Zlatan Is United's Head Boy

Manchester United 1 Zorya Luhansk 0

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the difference at the Theatre of Dreams as Manchester United won their first Europa League group game by overcoming relatively unknown Ukraine opposition Zorya Luhansk.

Mourinho has promised to take the competition seriously and this was reflected in his starting XI: Romero, Rojo, Smalling, Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Fellaini, Pogba, Mata, Lingard, Rashford and Ibrahimovic.

Captain Rooney would once again have to start on the bench and apart from the absences of regulars De Gea, Blind and Herrera, it was a strong side that was given the task of earning the first win in the group stage.

The game kicked off in front of a stadium not exactly full to the rafters as supporters still lacked the enthusiasm for Thursday night football. However, the fans that had turned up got behind the Reds from the start.

The visitors had the first chance of the game after five minutes as Ljubenovic tried his luck against stand in keeper Romero but his effort sailed high over the goal.

United passed the ball around the pitch comfortably without creating any clear openings and it was Fellaini who saw most of the ball as he played safe passes from midfield without finding the killer pass needed to gee up the crowd.

It was left to Ibrahimovic to liven up the proceedings after twenty minutes as he fired in a shot from distance that looked goal bound until a defender slid in and deflected the shot over the bar.

A minute later the crowd rose in unison as they thought a goal had come from Rashford who crashed a thunderbolt of a shot against the underside of the bar that was still rattling as the defenders cleared their lines.

It was a delight to watch the way in which the talented youngster made room for his shot in a crowded area and that one moment of skill made his inclusion in the starting team worth it.

The away side had clearly trained in the art of play acting as they frustrated the United players, fans and Mourinho who was stood on the touchline throughout.

The referee from Israel didn't exactly endear himself to the crowd after allowing play to continue after Mata had been caught very late and was fortunate not to receive a serious injury.

Then Mata and Fellaini both came close to breaking the deadlock with headers that needed better direction. The Mata effort followed excellent work by Pogba who delivered a pinpoint cross that the diminutive Spaniard was unlucky not to convert.

At half time it was all square and to be honest a little like an exhibition match as the crowd was full of school children cheering on their heroes and an away section with only about fifty away fans that did their best to out cheer the United youngsters.

Mourinho would have to inject some form of enthusiasm into his side during the break as they lacked the pace and incisive passing needed to make the breakthrough.

The second half got underway with United attacking the Stretford End and Mourinho decided against making any changes.

Zorya set the early pace and almost took the lead as Ljubenovic just failed to connect with a teasing cross.

Fosu-Mensah, playing at right back, tried his best to create chances from the right and on one occasion he linked well with Lingard whose cross was intercepted by the keeper before Ibrahimovic could connect.

The impressive Bailly was booked just after the hour mark after a hefty challenge on Paulinho.

Paulinho then curled an effort towards goal, but Romero was wide awake to the shot and produced a good save diving fully stretched to his left.

With 67 minutes on the clock, Mourinho decided to bring on his captain Rooney in place of Lingard with time running out in the search for the all important goal.

As so often happens in football a substitution produces the desired effect and it was true again in this match as a cross was delivered into the penalty area by Fosu-Mensah and there was Rooney only on the pitch for two minutes to try his luck.

His effort was badly miskicked into the turf, but thankfully for his side and to save his own blushes, it looped up nicely for Ibrahimovic who leapt at the far post to head the ball downwards into the net to finally give the home side the lead. That was Ibrahimovic's sixth goal in ten matches. Not the prettiest of goals he will score, but they all count.

With fifteen minutes left Mourinho made a double substitution by bringing on Young and Martial in place of Mata and Fosu-Mensah.

Rashford continued to raise pulses on the left as he attempted to dribble his way past a bamboozled right back at every opportunity and if his captain had not misplaced a through ball he would have been clear on goal.

Apart from a Fellaini chance that fizzed over the bar and a free kick well delivered by Ibrahimovic and equally well saved by Shevchenko that was about it for the night as United ended the match as victors and in doing so collected their first three points in the group stage.

In the end, it was a match that lacked any conviction from Mourinho's men who can't be blamed for lacking the same enthusiasm as they would for the more important Premier League. However, they got the job done and now face a harder task with a double header against Turkish outfit Fenerbahce next month.

