United Blow Away the Champions.

Manchester United 4 Leicester City 1

Manchester United turned on the style along with goals which saw off the challenge of Leicester City in an impressive first half of football not seen at Old Trafford for a long time.

In a week in which Jose Mourinho has fended off criticism of himself, his team and his captain it was back to Premier League action and the visit of the reigning champions to Old Trafford.

United returned to winning ways against Northampton Town in the EFL cup in midweek after succumbing to three successive defeats. For that tie, Mourinho made wholesale changes so it was interesting to see which side he would put out against the Foxes.

In the end, he chose a starting XI composed of: De Gea, Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind, Pogba, Herrera, Lingard, Mata, Rashford and Ibrahimovic.

Rooney was dropped to the bench after some below par displays. Mata started his 150th Premier League game and Lingard was hoping for a better game than his last time out in the derby. At the back, Smalling kept his place alongside Bailly with Blind taking over left back duties in place of Shaw.

Pogba returned in midfield and it would be interesting to see how he would fit in along with Herrera, who was the best player against Northampton. Up front, there was another chance for Rashford to showcase his immense talent alongside Ibrahimovic.

United got the game underway looking to end a run of two Premier League defeats.

Daley Blind had the first speculative effort in the opening exchanges after good work from Valencia down the right. Blind's shot was too high, though.

The pace of Rashford was there for all to see from the off as he stormed into the oppositions box and it needed a good tackle to stop him in his tracks.

A cross was whipped in from the left by Mata aimed for the head of Pogba which it missed, but as it fell to the unmarked Ibrahimovic the crowd held its breath as he tried his standard acrobatic shot but this time it flew past the far post.

There was a neat interchange between Pogba and Mata which finally unleashed Rashford who was just beaten to the ball by the keeper Zieler.

It wasn't all United as the Foxes had their moments to attack without seriously troubling the back four or De Gea in the opening ten minutes.

Leicester had a two-minute spell in which they blasted shots towards United's goal each one being blocked by the resolute defence.

After twenty minutes it was a fairly lacklustre game with no clear cut chance for either side which in turn kept the fans subdued. However, all that changed when Blind sent over a high corner which was met firmly by the head of the captain for the day Smalling, who woke everybody up with the opening goal.

Leicester responded to going behind by immediately going on the attack, but it was United who broke through Herrera. He played a delightful ball forward for Ibrahimovic to chase. He unselfishly fed a rushing Rashford who looked certain to double the lead but for once, his finishing evaded him and he fired wide. The youngster followed that up with an overhead kick which flew over the bar.

All of a sudden the home side were in the ascendancy as Pogba skillfully clipped the ball over the defence to pick out Ibrahimovic, who chested the ball down and powered his volley over the bar.

Record signing Pogba was involved again as he thundered a long-range dipping drive on goal which the keeper didn't take any chances with and punched the ball two handed away for a corner.

What a difference a goal makes as the away side were now on the back foot as before the goal they had most of the possession.

Then in the 36th minute, Mata came up with a big goal as he was involved in a neat passing move with at first Pogba who flicked the ball onto Lingard inside the area he in turn laid the ball off to Mata who collected the flick on and hit a left-footed beauty into the back of the net to give his side a deserved 2-0 lead.

United added a third after Leicester fell asleep at another United corner. Blind was alert enough to see the run along the byline of Mata and rolled the ball into his path. Mata then sent in a low cross into the six-yard area and there was Rashford to slide the ball into the net for one of the easiest goals he will score.

Then the roof was lifted when United added a fourth in the 42nd minute and a first goal for Pogba who rose to power in a header to cap off an impressive display from United. It had to be said that the Leicester defence was a shambles.

Three of the goals had come from corners taken by Blind two long and one short all of which the Leicester defence were at sixes and sevens with.

Half time and four goals to the good. Who needs Rooney? It was the first time since 2001 that United had gone in at half time four goals ahead.

