United vs Arsenal Post Match Post Mortem

United returned to winning ways in thrilling style last night as they consigned Arsenal to their 3rd cup exit in the last couple of weeks. There were gasps all round when it was announced that a team including seven defenders had been selected following the news that Fletcher and Carrick would be missing through injury. In what proved to be a masterstroke from the manager, the Brazilian twins were drafted in on the flanks with the midfield due to be held together by O'Shea and Gibson. United fans were puzzled as to the formation and whether the side would be strong enough to repel the attacking intent of the Gunners.

The first half in all honesty was a bit hit and miss from a United point of view. Plenty of times, long balls were played over the top of the Arsenal defence in an attempt to utilise the pace of the home team's attack but without much accuracy. At the other end, the Gunners played their usual pretty football but struggled with the end product once again.

The second half was a different story altogether as it often resembled a basketball match with both teams taking turns to attack. The major difference being that United always looked a threat in the penalty area where Arsenal resorted to hopeful attempts from the edge of the area with a few notable exceptions.

The main talking points from the game in my opinion were as follows:

1) Counter attack the key - In the recent past, Manchester United have had great success against Arsenal and more often than not it has been due to lightening breaks on the counter attack that have led to match winning goals. Both goals last night were an example of this. Rapid breaks when the game was stretched brought back memories of goals scored by Ronaldo and Rooney at the Emirates Stadium in recent seasons. The key to any attack being able to strike on the counter attack is pace and the introduction of Valencia on the right after six months out certainly helped in this area as the game wore on.

2) Energy and vibrancy returns - after the lethargy of last weekend's debacle against Liverpool, the manager selected a team full of youthful verve and enthusiasm. This was exemplified by Fabio and Rafael who buzzed around the pitch in the first half and did not let their opponents settle for a second. They play their football with great passion and are born to play on the biggest stage. The energy they brought to the team seemed to galvanise many of their team mates into raising their game in an attempt to raise morale following the recent defeats.

3) The return of Antonio Valencia - The surprise reappearance of the Ecuadorian to the United first team after half time was greeted with great joy by the home faithful. However, the impact that the super sub had was simply amazing. Returning to the scene of the horrific injury suffered against Rangers six months ago, the player himself would have been excused a quiet re-introduction. Coupled with this would be the mental scars that would need to be overcome after such a lengthy absence. But from his assured first touch and dart down the right flank, it was like he had never been away. Quentin Fortune had described him prior to the game in the MUTV studio as being a "beast" in training and it was hard to disagree with this statement. His pace and direct running immediately put Gibbs on the back foot and curtailed his attacking intent. When Nani is fit to return, probably on the left flank, the prospect of such speed and penetration on both flanks is mouthwatering and sure to be a big boost in the run in to the climax of the season. Nani has been a revelation on the right in Valencia's absence but a return to the left flank should not diminish his overall threat as he has two quality feet which will leave defenders in doubt as to which foot he will unleash. A word of caution about the returning Valencia though. Patience will be required as he has been out a long time and it is expecting too much for him not to suffer a little in the coming days. I would expect him to be on the bench against Marseille and perhaps have a cameo appearance in the second half when the French begin to tire.

4) Fabio goal analysis - The opening goal demonstrates perfectly the thrust and attacking verve that the young Brazilians brought to United in the first half. Collecting the ball from a Van Der Sar throw, Fabio in space laid the ball out to his brother making progress on the right flank. He then collected the return pass and intelligently laid it off to Rooney, before making a dart into the penalty area like a natural attacker would do and got his reward when Hernandez's header was palmed out by Almunia. In some ways it echoed the anticipation of Kuyt last week for Liverpool's third and showed how a defender who does not react to the possibilities of a rebound can easily get caught out.

Fabio (circled) lays the ball off and then head towards the penalty spot with the defenders slow to react

Three seconds later and Fabio is ahead of Koscielny to poke the ball home showing a striker's instinct

The ball from Rooney was inch perfect and Hernandez did very well to arch his neck muscles to give his header such power forcing Almunia into an excellent save before Fabio pounced.

5) Edwin the assist machine - United's search for his successor will be exhaustive and will focus on this key attribute as well as the ability to make saves or command the penalty area. Enjoy your retirement Edwin, you will be much missed.

6) Other positives - It almost goes without saying that our centre back partnership of Smalling and Vidic were solid once again. I have waxed lyrical about the mature performances of Smalling many times recently and this was another composed display against a potent Arsenal forward line. He is displaying qualities that belie his tender years and experience and is even having the confidence to bring the ball out of defence when the situation allows. His partner Vidic, gave his usual colossal display complimenting his colleague perfectly. There  is currently no finer centre back in World football in my opinion than the big Serb who has embraced the captaincy and progressed to a level unsurpassed in his time at Old Trafford.

Also a key component in the home team's defensive display were the much maligned midfield enforcers O'Shea and Gibson. Credit where it is due, both were excellent. They patrolled the back line effectively and broke up numerous Arsenal attacks before passing simply and intelligently to better placed team mates. Their presence in the first team squad is vital as they can both carry out the job required of them by the manager. O'Shea can play consistently in numerous positions and while he will never get the praise of more illustrious colleagues, you can bet he is a highly valued member of the dressing room.

Yesterday also saw a belated return to form for Wayne Rooney who seemed to thrive on the responsibility of a centre midfield role in the first half before a shift on the left flank in the second. His much heralded close control and touch seemed to be returning to its best as the game wore on and he was a major threat each time he touched the ball. It is early days to say he is back to his best but it was very encouraging and he is starting to pay back the supporters with vital goals too.