Bailly once again shone at the back and Rashford gave his all as usual and was unlucky not to score. He also spent most of the game chasing poor passes. Fellaini was involved in every movement in the middle without going above and beyond his normal style of play, but the Man of the Match award has to go to Ibrahimovic for scoring the goal that sent the locals home happy and gave the kids something to cheer about.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Crisis Is Cobblers

Northampton Town 1 Manchester United 3

Manchester United returned to winning ways against Northampton to book themselves a derby date at Old Trafford.

It took them an hour to do it, but they did eventually overcome the plucky League One outfit thanks to goals from Carrick, Herrera and Rashford.

It hadn't been the best of weeks for Mourinho and his men as three successive defeats had cast a shadow over the club and raised questions about some of the player's commitment to the cause.

Disaster is too strong a word to be used at this early stage of the season. However, a defeat in the EFL away at Northampton would have had alarm bells ringing.

A lot of the blame for the defeats has been firmly planted at the player's feet and quite rightly too as many of them have not performed to the level expected at the club. So it was interesting to see how Mourinho would approach this match against the League One side.

Only two players Smalling and Rooney kept their places in the starting XI: Romero, Fosu-Mensah, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Carrick, Memphis, Herrera, Young and Rooney.

The United captain had been chosen as the main striker and Mourinho expected only one thing from him and that was goals and if he didn't deliver there was a strong bench including Ibrahimovic and Rashford.

United kicked off inside a packed Sixfields stadium under some pressure, but with the great away support behind them.

Rooney had the first clear chance of the game with a weak shot inside the area. United won the first corner of the match after a couple of minutes from a deflected shot by Herrera.

It was Rooney again, who was guilty of missing an open goal after a cross was played into the danger area from the right. The skipper inexplicably side-footed his effort wide when it seemed easier to tuck the ball away.

After five minutes United had enjoyed 75 percent of the possession with the majority of the attacks coming from build up play by Young on the right wing, but it was a cross this time from the left by Rojo that was whisked across the six-yard box that only needed the slightest of touches from someone.

The away side were awarded a free kick inside the area after the home side were guilty of a back pass just before the twenty-minute mark. Depay rolled it into the path of Rooney, whose shot was blocked by the wall only for it to find Carrick loitering on the edge of the area.

He calmly hit the ball first time and managed to send it flying into the top corner of the net. That was Carrick's first goal since March 2015 and a welcome one it was too.

In the ten minutes following the goal United stroked the ball around in a confident fashion and totally dominated the play with Northampton struggling to get a sniff of the ball.

Rooney had a headed goal ruled for offside on the half hour after Fosu-Mensah had seen his effort rebound off the bar.

United didn't have it all their own way however, as the home side almost pulled level with a cracking drive from former red academy player Gorre that stand in keeper Romero had to push over the bar.

In fact, it was Northampton who pulled their socks up and began to find another gear as they piled on the pressure and it paid off five minutes before the break when they won a penalty after Blind clumsily brought down Hoskins after a combination of Rojo, Fosu-Mensah and Schneiderlin failed to clear the ball from their own area.

Revell stepped up and sent Romero the wrong way to level the scores and gave Mourinho plenty to think about during the break.

Half time and all square after United were guilty of allowing the League One side back into the game after some terrible defending. At 1-0 everything looked fairly routine for the Reds, but not for the first time this season they shot themselves in the foot which made for an interesting cup tie.

Northampton got the second half underway with Mourinho deciding against making any changes at the restart.

The home side were put on the back foot by the Red Devils as Young tried his best to create openings down the right flank.

It only took Mourinho ten minutes to change things around with Rashford replacing defender Fosu-Mensah and Ibrahimovic coming on for the hapless Memphis, which meant Young switched to the wing back position to make way for the forwards.

Herrera was unlucky with a firm strike that smacked against the post. That was the closest United had come after the substitutions as they made life difficult for themselves by giving the opposition hope which in turn lifted the home crowd.


As the match entered the final twenty minutes player of the night Herrera finally found the back of the net after he hit a brilliant right-footed drive that gave the keeper no chance and handed the visitors the lead.

Fellaini entered the fray for the last fifteen minutes in place of Schneiderlin to offer a different variety to the play.

They say that you should never give up a lost cause and that was certainly the case as United increased their lead to end the tie as a contest.

It was Herrera, who from the half way line hooked a hopeful ball high into the air and as it fell from the skies it looked, for all intents and purposes a routine clearance for keeper Smith, but as he raced out to the edge of his area there was Rashford bearing down on him at speed.

