Man United Nations.

Enter the United dressing room on any match day and you will be greeted by a chorus of accents from all over the world as the room is filled by players from Spain, Argentina, Holland, Ecuador, Belgium, Brazil and of course the Home Countries but clearly the foreigners outnumber the natives and it will only increase.

Since the season ended transfer rumours have flooded social media and newspapers with what seems like every player on the planet having been linked to Manchester United. Players from all over the globe have had their profiles and transfer fees raised by even the most tenuous of links to Old Trafford.

This is not a new experience for the Old Trafford club as they have always been linked with the best talent around, but in the past the record transfer fees were paid out for the best of British talent Robson, Keane, Ferdinand and Rooney to name but a few. Nowadays, the big money in the Premier League is being paid to the likes of Angel Di Maria, Costa, Sanchez, Aguero and Hazard. Foreigners who are paid fortunes to show their class and unquestionable talents.

Nikola Jovanovic was the first foreigner to be signed by United when Dave Sexton brought the Yugoslav to Old Trafford from Red Star Belgrade in 1980 for £300,000.

However, I suppose the start of United's foray into purchasing talent from abroad really started in the nineties with the likes of Schmeichel, Kanchelskis, Solskjær and Cantona under Alex Ferguson. The price he paid for their services was minimal, bargains to say the least. What would the value of those players be in today's over priced market.

The early nineties saw Uefa enforcing the three foreigner rule on teams which meant all European clubs had to field a minimum of eight players from their own country in European competitions.

This new law inexplicably included players who even though were British and had been through United's youth system were also adjudged to be foreign. One player who suffered the most at the time was Welshman Mark Hughes.

United's chances of European glory were greatly hampered from that rule, especially in the 1993/94 and 1994/95 seasons when Fergie was unable to field his strongest side. If the '94 double winning side hadn't been restricted who knows how far they would have gone in the European Cup.

After the abolishment of the law Alex Ferguson commented "It's come two years late for us," he said, "because we'd have had a chance of winning the European Cup in 1994 otherwise."

The only benefit from that ridiculous rule was that United, under Fergie's guidance, put a stronger emphasis on finding English youth, which famously gave us the likes of Scholes, Butt, the Neville brothers and Beckham, who along with Giggs, Bruce, Keane, Irwin, McClair, Pallister and Cole would all go on to form the British and Irish spine of the team in the greatest decade of glory the club enjoyed.

Just as important to the club during that period were, of course, the plethora of foreign talented players, including the aforementioned Schmeichel, Cantona and Kanchelskis along with Solskjær, Johnsen, Stam and Yorke.

In the new millennium what a joy it was to go to Old Trafford and watch players like van Nistelrooy, Vidic, Evra, van der Sar, Park and a certain young Ronaldo strut their stuff on the pitch alongside British players such as Ferdinand, Neville, Keane, Sheringham and the ever present Giggs.

The only major disappointment was the record signing Argentine Juan Veron, who endured a torrid time in Manchester, he had the quality, but seemed overawed by Old Trafford and the price tag of £28.1m that came with his move.

Over time the scales have slowly been tipped in favour of the foreigners. Take last summer when only one of the six new players Louis van Gaal bought was English, Luke Shaw. To his credit Louis van Gaal did give chances to British players during his debut season but this was due mainly out of necessity. However, how many of those players will have another chance in the coming season if the transfer gossip is to be believed.

Van Gaal obviously values British players and even made Rooney captain when most people thought he would choose his compatriot Robin van Persie.

Of course the ability to attract the best players in the world has only been made possible with the amount of money that has been thrown at Premier League sides in the last couple of decades by the sharing of TV rights at home and in Europe, along with lucrative sponsorship deals and foreign owners ploughing millions into the clubs.

There are many pro's to all the foreigners plying their trade on our shores the most obvious being the level of talent that fans can watch week in week out is tremendous. The quality is clearly there for all to see and some players are worth the price of a ticket on their own.

