Moment Of Magic From Mata.

Manchester United 1 Watford 0

It was a night in which United gained valuable ground in their chase for a top-four place as all around them lost their heads magical Mata kept his to ensure his side kept their winning run going.

After successfully coming through a week that included three wins and a remarkable couple of debut games for youngster Marcus Rashford it was the turn of Watford to visit Old Trafford in a Premier League match that United needed to win to mount a fresh challenge for an important top four finish and keep the confidence boosting run of wins going.

There was welcome news on the injury front with the return of to the squad of Martial and Darmian, but who would van Gaal drop to accommodate their return after the youngsters had more than done their part for the team the answer was in his starting XI: De Gea, Varela, Blind, Fosu-Mensah, Rojo, Schneiderlin. Mata, Herrera, Martial, Memphis and Rashford.

On paper, the side he chose looked exciting, to say the least with Martial taking over from Lingard to give the attack a potent looking feel alongside Rashford who has been scoring for fun this week. Mata had the honor of captioning United in the absence of Carrick, Rooney and Smalling.

In defence, Fosu-Mensah made his first start at centre-back in place of Carrick with Rojo at left back feeling no ill effects from his early withdrawal against Arsenal. On the bench, Joe Rothwell, the Manchester-born midfielder, was the latest reserve team player to be given his chance to shine.

It was the away side who started the match on the front foot attacking the Stretford End as they won an early corner which United defended well. Over the next ten minutes, United found it hard to get into any attacking rhythm and Watford took advantage of that with some forays into the home penalty area. Deeney caught Rojo with a boot to the head as the ball came in from a free-kick.

United struggled early doors to put a run of passes together as Watford hunted them down well to prevent the home side building any momentum.

Fifteen minutes in and Memphis blew off the cobwebs as he went on one of his trademark runs down the left which ended with a shot that was so wide of the mark it went out for a throw-in. At least, the winger can blame the swirling windy conditions.

Blind almost dropped a huge clanger by gifting Ighalo a chance on goal with a terrible pass which the forward thankfully hit weakly into the hands of a grateful De Gea to save the blushes of Blind.

United moved up a gear and won a free-kick in a dangerous area that Mata floated over. As the ball was cleared to the edge of the penalty area Schneiderlin was lurking and met the ball on the volley and it dipped narrowly wide of the post.

Debut defender Fosu-Mensah had a mixed start at the back with some great blocking combined with some rash challenges and received a caution for one of those challenges on the edge of the box.

After thirty minutes it had to be said that Watford had come the closest to opening the scoring and if it wasn't for nervy finishing they would have been ahead. United would have to tread carefully at the back.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was a little subdued, like United's play, and the away fans were questioning whether or not Old Trafford was, in fact, a library. Let's hope United would make them eat their words and give the crowd something to shout about.

Martial had a half-chance on goal as he met an incoming free kick which he hit straight at keeper Gomes. Memphis was having trouble with his final delivery as most of them were over hit. Mata, captaining the side, was trying to lead from the front and got in some challenges to attempt to get his players going.

Another scare for United came as Ighalo found himself clean through on goal for the second time, but instead of squaring the ball to an unmarked Deeney he chose to take the shot on himself. De Gea stood up strong and blocked his effort. How Watford was not ahead is anyone's guess.

Just before half-time, Herrera had a cross come shot that wasn't a million miles away from curling into the top corner.

There was another poor back pass by Blind that Ighalo latched onto. However, there was De Gea to the rescue again for the Red Devils who were certainly living dangerously at the back.

On the stroke of half-time, United won a corner which was inexplicably played thirty yards backwards and then the possession was lost.

Half-time and United had David De Gea to thank once again for going in on level terms as Watford had the majority of the chances on goal especially Ighalo who had wasted three clear cut chances.

The home side looked markedly downbeat and a little battle weary and didn't help themselves with some poor defending. A boost would be needed in the second half if they are to maintain their winning streak. Rashford and Martial had not really seen enough of the ball to make any impact on the game and Memphis would need to stay on his feet and become more of a threat down the left wing.