The sight of the young forward rushing towards him caused the keeper to panic and he completely mistimed his attempted clearance and Rashford reaped the rewards and blasted the ball gleefully into the empty net.

It was a pure opportunist goal by the impressive striker and one that ensured United would progress into the next round. It was also a landmark goal for the youngster as he has now scored on yet another debut.

United saw out the game and in the end dispelled any talks of a crisis to book a place in the next round which threw up a mouth-watering home draw against Manchester City and an early opportunity for Mourinho to gain revenge over Guardiola.

Even with the win, Mourinho will know that some of his players underperformed once again with Rojo the weakest link in defence and up front Memphis failed to impress and one has to wonder how long the manager will put up with the winger.

Rooney also did little to quieten his critics after a lacklustre display on a night when goals were expected from him.

Not for the first time in his fledgling career, Rashford had a huge impact on the result with an assist and a goal of his own as his eagerness showed the older heads how pure enthusiasm can change a game in an instant.

The hope for the future is that he never loses that desire to play the game as it should be played when others around him have forgotten as they have aged.

One player who did roll back the years with an assured performance in midfield was Michael Carrick. His contribution proved that he still has what it takes as long as he gets enough rest and before people get carried away it was against lower opposition, so the question will be whether or not he can sustain that level on a regular basis in the Premier League.

The Man of the Match award has to be handed to Ander Herrera, who never gave up at a time when others around him wavered. His strike to put his side in the lead was sublime and the Spaniard does seem to enjoy an away cup tie as it's not the first time in his United career that he has kept the club in a cup competition.

Next up is the visit to Old Trafford of the current champions Leicester City who United defeated in the Community Shield last month. However, we can expect a different type of game at the Theatre of Dreams.

Until then thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Dream Debut For Rashford

Manchester United 5 FC Midtjylland 1 (agg: 6-3)

Manchester United has a new hero in the shape of 18-year-old local born Marcus Rashford whose debut double saw the Red Devils through to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

In a week that will define how United's season will shape up, it was imperative that after getting through to the FA Cup quarterfinals they overcame their opponents from Denmark. And they did so with van Gaal's special brand of 'horny' football that had everybody excited in the second half.

After the shock defeat last week in the first leg there were many wrongs to put right including a home performance that could at least put a marker down for the remainder of the teams left in the Europa League that United were taking the competition seriously.

With the treatment room at Carrington full to the rafters it was a mixed bag of news for van Gaal in the run-up to the match. The return to training of Rojo and Valencia with the former on the bench for this match. But it was a game too soon for De Gea who will hopefully be fit for when United host Arsenal on Sunday in the critical Premier League game.

The starting team that van Gaal originally put out was: Romero, Varela, Carrick, Blind, Riley, Schneiderlin, Mata, Herrera, Lingard, Memphis and Martial.

Then, during the warm up the injury jinx hit United again as striker Martial pulled up with what looked like a hamstring problem. This meant that youngster Marcus Rashford would unexpectedly make his starting debut on the biggest night of his career. Also making his full debut was Joe Riley at left back.

Carrick started at center back in place of Smalling in a role that he has filled in before, so it shouldn't be a huge upheaval at the back.

The home side as expected enjoyed the majority of the play in the opening minutes with Rashford and Riley looking sharp on their first starts for the Reds.

The Danish visitors clearly came with a frustrating game plan as most clubs do when they come to Old Trafford and that was to sit everybody behind the ball when United attacked.

On the quarter hour mark Rashford showed the skill that all the fans who follow the reserves knew about as he broke at pace into the area and powered a shot towards goal which the keeper managed to turn round the post for a corner.

Memphis seemed to enjoy himself on the left and on one run beat a number of defenders to open up a chance but the end result came to nothing.

Then in the 27th minute and totally against the run of play with practically their first clear chance on goal Midtjylland scored. And it was a goal by Sisto, who waltzed through the United defence and placed a shot to the right of Romero.

United responded to the set back well with Memphis, attempting to bring his side level with a shot that almost found its way through. Just after the half hour mark the Dutch wingers persistence paid off when he weaved his way past a couple of defenders and delivered a low fizzing cross from the left which was turned into his own net by Bodurov. 1-1 and United looked up for the fight.

Schneiderlin tried the acrobatics with an overhead kick which was only just wide. Memphis was on fire as he was at the head of every United move and certainly looked on top of his game. His confidence was there for all to see as he tried to beat the keeper from thirty yards as the ball flew just wide.