After a quiet start to the match, United eventually kicked into gear and for the first time in what seems like years provided the type of dominant football that has been lacking. They passed the ball well and had too much pace for Leicester who completely switched off after they conceded the second goal.

Pogba was outstanding and showed his class with some neat flicks, but it was Herrera, who once again shone with his all round play.

At the start of the second half, Mourinho wisely decided against making any changes. United started the half in a relaxed manner as it seemed with a lead of four goals they were happy to go through the motions. A feeling clearly not shared by their animated manager who stood on the touchline and urged his players not to lose their focus.

Leicester's Gray scored a fabulous goal from the edge of the area to deny De Gea a clean sheet. In a league that normally ends so tight goal difference is key so United would have to keep their defensive wits about them.

On the hour mark and leading 4-1, the atmosphere was a little underwhelming to say the least and United needed to lift themselves and the crowd.

Lingard tried to raise the pulses with a shot from the edge of the area after good work from Valencia but he was put under pressure from Gray and skied his effort over.

The big Swede Ibrahimovic pulled a fine save out of the keeper with a first time shot that was tipped around the post for a corner.

To their credit, the champions hadn't given up hope of rescuing something credible from the match and you could tell they sensed that United had taken their foot off the pedal as they attacked only for King to fire weakly at De Gea.

The fans filled the Theatre of Dreams with chants of Ander Herrera as the Spaniard mishit his shot from the edge of the area.

As the match entered the final quarter of an hour United started to look for the fifth goal when Valencia attempted a cross to find Ibrahimovic and Blind continued to deliver dangerous crosses from corners that the visitors struggled to deal with.

At the other end scorer Gray tried his luck again from the same spot where he had netted from but this time, De Gea pulled off a brilliant save at full stretch to deny him.

United's first change of the day saw Carrick replace Lingard. It will do Lingard's confidence the world of good to hear the fine reception he received from the home supporters who recognised the effort he had put in. Carrick made his landmark 500th League appearance.

Leicester continued to press forward, albeit a little too late as the minutes ticked by.

The second substitution came with some seven minutes on the clock as scorer Rashford made way for Rooney.

Ibrahimovic did his best to get on the score sheet as he tried to bend the ball into the far corner, but the keeper read it well and collected easily. He then had a shot blocked after being picked out by Mata.

That was Mata's last action as he came off for Young for the last few minutes.

Full time and in the end a comfortable win for United with all the damage done in the first half. There were some outstanding performances for the Reds especially from Bailly, Blind and Herrera. Ibrahimovic played exceedingly well without scoring. However, the man of the match had to be Paul Pogba who had by far his best game for United and topped it off with a goal.

After a week full of criticism from all quarters and 'Einsteins' United delivered a performance worthy of the badge and hopefully that momentum will be carried on over the next few weeks.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Fail To Outfox Leicester.

Manchester United 1 Leicester City 1

Leicester City will have to put the champagne on ice.

Man United's hopes of clinching a Champions League place took a serious blow as they were held by league leaders Leicester City at Old Trafford.

Following the euphoria of reaching the FA Cup final with a goal at the death last weekend it was back to the league for the Red Devils with the visit of champions-elect Leicester City.

Exactly what Claudio Ranieri and his team have achieved this season is truly remarkable and at the same time inspiring proving that the Premier League is the most open league in the world. Consider this, at the start of this season, Leicester were a whopping 5000-1 to end the campaign as champions.

As regards United, there are only a handful of games left and still the possibility of a top four finish remains, so it was imperative that they  didn't let the Foxes complete their fairy tale season by being crowned champions at Old Trafford.

After the excitement of last week, Louis van Gaal allowed his players some time off this week to recharge their batteries ahead of the last five games of the season. His starting XI was as follows: De Gea, Valencia, Blind, Smalling, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Rooney, Lingard, Martial and Rashford.

Van Gaal decided to make only one change from the side that started the FA Cup semi-final and that was to drop Fosu-Mensah to the bench and start Valencia at right-back. Hopefully, the manager isn't punishing the youngster after he gave away a debatable penalty last week.