Watford started the second half as they had ended the first as they were gifted possession and it was that man Ighalo who failed to convert the chance handed to him on a plate. Capoue had a long range effort that only just fizzed over De Gea's crossbar.

Rashford came to United's rescue when he cleared a Watford corner from right on the goal line. You would have thought at this stage that Watford were the home team as United still struggled to get a decent foothold in the game.

Ighalo almost gave the visitors the lead after he twisted and turned Fosu-Mensah inside the area and curled an effort wide of the far post.

As the hour mark approached it was still Watford who looked the biggest threat on the attack, then golden boy Rashford went on a strong run into the area and won a corner for his effort. Could that be the spur to action that United needed to produce the goods?

United did indeed burst into life as Mata let fly with a screamer that Gomes managed to save and from the rebound the home side won a free-kick right on the edge of the box. Memphis struck a disappointing shot into the wall.

Time for United to turn the screw as they enjoyed their best spell in the game as Mata tried his luck from distance again but his effort was blocked. Then after sterling work from Rashford down the right, the captain almost broke the deadlock with a left-footed bender that curled wide.

When Rashford is in full flight the speed he has is frightening for a big forward and United began to reap the benefits once he had moved to the right and Martial switched to the centre.

Van Gaal made his first change of the match when he replaced Rojo with Darmian for the last twenty minutes.

The following five minutes saw the game get bogged down in the midfield as both sides looked to gain the advantage in the match.

The second change for United saw Lingard make an appearance in place of Herrera. Watford then proceeded to miss two clear cut opportunities the last one was a header at the far post by Prodl under pressure from Blind who was lucky to escape giving away a penalty.

A moment of magic from Mata eventually broke the deadlock and Watford's hearts in the 83rd minute with a delightful free kick dispatched up and over the wall into the top corner. The set piece for United came after Martial had been upended thirty yards out. That was exactly the inspiration that United needed.

It was Mata's final contribution as captain as he was replaced by McNair to a well-deserved standing ovation. Now all the home side had to do was hold out for the four minutes of added time.

Hold out they did and at the full-time whistle it was an important win and three points for United if not a great display it was the win that was crucial as Arsenal, Spurs and Man City all lost which meant that United moved to level points with City and put themselves back in the mix for a valuable top-four placing.

Even though Mata was the match winner it was the solid performance of midfielder Schneiderlin that deserved the man of the match plaudits as he gave his all for the cause as he has been doing for the latest run of games. A player that quietly but effectively goes about his business in a manner that sometimes escapes attention.

Ten league games remaining and if United can keep this run of results going who knows where they could end up.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Dismal Display In Denmark.

Midtjylland 2 Manchester United 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Man United Win At Last

Manchester United 2 Swansea City 1

Manchester United began the year in a positive mood with a hard fought victory over Swansea City at Old Trafford.

Goals from Martial and Rooney, the first time they have scored in the same match, ensured that United kick started 2016 with a much-needed win and a valuable 3 points.

United's first match of the year and it couldn't have been against a trickier opponent than the team from South Wales, who have held a certain jinx over the Red Devils and van Gaal.

Swansea had won four out of the last five meetings between the two sides in all competitions and were the team that welcomed van Gaal to the English game when they beat his side at Old Trafford in his first match in charge.

So, in United's current predicament of not having won in the last eight games of 2015, the Swans would certainly provide a stern test for United.

Van Gaal decided to make one change from the side that performed to a level that deserved more than the point they obtained in the goalless draw against Chelsea and that was to recall Jones into the defence in place of Darmian.

United's starting XI consisted of: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Jones, Blind, Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin, Mata, Herrera, Rooney And Martial.

Swansea got the game underway at a rain-soaked Old Trafford but the weather didn't dampen the home fans voices as they got behind their players from the start. It was Herrera, who almost worked his way into a shooting position within the first minute only to be denied as he readied to pull the trigger.

The home side started the match as they had left off against Chelsea on the attack with Blind and especially Young providing openings down the wings.

