Rooney Runs The Show.

Manchester United 3 Bournemouth 1

The final day of the season is not usually known for its drama off the pitch, but on it. That was exactly the case at Old Trafford on Sunday following the bomb scare that caused the stadium to be cleared and the match to be rescheduled.

After the suspect package had been discovered the security staff have to be praised for the calm way they conducted the evacuation of 75,000 people in such an orderly fashion.

However, questions have to be raised at the club in regards to the way a suspect package had been left unnoticed for four days. And the security company that left it there have to be dragged over the coals for their ineptitude.

The last league game of the season eventually saw United welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford after the understandable postponement of the match on Sunday.

This rescheduled match meant two things. Firstly,  United knew that barring a victory of 19 plus goals, there would be no Champions League football next season. Secondly, it would interrupt preparations for the upcoming FA Cup final against Crystal Palace this weekend.

How would these factors effect van Gaal's team selection from the one he chose for the original game? The answer was it didn't as he picked the exact same eleven: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Rooney, Lingard, Mata, Martial and Rashford. In came the recalled trio of Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick and Lingard at the expense of Rojo, injured in training, Schneiderlin, ill and Herrera who started on the bench.

In all honesty, there was very little to say about the first half as it had been pretty much unremarkable until Rooney gave the fans something to cheer as he netted his 100th Premier League goal at Old Trafford in the 43rd minute.

The captain had the easiest of finishes as he buried the ball into the back of the net after Martial and Mata had played a neat one-two with each other and the former produced a cross that Rashford stepped over which left Rooney able to pounce. One down, only 18 to go.

Before the opener the closest the sides came to raising the pulse of the fans was when Carrick almost got a touch to a Rooney delivery from a free kick and at the other end, Pugh had an effort blocked by Valencia. The match had that feeling of a pre-season friendly written all over it.

At least at the start of the second half, both sides had decided to make a go of it with Rooney eyeing up a shot that was blocked and Mata who went to ground in the penalty area after being caught from behind but referee Jon Moss waved play on.

The visitors had their moments when Pugh and Wilson tried their luck from the edge of the area but would need to do better to beat De Gea.

Carrick was the next player to jolt the fans into life as he blasted a swerving, long-distance drive against the crossbar.

At the centre of United's attacking forays were Martial's quick feet on the left and the precise passing of Rooney from his midfield position.

Somehow the score remained 1-0 after a spot of football pinball inside the Cherries box after great play by Rashford. The ball just wouldn't go in after every shot was blocked by the defenders.

United had found the desire to kill the game off and Valencia came close with a cracker of a shot that Bournemouth keeper Federici brilliantly saved with his fingertips.

What a difference the two halves were proving to be.

The home side had another penalty shout when Lingard was brought down. However, the referee wasn't interested in the appeals of United.

The visitors did manage to put the ball in the net, but to their disappointment, Wilson was correctly ruled offside. It was a reminder to United that one goal might not be enough.

Right on cue Rashford made it 2-0 in the 75th minute. The move started with a delightful ball played deep into the box by Rooney which was headed back into the danger area by Valencia and there was Rashford to fire a low shot into the net and celebrate his call-up to England's provisional squad for the European Championships.

Van Gaal made three substitutions in the last ten minutes with Herrera, Memphis and Young replacing Mata, Rashford and Martial. And it was the forgotten man Young, who produced the icing get on the cake in the 87th minute with United's third goal of the game after great work from the man of the match, Rooney. He beat the defence with a well-timed chip to provide Young with the easiest of chances to score to which he duly obliged.

The match had time for one more twist when in added time Smalling managed to put the ball into his own goal which denied De Gea a share of the league's golden glove, much to the Spaniards dismay judging by his reaction.

After an anti-climatic first half at least the players brought the game to life in the second half. Rooney pulled the strings from his midfield role and provided a master class of passing combined with his never say die attitude when chasing back.

The main objective apart from the win was to not sustain any injuries before the cup final. In that respect mission accomplished.

United had chances so many times this season to make sure they booked their seat at the caviar and champagne table of the European elite and only have themselves to blame for ending up picking up the scraps in the Europa League.

Have we witnessed the van Gaal farewell at the Theatre of Dreams? Which in all reality has turned out to be nothing less than a nightmare for the coach who arrived with such high expectations following an impressive career across Europe. However, once again the season has fallen short for the club under his so-called philosophy.

