj, he had looked one of our more more promising forward players. I wouldn't have took him off that is for sure. But fot all Van Gaal's big talk we have all seen he will not take Roney or Van Persie off when it matters. Though the late substitution of Van Persie may signal that the Dutchman is no longer untouchable.
Once Smalling was sent off, I feared the worst, expecting us to get murdered. So from that point of view the second half can only be seen in a positive light. There was a spell when it looked as if we may be in for a humiliation, but once we got over that wobble. United put in a reasonable display. That was helped by City's performance of course, their display over that last fifteen minutes or so, against ten men and against that back four was unbelievable. It's hard to be sure of how the game would have panned out if it had been eleven against eleven, but it's hard to believe we would have come out of that game without something to show for it.
Despite our poor start, results and points wise, you can see we are heading in the right direction. Though the defence is going backwards, injury wise and playing wise, their is miles more character and fight from the players than there was under Moyes. It still defies belief though, that we didn't buy an established centre half during the summer. That said, I can't say that I'm jumping for joy at any of the centre backs that we've been linked with in the press over the last couple of months. Once we get the Arsenal game over and done with, we have a run of games where we should be able to go on a good run. If we that doesn't happen, the journalists who this morning have tried to paint a picture of doom over Old trafford, will really have something to write about.
Whilst we seemed to dominate the first 20 minutes, terrtotorially, we didn't create the chances that the possession deserved. And then out of nowhere, De Gea had to make two wonder saves to keep us in the match. One day somebody will explain to me, what it is exactly that leads them to believe Valencia can do a job at right back. Smalling was idiottic to get sent off, but it was easy to see why he lost his head, when he thought he had to charge into the right back position to get the Soth American out of another mess of his own making. The only problem being he was as of the pace as Valencia.
Any chance we had of winning the game disapearred at that moment.There can be argument over the substition of Januzaj, he had looked one of our more more promising forward players. I wouldn't have took him off that is for sure. But fot all Van Gaal's big talk we have all seen he will not take Roney or Van Persie off when it matters. Though the late substitution of Van Persie may signal that the Dutchman is no longer untouchable.
Once Smalling was sent off, I feared the worst, expecting us to get murdered. So from that point of view the second half can only be seen in a positive light. There was a spell when it looked as if we may be in for a humiliation, but once we got over that wobble. United put in a reasonable display. That was helped by City's performance of course, their display over that last fifteen minutes or so, against ten men and against that back four was unbelievable. It's hard to be sure of how the game would have panned out if it had been eleven against eleven, but it's hard to believe we would have come out of that game without something to show for it.
Despite our poor start, results and points wise, you can see we are heading in the right direction. Though the defence is going backwards, injury wise and playing wise, their is miles more character and fight from the players than there was under Moyes. It still defies belief though, that we didn't buy an established centre half during the summer. That said, I can't say that I'm jumping for joy at any of the centre backs that we've been linked with in the press over the last couple of months. Once we get the Arsenal game over and done with, we have a run of games where we should be able to go on a good run. If we that doesn't happen, the journalists who this morning have tried to paint a picture of doom over Old trafford, will really have something to write about.
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