The Mourinho Effect

The enforced break for the latest round of international matches is the perfect opportunity to take stock of Jose Mourinho's impact on Manchester United.

Since his arrival there has been a notable upsurge of optimism around Old Trafford. An optimism that can be seen on both the players' and the fans' faces. There is an air of expectancy that to be honest hasn't been felt since the heady days of Fergie.

He arrived at Piccadilly train station under no illusions of how big a task he had embarked on. A task not made easier by the state of the club that the two previous managers had left behind.

Louis van Gaal had departed on the back of an FA Cup final victory that will guarantee his place in United folklore, but apart from that the reality is that the Dutchman's so called philosophy had left many scratching their heads in both disbelief and confusion including the players.

United desperately needed a leader who had the confidence to pick up a wounded club and inject a self-belief drastically lacking from the squad. Enter the self-proclaimed 'special one'.

Mourinho's confidence was evident from the off. He began by outlining his transfer strategy by stating that he needed four new summer acquisitions to add the necessary pace and bite to his new team. He also stated that players would not play out of position. Music to the ears of fans who winced when Rooney would start in midfield.

The club backed his vision with the necessary funds to acquire Ivorian defender Eric Bailly, Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan along with the free transfer of the enigmatic Zlatan Ibrahimovic from PSG and to top it off the return of world record signing Paul Pogba.

Here were four players who would offer a mixture of both youth and experience to a side that badly needed rejuvenating after three seasons of despair.

Of course, this would mean that the squad would need trimming. Bearing that in mind Mourinho allowed a lot of fringe players to depart Old Trafford either on loan or on permanent deals. These included loan deals for the likes of Adnan Januzaj, Andreas Pereira and James Wilson and permanent moves for reserve team talents Will Keane and James Weir, who both joined former United assistant Mike Phelan at Hull City.

After a mixed pre-season which included a long trip to China to end up playing only one match, the Mourinho factor began to take take shape when United returned to England and lifted the Community Shield by defeating Premier League champions Leicester City at Wembley.

They then kicked off their Premier League campaign with three straight wins.The first came away at Bournemouth followed by a victory over Southampton in Mourinho's first match in charge at Old Trafford, Then came the late, late win against Hull City thanks to the impact of substitute Marcus Rashford.

In the opening exchanges two new signings stood out. The first was Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has netted four goals in four matches and at the back Eric Bailly, whose outstanding performances were rewarded with three man of the match awards. His impact and partnership with Daley Blind has kept Chris Smalling on the bench.

Pogba's second United debut had been delayed, but when he strode out at Old Trafford against Southampton the youngster that had left under a cloud of smoke returned a man who is clearly capable of filling the midfield void that has been left vacant for a long while.

The early indications are that Mourinho likes the pairing of Pogba and Fellaini in the middle. Many thought Fellaini could be moved on but once again he has proved his critics wrong.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been used sparingly but his talent is clear for all to see and much more exciting times lay ahead for the first Armenian to grace the English game.

The return of Luke Shaw in the defence has been like a breath of fresh air and his justified return to the England squad is no more than he deserves after the horrific injury he suffered last year.

Question marks still hang over some of the United players as Mourinho tries to put all the pieces of his puzzle together. One thing is for sure, it doesn't matter how big a star you are if you are not in the manager's plans then you will be left out in the cold.

The likes of Schweinsteiger and especially Memphis are finding it difficult under the new regime to stake a claim for first team football and will have to work harder to convince Mourinho that they still have a part to play at the club.

Juan Mata was sold by Mourinho to United during his second spell at Chelsea and this sparked debates about the future of the Spaniard. However, much to his credit Mata has proved that he still has much to offer the team.

It is a big task to win the league this season as normal service has been resumed with the big three United, Man City and Chelsea all making an early statement under new management. Having said that if any manager can achieve it then you wouldn't bet against Mourinho. The Portuguese maestro does have previous when it comes to pulling off the remarkable.

Next up for United is the derby which will see Jose reunite his rivalry with Pep Guardiola in a match that doesn't need any more intensity than usual, but will certainly get it in the build up to the Old Trafford clash.

All in all it's been a brilliant start to the season for the team and Mourinho can take pride in the fact that he is the first United manager to win his first four competitive games as club manager.