The visitors sat back looking to attack on the counter, which they did when Ayew found some space but failed to make good use of the ball. Something that United would have to be wary of.

Swansea set up to put pressure on United whenever the home defenders had the ball which seemed to unsettle Smalling and his defenders who tended to rush the play out of their own half.

At the other end, United lacked ideas as to how to break through the back four as they tried to play their way through the middle when the width provided by Blind and Young would have been the better option to get behind the defence.

A cross delivered from Young fell to the unmarked Rooney at the far post, but his weak effort hit the side netting. Having only scored a handful of goals in 2015 that was a perfect chance for the captain to start the new year with a bang.

With thirty minutes on the clock, it was the same old familiar story of United being unable to break their opponents down and produce the goals that would not only lift the players but also the atmosphere within the Theatre of Dreams.

De Gea was made to work as he caught an effort from Routledge at full stretch. Martial was bundled off the ball on the edge of the box and it was the quick thinking Herrera, who took the kick quickly and played in Mata. His first effort was blocked then the keeper Fabianski saved the poor follow up shot far too easily.

Another cross from Young looped into the area and was met by the head of Rooney. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by three defenders and even though he did well to rise above the rest he failed to find the power needed.

Schneiderlin was having an off day as he was guilty of under-hitting his passes and on a couple of occasions was lucky to get away with handball decisions that could have easily gone against him.

Mata came close to grabbing the opener as he let fly with a shot inside the area, however, Fabianski collected the ball low on his line.

The only outlet for United was on the right wing as Young continued to play some great balls into the danger area. Just before half time, Smalling was cautioned for a foul on Ayew. There was one more chance for Rooney to head towards goal from yet another Young cross, but Fabianski was well placed to save on the line.

Half time and it was back to the mundane play that has dogged United for the last two months as they lacked inventiveness in front of goal and seemed bereft of confidence and ideas to put the dire situation right.

As the players trudged off the pitch they did so to a chorus of boos from the restless faithful that would surely spur them on to perform better in the second half.

United got the second half underway as they attacked the Stretford End with the one change being made by van Gaal and that was Darmian replacing Jones in defence.

Rooney forced a corner within seconds of the start with a deflected shot. Blind, the main corner taker, delivered a ball that the Swansea players put behind for another corner. Young picked up the clearance and sent over a cross that eluded Rooney, but there was Martial to power home a header to give the stadium a huge lift. Just the start that was needed from the Red Devils.

Young was proving to be the main tormentor of the visitors as he created chance after chance for United.

The goal within two minutes of the restart was exactly the tonic United needed and it also had the desired effect around the ground as the young French striker once again proved what a great goalscorer he is.

The home side seemed to have an air of confidence about their play winning tackles and being first to the loose balls. Rooney almost made it two when he managed to get a shot on target despite being marked by three players.

If anybody deserved something for his hard work it was definitely Young, who was running his socks off down the right wing and playing some delightful football, maybe he was the only one not to indulge too much over the New Year.

On the hour mark, Herrera side footed a shot over the bar and at the other end there was a warning as De Gea could only watch as Ayew headed against his near post.

Mata and Martial played a brilliant one-two inside the area, but the Frenchman's touch was a little heavy in the end. That style of play is exactly what has been missing over the last few months and was a welcome sight.

Martial obviously buoyed by his goal was proving to be a handful for the visitors as they struggled to contain his runs.

Then in the 70th minute, all the hard work was undone as Swansea grabbed an equaliser when Sigurdsson headed home unchallenged in the box.

Now it was all about how the home side would react to the setback after they had played so well prior to the equaliser.

React they did and in the 77th minute after some brilliant approach play by Martial United grabbed the lead through Rooney, who skillfully flicked the ball home after Martial showed great footwork to get past the defenders on the byline and played the ball into the path of his captain.

That goal puts Rooney in the outright position of second in the United all-time scoring record with 238. Only Sir Bobby Charlton is ahead of him.

Once the second had been scored van Gaal made his next change of the match by taking off the exceptional Young and replacing him with McNair.

