Well, no one can deny that they did not see it coming! Manchester United's away day blues finally resulted in a first Premier League defeat as a hard working Wolves swept aside the challenge of the Reds at Molineux on Saturday evening.
Going into the game, United could "boast" a record of just three wins from their eleven away games and all of these by a single goal with none of these performances being able to be described as anything other than average.
If you analyse the away stats in more detail, it shows the level of malaise experienced away from Old Trafford. Twice as many goals have been conceded on the road (16 with just 8 at home), only 18 goals scored at an average of 1.5 per game (as opposed to 37 at an average of 2.84 at home) and a points per game average of 1.41 compared with 2.84 at home. Clearly, you would expect a much better record in front of your home fans so a better comparison would be with the same time last season.
The table below taken from Football 365 emphasises the point that this season's away form has not been good enough. Even though United had lost four of their twelve away games, seven had been won, resulting in a points per game average of 1.83. This meant that the Reds were the best ranked team away from home in the league compared with fifth this time around.
In the various away games where United have managed to achieve late wins or draws, it has been noticeable how sluggish they have been early on and how they have often needed the kick start of an opposition goal before getting back into the game in the second half.
Yesterday's game saw a lightening start from the Reds with Nani's 3rd minute strike being the latest in a run of early goals. The Portuguese has developed into a fine player capable of shots and crosses with either foot which will stand him in good stead once Antonio Valencia returns to the right flank in the next month or so. Nani will be able to cut in onto his stronger right foot when required while still being able to beat his man and fire in a cross with his less favoured left.
Although the rest of the first half resulted in the two Wolves goals, I thought United played quite well and despite the heavy pitch, zipped the ball about and always looked like causing the home team a problem. One of the key moments of the game came in the sixth minute when Rooney had a clear chance but could only steer the ball straight into the keeper's hands. Had the Reds taken an early two goal lead then it would have been hard to see the bottom side recovering. As it was, a quick reply from a corner soon followed and their confidence visibly grew as the half went on.
The expected second half onslaught just never materialised with Hennessey barely troubled as the unbeaten run came to an end.
Reasons for defeat yesterday:
- Wolves were the better team - quite simple really and the fact will no doubt get lost in all the analysis in the media in the next few days. They wanted it more, worked harder and looked more dangerous in attack (certainly after the opening twenty minutes). In all the top vs bottom comparisons, it was overlooked that Wolves have beaten City and Chelsea at home and also defeated Liverpool at Anfield. So maybe not as big of a surprise than at first glance.
- Rio's absence - When the England captain suffered a calf injury during the warm up, the whole outlook on the game changed. Although Jonny Evans, who deputised for Rio, performed okay, Ferdinand's organisational skills were sorely missed. None more so than on the two set pieces where the goals were conceded. Had Chris Smalling been originally on the bench then I suspect that he would have been selected as he is more of a Rio clone and has done well alongside Vidic in previous games. Possibly it is because Evans and the Serb are fairly similar in their play and neither is at their most comfortable bringing the ball out.
- Poor defending at corners - too many players had their back turned and were generally unorganised. It was very reminiscent of the recent game against Blackpool (another game without Rio) where United were undone by good delivery and movement.
- Lack of a midfield enforcer - you could say that this dates back to the day that Roy Keane walked away from Old Trafford so is not a recent gripe from many United fans. I know the game has changed slightly and the likes of Keane and Viera are not as prevalent as they were, but a modern day alternative would be a vital addition. The likes of Carrick and Fletcher do not possess these qualities and although an enforcer may not be required in every game, having the option in tough away games would be nice. Owen Hargreaves is perhaps the nearest we have in this mould but his long standing injury problems have curtailed his appearances in the last few seasons. A possible name for the summer could be Cheik Tiote from Newcastle who has impressed since joining Newcastle from FC Twente.
- Ryan Giggs is mortal - yesterday's game showed just how we have to bear in mind that the 37 year old legend cannot dig us out of the mire every time the need arises. After seemingly defying the effects of age all season, he probably had his poorest game. The stats show that he mis-placed just over a third of all his passes, something that is noticeable when he not on top of his game. His frustrations were shown late in the game with a few rare losses in composure.
- Berbatov not as effective away - It is noticeable that the Bulgarian tends to have a much lesser impact away from home with just four of his 19 goals being scored. His general play is also not as effective although it is harsh to be critical when he has achieved so much. He was a touch unlucky to be subbed yesterday as it was Rooney who left the pitch against Blackpool for Hernandez recently resulting in the last gasp change in fortune.
All eyes will now be focused on next weekend's derby against City who closed the gap with a comfortable win against West Brom. There is no need for panic, the title is still in United's hands. A tricky run-in for the Reds means they must get back to winning ways straight away against their "noisy neighbours"on Saturday. A defeat would mean the gap is closed further and that the chasing pack will be circling in what promises to be an exciting climax to the season.
Team selection will be crucial as it is likely that the game will see a return to a 4-3-3 formation that United tend to field in tough matches. With the Champions League re-starting shortly, this is likely to be the norm for most of the remaining games. What will be fascinating will be not only who gets the nod in the centre of midfield but also who is chosen as the central striker meaning that one of Berbatov or Rooney could well be left on the bench. A welcome return to the squad for Ji Sung Park adds further to the options available for Sir Alex.
All of that will be discussed in the coming week, so watch this space.
The loss against Wolves pales into insignificance when the events of 6th February 1958 are considered - lest we forget.
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