Now the Red Devils needed two more goals to qualify and if they kept feeding Memphis then you got the feeling anything was possible. From the home side's seventh corner the away side needed a great save from Anderson to keep their noses in front on aggregate.

As the clearance came back towards the visitors penalty area Memphis flicked the ball onto Herrera and as the midfielder entered the box he was tripped to earn United a penalty.

Mata took the huge responsibility and placed the ball towards the bottom corner. But Anderson dived well to turn the ball out for a corner. It was a great save by the keeper who read Mata's intention well. This means that the Spaniard will be taken off spot kick duties for sure.

Half-time and all square at 1-1 in a half that United totally controlled and was unlucky not to be ahead after all the possession they enjoyed. In the end, they shot themselves in the foot with a lack of quality in defending by Blind and Carrick for the visitor's opener by showing a lack of commitment to make a challenge on Sisto as he danced across the area.

On a positive note it was all about Memphis as he tortured the Midtjylland defenders and was at the heart everything United produced, including an assist for the own goal and the pass for the penalty.

The second half got underway with the pressure on United to turn the tie around and they would have loved the chance of an early goal which almost came when Mata floated a delightful ball over to the far post where Schneiderlin was waiting unmarked. The Frenchman inexplicably hit his shot back across the goal when it looked certain he would blast the ball into the back of the net.

Herrera had the next chance as he ran onto a far post cross from Memphis, but the midfielder seemed to change his mind about shooting and elected to head the ball which went just wide.

It was all United as they went in search of their second goal at the same time having to keep an eye on the counter from the visitors especially with their half-time substitute and scorer from the first match 2.01m Onuachu.

Just before the hour mark, the atmosphere in the ground went a bit flat as United took their foot off the pedal and the visitors enjoyed more of the ball.

The game, the tie and the atmosphere were suddenly brought back into life in the 63rd minute as Marcus Rashford scored a wonderful goal on his debut in front of the Stretford End after great work by Mata, who won a lost cause as he saved the ball from going out of playing and pulled it back into the area and their was Rashford first to react and placed the ball gleefully into the back of the net. A great moment for the 18 year old and hopefully the first of many at the Theatre of Dreams.

Lingard seemed to have won a penalty for his side and as the crowd cheered the referee decided wrongly, that the forward had dived and booked him for simulation. A decision that could have had a huge bearing on the outcome of this match as United were still in search of the goal that would see them through. Also, it means that Lingard will be suspended for the next match in the competition.

Memphis continued to conjure up chances from the left and you got the feeling that if any player was going to create something it was him.

As the game entered the final fifteen minutes it was the debut boy who turned hero again as Rashford side-footed in from a chipped cross from Varela. What a debut from the Manchester born striker it will be a night he will never forget.

Following the goal, it was a welcome return to play for fans favourite Marcos Rojo who came on for Joe Riley, who certainly played his part in his first start for United. Lingard was also withdrawn by van Gaal and replaced by Pereira.

Two minutes left on the clock and United was awarded a second penalty for a handball by Hansen. The crowd was calling for Rashford to take it and get his debut hat-trick, but Herrera took the responsibility and dispatched his shot firmly into the back of the net.

Midtjylland would see out the last few minutes of the match with ten men when Romer received his marching orders after a torrid night up against Memphis.

Then at last after all of his hard work Memphis got his just reward by netting United's fifth goal of the night with a cut in from the left and a shot that gave the keeper no chance. A deserved goal for the man of the match.

There was still time for another player to make his debut for United as Regan Poole entered the match in place of Herrera in added time.

Final score 5-1 and 6-3 on aggregate saw United successfully through to the next round after a second-half display that was more like United of old as the Stretford End hailed a new hero in the shape of youngster Rashford who scored a double.

Not bad for a player who thought he would be stuck on the bench proving that dreams do come true and he took the opportunity that was presented to him with the confidence of a quality forward.

After all his troubles this season it was pleasing to finally see Memphis perform to the level that everyone knows he can play at. The extra training sessions with Giggs are clearly paying off.

Next up is Arsenal at home in the Premier League for United. They will not have it as easy as they had it in this match and with Martial added to the injury list the team selection could be a headache for van Gaal. However, in Rashford he has the option of a young man who has the ability and confidence to grab the goals.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Tame The Shrews.