Surely the time has come to put everyone, including van Gaal, out of their misery. No matter what happens in the FA Cup final the board have to find the right person who can take United in a new direction or witness the further demise of our great club.

Thanks for reading. Next stop Wembley.

Miles Dunton.

Mata Secures United Win

Norwich City 0 Manchester United 1

Manchester United kept up their pursuit of a top-four finish thanks to a Juan Mata strike in a game that was short on chances and poor in quality.

Norwich desperately needed a win to have any chance of staying in the Premier League whereas United looked to gain another three points to hang on to the tails of the teams sat above them.

Louis van Gaal made wholesale changes to his starting line-up including a forced change after Martial complained of not feeling fit during the warm up. It was the same situation that gave youngster Rashford his big opportunity that he took so well against Arsenal.  However, the manager decided against making the same swap this time around.

Starting XI: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Rojo, Darmian, Carrick, Herrera, Mata, Lingard, Memphis and Rooney.

With the midweek game against West Ham on the horizon van Gaal decided to rest Blind and used a center-back pairing of Smalling and Rojo with Valencia and Darmian as full backs. In midfield, there were recalls for Mata and Herrera with Rooney used as the lone forward. Memphis was handed a rare start in a season he would want to forget in a hurry.

On a bright East Anglian day, Norwich  got the game underway with the brilliant Red army of supporters in fine voice celebrating the fact that United were going to Wembley and the Canaries were on their way to the Championship.

The Red Devils dominated the game at the start without any urgency and seemed happy to try and control the game and nullify the home side and their fans. However, it was the home team that came the closest to scoring when as early as the fourth minute Jerome looked odds-on to score, but there was United's player of the season David De Gea to literally put his body on the line for the cause to superbly block the headed effort.


United full back Darmian became an early casualty as he was stretchered off following a clash with Pinto and had to be replaced by Borthwick-Jackson.

Just before the half-hour mark Smalling rose the highest for a corner and powered a header inches over the bar to register the closest chance of the match up to that point for the Reds.

Not for the first time in a season low on goal scoring chances United pressed high up the field and played some nice passes around the edge of the oppositions penalty area without actually creating an opening, frustrating to say the least.

The away side were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous area after Lingard was upended. The resulting kick was taken by Memphis who blasted the ball straight into the wall. Yet another wasted free kick by a player who should do better when the opportunity arises in those situations.

As half time approached Memphis stretched his legs down the left wing and his run took him into the penalty area where he was tackled all too easily and the attack broke down. That summed up the Dutch wingers season.

Half time and the two teams were locked at 0-0 in a half that was so lacklustre van Gaal was probably wearing shades to hide the fact that he had nodded off in the sunshine.

The main talking point had to be the injury to Italian defender Darmian and the hope that it would turn out not to be as serious as it had initially appeared as he joined the bench for the remainder of the match wearing a brace on his injured left ankle.

United started the second half having made no changes and immediately went on the attack as they tried to find the all-important opening goal and it was Herrera who came the closest as he volleyed his snap shot into the side netting.

The Under 21 player of the season Borthwick-Jackson made some decent forays down the left unfortunately, Memphis wasn't on the same wavelength as the youngster.

In the opening quarter of an hour, United were camped in Norwich's half as they searched for just one break but Norwich held firm as they had to if they wanted any chance of staying in the top flight.

Mata and Herrera were as industrious as ever but you could see that they needed more of a threat to aim for up front as Rooney laboured on his own. It seemed that if a goal was forthcoming it would be one of the Spaniards who would be heavily involved.

Rojo was next to try his luck with a header from a corner but it bounced wide of the far post.

Norwich did, at last, get the home crowd on their feet when they pressed the United defence in a two-minute spell which amounted to, basically, nothing.

Eventually United's approach play paid off in the 71st minute when Valencia played a long ball out of defence which Rooney collected and purposely strode into the box as soon as he realised he didn't have an opening he cleverly spun around and delivered the ball on a plate for Mata whose left-footed strike gave the keeper no chance and put United into a deserved lead.

Van Gaal decided the time was right for a change and replaced Lingard with Schneiderlin for the last fifteen minutes. Interestingly, prior to the goal forgotten man Januzaj was about to make his entrance. That all changed once Mata had scored.

Memphis once again flattered to deceive on the left wing as he squandered two opportunities to play decent crosses to his teammates much to the despair of Rooney and Mata who had made excellent runs to get on the end of the expected ball that never materialised.

There was a clear chance for Schneiderlin to seal the game after Rooney had set him up, but unfortunately he pulled his shot well wide.

