The Troubles At My Club: Manchester United

It has been a dismal season for Manchester United thus far. Before the defeat against Sunderland, I had predicted that United would need to win at least 95% of their remaining league fixtures to finish in a Champions League position. I had no hope at all of United challenging for the title despite the optimism of the manager and some from the United camp. As far as I am concerned, that objective was over a long time ago. After the defeat to Sunderland, I feel United need to win a 100% of their remaining fixtures which include matches against the current top 4. Is it possible? Anything is possible in football but with the squad's current form, injury situation and inconsistency, I feel it isn't possible. Wayne Rooney and Louis Van Gaal sounded downbeat about the team's chances of qualification to the Champions League through their league position. The best route to the Champions League now lies through winning the Europa League and that is not a given either with some really strong teams still in the running for the Europa League.

United were playing much better and getting good results in their last 3 matches before the second half collapse against Sunderland and therein illustrates one of our problems this season, lack of consistency. United take 1 step forward and 2 steps back. It's like being in constant tango. However, the lack of consistency is not something I will address first. I will address the number 1 reason why Manchester United have not reached the heights of previous seasons since Sir Alex Ferguson left, the lack of stability at the club. For over 2 decades, Sir Alex managed the club and built winning teams. He has had periods of struggle at the start of his time there and periods of transition in between the successful years but he was the pulse of the club. He made the team tick and gave the team the calmness to play their game. The level that United were left by Sir Alex Ferguson was at a very high level and expectations of, at and around the club are now much higher than it was when he took over in 1986. I would be selfish to say this but I would say that for the good of the club, perhaps Sir Alex could have better planned his retirement. When he decided to retire, Jose Mourinho had already decided to go back to Chelsea, Pep Guardiola had already signed for Bayern Munich, Jurgen Klopp and Carlo Ancelotti were happy at Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively and current United manager, Louis Van Gaal was preparing the Dutch national team to qualify for the 2014 World Cup. In my opinion, a poor decision was made in hiring David Moyes. He did a good job keeping Everton in the Premier League since he took charge, leading them to Europe albeit not consistently and he had built a solid and stable team but with all due respect, managing Manchester United is a different kettle of fish to managing Everton. With David Gill also leaving that season as a the CEO of the club, all of a sudden, United were faced with welcoming the new season with a new manager and a new CEO. As a fan, one would hope they did well but I always felt it was a big risk hiring Moyes. The writing was already on the wall after the embarrassing saga around the chase for Cesc Fabregas and the eventual deadline day signing of Marouane Fellaini for an inflated transfer fee. On the pitch, United struggled in pre-season. I shrugged it off as pre-season friendly results that didn't count for much but my fears were confirmed in actual competitive matches as United allowed many teams to break their winless duck against them that season.

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been clever to keep Sir Alex's backroom staff to guide Moyes along but he perhaps wanted to reward the men who were with him during his coaching career at Everton and rightly so but it would have been practical in taking the former decision. Next, the team had finished the previous season as champions by a sizeable margin. There was a need to find long term replacements for the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Ryan Giggs and a permanent replacement for the newly retired Paul Scholes. He had already inherited a squad which included Chris Smalling and Phil Jones as potential replacements for Ferdinand and Vidic. He was chasing Fabregas as a replacement for Scholes but perhaps the Spaniard still had something against United from his time at Arsenal or wouldn't want to play for an untested manager at a high level like Moyes or both. Too much time was wasted in the chase that other possible targets were lost. I believe another reason for the failure to sign a big name player would be that the appeal to play for Manchester United had gone down since Sir Alex's retirement. Foreign players were unsure on the capability of the new man in-charge and in some cases, probably hadn't even heard of him. Tom Cleverley was unfortunately never going to be Scholes' replacement and Sir Alex left his predecessor short in this department. There were no British players of the calibre of Scholes either. However, besides not being able to sign players he identified, he didn't need to change United's playing style too drastically to what Sir Alex had imposed. If it ain't broken, don't fix it. He meddled unnecessarily and caused lots of confusion and unhappiness. The performances and results on the pitch was there for all to see. Had he had the assistance of Sir Alex' backroom staff, he would have been guided in the right way and would be rightly assisted in the management of the players. Moyes was clearly out of depth and it was a risk that didn't pay off. United finished outside of the top 4 four for the first time in the history of the Premier League, they ended the season trophy-less and without European participation the following season.

Then Van Gaal came to replace Moyes and there was a wave of enthusiasm as he had led an unfancied Dutch team to a respectable third place finish in the World Cup. Now, United had a big name manager with the experience of managing and winning at other big clubs in Europe. Pre-season results led to greater enthusiasm and it reached orgasmic stage when United bought Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw in the summer transfer window. All high hopes came crashing down when United lost their first league fixture and not long after were trashed 4-0 by MK Dons in the 2nd round of the League Cup. A whole host of departures followed. United had a decent season albeit another trophy-less one and a strong finish saw them qualify for the Champions League. It bode well for the future that after having spent a season in-charge and with the addition of new signings in the summer transfer market, the players would have bedded in, understood what Van Gaal expects of the team and Van Gaal would have understood the rigours of English football to kick on for the following season and challenge for major honours again. The signings came but so did the departures again. For a second season in a row, United had lots of signings and lots of sales and loans. How can one expect to achieve stability with such turnover of players? It is regularly pointed out that United spent X amount of money on players over two transfer windows but no-one points out to money recouped in the sale over both transfer windows. For the team to be properly stable, Van Gaal should have kept the squad as intact as possible making some signings to strengthen the team and cope with the demands of playing in 4 competitions including a physically demanding league that is the English Premier League. He chose to keep a small squad so that he could blood youngsters when needed and he has not been shy to do so. It's credit to him that he has kept the United tradition of promoting youngsters to the first team but they have been blooded under intense pressure when results haven't been good, performances have been poor and confidence is low. In the long-term, such experiences should toughen up the young players and expedite their maturity but in the short-term, it would only lead to inconsistent performances individually and as a team.

Van Gaal's reluctance in rotating the squad only leads to fatigue and injuries. To be fair to him, a lot of the injuries sustained by players this season have not been muscular but have been joint,bone injuries sustained during matches or training. With a squad that lacks depth, United is always going to struggle to cope with an injury crisis. There is too much undue pressure on the youngsters to deliver and the lack of depth doesn't exactly stimulate competition for places for the seasoned professionals. This is where I feel Van Gaal is at fault. Another area he has failed to cope with is the intensity of matches in England especially in away matches. United struggle to cope against teams that get into their faces, press high, are aggressive and play long, direct balls. More often than not, United don't seem to be up for a battle and lose out. The lack of preparation and anticipation to deal with this aspect after one full season in England is not acceptable. In England, he can't expect his team to just dominate every game. The team needs to be ready to go into a battle especially away from home where for a smaller club, every match against a big team like Manchester United is a cup final. It is ironic that Arsenal were accused of having a soft underbelly for many seasons and United would always get the better of them by being aggressive and this season Arsenal gave United a dose of their own medicine. On paper, United could easily field a dynamic and exciting front four similar to the Ronaldo-Rooney-Tevez axis of the 2007-08 season but United's style of play for most of the season have been dour. You do see bits and pieces of promise, flair and dynamism in parts of matches or in the entirety of some matches but it is not consistent enough. Blame has been leveled at the manager for the style of play but I feel the players got to take the blame as well.

On the issue of players, I feel United shouldn't have sold Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez or even Nani and Darren Fletcher but if they weren't given much chance and didn't have the faith of the manager, then it was the right decision for them to leave and play elsewhere happily. If Sir Alex Ferguson had stayed for one more season, Wayne Rooney would have surely been sold and all three or at least 2 out of the 3 above-mentioned players (Kagawa, Welbeck, Hernandez) would have a more prominent role to play in the first team. I am not sure if Di Maria left because he chickened out and left to get a better pay cheque at Paris St.Germain or was sold by the club. My feeling is more of the former than the latter which is a pity and an act of cowardice from the Argentine. Players can have a good game or a bad game and in a team with so many young players, the older, more senior players have to stand up and be counted when the going gets tough in a game and drag the team out of a mess and nick a result if needed. That hasn't happened enough. By his own admission, Van Gaal has said the players have been too nice with each other in the dressing room and that is something that can't be accepted in a team that is expected to always win. Over the weekend, when I saw the players losing out to second balls, being second to challenges and messing with possession, I don't see anyone tearing into the players to keep them on their toes and cut out the mistakes. In years gone by, one would have seen players like Bryan Robson, Paul Ince, Steve Bruce, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, Mark Hughes, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher, Gary Neville have a go at the players. I understand that society is different nowadays and the younger players are sensitive to such telling off but sometimes there is nothing better than a strong telling off to get a player's act together and keep his focus. Rooney was a player capable of lashing out at his team-mates but he has mellowed tremendously and lost his spark. Only a couple of players like Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes could get the message across without raising their voice and these were gifted players who let their aura and talent speak for themselves. The lack of strong leadership on the pitch is another reason behind United's struggles. I don't know what goes on in the dressing room and training ground but it doesn't seem like much good is going on there in terms of leadership. The team lacks strong leaders. United cannot win anything or aim to recapture it's previous height of success without having strong leaders in the team.