The influx of players from around the world has made the Premier League the most watched league globally and of course it widens a club's worldwide fan base to the player's home country, which is particularly true in Asia. The sale of merchandise abroad produces more revenue for a club than Matchday ticket sales.

The scouting net is forever expanding and in recent years it has included African and Arab nations along with South America and Asia. No corner of the globe is untouched in the search for the next big talent and United benefitted from this system with youngsters such as Januzaj, Pereira and Milinkovic.

As with everything, there are also con's and my main gripe is the lack of loyalty shown to the club. The kissing of badges after a wonder goal means nothing when your agent tells you that he can get you an extra couple of zero's on your salary.

Gone are the days of one player one club. We will never see the likes of a Ryan Giggs type situation again, especially from a non-British player. In the near future, there will be fewer testimonial games for players as ten months at the same club will be unheard of let alone ten years.

It has to be remembered that the beautiful game is now controlled by agents. A situation that Sir Alex Ferguson always warned us against. I for one do not blame the players for wanting the best deal they can get to secure their future, but there has to be a more stringent set of guidelines to players' contracts and less power to their agents along with more restrictions on other clubs from approaching players still under contract.

I suppose the biggest negative is the lack of youth players coming through from home as they have less chance to make it at the bigger clubs. This therefore has a knock-on effect with the National teams or maybe it's as simple as the young talent abroad is much better than ours. Add to that the fact that when there is a quality British player who becomes available his price is astronomical think of Bale, Sterling and Kane.

At the end of the day, every fan wants to see the best players sign for their side and the excitement that is generated when your club is linked to a certain player, especially a world class talent is exactly what makes the transfer windows interesting to say the least.

Many people become bored of the constant speculation, but it does provide very interesting, sometimes heated discussions on the internet which is in contrast to the past when literally any transfer news did come via a friend of a friend.

In the end, it looks like Ryan Giggs will have to brush up on his language skills as the situation doesn't look like changing anytime soon.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Need to Toughen Up.

Following United's top four finish to the season it is critical that Louis van Gaal and his backroom staff strive to solve the injury problems that blighted last season as next season's campaign will put a heavier burden on the players with the Champions League returning to Old Trafford.

It was well documented throughout last term the problems that United had with injuries, but it also highlighted the lack off strength in depth within the squad. Louis van Gaal has been on record saying that he would like to have two players for each position which is all well and good if those two players aren't sidelined at the same time.

Let's take a look at some facts from last season. United's squad suffered the most injuries of any other team in the Premier League with around 70 injuries compared to the champions Chelsea who had around 45. At one point in the season, United had a total of 10 first-team players sidelined through injury. These statistics had a strong bearing on the side's season.

What is the reason so many players suffered with some kind of injury last season? It can't be all be put down to bad luck. Could it be that the training regime van Gaal introduced took the United old-guard by surprise after the less stringent Moyes system and one that the new signings were also not used to at their previous clubs where they had it a lot easier.

Upon arriving at Carrington after a successful World Cup the new manager looked at his squad on the USA tour and quickly decided, for example, that Luke Shaw was nowhere near match fit and didn't include him until absolutely necessary and it became clear why as Shaw was United's most injured player last term, sustaining at least seven setbacks since his move from Southampton.

Michael Carrick started the season late but ended it early and his absence had a negative effect on the team as did that of a number of other casualties including Blind, Rojo, van Persie and Di Maria all missing at differing and vital times during the season.

As regards Angel Di Maria, he seemed to be affected by every knock he received during a game but I wonder how much of that was psychological.

I understand that modern players' bodies are not built for the rough and tough style of play England is known for but having said that they are fitter than players in the past so the recovery time is quicker these days. The manager never likes to rush players back into the side following an injury lay-off as he always speaks about the fact that players need the time to recover not only from the problem but also to regain their fitness, which makes sense if the squad was big enough to handle any absentees.

At the beginning of his debut season van Gaal had to cater for players that had been involved in a long hot World Cup Final tournament in Brazil, I'm not including the England players here. The likes of van Persie and Blind both of whom laboured towards the end of the season, Di Maria and his teammate Rojo who when played gave his all but also suffered for that gung-ho spirit of his.

