Sir Alex Ferguson made seven changes from the side that recovered from a two goal deficit against Blackpool on Tuesday. Making rare starts were the likes of Fabio, Evans, Gibson, Obertan and Owen with regulars such as Giggs, Nani, Berbatov and Rooney taking their place on a subs bench that was arguably the strongest of the season.There was a debut for Anders Lindegaard as the race to become Edwin Van Der Sar's successor began in earnest.
United were set up in a strange diamond formation with which by nature lacked width, something which is alien to a club who traditionally champion the use of wingers. After the game, Ferguson admitted that he had "meddled too much" with both team selection and formation. It was only after the introduction after an hour of Giggs and Nani that United reverted to their favoured 4-4-2 which led to a great deal of improvement and proved the key to victory as the home side tired. Obertan was dispatched to the familiarity of the right wing with Nani reverting to the left (a position he may have to get used to once Antonio Valencia returns). From this point on, Giggs and Scholes controlled the game from the centre of midfield although it did leave United a little open to Southampton on the counter atack.
Key points :
- Lindegaard - It was an impressive debut from the Dane who barely put a foot or hand wrong. He was given very little chance with Chaplow's goal but his handling and command of the penalty box was sound. What impressed me most was his composure and distribution. We have seen over the years how crucial this is to any United keeper with a quick throw out or accurate punt down field often being the start of a swift attack. Another key trait in the modern game essential for goalkeepers is the ability to be good with their feet and the debutant showed confidence from the start in this area. United fans will remember the likes of Bosnich and Foster who often left hearts in mouths as a ball was played back. The confidence in this area exuded by the likes of Schmeicel and Van Der Sar transmits itself to the back four and is crucial in building trust
- Poor team selection - The manager admitted as much in his post match interview but it does seem to be a regular pattern in cup competitions. It cost United last year against Leeds and after a strong side being selected in the last round against Liverpool, it was hoped lessons were learned. The boss' justification will be that there are important league games coming thick and fast and while this is true, to risk an early exit was a touch risky. Surely the sensible decision would have been to just make the odd change and start with the so called "big guns", get the game won and then look to rest players with an eye to upcoming fixtures. As we all know, making things easy is not part of United's DNA, especially at the present time as we "stutter" towards an unbeaten league campaign.
- Were United wearing grey again? The first half performance with numerous mis-placed passes reminded many of a previous encounter with Southampton when United took to the field in a hideous grey strip and promptly played like novices which led to the scrapping of the kit at half time. There were no such excuses last night for not finding a team mate but was very reminiscent of Tuesday's game against Blackpool. These careless passages of play are worrying and could lead to better teams punishing this as the season moves towards its climax
- Poor midfield - Another continuing theme of this season is the lack of quality at the heart of the Reds midfield. Scholes, Anderson and Gibson were the selected trio and the latter two struggled throughout, with their misery only ending when substituted in the 58th minute. Anderson has been decent recently but it has to be noted that this has usually come in home games and I cannot remember the last away game in which he made a real impact. You get the impression with the young Brazilian that he tries too hard to impress and is always looking to play the killer final ball when a sensible one may be the better option. Anyone can have an off day and this will quickly be excused if his form returns. Darron Gibson is in a poor run of form and his regular recent inclusion has baffled many supporters. His passing is poor, he lacks energy and pace and seems to rely on having a powerful shot as his main contribution. He is certainly proving to be similar to Darren Fletcher (a few years ago) in the way he divides opinion amongst supporters.
- Hernandez the improviser - Once again Javier Hernandez proved what a cool finisher he is after notching the winner at St Mary's. The manner in which the Little Pea has settled into the club and made such a huge impact is staggering. He is quickly establishing himself as key component of this United squad who is equally adept at changing the game off the bench or scoring goals from the start. What is currently setting him apart from other strikers is his remarkable ability to get the ball in the net by any means possible. His speed of thought means he is able to improvise in different ways to get the job done. Taking the goal against Southampton as a case in point, Hernandez was almost horizontal as he prodded the ball past the keeper . This ability, which is clearly not luck, means that he can be one step ahead of the opposition who will have no idea of how he is going to manufacture a way to get the ball across the line.
Player match ratings:
Lindegaard - 7, Fabio - 7, Evans - 7, Smalling - 6, O'Shea - 6, Obertan - 5, Anderson - 5, Gibson - 4, Scholes - 6, Owen - 6, Hernandez - 6. Subs: Brown - 6, Giggs - 8, Nani - 7
All eyes now move towards Tuesday as United face Villa at Old Trafford as the Reds continue their quest for a record 19th League title.
I will be back tomorrow with a preview of the game and this will also appear on United Zone where I pleased to announce I am a guest writer.
If you like reading this blog, please follow me on Twitter and feel free to leave any comments below
No comments:
Post a Comment