United got the match underway attacking the Stretford End.

The first few minutes of the game were played in and around the visitors' penalty area without United creating any clear openings on goal. Leicester struggled to gain possession and looked like the pressure of the occasion was affecting their play.

All the early pressure paid off in the eighth minute when Lingard linked well down the right-hand side with Valencia who still had a bit of work to do. He eventually delivered a teasing cross into the box that evaded Rashford's head and fell nicely for Martial unmarked at the far post. The French striker had the relatively easiest of finishes to put the Reds in the lead and become his side's leading scorer this season.

The home side almost added a second a few minutes later, following a deep cross from the left by Rojo that Fellaini did extremely well to control and lay the ball off to Lingard whose shot was saved well by Schmeichel.

Leicester pulled level in the sixteenth minute after a free kick was delivered invitingly into United's box and there was Morgan to head home the equaliser. It was a goal totally against the run of play, but one that the United defence have to accept responsibility for.

United won a free kick right on the edge of the penalty area which Rooney elected to take but he fired his effort straight into the defensive wall. This season has been terrible for free kicks taken by United compared to past seasons with only a few that have found the back of the net.

The visitors had a chance to take the lead just before the half-hour when Schlupp lined up a shot which was brilliantly blocked by Valencia.

This was followed by a straight chase between Lingard and Simpson for a poor back pass that was eventually kicked clear by Schmeichel. Rooney complained to the ref that he thought Lingard was hauled down by Simpson, however, referee Oliver got the decision correct.

After the great start by United the half had evened out with Leicester more involved in the game and they started to create chances of their own and won a few corners and the odd penalty shout.

The home defence clearly hadn't learnt from the goal they had conceded as Morgan was left free by Rojo to try another header which this time sailed over the bar, but the warning signs were there.

As half time approached either side could have taken the lead if not for poor finishing mixed with good defending.

The match was all square at the break after half that had started off so promisingly for United but had ended in a deflated manner. Leicester scored at exactly the right time to take the wind out of United's sails and as usual, the Reds will rue not taking more chances when they were in total control.

The next forty-five minutes would be crucial for both sides. A draw is not what either side desire, especially United who desperately need the three points to keep any hope of a top four place alive.

Leicester started the second half on the front foot as they won an early corner that was headed goalward and was well saved by De Gea. Then Martial tried his luck at the other end with some nice footwork and a shot that just wouldn't dip in time.

The action continued, this time with Leicester coming close to grabbing the lead when a cross come shot almost found its way to goal.

You could sense that Leicester knew this was a big chance for them to catch out an average United as they cranked up the gears. United needed a creative influence so Mata was introduced just before the hour mark to try and bring that component to the game. He replaced Lingard, who was on a booking.

Before the change Rooney tried a Cantona style chip to the far post from the edge of the area that almost crept in and would have made the watching French master smile.

Rooney wasn't having a good game in his deeper role and this was summed up when he was cautioned for a foul on the touchline and vented his frustration towards the referee.

As the match entered the final twenty minutes De Gea was alert to a long range effort from Mahrez when he punched his shot away. At this point, Leicester were in the ascendancy and showed exactly why they sat at the pinnacle of the league.

United's second substitution came when Herrera was brought on for Fellaini who had struggled to impose himself on the game and could be in trouble for yet another elbowing incident after an altercation with Huth.

Almost immediately Martial delivered a dangerous cross which was defended well by Morgan then Smalling saw his header hit the post after a Rooney cross. That was the closest United had come to taking the lead.

With ten minutes left on the clock you did feel that there was another goal in the game but who would it go to? Rooney had started to impose himself more and more on the game and Martial was a threat as ever. However, the visitors also had their chances.

The third and final throw of the dice by van Gaal was to take off Rashford and give yet another chance to Memphis.