How the season will pan out only time will tell. The signs are there that the new man in the hot seat has the bit between his teeth and the fans have been given fresh hope after three years of mediocrity.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Jose's Winning Start

Wigan 0 Manchester United 2

This was not just any old run of the mill pre-season friendly this was a match that all Man United fans had been eagerly anticipating since the announcement of Jose Mourinho's appointment as the new manager.

There was certainly more focus on the manager by the fans and the press than the action on the pitch. As the away support blasted out Mourinho's name relentlessly the cameras followed his every move and gesture as he spent more time on the touchline than van Gaal had in his entire spell as United manager and there was no clipboard in sight.

On the pitch there were many important landmarks, Mkhitaryan and Bailly made solid debuts, Wilson made his return from loan and many academy players were given a run-out with the chance to impress their new manager.

But none were more important than the fact that defender Luke Shaw played his first match for the Red Devils since the horror injury he endured ten months ago to the day. Shaw didn't look like a player who had overcome a serious injury as he never shirked from some crunching challenges. All credit to the 21-year-old and let us hope that this will be his season and one that he fully deserves.

On the game front, United won at a canter and Mourinho made full use of his available squad to ease them through what in all fairness was a training exercise designed to increase fitness levels. There will be tougher clashes ahead during the tours of China and Sweden.

Will Keane will hold the distinction of being the first player to score under Jose Mourinho's reign and his goal was followed by a superb strike on the turn from the impressive Andreas Pereira to make the result a comfortable 2-0 victory over a Wigan side who never really tested goalkeepers Sam Johnstone and Joel Pereira.

New signings Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Eric Bailly slotted in nicely and judging by their performances the fans will be licking their lips for the rest of the season.

With Mourinho reportedly keen to keep his squad for the new season down to a minimum it will be interesting to see how many players from this friendly will still be at Old Trafford come the end of the transfer window, especially when you consider all the big name players who featured in the Euro 2016 tournament have yet to return.

Many of the youngsters will simply return to the under 21's or academy, but it is highly likely that some of them will face more loan spells away from the club or even be released. With the anticipated strike force quartet of Ibrahimovic, Rooney, Martial and Rashford to be the preferred choice of the manager then it's doubtful that scorer Keane and James Wilson will want to hang around.

The same can be said about the defence. With the return of Shaw and the acquisition of Bailly, what does the future hold for the likes of Rojo, McNair, Blackett and some of the many young defenders that played at the back during last season?

United seem to have an abundance of players to call upon in the attacking midfield slots. However, it is the defensive midfield area that needs reinforcing as Carrick and Schweinsteiger will not be able to play a whole season due to age and inevitable injuries so with just Schneiderlin to call upon there is a need there.

Mourinho obviously has a plan and we will all have to wait and see what transpires, but for now it's a first win for the new man in charge and there is a positive vibe once again around the club as they embark on their pre-season tour of China and a little matter of the coming together of Jose and Pep.

The good times seem to be back and long may they continue.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Manchester United Season Review 2015/16

He came, he saw, he failed to conquer. Louis' reign as the Manchester United manager came to an end 48 hours after lifting the FA Cup.

He was fired by the United board for not achieving the aims of the club mainly the failure to qualify for Champions League football next season.

Van Gaal has departed without anybody being any the wiser on what exactly the Dutchman's philosophy was. All he has left is a legacy of tactical ineptitude that bemused the fans and left them frustrated.

Louis van Gaal came to United in 2014 saying all the right things, but ended his second season, saying all the wrong things. Of course, the fans' expectations are high we are talking about Manchester United after all but to say that we put too much expectation on the team is ridiculous, to say the least.

The Dutch coach arrived at the club with an impressive CV after many successful years in club football and at the helm of the Dutch national squad. However, in two full seasons his philosophy got us absolutely nowhere, in fact, in the league they even went one step backwards.

Last summer Old Trafford was all abuzz with the marquee signings van Gaal had made, including the German international Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin from Southampton, little-known Italian defender Matteo Darmian, exciting young prospect on the wing Memphis Depay, Argentine keeper Romero and the most expensive teenager at the time Anthony Martial.

Out of those summer buys only Martial proved his full worth as was evident on his scoring debut against bitter rivals Liverpool. That scoring form continued throughout his debut season ending up United's leading scorer with 17. A total that sounds low until you consider that he spent the season out on the left wing.

