View from the North Stand - Manchester Derby Talking Points

I was lucky enough to attend the derby on Saturday lunchtime and had a great view of the action high up in the North Stand. It allowed me the opportunity to watch players off the ball and to see their movement.

Rooney looks for redemption from the Old Trafford faithful

Here are my key talking points from the game:

• Wayne Rooney payback - it was a great goal, that cannot be denied and it will be a moment when in years to come I will be proud to say "I was there". However, I was glad to hear Wayne say in his post match interview that he felt that he owed the fans that goal after all the shenanigans earlier in the season. There is no doubt he has damaged his reputation with certain sections of the United faithful and it will take many more goals and great performances to bring true redemption. You get the feeling that in the eyes of many that he has already been forgiven but in my opinion you cannot disrespect the club the way he did and expect to be back in the hearts of the supporters straight away. Good start Wayne but let's see it continue until the end of the season.

• Anderson - I am frustrated with his inconsistency and Saturday was another case in point. As part of a midfield three, he was given licence to roam the attacking areas and get up in support of our lone striker. Not for the first time, he did not take his chance and was once again substituted mid way through the 2nd half. The Brazilian was one of the players that I watched closely from my vantage point in the North Stand. My conclusion is that he can be prone to laziness as numerous times when he got ahead of the ball. He was not willing to "bust a gut" to get back and assist his teammates. His running style does not help alter this perception. I know he is short and stocky but this is not the first time that I have noticed this. In addition, his range of passing is not quite as impressive as it should be. The other odd thing I noticed was in the warm up when shooting practice was being undertaken. It appeared to me that he struggles to really put his foot behind the ball and give it any power.It almost looks like he side foots it and tries to ease it towards goal which perhaps helps to explain such a poor goalscoring record. You would have to wonder if he has become a touch complacent since signing a new contract. I am sure if this is the case then Sir Alex will pick up on it and have a quiet word! Maybe, playing in a midfield three gives him a sense of freedom which makes him think that those behind him will do his dirty work - I truly hope this is not the case.

• Lack of a holding midfielder - At times on Saturday, the centre of midfield was so open even though United had it populated with Scholes, Fletcher and Anderson. What we were crying out for was a midfield general, patrolling the back four, breaking up play before supplying a simple ball to a forward thinking colleague. Since the demise of Owen Hargreaves, United have been in desperate need of this kind of player and it will surely be an area that the boss looks to strengthen in the summer. The key point to emphasise here is that in my opinion, the lack of a holding midfielder is the main reason why we cannot afford to play 4-4-2 in the big games. It is almost like the boss is admitting our weakness by filling it with an extra body which in turn unbalances the team thus affecting performance. Many names have been mentioned on who would be ideal to fill the gap and this is sure to continue until the position is filled. It is an area that could cost us, especially in Europe, as we move towards the climax of the season.

• Paul Scholes, still a joy to watch - Arriving in my seat early gave me the opportunity to watch the players warm up and the man I really came to study was the Ginger Genius. Even at an advanced age, it was clear to see how much ability he still has in those magic feet of his. Passes were being "pinged" at him from a distance of about 15-20 yards and with each one, he was not only controlling the ball but cushioning it out in front of himself. In the space of around five minutes, not one went astray and you can imagine how, in the heat of battle how he would replicate this and allow himself the opportunity to get his head up before spraying out a pass to either flank. The esteem that he is held in by his peers is legendary and I would advise a read of this post by jouracule which lists the high praise lauded onto Scholes by the great and the good of the beautiful game. In an article with Sid Lowe, the great Barca player Xavi not only eulogised about Scholes but also talked about the use of the game "piggy in the middle" as a training tool and how it promotes so many key facets of the game. As shown on Saturday, when the United first team were playing a similar version, the ginger one is still the king of this particular game and is never rushed or flustered. His quarterback role in the derby, while not one of his best games still allowed him the opportunity to show he deserves his place in the first choice United midfield.

The peerless Paul Scholes

• Nani is world class - what a great statement to write eh? Who would have thought it when just over a year ago, when he appeared to be at the cross-roads of his United career. His friend and mentor Ronaldo had left for the lure of Madrid and ever since he had struggled to step out of this giant shadow. But then the penny dropped. He tore Arsenal apart from his favoured right wing position when he scored one and set up a sublime counter attacking goal for Wayne Rooney. This season he has clearly benefited from an extended run down the right flank in the absence of Antonio Valencia. To such an extent that when the Ecuador international returns, he may remain in his favoured slot or return to the left wing knowing his opponents have little idea which way he will move. His high tally in both assists and goals this term mean he has undoubtedly been United's MVP. This can mainly be attributed to his decision making which has improved beyond all recognition. While still prone to shooting at the wrong times, this has become less prevalent.  He is now able to lift his head and try to pick out a team mate with a  deadly cross leading to special assists seen recently against Villa for Rooney's second strike. The brilliance of his goal against City will predictably get missed amongst the acclaim for Rooney's wonder strike but on second view on Saturday night it was worthy of high praise. Another noticeable improvement in recent weeks has been the way he has cut out the histrionics when coming into contact with his opponent. One would imagine that an experienced player has had a quiet word to Nani explaining the wrongs of these actions and how they can be counter productive to his display.

• Best chance ever for City to win the league wasted? - I came away from the match with a feeling that although our three point haul could prove vital, City had missed a trick to put one over on us. Even die hard United fans will admit that this current crop of players is not the finest in the long line nurtured by our manager. And this made me think that do City realise just how big an opportunity they have missed to end their 35 year old trophy drought this season? Thinking about it logically, the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and ourselves are all likely to be stronger next season and the sight of numerous dropped points is going to happen less frequently. Looking at them closely on Saturday proved to me that although they possess some high quality players, they are not a "team" and do not have the necessary team spirit currently to push them towards the winning post. After the final whistle had blown, I was expecting to see their players drop to their knees in frustration and disappointment but all I saw were pats on the back for their opponents and a complete lack of emotion. No doubt they will spend heavily in the summer once again, but what would they give for the untouchable spirit that is held deep in the soul of Old Trafford? But in all honesty, who cares?!

So, in conclusion, hardly a convincing display once more but the reliable grinding out of results is currently seeing us through. It was interesting to hear Sir Alex's remarks about the necessity for Rooney and Berbatov to step up their levels of performance away from home. This was a clever ploy from the boss who would instantly of brought Rooney down from the clouds and got him thinking about other things. Fergie knows that if these two fire away from home between now and the end of the season then the title is surely coming home. Our toughest assignments left are all on our travels, so this gentle reminder will be placed firmly in the minds of our key front men as they prepare to shoot us towards domestic glory.

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