And Now for Something Even More Boring-er

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In which Correspondent Ed questions whether Red Devils' bossman Louis Van Gaal knows what he is doing:

What happened to Manchester United?  My son can still watch them but I sure can’t.  How did a team with Wayne Rooney, Robin Van Persie, Radamel Falcao, and Juan Mata become so ugly?  The best part of any United game these days is watching David De Gea save them from losing to teams like, say, QPR, by launching himself all over the pitch.  No really, that IS fun.

So is Louis Van Gaal the problem?   Is his system so inflexible that it’s taking the joy out of United even though it’s resulting in wins?

According to the press, LVG has commented (or at least tried to comment — someone needs to send him a Rosetta Stone asap) that the team scores more from a 4-4-2 than his chosen 3-5-2, but that the team also doesn’t set up well in the former.  I think he means that the defense isn’t too good, and that they don’t have a good enough midfield.  I could have told him that before they dropped a ton of jingle on that loan deal for Falcao.  But I also think that the 3-5-2 doesn’t help on either side of the ball.  Is that okay to say?  I mean, this isn’t David Moyes we are talking about.  LVG may just be beyond criticism.

Rinse, Wash, Repeat: Everton 2 - Manchester United 0

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Failing to be entertained by the football, I composed several haikus to honor the way David Moyes and his staff have managed to hamper Shinji Kagawa this season -- among other criminal acts he's committed against our club:

Uninspired game plans

"Trying" to "stop" opponents

We've become Everton

*****

Slow and uninspired

Like molasses on the ball

How's it come to this?

*****

Can't beat his old club

Not City nor Liverpool

Show him the door, please

*****

Danny and Ryan fret

For our beloved club's future

While "Top Reds" stay firm

*****

Our "Chosen One" is

So far over his head it's 

Not even funny

The David Moyes Experiment: Bayern Munich 3 - Manchester United 1

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The David Moyes experiment rolled on, lowering expectations across the globe, and convincing a vast majority of Manchester United fans that having 20 percent of the ball and only the barest of opportunities to score with it somehow showed progress in a season full of reverses.  Its chief adherent seemingly believing in minimalist football as the way forward, Moyes managed to pull the wool over the eyes of a large number of United supporters, many of whom now appear content to blame the players for their repeated failures and vastly reduced horizons -- a world where "trying" is the moral equivalent of winning, and a game in which opponents are hoped to be "contained" rather than nails to be hammered down.

The latest chapter in the experiment saw United fans flush with success at a 0-0 halftime draw, on the heels of a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford eight nights ago, even though their team had only recorded a single shot taken in anger on the opposition goal in their latest endeavor.  Pulses were further raised when Patrice Evra lasered an unstoppable shot into the upper corner of the goal to hand his side a 1-0 lead on the evening, 2-1 on aggregate -- a lead that lasted a bare 23 seconds before Mario Mandzukic, playing Lucy to Moyes' Charlie Brown, snatched the ball and the lead with a stunningly quick equalizer.  Not content to sit on their goal, Bayern added two more in relatively quick succession, as the United end was swarmed by the home side in the contest's last half hour.  Not wanting to appear rattled, Moyes waited until the game's 75th minute to work his Plan B, bringing on Chicharito and later young Adnan Januzaj, the latter after Bayern had put the contest's final result beyond any doubt.

If the Moyes' experiement is ended soon, he can be satisfied he went down being loyal to those who got him here: an injured Wayne Rooney being Exhibit A.  Clearly showing the effects of a recent layoff and a painkiller shot in his foot, the Englishman was a ghost of his best self tonight, squandering some of the few half-opportunities his side were able to scratch out.  Yet he remained on the pitch, limp aside, for the full 90 minutes, as both Darren Fletcher and a pacy Danny Welbeck were sacrificed.

While many are quick to criticize the players, and some of them rightfully so, it is this author's belief that the effort put forth tonight is the best the manager is capable of coaxing out of his squad -- a group of people who -- unlike many sheep-ish fans -- largely stopped  believing in him a long time ago.  And without a head a body is -- what?  A corpse.

It's time to face facts: 7th in the League, and out of all competitions in record time.  The man is just not good enough for this team.  David Moyes needs to go, and the sooner the better, so the club can begin to rebuild after the appalling disaster in which this experiment has resulted.