There was drama in the last five minutes as Drinkwater brought down Memphis inches outside the penalty area and received his marching orders following a second yellow card. It looked like a stonewall penalty but referee Oliver was adamant it was outside.

Then United had two free kicks in quick succession. The first of which Rooney took that needed a smart save by Schmeichel at his near post. This was followed by a poor effort by Memphis, who used to fire in the same chances at PSV on a regular basis.

Full time and the match ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw which seriously dents United's chances of Champions League qualification.

As the match progressed United lost the momentum they had built in the opening twenty minutes and only have themselves to blame for allowing a determined and organised Leicester back into the game.

Today was a case of two points dropped by United even though they hadn't played poorly they did fail to capitalise on their bright start. With three games left they are relying on the results of City and Arsenal above them. Van Gaal said United needed to win their last four games to finish in the top four so, by his own admission, they're facing an uphill battle now.

There's still a chance with City and Arsenal playing each other next weekend. However, it's going to be difficult, especially with tough trips to Norwich and West Ham ahead.

It makes for a very interesting end to another below par season for van Gaal and his side, who have once again let another game slip through their fingers, but credit to Leicester who only need one point or Spurs to falter against Chelsea and they will be crowned champions for the first time in their 132 year history. A truly amazing achievement indeed.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Bastian Rescues United

Leicester City 1 Manchester United 1

Who would have thought at the start of the season that United would be playing Leicester City for the top spot in the Premier League at the end of November, but here they were.

It was a day that a long standing record was broken and that was when Bastian Schweinsteiger became the first German player to score for Manchester United.

Following the failure to score and, therefore, guarantee qualification from their group against PSV it promised to be a tough match against lead leaders Leicester especially when you consider the latest players to join the injured on the sidelines. Lingard's hamstring and Rojo's unspecified problem meant that once again United was left short-handed going into battle.

LvG gave his backing to Rooney in his press conference stating that he had faith in his captain to come good, however the more he drops deep the less effective the team becomes and after the numerous 0-0 draws this season we need him in the attack or not at all.

The starting XI chosen to right the wrongs were: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, McNair, Carrick, Schweinsteiger, Mata,Young, Rooney and Martial.

Carrick made a welcome return from injury to replace Schneiderlin in the middle, Mata started for the injured Lingard and McNair was handed a rare start in defence in place of Rojo. Memphis would have to accept a place on the bench once again alongside two academy players Borthwick-Jackson and Rashford.

United's team sheet indicated that van Gaal would revert to his favoured 3-5-2 formation with Young and Darmian occupying the wing back roles and that is how the away side began the match on a wet night in the East Midlands.

It was an open start to the game as both sides tried to get a feel for each other and it wasn't until the 7th minute that United got behind the home defence as Darmian won the first corner.

A change of tactics at corners has been noticeable as the team seems to have dispensed with the short pass and at last started to deliver the ball into the danger area where the most damage can be afflicted.

A gasp rang around the stadium following a mistake by Carrick that allowed Vardy a run on goal but all he could manage was to win a corner.

Young collected the first booking of the game on the quarter hour as he brought down Mahrez in the centre circle. Then Young tried to make amends with a nicely constructed break for United that ended when he delivered an overhit cross from the left, which was clearly aimed at Fellaini, problem was the Belgian was sat on the bench.

It was Martial's turn to try and open the defence when he squared for Schweinsteiger whose effort was deflected from danger.

Records are there to broken and so it came to pass as Vardy collected a defence-splitting ball in the 24th minute and whipped a shot across De Gea's goal to put the Foxes in the lead. That would be the first and last shot on goal for Vardy but quality finishers only need the one chance.

The goal came from a break following a United corner and it caught the defenders totally wrong-footed as they struggled to cope with the speed of Vardy.

The question was how United would react. The answer was poorly as their passing was awful and thus provided Leicester with the impetus to attack and if not for De Gea it would have been even worse as he produced a wonderful save from Okazaki.

Darmian and McNair were having a dreadful time of it at the back as they struggled to contain Vardy and Mahrez.