Paul Scholes brief cameo pretty much encapsulated his performances in recent years. Some remarkable touches and long passes but also a yellow card with the threat of a red also! He still has a role to play for United and while this may well come from the bench more frequently from now on, there is still no better long passer in the country.

An interesting fact I noticed with both goals last night is that the time taken from Van Der Sar releasing the ball until it ended up in the Arsenal net was approximately 16 seconds both times!

In conclusion, a vibrant United display that has restored a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.

The psychological damage handed out to Arsenal over the last couple of weeks remains to be seen but with questions about their spirit and bottle, it will take a big effort for them to recover.

The team will be in good heart going into the vital Champions League game on Tuesday ahead of the next league match against Bolton on Saturday. The make up of the team for these games will be fascinating and as last night shows, have faith in the manager and the players to drive us towards a trophy laden end to the season.

Tweet Bits

twins ran riot in the first half! more I see smalling the better he gets rooney was rooney of old. All round team show - awesomesj

the energy, attacking intent and skill of the twins in the first half was brilliant to watch. Both getting into the box. mazymixer

great to see valencia so assured he & Rooney have some understanding which hopefully will help us. Hope he stays fit - rorycobbe

was great to see a team put together at the last minute play so well for each other. Great to see Valencia back too! DrHooe

It'll be interesting to see how effective Nani is back on the left side of midfield with Valencia back owning the right. StrettyNews

United fans gave a warm ovation to Djourou when stretchered off+Liverpool fans booed Nani when he was. Utd fans have morals. TomMeeke17MUFC

Please leave your comments on the games versus Arsenal below or contact me via Twitter.

United vs Arsenal FA Cup Preview

Introduction

Manchester United are back in action this weekend with the small matter of an FA Cup Quarter Final against their closest league rivals Arsenal. Following back to back away defeats, the Reds will need to get back to winning ways to restore confidence that the season is not about to implode. In addition a victory will also deal a serious blow to the already damaged confidence of their opponents who only a few weeks ago were dreaming of a historic quadruple. Defeats by Barcelona and Birmingham, coupled with a disappointing league draw with Sunderland mean that the Gunners potential trophy haul has been halved with serious questions being asked about their mental stability and bottle. 

The parallels between the two sides are uncanny. Defeat for either and a full scale crisis will be apparent with the possibility of a trophyless season looming large. Whoever gets the vital victory will have renewed confidence and will expect to finish the season successfully.

For this reason, it would be expected that both teams will play strong teams. The only caveat to this is the upcoming Champions League 2nd leg for United against Marseille. The manager will know the effect that a morale boosting win can have for the team as three defeats in a row would be a disaster.

The Opposition

Arsenal go into the game with their own troubles as discussed above. Failure to have a shot at the Nou Camp against a weakened defence is worrying but they will take heart that even with this in mind, they would have progressed if Bendtner had been able to control a late cross from Wilshere. Another similarity to United is the length of their injury list at such a crucial time of the season.

Fabregas, Song, Walcott along with their two first choice goalkeepers will all be missing from the Gunners line up. Wenger will shuffle his pack and include the likes of Diaby, Arshavin, Rosicky and maybe Bendtner. One piece of good news on the injury front is the fitness of Van Persie who seems to have come through the match on Tuesday with no ill effects. Whether his state of mind has improved is another matter following his two yellow cards!

Arsenal have been given a comfortable draw in the FA Cup so far with all of their opponents coming from below Championship level. However, they have made heavy weather of the favourable draw, needing replays to get past Leeds and Leyton Orient and a late goal to progress past Huddersfield.

The Gunners have the best away record in the league this season with just two defeats. Their recent away form shows 2 wins and 2 draws from the last five.

Perhaps the most interesting stat regarding Arsenal is that in all competitions this season they are yet to concede a goal in the first fifteen minutes and only two in the first 25. They have however a tendency to relax towards the end of the game with twelve goals going in during the last ten minutes.

Tactics
All things considered I would expect Sir Alex to go for a 4-5-1 formation against Arsenal. It is a tried and trusted one versus the Gunners that has brought success over the last few years and also will ensure midfield stability sadly lacking against Liverpool last time out.


Another thing for sure tomorrow is that the game will largely be played in the centre due to the lack of wingers on show. Injuries to Park, Nani and Valencia will probably mean that Giggs is the only genuine wide man on show for the Reds and with the opposition tending to use players out wide who like to roam, whoever gains advantage in this area will surely prevail.


For this reason, both sets of full backs will have an important role to play from an attacking point of view. They will look to get forward as much as possible to supplement their forward players and the pair that spend the most amount of time in their opponent's half will have a big influence on the overall outcome.

United

The manager has told the press this morning that he will play his strongest available team which surely means that Van Der Sar will make his first appearance in the FA Cup this season after being rested in previous rounds when Kuszczak and Lindegaard were given an opportunity.


In light of the lack of width available, I would select the more attacking Rafael ahead of the steady O'Shea. The young Brazilian will need to rein in his natural impetuousness against the Gunners as they will target him considering his recent lapses in temperament. With Ferdinand still absent, Smalling, Vidic and Evra will make up the rest of the back four.


The midfield will surely welcome back Fletcher's energy alongside Carrick with the much maligned Daron Gibson as my surprise pick alongside. With a lack of alternatives and Scholes saved for Marseille, the Irishman will have a big chance to impress.


My front three pick is a combination of Rooney, Berbatov and Giggs which will be fairly flexible with starting positions likely to see the Bulgarian central, the Welshman on the right and the Englishman on the left. Both the wide men will switch sides during the game no doubt as both will simply cut in on their favoured foot if they remain rigid which becomes predictable for the opposition.