The last change of the match saw the impressive Fosu-Mensah come on for Carrick in the last few minutes which produced smiles on the away bench as once again Januzaj was stripped and ready for action only for van Gaal to have a change of mind.

There was one last chance for the away side after goal hero Mata was unceremoniously dumped on his backside. Memphis took the resulting free kick and came within a whisker of adding a second.

The last shot of the game fell to Herrera who hit his effort high and wide which summed up the quality of the match both sets of fans had been forced to witness.

Full time and another important win and three points for United in their quest for a finish in the top four. So many times this season it has been said that the result was more important than the performance, which has never been more so than in this match. For all the possession United enjoyed they still made hard work of killing of a team that in ninety minutes only troubled De Gea once.

It's difficult to choose a player for the man of the match after so many below average performances, so Valencia gets the nod for his effort. Maybe Januzaj should get a special mention for at least providing the entertainment by taking the time to get ready for action, not once, but twice only not to be used at all.

With two matches left to play, United will be sweating on how local rivals City get on at home to Arsenal before their trip to play West Ham in mid-week for the last ever match at Upton Park when the Hammers will be aiming for revenge for the FA Cup defeat United inflicted on them last month.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United's Boys to Men.

I'm sure almost every Manchester United fan has dreamed about scoring the winning goal in front of the Stretford End to earn the Reds a vital victory. Well, imagine not only doing it once, but twice.

Marcus Rashford must have been pinching himself the morning after his dream debut against Midtjylland as he realised exactly what he had achieved. Not only had he helped his side into a mouthwatering last 16 clash with arch rivals Liverpool, but he had also put his name in the record books as United's youngest scorer in European competition an honour previously held by the one and only George Best.

Not bad for a local lad who thought he would be on the bench hoping to get a run out for the last few minutes. Fate has a strange way of showing its hand.

It has been a season in which United have had to rely on the youngsters at the club to help out the first team due to the heavy loss of players due to injury and boy have they risen to the challenge. Jesse Lingard is the main example, a product of the United system, he has enjoyed an extended run in the side and has not let himself down not only performing well but contributing with five goals.

The main positions that have needed the most cover have been in the full back spots and they have been admirably filled by the likes of Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Donald Love, Guillermo Varela, Joe Riley and a late cameo by Regan Poole against Midtjylland.

In attack, James Wilson obviously didn't grab van Gaal's attention and was allowed to join Brighton on loan and it was a surprise that the manager recalled Will Keane as cover in the attack in place of Wilson. Andreas Pereira has been used fleetingly but has been involved in the full squad set up for a while.

And that's the main point getting the young players involved as much as possible with the first team. They might not play every week, but the fact that they are training and travelling with the more experienced players is a crucial component in any young players development. It's imperative they learn how to be a Manchester United player on and off the field.

In the first leg in Denmark and against Shrewsbury in the FA Cup, there was a bench full of academy and reserves, including the recalled from loan goalkeeper Dean Henderson as cover for Romero. Valuable experience even if they didn't manage to get involved in the matches.

It's been a mixed bag for the academy teams this season with a change in coaches after a poor season, which saw Paul McGuinness depart after years involved in the progress of many players.

With former graduate of the famous class of '92 Nicky Butt now in charge of the academy it guarantees that the young starlets' feet will remain firmly on the ground as he will lead by example and ensure his young charges do not get carried away with the fame that will surely come their way.

The reserves have had a better season sitting pretty at the top of their league and it's that side that has provided the main cover for the first team. With the likes of James Weir receiving rave reviews for his overall contribution this season, it won't be long until a few more young stars of the future will be knocking on the door of the first team.

Many negatives have been said and written about Louis van Gaal's tenure as manager of the club. However, one thing is for sure he has not been afraid to give the youth a chance. It can be argued that as he didn't sign covering players in the transfer window then he has had little or no choice but to turn to the youngsters.

The main thing is once they have been given the go ahead the players have responded well and at no point seem overawed by the step up to the first team. It's so refreshing seeing them clearly enjoying themselves and obviously playing for the club rather than their wallet and long may that enthusiasm last.

It looks like the latest batch of young talent off the production line is bright at Old Trafford and long may the tradition of nurturing talents like Rashford, Lingard & Co. continue to flourish for many more years to come.

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.

United Fail To Deliver.

Sunderland 2 Manchester United 1

In a match that at least on paper United should have won fairly easily ended in a defeat which not only leaves top four qualification in the balance, but also throws fresh doubt on Louis van Gaal's position as manager.

