Liverpool 1-2 Manchester United

Result and performance, fancy that. I don't think the most optimistic red expected anything quite like that. Probably as good as anything I've ever seen from United at Anfield in my lifetime. It was a pity that Rooney didn't convert that late penalty because 3-1 would have been a fairer reflection of the game than the 2-1 was.
That first 35 minutes where we completely dominated events was the best football we have played all season. What a day to produce our best away display, it was even better than last weeks first half display that blew Spurs away. I'll be honest i didn't think that the line up selected was capable of the kind of pressing we saw for that first 35 minutes. The icing on the cake, of course was the goals, two crackers and both scored at good moments in the game. The first capped off the domination we had shown and the second came just as they had looked like they might have been capable of getting back into the game, even down to ten men.
It was a big call to start Mata instead of Di Maria, but even I thought that it was justified. I've never been Mata's biggest fan but he played well last week and was even better yesterday and that was without his goals. I'm afraid Di Maria showed why he didn't deserve to start when brought on as a substitute. Even though he was involved in  Mata's glorious second goal, in general, he could hardly do anything right. Rooney's performance was a strange one, I thought last week was his best performance in years, but yesterday was one of those days where the ball just wouldn't stick. It was a pity Wilson wasn't on the bench, because when they went down to ten men, his pace would have been deadly.
On the plus side the back four were excellent, the midfield also, again, i'm no great fan of Fellaini, but he has been integral to the last two performances. He's still not my idea of a United player, but you have to acknowledge the trouble he has cause both Spurs and Liverpool.
And to think I have been dreading this end of season run in, the games can't come quick enough now, bring on City, he says giddily.

Result over performance!

So this weekend we may find out whether last weekend's surprise performance, as in where did that come from, was a one off or a sign that maybe Van Gaal has got a clue what he's doing. By finding out, I mean the way we approach the game and compete. It's United v Liverpool so we could play reasonably well and still get beat or alternately as in the mid noughties play crap and steal a 1-0 win. Looking forward it would better to get a performance, but for this week and this week only, fuck that, any kind of result will do!

Music
Alt-J - This is all yours: I never got around to this when it first came out, I can see why it was critically lauded, it's very good.

Baxter Dury - It's A Pleasure: I enjoyed the last album and this is a pretty good follow up. Vocally he still sounds just like his old man, the quirky indie/pop not so much, it's another enjoyable album.

Clark - Clark: The sonic adventurer returns, I wasn't sure it was as good as some people had cracked up to be on my first few listens, but I got there in the end, excellent stuff, again.

Future Islands - Singles: I hadn't heard these before this album, then again I don't think that many had, a break through album for the US electro pop act that works pretty well. I'll be interested to hear their next album, I might be wrong but they have a sound that could get a bit samey.

Hookworms - The hum: Yet another psychedelic with a hint of krautrock indie act, UK this time, can't complain, it's one of my favourite genre's. It's a pretty fine album, not world beating, but full of decent tunes and full of promise.

Jim Noir - Finnish Line: I'm a big fan of Manchester's own Jim Noir, sure his music is pretty derivative, 60's and very Beatles influenced, but his albums are full of great tunes.

Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – Nu School of Planet Dub: I love Scratch Perry, and this is yet another album well worth a listen.

Manchester United 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Where did that come from, we made a good start, getting on top of the home side right from the beginning of the match for about the first time this season. Getting an early goal helped, and what a good goal it was. The return of Carrick was a big factor, and the pass to make the first goal was just the sort of thing we have been missing. I'm not getting too giddy though, Tottenham gave by far the worst performance of any visiting team to Old trafford this season. Let's see what kind of performance we get next week at Anfield next week.
Still as the saying goes, you can only beat what's placed before you and we certainly did that. The Tottenham defending for the second goals summed their day up, how Rooney beat four men to score the third after being gifted the ball god only knows. It was a fitting reward for Rooney who I thought had his best game in absolutely ages. Young, Carrick and Rooney were all outstanding. Smalling had a decent game, but I thought Jones may have shaded him at centre back after he got over that horror back pass early on.
I wasn't that keen on the team when I saw it, Mata on the right Fellaini in his roaming central midfield role. But fair play to them they both had good games. I've seen loads of people praising Herrera of all people. I must have been watching a different game, because he was pretty average for me. I made a little point of just watching him after the third went in and took the safe option almost all the time.
It was the quietest game De Gea has had all season, but he still managed to make one fine save near the end from Kane. It was a pity we couldn't add any more goals in the second half, goal difference could yet prove crucial in the race for that champions league spot.
Next week really is a big game now, still feels weird to be describing a battle for fourth spot that, but there you go.