Another significant point on players is the fall out between Van Gaal and Victor Valdes. The fall out escalated to an embarrassing level when Valdes was completely left out of the first team and not allowed to share the dressing room or train with the first team. Sir Alex has had his fall outs before but he has always made it a point to quickly move the player on to another club. The Van Gaal-Valdes saga was embarrassing for the club and showed a lack of respect and class towards the player. Valdes was also a key figure in the dressing room for the Spanish speaking members of the team and he was a winner from his time at Barcelona and Spain. A player of his experience and leadership could have been a vital component in the dressing room and training ground even if he wasn't expected to play much as an understudy to De Gea. The fall out had an effect on the players in the dressing room as the team had bonded so well at the end of the previous season. Van Gaal should have moved him on quickly after the fall out and not let it fester or he could have tried reconciling for the good of the club.

Final point, is on the CEO, Ed Woodward. He seems to me to be a person with greater natural inclination and ability towards the business, commercial side of the club rather than the footballing side of the club. That is all well and good but it is only good as long as the team remains successful on the pitch. Without success on the pitch, the club will lose it's commercial partners and with it, its revenue and appeal. The club's partners might be riding on past success and the fact that the club still remains one of the most successful and widely supported English clubs around the world. Woodward though doesn't seem to have his pulse on the football side of things. Since United's poor run of form in December, Van Gaal's future has been in doubt but he has not come out to decisively deal with it one way or another. He has left the manager to fend for himself against the constant rumours over his future at the club. His current stand just seems to suggest that there could be more than an iota of truth in all the rumours surrounding the manager and it could have a de-stabilising effect on the team. It does seem from the outside looking in that the manager doesn't have the support of the board or CEO contrary to what Van Gaal claims. I believe that if Woodward wanted to sack Van Gaal, he would have done so in December but he didn't. I am of the opinion that Woodward would keep Van Gaal in the job as long as there is a chance of at least qualification to the Champions League either through their league position or winning the Europa League. I feel Woodward is stalling on sacking Van Gaal probably due to the compensation that he would need to pay for the early termination from his contract. Whatever the reality is, Woodward has to come out to deal with this matter decisively. I get the impression that on the football aspect of running the club, Woodward takes inspiration from Real Madrid. He sacked David Moyes 10 months into his job, I feel rightly so and he hasn't exactly come out in defence of Van Gaal with his future under constant scrutiny and speculation. I feel English clubs are going to be given an inflated quote for players they are after due to the increase in revenue of English clubs and in Woodward's case, he has shown a willingness to pay whatever he has been quoted without batting an eyelid. Anthony Martial became the world's most expensive teenager when he was signed just as Rooney was when he was signed about a decade ago. At the moment, he is justifying the price tag but not everyone might be worth the price we pay and he has to be more shrewd in his dealings.

Dark Days For Manchester United

It was sink or swim time for Manchester United against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. United were coming into this game under a lot of pressure. They are on a poor run of form, coming off a disappointing early exit from the Champions League and with an injury crisis. The manager, Louis Van Gaal was under pressure. He has been under pressure to deliver victories and trophies since he took over but now after their premature elimination, the pressure has intensified and things have got worse after Saturday's defeat. I will not call this defeated unexpected under the circumstances that United were going into the match but it is not expected of a club that has ambitions to win the English Premier League title.

The weather conditions, the boisterous crowd that was close to the pitch and the atmosphere created by the Bournemouth fans, exemplifies why it is tougher to win the title in England and dominate than it is in other leagues. Other leagues pose different challenges but it would be very interesting to see how Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich cope with playing in such conditions against teams that don't let you rest for a second and play direct football. It is a battle, a battle for 90 minutes. United started with Giullermo Varela, Paddy McNair and Cameron Bothwick-Jackson in defence, two in their early 20s and a teenager. In attack, United had 3 players in their early 20s, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Memphis Depay. The only ones that were experienced and established in the mid 20s to mid 30s age group were David De Gea, Juan Mata, Michael Carrick, Marouane Fellaini and Daley Blind. I had written in my previous blog that this was sink or swim time for United in view of what I have already stated in my starting paragraph. United got to get out of it's slump quickly if they are to have any realistic ambitions of winning something major or at the very least qualify for the Champions League again.

In the context of the line-up and form leading up to the match, it would take a really good performance and some strong characters for United to get something positive out of the match. The atmosphere was rocking pre-kick off and it got louder when Junior Stanislas scored directly from a corner within a minute of the game. David De Gea was caught out and the ball eluded Martial on the line as De Gea's touch diverted it beyond his reach. United to their credit, responded and nearly scored through Fellaini and McNair. United started having more of the possession and kept Bournemouth quiet although Bournemouth didn't give up on hassling United when the away side was on possession. It forced United to play the ball quicker and more direct. They finally got a deserved equaliser after a sublime pass by Carrick found Memphis and his shot was saved by Atur Boruc, who was responsible for denying Fellaini and McNair earlier, from the rebound, Fellaini bundled home the equaliser through sheer determination. A deserved equaliser.

In the second half, United lacked the urgency they had when they came back into the game. They conceded again from a corner due to a defensive lapse. United nearly equalised soon after but was denied by Boruc and some brave defending. Thereafter, Bournemouth came closer to scoring and United couldn't find it in them to get the equaliser. They lost their way after spurning their successive chances to equalise. Bournemouth deserve the win but it is a crisis at United. A crisis in confidence from the poor form, an understandable hangover effect on the team from getting eliminated early from the Champions League and an injury crisis. Jesse Lingard became the third player to be sidelined by a hamstring injury after he was hamstrung during the game. On the bright side, Morgan Schneiderlin and Phil Jones were on the bench against Bournemouth which is a positive. It means they should be available for selection next Saturday against Norwich City. We can only hope that more injured players are available for selection during the course of the week and no-one else gets injured during training in the week or in pre-game.

Louis Van Gaal made a surprising and inexplicable substitution again, this time replacing Marouane Fellaini for Nick Powell. Powell had no impact on the match just as he was in the midweek match against Wolfsburg. Van Gaal had hope the substitution would pay dividends in terms of a change in positions on the pitch but was not vindicated. I would think that for a match where United are playing away from home, have a lot of injuries to contend with and are on a run of poor form, Van Gaal should have started with more experienced players to give some stability to the team and not place undue pressure on the youngsters. I am not sure how fit Jones and Schneiderlin were on Saturday but at least one or both should have been risked to start. Ashley Young was kept on the bench throughout the match and as one of the more experienced members of the squad, he should have started. I didn't understand the risk the manager took in using so many young and inexperienced players from the start with the presence of some experienced players on the bench. I wouldn't go into my choices if I was in Van Gaal's position as it would be useless but I feel he should have relied on experience to help pull United through this tough period. He is to be blamed for having a thin squad which is being exposed now, at a time when matches would be upon the team one after another in quick succession.

Tactically again United have shown an inability to deal with teams that come flying off the blocks in away matches. I am not sure what Van Gaal says to the team before they come out on the pitch but more often than not, the team comes out for matches cold and in away matches where every match involving Manchester United is like a cup final, it is not entirely wise to come out cold. I understand the reasoning behind it is to ensure the players are not carried away by emotion and they would play with their brains more than their heart however in England where outside of the top teams, most teams ride on emotions and blood and thunder, this is not exactly a rational approach. There is a reason why FA Cup is the Cup of upsets, riding solely on emotions and the traditional English philosophy of blood and thunder, underdog teams are more than capable of beating bigger teams in a knockout tie. It is fine if Van Gaal wants his side to impose their style regardless of their opponents' approach but he has to adapt to the reality of playing in England and what to expect from his opponents. It's humble to acknowledge the strength of your opponents and adapting to match them. He regularly has meetings to analyse the opponents so why is this vital point missed out? United were caught out by Swansea, Arsenal and most recently, Bournemouth on Saturday. They were nearly caught out by Southampton but United survived to ride the storm and overturn the deficit. They survived the onslaught against Crystal Palace. Only against Everton and Aston Villa did United adopt the right approach. For United to adopt their style, they would need to start every away match by keeping possession well. It is tough to achieve because teams would not give United time on the ball to stroke it around so they would need to keep possession faster and avoid playing long balls. It is tough for United to impose their style because from what we have seen this season, United keep possession in a measured way where more time is allowed on the ball but the pace of the English game is too fast to allow that to happen. Even big teams like Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal would come out flying when they play United at their Anfield, Etihad and Emirates Stadium respectively.