David Moyes Must Go: Manchester United 0 - Manchester City 3

Eden Dzeko bookended halftime with two goals, the first coming less than a minute after the opening whistle, to lead Manchester City to a third straight derby victory over cross-town rivals Manchester United, and Yaya Toure added a third goal in stoppage time to create the game's final scoreline. The performance was another vintage effort under David Moyes, as a shapeless and shiftless Manchester United showed little fluency in attack and created a paucity of opportunities in front of a sullen and early departing home crowd at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. Displaying his now familiar flummoxed look on the sideline, a clueless Moyes could only sit and watch as the blue half of Manchester rolled easily past his charges, challenging virtually every United cross and breaking up almost all of the Red Devils' offensive chances before they had the opportunity to become even remotely threatening.

Shut out at home yet again this season, United displayed a willingness to attack before the interval but too often lacked a focal point to their offensive efforts. Defensively the team appeared nervous and exceedingly edgy, and they were victimized by a routine training ground exercise for the goal that put the game well out of reach. Having been warned only minutes before when Fernandinho headed just over the bar, seemingly half of the home side's defense stood like statues as the big Bosnian landed the killer blow. City closed out the game in a state of exceeding comfort, as United seemed almost content to surrender to a fate they have become increasingly familiar with this season. Coming after yet another false dawn of two straight victories, the derby loss served only as a stark reminder of the action urgently required by the club's directors: David Moyes Must Go.

David Moyes Must Go: Liverpool 3 - Manchester United 0

....In other news, a disjointed, dispirited and downbeat Manchester United lost for the ninth time in the League this season, the most recent defeat coming at the hands of the club's historical archival, Liverpool.  The 3-0 spanking will have come as a surprise only to those who haven't seen the club play recently, as the Reds were throughly outclassed on their home pitch, never truly in the contest, out-coached, completely and utterly overrun in midfield and guilty of too many mental and physical lapses for one person to count.

If David Moyes and the club's legions of fans were hoping the two recent victories in the League were a sign of things to come, they would do well to remember who those victories came against -- sides near the bottom of the table.  The gap between the home side and the top four side from Liverpool looked like a yawning chasm on Sunday afternoon, with the startling 43 point turnaround from last season's point total seemingly a highly accurate reflection of the clubs' opposing trajectories.  One side looked to have a good young coach, a solid game plan, hounded the opposition at every turn, and received big performances from its stars; the home club had none of that.

While we have been somewhat hesitant to join the "Moyes Out" brigade -- creeping slowly but surely in that direction, yet desperately trying to resist the temptation to overreact to any single development -- the belief can no longer be denied: David Moyes must go.  Manchester United will not re-join the top ranks of English football until they free themselves of the weighty anchor that the former Everton manager has become.  

Moyes may be a nice man; he may even be a good coach.  What he is patently not is a good choice as Manager of Manchester United.  To those who think this call unwise and too hasty, I understand your position but disagree.  I could write chapter and verse as to the failings of Sir Alex's hand-chosen successor, but I will not -- the mental energy required is beyond my meager strength at this time, and many of the reasons have been commented upon here and in many other places.  In short, suffice it to say that Everton man's time is up due to the many reason enumerated elsewhere.  To persist in the current path is not a productive solution, and represents pure folly on the part of those hoping for a quick return to the pinnacle of English football.

If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, the Board at Old Trafford will be headed toward Bedlam if they refuse to act at season's end.  Perhaps the most disastrous decision would be to "double down" on Moyes, handing the overwrought manager a purse full of the club's massive treasure.

Master Class: Olympiacos 2 - Manchester United 0

David Moyes' Manchester United put on a tactical masterclass in Europe last night, lulling a far superior Olympiacos side into a stupor and allowing them only a couple of niggling goals in a narrow 2-0 Champions League loss at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Smartly realizing they were outgunned from the start, Moyes' boys chose laughter as their most effective counter-attacking weapon, seeking to sit deep and make their Greek opponents collapse in paroxysmic laughing fits in the hope of distracting them from the immediate task at hand. 

 

Hard as it may be to believe in a season in which not much has worked as intended, the Red Devils worked their gameplan to perfection last night, repeatedly pretending to be unfamiliar and allergic to the  ball by gifting it to their opponent and hoofing one long ball after another from the back. Chris Smalling offered a standout performance at right back for the visitors, pantomiming as if he were playing on ice and causing his opposing number to double over on several occasions. Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young were their usual steady selves, repeatedly doing the hard work before skying in crosses well over the heads of their closest teammates. And Tom Cleverley and Michael Carrick ceded acres of space in the middle of the park, sowing massive confusion through the home side by forcing the Greeks to ask themselves if they were playing a pub XI or the reigning champions of England. 