The only player from the World Cup who didn't have a problem was Fellaini but I put that down to him starting the season later than most, his first start came in October, and his style of play is that he dishes it out more than he gets.

It's no surprise that the players who were not heavily used in the World Cup, if at all, lasted well into the season. For example De Gea, Herrera, Mata, Smalling and Young.

Falcao was signed on loan but after his well-publicised knee operation he was nowhere near the player he once was and looked decidedly off the pace in the matches he was involved in.

The Premier League is the most demanding in the world and puts a lot of stress on the bodies of the players add to that the new signings who arrived from leagues that are a lot less formidable than the English Premier League then of course it would have been a minor miracle if they all had remained match fit all season.

With no major tournament this summer and a shortened pre-season tour to the USA, Louis van Gaal has a great chance to get his players to the peak of fitness and at the same time adding valuable new blood to the squad ready for the demands of the busy season ahead.

United are blessed with the best training facilities money can buy and you never hear of players complaining about the training sessions at Carrington.

So, in the end, let's put the last twelve months down to a bedding in process for all players and staff involved and one that should provide the springboard for success to return to this great club. Providing, of course, the players remain fit!

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester United Season Review 2014-15

Well, he did it the Dutch maestro delivered on his promise of a top four finish.

In his first press conference as the new manager of United Louis van Gaal arrived straight from the World Cup and promised that his target was to guide the team into a Champions League qualifying place.

The season was an improvement on the previous one which wasn't exactly difficult, but to be honest it has been a season of ups and downs that left us sweating on that top four finish.

Of course, there were times when the team excelled by beating rivals that had embarrassed us last year. The outstanding results included beating Arsenal away the home victories over Man City and Spurs and the display at Stamford Bridge even though it ended in defeat, but the highlight had to be doing the double over Liverpool.

In the middle of the season, there was a run of eleven games undefeated in league and cup which showed signs of a move in the right direction.

These positives were tempered by the woeful displays against supposedly weaker teams. Defeat at home to Swansea, West Brom and Southampton add to those the poor away performances at Leicester, Swansea and especially Everton, which had to go down as our worst away match of the season. These games seriously dented our ambitions of ending higher than fourth.

It looked like United would go on a good run in the FA Cup, their only real chance of silverware, but that was halted by old boy Danny Welbeck in the quarter-final at Old Trafford. It pained me to see him score the winner as I wholeheartedly agreed with the manager that he was not good enough for his team and apart from that goal the manager was proved to be correct.

David de Gea performed heroics between the sticks for United as on countless occasions he somehow managed to get a fingertip, a toe, a leg in fact almost every part of his body to the ball to rescue valuable points for the team.

His stand out match among many had to be the victory over Everton at Old Trafford in which not only did he become the first keeper to save a Leighton Baines penalty in the league but his last minute save at full stretch to deny a certain goal was truly world class.

The latter part of the season was marred by the continued speculation that Real Madrid, as they do every season, wanted the Spaniard to return to his hometown to be their number one. United have offered De Gea a substantial pay increase to try and lure him to stay so the ball is firmly in his court. I hope his head is not swayed and with the uncertainty of who will manage the Madrid side he could decide to stay at a club where he is loved by the fans.

The fact that De Gea was chosen as the player of the year for the second season running tells you how terrible our defence was for most of the season. Due to a combination of injuries and poor performances the team never really had a stable look about them.

The player worst hit by injury had to be Luke Shaw who had a wretched time in his debut season. In the beginning, he was deemed to not be match fit by van Gaal and had to wait for his chance.

However, when he was fit he proved exactly what a talent he is with some outstanding link up play with Ashley Young on the left wing.

Another of the new signings blighted by time on the treatment table was Marcos Rojo but like Shaw became a crowd favourite with his all-out style of play.

Through necessity rather than choice, we saw the introductions of a couple of reserve talents in defence Tyler Blackett and Paddy McNair. To their credit, they can hold their heads up high within the team but without an experienced player to guide them they seemed to lose a little confidence towards the end of the season.