Outplayed, out-thought and outgunned by a Sunderland side fighting for their Premiership survival United offered little in the way of ideas of how to compete with the Black Cats.

Coming into this match United's Premier League away record against the Sunderland was impressive, having played fourteen and won nine of them and having only lost one. So, a victory was definitely on the cards for the Red Devils bearing in mind the style of attacking play they had put on in the last three games and the fact that Sunderland has been struggling for most of the season.

Under new manager Sam Allardyce they have started to put a run of form together and pulled an unlikely draw out of the hat away at Anfield last week after falling behind by two goals.

After sticking with the same side for the last two matches van Gaal decided a slight reshuffle was needed and chose this starting XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

The manager made only one change to the starting eleven and that was to rest Fellaini completely as he brought Schneiderlin back to the midfield to partner Carrick.

The surprises were on the bench as there were three youngsters called up to join the first team and they were defender Donald Love, midfielder James Weir and striker Will Keane who netted five goals against Norwich City last week in an under 21 match. In fact, the U21s are now leaders in their league above, ironically, today's opponents Sunderland.

Sunderland got the game underway on a bitterly cold afternoon and before any of the players could get warmed up the hosts took the lead from a Khazri free-kick that went through everyone and caught De Gea off guard as he dived late and was unable to stop the ball creeping in at the far post.

Great start for the home side after only three minutes not so much for the visitors but there was still a long way to go in the match and more than enough time for United to put things right.

It was almost 2-0 for Sunderland after ten minutes when the ball was bubbling around De Gea's six-yard area only for Defoe to thankfully miss kick his shot under pressure from Smalling.

United had played in some decent balls into the opposition area without being able to cause any worry to former red O'Shea and his defence. They were also guilty of giving away needless free kicks while attacking in the final third. So far, this was not the same United side that had performed well in the last three outings.

In the opening half an hour Sunderland was on top of the match and had created the better chances, including a fair shout for a penalty against Schneiderlin. It seemed that the wind had been knocked out of United's sails by that early goal.

Mata had the first clear chance on goal for United with a snapshot from the edge of the area which was fired directly into the keeper's hands.

Ten minutes before the break Darmian was involved in a collision with goalscorer Khazri which clearly caused the Italian defender immense pain in his right shoulder that forced him off.

Then all the away fans raised the roof as Anthony Martial scored a sublime equaliser five minutes before half time. It all came from a passing move that ended with Mata firing a rasping drive that the keeper Mannone could only parry into the path of Martial who dinked the ball over the keeper into the net. A lovely finish which brought United right back into the game.

Before the restart, Donald Love replaced Darmian at right back to make his first team debut for United. With his surname and tomorrow being Valentines day it could have been a writer's dream for the headlines.

Half-time and it ended 1-1 thanks in no small part to Martial's awareness in front of goal. His quickness of feet is a joy to watch and the way he executed the little chip over the keeper shows how much confidence he has in his own ability.

The equaliser was the only bright spark on an otherwise dull display from United and with Darmian leaving the play with a shoulder problem, it could prove very expensive indeed with games coming thick and fast. The players were well below par and would drastically have to lift their game in the second half.

United started the second half with two youngsters Borthwick-Jackson and Love in the full back positions and no further changes.

Rooney had been fairly quiet in the first half and started the second by having his name taken for a careless trip on Cattermole.

It was Sunderland who started on the front foot and Defoe almost caused Blind to score an own goal which gratefully didn't happen as the ball squirmed past De Gea's post with the keeper beaten.

Mata became the next United player to be cautioned after he had bamboozled himself lost the ball and tripped up the defender. To be honest, it was a harsh booking as the ref should have laughed it off along with everyone else. Then Carrick gave Marriner no option but to book him after he fouled M'Vila right under the ref's nose.

Not a good start from United who were all at sixes and sevens and needed a straight head to guide them through this rocky period of play.

There was a very dangerous moment for United when N'Doye was put clean through the away defence and he struck his shot well when in a one on one position with De Gea but not for the first time this season the Spaniard stuck out his size 9's and saved a certain goal.

On the hour mark van Gaal made a change in attack when he replaced Lingard with Memphis who was celebrating his 22nd birthday.

United's passing had been terrible all day with Mata being the main culprit when in a forward position and Carrick comes a close second.

The Red Devils had De Gea to thank again as he pulled a save from his vast repertoire by tipping over a drive from close range by Kone. There are not enough adjectives to describe United's keeper at the moment he really is on top of his game.