Crossed at the Last Minute: Manchester United 2 - Fulham 2

Manchester United suffered another late setback yesterday, drawing 2-2 with a relegation-threatened Fulham side. Providing tonic to the League's weaklings yet again, United dominated possession yet failed to create any real attacking threat for much of the contest. Going down early to Fulham's first attack of the afternoon forced the Reds to fight back and pull ahead late in the contest. Being held to a draw with virtually the last kick of the contest at a venue where they made last gasp victories their signature move will only add to the heaps of frustration the team and their many fans are currently suffering. 

Herewith, the game day ratings for another chapter in a season that has rapidly turned into a farce:                    

De Gea: Nothing to do but pick the ball out of the net twice. 6.5

Rafael: Decent crosses but unable to connect. Why was he pulled? 6.5

Vidic: Didn't do nearly enough with his clearance in extra time. 5.0

Smalling: Nothing to do. Literally nothing to do. 6.0

Evra: Wild shot from distance and a tame header just before the interval. 5.5

Carrick: Sat deep in the middle and shot wide from distance. Distributed the ball well, especially from distance.  Gave his side the lead with a deflected bullet. 6.5

Fletcher: Failed to track Steve Sidwell for Fulham's first goal in four games. 4.5

Young: Open lots but not enough end product. 5.0

Mata: Not totally ineffective on the flank, but influence mainly down to long passes and extraordinary touches. Denied from point blank but got his third assist in three games on the rebound. 7.0

Black Mark: Sunderland 1 (2) - Manchester United 2 (1) -- Capital One Cup Game Summary and Player Ratings

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Manchester United's season veered from bad to worse on Wednesday night as the Red Devils crashed out of the Capital One Cup semi-finals to 19th ranked Sunderland, losing 2-1 on penalties at Old Trafford.  United manager David Moyes suffered yet another indignity in a season full of them, overseeing a side that was dominated during the second half and was only a minute away from exiting the competition at home without taking the game to penalties, a fate it later appeared some of the United players may have preferred.  Saved only by an increasingly infrequent Fergie-time goal by Javier Hernandez, United were unable to convert from the spot, spurning four of their five opportunities, and sending a midfielder and two defenders among others forward for their roll of the penalty dice.

A bad, late error by David De Gea, an easy shot rolling calamitously off the goalkeeper's hands and into the home side's net, neatly encapsulated the team's fate this season.  A mental lapse, a lack of confidence and an inability to bounce back sealed the Red Devils' fate on an evening that will remain a black mark on Moyes' CV whether or not he is able to turn around his United career.  In one of the uglier performances in a season already full of none-too-pretty game -- particularly at home -- Wednesday night's performance may have taken the cake, and only served to pit loyal United supporters even further against each other.  And so the question after the latest setback remains: patience or flight, and what cost does each entail....?

As Moyes looks increasingly overwhelmed, United's Board must decide how best to move forward.  Taking a quick glance at the manager's obviously agitated body language, however, it is becoming clear to this observer that he may be aggravating the problem currently rather than alleviating it.  Moyes clearly needs help; the question is, will he receive it?

Herewith, some individual ratings on a night that many of the players will want to forget as quickly as possible:

De Gea: Little to do before the break and less to do afterward. A schoolboy mistake, though, by the 'keeper to send the contest to penalties. 4.0

Rafael: A threat darting forward and blazed just over the bar to start the second half. 5.0

Smalling: An all over menace and massive in the air and on the ground. 7.5

Evans: An unlikely hero with the first goal. Kept his team afloat on defense, too. 7.0

Büttner: Little to recommend, to be honest, other than a late block of an Adam Johnson shot. 5.0

Januzaj: Silky smoothness on and off the ball, although much too willing to pull the trigger from distance in the second half. Needs to bulk up in the off-season, too. 6.5

Carrick: Metronomic in the middle and forced to help out on defense, as well. 5.5

Fletcher (c): Quiet performance but began to be steadily overwhelmed in the second half, and suffered too many late game turnovers. 5.0

How Did it Come to This?: Chelsea 3 - Manchester United 1

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Coming as a mild surprise to only those dyed the deepest shade of red, Manchester United's 3-1 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge yesterday afternoon laid utterly bare the issues enveloping the club at the present moment: devoid of confidence, lacking both conviction and any kind of cutting edge, and if not for the invention of young Belgian Adnan Januzaj, a squad that looks bereft of both leadership and skill at all levels.  Serenaded by Chelsea fans begging him to stay on the job for as long as possible, United manager David Moyes could only offer up his pat stable of excuses on the post mortem of his team's latest defeat, the seventh of the current campaign: playing well at times, United were victims of "bad luck" and "did not deserve to be 2-0 down at half time."  