Five minutes before the end, Blind clumsily brought down Barrow in a dangerous area and was booked for his troubles.

With the minutes ticking away the nerves were palpable around the great stadium as Carrick replaced Herrera for the four minutes of added time. It was great to hear the cheers from the crowd in recognition of the work that the Spaniard had put into the match.

Carrick was making his 400th United appearance and immediately joined his teammates as they watched his keeper make his usual breathtaking stop from an effort at the death by Williams. The last action of the match saw the Swansea keeper push up for a corner which he headed just wide of De Gea's post.

Full time and, at last, a win for Man United that ended their dismal run and it was certainly nice to hear the cheers from the crowd as they made their way down the tunnel. Overall, it wasn't a performance that will be remembered, but the way they grounded out the result surely bodes well for the future. At times, they looked unstoppable, but as usual, they made hearts flutter with some nervy defending.

There were a handful of players who stood out including Mata and Herrera. Rooney, who spearheaded the attack where he should always be, Young never stopped digging out crosses from the right, but it has to be that man Martial who deserved the man of the match plaudits after not only scoring the opener and providing the assist for Rooney's winner, but he was a continual thorn in the Swan's defence for the whole 90 minutes.

All credit to the team who didn't buckle under the stress of conceding the equaliser and let's hope this victory can provide a platform for a decent run over the next few weeks.

The transfer window is now open and the opportunity to reinforce the forward line and defence with players who can add quality and ability to the current squad is of paramount importance if United are to mount a challenge on three fronts.

This week saw striker Will Keane recalled from his loan spell at Preston to help shore up United's attack. This was all well and good, however, it does beg the question why van Gaal allowed James Wilson to go out on loan? Keane has managed 2 goals in 20 matches compared to Wilson's 2 from 8.

Next weekend sees the return of the FA Cup to Old Trafford with the visit of Sheffield United. It would be great for the manager and players to take the competition seriously as it has been far too long that the club have held up the old trophy.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Plucked By The Cherries.

AFC Bournemouth 2 Manchester United 1

Man United's week went from worse to disastrous as they fell to their third defeat of the league season to a revitalised Bournemouth.

With the amount of players missing United were ripe for the picking by The Cherries and that's exactly how it transpired on the south coast.

After the woes of Wolfsburg, it was supposed to be back to the bread and butter of the Premier League for United and a trip to take on and overpower Bournemouth, but his season has already proven that there are no easy matches and this was in evidence last week when Bournemouth beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Prior to this match, United were still in the mix at the top of the league and desperately needed a win to not only boost their ambitions of becoming champions for the first time since 2013 but to make a statement of intent to their many critics. This meant that the pressure was on for van Gaal and his team to turn things around.

However, with the huge disappointment of exiting the Champions League van Gaal had the difficult task of revitalising his players for the upcoming busy festive period a task made harder by even more players on the sidelines and a three-match ban for the influential Schweinsteiger.

Anybody who thinks the German star got banned on purpose to continue his tradition of a winter break must be very cynical indeed.

The side that van Gaal chose had a mixture of experience and youth as his hand had been forced due to the length of the injury list endured in recent weeks.

The first start for Borthwick-Jackson in defence alongside a back four including McNair, Blind and Varela gave the visitors an unfamiliar look at the back.

That unfamiliarity bore fruit as early as the second minute when the home side took the lead direct from a corner through Junior Stanislas that looped over David De Gea and evaded Martial on the line. A goal that had a breeze and little bit of luck behind it. They all count in the end.

At least United rallied and responded with a few chances and then a goal of their own before the half hour mark. After Memphis had done the hard work Fellaini was able to prod the ball home almost in a kneeling position. United will take the goals any way they can come these days.

As the match progressed it became all too clear that McNair and especially Borthwick-Jackson were in for a torrid time. The pace that is needed for the Premier League was lacking from the youngster at left-back and his positional play had a lot to be desired, especially when chasing back after trying to help with the attacks.

He's young and has time on his side and can only benefit from this experience, but the same can't be said about Blind who clearly struggled as the main defender without his partner Smalling.