Van Gaal is known to be determined and concrete in his ideas but it becomes stubborn when his plans and ideas are not working. United struggled last season in away matches too and Van Gaal doesn't seem to have learnt from his first season in English football. On the players, it is tough to expect high level consistent performances from Varela, McNair, Borthwick-Jackson, Memphis, Lingard and Martial. Borthwick-Jackson had a steady first half but started making mistakes in possession in the second half. McNair wasn't reading the game well enough to cut out the balls behind the defence, he was coming off second best against Joshua King, Varela was also having trouble dealing with Stanilas. Memphis had a good first half but tailed off in the second half, Martial was presented with a great chance to equalise before Fellaini scored in the first half but he scuffed his attempt wide. I was glad Andreas Perreira was brought on to replace Lingard and he looked sharp but didn't have any real attempts at goal. However, the bottomline is that these are young players and we cannot expect perfection from them now. I am sure in 2-3 years, the future Manchester United manager would reap the benefits of the exposure they are getting now. Cristiano Ronaldo was not the scoring machine he is now in his first few seasons at United, Wayne Rooney was running around full of aggression and like a headless chicken when he was in his first few seasons at the club, Gary and Phil Neville were making mistakes in defence in their first few seasons at United. The exception were probably Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. They were great from the time they started but both hit patches of poor form later in their career which is only natural. No player can go through a career without having to struggle at some point to achieve consistency and display their full qualities.

Calls are growing for the sacking of Van Gaal. In modern football, managers at big clubs are not given time to win trophies and create a dynasty like Sir Alex Ferguson had the luxury of. Van Gaal was never going to be a manager that would create a dynasty like Sir Alex due to his age and his desire to retire in 3 years. His job was to create stability in the club and ensure success as soon as possible after the turbulent period under David Moyes. He has achieved his first objective which was to ensure Champions League football. Now in his second season, the club's involvement in the Champions League have been short-lived and it is a big blow to everyone connected to the club. The team is not displaying great football and in poor form now. Form is temporary but class is permanent that is the saying but many would argue that United have been lucky to still be within touching distance of the top spot in the English Premier League. I wouldn't say it's entirely luck. The team's defence has been a huge contributing factor but when the goals have dried up and the team is affected by injuries, their weaknesses have been exposed. Van Gaal would need to shoulder responsibility for it for choosing to keep a thin squad and not signing quality players to replace those that he let go. His insistence to keep playing largely the same eleven without much rotation wouldn't sit easy on the international players a club like United has which has resulted in players leaving in search for more regular football elsewhere and he has allowed that to happen. Reliance on youngsters is unfair because at the moment there is too much pressure on them to resolve United's scoring problems and to not make mistakes.

Whatever has been done, has been done, no-one can undo it. To sack Van Gaal now would create instability in the team but it could give everyone a jolt and that could work to ensure better performances as players look to impress the new manager and they play for their future. Some might argue that it would free the squad but realistically a new manager would find it very hard to impose his style, vision and philosophy halfway through the season. It is also tough to sign players a new manager would need to suit his playing style in the January market. Next, who is available to replace Van Gaal mid-season? Pep Guardiola wouldn't leave Bayern Munich mid-season, Carlo Ancelotti is keen to coach again but he is not keen to join a club in mid-season, the only viable option is Ryan Giggs who could be the long-term option. Some fans are calling for his appointment because he is United through and through and knows the United way to play but not every ex-legend will turn out to be a Guardiola. I know very well that no matter who is employed, whenever he is employed, he will be criticised the moment things go wrong and don't go according to plan. Whoever takes over United will have a tough task because there are many young players that need time to develop and the person has to get the experienced, mid-range players to be at their best, he would need leaders and strong characters. At the moment those players in this range are not exactly performing well. A change of manager could help but ultimately the onus is on a player to regain his form and be a strong enough to lead the team by the scruff of its neck like it is required now. The reaction of the crowd at Old Trafford next Saturday would be interesting. What reception would the manager and players get? I don't expect they would be afforded much patience though so an early goal would work wonders. Ideally, lots of goals will appease the fans but realistically, I will take a string of 1-0 wins from Saturday onwards.

A final word for all my fellow United fans. We have been very lucky to have witnessed lots of success and good times over at least 2 decades. No team can win forever in a top league. They would face periods of non-success too. The fundamental thing is to not allow that period to stretch on for too long. It took United 26 years to win the League title after their last one in 1967. Liverpool are an example for United. They have not won the title since 1991, they came off a dynasty, an era of their own and haven't looked likely to return to former glories baring fleeting glimpses of promise. It's been 24 years for them. It is important that United learn from Liverpool and avoid making the same mistakes as them. In the meantime, if we could all be there when United were doing well, why can't we stick by them in the bad times. The least we can do is support the team because the team outlasts any player or manager. It is fair and natural to feel upset at poor results and under-achievement. It is also fair to let the displeasure be known vocally and publicly but it is extremely vital to show support for the team now more than ever. It's a fact that United fans have been spoiled by success but now is the time to show your class and remain dignified in bad times. Sadly, a lot of United fans have not been gracious when in success and that has resulted in the less than dignified manner in which they are accepting this period of mediocrity and non-success. The joke is on us now as Manchester United fans after laughing and mocking fans of other clubs for whining and moaning at their club and managers. Be dignified, show some class. I hope more would step out in a positive manner in this testing period.

Huffed And Puffed But To No Avail

The final whistle blew and a crescendo of boos reverberated around Old Trafford. It's not the first time that boos have been heard at Old Trafford this season. In fact, before Sir Alex Ferguson retired, I have never heard the Old Trafford crowd jeer at their own team at the end of the match or at half time. I have never known it like this in my lifetime as a Manchester United fan since 1991. I don't think it would faze Louis Van Gaal though with all the experience acquired from his time at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich. As usual, it was mass hysteria again on social media at the end of the match. It is irritating to read but has become a familiar pattern after every game United so much as drop one point. I will not judge these fans and their authenticity and sincerity but it grates at my nerves whenever I read of these extreme reactions.

On the match itself, United were bright and played with intensity and urgency. They didn't maintain it throughout the match but they did display it enough to have won the match. West Ham had the better chances to score and defended stoutly. Winston Reid was the Man Of The Match. He was a colossal figure in defence. He nearly scored too from a header despite the close attention of Chris Smalling and Morgan Schneiderlin. His header from a corner crashed off the post. Before that, Daley Blind played a poor pass out of defence and United were hit by a counter attack but Victor Moses' effort was saved by David De Gea. Before that, Aaron Cresswell's cross was fumbled by De Gea and Smalling's clearance bounced off Mauro Zarate and off the post. In the second half, Zarate had a great chance to score after a well-worked move by West Ham. In total, they had 4 clear chances to score but only once was it through a well-worked move by West Ham. United had 21 shots on goal but had only 1 on target! It was a pathetic return. Now, if the team didn't attack at all, they wouldn't be capable of mustering 21 shots on goal and 6 corners. For a 0-0 draw, it was entertaining for the neutrals. If you did not watch the match, you would have thought that United laboured to create chances and had a pedestrian approach to the match but if you watched it, you would know that United tried as hard as they could to score. United approached this match with the right intensity and urgency and all that was missing was a goal or two. I had written in my previous post that the negativity garnered from the previous results were a result of the absence of an important detail, goals and not just optimum performance. Had United taken a chance or half chance then or made a better decision on the final ball in the last third or delivered the final ball accurately, we would be talking about a different, more positive sequence of results. United would be in a healthier position in the league table and Champions League as well.

If the players are not making the right decision in the final third or not delivering the final ball well or not taking their chances, how is Van Gaal to be blamed? He isn't on the pitch delivering the pass or cross, shooting or on the ball. It's the players that deserve the flak. The players have conveniently escaped the flak with all the blame for United's poor run of form placed on the manager's head. The manager is at fault if he is not getting the team to play with the right intensity, speed and urgency. He is at fault if he is not making the right team selection or making wrong substitutions but not yesterday. In other matches, the blame can be shared by the manager and players or even shouldered entirely by the manager but not in yesterday's match. I felt the inclusion of Marouane Fellaini had an impact on the team's increased urgency as they played the ball faster and more direct for him but he was at fault early in the match when he did well to beat a few players but chose to shoot wide tamely when he was flanked by Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata in good positions. Fellaini had a great opportunity to score in the second half but Adrian pulled off a great save although I think Fellaini could have done better.

The shooting from United players were awful. I am fine with the players taking a shot from distance instead of trying to pass the ball in the net all the time but the shooting has to be on target at least. The shots taken were wayward and rash. In the first half, Anthony Martial had a great opportunity to score but his shot was courageously blocked by Reid. In the second half, Mata, Lingard and Martial had great opportunities to score but all three put their shots wide when in good positions. Matteo Darmian had sent in an awful cross in the first half when in good position but in the second half, he sent in a great cross but no-one gambled to get near goal side. There were other half-chances that were blocked by West Ham defenders. In all, there were more than enough chances to score and win the match but United didn't take it. West Ham, to their credit defended very well and were not contented with just sitting back as they created some very good chances themselves. It was another frustrating result but the lack of a prolific, established striker is greatly affecting United now.