Noting that his team "showed a lot of good things today," Moyes will be busy trying to figure out just quite how things could have gotten so far off track that his opposite number, Jose Mourinho, was able to spend the vast middle of what used to be a competitive match sitting comfortably on the sideline enjoying some banter with the fans before shutting down his team's attacking intent with more than a half hour still to play -- seemingly trying consciously not to embarrass his opposite number.

How did it come to this, that the reigning Champions of England are viewed as victims who need to be pitied...?  The answer may be partly in the player ratings below, but it has become increasingly clear that this is a club with a major problem in its midst: the current manager and how to get him "up to speed" before the spit truly hits the fan:

De Gea: Stranded by Carrick for Chelsea's opener and little he could have done for Samuel Eto'o's third. Will be slightly disappointed with himself to have given up a second before the break. 6.5

Rafael: Decent interplay on the wing with Antonio Valencia but gone completely missing for Chelsea's second goal of the afternoon. 5.0

Vidic: Still commanding in the air, but not the same player he once was. 5.0

Evans: More well hidden than Edward Snowden. 4.5

Evra: Absolutely shambolic defending for Chelsea's second. Completely switched off. 4.0

Valencia: Ultra-predictable and not a single decent cross to his credit. 4.0

David Moyes in Quotes: Swansea City 2 - Manchester United 1, With Player Ratings

Rather than our usual game recap, we've decided to skip the commentary and offer up some rather insightful quotes from our fearless leader.  Although we benignly neglected to read much of the news after yet another dispiriting home loss, we'll leave you with these pearls of wisdom and witty bon mots from our present leader, Mr. Moyes:

"I can see why they were champions." -- September 1, 2013  Score: Liverpool 1 - MUFC 0

"But for a minute in Cardiff near the end you would have been saying Man United had a really good week." -- December 1, 2013  Score: Cardiff City 2 - Manchester United 2 

"I don't think I'll feel under pressure...to... [buy in January] as I'll try to do the right things.  I tend to take my time and try to assess what are the best talents to bring in." -- December 9, 2013

Moyes insisted United had “deserved to win” -- January 2, 2014 Score: Spurs 2 - MUFC 1

I think the amount of games we play...[has an impact on the injuries we've sufered] -- January 5, 2014.
We didn't deserve to lose." -- January 5, 2014 Score: Swansea City 2 - MUFC 1

Obviously, the guy is either living in an alternate universe or completely clueless as to what is going on at the club.  Rather than bash him, however, we'll let you judge him by his own words -- and so onto the individual player ratings:

Lindegaard: Not much to do other than pick the ball out of the net twice. 5.0

Smalling: Note to Mr. Moyes: Chris Smalling is not a proper right back, no matter how often you line him up there. He also showed some surprising vulnerability to the diving disease which is currently ravaging the club. 4.5

Evans: Generally, more willing to run forward than 90% of the men playing in front of him. 5.0

Ferdinand (c): Sucked in like a vacuum on Swansea's opener. 4.0

Büttner: A new set piece and corner kick taker, with some dangerous offerings. A sweet ball in for Chicharito's leveler -- perhaps Moyes should give him a shot at left wing, because it's fairly clear he's not a defender, although he did have a great, late challenge on Bony. 5.5

Valencia: If he was paid £1 for every time he received the ball in a dangerous position and mishit the cross he would be among the wealthiest players in England. In another interesting stat, if he received £1 for each time he touched the ball with his left foot, he would be among the poorest players in England. 4.0

Fletcher: Immediately took charge in the middle, but beaten badly as a right back. 5.0

Cleverley: When not passing the ball sideways and backward, he gave away multiple fouls in dangerous positions. Free kicks are apparently not his specialty, either. 3.5

Kagawa: Must be a fan of author Ralph Ellison, as his game resembles The Invisible Man™.  Appears to be playing in a different time zone than his teammates. 3.0

Where's the Plan? Some Brief Thoughts on the Premier League Season

Photo by Martin on Flickr

Ed has been reading up on all the action:

 

The BPL seems tumultuous this year, but is it?  The top four are Arsenal, Chelsea, City, Liverpool – not exactly an impoverished bunch.  Behind them is Everton, a dark horse but certainly one that’s inhabited this position before, and then Spurs.  Thus the only real surprise is United way down in 9^th behind Newcastle, who just beat them, and Southampton, who have been playing very will this year but are still only a point up on the Red Devils.
 