Although there will be calls for a start for the prolific Hernandez, I would expect a spot on the bench alongside the likes of Obertan, Fabio, O'Shea and Scholes.

Score Prediction
Without any confidence, I will go for a narrow 2-1 win for United. I would expect a tight match with few chances with the fear of defeat inflicting both sides. I can see the home team's sheer will to win shining through on home turf thus consigning Arsenal to a confidence sapping loss. I will go for a Fletcher opener for United in the first 15 minutes (as stats are there to be broken!) followed by an equaliser from Nasri. Berbatov will then seal a vital victory for the home team late on.


The margins are so fine that it could easily be argued that the match will go the other way. However, I see a burning spirit within this United team that will just not tolerate another defeat so I tip them to grind out the victory and restore confidence ahead of the Champions League 2nd Leg on Tuesday.

As usual, I will be including a selection of your tweets in my post match review.

Please leave any comments below on your thoughts ahead of the game.

United vs Liverpool - Post Match Post Mortem

As days out at Anfield go, it is hard to imagine many that could be worse. A damaging loss, a bad injury to our most creative player, more refereeing decisions going against us and to be honest, out fought and out thought by a Liverpool team that are struggling to finish in the top six this season.

Here are my main talking points:

1) United midfield - This is a subject covered many times before both by myself and various others. Yesterday added further fuel to this argument. Manchester United need a midfield general, an enforcer for want of a better description. Being honest, the midfield is the most important area of the pitch as it is where the game is usually won or lost. Control of this area is of paramount importance if you want to impose your style of play on the opposition and to set yourself up for a chance of victory. 

On Tuesday at Stamford Bridge in the first half, Carrick and Scholes gave us that control and therefore a platform to boss the game. Countless times they won the ball and then distributed it to the wide areas to keep Chelsea on the back foot as our full backs pushed on and made life difficult for their counterparts. This control  evaporated as the home team upped the tempo and began to move the ball quicker with higher intensity.

At Anfield, we were outnumbered in the centre and were never able to get that control which then earns you the right to dictate play from all areas. It was a massive blow pre-match to not be able to select Darren Fletcher from the start due to illness. He has a remarkable record against Liverpool where in the last seven games, if he starts United have won and if he is absent we have lost (stat courtesy of Doron Salomon). A partnership of Carrick and Fletcher would have given us a better chance to control that midfield battleground utilising the Scotsman's energy with the Englishman's guile and craft. As it turned out, Liverpool's extra man in this area was decisive. It could also be argued that with a depleted back line, an extra body in midfield would have helped United protect a defence that had Wes Brown deputising for the injured Ferdinand in only his third league start.

A summer purchase of a player in the mold of a Keane or an Ince is a must as this would allow us to play in a more attacking style in the big away games knowing this player will be stationed in front of our back line adding an extra layer of protection. In the days of the two players mentioned, it could be said that sometimes we had won half of the battle before play commenced due to the sheer aura that these two exhibited.

2) Nani - We all know that it was a horrendous "tackle" by Carragher and one that deserved a straight red card yet my worry is more for the mental state of Nani once he returns. If there is no major damage apart from the deep flesh wound then hopefully after some stitches and a few weeks rest, he will be back sooner rather than later. Not surprisingly this assault had a major impact on the Portuguese winger in the aftermath demonstrated by his clear distress at the injury and I expect some of this was the realisation that if his leg had got stuck in the turf that his career could have been in danger. That very thought is difficult for us mere mortals to empathise with. His mental state will need to be monitored by the medical staff at Old Trafford but I am sure that his determination to succeed at the club will prevail and very soon we will see the player back as good as ever.

The mental state is a subject that perhaps is more relevant to Antonio Valencia who is due back shortly after a horrific injury against Rangers in September. I would imagine that we will see the Ecuadorian return to full sharpness next season after a full stint of pre-season training under his belt. There are plenty of examples of players that have never been the same again following a serious injury but it is hoped that this is not the case with the much missed Valencia.

3) Mistakes - Usually in my post match reviews, I will analyse the goals and try to show something different in how they were scored. From yesterday, it is clear that the Liverpool goals all resulted from mistakes on the part of our players. The first came as a result of Suarez being allowed to weave his way by our defenders who were scared to make a tackle in case it gave away a penalty. The second Kuyt goal came directly from Nani's poor defensive header as he looked to flick his head to ease the ball away from danger. It seemed to come off the side of his head and it inadvertently diverted itself into the path of the lurking Mr Kuyt. 

The final Liverpool goal resulted from Giggs and Berbatov breaking up in the wall allowing a clear path through as shown by the white arrow below. Also notice how Kuyt is already anticipating a possible fumble from Van Der Sar as all good strikers are taught.

The parting of the White Sea?

4) Hernandez movement - One thing overlooked from yesterday's debacle was the quality of Javier Hernandez's consolation header. I would advise United fans to watch it back as the move that precedes it is sheer quality with the scorer being heavily involved in the build up before making a dart towards the six yard box.

In the picture below, you can see Hernandez on the edge of the box circled and about to anticipate the cross.

Penalty box predator strikes again

His fantastic movement has got him ahead of Gerrard and free to head home.

A desire to score has seen the Little Pea make his move to the 6 yard box for a consolation goal

Regular readers would have seen my Wigan analysis where I outlined his exceptional movement in just three seconds and here he has done it again. This lad is clearly very special and will develop as times goes on. I would like to see him given a regular spot in the side as he is the penalty box predator we lack with Rooney and Berbatov both favouring link-up play outside the box.