He was terribly slow in picking up his man, the eventual scorer, at the corner from which the home side took the lead. If Blind had been more alert to the danger then the goal could have been averted.

The substitution of goalscorer Fellaini for Powell was an interesting choice by the manager to say the least. As United chased the game looking for the draw, they surely needed as much in the way of firepower as they could muster. So, to bring on a player of Powell's ilk was a strange decision, especially as Ashley Young was also sat on the bench.

Memphis once again failed to raise his game and his only telling contribution was in the build up to Fellaini's equaliser add that to the loss of Lingard through yet another injury to a United player and it's no surprise that Martial struggled to get into his stride. Pereira tried his utmost to get the play moving from the right, but in the end it all lacked the penetration needed as both Carrick and Mata had matches they would probably both want to forget.

Not for the first time this season United's style of play had let them down badly. The fact that there were so many missing players is unfortunate and, of course, gave them a hurdle to overcome. But this is Manchester United we are talking about and any player who pulls on that famous shirt has to give their all and in simple terms that didn't and that failure allowed Bournemouth to capitalise on the uncertainty of the United players.

Both manager and players shouldn't offer any more excuses and get down to the nitty-gritty of solving the problems that quite clearly exist within the system the manager is trying to instil in them before it becomes a problem that is too difficult and too late to overcome.

It has been muted in the press this week that Swansea City could be interested in offering their vacant manager's position to United's very own Ryan Giggs. If so, it would represent a very difficult decision for the former wing wizard to make as he must be sorely tempted to further tune his management skills at pastures new especially as it would be a chance for him to prove his credentials as a future United manager.

Some offers are hard to turn down and no fan would blame him for wanting to test himself at pastures new.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Goal-Shy United Held By Hammers

Manchester United 0 West Ham United 0

Man United's bubble was burst by the Hammers. United were dealt a hammer blow by West Ham as they were held to a draw at Old Trafford.

This was the sixth goalless draw in a season that is rapidly raising concerns about United's ability to score goals.

With two more players admitted to the Carrington casualty department van Gaal had to reshuffle his pack once again. Rooney and Rojo joined the ever growing list of injured players this week, which makes the upcoming transfer window all the more crucial for the strengthening of the squad.

United aimed to protect their unbeaten home record in the league this season against a West Ham side with a proven pedigree away from home, having already collected the scalps of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and Chelsea. Quite clearly this was in no way going to be a pushover for the Red Devils.

The United starting XI wasn't much of a surprise given the players available to the manager: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, McNair, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard and Martial.

McNair kept his place at the back and birthday boy Martial was given the main strikers role with Fellaini chosen ahead of Memphis to assist in the attack. So the home side would start with the much talked about plan B experiment devoid of any out and out wingers.

Varela became the latest player to be called up to the first-team squad and the defender was to start from the bench.

The absence of Rooney and with Carrick substitute, Smalling was was handed another opportunity to impress as the captain of the side.

The home side got the match underway at a windy Old Trafford and immediately went on the attack with Lingard pressing hard and both Darmian and Fellaini trying their luck with long-range efforts.

Darmian delivered a perfect cross which Fellaini met at the far post with a firm header that was only just deflected over the bar, but despite his protests, no corner was given. This was followed by a dreadful mistake by Blind as he carelessly gave the ball away as he came out of defence. The mistake gifted Moses a one on one chance with De Gea which the Spaniard managed to block superbly. A case of King David denying Moses after he had parted the red defence.

On the quarter hour mark, the ball fell to Martial on the edge of the six-yard area and his turn and shot looked goal bound until a defender managed to get a leg in the way and divert it for a corner.

Darmian and McNair looked the most impressive in the opening exchanges as their foraging runs down the wings and crosses caused problems for the away defence.

There was a scare at De Gea's near post as a low cross was misjudged by the keeper and it hit his body then rebounded off another player onto the post and to safety then West Ham hit the post again following a corner. These were clear signs that United had to be on their toes in defence and take the chances at the other end when they came up.