Schneiderlin also performed admirably as did Darmian, but the others not so much. Schweinsteiger spent the last two months out injured and Memphis endured a torrid season blighted by a dramatic drop in confidence which meant he spent most of his first season on the bench. Romero played the first six games until De Gea's new contract was signed then he managed only four more appearances.

Van Gaal, like a lot of the players, talked up a good game especially in his famous press conferences. But when it came to the important part they failed to deliver time and time again on the pitch. Ten defeats in a league season is simply unacceptable.

The biggest problem had to be the distinct lack of goals that cost us a top four place as we ended the season on equal points with Man City who enjoyed a far greater goal difference.

In total United scored only 49 goals in the Premier League, which is the lowest achieved by a United team since the 1989-90 season, 46. The top scorer in the league was Anthony Martial with 11. Therein lies the problem. For all the possession they enjoyed the main problem was the inability to put the ball in the back of the net especially when you consider Wayne Rooney scored the only hat-trick of the season in August against FC Club Brugge in the Champions League qualifier.

In the past, all the players contributed to the goals for column, but this season, the highest scoring midfielder was Mata with 6 and the defenders only managed two goals between them. On the subject of the defence it was one of the meanest in the league conceding 35.

At Old Trafford, the visitors only managed to score 9 times. This was down mainly to the partnership of Smalling and Blind and of course the brilliant De Gea who rescued his team on countless occasions.

Playing players in different positions, also had the fans scratching their heads in disbelief and at times amusement. Young, a winger, as the main striker while Martial, a centre forward, was on the wing. Rooney was utilised more in the midfield where he had some decent games. But Paul Scholes he is not and his scoring ability was wasted there.

Some players were used sparingly during the season and others too much. Herrera often had to take a back seat to Felliani and Carrick looked off the pace at times.

Goalkeeper David De Gea picked up his third player of the year award in a row and this shows how inadequately the outfield players grasped the manager's tactics and were left to play without any urgency or in a cut throat attacking style.

It wasn't all doom and gloom. United did play well against the so called big teams, including a double over bitter rivals Liverpool, a tremendous performance against Arsenal at home, beating City at the Etihad and the 3-0 win at Goodison which was probably the best away performance of the season. And they ended the campaign with their 12th FA Cup win and their first silverware for three seasons.

However, it was the inability to put the lower sides to the sword, especially in defeat to the likes of Swansea, Bournemouth, Sunderland and relegated Norwich after dominating in those games that hurt the most. Newcastle, also relegated, held United to two draws. Lost points that had an adverse effect on the final league position.

The fact that Leicester City have been crowned Premier League champions shows that there has been a shift in power from the standard big four. It will be interesting to see how the Foxes fare next season along with West Ham, Spurs and Southampton who all brought a breath of fresh air to the league.

If there is any consolation in finishing fifth in the league it is that Chelsea and Liverpool will miss out completely on Europe after both had replaced their managers and still failed to deliver.

As regards United's endeavours, or lack of, in Europe that didn't go so well either. They finished third in what looked a fairly easy group and ended up in the Europa League where they were eventually knocked out by Liverpool after basically a no show at Anfield in the last 16 first leg.

The terrible double leg fracture suffered by Luke Shaw early in the campaign was a major blow to the United defence, but it did signal the rise of the youngsters to be given a chance by van Gaal in the first team.

There is one thing that van Gaal can take from his two-year tenure and that is, he brought the youngsters through from the lower ranks and gave them their chances in the first team. However, it has to be said that was due mainly to necessity rather than choice. He had released Adnan Januzaj and James Wilson on loan before the new year and didn't make any cover signings during the January transfer window, so in effect he had no choice but to turn to the reserves and Under-18's academy players.

The first of those introduced to join by now regular and cup final hero Jesse Lingard was Cameron Borthwick-Jackson at full back then the likes of Love, Varela, Poole, Weir and the great young talent Fosu-Mensah also had opportunities presented to them due to many injuries in the defence. Marcos Rojo missed a huge chunk of the season after shoulder surgery and the same went for Antonio Valencia.

It has to be said that the youngster that had the biggest impact on the side had to be 18-year-old local lad Marcus Rashford. Talk about a Roy of the Rovers introduction to life as a Man United hero.