At the start of the season Louis van Gaal experimented with three centre-backs usually a combination of Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones but they were like the teams very own 'Bermuda Triangle' as strange events would take place when they were together.

Evans seems to have blown his chance under van Gaal and could depart for pastures new, Jones is still battling with confidence and decision making in his game.

To be fair to Smalling he pulled his game together and scored some important goals and when he was made captain for the Arsenal match that was a great endorsement from the manager following his contract extension.

In that system, Ashley Young was used as a wing back which totally limited his potential to create any forward momentum that resulted in a lack of assists. The same could be said of Antonio Valencia who filled in at right back all season, not his favoured spot.

The side looked distinctly more comfortable and balanced once the system had reverted to the more traditional flat four at the back and gave players like Young the licence to attack the wings which provided the much-needed outlet of goals that had been lacking.

The team is crying out for new blood at the back with experienced players to help guide the youngsters and provide that all important defensive partnership that United have been used to in the past. Many have been linked including Alves, Otamendi and Hummels so it will be interesting to see who comes.

Ander Herrera and Juan Mata were both a breath of fresh air in the middle, but it took the manager a while to blend them into his system but when they did great things happened.

Herrera's brace against Aston Villa and Mata's double at Anfield, his second winning him the goal of the season, were the icing on the cake for both of the Spanish amigos.

Their guile and skill combined with an eye for the killer pass should benefit the team more next season with the right forwards to get on the end of their creativity.

Michael Carrick started the season late and ended it early due to injuries, but when he did play the team looked more stable. At his age, he will not play a whole season which is all the more reason to buy a midfielder who can help him carry the workload.

It was a positive debut season for Daley Blind who was asked on many occasions to play in different positions including right-back, central defence and holding midfield. In fact, I was waiting for him to play in goal in the last match of the season.

He is a good utility player but the energy and work rate he put in over the season began to show in his legs towards the end.

Now, what about the bushy haired Belgian who had endured a horrible time under Moyes at United last season, what a transformation Fellaini was this term. He was a totally different player, a player who was used intelligently by the manager which paid off big time in some important games.

Used for his height he became unmarkable in attack but that wasn't the whole story he actually showed that he can play football and scored some crucial goals. A player who seemed to enjoy his game after the ridicule of last year. I'm turning a blind eye to his GBH attack on Paul McShane and subsequent red card.

After a bright start to his Old Trafford career record signing, Angel Di Maria became the enigma in the side. His poor season has produced a huge debate to exactly what went wrong. Was it an early season injury, loss of confidence or the manager not being able to find his best position?

Maybe it was all of them but it will be interesting to see how van Gaal manages the situation. I think it was a case of the right player at the wrong time as he was not suited to United's transitional period hopefully he will get a second season to repay the money spent.

Newly appointed captain Wayne Rooney flourished after his move back to his favoured position as the main striker after being wasted in midfield earlier on in the season. Once he returned there the goals quickly came with the two best being the winner away at Arsenal and the volley on the turn at home to Villa.

Robin van Persie has had a season to forget and found it hard to get into his normally lethal stride not helped with time spent on the sidelines.

I believe that like Blind his fitness was affected by the long run in the World Cup. I admire van Persie as a player and will be forever grateful for what he achieved in his debut season but with his age and injury concerns maybe it's time for a new younger version to spearhead the attack.

Lastly, is the Colombian Radamel Falcao. I for one had high expectations when he came last summer perhaps like everybody too high. He came to United on the back of a lengthy knee injury that in hindsight proved to be his downfall.

Undoubtedly talented and charismatic he seemed a perfect fit for the reds but sometimes who have to bite the bullet, shake hands and say thanks but no thanks. Exactly what the manager has done.

Fringe players like Januzaj, Wilson and Pereira still need time to develop at United so maybe going out on loan for a season will give them a confidence boost and important game time. It didn't do any harm to the likes of David Beckham in the past.

The manager and his assistant Ryan Giggs seem to have gelled over the season if the head slaps dished out by van Gaal are anything to go by.