Martial had another of his typical twisty runs on the byline and fully deserved more than the corner he won. When the ball was delivered Rooney must have wished a hole would have opened up as he totally misjudged his header which he directed into the ground. Summed up his season.

De Gea and Vardy exchanged angry words as the forward caught the keeper late as he collected a through ball, but true to form the English darling received no word of warning from the referee.

United ended the half on the front foot and were rewarded in the first minute of injury time when Schweinsteiger got his head on a well- delivered corner from Blind to not only score his first goal for the club but to drag United back into the match at the perfect time.

The determination the midfielder showed to even get anywhere near the ball was immense as he was almost wrestled to the ground by his marker.

At the break it was 1-1 and it has to be said the away side struggled yet again with the three at the back system which gave the home side the belief that every time they attacked they had a chance.

However, what a time for Schweinsteiger to score and hopefully that would provide the stimulation his side needed for the next important forty-five minutes.

Van Gaal made no changes at the start of the second half and it was the scorer Schweinsteiger who went close to adding a second as he met a Young free-kick with a thundering header that Schmeichel saved with a reflex stop that his dad would have been proud of.

The German's goal on the stroke of half-time clearly had the desired effect as United looked the side most likely to get the breakthrough.

Leicester had offered nothing since scoring and you got the feeling that they were there for the taking if only United would press more on their defenders and deliver quality balls for Rooney and Martial to get on the end of.

The Foxes did have a great chance to score as they countered, but Ulloa's shot produced a fine stop from De Gea with his foot from what seemed a certain goal.

Fresh legs in the attack were needed and right on cue van Gaal replaced the under performing Rooney with Memphis for the final twenty minutes. If ever United needed the young Dutch forward to step up to the plate it was now.

An instinctive turn and snapshot inside the area by Mata was only just deflected away for a corner after good play from Memphis.

The play had become slightly predictable from both sides. As they entered the final ten minutes it was clear United wanted the win more, but the home defence remained firm as they repelled all that was thrown at them, including a chance from Memphis at the far post when he fired over the bar under pressure from Morgan.

Darmian had the last chance of the match to be the hero as he fired a shot on goal from the edge of the box but his effort sailed over the bar.

It ended in a 1-1 draw and both sides will be angry after they both squandered the few chances they had to top the league. None more so than United as not for the first time this season they struggled to breakdown the opposition and too many players performed to a below par standard.

On a day records were broken it was Bastian Schweinsteiger who deserves to grab the headlines as he scored his first goal for the Red Devils and he could have possibly scored at least one more if it hadn't been for Kasper Schmeichel in the Leicester goal. The German worked hard in the midfield and with four efforts on goal, which was three more than Vardy, he fully deserves the man of the match award.

The busy Christmas period is almost upon us as we enter December and the main hope for United will be that the injured players make speedy returns as van Gaal will need all hands on deck to get through a month with six games that starts with West Ham and ends with Chelsea with a small matter of a make or break Champions League tie in between.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester United Fixtures Preview 2015/16

It seems that last season has only just finished but this week saw the release of next season's fixture list.

All the fans have their own preference of which match to look for first whether it be by team or date. The most important matches have to be the Liverpool fixtures followed by the derby dates.

There is, of course, no such thing as an easy season, however, Louis van Gaal must have been quietly confident when he saw the fixtures as it has thrown up a fairly easy start and end to the season with the hardest of the matches coming mid-season which gives the team time to get into a winning rhythm.

The Red Devils will kick off their season with by far the biggest match of the opening weekend at Old Trafford against Spurs followed by an away trip to Aston Villa then it's Newcastle at home.
August ends with a tricky journey to Wales to take on Swansea who started our season off with a defeat last year. In the middle of those games, United will have the not so small task of the UEFA Champions League qualifying matches.

A collective spirit is needed.