5) Rooney on the left - for me this is a tactic that just does not work. The main reason for this is that he is so one footed. Watch him in any game and he does everything with his right. This means that when he plays on the left, defenders know that without fail he will cut in on his right foot which makes it so much easier to defend against. My main gripe with this is that surely in his career that someone has stressed to him the importance of having two good feet. Clearly one is going to be the dominant foot for any footballer but why are there so few two footed players these days? Ronaldo was one and certainly Nani is another but I would love to hear names of others that can genuinely call themselves two footed. Is this a British disease and sign of poor youth training? Apart from Rooney, you could name the likes of Lampard, Gerrard and Giggs as high quality players but all are most definitely one footed. I am sure there are numerous other UK players in the same boat.

6) Rafael - We all love his enthusiasm but it is bordering on impetuous and naive. The high boot in the lead up to the Lucas incident by Maxi should have resulted in a red card but the way he followed through was reckless and could have led to stricter retribution for the young Brazilian. Maybe these high pressure atmospheres are too much for him at the moment but he will learn and will surely develop into one of the best full backs around.

It is pleasing to see that United have a clear week with which to prepare for the FA Cup tie against Arsenal. A siege mentality has been adopted and will be nurtured increasingly in the weeks to come. It can only be hoped that this team learn from their mistakes and can rise up again as a third successive loss on Saturday could be fatal in our chances of lifting silverware come the end of the season.

Tweet bits - these are some of the thoughts of my twitter followers

"I thought Fergie was brave to go 442 at the start. However you need a winner in CM and Fletcher had to be one of them. Defence were okay, front 6 weren't though.  Midfield too deep, strikers had nothing to feed on. After a great first half last week we fell flat today. holtandyr

Hernandez is going to be a star for us. Rooney needs to knuckle down and be a team player and Berba deffo better option up front with an in-form Rooney playing behind him - suziewoo11

We have been poor all season away. With the exception of Arsenal away thats it now for major away challenges. paulsrkendal

Carrick and Fletcher haven't been consistent enough all season, too many wayward passes and not enough tackles. Hate to be doom and gloom but today could be the day we lose our grip on the title. Arsenal must be loving this - spaceystyle

Please leave any comments below or contact me via Twitter - all comments are read and I will try to respond to as many as possible. 

United vs Liverpool Big Match Preview

Introduction

Manchester United return to league action on Sunday as they make the short trip to Anfield to take on arch rivals Liverpool. The Reds will be looking to bounce back from Tuesday's narrow defeat to Chelsea with a valuable three points in the title race as they look to surpass the 18 league championships held by their hosts.

This will be the 156th meeting of the two clubs with United having won 60 to Liverpool's 52. It will also be Sir Alex's 950th match in charge of the Reds.

The Opposition

Liverpool currently sit in 6th position in the Premier League with a total of 39 points from their 28 games. Their home record this season is won eight, drawn four and lost two which is the fourth best in the league. Their season has been rejuvenated somewhat by the return of Kenny Dalglish as manager after the pre-season appointment of Roy Hodgson led to a string of poor results culminating in the former Fulham boss being replaced on the eve of the FA Cup tie with United back in January.

The hosts have won the last two games at Anfield versus United which was preceded by losing five of the previous six.

An interesting stat of note is that Liverpool have dropped 19 points from winning positions this season, a feat that is only beaten by Sunderland. Therefore it is something that United can take heart from if they find themselves behind at any stage.

They are unbeaten in their last five home matches with three wins although they failed to beat struggling Wigan last time out.

Tactics
An interesting point pre-match is that neither team is 100% sure on thir definite formation. Liverpool have been employing a 3-5-2 of late which was used successfully recently at Stamford Bridge but has also fallen down in the draw against Wigan and the loss to West Ham. The absence of Martin Kelly at right back may well see a change occur with Carragher moved to right back and Skrtel and Agger in the centre. Alternatively they could keep the three centre backs and move Johnson back to his more familiar slot on the right and install Aurelio on the left.

If United go for a 4-5-1 formation then effectively the home team will have two spare men with only Rooney or Berbatov to occupy them. As none of Liverpool's centre backs could be described as ball players this may present them with a problem. If United stick with a 4-4-2 then three at the back would be best employed to contain the partnership of Rooney and Berbatov. United will surely target the wide areas as a possible area to damage the home team. With the Liverpool full backs expected to produce most of the width, United will attempt to push them back or go on the counter attack quickly when the ball breaks their way. If United's wide men (including full backs) have the dominance that they enjoyed in the first half against Chelsea then I would expect them to win the game.

However, I am expecting a 4-5-1 formation from United mainly due to the fact that the first choice centre back partnership will be missing and the boss will want to protect them with three in the middle.

I cannot think of a game in the recent past where the decision on both teams formations are so unclear pre-match. Whatever is decided will have a huge bearing on the outcome of the three points.

Key Player - Lucas
My key player from Liverpool is their unsung defensive midfield player from Brazil. He is likely to sit in front of their back four and will look to break up play and pass simply to a more attack minded colleague.

The 5ft 8 Brazilian has made 154 appearances and scored six goals for Liverpool since signing for a fee of around £5m from Gremio in July 2007.

He is the nephew of former international Leivinha and is the former captain of the Brazilian U20 team. He made his full international debut in August 2007 against Algeria but missed out on World Cup selection in the summer.

United

With no weekly press conference from the manager today, I will have to predict my team based on what is known from earlier in the week. With Vidic suspended and Ferdinand injured, Sir Alex intimated that Wes Brown would fill the gap following Tuesday's match against Chelsea. A few whispers from various sources have indicated that the England captain has not yet been fully ruled out as yet but this remains to be seen. It would be a risk to play him so I can see him returning for the Arsenal FA Cup match ahead of the Champions League second leg against Marseille. As Brown is very much a defender in the Vidic mould then I can see him being the only change in the back four from Tuesday. Evra is known to have picked up a knock but is expected to play. John O'Shea is expected to keep his place ahead of Rafael and his form certainly warrants his inclusion.

