Amongst the turgid football offered up so far during the Van Gaal era, the one saving grace is that when it comes to the big games you know our team will compete. Let's not forget the last three months under Moyes where we all dreaded the clashes amongst team competing for the top four. And his record against our biggest enemy of all is right up there. Of course it does help when the Liverpool side you are playing are as poor as they were on Saturday.
As to the football, it wasn't really that much different I'm afraid. The first half was dire, we were poor and they were even worse. The saving grace was the set piece that Blind buried magnificently to open the scoring. If we hadn't have got that goal, and when we got it, who knows how that game would have panned out. Because for all our improvement in the second half, we still didn't really create many chances. The goalkeeper wasn't forced into many saves, in fact I can hardly remember a save he made for the whole ninety minutes if I'm honest.
So much for Van Gaal's assertion that we were well enough equipped up front. The hapless Rooney has an injury and Fellaini was picked at centre forward with predictable results. I'm not blaming the Belgian, as much as I don't rate him, he isn't and I'm sure wouldn't pretend he was a centre forward. He hasn't the pace, movement or touch. Of course our arses twitched a little when Benteke got his wonder strike near the end, but that fantastic strike from new boy Martial settled them right down again. As to what we can garner from his brief cameo, not much really, he hardly touched it until he got it when the game was stretched right at the end. I suppose that's not that fair, he showed that the big stage didn't overawe him and he showed he wasn't afraid to express himself. Not the time to get carried away yet though. The back four acquitted themselves well again, but to be honest they weren't up to much. I wonder if Benteke wishes he was back at Villa, he had no support and didn't look that interested either.
So onto the champions league, I've not really got a clue what to expect from us in this competition this season, tonight will give us an idea of how well we'll cope with the qualifying group stage. Fingers crossed.
As to the football, it wasn't really that much different I'm afraid. The first half was dire, we were poor and they were even worse. The saving grace was the set piece that Blind buried magnificently to open the scoring. If we hadn't have got that goal, and when we got it, who knows how that game would have panned out. Because for all our improvement in the second half, we still didn't really create many chances. The goalkeeper wasn't forced into many saves, in fact I can hardly remember a save he made for the whole ninety minutes if I'm honest.
So much for Van Gaal's assertion that we were well enough equipped up front. The hapless Rooney has an injury and Fellaini was picked at centre forward with predictable results. I'm not blaming the Belgian, as much as I don't rate him, he isn't and I'm sure wouldn't pretend he was a centre forward. He hasn't the pace, movement or touch. Of course our arses twitched a little when Benteke got his wonder strike near the end, but that fantastic strike from new boy Martial settled them right down again. As to what we can garner from his brief cameo, not much really, he hardly touched it until he got it when the game was stretched right at the end. I suppose that's not that fair, he showed that the big stage didn't overawe him and he showed he wasn't afraid to express himself. Not the time to get carried away yet though. The back four acquitted themselves well again, but to be honest they weren't up to much. I wonder if Benteke wishes he was back at Villa, he had no support and didn't look that interested either.
So onto the champions league, I've not really got a clue what to expect from us in this competition this season, tonight will give us an idea of how well we'll cope with the qualifying group stage. Fingers crossed.
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