Panic Stations: Manchester United 1 - Shakhtar Donetsk 1 -- Player Ratings

Photo by Memphis CVB

The visitors rode an 18^th minute poacher’s goal from Danny Welbeck to a 1-1 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk at the Donbas Arena in Champions League action on Wednesday night.  It was a result that manager David Moyes would likely have settled for pre-game, and could become a game to build on for the Reds’ new boss, who will be pleased that his team managed to hold off a late onslaught from the home side.  Although the English champions appeared calm and composed in the first half, a worrying trend re-emerged as a confident performance turned into a bit of panic stations as the game drew toward its nailbiting conclusion.  Once again, the visitors failed to create much in the way of offensive opportunities, but did manage to hold on long enough for a vital point on the road.

Herewith, our take on the individual performances in a gritty road draw:

De Gea: Precious little to do in the first half despite Shakhtar gradually coming into the game after a slow start.  Made a crucial stop on a deflection to deny the home side a late winner. 8.0

Rafael: Less attacking play than usual in the first half.  Got beaten badly near the start of the second half to allow the home side a real chance. 7.0

Smalling: Should’ve put his first half header on target, and rose high on defense when called upon. 7.5

Vidic: Energetic presence in the back who made a crucial second half interception to snuff out a threat.  Drew a professional foul to claim a yellow, and was unlucky that his late game clearance fell straight to Taison. 7.5

Evra:  Appears to be one of the few players this season that relishes going forward at speed. 7.0

Valencia: Worked hard defending but given little room to go forward – and got his feet tripped up over the ball when he did. 6.0

Carrick: Played even deeper than usual, which didn’t help his link up play.  A smart player who held up the ball when he needed to do some work on the defensive side of the match. 6.5

Fellaini:  If he wasn’t busy giving the ball away he was being called for a foul; a horrendous hour of action for the Belgian. 5.0

5 Thoughts on Liverpool

Photo by Stephen S.

Scott has been studying up on the Reds:

o Back near the top of the table in second place after 6 games or, as I like to call it, 16% of the season, Liverpool fans everywhere are cautiously, one-by-one, allowing themselves to believe.  Chelsea, Tottenham and City, I believe, have stronger talent and Arsenal have won 5 on the trot.  But after a trio of 1-0 wins to begin the season, with a healthy Daniel Sturridge and a temporarily-sane Luis Suarez, Reds fans everywhere are praying for goals to continue raining for Liverpool. 

o My omission of United from the above was not accidental.  If memory serves, I was the only one among my illustrious colleagues who predicted that the Red Devils of Manchester would finish outside of the top 4.  84% of the season has yet to be played but, in case things change, I need to point out my prescience now.  Of course, I also picked Arsenal to finish 6^th….

o Ahh, the Sturridge/Suarez combination - two of the best strikers in the league, at their prime, both in form and, thus far, unselfish in their mutual play.  Let’s hope my smile doesn’t turn to grimace upon a future Suarez meltdown.  Perhaps child number two, to whom he dedicated his goals on Sunday via a non-regulation undershirt, has pushed the Uruguayan finally over the edge to maturity.  In any case, he better maintain the current chumminess with his striker partner who plattered up both of his goals.

Game Day Beer Review: 7venth Sun Brewery Graffiti Orange Creamsicle American Pale Wheat Ale

Graffiti Orange Creamsicle Ale was poured from a growler into a pint glass at home while watching the activity of the final day of the European football transfer window on Labor Day weekend in the US.  Fortunately for purposes of this review, the quality of the beer vastly exceeded the quality of the transfer activity of this writer's favorite team. 

The beer poured a hybrid yellow-golden color with a huge head of bright white foam. 

Graffiti smelled, unsurprisingly, of oranges and cream, with a slight wheat undertone. The taste followed the nose, with plenty of citrus mellowed by a cream aftertaste. 

This is a great hot day session beer. The mouthfeel was moderate. I give the brewery high marks for trying something different: B+

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

Game Day Beer Review: 7venth Sun Brewery Mangrove Rum Barrel Aged Imperial IPA

(10.00% ABV) Mangrove Double IPA was poured from a growler into a IPA glass designed by Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada Brewing. The beer was drunk on a recent Sunday afternoon while watching NFL football.