Which makes me wonder what is worse for Moyes: All the losses at United, or is it Martinez making his Everton team look as good as or better than the league leading Gunners?  Everton definitely has more talent than Moyes had – Barkley is a year wiser and seems one of the best midfielders in the BPL at times – and Lukaku is a fairly recent addition.  But still, the style of Everton even without Leighton Baines makes United look lost in the early 1990s.  Plus Martinez’s additions such as McCarthy and Deulofeu, seem far better than the $28MM Felaini that can barely get time in a weak United midfield.  So query, did Sir Alex fail his club in his last act?  Was he blinded by a Scottish bias?  Only time will tell, but right now it would be hard to believe the United board might not be thinking they just made a terrible mistake.

 

 

Meanwhile, over in Spurs-land, AVB has guided the Spurs to two somewhat rocky wins over Fulham and then Sunderland, two basement dwellers.  At least these were wins, as there should be no shame in beating the teams you are supposed to beat.  However, the service to the center remains poor, and AVB seems to still be trying to figure out his best center and wing combinations.  Personally, I would try Paulinho and Sandro behind Dembele, but it turns out AVB doesn’t care what I think.  Regardless, Spurs seem miles apart from the Everton and Arsenal teams that battled it out last weekend.  They have difficulty connecting passes and have no rhythm to their attack.  Not sure what the plans is yet, and less sure it will work.

The Return of the Late, Late Show: Manchester United 3 - Stoke City 2 -- Game Summary and Player Ratings

Javier Hernandez netted a late winner on Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford to lift the home side to a dramatic comeback victory -- the type of win that used to be routine, but one which had so far eluded the team's new Manager, David Moyes.  Hernandez' unmarked header from Patrice Evra's driven cross capped a stirring three minutes of action that saw the Red Devils surge from a late 2-1 deficit to the win.  The comeback was instigated by United's main men, as Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney combined for a glancing header off a corner kick to level a contest that had begun to test the patience of even the team's most dedicated fans.

Once again it was Adnan Januzaj who provided the initial spark off the bench, upping the tempo on an attack that produced relatively few attempts and only a solitary goal in the first 77 minutes of action -- that coming from Van Persie late in the first half.  No sooner had the Dutchman pounced on a rebound from Rooney's header to level the scoreline at one, though, did United hand back the momentum to their guests: a Phil Jones mistake leading to a fine Marko Arnautovic free kick which restored the Potters' lead just prior to the interval.

Although the victory may have been over only a mid-table Stoke City side, Old Trafford erupted with an explosion of noise that rivaled any heard in some of the team's most stirring come-from-behind efforts -- a testament to how much the win meant to the players, the coaches, and the millions of fans worldwide.  Herewith, our thoughts on the individual player ratings in a victory that may have far reaching implications for the rest of the campaign:

De Gea: Fine save on Crouch's initial effort, and nothing he could do about the rebound. Came up big to deny Walters before the game was a half hour old, but was unable to keep out a delightful Arnautovic free kick which restored the Potters' lead. Kept his head when all around him were losing theirs -- a Man of the Match performance form the Spaniard.  Let's be clear: this game was lost without his heroics: 9.5

Smalling: Slow to react to the initial attack from Stoke, which allowed the visitors to score their first goal in 5 1/2 hours. Was burned repeatedly by the easiest of moves; playing the center back on the right for his height backfired in two ways: immediately and regularly. 4.0

Jones: As if being found guilty of first half ball watching wasn't enough, his foul right before the interval led directly to Stoke's second tally of the afternoon. 4.0

Evans: Distribution today was almost as poor as his defending. Appeared to have grown two left feet since last week. 4.0

Evra: Prior to Januzaj's introduction, the Frenchman was the only player on either wing capable of crossing the ball. Superbly driven ball for Chicharito's winner. 7.5

