I didn't watch the match against West Bromwich Albion because I was very sick. I had every intention to soldier on despite my sickness but my ailments overpowered me. When I checked the score in the morning, I was unhappy to find out that United had lost but I wasn't surprised. It has become common for this version of Manchester United to unexpectedly lose when you least expect it and to win spectacularly again when least expected. You just never know which United would turn up from one match to the other. Gone are the days when we could expect United to go on a long winning or at least unbeaten run, where defeats would be few and far between and a losing run would not last longer than at least 2 matches. I can't comment on the performance against West Bromwich because I didn't watch the match but it was a defeat United could ill afford as they needed to stay on the coat-tails of Manchester City, who have a game in hand. After that defeat, whatever chance United had of qualifying for the Champions League through their league position has now got slimmer.
The reaction of our fans to the defeat to West Bromwich is ridiculous, extreme and embarrassing. Post-Arsenal, many fans was buzzing about the possibility of entering the top 4 and finishing higher than 4th in the league. Some overly optimistic dreamers even started tipping United to mount a late and unexpected title surge. It was tough to find anyone stating LVGOUT and/or WoodwardOUT etc. Post-defeat to West Bromwich and the same number of fans (almost), are down in the dumps suggesting that United could peter away and end the season in a mid-table position. It is embarrassing because many fans have spent so much time mocking fans of other clubs that express such extreme reactions but are now as guilty as fans of our rivals for displaying similar outbursts.
In today's day and age, you don't get that many fans who understand football and are realist. This is a phenomenon that exists with fans of other big clubs too, Liverpool and Arsenal come to mind as their fans have displayed equally dramatic opinion changes. I feel before anyone supports a club or even when they decide to support a club, they should first understand and analyse football before they make crazy declarations that are synonymous of someone who could be suffering from a bipolar disorder. It is easy to get excited and carried away on the waves of success but before anyone opens their mouth to talk or in today's world, access their keypad to type, they should first calm down and think carefully using logic and keeping emotions aside. United were successful for so long because the manager and players didn't focus on gloating over one or two wins, they focused on the bigger picture and celebrated when they achieved it. They didn't spend time rubbing it in the faces of their adversaries, they focused on doing it again and again like a machine. That should be the attitude our fans should take. Even in those successful times, there were seasons where United fell below expectations and had poor seasons, the team made the best they could of the season and responded. United fans should take a leaf out of the mindset of our successful teams and apply it in their role as a fan of the club. It's small talk to label a person as a plastic fan or non-plastic fan. A real plastic fan is someone who only supports during the good times and goes missing in the bad times. As fans, everyone is entitled to their opinion, everyone has their right to express their disappointment and joy in whichever way they like but one should always rationalise before forming an opinion and then expressing it.
Post-Arsenal, I felt that United did achieve a significant result and were on a good run after taking into account the comfortable and morale-boosting wins in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury Town and in the Europa League against Midtjylland. They continued it albeit fortunately and in gritty fashion against Watford in midweek but they needed more than 2 successive league wins. United needed to keep winning and go on a run, keeping pace and putting the pressure on Manchester City in 4th place with the derby yet to be played, winning the derby will definitely aid their hopes and any other slip-up from City along the way could be taken advantage of by United. That was the task at hand. It is disappointing but qualifying for the Champions League has become the club's "Premier League title" now. The reality is that United desperately needs to qualify for Europe's elite club competition. It is the bare requisite after yet another disappointing season. However, United have hardly been consistent for most of this season and it is one of the major reasons why United find themselves in a below-par season. With that in mind, it would be an achievement for this side to go on a long winning run almost till the end of the season to qualify for the Champions League. The task at hand was huge and it became mammoth with that defeat to West Bromwich. United now find themselves behind Manchester City and West Ham in 6th place, 3 points behind Liverpool who have a game in hand. Mathematically it is still possible to target for the 4th place in the league but considering the way the team has played and how inconsistent it has been, the task is almost impossible now. It will require a miracle and that miracle is called positive consistency of results.
I dreaded being drawn against Liverpool in the Round of 16 of the Europa League because firstly, I would rather play against a European club side since this is an European tie after all and secondly, after the last encounter against Liverpool at Anfield where United got a smash-and-grab win, I was afraid, it could come back to bite us as that win could have just papered over the limitations of United against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool. I hate losing to Liverpool but I approached this match feeling less intense than usual for a match against Liverpool. It was odd to face them in an European tie and that too in a two-legged tie and not the final itself. The fact that United have beaten them in the last 4 competitive matches, led me to be lulled into complacency and not knowing what to expect just left me hoping that United would not play as poorly as they did in their previous league encounter at Anfield. My worse fears were realised as soon as United conceded a rather soft penalty. Overall, I got to admit that it was a deserved win for Liverpool and United had another poor outing at Anfield against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool who are set up in a different way compared to Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool. The German used the same tactics and strategy that he had employed in the January encounter. The only difference is that Liverpool scored this time albeit with a touch of good fortune but they deserved their good luck.
United lacked creativity going forward, they lacked intensity, it seem like they were just going through the motions and had their thoughts elsewhere. Normally losing to Liverpool would leave me filled with rage and sour my mood for days but having seen how poorly they can play, I am no longer surprised at the performance and the score-line to feel the rage. I knew it could have been worst had it not been for the heroics of David De Gea again so to only lose 2-0 after a performance like that is a very slight positive to take from the result. The unpredictability and inconsistency of the team's performance is astonishing and remarkable.I am lost for words and tired to explain and rationalise the performances and inconsistency that has blighted the season. It's far too easy to blame injuries or the manager alone for this. Everyone from the players to the manager has to take their share of the blame. I was very surprised by the selection of Marouane Fellaini. He had just returned from injury and before he got injured, he was playing very well but normally Van Gaal likes to build his returning players' fitness by letting them play part of matches and not throw them directly into a match situation. Fellaini not only played, he played for 90 minutes and was as poor as anyone of the outfield players. It seems that the strategy was just to lump the ball long to him which is a strategy one one would use late in a match when chasing a result not from the first minute. Frustrating and very disappointing. It could be a blessing in disguise if he is banned for the second leg.
What will happen of United now? Your guess is as good as mine. The match against West Ham on Sunday in the FA Cup will not be easy at all even if United is playing at home. It is not beyond West Ham to beat United as it is not beyond United to suddenly play very well and win. Can United overturn the result against Liverpool in the return fixture at Old Trafford in a week's time? Yes and no. Again, it will depend on which United turns up.
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