I have always been against the sale of Javier Hernandez but I understand why he was sold. At the time of his sale, there were many fans who described him as deadwood and trolled him for the penalty miss against Club Brugge. All of a sudden, on the back of his excellent form for Bayer Leverkusen, these fans are asking for him to be re-signed and crying out for him. Strange how peoples' view change from one day to other. I had read someone tweet that he had done f%^& all in his time at United. F$%& all! How people quickly people forget that it was thanks to his goals that United had won the last two league titles. Hernandez's goals weren't the only reason United won the titles and reached the Champions League final of 2011 but he played a significant part. He lost his way after Sir Alex Ferguson retired. David Moyes and Van Gaal didn't show him the support and faith he enjoyed from Sir Alex and lost his confidence but not his quality. He has left now and it would be difficult to imagine United re-signing him.

For United to do well with the present roster of attackers and attack minded players available, United would need someone to have an outstanding season similar to the breakthrough season Cristiano Ronaldo had in the 2006-07 season. At the moment, none of the attackers or attack minded players are standing out. Wayne Rooney is having an awful season, Memphis Depay, Martial and Lingard are still developing and generally there are not enough goals in the side. The midfielders and defenders are not contributing. Mata is normally so prolific in the box and from free kicks but has not been sharp. Another attacking midfielder, Ander Herrera is out injured now. Fellaini hasn't played enough and there haven't been enough good deliveries into the box for him to capitalise on. Smalling has been excellent this season on the defensive side of things but can improve with his distribution of the ball forward and has not scored enough. Although to be fair to him, the delivery from set pieces have been awful this season. Blind had an unusually poor match yesterday and he is another that is more than capable of scoring. Everyone has to pull their weight especially the more experienced and established members of the squad. United needs greater composure in front of goal and with goals will come greater confidence.

Another 0-0 Draw? Frustrated..........

Manchester United approached their midweek Champions League match full of confidence after securing a hard fought win over Watford over the weekend to go top momentarily. At the end of the latest round of fixtures in the English Premier League, United were second, one point off the top which is a good position to be in as the season heads into its busiest, most testing period. United needed a win against PSV Eindhoven to go top of their Champions League group and secure progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

To be frank, in all the matches United have played this season in Europe, they have made heavy weather of it. They could and should have sealed their progress sooner. The results have been a reflection of their performances and it is only fair then that progression to the knockout stages hasn't been secured yet. Football is based on results and not ifs and buts. United started the match with a youthful and exuberant-looking attack, Memphis Depay, Jesse Lingard on the wings, and Anthony Martial up front. Wayne Rooney was the only senior member of the attack playing just behind Martial. United started bright enough, pressing PSV high enough to win the ball and quickly launch attacks, looking to get in behind the PSV defence as quickly as possible.

Rooney came close to meeting a Matteo Darmian cross, Bastian Schweinsteiger had a rather tame shot from distance at goal, Memphis had two shots from distance, Morgan Schneiderlin had an effort saved at close range albeit having not had a strong connection with the ball, Martial had a great chance to give United the lead when the ball fell fortuitously to him but his effort was saved and he had a shot saved at the near post just before the half time. PSV looked to hit United on the counter and had some shots from distance saved. In the second half, Schneiderlin had a header that went over and Lingard headed a cross from Martial wide. Lingard had another great chance later in the game but blazed his effort over when in good position. As the half wore on, PSV grew in terms of possession and authority as United lost their way to end the match tepidly.

Honestly, if United had taken at least one of their chances especially in the first half, the game would have turned out very differently and so would everyone's opinion on their performance. The manner with which they ended the match was very disappointing and that has attracted the usual criticism whenever Louis Van Gaal's United drops points. In the second half, I feel not only was there a lack of composure in keeping possession and patience in increasing the intensity of their attacks, it felt like there was a distinct lack of fitness as well. Schneiderlin and Rooney looked especially tired. Memphis was kept quiet, Martial and Lingard lost their way in the second half like the rest of the team. Rooney was again not influential. Ashley Young was brought on as a substitute but he had little impact. Marouane Fellaini was brought on for Schweinsteiger and he too had little impact. Fellaini isn't useful when he is brought on to replace one of the two central midfielders. He is more of a threat when he plays off the striker. Van Gaal did swap him with Rooney and yet he had no impact on the match. Juan Mata was introduced too late in the game to make any telling contribution.

Van Gaal sounded perplexed that his changes had no impact on the pattern of the match. It is disappointing to see the way United just fell apart seemingly due to lack of fitness. It looked like it. Roy Keane pointed it out in his post-match analysis and I got to agree with him on this. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was also rather subdued throughout the night. There were some discontentment and whistles that could be heard at the final whistle. I struggle to name a single United player that did well. The most impressive players were PSV players, Santiago Arias, Andres Guardado and Jeffrey Bruma. Chris Smalling, David De Gea and Daley Blind were probably our best players. Smalling has been great since the back end of last season but he can certainly improve his distribution of the ball coming out of defence. I feel more can be expected from Blind as well as he is the best distributor of the ball among all the centre backs we have. I hope Michael Carrick is fit enough to start against Leicester City so that the centre midfield partnership can be rotated. United got to try and play the ball forward faster from centre midfield and Carrick can help in that aspect.

In attack, Rooney has not been pulling his weight as captain and as a leader. He has been poor and I don't feel it has anything to do with the more measured style of play United are playing under Van Gaal. He has not looked sharp and fit. Keane was right to criticise him after the the draw against PSV. The others in attack, Lingard, Memphis and Martial are youngsters. They are still developing and it is unfair to expect wonders from them week in, week out. Nostalgia plays tricks with peoples' mind. Cast your mind back to when United newly signed Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. United went 3 seasons without winning the title, the team was in the shadows of Arsenal first and then Chelsea, people were calling for the head of Sir Alex Ferguson, saying that he was over-the-hill but the reality was that the team was in transition and it did come good eventually. Regardless of how much the club has spent over 2 summers, the team is still in transition. I am not sure if they will come good again eventually but as fans, we got to be patient and have faith. The frustration we get from watching Memphis is like what we, as fans had experienced when Ronaldo had newly joined the club. I am not sure if Memphis will develop to be a world beater like Ronaldo. That will depend on the player himself but let's have some patience with him, Lingard and Martial. It is unfair as well to place the burden of scoring entirely on the shoulders of Martial. There's another youngster, Anders Pereira who hasn't played much but has a lot of potential too.

The senior players like Rooney, Schweinsteiger and Carrick would need to start pulling their weight and influencing matters consistently and at a higher level than what they are producing now. Schweinsteiger and Carrick have performed at a decent level but can do better especially in terms of influencing play. Rooney, on the other hand, has been unbelievably poor. He looks like a player that is on the downturn of his career. Rewind back to 1995-96 and you might remember Eric Cantona leading a group of youngsters to an unlikely Double. If United are to be even half as successful as that season, Rooney has to step up or Van Gaal has to have the courage to drop him and adapt. The decision to sell Javier Hernandez is coming back to haunt us now because he would have been a very valid alternative to Rooney and it would have avoided putting too much pressure on Martial. If only, more faith had been shown for the Mexican. What Sir Alex achieved with a young team in 1995-96 or what Van Gaal achieved with a young Ajax team between the same years may never be repeated in modern football but for this United to stand a chance to come close to those achievements, the senior players have to pull their weight and lead by example.

I feel that the fruit of Van Gaal's work now would benefit his successor rather than him. The team would mature by then and would be out of transition. In the here and now, it is not too bad that United are second in the English Premier League, one point behind the leaders Leicester City who United would face next. Qualification to the Champions League is still within United's hands. It is not that bad at all but I agree it can be better. However, be patient and have faith that's the only way forward. In good time and bad, we got to stand by the team.

Hard Fought Win

I remember the last time Manchester United played against Watford. It was the second game of the season after United had started the season very impressively by trashing Fulham 5-1. United beat Watford narrowly then and needed a late goal to seal the win. It was a hard fought match. That season, United went on to win the title after three seasons without winning it. Watford vs Manchester United 2015 started with some serious concerns for United fans when it was revealed that Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, Michael Carrick and Marouane Fellaini would join Antonio Valencia and Luke Shaw on the sidelines through injury or in the case of Rooney, illness. The pre-match news left United looking bare and light in the forward department. James Wilson, was on paper, the only available centre forward in the senior squad that was fit but he lacked match fitness having just return from injury himself. My thoughts pre-game were on how United would line up and on the kind of start United would make to the match. I had stated my concerns in the past that United tend to start slowly in matches and especially away from home in England, it could leave United with a hill or a mountain to climb in matches.