Two debut doubles in two matches against Midtjylland in the Europa League and Arsenal in the Premier League had the fans and media foaming at the mouth at this talented goal scorer who clearly wasn't daunted by the prospect of playing regularly for the first team.

The United reserves retained their League Champions crown which speaks volumes for the work that the coach Warren Joyce did to bring such a talented group of players together and become a feeder for the first team.

So, another chapter in Manchester United's illustrious history has come to an end and now it's time to turn the next page. One that will hopefully see our great club return to where it belongs and knock Leicester off their perch. Over to you Jose!

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Rashford Secures Derby Win.

Manchester City 0 Manchester United 1

Manchester United shrugged off fatigue to defeat local rivals City in their own backyard with teen sensation Rashford scoring the vital goal on his derby debut.

After a week that saw United labour to earn a replay in the FA Cup and knocked out of the Europa League it was a return to the Premier League and the short journey across the city to take on local rivals City for the 171st time.

Since the start of the Premier League United holds the upper hand against their noisy neighbours as they have won 19 of the 37 matches played, but in the last five years, the balance has been redressed by the Arab-funded blues.

This was be the last derby match with Pelligrini in charge of City and just maybe van Gaal at United, because a loss today would have been a disaster for the Red Devils who have struggled as the season nears its end.

A top four finish and automatic entry into the Champions League is the target for both clubs. With only a handful of matches left it's getting to the point where any number of sides could sneak one of the valuable places needed.

Van Gaal had received criticism over his team selection and subsequent substitutions against Liverpool and he decided to make two changes. One was to elbow Fellaini to the bench and start with Schneiderlin. The other was to replace Varela at right back with Darmian. The Fellaini change was met with support by many United fans after his less than impressive displays of late.

Starting XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Lingard, Martial and Rashford.

Both teams started the match in a wholehearted fashion with neither side wanting to give an inch. Smalling epitomised that when he was booked for tugging back an advancing Aguero. Blind and Aguero would then have a running battle for the remainder of the half.

De Gea made the first save of the game after an attempt by Navas as he blocked the shot with his legs.

On the quarter hour came a big moment for a young man when Marcus Rashford was played through by Mata and the striker showed the calmness of a veteran as he strode through and slid the ball past a despairing Hart. A brilliant finish from a confident player in his first taste of a Manchester derby. The way he destroyed defender Demichelis with one touch was a joy to watch.

A Great start for the visitors and one that had the away fans up the volume. Martial had a chance to double the lead within a few minutes of the goal not once, but twice with Hart saving one and the other was off target.

With half an hour gone, it has to be said that this had been a confident display by United with City labouring and not allowed to get into any rhythm. The forward line of United looked a threat every time they attacked the makeshift centre-backs.

This was proven on the stroke of half-time when scorer Rashford showed a quick turn of pace and burst into the area only to be upended by Demichelis for a blatant penalty which referee Michael Oliver incredibly waved away.

Then not one but two City players shoved Rashford around and the youngster stood his ground. No action was taken by the ref but it made for a lively end to the half. You can't fault the passion shown by the players and Rashford has it in bucket loads.

Half-time and United led through a wonderful goal by Rashford. The whole team deserved to go in at the break ahead with every player in red having shown the effort and guile to stay ahead. Not often that has been said this season.

City didn't really trouble De Gea and his back four and apart from the Navas effort no save had to be made. Special mention for Lingard, who played extremely well in the number 10 position.

The second half got underway with no changes having been made by van Gaal. From the off Martial almost benefited from a poor back pass that had Hart in all sorts of trouble as he managed to clear but was injured for his effort and was stretchered off.

As the hour mark approached the Reds still looked comfortable as they went in search of the vital second goal with substitute keeper Caballero twice coming to his side's rescue with stops from first Martial then Rashford. This was followed by a low drive from Rojo which again the keeper pushed away.

Van Gaal's first change of the day came when he replaced birthday boy Rojo with Valencia for the final half-hour as City started to gain momentum against a tired looking United defence.

The change meant that Darmian switched over to the left back position. A change that City immediately took advantage of with Aquero sneaking in at the near post to fire a header against the post following a cross after Darmian was well beaten. A clear warning for United to be more careful at the back.

