Showing The Way Forward: Manchester United 3 - West Bromwich Albion 0

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David Moyes rolled out perhaps his best starting lineup for his club's trip to The Hawthorns and was rewarded with a 3-0 victory on Saturday afternoon.  Although the final scoreline suggested a leisurely stroll in the park, the Red Devils did not pick up the game's pace until after the hour mark had passed.  With Danny Welbeck replacing a frustrated Robin van Persie, the visitors' attack picked up speed and momentum, as space opened on the pitch for the first time all afternoon.  Wayne Rooney and Welbeck both provided late scores to complement Phil Jones' header before the interval, but it was Rafael Da Silva, United's attacking right back, who showed his teammates the way forward all afternoon long.

Herewith, the individual player ratings for a game that will quiet the critics, at least for a week's time:   

De Gea: Little to do until late, resulting in another shutout. 7.0

Rafael: The return of some attacking panache: denied by a fine Ben Foster save but offered a well-aimed cross for Rooney to put the game on ice. A Man of the Match performance from the Brazilian. 8.5

Jones: Shaky beginning before heading home prior to the interval. Crunching tackles delivered with youthful exuberance. 7.0

Smalling: Displayed an unexpected ability to make up ground. 6.5

Evra: Beaten too easily. 6.0

Carrick: Solid outing; paired well with his Belgian counterpart.  6.5

Fellaini: Played a holding role and provided a target for set pieces. Displaying an increasing steadiness in his new role. 7.5

Mata: His talents are wasted on the wing, although he did contribute a fine defensive clearance. 7.0

Rebound: Manchester United 3 - Aston Villa 0 -- Game Recap and Player Ratings

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Manchester United rebounded from a four game winless streak in the League on Sunday afternoon, emerging from Villa Park with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the home side, the Red Devils first domestic win since November 10th against Arsenal.  Coming on a weekend in which the League leaders Arsenal dropped points against a rampant Manchester City side, the three points will go a long way toward putting some salve on a number of the self-inflicted wounds the side has suffered in recent weeks.  Danny Welbeck, Antonio Valencia and Wayne Rooney competed for Man of the Match honors, with the homegrown Mancunian forward just nipping his fellow stars to the favored status, the reward for two early first half goals which made the game look comfortably in the bag before the interval.

 

Although United looked more free-flowing at times today, the perfunctory performance will do little to strike fear in the hearts of the teams' competitors, and much more of the same will be required before the team can put its rocky recent past behind it.  Herewith, the individual payer ratings in a game that must have calmed some jumpy nerves for the visitors:  

 

 

De Gea: Was tested early by the home side but proved more than up to the task. Finally, a clean sheet. 7.5

Rafael: The Brazilian is capable of crossing the ball as well as anyone on the team.  His best effort in quite some time. 8.0

Evans: Pumped some long balls forward and looked comfortable at the back. 7.5

Jones: Stalwart in the middle of defense. 7.5

Evra: Still looks a bit suspect. 6.0

Valencia: Clearly an important part of the afternoon's game plan and was on target with a cross that led to the away side's second goal of the afternoon. Had a stormer from the right. 8.5

Giggs: Creative force in the middle of the park, waned as the game drew on. 6.5

Cleverley: Key interception began the counterattack that led to a two goal lead. And finally a goal for the Red Devils' third of the afternoon. Much better effort than "average" on both sides of the ball. 7.5

Flat: Chelsea 1 - Manchester United 0

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Juan Mata led visiting Chelsea to a narrow 1-0 victory over a flat and disjointed Manchester United in a game that showcased more fireworks in the final five minutes than it did in the previous 85.  Continuing their rather inexplicable hoodoo over the home side, Chelsea managed to not only beat the Reds, but pull off something no other team has done in quite some time -- shutting out United at home -- and tightened their grip on third place in the crucial Champions League race.  

The Blues looked threatening right from the get go, with Juan Mata picking out Demba Ba in front of Anders Lindegaard, but the quickness of the Spaniard's cross took the Chelsea forward by surprise and the opportunity went begging.  The visitors spread the field and plied early pressure upon their hosts, with a number of Chelsea players unsuccessfully testing the Danish goalkeeper in the opening twenty minutes.

For their part, the home side waited until the ninth minute to get their attack started, but for the most part it was all bark and no bite in the game's early going.  For a second week running it was the champions looking ragged on both sides of the ball in the first half, and laboring to get their game in gear.

With the first half gone, the somewhat tame affair had  been largely dominated by the visitors, although a flurry of opportunities for the home side, including Robin Van Persie's attempt to steer in Ryan Gigg's 30 yard pass just before the whistle, was perhaps a sign that they could build on for the second forty five.