There will be the dreaded international break before our first big clash in mid-September at home to Liverpool, memories of last season's double over them still fresh in the mind. Two more games in September see us play the much improved Southampton away and Sunderland, who were so lucky to escape the drop last time round, at Old Trafford.

Rooney scores against Arsenal.

October will prove a difficult month as it starts with two matches away first a visit to the Emirates to play Arsenal followed by Everton. Then it's the first local derby at home to Man City. Last season was sweet against the Gunners and City but sticky versus the toffees. Crystal Palace will provide the opposition at Selhurst Park at the end of the month.

The three matches in November seem to be relatively straightforward, if that's possible for United, they are WBA at home, newly promoted Watford away and Leicester away.

Ashley Young in his Watford days.

The month will see a return to Vicarage Road for Ashley Young, who started his career at Watford. It's been eight years since The Hornets were last in the top flight.

The busy festive month of December will see United play in a total of five matches three home and two away. It starts with a home game against West Ham with their new manager Bilic then a trip to the south coast to play Premier League debutantes AFC Bournemouth who we last played in the FA Cup back in 1989.

Another newly promoted side Norwich will visit Old Trafford then Boxing Day will see all the fans dressed as Santa at The Britannia Stadium to take on Stoke. Come the end of the year will hopefully be a match that is going to have a strong bearing on the Premiership title, Chelsea at home.

AFC Bournemouth celebrating promotion

The first match in 2016 will see the visit of Swansea to Manchester followed by a break in the league for the FA Cup 3rd round. After which United will be on their travels to Newcastle and Anfield the scene of Juan Mata's heroics last time we played there. The month will end with Southampton at home.

February starts with former red Mark Hughes bringing his Stoke side to Old Trafford which will be followed by United playing Chelsea at Stamford bridge on the 58th anniversary to the day of the Munich air disaster. Sunderland away comes before yet another big clash of the month Arsenal at home.

Mata the Anfield hero.

Hopefully, by the time March comes around United will be well placed for the league run in and will host Watford then visit WBA. Crystal Palace at home will be followed by our last match against one of our possible major opponents for the league, Man City at the Etihad. It would also be nice to think that United will be still involved in the knockout stages of the Champions League and the FA Cup.

The last seven matches in April and May appear to offer United a chance to end the season strongly and it starts with Everton at home then Spurs away. By the time we play Villa at Old Trafford and West Ham away, we could be potentially gearing up for silverware in the league or one of the cups or dare I say both.

Our last three games of the league season are Leicester at home followed by Norwich away, then Old Trafford will witness the last match of the campaign as Bournemouth will hopefully be trying to spoil the Champions' celebrations.

I foresee United getting off to a flying start compared to the stuttering beginning last season. Louis van Gaal has now had a year in the Old Trafford hot seat and will have learnt from his and the teams' mistakes of the previous season. Add to that the new arrivals that have been signed to strengthen the squad and there is every reason to be optimistic about the chances of being able to challenge on all four fronts next season.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Man United outgun the Foxes.

Manchester United 3 Leicester City 1

The last time these two sides met it produced a match filled with goals, eight in total, an early entry for goal of the season, defensive mistakes, baffling referee decisions, two penalties, a red card and a win for Leicester City. What would today's match have install for everyone?

That match was back in September. It was, as van Gaal described it, his darkest moment as manager of Manchester United. Now Leicester are propping up the Premier League and the 5-3 defeat of United seems an age away for the blues, but for United the embarrassment is still fresh in the memory, therefore today was a perfect opportunity to put the record straight.

The last match at Old Trafford was the deflating defeat to Southampton followed by two away games, first came the scrappy win away at QPR then the depressing scoreless draw in the 4th round of the FA Cup at Cambridge. A positive response was needed by the team to lift the fans and themselves.

The main team news prior to the match was of a muscle injury to Michael Carrick, which is likely to sideline him for around four weeks. The United starting XI van Gaal put out comprised of: De Gea, Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Shaw, Blind, Januzaj, Rooney, Di Maria, van Persie and Falcao.