Fellaini was by far the busiest player for United popping up here, there and everywhere but on thirty minutes he was lucky to escape a booking for a stamp on an opposing player's ankle. That is one side of his game that frustrates the most the needless free kicks he gives away due to his, at times, reckless style of play.

United had a big shout for a penalty after Blind crossed into the danger area and it appeared Fellaini was pulled back as he prepared to shoot,  however, referee Clattenburg didn't waver in his judgement of play on.

Two minutes before half-time van Gaal brought on Carrick for Schneiderlin which wasn't clear at the time, whether it had been a tactical change or if the Frenchman had picked up an injury. It was revealed after the match that he had a knock to his hip and would be doubtful for the Wolfsburg game.

Half time and the match was locked at 0-0 with United once again in an uninspiring mood with little on offer in the way of attacking ideas and to be honest, they should have felt thankful for the woodwork that the visitors hit twice in quick succession and the new boots of De Gea that he used to deny Moses.

The Red Devils attacked the Stretford End in the second half as van Gaal was forced to make another change this time he replaced McNair, ankle problem, with Varela who was making his debut in defence. On a side note, he is only the second Uruguayan to play for the Reds after Diego Forlan.

With the only other attacking options being either Memphis or Young from the bench more would have to be expected of the midfield to generate chances in the second half as only one of them could be used.

The opening five minutes looked promising as United had a positive spell with Lingard firing over from the edge of the area.

It was West Ham, who had the first shot on goal as Zarate tried his luck but De Gea saved well. The same player missed a great opportunity to put his side ahead as his shot come cross was fired across goal.

The match had become deflated and the natives were becoming restless with the lack of verve from United.

Martial tried his best to boost the proceedings and deliver a goal on a plate for Fellaini but his close-range effort was saved well on the line by keeper Adrian.

Mata's first effort on goal came in the 65th minute after great combination play, which involved Martial and Schweinsteiger, but the midfielder screwed his shot wide of the post.

Schweinsteiger almost reproduced his goal heroics of last week with a blistering strike that was only inches over the bar. That would be the German's final contribution to the match as he was replaced by Memphis.

Following his introduction, Memphis immediately found himself in the thick of the action as he played in Darmian who put over an inviting ball across goal, but Fellaini, the closest player, made little or no effort to get on the end of it.

Fantastic wing play down the left that again involved Memphis and included a smart back-heeled pass by Fellaini provided Martial with a shooting chance but the ball swerved agonisingly wide. Then Lingard also tried his luck but his effort had the same result. At last the home crowd came alive as they encouraged United to keep on the attack.

Carrick took one for the team as he was cautioned for bringing down Noble as the visitors attacked on the break and that was quickly followed by a foul by Varela, who brought down Zarate on the edge of the box as the visitors looked to add another big name to their list of victims this season.

Captain Smalling had the last chance to become the hero of the day as he loitered in the penalty area only to see his flick towards goal cleared away from the danger area.

The match ended 0-0 and Man United had missed a great chance to move nearer to the top with yet another display of poor finishing in front of goal.

Both sides had the chances to win so a draw was probably the fairest outcome in the end. If United had finished smarter then it would have been a totally different story.

The last time Rooney missed a game Memphis held the front line to good effect against Watford but in this match he was overlooked in favour of Fellaini who ran around all day without contributing anything in the way of substance in the final third.

At this rate, it doesn't bode well for the crucial clash against Wolfsburg in the Champions League in midweek or for that matter the busy period over Christmas.

A lot can be said of the injury situation at the club, however, that only papers over the cracks in the style of play that is hindering United from blowing teams like West Ham away.

Gone are the days of exciting forays into the opposition half to be replaced by slower build up play that gives the defence time to organise therefore frustrate the United attackers and the fans.

Despite the loss of key players van Gaal was still able to field a strong enough side that should have been able to deal with West Ham the fact that they didn't has to reflect mainly on his philosophy of play more than the player's inability to find the win.

Excuses will be made, but the bottom line is that these displays and results are just not good enough for a team of Manchester United's stature.

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.