Manchester United 1-2 Arsenal

Well what some of us feared would happen, came to pass last night. The first time in a while that we played a half decent team, we got found out and in the game a lot of us cared the most about. I'd have took a FA cup winning season over a top four place playing the dross Van Gaal brand of football we've been treated to for most of the season.
What made it worse was that you just knew a half decent United team playing proper United football would have done them. They were the better team and deserved the victory, but why did they seem to hang on at the end when we were down to ten men and our confidence was on the floor lumping long balls to Fellaini.
I didn't care for the staring line up, he plays Fellaini for his aerial ability, but then doesn't really play him far enough forward to really hurt their back line. And to be fair to Fellaini, just what was the point of that. Needless to say that is completely contrary to how United should be approaching any game of football as far as I'm concerned. Van Gaal actually tries to use Fellaini exactly how Moyes would have done if he thought he could have got away with it. These two seasons post Fergie, are just getting more bizarre by the minute.
Some reds thought United played well in the first half, I didn't really share that opinion. They hadn't played as badly as I feared they might, but Arsenal played the more controlled constructive football. One of the main problems for United was when it landed at Fellaini's feet, moves just stopped or went sideways as he just hasn't got the game to see, never mind play any kind of creative pass. Di Maria was better up to a point and Young was alright, without ever really looking like he had it to beat his man.
The middle of the park was one big fat nothing though. Blind was slow, games like this really show him to be the average squad player he is. Personally I didn't think Herrera was any better, yes he has more attacking instincts, but he doesn't really make things happen or have any dynamism. Still I wouldn't have took him off at half time to replace him with Carrick, unless Rooney had dropped back into a number ten or attacking midfield role with Wilson going up front. Blind and Carrick in midfield with Fellaini in front was mind bogglingly negative. I wasn't that taken with Shaw going off unless he was injured, as that just wasting an attacking change later on. His substitutions have been the worst I have ever seen from a United manager, they're diabolical.
As to the winning goal, well it had to be Welbeck to punish the back pass, I had a good view of that and Welbeck was not favourite for that ball. But he had the pace and the alertness to get there and then to finish it off. There's only arguably Wilson at our club that could have duplicated their winning goal, none of our experienced forwards would have got near to beating De Gea to the ball.
The sending off was nuts, I've noticed the worse Di Maria's form has gone the more he has been throwing himself to the ground in recent weeks. I didn't actually notice him grab the referee's shirt at the match, but that just compounded that awful dive. Januzaj's dive late in the game was just absolutely inexplicable, brain dead in fact.
De Gea Saved our blushes with a couple of outstanding saves during the second half, but the fact was that Arsenal never truly went for our throats. If we end up in a similar position against City, Chelsea or even Liverpool for fuck sake, I dread to think what would happen.
Predictions for Sunday anyone! 

Newcastle United 0-1 Manchester United

Another grim, grim performance, redeemed at the death by the gift handed to Ashley Young to gift us the three points. Some seem to be content with the fare on offer from Van Gaal, I'm fucked if I am. It's just totally embarrassing as far as I'm concerned.
Once again Van Gaal's team selection had some scratching their heads and others spitting feathers. I had no problem at all at Falcao's demotion to the bench, but the inclusion of Fellaini? Playing Rooney up front could have seen Mata come back into the team, Januzaj given a more central role than usual, but as a well known red stated we started with Plan B.
As per usual it seems, United started slowly, possession for possession sake again. But I couldn't help wonder why he picked Fellaini to start in a more withdrawn role if that was the plan, some of his tactics just seem barking to me. Unfortunately Di Maria started where he left off on Saturday, hardly putting a foot right. He was sent through on goal by Rooney and should have had a dip with his right foot, but tried to beat his man to get it back onto his left and ended up losing it criminally. I was a fan and couldn't wait to see him in a red shirt, but it's all gone horribly wrong.
Some reds have seen signs of improvement in Smalling's game, I can't say I have myself. He got away with that tackle during the first half, which was an absolute stone wall penalty, the ref was well positioned so how he and his linesman missed that, fuck knows.
Rooney showed that why he may well be our best experienced first choice striker at the present time, he's still not really the answer as far as I'm concerned. I didn't think he had a bad game but that first half miss was a shocker. Saying that, if the linesman had kept his flag down as he should have done in the second half, maybe he'd have put it right.
It's hard to pinpoint any outfield player as having any kind of standout performance. But is that down to the players or the manager or the staff or what? Take Januzaj, for the first time this season, he really looked like the player we saw last season when he was brought on at half time on Saturday. But then dropped back to the bench to accommodate Fellaini, when he was finally brought on it was if Saturday never happened.
I'm dreading this run of games we've got coming up, I don't think we'll get really taken apart at Old trafford, though I'm not confident of any game but the Villa one. Those games at Anfield and Chelsea are a different matter.