United's line up saw Memphis Depay deployed as the lone forward supported by Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard. Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger starting the match was a no-brainer especially after Carrick's unavailability and Louis Van Gaal had ascertained their mental condition after they were both involved in the international friendly featuring their respective countries on the day of the tragic terrorist attacks on Paris, one of which occurred just outside Stade de France where the match was taking place. Ashley Young kept his place at right back, Phil Jones was brought back into the side to partner Chris Smalling in centre defence, a partnership that I feel is the strongest for United. Daley Blind played left back in place of Marcos Rojo, who was the only member of the squad that travelled the furthest over the international weekend. After the rendition of France's national anthem, La Marseillaise which was played to show support and solidarity for the French, the match started. I noticed from the start that the ball wasn't travelling as naturally as possible as the strong winds played tricks with its trajectory. However, United started brightly, dominated and got a deserved early goal. Ander Herrera's early ball into the box was met first time by Memphis who side footed United into the lead. United had some half chances to take the lead but didn't take them. Watford were hardly in the match but their first real chance of the match was created after Young was dispossessed by Etienne Capoue in the Watford half to launch a 2 vs 1 counter attack but it was not capitalised by the home side after Odion Ighalo was shepherded away from goal by the re-tracking Schweinsteiger and he shot wide.

United had to deal with the lost of Ander Herrera in the first half due to injury and I was surprised that Van Gaal chose to bring on Rojo and revert to 3 at the back. I would have thought that Andreas Pereira for Herrera would have been a straight swap and a better option since United were already in control of the match and showed vibrancy in the attacking third with the present set up and formation. In the second half, United started brightly again and had a great chance to score a second but Lingard was denied by Heurelho Gomes. From the 60th minute mark onwards, Watford started creating more chances and had more shots on goal. United were comfortable in possession and in protecting their lead. David De Gea had shots to save but nothing out of the ordinary until a shot by a Almen Abdi was deflected by Chris Smalling and heading into the bottom corner if not for a great save by De Gea. Lingard had another great chance to wrap the game up but his lobbed effort lacked the elevation to beat Gomes in goal. Five minutes after, Rojo made a silly tackle in the box to give away a penalty that was converted by Watford's captain, Troy Deeney. Watford would argue that they deserved the equaliser but from a United perspective, it was a frustrating goal to concede as it meant that United now risked dropping two points after all the chances and half chances created.

The response to losing their lead was commendable and reminiscent of United of old. Chris Smalling had an effort saved from a corner and from the subsequent corner, United worked out a move that saw Lingard's effort parried by Gomes but Schweinsteiger reacted quickly to the rebound and diverted it goal wards but had a huge stroke of luck as his effort was bundled across the line by the unlucky Deeney. Overall, United should have scored more than one earlier in the match and wrap it up but as Sir Alex used to say, United always likes to make things difficult for themselves. The response to losing their lead was heartening. We have not seen a response like that in a long time from United. League titles are won on the back of such hard fought, come from behind wins. However, United would need to display this resilience and determination on a consistent basis if they are to be serious title contenders. United returned to the top temporarily after this win but have a greater concern to deal with, a growing injury list. Herrera and Jones were substituted due to injury today to join the other absentees in the treatment room. Hopefully, we can recover some of the absentees in time for the Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven or the next Premier League match against Leicester City.

Lingard Our Latest Boy Wonder

I had actually forgotten what happened the last time Manchester United played against West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford but the commentator reminded me of it during the match and it all came flooding back. It was the 2nd of May 2015 and it was my birthday! But what a horrible day it was! I had a huge falling out with my ex, spent most of the day sullen and sour, just when I was getting some joy in my day, my day was compounded further by United losing unluckily against West Bromwich and I had to return to my hotel in the rain. Bad memories but enough on my personal drama in my life. A lot has changed since then. If you want to know, I met someone else just weeks after that and now I am engaged to her. On the United side of things, in terms of points and standings, they are doing better than they did this time last season but drawing more flak than last season. There have been changes in the personnel since that dark day in May (it was at least for me).

Leading to this match, I found the criticism the team was taking to be nauseating. I have had enough of hearing the same thing being repeated over and over again by pundits and our former players. As pundits, they have to be fair in their assessment of the team as a neutral despite their allegiance to the club and I can understand if they are upset at what they are seeing because in their minds, they have only known United to play in a certain style under a different manager, a colossal figure, Sir Alex Ferguson but this is not a Sir Alex team, its a different manager with a different philosophy. I wouldn't say our former players and legends are being traitors with their repeated criticism and opinions on the current United team but I would just hope they would tone it down a bit. The football might not be what they expect of United but it is getting the results it needs and the fact remains that football is a results based business (like it or not, it is a business now). United fans want to be entertained but they also want to see the team winning. Sometimes in life, we just can't get everything and I feel what is most important now are the results. It would be great if it comes with the performances to match but if it doesn't, be glad that at least we won. Since Sir Alex left, every manager would be compared to the great man, his legacy, results and style of play. What people remember are the trophies won and the legacy left behind. What people don't remember is the struggles of the man before he achieved all this success. The man himself have been supportive of his successors and that is an example for everyone to follow. I understand our ex players/legends who have turned to punditry, have to be honest in their assessments and speak their mind but it would be good if there's some balance in their assessment and expectations. The truth of the matter is that despite all the spending over the last 2 summers, this is still a team in transition. How can you expect a team to gel so quickly and start producing good football as well as results to match with lots of changes in the squad?

On to the game now, I was surprised that Michael Carrick started after completing his first 90 minutes against CSKA Moscow alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. I had thought Juan Mata could have been dropped in place of Jesse Lingard on the right wing but both kept their places and it was basically status quo from Tuesday. The team dominated all throughout but failed to create any clear cut chances. The best chance fell to Mata who finished a sweeping move by placing his shot wide. Anthony Martial then created a chance out of nothing to only shoot straight at Boaz Myhill. It was tensed once again as the first half ended but no jeers were heard. United tried their best to keep a high tempo and pass quicker. Sometimes it came off, sometimes it didn't and sometimes the passing was slower. In the second half, it was slightly quicker but the breakthrough came when Lingard collected a loose clearance and placed it first time beyond Myhill. The boy has deserved it. He hit the bar against City, the post against Middlesbrough, assisted Wayne Rooney in a Man Of The Match performance against CSKA Moscow and finally scored his first goal. If there is something United fans love seeing it is seeing players from the youth academy graduate and play in the first team. Lingard did that and went on to score his first ever senior goal for the club he has been at since he was 7 years old. There was no-one more deserving to open the scoring and no-one can begrudge him for that goal. He went on to put in another Man Of The Match display.

United wrapped up the victory with a rare penalty. It is odd to say that because we have been accused of getting easy penalties at Old Trafford in the past. Martial was put through on goal by substitute Ander Herrera and he was brought down by Gareth McAuley. Juan Mata stepped up to convert the spot kick. Even when penalties are awarded nowadays, it is not a given that United would score from it. It has gone better for United since Mata was assigned spot kick duties but in recent times we have seen some unexpected and shocking misses from the penalty spot. United sealed their first win of the season just before an international break after losing to Swansea City and Arsenal before the last 2 international breaks. That is 2 wins in 2 now after 2 successive draws. A positive would be that this is United's 4th clean sheet in a row in the Premier League and 5th successive clean sheet across all competitions. I was surprised that Carrick and Schweinsteiger completed their first 90 minutes together, Carrick's second consecutive 90 minutes in a row. Carrick did misplace some passes which is unusual for a player who is always expected to find his target with his passes. Schweinsteiger was tenacious and industrious. I would just like to see him take a shot from outside the box. More players should take that option when in space instead of trying to lay a through ball. Lingard's goal is the first goal United have scored with a shot from outside the box and that is telling on the number of attempts United take with shots from distance. Marcos Rojo is putting in some good crosses but no-one is making runs into the box and gambling on them. That is also another feature of their play that United needs to improve on. Oh and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson was brought on in the second half and had an assured performance as a teenager. I have never heard of him before yesterday but looks matured for his age. Louis Van Gaal, like Sir Alex is not afraid to field youngsters if they feel they are good enough. Overall, winning breeds confidence and the more United win and the more they score, the more confident United would be and that would be translated in their play. I repeat the team needs support and there has to be balance in their judgement and expectations of the current United squad.

To end off, it was very nice to see Darren Fletcher again at Old Trafford and can you believe the performance Jonny Evans put in? He always seem like a calamity and an accident waiting to happen when he played for United but there he was putting in a strong performance in a defensive West Bromwich performance. I would like to wish them, Anders Lindegaard and Ben Foster good luck for the rest of the season.

What A Relief!

The overwhelming emotion at full time would be one of relief, ultimate, unequivocal relief. It's like you have been locked up a long time in a jail and have just been set free. Manchester United made heavy weather of beating CSKA Moscow. In his post-match comments, Louis Van Gaal stated the fact that United have never beaten Russian opposition at Old Trafford and this would be the first time they have done so. It would have either been the first time they have had four 0-0s in a row or the first win over a Russian team at Old Trafford. A smash and grab win for the Russians would have been the other eventuality. Thankfully, United got the win. As fans, we can all thank God (in whichever guise you believe Him to be) for that.

Did United deserve the win? Yes. They dominated possession, had more attempts at goal and more corners. Truthfully, United should have won this tie earlier and more comfortably. They started brightly enough. The players looked sharp and vibrant going forward albeit a bit wayward in their shooting. The longer the game went at 0-0, United grew anxious and nervous while the CSKA grew in confidence. CSKA deserve credit for their defensive organisation and defensive display throughout the game. Their performance was also helped by some misplaced final passes, long passes that were not accurate enough, crosses that were easily cut out and a well-worked offside trap.