Seeing the need for more strength and fresh legs van Gaal made his second substitution for the crucial last twenty minutes when he brought on Schweinsteiger for Mata.

The changes made in United's defence caused confusion every time City attacked and it was that man Aguero again who this time found himself unmarked at the far post but only managed to head the ball back across the goal.

The match against Liverpool and the effort put in by United in the first half took its toll in the last minutes of the match, especially with Darmian, who had to be replaced after he had gone down with cramp a couple of times. Fosu-Mensah was given another chance to show his worth at the back.

Six minutes of added time made the end more nervous for the away side as City had a flurry of chances to grab the equaliser. But with players like Lingard helping out the defence United stood firm to end the match with all the three points and equally important local bragging rights.

United thoroughly deserved the victory after they had held on after a high tempo first 45 minutes that of course was difficult to keep up for the full ninety minutes. However, they did hold on and came away from the Etihad with the valuable three points in the chase for a top four finish.

It was difficult to pinpoint one player for the man of the match as all the team had put the effort in. You had Martial and scorer Rashford's pace up front combined with Lingard playing behind the strikers.

Schneiderlin held well in midfield and Smalling at the back was a rock once again. But just because he scored a goal of pure class on his derby debut Rashford came out on top.


Manchester is still RED.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Martial Bursts The Hammers Bubble.

Manchester United 1 West Ham United 1

Martial keeps cup hopes alive.

A much needed equaliser from Anthony Martial, following a superb opening goal by Payet, kept Manchester United in the FA Cup after another uninspiring display at Old Trafford.

The return of the FA Cup, which is conceivably the last chance of silverware for the Red Devils, saw the visit of high-flying West Ham United to Old Trafford in a match that would have a strong bearing on how United's campaign will end.

How would van Gaal and his coaches pick their players up for a tie against a Hammers side that under the guidance of Bilic have performed exceedingly well this season? Especially with their playmaker Payet.

Van Gaal decided to make three changes to the team who lost against Liverpool as Carrick, Lingard and Herrera came in for Schneiderlin, Memphis and the suspended Mata. 17-year-old defender RoShaun Williams became the latest youngster to be given a chance by van Gaal. The locally born lad was placed on the bench.

United's starting XI: De Gea, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Lingard, Martial and Rashford.

United got the tie underway amid a buoyant atmosphere attacking the old Scoreboard End and it was Rashford who immediately stretched his legs with a run into the opposition area and earned the first corner of the match which was headed over by Fellaini.

In the build up Martial received a nasty-looking kick to his shin which Reid was quite rightly booked for by referee Atkinson.

Lingard had the next chance in a game that was an open affair, but his effort was wide of the far post.

The visitors came close when Antonio managed to work his way through United's defence and thankfully pulled his shot just wide of a stranded De Gea.

Ten minutes in and the match was a typical open FA Cup tie with both sides attacking at will. Carroll was the next to have a go with a flying header that whistled over De Gea's bar.

Martial recovered from the bad challenge in the opening minutes and won a corner after a run down the left-hand side. When delivered it almost had Rashford in on goal.

Jesse Lingard cut in from his position on the right wing but his low effort lacked any real power as it trickled wide. From the same wing, Varela delivered a teasing cross that Rashford met acrobatically but couldn't get the connection needed.

It was the visitors turn to attack and they came near to the opener as Emenike met an inviting cross from Cresswell and his header looked goal bound until De Gea saved on the line.

Then it was back up the other end as Herrera tried his luck from the edge of the area, but he mishit his strike and it was deflected behind for a corner but the referee didn't spot it and awarded a goal kick, much to the displeasure of the Spaniard.

As the game approached the half hour mark one thing was clear and that was Martial had the bit between his teeth as he terrorised the defence with his mesmerising runs down the left wing.

The best chance of the half fell to Herrera after fine combination work by Martial and Rojo who played the ball to the Spaniard who was unmarked inside the area, however he seemed to rush his shot and the ball ballooned high and wide.

Rashford had a similar chance to Herrera's and, this time, it was blocked for a corner. United enjoyed the majority of the possession and chances in the first thirty minutes, but would have to keep an eye on Payet and his teammates on the counter.