Louis van Gaal has built up a rapport and respect from the fans after his no-nonsense press conferences along with the willingness to change his system when there were clear indications it wasn't working.

His end of season speech at the Player of the Season awards also showed his lighter, less stern side.

My opinion is that the season, on the whole, can be qualified as a success. As with everything time is a great healer and van Gaal seems more than capable of taking the team further.

I feel that with new additions to the team we can compete next season with a squad that has cover in all positions both at home and in Europe. I'm excited about the possibilities after van Gaal's bedding in season has come to an end.

Enjoy the summer break and thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

To Hull and Back.

Hull City 0 Manchester United 0

"The Hull coach is a child of Manchester United, but we will be fair to the Premier League and Newcastle." Words which were spoken by Louis van Gaal in his press conference on Friday before the last match of this season.

A Premier League match that had far more importance for the Tigers than the Red Devils.

Hull desperately needed a win to have any chance of avoiding relegation and hope that Newcastle would come unstuck.

On the other hand, United had a very slim chance of finishing third but that would have depended on Arsenal losing and United scoring a hatful of goals.

So after an uninspiring away season, which United would turn up for this match? The one that won at the Emirates and Anfield or the side that lost at Goodison Park and the King Power Stadium. The answer was most definitely the latter.

Here was the final starting XI of the season: Valdes, Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Rojo, Blind, Mata, Herrera, Di Maria, Young and Rooney.

Subs: Januzaj, Lindegaard, van Persie, Fellaini, McNair, Blackett and Wilson.

Wayne Rooney returned to spearhead the attack and Victor Valdes made his first start for the team in place of the still injured David de Gea. Angel Di Maria made a rare start for the side as Fellaini took his place on the bench. There was no place in the squad for Falcao who had played his last part for the team last week.

United kicked off their final match in the change strip of all white.

Tha atmosphere, as expected, was nervous from the home crowd, but the away fans were in typically fine voice with their special tribute to George Best who would have celebrated his birthday this week.

Hull started on the front foot and in the first minute Valdes was called into action to save a header on his line. One minute later Rooney nearly opened the scoring at the other end but fired over the bar after a pass from Rojo.

6 minutes in and a there was a slight hesitation by Valdes in goal as Hull attacked that nearly let the hosts in with a chance. To be fair to Valdes, he must be short of match timing after a lack of games due to the form all season of De Gea. Then Di Maria went to ground after a collision on the half way line which left him winded.

The first ten minutes and it was all the home side as they peppered the visitors box with crosses from corners and free kicks which were haphazardly handled by the United defence.

United struggled to get into any type of rhythm this was not helped by the fact that Young was used more in the middle to accommodate Di Maria on the left.

In the 17th  minute Hull thought they had scored after the ball was bundled over the line after Valdes fumbled a cross, but the linesman had raised his flag for offside. Straight away, Valdes redeemed himself by making a world class save down low to his left post following a chance from Elmohamady. From the following corner, the ball was in United's net once again but for the second time offside was the ruling.

On 21 minutes Louis van Gaal was forced into a change as the hugely disappointing Di Maria came off to be replaced by Adnan Januzaj.

Without the reliable De Gea behind them the away defence seemed jittery with everything Hull were throwing at them.

On the half hour it had been a lacklustre performance by United who had not created anything since the Rooney effort at the start of the half and honestly looked like they were just going through the motions as news had come through that Arsenal were up 3-0 so fourth position would be the best United could finish.

The captain showed his frustration five minutes before half-time as he lost the ball near the corner flag and as the defender cleared his lines Rooney had a sly kick at him that was luckily ignored by referee Lee Probert.

United had an opportunity to break the deadlock however Herrera couldn't get on the end of the cross from Young. Good vision again by Ashley Young who was back in his preferred position on the left wing.

Half-time 0-0 and a poor first 45 minutes from United and not the season ending high the fans were expecting. Although Valdes pulled off a brilliant save he and the back four looked on edge as Hull tried their hardest to bully them into mistakes a tactic that almost paid off.