As the final ten minutes approached the visitors enjoyed a spell of pressure, which resulted in a string of corners that had no end result as the Sunderland defence cleared them all too easily.

Disjointed could be used to describe United's play in this match as they looked at times like they had never played together before.

Van Gaal stated that Memphis had had his confidence boosted by his appearance for the U21s in midweek but that confidence was nowhere to be seen as he shot weakly towards the goal when he should have blasted it into the back of the net.

After being denied by De Gea earlier, Kone broke United's hearts by putting the Black Cats back into the lead with a header that somehow went under the keeper's body on the line. The winner was unfortunately put down as a De Gea own goal which was a shame as he had pulled off some fine stops prior to the goal.

Five minutes on the clock and with his side trailing van Gaal tried his last throw of the dice by replacing Schneiderlin with Keane in an attempt to save the game.

Memphis tried his luck with a curler that the keeper managed to punch away as United tried to save face. This was followed by O'Shea, who clearly hand balled a Memphis shot, but the referee only awarded a corner much to the disgust of Rooney and his teammates. There were a few shouts for penalties throughout the game and maybe Marriner felt he couldn't award one when he didn't give the others.

Full time and it ended in a 2-1 defeat that has left a very bad taste in the mouth. A result that has to go down as one of the worst of a season of many not so much for the fact that United lost against a team that has been struggling near the bottom all season but more for the fact that they performed so poorly.

United failed miserably to take an advantage in the race for a top four position with all the top four teams playing each other over the weekend. A victory would have seen United close the gap over City to just three points. However, once again van Gaal's side just didn't turn up for a fight.

There are only twelve Premier League matches remaining that will define United's season and they will surely have a strong bearing on whether Louis van Gaal will still be at the helm come next season. Failure to finish the campaign in one of the coveted top four positions will only add fire to the rumours surrounding the impending arrival of the self-proclaimed special one Jose Mourinho.

There is a backdoor chance of qualification for the Champions League via the Europa League, which starts this week with a first-leg tie away in Denmark against Midtjylland.

The quandary for van Gaal and his team is how seriously they take the tournament as on the one hand, it's the only European competition United have yet to win and along with the FA Cup it is their only realistic chance of silverware. On the other hand, a sustained run could hamper their league form through fitness and more injuries.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United's Hopes Dented By Chelsea.

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 1

Diego Costa's goal in added time salvaged a point for Chelsea as United looked to have done enough to earn a hard fought win at Stamford Bridge.

Even with United lying in fifth place and Chelsea sitting in the lowly position of thirteenth, this is still one of the biggest clashes in the Premier League and as a spectacle it didn't disappoint.

Since they last met six weeks ago both teams have had a slight improvement in their fortunes, but are both still struggling to find the rhythm needed to surge further up the table.

Following United's two wins on the bounce and six goals scored, Louis van Gaal unsurprisingly decided to show faith in the side that convincingly beat Stoke in midweek: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

The selection meant youngster Borthwick-Jackson would continue to gain valuable experience at the back while Carrick and Fellaini continued together in midfield and the quartet of Mata, Lingard, Rooney and the ever impressive Martial were given another chance to prove their quality together up front.

With Rooney edging ever closer to Bobby Charlton's all-time scoring record of 249 the emphasis had to be for him and his teammates on an all out attack against a Chelsea defence who have struggled for form this season.

Chelsea got the game underway with the fantastic away fans making the loudest noise inside the stadium.

United started the brighter of the two sides with Borthwick-Jackson proving he has crossing ability by delivering a superb ball into the box that unfortunately evaded everyone. Positive play from the away side.

With Darmian providing an outlet on the right United seemed to have a good balance in attack. It was that youngster Borthwick-Jackson, who had the first speculative effort on goal from distance which lacked power. However, it showed the confidence is growing in the full back.

Five corners in the opening eleven minutes showed exactly how dominant United had started the game. They just had to turn that dominance into goals.

Carrick tried his luck with a low drive that didn't really trouble Courtois in the Chelsea goal, but at least, United was having a go.

The home side hardly had a look in during the opening fifteen minutes as United were first to every loose ball and when they did manage to string some passes together the away side harassed them into mistakes.

Martial and Mata combined well on the left and the French striker let loose with a drive that the keeper had to dive at full stretch to tip the ball past the post. A brilliant strike and save to match.