Not for the first time in his United career Fellaini picked up a needless caution for a foul on Noble that really didn't have to be made. United continued to allow the Hammers to bully them into giving away free kicks and this time, it was Rashford's turn to come back and in trying to help out his defenders only succeeded in putting his teammates in more trouble.

As the half drew to a close West Ham had the last chance when Cresswell delivered a threatening cross from the right, which De Gea did well to cut out before it could cause any damage.

Both teams went in at half-time ruing their missed chances in a half that was as open as it could get. Once again United's inability to put the ball in the net left the fans frustrated, especially knowing how big a threat the visitors have been all season.

After trying the duo of Carrick and Fellaini to little or no effect, maybe it was time for van Gaal to unleash Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger on the midfield to try and add that extra bite needed to push the Reds forward.

The visitors started the second half on the attack and almost caught the defence out with a dangerous ball into the box which De Gea was quick to react to as he punched away the ball.

United's first corner of the half had the players shouting in unison for a penalty for an alleged handball in front of the Stretford End. It would turn out to be the start of the referee waving play on from appeals.

A great passing game move by the home side almost opened the visitors defence until Payet brought down Lingard right on the edge of the area.

From the resulting Herrera free kick Martial almost sneaked in unnoticed at the far post and his header was blocked by a defender's hand. For the second time the referee saw no intention made. This upturn in action had the home fans raising the volume within the Theatre of Dreams.

In the next attack, the ball was worked along the edge of West Ham's penalty area where eventually Herrera blasted the ball goalwards only for his effort to be blocked by Reid's hand. That's was the third clear-cut handball inside the visitors' box, all of which were ignored by Martin Atkinson.

At least, Atkinson balanced the books by not awarding Payet a penalty when he deliberately dived in the area. If the ref believed that Payet dived then he should have been cautioned and sent off as he had been booked for an earlier foul on Lingard.

Right on cue in the 68th minute, Payet stepped up to deliver a superb free-kick which flew into the top corner past a despairing De Gea to give the visitors a 1-0 lead and sink United into more despair.

Twenty minutes left on the clock and van Gaal still hadn't made a change when quite clearly the players on the pitch were not providing the goods needed to turn the tie around. Even Carrick added to the woes with a late lunge on Lanzini that deserved the yellow it received.

Then with fifteen minutes to go van Gaal finally decided to freshen things up with double substitution when Fellaini and Rashford made way for Schweinsteiger and Memphis. There was a round of applause as Fellaini departed. However, it was more for the fact he had been substituted than for his performance.

In the frantic few minutes that followed the change Herrera had another shot blocked and Schweinsteiger blasted wildly wide. Time was quickly running out for United as they stared defeat down the barrel as they looked incapable of scoring an equaliser let alone a winner.

Then up stepped Martial to creep in at the far post to tap home a superb cross from Herrera to make it 1-1. Game on and could United find the winner in the final seven minutes? The crowd thought so judging by the noise levels as they urged the players to attack.

Carrick had a shot which squirmed just wide of the post. This was followed by the last change by van Gaal as he withdrew Varela for Darmian.

A shot from distance by Antonio in added time almost caught out De Gea but thankfully he reacted quickly and saved low to his right.

That was the last piece of action of the match as United hung on in the cup by the thinnest thread after falling behind to West Ham and unconvincingly clawing their way back into the tie to earn a second chance in the replay in the capital. A draw was probably the fairest result after a less than convincing display be referee Atkinson.

For United the outstanding players were Herrera, Martial and De Gea who all kept their side in the cup when other players struggled to get a grip on the game. When Schweinsteiger entered the fray United looked a different side and one can only hope that he starts in the upcoming matches.

Next up is the second leg of the Europa League tie against Liverpool at Old Trafford and the concern has to be where are the goals going to come from without conceeding at the other end. The man that has all the answers is Louis van Gaal, who has his work cut out over the next few days if he wants to save his and Man United's season.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Shot Shy United Lack Passion.

Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0

Not all 'white' on the night for United.

It may have been the 195th meeting between the two biggest rivals in English football, but it was the first time the giants had come head to head in a European competition.

The red of Liverpool gained the upper hand as they won the first leg against a United side that lacked any conviction and had keeper De Gea to thank for keeping the scoreline down to two.