Nani: Ballooned his first two attempts well over the bar, and failed to improve after that. Yanked in the 58th minute to an embarrassing chorus of boos from an Old Trafford crowd that should have known better.  Still, another puzzler from the Portuguese wide man. 5.0

Treasonous: Some Complaints About Events at Manchester United

Some thoughts after another disappointing weekend:

o We're getting a bit tired of being lectured by certain fans who believe only they know how "true" Manchester United fans should behave at the current moment. Who make it clear that if you disagree with their own viewpoint you should be dismissed as a "muppet," a "Johnny-Come-Lately," or -- worst of all -- a "plastic" fan for expressing your feelings. We've got news for you guys: it's a big world out there, and there's plenty of room for dissenting opinions. When someone doesn't agree with you it makes them neither a "moron, an "idiot," or worse; instead, the incessant hectoring of United fans who are expressing displeasure at the current time just shows one's own intolerance and incredibly egocentric worldview. 

o This is not a "Moyes Out" rant. We're all for giving the new guy more time. But just as we criticized Fergie when we thought he made mistakes, we'll feel as free as we like to offer complaints about the events over the last five months at Old Trafford. 

o The transfer window was a shambles. End of story.  There's no glossing over this fact. Whether this was due to the Glazers, Ed Woodward, or David Moyes is less clear. Certainly United's "all over the map" strategy reeked of indecision and naïveté. But we're less interested in assigning blame than we are in acknowledging the fact, as well as admitting that the destabilization of certain players and lack of adding a true world-class player or two is contibuting to the team's current woes. 

o Marouanne Fellaini is not who United needed. Sure, he's a decent player, but he's not world class by any stretch of the imagination, and he's not the answer partnering with Michael Carrick in midfield. He may want to play the role of the holding midfielder, but it's different to where he was played at Everton, and it's abundantly apparent after even a few games in the role that he lacks the requisite speed and gets beaten much too easily to play there long-term. Perhaps Moyes will find the right spot in which to deploy the Belgian, but it's going to require some shuffling of the current lineup to do so. 

o Personally, we're of the opinion that Fellaini is a squad player and nothing more -- and this year's midfield excels in squad players, unfortunately. Fellaini was added because Moyes felt "comfortable" with him. "Comfortable" was never a word used to describe Fergie's relationships with his players. 

Just Punishment: Manchester United 1 - Southampton 1 -- Game Summary and Player Ratings

Photo by Rachel Kramer Bussel on Flickr

Adam Lallana scored an 88th minute equalizer to peg back Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, the latest setback in a season full of them for the Red Devils' increasingly under-fire Manager David Moyes.  Only the most ardent of United supporters would deny Southampton their point on a day in which the visitors outplayed the home team in virtually every facet of the game.

This year's United squad seem unable to keep the ball, and the visiting Saints were keen to exploit that deficiency, pressing the error-prone United midfield and backline into giveaways and inaccurate passes all afternoon long.  Other than the undeniable spark provided by the coltish Adnan Januzaj, the United attack looked flabby and uninterested again this afternoon, a possible sign of tired legs or a lack of cohesion in the locker room.  Compounding matters for the frustrated fan base, the team and its Manager appear to have fallen into a defensive shell as the game neared the 70th minute, hoping their once-invincible Old Trafford fortress would provide them the support necessary to stretch a shaky lead all the way to the finish line.  Unfortunately for both the team and Moyes, the strategy failed to work, and United were justly punished on the afternoon.

It's early days, but three wins in eight league games was clearly not the start the club was hoping for.  The glum reaction after Lallana's strike from former manager Alex Ferguson and former United CEO David Gill, sitting side by side in the Old Trafford Directors' Box, told the story of the game: another disappointing performance, more dropped points, and the pressure beginning to mount. 

Herewith, our individual player ratings on a game that has to be seen as a collective loss: 

De Gea: Stood up to the early pressure from the visitors, and denied Clyne from point blank range as the game wore on. Unclear if he could have done more on Lallana's late equalizer. 6.5

Rafael: Offered more than the alternatives at right back and his defensive brain farts seem to be fewer and further between these days. 6.5

Jones: Could he finally be fulfilling his promise as a center back? Jones offered a quietly efficient performance today and made a crucial second half interception to shut down a threat. Missed a late clearance when moved to midfield to accommodate Smalling. 7.0

Evans: Doesn't give off the same air of authority as Vidic, but cleaned up an awful lot of messes.  A generally confident performance from the Northern Irishman. 7.0

