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| photo by Josep Ma. Rosell | via PhotoRee |
January 4 / Old Trafford / Manchester, England
The EPL's worst unbeaten team was back in action again Tuesday night, extending their streak with an uneasy 2-1 victory over a determined Stoke City side. I speak in jest, of course, as I'm growing tired of the chorus of United haters who refuse to recognize the remarkably resilient nature of this year's Red Devil squad. This year's United almost never make things easy, but they always do enough to get a result, and have shown throughout a gritty fighting quality to overcome whatever obstacles may come their way.
The height and physicality of Stoke's team -- back to front -- have caused multiple problems for other teams in the League this year, but not so United. I thought Chris Smalling showed a maturity beyond his years tonight, exhibiting a calming and controlled presence throughout the game. The more I see him, the more readily I begin to accept the comparisons to the man whose boots he was ably filling, Rio Ferdinand. The Smalling I saw this evening was a far more composed version than the raw product I saw in the pre-season and some earlier League Cup games.
Another standout for me on the defensive side of the ball was Rafael.