Van Gaal had recalled Fellaini, Varela and Schneiderlin to the side in place of Darmian, Carrick and Herrera who would all start on the bench. There was also a recall for Bastian Schweinsteiger as a substitute.

Here was the United starting XI: De Gea, Varela, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Memphis, Mata, Martial and Rashford.

Mata was once again given the honour of captaining United even though Smalling was on the pitch.

United got the tie underway attacking the Kop and straight from the off they almost grabbed the opener as Memphis delivered a cross that evaded the defenders, but the onrushing Rashford was slightly caught by surprise and the ball rebounded off the young forwards knee.

The referee Carballo, from Spain, is known for his brandishing of cards as if they were going out of fashion, ten reds this season and he started his nightly spree as he booked Henderson for a high challenge on Schneiderlin.

The match started at a very lively pace with both sides up for the fight, heavy challenges set against a great atmosphere generated by both sets of fans.

United enjoyed the majority of the possession in the opening quarter of an hour, but as usual created little or no chances of note.

Twenty minutes of the match gone and Liverpool struck the first blow as they won a very debatable penalty after Memphis was adjudged to have brought down Clyne right on the edge of the penalty area. The referee took a few seconds to make up his mind. When he did, he booked Memphis and Sturridge dispatched the spot kick only just past De Gea, who managed to get a hand onto the ball.

The goal buoyed the home side and in the next attack they would have gone 2-0 up, but for the brilliance and athleticism of De Gea who saved Coutinho's certain tap in right on his goal line. That save could literally turn out to be United's lifeline in the tie for if the home side had scored a second so quickly it could have been game over.

After the goal United responded slowly and it wasn't until Mata almost weaved his way through the defenders in the box that they created anything close to a chance.

De Gea came to the rescue again for his side on thirty minutes when he made himself big in front of Sturridge to block the striker's shot.

The awkward style of the returning Fellaini earned United a free kick opportunity in a dangerous area which was fired in by Memphis with a disappointing end as it sailed harmlessly wide.

United's free kicks have been woefully poor this season with the exception of Mata's effort against Watford. But it's a sad state of affairs when they can't even get the efforts on target compared to the past when you knew something was going to come from them.

As the half entered its final minutes the game went a little stale until De Gea proved how invaluable he is with a reaction save from a Lallana deflected effort.

Rashford became the second United player to be booked on the stroke of half-time after a rash challenge on Moreno's.

Half-time and United trailed 1-0 without having a shot on goal. They had De Gea to thank for not going in at least three goals to the worse as he produced three saves that could have a massive bearing on the tie overall. And he did manage to get his fingertips to the penalty, however, not enough to prevent the ball going in.

It's fair to say that United would have to be the happier of the two sides to be only down by one goal. They were playing a dangerous game by sitting back and allowing Liverpool to come at them. An improvement of huge proportion would have to be seen in the second half if the Red Devils were to get anything out of this game.

At the start of the second half van Gaal made a tactical substitution in an attempt to get his team back into the game by replacing Rashford with Carrick. The change meant that Smalling, Rojo and Carrick played in a back three formation with Blind and Varela as wing backs.

United had their first shot on goal in the 52nd minute of the match with an effort from Schneiderlin which was straight at Minolet in goal.

David De Gea produced another high class save as he tipped over a powerful long range effort from Coutinho.

United's new formation looked to be paying off as they enjoyed a long spell of possession and applied pressure on the Liverpool defence without creating the killer ball needed to grab the vital equaliser. Martial came the closest during this spell as he almost got his head to a cross by Varela.

Fellaini became the latest United player to be cautioned for a swing and miss with his leg at Clyne.

Memphis almost threaded the ball into the path of Martial but the ball fell a little behind the French striker. However, this was better play from the visitors.

De Gea was at it again, this time, he produced a diving punch to deny a Clyne drive from distance. If United do go on to the quarterfinals, then they only have to thank one player and that's the keeper who must wish he had a quality defence in front of him.

Liverpool wasted two golden chances to extend their lead as first Henderson blasted a great chance well wide then Coutinho blasted a free kick towards goal clearly not realising it was indirect.

As the game entered the final twenty minutes Firmino doubled the home side's lead when he beat De Gea with a close range tap-in following a poor attempted clearance from Carrick. All United could hope for now was damage limitation and an away goal to take back to Old Trafford.