Although an attacking 4-4-2 formation was selected on Tuesday, I would expect a return to the usual away pick of 4-5-1. This will help to match up with Liverpool in midfield who have played a 5-3-2 recently. After signing contract renewals this week, Carrick and Fletcher will expect to start and after a stint on the bench in midweek, I think Paul Scholes will get the nod in his quarterback role and will look to complete a fixture that he has been sent off twice in the past for clashes with Xabi Alonso. 

The wide men are likely to be Nani and Giggs with Rooney up front but it is possible that Berbatov could be restored with the Englishman moving out wide. The impending return of both Park and Valencia will give the manager some more options in the wing department if they can be passed fit after injury lay off's of varying length.

After a surprise start at Stamford Bridge, Hernandez is likely to find himself back on the bench, ready to make an impact late in the game should the need arise.

Score Prediction

After the loss to Chelsea, it is imperative that the Reds do not follow up with another against their arch rivals. It has been 75 games since the last back to back defeats and it would be a mighty blow to confidence at such a crucial time in the season. I am feeling confident and will plump for a 1-2 score line at Anfield. I can see Liverpool scoring first and then Fletcher equalising before a late Rooney winner to send the United faithful home happy. 

Please leave any comments below with your predictions for the score and the team ahead of the game. During and after the match please tweet me with your thoughts and the best will get a mention on my review blog.

As mentioned in my Chelsea review post - "Keep calm and have faith"

Chelsea vs United Post Match Post Mortem

KEEP CALM AND HAVE FAITH

The above message succinctly sums up my feelings, the day after our loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Following the game last night my twitter timeline was awash with reactions that ranged from disgust at the referee, dismay at the second half team performance and intense worry about what the future holds in the title race. 

Whilst I sympathise with the differing views that were expressed, now is a time for caution and optimism after reflection on the position United find themselves in. We are still in the driving seat in the quest for the magic 19th league championship and considering we have a team that are our nearest challengers in Arsenal that lack vital experience in a period that Sir Alex so wonderfully described as "squeaky bum time". It is likely that both ourselves and the Gunners will drop vital points between now and the climax of the season so the team that holds it's nerve will ultimately prevail. Have a look around our dressing room and you will see any number of players who have tread this rocky road before and experienced the highs and the lows. Looking into the Arsenal dressing room, you cannot say the same.

The team lineup

The first shock of the night was the naming of an unchanged team to the one that took the field at the DW Stadium on Saturday. This meant the continuation of a 4-4-2 formation that would ultimately please the majority of United fans eager for a more attacking style. It was also a wonderful opportunity for Javier Hernandez to start in a big game following his two goals at the weekend. Darren Fletcher continued in a right midfield role but was often tucked in a touch in defensive areas.

The 4-4-2 formation is one I prefer. The rationale behind this is that we are more of a threat from an attacking point of view and find it easier to really stretch teams than the more rigid and structured 4-5-1/4-3-3 allow. Playing this more fluent formation may well lead to us losing a few more games but also it will see a frustrating draw often being turned into a priceless three points. Having Rooney as the one that plays off a main striker also means that he is able to drop in to assist his midfield and can be assigned the role of policing the opposition defensive midfielder and ensure that he does not dictate matters.

The Big Match Talking Points:

Rooney goal:

Rooney evades the attention of five home defenders to fire United into a 1st half lead

The key to Wayne Rooney's strike in the 30th minute and how it found its way into the Chelsea net can be seen from the above picture. The five nearest defenders failed to close down Rooney allowing him the time and space to fire. Cech may well have been initially unsighted in the Chelsea goal with Nani being in his eye line which may explain his slow reaction to the powerful shot that beat him at this near post. The picture also demonstrates how United's movement in the first half unsettled the home team with Rooney dropping deep and Nani (from the left wing) and Hernandez the furthest forward. They did not know who to pick up and if so, in what position they would be in.

Luiz goal:

David Luiz at the back post pulls off Evra to create space

An excellent finish by David Luiz drew Chelsea level in the 54th minute. Following a corner, the Brazilian stayed forward and managed to draw away from Evra at the back post as United's centre backs got drawn towards the ball at the front post. Nani on the edge of the box is caught ball watching a little bit and Luiz manages to evade their close attention. The quality of the end shot cannot be underestimated and made all the more impressive by the fact that it was a centre back who drew the home side level. It would have been very easy to balloon the shot over the bar or away from goal but he did well to get his knee over the ball before smashing it home under pressure from the on-rushing Evra.

Turning Point 1 - Rooney miss

Rooney fails to capitalise on a clear opening with the game level.

The first potential turning point of the game came in the 64th minute when Rooney was sent clear down the left flank after a one-two with Nani. As Rooney approached Cech who had gone beyond his front post to confront the attacker, he had to weigh up his options. Ideally, he would have wanted to slide the ball across goal to Hernandez or towards the penalty spot for an on-rushing supporting midfielder. With the little Mexican well covered, Rooney sensibly went for goal but blazed wide when he really should have finished with the goal at his mercy. A little clip around Cech was one possibility or even straight through the keeper's legs but his finish ended up a cross-cum-shot that evaded cannoning into Terry before sailing wide. A goal at this point would have deflated a nervous, out of form home team whilst galvanising the away league leaders. The reaction of Gary Neville in the away end spoke volumes for the opportunity that had been wasted.