Evra (c): Made some nice attacking runs and overlapped well with Januzaj. 6.0

Nani: Looked lively on the right wing and offered accurate crosses: a novel concept for United this season. 7.0

Carrick: Forced to play a deeper role with Fellaini involved. He's not playing at nearly the same level as he did last season. 5.5

Fellaini: Turnovers and poor touches remained the norm for the Belgian. It's becoming clear that he's unsuited for the role in which Moyes is playing him -- which is strange given their collective history. Fellaini fouled often to break up Southampton's play, but was too easily beaten too many times to be considered for a central midfield role. 4.0

Prodigy: Manchester United 2 - Sunderland 1 -- Player Ratings

Photo by Grilled Cheese

Adnan Januzaj's surprise inclusion in Manchester United's starting eleven paid considerable dividends for his manager, as the young prodigy's second-half brace lifted the visitors to a 2-1 victory over the Black Cats at the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening.  Januzaj livened up an otherwise flat United attack, and the Belgian's two goals near the hour mark turned the game around for his side, which had been placed in a losing position through Emanuele Giaccherini's early goal.  Although Sunderland threatened to equalize and pull back two points in stoppage time, United's second half turnaround took the wind out of the home side's attack for much of latter 45 minutes, and the visitors had just enough gas in the tank to get the game over the finish line.

Herewith, our thoughts on the individual player performances in a match that handed a critical three points to the Red Devils: 

De Gea: Absolutely nothing he could have done on Sunderland's goal.  The Spaniard offered a goalkeeping master class to deny Giaccherini near the half hour mark and keep his side in the contest. 8.5

Rafael: Looked sloppy going forward, repeatedly offering a poor first touch. 6.5

Jones: Made mistakes before the interval, but his beautiful recovery tackle saved a 3-on-1 for the home side. Worked hard to hold Altidore in check for the second half. 7.0

Vidic: An inability to clear the ball cost his team dearly in the game's first five minutes, but the big Serb pulled it together after the interval to steady the ship.  7.0

Evra: Picked out Nani with a perfectly-weighted first half cross, and his vision was rewarded again when Januzaj stroked home the Frenchman's cross to pull the visitors level on 55 minutes. 7.5

Nani: Missed a volley when he really should have hit the target. Was willing to shoot, but often seemed to slow down the offense.  6.0

Januzaj: Displayed a brilliant touch and looked easily the team's most lively attacker on the night. Was constantly forced by the home side to try something spectacular and often succeeded. Offered a superbly composed finish to equalize at the 55 minute mark, and a stunning volley handed his side a lead they would not relinquish just six minutes later. 8.5

Hope

Photo by Pol Sifter

As a long-time Spurs fan, one thing Ed has in abundance is hope:

At the end of the day, neither Spurs nor Chelsea should be happy about their 1 - 1 draw this past weekend. Spurs shouldn't be pleased because they missed several other good opportunities to win, including Gylfi Sigurdsson's close call near the end of the game. But more importantly, Spurs looked very second-tier in the second half and were happy just to hang on. As I said prior, this game was big for Spurs because they needed to show they could beat teams like Chelsea, not merely pull out a draw at home. They must somehow aim and reach higher or I fear even fourth place all be tougher to land than might seem the case right now.

As for Chelsea, they allowed themselves to be dominated for a half of the game by a side that should be substantially below them. Sure, they pulled out a draw and looked the better team in the second half, but if they were that much better why should they be satisfied with a draw?  If Chelsea are intent on winning the league -- which they are -- a draw at Spurs just shouldn't be enough.

By the way, it was me (and AVB) who questioned Gylfi's spot in the lineup. The last few weeks he has showed me to be completely wrong and has been a creative and goalscoring force from the left. Moussa Dembele also looked the part against Chelsea beating no less than 8 players off the dribble. Paulinho, however, looked less than impressive. Similarly Roberto Soldado, who just hasn't shown much of anything since joining Spurs. We can only hope he improves as Spurs need a finisher who, well, finishes!

# # #

Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge were fun to watch this weekend with their quick but purposeful play. Sturridge has always had the athletic ability, but now he seems very sure of himself. This confident keeps him from rush decisions, and as of now he always looks to have time on the ball. Suarez has picked up his jail break frantic style. He's an impossible player to like, but he is definitely dangerous.