No place for Fellaini, Herrera and Mata who would all start on the bench presumably with one eye on the FA Cup replay coming up in mid week.

The players wore black armbands as a sign of respect for the Munich victims who will be remembered this coming Friday the 6th of February.

As the match got underway Robin van Persie started as brightly as the weather as he tried to latch onto a couple of through balls over the top. In the opening minutes it became obvious that Leicester were more than happy to sit back and let United have the majority of the ball and defend in numbers to limit the amount of chances the home side would have. It was a tactic that seemed to be working.

In the first twenty minutes only a tame effort from Di Maria from outside the box was all United had to show for their possession. Then van Persie had a chance following good work by Luke Shaw who crossed from the left but the Dutchman uncharacteristically totally miscued his shot.

Then in the 27th minute van Persie's persistence paid off when Blind hit a ball over the top of the defence which the striker did well to hit home first time to put United 1-0 up. A true case of 'Double Dutch'. The goal seemed to give the home side new found confidence which spurred them on to score again after five minutes.

Robin van Persie turned provider as he laid a delightful pass into Angel Di Maria who let loose a shot which Mark Schwarzer in goal could only parry into the path of an on rushing Falcao who got in-between two defenders to toe poke the ball home from close range. 2-0 ahead and cruising.

Once again Di Maria and Falcao linked up well as they searched for a third goal but unfortunately Di Maria's final ball to the Colombian was behind him and the move broke down.

A minute before half-time and United won a corner on the left which was taken by Rooney, yes that's right Rooney not Jones, as the ball came over Blind flicked it on with his head and the unfortunate Wes Morgan managed to put it in his own net.

The end of the first 45 minutes and United were in total control leading 3-0.

As the second half progressed United passed the ball around with ease as Leicester seemed to have given up any hope of getting back into the game. Adnan Januzaj was beginning to shine on the left as in one particular moment he went past ex-red Simpson as if he simply wasn't there.

Rojo was playing with a growing assurance and Daley Blind hardly put a foot wrong. Blind's anticipation of the play was outstanding and he was definitely having his best game in a red shirt.

David de Gea had had nothing to do until yet another mistake in a match from Phil Jones who after a poor back pass allowed Leicester striker Ulloa a run on goal. Thankfully the Spanish keeper was alert enough to get a hand to the ball just before the striker could do any damage.

Louis van Gaal showed his intentions on 70 minutes when he replaced van Persie for defender Paddy McNair, a clear sign that he wanted to sit on the 3-0 lead. Then Valencia made room for Mata and Wilson came on for the remaining ten minutes at the expense of goalscorer Falcao.

Then as United were coasting Leicester scored a consolation goal in the 80th minute when Wasilewski headed in at the far post from a Drinkwater cross. I'm certain van Gaal will be less than pleased with the lack of marking to allow the visitors their only goal from their only attempt on target.

United offered little in the way of chances with the only clear opportunity falling to the record signing Di Maria who did all the hard work to put himself in a great scoring position then inexplicable ballooned the ball way high.

It ended in a 3-1 run of the mill win for United and a valuable three points which moves them up into third place in the league.

Many positives can be taken from the match. For example the displays of Blind, Rojo, Di Maria and Falcao, and the two strikers scored a goal apiece. Having said that, I was a little disappointed that we didn't go for the kill in the second half to cement our total dominance of a poor visiting team.

The match was won in the first 45 minutes, but I would have liked United to have stepped up a gear and not let Leicester have any glimmer of hope. At times the reds were a little too complacent and against stronger sides we will be made to pay.

On a side note with Carrick out for the next month I wonder why van Gaal went with Januzaj and not Herrera in the midfield diamond formation. A role which I believe the Spaniard is better suited to more so than the Belgian youngster, who once again let the game go on around him without stamping any authority on the play.