Luiz/Rooney incident

Atkinson has the perfect view as Rooney is blocked by Luiz

Sometimes a picture does not need words to explain itself and this is almost one of these times. Luiz clearly blocks the run of Rooney as he starts to turn away having laid off the ball to EvraLuiz challenge that somehow Atkinson lost focus and in a split second let play carry on without bringing it back when the move broke down. As clearly no advantage had been forthcoming, the correct decision would have been to award the free kick and caution Luiz and thus send him off. The loss of a crucial man at such a late stage in the game would surely have impacted on the final result so it was a major mistake on the part of the official. You could tell that Luiz knew he was in trouble by his attempt to pick Rooney up after the challenge in the hope of avoiding further punishment. Having come hot on the heels of a suspect challenge on Hernandez a few minutes previously then the player was clearly lucky to escape.

The penalty

A 50/50 penalty to decide the match? 

Having looked at the penalty decision a few times, I have come to the conclusion that it could have gone either way. If it had happened in their box then I do not think it would have been given but it seems normal now that the home teams get the benefit of the tight calls in the big games. United have profited from such calls numerous times over the years so I do not think that Atkinson should be castigated in this incident. He can clearly be shown ringed in the picture and is in a good position to view what is occurring. Zhirkov makes contact with the ball following it bouncing off Smalling and then moves as if to chase the ball but lifts his leg to make contact and goes down. Vidic was around on the cover so Zhirkov would probably have not caught up with the ball and in a split second the Russian decided to take the opportunity to take advantage seeing Smalling's outstretched limb. Clever play I would say but it can also be described as somewhat of making the most of an opportunity to give the referee a tough decision to make.

General Reflections

My overriding emotion after considering it for most of the day is of disappointment based on the encouraging performance in the first half. The Reds out-passed, out-ran and generally out-thought Chelsea who looked a shadow of the side that had swept away all before them in the early weeks of the season. The threat down the flanks was startling as wave after wave of red shirts flooded the Chelsea full backs. This is shown by the point made by Doron on the Stretford End Blog that the United full backs O'Shea and Evra spent 44% and 39% of their time on the ball in the first half in the opposition final third.

Another worrying trait in this modern United team is their inability to turn possession and pressure into efforts on target. Time and time again, we witness the opposition keeper not being overly tested in periods when we are on top and this was the case again last night. Apart from the Rooney goal, it is hard to think of another time when Cech was seriously worked despite all the possession and pressure that we had. In the days of Cantona, Hughes, Kanchelskis, Sharpe and Giggs (mark 1 version), I can remember us regularly peppering the opponent's keeper until a breakthrough became inevitable.

Half time as often can be the case came at a bad time. This allowed Chelsea to re-assess their position and go for broke in the second half. Whilst United seemed happy to sit back to a certain extent, the home team turned on the power and eventually began to create openings. Essien and Lampard started to make their presence felt in the centre as Scholes and Carrick tired as the game wore on. Do not underestimate the effect that two games in four days had on United with Chelsea enjoying a free week with which to prepare a gameplan and then put it into practice.

The two turning points as outlined above clearly affected the overall outcome of the game. It would not be bending the truth too much to say that we could have been ahead and with Chelsea down to ten men if correct decisions first by Rooney (with the chance he squandered) and then ref Atkinson (failing to send Luiz off) had been made.

The Vidic sending off was unfortunately fairly straightforward and should bring no complaints. It did not affect the game but it may well have an effect when he is missing against arch rivals Liverpool on Sunday. The manager has said that Wes Brown will deputise and I, for one, will be confident that someone once described as the best natural defender in England can step into the huge gap left by the loss of our Serbian leader.

I will conclude by going back to the original title of this post "Keep Calm and Have Faith". United fans must place trust in our fantastic manager and the wonderful team spirit that he has nurtured over the years as we embark on our quest for that record 19th title and any other piece of silverware we happen to get near to. 

Sights will now be firmly set on Anfield on Sunday and minds will be re-focused on the task in hand. A siege mentality will no doubt prevail amongst the management, the team and also the supporters at past injustices but the target is still well within our grasp and with some more performances such as witnessed in the first half last night and also some much needed luck, our destiny will surely be fulfilled.

Tweet Bits - thoughts from my twitter timeline

"We can go on about the ref all night but we just didn't do enough in the second half other than two chances. They were first to every tackle and loose ball we got what we deserved. Hurts like hell though - Mad_Manc72

"All in all totally gutted and this result makes the game at Anfield that much more important, we can't afford to lose points there. Win at Anfield is a must now" Sudheesh Marar

"No need for panic button. Played well for a good portion and that needs to translate over 90 mins. Still on course for #19" JHarbert7

"We played better against CFC than we've been lately; bad calls/non-calls by the ref and our tempers got the better of us" Samtempl

"Decisions in the big games are vital and as usual at the Bridge we didn't get any. Tough game at Anfield without Vidic now." thistimesurely

Many thanks to all of those of you who sent in their thoughts both last night and this morning. I read each and every one and hopefully picked those that sum up the mood amongst us all.

Please leave any comments below or contact me via Twitter

The Sexton Years - Part 4 : December to May 1978/79

Below is the fourth part of Tony Park's look back over "The Sexton Years". You can find the first three parts by clicking on my Blog Archive down the right hand side.

DECEMBER

The final month of 1978 started well. The Reds probably showed their best form of the term with a 3-1 win at the Baseball Ground. McIlroy, Jimmy Greenhoff (again) and Andy Ritchie hitting the back of the net. It was a welcome return to the first team for Ritchie who also scored his first goal for the club as a replacement for the injured Joe Jordan. Back at Old Trafford, McIlroy and Ritchie were on target again as Spurs were swept away in front of a 52, 026 crowd. Steve Paterson made a rare showing from the bench.