Mata was clearly enjoying his return to his former stomping ground as he pulled the strings in most of United's attacks.

Daley Blind was certainly getting plenty of practice taking corners from the left and right, but couldn't find the killer ball and most were aimed at Fellaini who failed to make contact with any of them.

It was Diego Costa's first ever match against United and his frustration began to boil over as decisions didn't go his way.

In a rare corner for Chelsea, De Gea pulled off a fine reaction save from a Magic header. United would have to be on their toes as the home side slowly got their game together.

Costa came the closest for Chelsea just after the half hour mark when he dragged his shot wide of De Gea's far post this was then followed by a chance for Oscar who blasted a good chance over at the near post.

United's play had gone slightly off the boil as they let Chelsea see more of the ball and their high tempo of the opening twenty minutes had disappeared.

The one time Fellaini did manage to connect with a Blind corner, he could only direct his effort wide.

A cross from Darmian two minutes from half-time only needed the slightest of touches from Rooney to give United the deserved lead, but he couldn't quite get to the ball in time. Then the play switched to the other end where there was a huge claim for a penalty as Terry's snapshot seemed to hit Blind's arm. Thankfully referee Oliver only awarded a corner.

Half-time and it's a little surprising that it ended goalless as both sides had more than their fair share of chances to score if not for the brilliance of the two keepers at either end who both made some fine saves.

Chelsea had to be the happier of the two teams as they made their way down the tunnel as it had been United who enjoyed the majority of the play. The visitors could have been down to ten men and a goal behind if the referee had awarded the penalty against Blind in the last minute. However, they must have also felt aggrieved not to be ahead at the break after a commanding half that included ten corners to the hosts three.

United started the second half with the same eleven hoping to get only their sixth win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

The Red Devils started at the same pace as they had in the first half with both Rooney and Martial coming close to breaking the deadlock as United forced the pace.

Lingard was the next to test Courtois with a shot from the edge of the area and the keeper was equal to the task with another fine save.

There was a lengthy stop in play as the Chelsea defender Zouma fell awkwardly after trying to attempt a clearance. The young defender was stretchered off clearly in a lot of pain. Let's hope it's not too serious. The delay in play would have a significant bearing on the result.

Then on the hour came a goal of pure class from Jesse Lingard that even had van Gaal jumping out of his seat. Standing on the edge of the area with his back to goal Lingard controlled a ball that was crossed by Borthwick-Jackson and was touched on by Rooney.

In one fluid movement Lingard spun and smacked the ball on the turn into the top corner of the net and this time, Courtois had no chance. A brilliant strike from a player on top of his game and a goal United fully deserved.

De Gea was at his world class best as he saved at his near post from a strike by Ivanovic. A truly instinctive save from the keeper. He then followed that up with another stop this time from Fabregas at the other post. It looked like nothing was getting past him today.

Rooney tried his trademark overhead kick, but pulled it just wide at a point in the game that United would dearly have welcomed a second goal with fifteen minutes left.

With almost ten minutes to go in the match van Gaal made his first change by replacing Fellaini with Schneiderlin to provide a fresh pair of legs in the middle and the first thing he does is to announce his presence with a crunching tackle.

Chelsea tried their best during the last ten minutes by peppering the United penalty area with cross after cross, but the away defence stood tall to a man and blocked all that was thrown at them even if it meant bookings for Smalling and Blind.

Goal hero Lingard was replaced by Memphis for the final few minutes of the match and he received high fives from all on the bench.

Then in the first minute of the six added on Costa broke United hearts as he grabbed the equaliser after he rounded De Gea and placed the ball into the net. Borthwick-Jackson made a last ditch effort to intervene but to no avail.

The last throw of the dice by van Gaal was to make a change by introducing Herrera for Mata.

Costa almost rubbed salt into the wounds by adding a second at the death, thankfully for United De Gea stood his ground and made a point blank one-handed save low to his right.

Full-time and the game ended as a contest all square. Of the two sides, United will feel they should have taken all three points and will head back up north ruing their missed chances and allowing Chelsea to gain the momentum at the end.

The standout performance had to be from David De Gea who certainly prevented Chelsea from scoring on at least three or four occasions with top class saves, but was helpless to prevent their equaliser.

The way the top of the league is taking shape United need points as quickly as possible if they are to gain a top four finish as there is already six points between them and Man City in fourth. If they go about their upcoming fixtures in the same frame of mind as they did against Chelsea then they still have a chance of Champions League qualification starting with Sunderland away next weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.