Mangrove DIPA poured a thick orangish-gold with yellow highlights. The beer had a better than decent head of pure white bubbles.

The beer's smell was all tropical fruits and yeast -- almost intoxicating just by itself. We smelled pineapple and papaya, with a rum scent underlying it all. The hoppiness of the IPA was just barely there, lurking right below the surface.

Holy cow, was there there a lot going on in the beer's taste...!  The beer was big and buttery on the outset, tropically fruity in the middle and the hops remained fairly well hidden; we tasted pineapple and orange mainly on the ultra smooth finish. This beer was incredible, definitely elite in its class. A

Hangin' On: Manchester United 1 - Liverpool 0 -- Player Ratings

Manchester United outlasted a determined Liverpool side that gave as good as it got on Wednesday night, hanging on for a slim 1-0 victory in a third round Capitol One Cup match played at Old Trafford. Handed an early second half lead by a superb piece of footwork that saw Javjer Hernandez turn in Wayne Rooney's cross, United bent but ultimately did not break as the game wore on. Although the victory may not have answered all of the questions swirling around the club's new manager, David Moyes, a victory over the Red Devil's greatest historical rival will have relieved some of the immediate pressure which had built up after the Manchester derby. 

Herewith, our ratings of the players' individual performances in a very hard-fought contest:

De Gea: Came out strong to deny Suarez in the first half, but otherwise had precious little work to do before the break.  Superb distribution almost led to a United counterattack near the hour mark, and the Spaniard used every bit of his lightning quick reflexes to deny Victor Moses' second half header. 8.0

Rafael: Added an attacking element on the right flank that the Red Devils have been missing of late, but was forced to focus on defensive duties as Liverpool chased the game in the second half. 7.0

Evans: Trouble dealing with Daniel Sturridge's speed, a misjudged header and getting a couple of clearances caught in his feet showed the toll of accumulated rust.  Not bad, but far from his best. 6.0

Smalling: Very composed performance in his customary role of central defender. But for one giveaway, difficult to find fault. Man of the Match for our money. 8.5

Buttner: Good headed clearance to deny Sturridge in the first half and generally played better defense than given credit for by his critics. Late giveaways showed he's still learning on the job. 6.5

Nani: Showed more creativity in the first ten minutes of the game than United has seen from the wing all season long.  Flubbed a linkup with Kagawa near the hour mark, and appeared to be trying too hard in the second half. A mixed bag. 7.0

Spurs on Wheels

Photo by Glen Martucci

Ed is happy, for now:

Ever since that game the week before this week I've been just too excited. . . . too excited . . . . but I don't totally wan't to say it because I may just jinx it, but it's my job, kinda, or sort of, or, well, I don't really get paid for it but regardless here it goes……

Spurs are pretty good.

Damnit!!  Can't believe I let it out.

Christian Erikson as a number 10 who's calm with the ball and gracefully creative?  Yep.  Changes the whole dynamic of these Spurs.  Tough in the holding two with Moussa Dembele and Paulinho (and Sandro and Capoue -- what is that depth?), and graceful and purposeful up front with Erikson and Roberto Soldado.  And while Andros Townsend takes too many bad shots -- too many!! -- at least he's not hurt all the time and appears the threat.  And he might not even have to start because Eric Llamela looks pretty darn good also.  And Nasir Chadli and even Gylfi Sigurdsson is in on the action freed up of some space with all these other playmakers.

Spurs are pretty good.

Last year they go into a game like Cardiff and Man City all over it losing that one after dominating and banging it off every part of the woodwork and every part of a ridiculously lucky/good goalkeeper.  But this year, this year they win it with a fancy flick in the 93rd minute.  And it wasn't even Bale!!