Then the season fell apart. A 0-3 reverse at Bolton leading up to Christmas was dreadful. Liverpool came next to town on Boxing Day and gave United a footballing lesson, repeating the scoreline from Burnden Park. Both games saw the introduction of Tom Connell at left back. He never played for the club again. Just when things couldn’t get any worse, West Brom travelled north and although the Reds scored three times….WBA hit five! It was a classic game and anyone wanting to see fantastic attacking football should watch highlights on YouTube. However, the Reds had just shipped eleven goals in three games…eight of them at home!

League: Won 2 Drew 0 Lost 3

The table at New Year showed the Reds in tenth place having won nine games, drawing six and losing seven….ten points behind leaders West Bromwich Albion. Seeing the likes of Bristol City and Coventry City above us in the league must have been galling for supporters brought up with title challenges. While our league form was anything but enthralling, the 39 goals conceded was of a much greater concern. The reality was that Martin Buchan and Stewart Houston were nearing their 30^th birthday’s, Brian Greenhoff was not a fullback, and Jimmy Nicholl and Gordon McQueen were clearly not good enough!

JANUARY

With one of the worst winters hitting Britain since 1963, United could only manage two games in the opening month of the new year and both were Cup matches….a nice break from league disappointment. On the 15^th only 38, 743 turned up to see United defeat Chelsea 3-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Coppell, Jimmy Greenhoff and Ashley Grimes. Two weeks later the Reds drew 1-1 at Fulham in the 4^th Round…Jimmy Greenhoff scoring once again, while Stuart Pearson was carried off in only his second comeback game.

League: Won 0 Drew 0 Lost 0

Steve Coppell - joint top scorer

FEBRUARY

The crowds continued to fall and just over 45,000 turned up to see United lose 0-2 at home to Arsenal. Then in mystifying form the Reds won 3-0 at Maine Road with a Coppell brace and a single from Ritchie. For many it was welcome relief to get back to Cup action. Jimmy Greenhoff scored the winner’s in both Cup ties against Fulham in the replay and Colchester respectively to put United into the last eight. The Barnsley born striker was on the scoresheet once more as United could only draw at home to Aston Villa 1-1 (again) and then a crowd of only 36, 085 bothered to watch Coppell and Greenhoff (J) hit the net in United’s 2-0 home win over QPR.

League: Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 1

MARCH

The goals kept leaking throughout the Spring with eleven being conceded in total. A 2-1 victory at Bristol City with goals by McQueen and Ritchie avenged the home defeat earlier in the campaign before Spurs were defeated in the FA Cup after a replay. Goals by Coppell (2) and Ritchie at Coventry were of little help when then defence let in four at the other end. Then in the following home game against Leeds United, the supporters had something to cheer when Andy Ritchie hit a splendid hat-trick in a 4-1 win. Mickey Thomas also got on the scoresheet, his first goal in United’s colours. The final league game saw a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough with McQueen and Coppell on target. Before the month closed United contested an exciting FA Cup semi-final with Liverpool at Maine Road. Goals from Jordan (back from injury) and Brian Greenhoff in a 2-2 draw meant a replay at Goodison.

League: Won 2 Drew 1 Lost 1

APRIL

With a backlog of fixtures due to the harsh winter, United played no less than ten games during the penultimate month of the season. 7^th place in the league looked positive enough, but United were clutching to the shirt tails of Forest a place above them. A fantastic stooping header from Jimmy Greenhoff gave United victory over Liverpool in the Cup replay to help the Reds reach Wembley for the third time in four years where they would face Arsenal. A 2-2 draw at Norwich was followed by defeats at home to Bolton and away to Liverpool….both teams doing the double over United. Three further draws at home to Coventry and away to Forest and Spurs saw United drop to mid-table.

Sexton made numerous comments about harsh playing conditions, the fixture pile-up and injuries….but other teams were in similar positions. Most supporters realised United were just not good enough, and this was further evidenced when only 33, 678 supporters turned up to watch a solitary Lou Macari goal give United both points at home to Norwich City. The last two fixtures saw two more draws…0-0 at home to Derby and 1-1 at Southampton with another Ritchie strike.

League: Won 1 Drew 6 Lost 2

MAY

As the season drew to a close, and minds firmly fixed on the FA Cup final, the Reds lost 0-1 at West Brom before returning north and defeating Wolves 3-2 at Old Trafford with goals from Coppell (2) and Ritchie.

Wembley

A disappointing game in reality, it only got going in the final moments. United were 0-2 down and although not outplayed, the problems of poor defending and lack of fire-power up front was in evidence once again. Gordon McQueen gave United a lifeline before Sammy McIlroy scored what was probably his best ever United goal to make the scores level. Then with seconds remaining, a mistake by Gary Bailey led to Arsenal’s winner and United lost 2-3. It was a terrible disappointment for the travelling Reds but it only plastered over cracks in a poor team.

Arsenal celebrate winning the FA Cup in 1979

Unsurprisingly, United drew their last game 1-1 at Old Trafford to pull the curtain down on a very disappointing campaign. 

SUMMARY

At the end of the term United had finished 9^th in the league having won 15 games, drawn 15 and lost 12. While 60 goals were scored, 25 less than champions Liverpool, they had conceded a massive 63….Liverpool conceded only 16!

While McQueen and Buchan rarely missed games, their presence had little impact on trying to keep a tight defence. At the other end, Joe Jordan only scored 6 goals in 30 league games. For all the talk of his hold up play and making goals for others, this was a terrible return once again. The young Andy Ritchie notched 9 in 16!