Di Maria didn't last long in his first start for ages and with him in the side the team looked so unbalanced and without any imagination, moreover, Young must have been displeased having to move from his favoured left wing spot to make room for the Argentinian after the excellent season he has had.

The second half started with end to end football but with no penetration. Herrera had a strike blocked followed by a Hull counter attack with Meyler wasting a chance.

Ten minutes into the half and Hull won a free-kick after Blind was adjudged to have committed a foul right on the edge of the box which came to nothing.

56 minutes and Herrera broke forward in so much space but couldn't pick out the killer pass to one of his teammates. One minute later Mata played a wonderful ball over the top aimed at Rooney, but the captain just couldn't reach the ball.

Two minutes later there was a second change of the day as Fellaini came on for Young. Following the change the lively Herrera had another chance with a right-footed strike from inside the area which flew slightly wide of the post.

Hull was almost gifted a goal from another Valdes mistake as he missed the ball with a punch and Blind cleared off the line. Former red Paul McShane almost got his toe on a cross from the corner. At this time in the match, Hull was edging closer and closer to opening the scoring.

68 minutes United were awarded a free-kick in a dangerous spot after a mazy run by Januzaj but once again the chance was wasted.

Then in the 70th Valdez proved his class as he was more alert this time saving comfortably from a deflected shot on goal.

The third and last change for United came in the 72nd minute as youngster James Wilson replaced Juan Mata. Following the change Valdes made another excellent stop low to his left. The keeper showed glimpses of his former self with two world class saves but also showed his fallible side when dealing with crosses.

There were two moments of madness in the last twenty minutes, the first when Hull were lucky to not have been reduced to ten men after Abel Hernandez clearly punched Phil Jones in the stomach in the United area, but the referee waved play on.

Then to rub salt into the wounds, Fellaini was given his marching orders after following through on McShane which the refereee decided was dangerous play and issued a straight red card to the Belgian. McShane needed stitches in a leg wound and a head bandage.

After a lengthy stoppage time, Hull attacked and again Valdes was alert enough to parry a shot in a crowded penalty area.

The pressure was building in the stadium as news filtered through that Newcastle were leading by two in their match. Attack as they might it looked to be all over for the Tigers as the match entered the last five minutes.

With 90 minutes on the clock there was a late chance for United to take all the points as Januzaj won a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Rooney took the responsibility and fired over the wall, but the keeper Harper tipped it over.

The referees assistant showed an extra seven minutes to be played which evoked memories of when Steve Bruce was the hero all those years ago at Old Trafford when United beat Sheffield Wednesday to all but win the league with a similar amount of added time in his United days. Unfortunately for him and his team it wasn't to be as good today.

Full time and United's last match of the season ended goalless which meant they had finished the season in fourth and Hull City were relegated. Try as they might Hull couldn't find the breakthrough needed. As for United, it was a typical end of season display with nothing really to play for. The biggest disappointment being the ridiculous challenge by Fellaini which earned him a deserved red card and blighted a fine season for the Belgian.

In a week that saw, as expected, David De Gea win both the players' and fans' player of the year awards speculation continued about the keepers future along with a number of other players. The manager promised that all would be resolved after the last game of the season and he reiterated his stance that he felt De Gea would remain at the club.

Louis van Gaal has delivered on his promise of a top four finish and I look forward to him strengthening the squad as that was the biggest problem this season, a lack of depth. We desperately need a couple of defenders, a holding midfielder and at least two forwards as I can see him clearing the decks of players who do not match his renowned philosophy.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who took the time to read my blogs throughout the season and I really appreciate all the feedback and kind words that you gave to me. I write about United because the club is my passion and has been for a long time but it's the fans who make it all worthwhile and without them United would be nothing.

I look forward to next season and sharing my thoughts on the new campaign which I hope will be another step closer to the return of past glories.

Thanks as always for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United soar over the Eagles.

Crystal Palace 1 Manchester United 2

United flew away from the capital on a high as they won a hard fought match over a plucky Crystal Palace.

On the back of three successive defeats and with only three matches to play it was imperative that there were no more slip ups.