Splitting Hairs: Final Thoughts on Manchester United vs Real Madrid

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It's rare that we find ourselves agreeing with Scott, but it does happen on occasion:

There were only two things worse than the horrendous red card call during the Real Madrid - Manchester United Champions League clash on Tuesday: Gus Johnson's commentary and United's defending after the red card call.  Yes, there is no doubt that the foul did not warrant a red card.  However, it did warrant a yellow card and I'm surprised that so many have questioned even that - it was the very definition of a dangerous play and deserved a warning, for which yellow cards are expressly manufactured, in Sri Lanka I believe.  That there was no intention is exactly the thing that makes it yellow instead of red.  That Nani did not even see Arbeloa does not remove it from the realm of a yellow card because, quite frankly, a player should know that flying through the air with studs up on a pitch with 21 other players just might result in spearing one of them.  Yellow card. 

A yellow card would not have altered the course of the game as the incorrect red card did and it is a real shame we couldn't see the game play out without referee interference.  But here is where I will veer from the opinions of many (all?) others.  I propose that the red card affected the final result not because of the numerical advantage given to Real Madrid but, rather, because United was so psychologically affected that they failed to continue to do what they had done so well up until that point - defend.  Sure, their ability to counter-attack was hamstrung by a missing player, but they were already a goal up.  All they had to do was keep the visitors from scoring for 35 minutes.

Before you scoff and sarcastically retort "oh, that's all?", consider how the game had gone up until then.  Real Madrid had enjoyed overwhelming possession at Old Trafford but had only managed a few relatively tame efforts on goal.  Why?  Because United had defended very well up until the red card (Carrick was a force, snuffing out dangers all over the field as if he were playing Wack-a-Mole with his feet) and Real Madrid had failed to take advantage of their opportunities (such as Ronaldo failing to get on the end of Higuain's wicked, low cross to the far post).

Ying and Yang

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Once again, it's columnist Ed with the other point of view.  I say black, he says white:

Before United fans get too excited about their gritty comeback, and how this team has the character to win, and how the Sir Alex always makes the right moves, let us remember that the team they beat tonight, the team that took them to the brink, was a team that has only one player who would make the United roster.  Of course, I'm talking again about Charlie Adam, and of course he may very well have been the best player on the pitch, but still, one man does not make an army.

It should also be noted that at the end of the day, for all the young superstars on United, it was Ryan Giggs that was relied on by Sir Alex to stem the tide.  Giggs made an immediate impression on the game, and put together some Adam-esque passes to put United ahead.  Of course the difference between Adam's passes and Giggs' is that when Adam plays the ball to his forwards they are usually outrun and have to turn back, whereas when Giggs plays it to his guys no one is going to slow them down.

Because of their 2-nil lead at halftime, this defeat will likely have a deep emotional impact on Blackpool.  They outplayed and outclassed the 80% line-up that Sir Alex condescendingly and incorrectly believed was enough to beat Blackpool.  It was only after he was down 2-nil at the half that he realized he would have to pull out everything he had to get a win or a draw.

Me Neither

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Not much to say tonight, as I made the mistake of visiting a city where the wind chill is measured in the single digits, ice and snow cover the ground, and my fingers are basically too numb to type.  I'm not entirely sure why people, some of whom I even respect, would choose to live here....  But enough complaining, and to each his own.  Now, on with the show:

Pienaar to Spurs: It was a busy day in the transfer market, with Steven Pienaar shunning Chelsea to join cross-town rivals Tottenham Hotspur.  A year or two this story would have been unthinkable: who would dare join Spurs in the face of interest from Chelsea?  The fact that Pienaar did so tells the tale of how much things have changed between the two London sides in the past eighteen months.  Uncle Harry now holds the whip hand in London town, and there's nothing the Dapper Don can do about it.  Frankly, I can't figure out why Spurs want Pienaar -- a decent player, mind you, but aren't they already covered in midfield, and shouldn't they be more focused on bolstering their defense?  In any event, it'll make Correspondent Ed laugh, so we'll go with it and move onto the next piece of news, which also comes from the transfer market.

True Mediocrity

 Correspondent Ed and Friends Watching Spurs 
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And now for an alternate take on the Spurs vs. Manchester United game, this time from our fearless correspondent Ed.  Although farlieonfootie is publishing the article unedited, the company is looking into suing its own correspondent for blood libel.  Most of his statements are patently false with intent to injure reputations.  In the end, though, coorporate has decided that the only reputation injured will be Correspomdent Ed's own, as his pathetic plea for help will be recognized for what it truly is.