The signing of Mickey Thomas baffled fans, and while he was a tidy player who worked hard, he was not United quality. The Irish signings at the beginning of the term were not good enough and Sexton’s transfer dealings up to this point were poor at best. Crowds were down and supporters were unsettled.

Steve Coppell was an ever present and in fine form and finished equal top scorer in the league while Sammy McIlroy only missed two games.

Jimmy Greenhoff was voted Player of the Year notching 18 goals in all competitions and Gary Bailey was the Young Player of the Year.

In the wings Kevin Moran and Mike Duxbury were biding their time but throwing youngsters into a poor team rarely succeeds.

The 1979/80 season was going to be a defining term for Dave Sexton.

Please leave any comments below.

United vs Chelsea Big Match Preview

Introduction

Manchester United begin a pivotal week in their quest for a record 19th league title with a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Tuesday night. After an ultimately comfortable three points against Wigan on Saturday, the Reds will look to heap more misery on the soon to be deposed Champions ahead of a weekend battle with arch rivals Liverpool.

The match was originally scheduled for December but was mysteriously postponed more than 24 hours ahead of kick off due to snow. The decision was made a mockery by the clear streets outside Stamford Bridge which was cited as the main reason for the game not taking place. It also happened to coincide with a period when the Blues were in a shocking run of form so the conspiracy theories were given a good airing. It could be argued that this re-scheduled game sees Chelsea not much better off in terms of form after a recent draw against Fulham and loss to Liverpool. The addition of Torres and Luiz was seen as a statement of intent from Blues owner Roman Abramovich but could ultimately cost them even a place in the Champions League places if results do not pick up soon. 

The Opposition

Chelsea go into the game in 5th place with a record of eight wins and two draws from their twelve home matches. Their two defeats came against Sunderland and Liverpool when they failed to register on the score sheet.This time last year they had won 12 from 14 matches played at home. Of their last five at home, they have won only two.

Overall they have the best defensive record in the league with a total of 22 conceded but interestingly they have conceded more goals in the last five minutes of each half than at any other time in matches.

If they play their traditional 4-3-3 formation then expect the onus out wide to be on their full backs to provide the width. This may in turn mean that United's wide men will be detailed to keep a close eye on them and perhaps look to keep them their side of the half way line where possible. This was shown in the same fixture last year when Ashley Cole's attacking intent was nullified somewhat by the presence of Antonio Valencia.

Looking at this season's stats, Chelsea have generally struggled against teams in the top half, winning only 4 out of 12 games played. They have also won just twice when the opposition score first which emphasises just how vital in any game the first goal is.

Perhaps my favourite stat is this: If United win tomorrow, Chelsea will be18 points behind which is the same number as what separates them from the bottom of the table. Oh how the mighty have fallen!

I would expect Chelsea to line up with Torres, Anelka and Malouda up front which will no doubt make a certain Ivorian extremely unhappy. Even though they beat Copenhagen playing a 4-4-2, I would imagine they will revert to what they know for the games against United, so a midfield three of Mikel, Essien and Ramires is likely. As width will be key, I wonder if Boswinga will get the nod on the right ahead of the more defensive Ivanovic with Luiz and Terry at centre back. Alternatively Ivanovic could play there with Luiz wide.

Key Player - Nicolas Anelka

A few stats about the sulky Frenchman:

• Joined Chelsea in Jan 2008 from Bolton for £15m
• The 31 year old has 6 goals from 23 games in the league
• He is Chelsea's overall top scorer with 16
• Total career transfer fees = £66.5m including spells at Real Madrid, PSG, Arsenal, Liverpool and Fenerbahce
• 37 goals from 107 games at Chelsea
• Sent home from 2010 WC after row with boss Domenech and given 18 match ban

United

In my opinion, Sir Alex will revert to a 4-5-1 formation to take on Chelsea. The back five pretty much picks itself considering the injury to Ferdinand and the recent choice of O'Shea's experience at right back in preference to the youthful exuberance of Rafael. Chris Smalling will continue his education alongside Vidic in what will surely be another great experience for the youngster. Going into such a massive game such as this without the England captain would have been unthinkable until recently but the growing maturity of Smalling means that his loss is not so keenly felt.

The midfield three I have picked are solid if unspectacular and the manager may go for Darron Gibson once more ahead of Scholes if two games in quick succession are deemed too much for the veteran. Fletcher will once more be expected to support the attack when possible whilst keeping a close eye on Lampard when in defensive situations. The deepest lying midfielder will look to get the United attacks moving by spraying the ball wide whenever possible to try to keep the Chelsea full backs in their own half.

Up front I have gone for Nani right, Giggs left and Rooney up front. The return of the Welshman would be a big boost but it is by no means certain. If he does not make it then expect Rooney left and Berbatov to come in up front as happened in Marseille last week. If he is forced to play left then the boss will expect more discipline than was shown on Saturday from Rooney both in terms of temperament and team ethic.

Waiting in the wings on the bench will be Hernandez and Berbatov looking to make an impression late in the game if the need arises.

Prediction

I am going to plump for a 1-1 scoreline which I think if it was offered now would be accepted by the manager. Chelsea will no doubt come out all guns blazing and look to get United on the back foot from the first whistle. If the Reds can keep the ball and look to impose themselves slowly as the game progresses then the impatient home crowd are sure to voice their anxiety. I actually think Chelsea would take a draw to save the embarrassment of effectively handing over the title at the end of the game. A cagey, dull goalless draw is a distinct possibility. However I feel there is enough in both attacks to warrant a goal apiece with United scoring through Giggs and Chelsea levelling via Malouda.

A share of the spoils and then onward to Anfield on Sunday where the challenge to finally knock Liverpool off their perch will become tantalisingly close to reality if three points can be won.

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