Marcos Rojo had two great chances to score in either half but in both cases, he put it wide. Wayne Rooney started off brightly but besides an early shot that was rushed wide, he had no other attempts until that incredible miss in the second half. That miss epitomises Rooney this season. A little unlucky to get his first attempt blocked but not sharp enough on the rebound, allowing him to be easily dispossessed. Jesse Lingard started brightly in the first half on the left and then skied a couple of attempts when in good position and made a hash of being in good positions in the final third. Michael Carrick had a snapshot that went wide. Anthony Martial was double and triple marked. Set pieces were as good as useless as it has been all season because it posed no threat at the opposition goal. I don't know if the players are even practising it during training and if they are, I am not sure if they practising hard enough. These were the episodes of missed chances and ineffectiveness before the goal was scored.

It was quite remarkable to hear the Old Trafford crowd show its displeasure at the end of the first half and then again when Martial was brought off for Marouane Fellaini. I believe the frustration and displeasure of recent displays finally came to the fore. If this had been Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan, Inter, Juventus or Bayern Munich, Van Gaal would have been made known of the displeasure in earlier games and he would know having managed two of the above mentioned teams. He is lucky to have found passionate but yet supportive and patient fans at United. It's also a culture thing as Latin fans are quicker to voice their displeasure. Bayern is not a Latin club but the fans are known to be very demanding and less patient. Clearly the United fans at Old Trafford had a message for Van Gaal and the players yesterday and that was they had to buck up as such displays are unacceptable.

Personally I feel the decision to replace Martial was the right one. He was well-marshalled all throughout the game and as a result, he had little success in getting anything to come off. He couldn't dribble past his markers, he was getting caught offside and was cutting a frustrated figure. Do not forget that this is a 19-year-old boy we are talking about, a player that is far from the finished article. He has a lot more to grow and develop. It was wise to take him off the firing line. However, I expected more from his replacement, Fellaini. The only telling contribution the big Belgian made was a vital headed clearance from a CSKA corner. In the attacking sense, he looked lost between playing the number 10 behind Rooney and the number 8 in centre midfield. To be fair to him, there were not many crosses or set pieces into the box after he came on and it was right to bring him on to challenge Sergei Ignashevitch and Andrei Berezutski who are both commanding in the air. Unfortunately, he didn't get much chances to play up against them and I wasn't too pleased with his involvement. I don't think he did his chances of starting the next match any good.

Jesse Lingard though, put a shaky end to the first half behind him with a great second half. He was United's most dangerous attacking outlet and was especially dangerous when he was shifted to the right flank. He was responsible for setting up Rooney's goal with a cushioned cross after latching on to Michael Carrick's pass. It looks easy but it is a difficult skill to execute and Rooney showed his true self by planting the header beyond Igor Akinfeev. Lingard would be the undoubted choice as the Man Of The Match for United. Prior to the goal, United were nearly hit by the sucker punch when Seydou Doumbia was played through by his partner Ahmed Musa. His first attempt was blocked by David De Gea, who until then was largely a spectator in the game. As he latched on to the loose ball, it looked odds on that he would score to deliver a sickening blow to United as Ashley Young slipped while rushing to the line to block the follow up but out of nowhere, Chris Smalling (or Mike or Michael whichever you prefer) dived in like a superhero to block the effort on the line. That block was worth as much as Rooney's goal.

On individual performances, it was right for Young to keep his role as an auxiliary right back after Matteo Darmian's horror showing against Crystal Palace. I am not convinced of Daley Blind as a centre back and feel safer when Phil Jones plays there instead. Michael Carrick was incisive with his passes but after lasting the full match, I doubt he will start on Saturday against West Bromwich Albion. Bastian Schweinsteiger did well to provide mobility from centre midfield with his dribbles and driving forward with the ball. Juan Mata's place is under threat as he had minimal impact on the game and with a very strong performance by Lingard on the right wing, I feel his place is under severe threat. We would wait to see if Martial will be on the bench or will start on Saturday and if he does start, will he be on the left flank or up front? I am in favour of taking Martial out of the firing line to give him a breather. Memphis like Fellaini did their chances of starting no good. I feel Rooney is better off as a number 10 than as the lone striker. I hope Saturday could see the introduction of Andreas Pereira if Martial doesn't start.

On the performance, there were glimpses to suggest that United are capable of playing better, at a higher tempo but not enough to suggest that it's a rejuvenated attack now. There is an air of anxiety around the penalty box and the sooner the team scores and the more goals they get, the less pressure the forward players will feel. I get a sense that the forward players are not sure where and how the next goal is going to come from and that uncertainty eats at the players the longer it remains at 0-0. This is a psychological issue that the coaching staff has to address but the best way for the team to overcome this would be to start scoring goals freely. United got to seriously do something about the set-pieces. It is becoming anti-climatic whenever we get a free kick or corner. Short corners are getting messed up, direct deliveries from free-kicks and corners are not dangerous enough and direct free-kicks either crash into the wall or go over. Mata used to be one of the most deadliest from a free kick and yet he has not got a free-kick right all season. Memphis came with a big reputation with the most number of goals scored from a free kick in Europe last season but he too has not got it right. Rooney like most things he has tried out this season hasn't got the set piece delivery right too.

We don't know what to expect on Saturday when West Bromwich Albion visit Old Trafford. I don't expect the visitors to be the most adventurous in their approach. The onus will fall on United to create chances and find gaps to score. The earlier they score the better because at the moment that is what the team needs the most and that is what is needed in these matches, an early goal.

0-0 To United.....Strange But True

Four draws in a row, three 0-0s in a row and its not acceptable. It's not acceptable for a club like Manchester United that is famed for its attacking style of play. The fans demand for victories but not just victories achieved by scrapping through, they demand for victories achieved through style and panache. That is most important for United fans.

Against CSKA Moscow a fortnight ago, United did well to come from behind and draw but I feel they didn't do enough to push through their dominance and win the match. Against Manchester City, United didn't do much with their dominance of possession to win. Against Middlesbrough in the League Cup, the visitors created the better chances. United had chances to score but didn't take them. Finally against Crystal Palace on Saturday, United had the better of the first half after the 20th minute but didn't make their dominance count. In the second half, United were not in the game at all. Taking all these matches into account, only against Palace was it a point gained because it could have been no points gained.

Playing at Selhurst Park against Palace was always a tough fixture for United over the years so it was no big surprise to see United having a hard time. However, a pattern is emerging of United's away performances in England. They struggle when faced against teams that press high, playing at a fast tempo and aggressively. It happened last season too and I feel Louis Van Gaal hasn't been able to cope with this aspect of matches played in England. This is a worry as is the tendency for United to sleepwalk their way through the first half of matches.

Van Gaal has come under a lot of criticism and his tactics and strategy has come under scrutiny. I always expected him to come under fire when the team drops points because he doesn't exactly play in the quintessential United way. As long as United win, the noises will be less heard of but the moment United lose or draw, everyone will be out in arms against him. I am unhappy at the recent performances and results. Van Gaal has had one full season to bed in but to be fair, there were a lot of changes again over the summer so it's not like he has largely kept the same squad from last season and made some tweaks. Moreover, every team normally goes through a blip during the season and looking at the situation positively, we have gained a point in the Champions League and two points in the Premier League. We have only been knocked out of the League Cup which is disappointing because United now has one trophy less to win.
United has fate in their hands in terms of qualification to the knockout round of the Champions League and are within reach of the top spot in the Premier League. All is not lost yet even if naysayers and some fellow fans have given United up for death.

Van Gaal has a philosophy in mind but he has to stop being so insistent on it. He has to adapt to the demands of the Premier League. Matches are played at a higher tempo in England than anywhere else he has managed. After a season in England, he should know that. Possession is king because if a team has the ball, they are more likely to pose a threat to the opposition and win but it's no use to keep possession if it's only going sideways and backwards. I feel this possession style of football is useful when the team is in the first leg of an European knockout tie, when the objective is to keep the crowd quiet in away games or when protecting a lead. In most away games in England, United got to be ready to face an onslaught early on with the opposition throwing everything they got at a frenetic pace. The players can't afford to start slow and mentally stay behind in the dressing room. The team has to match their opponents toe for toe and win every second ball before imposing their style of play. Smaller teams on paper are capable of causing an upset if the players are not up to it and lose these battles on the pitch.

On the style of play, I remember Van Gaal's Ajax and Barcelona teams playing very attractive, flowing football. It has not been replicated at United consistently enough. I know it's the United way to be exciting and flamboyant in attack but I do understand as well that Van Gaal has resorted to a measured style of play. What his exact instructions are we do not know unless you are present during training sessions or in his meetings with the team. What we do know and can see is that United are building up play too slowly and are too predictable in their approach. It's frustrating to see the players get into the final third and mess up a cross or pass. This approach has to change. It's rather disjointed in the attack with crosses and passes going wrong or good passes and crosses are played in but its not anticipated by anyone. There is so much potential available in United's attack for it to excite the fans and produce breathtaking football but it is frustrating to see the attack so subdued.

