Manchester United 2-1 Southampton

When we put four past Fulham on Saturday you just knew that we wouldn't be getting another four easy goals like that in our next game. Sure enough we didn't, i'm not complaining, three points was the order of the day and we got them. What was worrying, was our poor second half performance, poor, in the sense that the visitors dominated the flow of the game. Tactically Southampton completely bossed things, even if they never really created the chances that domination might have warrented. Southampton copied the tactics of Bilbao and Wigan from last season of packing midfield and pressing hard up the field. And after watching that second half, it would seem neither the players nor our management have really learnt how to counter those tactics.
I'd hoped for a fast start to the game from us, well we got a fast start, unfortunately at the wrong end of the pitch. Carrick reprised his horror show against Bayern in the champions league a couple of years ago and De Gea wasn't fast enough to bail him out of trouble and we were one nil down. At least that galvanised us into action and it didn't take long for us to get back on level terms. Kagawa found Rooney and he took the opportunity presented to get back on the score sheet. We went on to dominate the first half, hitting the post before Rooney found the net for a second time.
Watching that first half it would have been hard to anticipate the complete turnaround that we saw in the second half. Even when we were on top in the first half Anderson had barely been in it, but when Southampton started pressing harder, he went from bad to worse. Carrick was taking Southampton's midfield on his own, as we couldn't get our wide men into the game. Welbeck did more good work in his own half during the second half, which wasn't really the point of having him in the team. The substitutions didn't really change anything, Smalling didn't have a great night, but Ferdinand wasn't really that much better when he came on. It will be nice to get Evans back as Vidic didn't really convince either. Anderson obviously had to be replaced, but pushing Jones into the centre didn't help us to retain the ball any better.
But we saw it through, that was the type of game that we might have dropped points in last season. The worry though, as this morning's papers have all stated is how our midfield and defence will stand up to the might of Madrid if we play like that. Lose either of Carrick and Cleverley for those two games and we will struggle to compete in the middle of the park. If we are to regain that league title, we won't be able to wrap those two in cotton wool for the rest of the season. 

Manchester United 4-1 Fulham

I can't pretend i thought that we would have that much trouble dispatching Fulham from the cup on Saturday evening, but i didn't expect it to be as easy as it turned out to be. Fulham started poorly and got steadily worse, the second half was a stroll in the park for United. United played some decent football, but never really had to hit the heights, so the four goals were an indication of just how bad the visitors were, United could easily have had six or seven.
Watching Fulham you realised all over again, how scandalous it really was, that in the summer that none of the teams challenging for a top six berth, came in with a bid to take Berbatov off our hands. He is criminally wasted at Fulham, he's far too good, i felt sorry for him, watching him receive no support at all up front on his own. I have rated Martin Jol in the past, but on that form, they may have a struggle to stay up.
As expected Fergie rang the changes with Rooney and Hernandez staring up front and Anderson and Nani both getting starts. Fulham started as they meant to go on, Sidwell gifting Rooney the ball with a blind back pass, that Rooney should really have done better with. It didn't matter, as Fulham defender Hughes inexplicably handled the ball from a corner, the ref saw it and Giggs confidently slotted home the penalty. We should have had a second penalty not long after, but the ref bottled out of giving us two penalties in quick succession, even though it was probably even more blatant in the first.
The rest of the half saw United get in decent positions, without being able to find either the final ball or the finishing touch. Nani had one of his frustrating games, but still reminds you that if he could get it together before his probably move in the summer, he could be a big asset during the season's run in. I suppose it will depend on his professional pride, what we get from him during the remainder of the season.
The second half was completely dominated by United, Fulham offered no resistance whatsoever, Anderson picked a good time to come back into the team as Fulham's midfield  went AWOL. Rooney almost scored a couple of minutes after the restart, but he finally found the net, with the goal of the game minutes later. Hernandez found the net twice after that, and there were numerous chances to have really humiliated the visiting team.
It was a pity we couldn't keep a clean sheet, but it didn't really matter in a cup tie anyway. I wouldn't have minded swapping those four cup goals for four league goals. No doubt Wednesday's league game at home to Southampton will be a far harder task, or will the returning Van Persie and co keep on the goalscoring run. 

Keeper uncertainty.. again

The press have gone to town over David De Gea's clanger and long term prospects at Manchester United after Sunday's game. Mark Ogden wasn't the only journo to suggest that United have lost faith and are looking elsewhere. It seems certain that United are looking for a new goalie, but that could be just as easily to replace Lindegaard as it is to find a new number one. The gist of this article, that United's defenders have lost confidence in him, may be true, but the claim that they feel safer with Lindegaard coming out for crosses, beggars belief, he was appalling at Reading, lest we forget.
I like De Gea, he has looked to be a fine prospect at times. But has made mistakes, not loads, but when he does, they invariably seem to cost us. But Fergie's the one that always say young players make mistakes, and you have got to show patience in them. So if United are are going to cut their losses, he's not exactly practicing what he preaches.
What i always find astonishing about this whole affair, is why Fergie opted for a very young foreign keeper, who hardly spoke any English and that all the experience he had, was gained in a league where goalies don't get the battering they are liable to receive here.
As far as i can see, unless the rumours about him being unsettled in this country are true, there doesn't really seem much option, other than to stick with him anyway. It's not like there are Van Der Sar's or Schmeichel's dropping of tree's around the football world at this moment in time, some of the goalie's we've been linked with are laughable.

It looks as if the rumours that will win the race to capture the signature of Wilfied Zaha are going to be confirmed before the end of the week. I have absolutely no idea how good is, so i make no comment on that, other than we really could do some class out wide.
One surprise though, if he really has got the potential we have been hearing off, why haven't City and the rent boys be linked with him, at all, after all, anybody that we're linked with, automatically gets linked with the berties nowadays.


Music

Allah-las - Allah-las: Belting debut album from the Californian sixties pychedelic rock retro outift. A few critics have been a bit sniffy towards it as itcould have been made in the sixties unlike Tame Impala's latest Lonerism. I can't really say i care too much as long as the music is up to this standard.

Bat for lashes - The haunted man: I thought her second album didn't quite live up to the promise of the first, it was good, but a bit too mainstream. This restores the quality back to the excellence of the first, not a bad or boring track on it.

Cody ChesnuTT - Landing on a hundred: A superior piece of soul, especially when he veers into the territory of funk.

Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg: This album saw a lot of hype and whilst it's a decent enough album, it's not that good. You listen to it and think it's alright, but where as you don't want a good album to end, when this ends you just want to to go onto the next thing.

Neil Young and crazy horse - Psychedelic pill: If you're a fan of this combination rocking out and Young's long guitar solo's you'll like this, if you aren't stay well clear. I do, but even for me, it ends up going on a bit at times.

ZZ Top -La Futura: I have to admit i haven't listened the Texan trio since the eighties, and that period of their career hasn't aged too well. But this is fucking excellent, heavy rock, blues rock whatever it's spinal tap time this needs listening to, turned up to eleven.