United fans received a boost after a difficult three weeks with the news that Memphis Depay will be joining the Red Devils from PSV. Louis van Gaal admitted that he had to act quickly to ward off the attentions of PSG.

This is a great signing as Depay is only 21 and ended a fabulous season in Holland by winning a league winners medal and showing his worth by scoring 21 goals in the process. A talent that will surely blossom under van Gaal next season.

The signing does raise a few questions about a few current players especially Adnan Januzaj. The young Belgian has endured a torrid season and with the imminent arrival of Depay it could signal a loan move away from Old Trafford, allowing Depay to wear the iconic No.11 shirt.

On the negative front, there was bad news that Michael Carrick would miss the rest of the season with a calf injury. This was indeed bad news as United had struggled in the middle of the park without his presence in the team.

The manager chose the following team: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Smalling, Shaw, Blind, Herrera, Mata, Fellaini, Young and Rooney.

Subs: Valdes, Evans, McNair, Pereira, Januzaj, Wilson and Falcao.

Luke Shaw had recovered from his injury that kept him out against WBA but there was no place even in the squad for Robin van Persie who had a virus or Angel Di Maria who was injured in training.

United got the match under way playing in their white away strip. Rooney started up front with Fellaini patrolling behind him and they were immediately in the thick of the action as the away side started brightly.

In the 4th minute, the first corner of the match went to United as Valencia powered down the right and his cross was deflected.

The passing from United in the early stages was falling short of what was needed.

7 minutes and Daley Blind let fly with a shot from distance that the keeper Speroni just managed to fingertip onto the post and out for a corner. A good effort from Blind and it is good to see a player try his luck from outside the area.

In the first ten minutes, United were in total control of the match however as in recent matches their final ball was left wanting.

Former Red Devil Zaha tried to conjure up something on the left but he was well marshalled by the defence.

13 minutes into the match and It was Ander Herrera's turn to try a shot from outside the area which wasn't even close to the target.

Fellaini showed his worth to the team as his was back in his own area to clear away a Palace cross then continued up the field to help start an attack.

After a quarter of an hour, the home team started to ask questions of United by peppering De Gea's area with crosses from both left and right which were dealt with fairly comfortably.

Then in the 20th minute United were awarded a penalty as a harmless cross by Young was handled in the area by Dann.

With no van Persie and Rooney relegated as penalty taker it was left to Juan Mata to confidently dispatched the ball beyond the reach of the keeper into the bottom corner.

Great start for United who seemed to grow in confidence from the goal even Herrera tried a Rooney volley on the turn but it didn't quite have the same result.

Quite clearly van Gaal had instructed the team to shoot on sight as it was Rooney who had an attempt easily saved after 23 minutes.

The brilliant away fans were once again in fine voice easily outsinging the home support.

Palace had a great chance to equalise after 25 minutes following a corner given away by Phil Jones. The cross was floated deep into the box and Jedinak rose the highest to power a header just wide.

Shortly afterwards, Mata gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position which Palace worked well to open up a chance that didn't quite come off for them.

The warning signs were certainly there for United who needed to show composure when all the Palace players were over reacting to every decision.

On the half hour mark and there was a worrying sight as Falcao was spotted warming up on the touchline as Rooney struggled to shake off a knock to his thigh.

With ten minutes of the half remaining Luke Shaw received treatment after an elbow to his face which allowed Rooney the time to discuss his thigh problem with the physio.

It was clear Shaw couldn't continue and after treatment he was replaced by Jonny Evans. Yet another blow, literally,  for Shaw who has been the most injured player at United this season.

A defensive reshuffle saw Jones move to left back and Evans partnered Smalling in the middle of the defence.

Five minutes before the break and United had a second shout for a penalty as the defender Delaney clearly handled a Rooney effort but referee Oliver wasn't interested this time.

In the 42nd minute after great work down the right by Valencia, the ball was eventually crossed in by Herrera to the far post where Fellaini, unfortunately, didn't react quick enough.