Music

Dan Michaelson and the coastguards - Shakes: I never got around to listening to this piece of UK americana first time around. It's a slow burner, but worth the wait for those songs and some great instrumental work, very good.

David Kilgour & The Heavy 8's - End Times Undone: This is another i didn't really get into straight away, but really liked once i'd got into it's groove. I didn't really know much about Kilgour or his past as part of Kiwi indie band The Clean, might have to explore!

Hedvig Mollestad Trio - Enfant Terrible: I think i read about this heavy rock/free jazz nordic trio on Richard Williams blog, it's right up my street. There are a few albums of this type/genre around at the moment, it's not usually the guitar that's the star though.

Peaking Lights - Cosmic Logic: I don't really know how you'd categorise this US duo, electro/krautrock/pop? Anyhow it's a pretty good album, at times excellent.

Sinoia Caves - Beyond the Black Rainbow: This soundtrack to a supposedly lost film ( so i read ) is absolutely brilliant, atmospheric and edgy as fuck.

Various artists - Peru Bravo Funk Soul Psych from Peru's Radical: There are some great world music compilations around, the best seem to be generally African or South American. This is the second Peruvian collection I've heard, a heavy US influence, another winner!

Manchester United 2-0 Sunderland

Another iffy performance, but three vital points in the chase for that oh so important champions league spot. It was also the first time that the grumbling about the manager and the playing tactics were given vent inside the stadium, needless to say they chose the wrong time to give vent and gave vent in the most unhelpful manner possible. I might grumble and I do indeed have a lot of problems with the manager and the style of play, but I never boo and don't want to hear it at Old Trafford. I fear though, that with the new breed of fan that we'd probably start to get used to it.
As to the game, once more we started slowly, in fact during the first ten minutes or so, there was only one team that looked like scoring and they weren't playing in red. As for United loads of possession to absolutely no effect. To be fair to the boo merchants, it was only once the boos started that the players tried to lift up a gear. That was mainly down to Ashley Young who had a tremendous first half, if a couple more players had reached his intensity, I doubt we'd have gone into the half time break scoreless.
On the negative side, Di Maria had a horror half, he has absolutely gone, he couldn't do a thing right. But one thing I'll give him he always makes himself available, he doesn't hide. I'm not going to accuse Falcao of hiding, but he was as useless in a different way. It was almost like playing with ten men, he made no runs, hardly got involved in any build up play and when he did, it was too deep and the ball was taken from him too easily. I couldn't help laugh when the fans all around made the displeasure known when he was subbed after winning the penalty. That was his one and only contribution to the whole afternoon, he was lucky he was still on the pitch to win it. Fair enough replacing him with Fellaini, not Young was nonsensical, but replacing him was fair enough to these eyes.
Back to that substitution, the mind boggles that Van Gaal didn't change his mind once Rooney converted the penalty. We go a goal up, they go down to ten men and he brings Fellaini on, just when you know you are going to get more room in attack. Even taking Rooney off near the end, leaving us with no centre forward on the pitch, whilst they were down to ten men. Does he care at all about goal difference? I know there's a rare midweek game coming up, but that's the point, it's rare. You've got to hope that Wilson gets a start on Wednesday, I'll be amazed if it happens though.
I mentioned Young in the first half, the other positive from the game was Januzaj's performance. Brought on for the hapless Di Maria at the beginning of the second half, he was much improved, it was if the rest of the season had never happened. That was the Januzaj from last season, not afraid to take his man, not afraid to shoot. And even better for me, we had two wide men, the second half we actually had some entertainment. Saying that, I wasn't sure where the goal was going to come from until that penalty.
Given Arsenal and Liverpool's results yesterday, it was a a vital win, Wednesday will be as vital, as will be the rest of the month. Crunch time beckons!