Shrewsbury Town 0 Manchester United 3

After suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of FC Midtjylland in the Europa League here was a chance for van Gaal and his beleaguered side to put some passion and a semblance of pride back into their game.

Playing against the lowest ranked team still left in the FA cup and with a tasty home tie against West Ham awaiting the winner in the quarterfinals should have been incentive enough for the Red Devils to ease through the 5th round.

With so many players injured van Gaal once again turned to a mixture of experience and youth with a starting XI comprised of: Romero, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mata, Lingard, Memphis and Martial.

United got off to a quick start in their changed strip of all white as they won a corner in the first minute. Blind's delivery was met by the head of Smalling, but the captain's header was over the bar.

Memphis tried a couple of long range efforts but each shot only just managed to stay in the small ground, which was bouncing with noise from both sets of fans. A true cup tie atmosphere.

It was after ten minutes that the Shrews keeper Leutwiler was first tested and that was from a low drive from Memphis that he managed to palm to safety. It was all United without the final punch.

Herrera tried his best to kick the ball out of the stadium, but failed as his shot only reached row W. Maybe he and Memphis had a side bet on who could belt the ball into the car park first.

After twenty minutes and the home side were holding out against United who just couldn't find the killer touch to warrant all their possession. Same old story of the season. But even United would find it difficult not to carve out a clear-cut chance in the remaining seventy minutes, surely.

The away side were awarded a free-kick right on the edge of the penalty area which was taken by Memphis, but on the way to goal the ball struck the back of Martial's head and went out for a goal kick. It looked like the ball was on the way to the corner of the net. It totally summed up United's play at the moment.

Martial then almost turned the tie in United's favour with a show of quick feet inside the area and a shot which was saved by the keepers legs then cleared off the line by Grandison. That was by far the closest United had come to taking the lead.

Then up stepped skipper Smalling in the 37th minute to do what his forwards couldn't and scored the goal the team badly needed. It started with a strong headed challenge by Schneiderlin that fell nicely into the path of Smalling who had stayed upfield following a corner.

The defender showed calmness under pressure and struck the ball into the ground and on its way towards goal it took a deflection and looped into the goal. 1-0 ahead and you would expect the Red Devils to put this game to bed as soon as possible. They continued to attack and the pressure paid off right on the stroke of half-time.

It became 2-0 to United as Shrewsbury gave away another free-kick in a dangerous position on the edge of their area and, this time, up stepped Mata to deliver a perfectly placed shot bent over the wall and into the back of the net to put the tie beyond any doubt. There was a claim that three United players were standing in an offside position between the wall and keeper as Mata struck his shot, therefore it could be claimed they were obstructing Leutwiler's view as he was rooted to his line.

Half-time and United were comfortably leading a tie they had controlled from the first whistle even if at times they had made it look more difficult than it should have been.

Shrewsbury had not troubled United at any time but had been fairly overzealous in some of their challenges which the referee would have to keep an eye on in the second half. The image of the half had to be the smile on van Gaal's face when Smalling put his team 1-0 ahead.

United started the second half and van Gaal made one change to his side by giving a first team debut to young full-back Joe Riley who replaced Borthwick-Jackson at left back.

The away side picked up where they had left off in the first half by immediately going on the attack and caused panic in the home defence and won an early corner.

There were two close attempts on goal within minutes as first Memphis showed his determination with a run and shot that flew inches wide then Martial watched his close-range header go agonisingly wide.

Just after the hour mark, United sailed into a three-goal lead through a smart finish by Lingard, who put the ball away on the half-volley at the far post following a delightfully flighted ball by Herrera. The move was started with a huge throw out by Romero which caught the home defence well and truly on the back foot.

Within minutes of the goal wand with clearly an eye on two important games coming up van Gaal decided to withdraw Mata and replaced him with Pereira.

With twenty minutes left on the clock van Gaal made his final change of the match by giving Martial a well-deserved rest and put Keane on up front.

Lingard almost grabbed his second, however, he got the ball tied up to his feet before he could get away a shot.

Once again the away fans were in fantastic voice making the majority of the noise inside the stadium of just over 9,000 spectators.

Will Keane's first taste of action almost saw him score the fourth goal, but his left-footed strike hit the post. Unfortunately for the young forward it was his last taste of action as he had to leave the field with what looked like a groin strain. So, having used up all their substitutes, United had to see out the final fifteen minutes of the match with only ten men.