Crashing Down the Table to Earth: Southampton 1 - Liverpool 0

Photo by Kevin Gill

The illusion of the perfect season now shattered, Scott is starting to ask a few questions:

Brendan Rodgers had Liverpool fans everywhere scratching their heads with his team selection on Saturday and then smacking their foreheads on any nearby steel pipe by the end of the game.  Yes, Glenn Johnson was injured and, yes, Philippe Coutinho was also injured.  But FOUR center backs all in the same lineup??!!  Kolo Toure on the right, Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtl in the center and Mamadou Sakho on the left.  To say there wasn't much offensive threatening down the flanks would be an understatement.  But surely a quadruple dose of height and brawn would render aerial assaults useless.  Ironically, the only score of the game came from a headed in corner.  Of course.

Aside from really missing Coutinho's energy and creativity, without mobile defenders on the outside for overlapping runs (except for Toure's one significant amble into the penalty area), Liverpool struggled all night to transition through the middle third of the field.  High pressing from the Saints exacerbated their problems too.  Nor did Artur Boruc's sublime goalkeeping for the visitors help the situation, saving a sure-goal on Steven Gerrard's free kick, among other feats.

Plain and Simples: Some Opinions on Manchester United

Photo by See-ming Lee

 

 

First off, a disclaimer: To those of you who believe a Manchester United fan should do nothing more than blindly support your club, you are entitled to that view.  To those of you who are calling for the new Manager's head, you are also entitled to that view (a little rash, in my opinion, but you are fully entitled to your belief).  There is nothing in the club charter that says a "true" fan (I hate that term) can never dissent with official club policy, or is not allowed to question team selection. 

 

These are all opinions.  As is the point of view that you are not entitled to express your thoughts -- that is, on the very face of it, an opinion. So as long as we are all in agreement here, now we can offer some constructive criticism of Manchester United's season to date.  This is not written in the silliness  of the "Moyes out" movement; rather, it is written in the spirit that a club (or a person) which is unable (or unwilling) to listen to criticism is a club which is in the process of not improving. 

One can always -- even as a club -- become better, inprove and learn from others.  To use an analogy: Being a football club is like riding a unicycle.  You are either moving forward or backward, but you had better not remain stationary.

 

o The team selction was all wrong yesterday.  Ashley Young should not see the starting lineup again for a number of weeks, until his decision making process and skill levels improve.  And to those of you who believe he is a scapegoat for an exceptionally poor team performance yesterday, you are only partically correct.  Bar a decent pass or two, Young has comfortably been United's worst player this season.  It's time for the Manager to recognize this and make a change.  

 

o Chicharitos' speed could have made a difference.  We obviously can't say for certain, but one thing we do know is that pumping balls to Rooney in the air was never a strategy that was designed to succeed against City's defense.  Stretching the defense, of which the Mexican striker is more than capable, would have been a smarter play in our opinion.  For all of City's stolid defending on Sunday, re-watch the first ten minutes of the encounter.  This City defense, under Pellegrini, is capable of being carved open.

 

o We could go on an on about playing a 4-4-2 instead of a five man midfield, or dwell on Chris Smalling playing in place of Fabio, but we won't.  Suffice it to say that Moyes is proving exceptionally stubborn with his lineup selection in his early days.  It's a trait that has served the Manager well in his career, but he must remember that stubborness is only one step away from becoming stuck in your ways, and he will need to be a quick learner to succeed in his new job.

 

o United should never have allowed David Gill and Alex Ferguson to leave in the same year.  This is not to say Gill was a magician, and a loss that we are unable to overcome, or to compare him in any way, shape or form to Sir Alex.  Instead, what we are saying is that Gill was an immensely capable Chief Executive Officer.  When your CEO and Chairman (Fergie) leave in the same year, your infrastructure (at the very highest levels) is rightly shaken.  Manchester United  can do all the covering they want in the press ("We got the player we wanted in the transfer market," "We weren't prepared to spend that much for XYZ, etc., etc.) but the truth is as follows: with both of United's top men leaving at the same time, it was always bound to get rocky.  The transfer window was a shambles (clearly getting played by Fabregas' and Ronaldo's agents, etc.). Now that the new season has begun in a similar fashion, no one should be surprised, least of all the Old Trafford brass.  It should not have happened in this way.