Perhaps most interesting about Liverpool is that they don't even try to play the tiki-taka style that Rodgers used at Swansea. With Steven Gerrard as a holder that's frankly impossible. Stevie G is the kind of the long cross field one touch pass. He's not going to keep swiveling and moving it backwards and sideways. But Kudo's to Rodgers in not forcing something that isn't there. The tiki-taka style is more than half personnel; Liverpool don't have those kind of players, but the kind they do have are pretty good.

# # #

Last year as Manchester United ran the table we used to joke that they were a mid-table team without Van Persie. Well, Van Persie has cooled and, predictably, gotten injured, and United looks very much the mid-table team. David Moyes was criticized on this site for stating that they don't have enough top-tier players to win the Champions League. I suspect the Special One wouldn't be criticized for saying the same thing. Plus, Moyes is right. The mystery at United isn't so much why they fell to 12th place as it is why so many formerly elite players look so mediocre these days. What exactly happened to Nani and Antonio Valencia? Even Ashley Young looks bad these days. In fact, only Wayne Rooney and RVP appear to be top tier talent. That should be enough to win a lot of games in the BPL -- presuming RVP isn't hurt -- but won't be enough to win in Europe.

More Thoughts on United

Photo by Jacob Boetter

Thoughts and Ramblings:

o The Premier League is more wide open this season than ever before.  Anyone who writes off Spurs' chance of winning the title -- or better yet, Arsenal's or even Liverpool's -- is kidding themselves.  Okay, maybe the ones writing off Liverpool aren't kidding themselves.....

o But back to our point.  Yes, we believe City and Chelsea will strengthen as the season grinds on and their respective Managers get a better grip on their side's talent, as well as that of the competition.  And it's not so difficult to imagine that David Moyes' Manchester United will show some kind of flicker of life still to come; after all, even his Everton sides did that season after season.  But with the supposed 'big boys' of English football dropping points left and right early on it's going to be a wild fight to the finish.  And it's not only the Premiership that's up for grabs: any one of the top 6 or 7 teams could be in the race for a Champions League spot, as well.  Interesting times, indeed....

o David Moyes needs to close his mouth.  One the one hand, it's admirable that the Scotsman is a straightforward, honest guy.  But on the other and, a leading Manager does not -- nay, should not -- come out in September and say his squad does not have the quality to win the Champions League.  Did Chelsea have the quality in 2012?!  First off, the Champions League is not always won by the team in Europe with the best quality; it's a knockout competition, and the team with the best talent on any particular day can and will win. Second, what message is this candor sending to your team, the men you are being paid to motivate?

Slow, Plodding and Boring: West Bromwich Albion 2 - Manchester United 1 -- Player Ratings

Photo byKen Teegardin

Manchester United continued its laborious and frustrating start under head coach David Moyes, losing 2-1 to West Bromwich Albion in front of a questioning home crowd at Old Trafford on Saturday. Failing to score from the run of play for a 5th  consecutive game, the United attack was positively sclerotic against the visitors, with dull, plodding and -- even worse -- boring the kindest descriptives a neutral observer might offer.  A series of defensive breakdowns on Saturday compounded the problems caused by an offense that has been transformed from the League's most prolific to parsimonious seemingly overnight.

Herewith, the individual player ratings for a performance that will set the critics to resume sharpening their knives:

De Gea: Once again, almost nothing to do before the interval. Denied Saido Berahino to snuff out one threat, but was beaten by a fine piece of individual skill from Morgan Amalfitano after the break. Stretched to his limits to deny Amalfitano's set piece near the 65 minute mark, but beaten by Berahino just a short while later for the winning goal.  7.0

Jones: Looked infinitely more settled than Smalling has as Rafael's backup, but not a natural right back by any means.  6.5

Ferdinand: Was fortunate that Berahino just missed netting the cross that skimmed over his head in central defense before the break. Embarrassed badly by Amalfitano with a 54th minute nutmeg and was beaten in the air by Olsson before being bailed out by a friendly cross bar.  4.0

Evans: Never under pressure before the break, but was badly beaten by Sessegnon to give West Brom a chance after the interval. 5.0

Buttner: Doesn't possess the attacking game of Evra, but did manage to get involved going forward. Gave the ball away far too easily in the second half, and cleary needs more seasoning. 5.0

Nani: Heavily involved in the first half attack from the right touch line, with several inviting crosses that the home side failed to take advantage of. Looked even more creative in the second half, but to little avail. 6.5