The home side did, at least, have an attempt on goal as late as the 84th minute, which United's defence managed to clear. Suddenly Shrewsbury had a belief that they could score as Ogogo had a totally free header which he directed across the goal and wide. In all honesty, Romero should have picked the ball out of his net after the striker was left unmarked and in a great goal scoring position.

At the death, Memphis was still trying to get his name on the scoresheet but the keeper managed to block his close-range effort.

Cole came close for the Shrews with a shot that only just went over Romero's bar. You wonder what would have happened if Shrewsbury had played the whole match with as much energy as they had shown in the final ten minutes.

Full-time 3-0 and, in the end, a job well done by United. If not scintillating football is was a vast improvement on recent results and sets up a mouth-watering home tie in the quarterfinals against West Ham United. But let us not forget that this was a victory against a Football League One side and there will be tougher teams ahead. For United it was a step in the right direction.

Next up is the small matter of the return tie against FC Midtjylland and another chance for van Gaal and his team to reignite the season and make amends for the first leg.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Dismal Display In Denmark.

Midtjylland 2 Manchester United 1

No more! Manchester United directors need to start to the process of replacing Louis van Gaal as the manager of a team that is being dragged ever lower into the depths of despair following this latest defeat by FC Midtjylland. Or, he should at least offer his resignation and put us all out of the misery that is of his own making.

Let's get the inevitable excuses, which van Gaal will no doubt make, out of the way first. Thirteen injured first team players prior to the match, then add to that your number one keeper injures himself in the warm up. A defence made up of players not used to playing together, a bench crammed with mainly reserve team players and you could argue that United were up against it on the night.

But wait a moment the opposition is from the Danish league who last played a competitive match back in December and were beaten 9-1 by Napoli over two legs in the group stages of the same competition. That tells you exactly how shocking United's performance was.

This was a display so awful that words can hardly describe the utter naivety and inept way United succumbed to defeat. Weak challenges, poor passing and the inability to take control of a game that the home side should never have been allowed to dictate the way they did. Yes, we should beat the Danes next week at Old Trafford but hasn't the damage to our pride already been done?

Manchester United is a proud club that has been built on the rich traditions of stylish, flowing and attacking play and a never say die attitude with players willing to overcome any obstacles with the one aim of winning, come what may. There was no one on display in this game that could be associated with those same values.

Also, the same can be said of the coaching staff, who remained glued to their seats as their players clearly needed direction from someone on the touchline even if it was only to issue a rally cry and at least attempt to show some passion.

Winning this second class Europa League has become the only realistic chance United have of qualifying for the Champions League next season because a top four spot is looking increasingly unlikely as each Premier League week goes by, but judging by this showing even that is going to be harder than it looks.

Next up is Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup 5th round and you can bet they will be rubbing their hands in anticipation of United's visit on Monday.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Pay the Penalty Against Boro.

Manchester United 0 Middlesbrough 0 (aet)
(Penalties: United 1 Boro 3)

United were dumped out of the Capital One Cup after a performance that proved one thing and that is they are a side devoid of ideas and restricted by tactics that are clearly not working.

United took a break from the pressure of the Premier and Champions Leagues to concentrate on the Capital One cup and the visit of Middlesbrough to Old Trafford.

The last time these two sides met in the competition was back in the 2008-09 season when United triumphed with a 3-1 victory in the 3rd round on their way to lifting the trophy at Wembley.

It is well known that the top flight sides tend to utilise their squads in the League Cup by giving a chance to some of their youngsters and in the last tie, it was one of those fringe players that turned out to be the hero, Andreas Pereira.

So, it was no surprise to see that Louis van Gaal once again went down the same route of choosing a side that mixed things up a little: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Pereira, Lingard, Wilson and Memphis.

In total there were nine changes from the derby draw and the side boasted a young forward line that had both pace and ability in large amounts with Memphis, Wilson, Pereira and Lingard set to torment the Boro defence.

United's subs bench was impressive to say the least: De Gea, Young, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Mata, Martial and Rooney.

As expected United started the more confident of the two sides by passing the ball around neatly, but as the half progressed the home side made little inroads into the visitors defence and for all their quality on show they failed to hit top gear.

Fellaini was the busiest of the United players linking the midfield with the attack, but it wasn't until the 34th minute that the home side had their first shot on goal and that was a very tame effort by Wilson that the visiting keeper had only to bend down and collect.