When a team's best case for winning a game comes down to arguing over shirt pulling, and they still can't win with a one man advantage at home for the final quarter of the game, they aren't winning the title.  End of argument; Full stop.

Without further ado, here's Ed:

Just in case you weren’t sure why most people who hear about Manchester United being undefeated react with a yawn, today’s game at Spurs should answer any questions you might have.  United were outplayed, outclassed, and at the end of the day did everything they could to secure one of those figurative sweet kisses with your sister – the zero to zero tie (sorry, Britain, just not ready to use that “nil” word quite yet).  In a league where teams like Blackpool risk their very place in the league every week by throwing all but the kitchen sink at opponents to get wins, Manchester United preferred to send their entire squad into the penalty area for most of the second half. 

Great going guys. 

Way to show heart. 

Woo.

Hoo.

True Grit

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Now that's what I call a game.  Manchester United, showing True Grit and determination, survived a very tough cross examination by Tottenham Hotspur at the Lane this afternoon.   After spending all fall and winter bemoaning the points dropped on the road this season, this was well and truly a point gained for the Red Devils against a very talented Spurs side.

Playing nine against eleven for one death defying moment, United spent the last twenty minutes of the game a man short, thanks to yet another dodgy Mike Dean decision [Ed. Note: how long is one man allowed to keep officiating in the league, when it's obvious his decisions are biased against a team, to say nothing of his general incompetence?  See here and here for examples of me calling Dean out previously for his bias, as well as here for me noting his incredible incompetence.  It's time for this guy to go.]  Despite finishing the game without their right back, United hung tough on the road, and incredibly, had an opportunity to nick the full three points just before the whistle blew.  Sir Alex has to be well pleased with his side's fantastic effort.

Again Again

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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.

Rolling Downhill

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Another game, another victory as the Red Machine rolls on, picking up speed on the journey. Before the game, I worried United might struggle without Nani, but we didn't seem to miss him too much today. I hope the injury isn’t serious, because with Park heading out of town, Valencia out with a broken leg, and now Nani injured, we're getting a bit thin at the wide position. 

Nor did the two week break affect the players, dismissing another pre-game concern.  Sunderland spent the first 25 minutes of the game on the rack, as United showed incredible fluidity in attack.  The Red Devils’ movement on and off the ball, as well as their passing, were simply excellent today, the type of creativity, vision and execution for which Sir Alex has been looking.

• Today was the United we demand and expect to see, and Sunderland never had a prayer.  They spent much of the first half looking as if they were playing shorthanded, with a man in red seemingly always open on the attack.  In fact, Sunderland’s best defender in the opening 45 was the goal post, which twice denied United, frustrating both Berbatov and Anderson. 

• That would have been Berbatov’s only disappointment today, as he spent much of the day looking virtually unplayable.  His first goal was deceptively easy, Giggs sprinting downfield with the ball at his foot, Berba to his left, and Rooney to the right.  Although Giggs failed to pick out the Bulgarian on the run, Rooney made no mistake when Giggs laid the ball off to him, finding Berabtov so open it made one wonder where the Sunderland defense was hiding. Berbatov was completely unmarked, and quickly nodded the ball down and into the back of the net. 
  

On Iron Chefs and a Potentially Suspect Crocked Ankle

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Enjoyed myself tremendously at an Iron Chef dinner the other night, and not just because of the food, fun and competition; the event was littered with a bunch of footie fanatics like me (albeit most of them from the UK originally, very much unlike me).  Enjoyed some excellent back and forth banter with supporters of Everton, Liverpool, and Leeds during the course of the evening.  I even managed to close out the dinner with a rousing rendition of “Glory, Glory Man United” with a newfound friend and fellow Red Devil supporter who came to Florida via Northern Ireland.  Always good to talk football and share a drink with fellow fans, even if all of them don’t support the right team…. 

No surprise really that the Rooney saga is still being hotly debated and draws lots of sharp opinions (among United supporters and otherwise), with a surprising number of people believing the recent contract extension was just a way for United to extract a greater fee for Rooney when they trade him at season's end.  Although I am not fully in that camp at the moment, I did find myself having second thoughts this morning as I woke up and read reports of Sir Alex’s press conference earlier today in which he announced that Rooney’s injury was worse than expected, and that the England international will be out longer than originally anticipated.  Could United be trying to trade Rooney in the January transfer window, and using the ankle injury as an excuse to keep him out of the squad (and limelight) until the deed is done?  Only time will tell.  I think not, but as we’ve seen before, anything is possible regarding this situation.