On the matter of Wayne Rooney's form, it has been poor. Perhaps the rot set in last season but it was papered over by the fact that he was deployed in centre midfield for a chunk of matches. I don't feel Van Gaal's tactics has anything to do with his downturn of form. He looks like a player completely sapped of his powers. It looks to me like a player who has lost the aggression and fire he had when he was younger. He is definitely more mature as a 30 year old but the aggression and determination with which he put himself about on the pitch and the rollicking he would give his team-mates to wake them up is missing. I can accept that as a result of the tactical change since Van Gaal took over he doesn't close down defenders from the front and he doesn't put himself about on the pitch. Besides that it is unbelievable to see Rooney, a player known for his physical strength, get so easily dispossessed on the ball. He is getting passes and crosses wrong. In front of goal and in one-on-ones he is not sharp enough. Due to his lack of confidence he is trying to lay it off to team-mates to score instead of going for goal himself.

Rooney has to somehow from somewhere rediscover his form. With each passing game, the call to drop him has grown. He is either suffering a very poor run of form or at 30, he is on the wane or that he has to reinvent himself as a centre midfielder as suggested by Xavi. Van Gaal deserves credit for strengthening the defence (I hope I haven't spoken too soon) and for finally compiling a centre midfield of good quality but he has to tweak and adapt his philosophy. From watching the team last season, I feel United possess greater threat when they close teams down from the front and play at a quicker tempo.

Let's see now what happens tomorrow morning (Singapore,Malaysia,Hong Kong time) and in the upcoming matches. As fans, we have to get behind the team regardless of our personal opinions on the style of play, team and manager.

Tactical Draw

In my analysis of the Manchester derby, I had noted that Manchester United entered the derby with a squad that was more stable on paper and had more options available to them compared to Manchester City. United were only missing Luke Shaw and Paddy McNair while City were missing Sergio Aguero, David Silva, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy (maybe someone else too but I have forgotten the name of the player or if indeed they had one or two more absentees). I knew for certain David De Gea, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney would start. There could be changes in the other positions. It would be between Matteo Darmian and Antonio Valencia at right back, Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind at left back, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Michael Carrick in centre midfield, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata on the right wing and Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini as the attacking midfielder. I felt only at right wing was it about 80-90% certain that Mata would start. For the other positions, it was more 50-50 in terms of selection. In the end, Valencia was selected at right back, Rojo at left back, Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger in centre midfield, Mata as expected on the right wing and Herrera as attacking midfielder.

I was delighted that especially Aguero was missing as he has been a thorn in the sight of United fans since he joined City. He almost always finds the net against United. Silva would also be a big miss as I rate him higher than Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne. Going into the derby, I knew City had quality but I felt this match would be their first real test of squad depth. They had trashed Bournemouth at home the previous Saturday but with all due respect, the newly promoted side has struggled this season and it was no surprise. City then beat Sevilla in the Champions League but had to struggle for it. If that much space was afforded to De Bruyne, he would certainly make no mistake to score the winner. Sterling was easily handled by United and especially Valencia last season in both matches against Liverpool so it was wise to start with the Ecuadorian. Moreover, Darmian had a nightmare against Arsenal so that counted against the Italian. I had watched De Bruyne in some matches last season for Wolfsburg. He is good but not good enough for the price that City had to pay to sign him. I felt he was over-rated. Wilfried Bony, who was standing in for Aguero, is a different type of player and this would be the first big and real test for him. He did well at Swansea City but replicating that form for City is a different matter after all this is not the City of old, this is the new mega bucks City with much higher expectations and ambitions.

I had thought that Louis Van Gaal might try and replicate the same strategy that he used last season to get a resounding win against City at Old Trafford which would mean the inclusion of Blind at left back and Fellaini supporting Rooney but that was not to be. Van Gaal chose to pick based on form. Since he has taken charge, Van Gaal has not shown much tendency in changing his starting selection as long as it is doing well and they stay injury or suspension-free which is a contrast to Sir Alex who would save players for certain matches and rotate to use players with characteristics best suited to take on certain opponents. Different managers, different methods. As long as we win, all is well haha.

On to the match then, from the start, it was tight, tense and cautious. There was an air of fear, the fear of losing, the fear of making a mistake. No-one wanted to lose. In the first half, City had 4 attempts on goal and I can't even remember one. The only one I remembered was a scuffed effort from Yaya Toure. They had more corners too and had the taller, physically bigger players to cause more of a threat but none of the corners caused much of a threat. Sterling was well-shackled by Valencia and De Bruyne likewise by Rojo. City found it tough to cope with Martial who had to be fouled to be taken down. United had 0 attempts on goal and 0 shots on goal, the latter is similar of City. It was irritating to see Mata and Schweinsteiger choosing to needle a ball through instead of going for goal from range when in space. Take a shot! It could go over, go wide, hit the post, hit the bar, it might go into the back of the net cleanly or via a deflection, the keeper might fumble it, the keeper might tip it out for a corner or at the very least the keeper would save it but at least take a shot!

It was even stevens in the first half. Some would argue that United shaded it while others felt that City shaded it. I felt it was even with neither side dominating and both defences on top. Neither Joe Hart nor David De Gea were troubled and who had thought of that at the start of the match. United started the second half better and had greater supremacy in the game but once again failed to capitalise on it. They hardly created anything of note and hardly threatened Hart in goal. Chris Smalling came close with a header that went agonisingly wide, Schneiderlin threw himself at it but failed to connect. There were calls for a penalty as well when Herrera was fouled by Sterling but the referee awarded a corner. It did look to me like it was a penalty. Lingard who came on as a substitute produced a magnificient volley with the ball dropped over his shoulder by Martial but his effort crashed against the crossbar. Smalling then had a snap shot that was palmed wide by Hart. These were the only chances created. At the other end, the closest City got to scoring was when Nicolas Otamendi was just about blocked out by Rooney as he came close to meeting a free kick by Aleksandar Kolarov. It was fair to say that United dominated the second half but didn't take enough shots at goal or create enough chances to score and win.

Van Gaal may argue that Smalling should have taken at least one of the chances that came his way but those were created through set pieces not through open play. The first one was far from a free header and the second one he had to take it quickly. Maybe the only criticism would be that he should have hit the second chance harder. Lingard's was something that was created out of nothing. In the end it was 0-0 draw, a bore draw for neutrals but an irritating one for United. Both defences came out on top. It was doubly annoying because City were there for the taking but United didn't take the chance. Any victory against a foe or hated rival is worth many times more.

What we witnessed yesterday was the other side of Van Gaal's methodical football. It frustrates and annoys when victory is not achieved especially in a match like the one yesterday when we knew United could have won it if they had pushed harder and sustained the pressure for longer. To be fair, perhaps in the later parts of the match, the players were getting tired as most of them had played in Moscow in midweek. Just like it was in Moscow, United hardly created much in the first half and got better in the second half and again when in supremacy, they can't sustain the pressure long enough to score more than one goal. In yesterday's case, they couldn't even get a goal. It was also irritating to see players looking to try and thread a beautiful pass through instead of taking the risk and going for goal themselves. It's things like this that leads a man or woman to pull his or her hair and go mental. There were instances in the second half where good crosses were put in but except for Rooney there was no-one else in the box. No-one was making a late run into the box, no-one was anticipating for the cross to come to them. Contrast that to the late run made by Herrera to score United's second against Everton last Saturday. More of the latter please!

I felt the choice of substitutions was wrong as well. Of course, if Lingard had scored and United had won, it would be heralded as a great substitution. If he had scored, maybe he would have played with greater confidence but the truth was he didn't make much of an impact. I am not Van Gaal or a qualified coach for that matter but if I may give my 2 cents worth as a fan, I would have brought on Fellaini earlier when we were in the ascendancy in place of Herrera not Schweinsteiger. Get him to play closer to the goal, be a handful for City's defenders to allow Rooney and Martial more space to operate in. Keep Mata on to deliver crosses for Fellaini. It worked last season, it could have worked again yesterday. Schweinsteiger can't last 90 minutes anymore so I would have brought Carrick on later. One bad game doesn't make Carrick into a poor player. Another option would be to bring on Memphis for Herrera, put him on the left and push Martial to play on the shoulders of City's defenders. Get Rooney to drop deep to play the ball in for Martial or Memphis from the left. That's just my 2 cents worth though. I can't say for sure if those changes were made, we would have won but you never know.

In my opinion, I felt Rojo was our Man Of The Match. He didn't put a foot or head wrong throughout the match. He was solid in his defending and proved my opinion of De Bruyne right. He even faced up to Toure and won the battle in one instance. The partnership of Smalling-Jones is blossoming and long may it continue (touchwood!). With their respective injury records, it would be wise of Van Gaal to rest one or both against Middlesbrough in the League Cup. Valencia had a great game at right back too. He kept Sterling quiet and was a threat going forward but unfortunately picked up an injury which should present a chance for Darmian to get back in the first team. Martial was our greatest threat going forward but I feel the players around him were hanging out too much. No-one was making off the ball runs into space to pull the opposition defenders apart for him to play them through or to create space for him to go for goal himself.