A minute of normal time was left on the clock and hero Mata nearly turned villain as he almost played Jones into trouble with a crazy back pass that was thankfully tidied up by Smalling. With United's past history in defence, it could have been worse.

United ended the half on the attack with a corner which was well won by the impressive Ashley Young. However, It was clear to all that Rooney would not appear for the second half.

The first half wasn't pretty from United but was all about doing a job which they completed well. Although Palace did have a few chances to score they never really threatened David de Gea's goal.

It was a blow to lose Shaw as he and Young had once again combined well down the left and the potential loss of Rooney could have an adverse effect on the team in the second half.

As expected Falcao did replace Rooney at the start of an important 45 minutes in the Red Devil's season.

Palace started the strongest and gave United's defence, and the fans, the jitters on a few occasions as they went in search of an equaliser.

It was understandable that the United players were nervous and the fact that they showed a maturity in their play speaks volumes to the work van Gaal has done this season.

In the first ten minutes of the restart, De Gea dealt well with all the high balls planted into his area, which proved how well he has improved his all round game.

54th minute and Ander Herrera was harshly booked for a foul in which he hardly touched the player.
Two minutes later and Palace drew level as Smalling gave away a foul right on the edge of the penalty area.

Up stepped Puncheon who planted the ball into the net all too easily. United's wall made no attempt to block the ball and remained rooted to the ground as the ball sailed into the goal.

A soft goal for United to concede but with Evans, Smalling and Jones reunited in defence it was certainly no huge surprise.

On the hour mark, Smalling lost the ball in the centre circle and gifted a chance for the home side who couldn't capitalise on the chance.

After the goal, it was all Palace with United definitely on the back foot and if not for some poor finishing by the home forwards it could have been a lot worse.

Not for the first time this season United needed some inspiration from somewhere.

It almost came from Blind who set up an attack in the 66th minute as he released Valencia whose cross was met weakly by the head of Fellaini.

70th minute and it was  David de Gea to the rescue as he has done so many times this season with a point blank save of a certain goal.

Three minutes later it was Ashley Young who started to increase the tempo down the left and he had an effort deflected for a corner.

One minute later Mata had the ball in the net but Fellaini was ruled off-side. Better from United but at the other end the defence was having huge difficulties coping with the speed of the home side's attackers.

76 minutes and United's best player, Young, flew down the wing and into the penalty area where he pulled back a pass to Mata who fired over.

Then one minute later the all important breakthrough came for United when that man Young crossed over a wonderful ball to the far post to allow Fellaini the simple task of heading the ball into the back of the net for his sixth goal of an impressive season.

A great goal not dissimilar to the one that Fellaini scored against Man City made from the industrious work of Ashley Young who has been the best player since the turn of the year once he reverted back to an out and out winger.

Even at 2-1 up the stress of the situation was evident as Palace still threatened the United defence.
Bearing that in mind Paddy McNair replaced Smalling which provided a fresh pair of legs at the back for the last eight minutes.

In the 85th minute, it was De Gea to the rescue again time as he saved a shot with his legs to stop a certain goal.

The Fellaini goal seemed to knock the wind out of Palace as United almost added a third in the last minute after Herrera had an excellent shot tipped over by the keeper.

That move involved the hard working Young and Falcao. It was the Colombians only really telling contribution to another disappointing outing in a United shirt.

Full-time and it ended 2-1 to Manchester United and how important a win that was. Palace put up a fight but United hung on to record their first victory in the last four games and earned the three points needed to put them in the driving seat for a top four finish.

Ashley Young provided another fine performance and it was his cross that led to the penalty and his assist that led to the winning goal. Deserved the man of the match accolades.

Where would United be without their Spaniard in goal? On at least two occasions, David de Gea came to the teams' rescue with point-blank saves to keep United ahead. Let's hope his head hasn't been turned by the attentions of Real Madrid and he commits his future to United.

Down to the last two matches starting with the visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford next Sunday. If results elsewhere go United's way we could have a guaranteed Champions League place by the time we meet them. Even so, this brings with it a chance to avenge the defeat at the hands of the Gunners in the FA Cup quarter-final.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.