The transfer window has been relatively quiet with more activity on the exit door than the entry. Long serving Scot Darren Fletcher looks set to complete a move to West Ham after giving his best years to United, Brazillian Anderson is likely to put an end to his misery with a move home to Internacional and Ben Amos has joined Bolton on a month loan. As regards players in, at the time of writing, only defender Sadiq El Fitouri has been signed from Salford City.

Even though Louis van Gaal stated in his press conference that no new players will be signed in this transfer window the rumours surrounding an offer for German international Mats Hummels still persist as do the reports still linking David de Gea with Real Madrid, the sooner we tie the keeper down to a new contract the better.

Next up is the FA Cup replay with the visit to Old Trafford of Cambridge United who fully deserve their moment in the spotlight, but that's all it should be, a moment. I fully expect United to knock them out convincingly and set out a marker that the side want to win the oldest cup competition. With the teams that are still involved, or more to the point not involved, the cup is United's best chance of silverware. Here's hoping the team and the manager feel the same.

Thanks for taking the time to read.

Miles Dunton.

Man United lose to newbies Leicester City

Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3

Hi to all and welcome back on this depressing Monday morning.

Where do you even begin to explain yesterday's result against Leicester City. I'm writing this blog the morning after the match and I still can't comprehend what I witnessed or how it happened.

Man Utd were comfortable, but certainly not cruising, leading 3-1 in the second half then the unthinkable happened, the United team imploded.

United had started the match flying and ran into a 2-0 lead with strikes from Robin van Persie and a sublime goal from Angel Di Maria, which must rank as an early contender for goal of the season. The ball was played into his path by Rooney and as Di Maria entered the opposition area he delightfully chipped the keeper.

From that moment on the match started to crumble around the Red Devils. A combination of poor decisions by the officials and more worrying than that inexcusable defensive mistakes.

As regards the referee, Mark Clattenberg aided by his assistants, managed to turn the match on its head with highly debatable decisions. Starting with Leicesters' first goal did the ball cross the line prior to the cross that led to Ulloa's goal?

This was followed by the first of the two penalties awarded to the home side surely Rafael had been fouled by Vardy before the Brazilian defender chased back and gave away a soft penalty, a penalty which when converted by Nugent gave Leicester City the motivation and momentum they needed and gave the home supporters more voice.

Then the red card for Blackett left the team in an even worse state. I'm in no way degrading Leciester and their win, which they deserved, but in the end United have to solve the defensive problems, because if it had been a team like Chelsea who knows what the score would have been.

We all know that United's central defence is weak. Yesterday it wasn't helped by the departure of  the poor Johnny Evans who was replaced by the equally awful Chris Smalling. On hindsight, I would have preferred the hard working Daley Blind to have been moved back and Mata brought on to play the match out in midfield. Those changes could have protected the 3-1 lead that Herrera had given the visitors.

What happened in the last half hour must have been unbelievable for watching neutrals and our rivals. For a United team to concede four goals and gift the three points to a hyped up Leicester City is totally unacceptable.

I still don't quite understand the substitutions that van Gaal made, Mata for Di Maria and Januzaj for Falcao. A little baffling as they had been our two best players and with them on the pitch anything could have happened.

Also, my biggest gripe is with our captain Wayne Rooney, I'm not a big fan of him playing in the position behind the front two and apart from the pass he gave to Falcao when he struck the bar, his short passing game was terrible.

Sure Rooney never stops running and chasing a lost cause, and he can sweep a thirty yard ball cross field brilliantly, but as a fan I want to see him up front leading the line as a striker and banging in the goals. He doesn't have the close control skills as some of his colleagues have and loses possession too many times.

Following Louis van Gaal's comments last week about always picking his captain for the team, after yesterdays result I think he should reconsider his words as Rooney, even as captain, has to hold his hands up and look at his own performance before walking across the back line giving out verbal abuse to all the defenders. No captain should be immune to being dropped and I'm not saying Van Gaal should drop him but at least select him in his best position.


Next week United play West Ham United at Old Trafford. Let's hope that the team sort out the defensive problems that were so obvious to all watching yesterday.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.