This was not the start that United was hoping for as they made it more difficult for themselves by allowing Boro to see too much of the ball and it nearly paid off for the Championship side when Downing tried his luck from the edge of the box with a dipping effort which Romero did well to tip over for a corner. That had to be a wake-up call for United that Boro were not here just to make up the numbers.

Half time and it was all square at 0-0 with the visitors coming the closest to breaking the deadlock and a lackluster United unable to get into any groove.

After being given a chance by the manager it was unfortunate that the youngsters hadn't shown their true class by failing to get behind the Boro defence and in the second half you wondered how long it would be until van Gaal freshened things up from the quality bench available to him.

The first of those changes came at the start of the second half when captain Rooney replaced Wilson in attack, but it was Middlesbrough who started the half on the front foot as they clearly believed that the match was there for the taking.

Memphis had a shot on goal which was almost fumbled by Mejias in goal but, to be honest, he made the Dutchman's shot look better than it was.

After ten minutes of the half, United finally started to take control of the game and began to pepper the visitors goal with speculative shots the closest from Felling and Pereira.

It was hearts in mouths time when just before the hour mark Boro thought they had scored when Daley Blind lashed the ball into his own net, thankfully for him and the fans, Boro were adjudged to be offside in the build-up to the blunder.

This was turning out to be embarrassing for the Red Devils and it was summed up by Memphis as he totally miss-hit a shot after dribbling into the area to set himself up for a chance.

Young made a welcome return to the side after an injury layoff when he replaced Rojo for the final half hour of play.

For a neutral this was an exciting cup tie, but for United it was a nervy display as once again Blind almost managed to score at the wrong end as Romero let his back pass squirm under his foot and both looked relieved as the ball went just wide.

The last spin of the dice for van Gaal came when he let loose his French star Martial who entered the fray for the hugely disappointing Memphis in the 70th minute and the change almost had the desired effect as Martial went on one of his trademark runs only to be thwarted by the defence.

Fellaini had a wild shot at goal as United's play became more desperate entering the last ten minutes of the game. A calm head was needed up front while all around were panicking.

With extra time looming you wondered where, if at all, a United goal was going to come from as they laboured in front of a happy 10,000 visiting away support.

Lingard rattled the post in the final minute followed by an effort at the other end from Leadbitter as he tried to lob Romero but the keeper made amends for his earlier mistake by saving well then he dived low to prevent a certain goal from a Downing strike.

There was more action in the last three minutes of normal time than in the whole of the match with Romero being the busiest of the keepers making at least three stops to deny Boro a shock ending.

The first period of extra time saw the home side go for the jugular from the off, but as has been the story on numerous occasions this season the final ball let them down and they soon allowed the opposition to get back into the game.

The home side were reduced to crosses aimed at Fellaini that Boro dealt with far too easily and once again Rooney's touch was terrible to watch as he and Fellaini failed to impress as they struggled to find a way through.

Into the second period of extra time and to avoid penalties United would have to produce something they hadn't managed all match and that would be a moment of brilliance. It was almost produced by the excellent Martial who had a dribble into the area, but was out crowded by at least four defenders before he could deliver the final strike.

Pereira had another chance to become the hero again when he had a thunderous strike that sneaked past the post. there was a late shout for a penalty for United as a cross definitely hit a defenders hand but the referee, Lee Mason, waved play on.

Fellaini almost won it at the death with two headed chances either side of a Martial header which was a hair width wide.

End of extra time and all square as the match headed into penalties.

The penalty shootout ended in a 3-1 victory to Middlesbrough after captain Rooney, vice-captain Carrick then Young all fluffed their lines from the spot and with it ended the first chance of silverware this season.

In all honesty, if United's style of play has been reduced to hoofing the ball into the box aiming for Fellaini's head and hoping for a chance to fall at the feet of one of his teammates then there needs to be a serious overhaul of United's tactics.

All credit has to go to the visiting team for wanting the win more than the hosts, but this has to go down as an embarrassment for United who have clearly not learned from their recent failings and continue to be unable to kill teams off.

Something is clearly not working when we can't even put on a winning performance against a team from the lower leagues with a fairly strong looking side. How long do the fans have to put up with displays of pure inadequacies from players who have always enjoyed the backing of the fans? It's the youngsters who will suffer from this defeat when it should be the experienced players who have to come in for the most criticism along with the coaches.

People will say it's only the League Cup, however, that is not the point the point is United are expected to win everything they play for and if they can't then at least go out with a bang trying and not a whimper.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.