Van Gaal declared his satisfaction with United's display. In terms of effort, commitment and defensive display, I would agree with him but in terms of creating chances I wouldn't agree with him. As fans, we have to accept that United now play a methodical style of football which is perhaps better suited to European games and could serve us better in Europe. When we win in England, things are fine but this style can frustrate when we drop points because when the team starts playing with greater intensity and pace, it shows what they are capable of and what could have been possible, if only they played like that from the start or throughout the match. I do wonder in those times, what it would be like if Ryan Giggs was in-charge instead, but then again no-one has seen the future and there is no guarantee that Giggs would do as well as he did as a player. Not every ex-player or club legend will turn out to be like Pep Guardiola. It can be frustrating but keep calm and keep getting behind the team. Next we have got a home cup tie against Middlesbrough. In the last match against Ipswich Town, Van Gaal fielded a strong line-up. I hope Van Gaal would rotate his team against Middlesbrough but keep it strong enough to win and go through to the next round.

Irritating Draw

I was quite surprised that Louis Van Gaal had spoken about being contented with a point gained from Manchester United's 3rd Champions League group match against CSKA Moscow. I would have preferred all 3 to secure qualification early and hopefully top spot too in the group. This week and the match against CSKA was a test for the new United after a season without Champions League or any European football for that matter. It was a tough test as the journey from Manchester to Moscow was far and the weather conditions quite different to what the players would normally experience in England. Another challenge faced was the focus and concentration that was required of the team on this match and not to be distracted by the next one, which is a big game against Manchester City in the Manchester derby.

I was interested to see from the start on the squad Van Gaal would field and thankfully he did rotate a bit from Saturday's win over Everton but I was surprised he retained the midfield pairing of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin instead of rotating one with Michael Carrick. United started the match pretty well, holding on to good possession but it just didn't click for United in the final third as passes were misplaced or the United players were dispossessed or tackled well by CSKA Moscow. The home side on one of their first attacks forward then got a penalty for a silly handball by Anthony Martial (he's only human and developing as a youngster). David De Gea did well to save the penalty but United's defenders were too slow to respond to the second ball and that allowed CSKA to take the lead through Seydou Doumbia. United then lost a bit of composure as the passes got more erratic and they were not making any headway at all going forward. United didn't threaten at all in the first half. A lot of possession was kept but it was going nowhere but sideways and backwards.

In the second half, Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellaini and I had thought that United would immediately look to put in more crosses and lump long balls at Fellaini but it didn't quite happen. Slowly, United built a head of steam to increase the pressure and intensity of play and got the deserved equaliser through Martial with a diving header. United had a decent opportunity before the goal through Wayne Rooney but he headed straight at Igor Akinfeev. After the equaliser, United had the upper hand but didn't press hard and long enough to get a second goal. They tried but it wasn't enough. I am sure they could have done more but they didn't. I have noticed that in some matches when United have had to come back from a goal down (especially last season), they tend to struggle to get a second after getting the equaliser and fail to capitalise on the superiority and momentum they had build leading to the equaliser. This is an aspect the team has to improve to convert losses into draws and draws into wins.

Thankfully, Van Gaal did acknowledge that he was unhappy that United were passing too slowly in the first half. They did better in the second half but I feel they can do better. Rooney had a subdued game for his standard. He did decently but we expect more from him and we know he is capable of more. Martial was well marked by CSKA's Mario Fernandes and that was the first time since he was signed that I noticed someone shackle him so well but credit to him for not letting his head drop after conceding the penalty to go on and then score the equaliser. Herrera didn't have the same impact that he did in the match against Everton but did better in the second half. The result left me feeling irritated because I just feel they played within themselves and could have done more to score more.

Now that CSKA is out of the way, we can all focus on the Manchester derby. Although both sides played on the same day, it must be noted that City played at home while United travelled far to play in testing conditions for their Champions League match. Another test for the new United awaits now. I would be interested to see how Van Gaal lines up on Sunday and how he prepares the team as they overcome the fatigue of travel and match day. United had a great result last season against City at Old Trafford and I hope for more of the same but would even settle for a 1-0 win. Good luck to the Red Devils! I hope it all goes well for us.

Great Response,Good Performance

Heading into last Saturday's clash against Everton, Louis Van Gaal called for a reaction after the capitulation against Arsenal before the international break. You got a feeling from the pre-match press conference that Van Gaal was simmering over the 2 weeks break and the players were perhaps fortunate to be away from facing the wrath of their manager. Everton away at Goodison Park  is always a tough ground to visit and Manchester United has lost there in their last 3 visits. Therefore, it made for a really tough test of the Red Devils' character and credentials as potential title winners. 

Pre-kickoff, news broke through of the sudden demise of Everton's most successful and arguably greatest ever manager, Howard Kendall. Kendall, who had also played for the club, was 69 years old when he passed on. I read on social media that some United fans felt that it was the wrong time to play against Everton as the sad news might act as an extra motivator for Everton. I felt it could be true or it might have a negative effect and totally subdue Everton as it did when United commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. Ultimately though, what matters the most is the performance of the teams on the pitch on the day of the match. 

The pre-game one minute of applause was very respectfully observed by both set of fans and players. On the match itself, there was a marked change in attitude in the way the United players applied themselves as compared to their previous match. There was greater desire, determination and aggression shown. United dominated the match and won deservedly 3-0. Possession was well kept as expected of the new United under Van Gaal. There were a lot of good individual performances on the pitch as well. Daley Blind, who has done decently as a centre back was dropped and it was good to have a defender who has height, pace and strength in Phil Jones back. Jones still has the tendency to get injured in the way he plays the game. It is much appreciated by fans of the typical English-style blood and thunder game but he has to wisen up in the way he plays to avoid lengthy spells injured or suspended. He had a bloodied nose during the game but thankfully it wasn't serious enough to end his participation in the game. Jones would also need to improve his reading of the game which is an area that I feel Blind is strong in.

Marcos Rojo probably played his best match as a left back since he joined United. I feel he has been better as a centre back since he joined United but on Saturday he played well. It bodes well for the future if he can keep the level of his performances consistent and further improve on it (there were times he was caught out napping). He laid in a brilliant cross for Ander Herrera to get United's second goal and that is something we have not seen too often from United. Herrera, was deservedly the Man Of The Match for scoring one and assisting one. He was busy all throughout the match. He has the knack of finding pockets of space to operate in and cause havoc as well as popping up in the area to score. If he continues in this vein consistently, we could have found our answer to Paul Scholes. Wayne Rooney finally got his first league goal and did much better than in recent games. He held up the ball well, he didn't waste possession too much and scored one. He could have scored another but was too unselfish to lay it on for Anthony Martial.

Martial started on the left and got more dangerous on the wing as the match wore on. He tormented Seamus Coleman with his dribbles. It is this directness and skill that we have been missing from Memphis who was rightly dropped. Jesse Lingard came on at the start of the second half and didn't look out of place at all which is good to see and it is always good to see a product of the youth academy progressing to play in the first team. I don't feel Lingard did his chances any harm at all. Back to the defence, David De Gea dealt with whatever that was thrown at him which could be understated in this match but nevertheless always crucial but the star was Chris Smalling who kept a physically bigger player in Romelu Lukaku in his pocket throughout the game.

Oh yes Schneiderlin scored his first goal for United and it was well taken although some would argue that Rooney fouled Steven Naismith in the build up to it. It was also nice to see that the Everton fans did not jeer or whistle at Rooney and Maraoune Fellaini who came on in the second half.

It was a very good win and response to the bad defeat suffered at The Emirates. It is especially satisfying to have won against a team we have been unable to beat at their home for the last 3 seasons. I expect critics and pundits to say at the end of such displays and results that this is the new way United play, it got them a result today, they deserved to win, Van Gaal has proven to be successful with this style of football elsewhere, bla, bla, bla but I do know that the moment we lose a game or drop points, they will get into United and bring up comparisons with the United of old and massacre United. As for United fans, United didn't get relegated losing to Arsenal in our last league match and they didn't just win the league from beating Everton on Saturday. There is still a long way to go in the season, please retain some sanity, rationality and balance. Any team can lose and no team can win forever. No team has a legacy that lasts forever either. Be patient and support the team. Next, we have got a trip to Moscow to play against CSKA Moscow before welcoming Manchester City in the first derby of the season.

It is important not to get ahead of ourselves and look ahead to the Manchester City game and in the process treat the CSKA Moscow game as a formality. There are important points to be won in Moscow and we need the 3 points. Qualification to the knockout stage of the tournament has not been settled yet. We still need to earn the right to qualify. I just hope that Van Gaal rotates a little more than just the central midfielders against CSKA so that there is some freshness for the match against City. The team that played against Everton deserves to start against CSKA but in modern football, rotation is key to manage your resources well and obtain maximum results in different competitions. On to Moscow then.......