Bastian Schweinsteiger made a much welcome return when he came on along with Herrera for Mata and Schneiderlin for the last ten minutes.

The visitors chased the game in the final few minutes without worrying the home defence and the only concern for United was whether Fellaini would stay on the pitch after some challenges that could have earned him a second card and a ban if the elbow was seen. It was the Belgian who came close with a header that only just flew wide of the post following a Schweinsteiger cross.

The match ended with Liverpool on top in the tie and in the driving seat against a United team that had nothing to offer in any way, shape or form.Two errors of judgement by Memphis and Carrick cost their side dearly and add to that only one shot on target it was no wonder they lost.

This was another low for van Gaal and his team as they will have it all to do at Old Trafford. There was no sign of the drive or passion that would make you believe that they could turn the tie around next week.

It doesn't look good for the upcoming FA Cup match against West Ham this Sunday. A team who has a splendid away record this season against a United side slipping further down the slippery slope of failure.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Rooney Spares United's Blushes.

Manchester United 1 Sheffield United 0

Wayne Rooney's 93rd minute spot kick sent Manchester United into the draw for the FA Cup 4th round after another dismal display that had the fans voicing their dismay at the final whistle.

United put their Premier League pursuit on the back burner to concentrate on the FA Cup as they welcomed Sheffield United to Old Trafford for the 3rd round.

It has been too long since United lifted the oldest club cup competition when they defeated Millwall in 2004. Since then Arsenal has gone on to take over the record of most wins so a run to the final is long overdue for the Red Devils.

Van Gaal and his players had spoken of their desire to win the cup in the build up to the clash so it was interesting to see how they approached it starting with a tie which on paper they should have, like the weather, stormed through.

The side that van Gaal decided to put out had a strong look to it: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schweinsteiger, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Rooney and Martial.

With Young in the 'red zone', there was another chance for youngster Borthwick-Jackson to join a recalled Darmian in the back four and Fellaini received the nod in midfield with the duo of Carrick and Schneiderlin being given a rest.

Recalled loanee Will 'Mike' Keane joined the squad on the bench with other youngsters Lingard and Pereira. Memphis was once again made to bide his time as he was named as a substitute.

It was a rain lashed Old Trafford that welcomed the two sides who last met at this stage of the cup on the same day in 1995 when United prevailed 2-0 at Bramall Lane.

United got the match underway with hopes of seeing off the League One side without any nerves or jitters that have blighted their season.

The travelling fans of around 8,000 made themselves heard around the Theatre of Dreams which had plenty of empty seats.

United passed the ball well in the opening minutes without creating a clear chance on goal. Fellaini was too slow with his distribution from midfield when he had plenty of chances to spread the ball wide to increase the tempo of the move, but his lack of intensity gave the away side time to readjust.

After a quarter of an hour, it seemed that United's tactics were to bore the opposition to death, maybe the weather dampened the proceedings but even so this was awful from the home side.

De Gea was called into action when he tipped over a drive from Sammon but the Sheffield striker was penalised for a hand ball in the build-up.

Rooney then ballooned an effort high over the bar, then in the next attack, he failed to evade two defenders as Mata desperately waited for a cross.

The visitors came to life with a great move that ended with a delightful ball played across De Gea's area that had to be headed behind for a corner by Darmian.

Fellaini really looked to lack any purpose in his play as he gave a simple ball away in the middle of the park which provided Sheffield Utd with an opportunity to attack. Terrible and lazy play by the Belgian which cannot be accepted.

Darmian was trying his best to deliver the goods from the right wing, but the visitors were well organised at the back and dealt with everything United threw at them, which wasn't a lot to be honest.

Ten minutes before half-time Rooney was almost in on goal after a threaded ball from Herrera, but keeper Long reacted quickly by racing off his line to collect the ball at the captain's feet.

There was a shout for a penalty as Schweinsteiger seemed to be pulled back as he ran into the box chasing a through ball by Blind. It was all in vain as the referee waved play on.

The lack of ideas shown by United was evident when they won a couple of free-kicks. One was wasted by a short pass, when the area was packed. The other was hit straight against the defensive wall by Rooney.

Blind blasted over from the edge of the area with literally the last kick of the half and in that poor effort summed up the bad day United were having.

Half-time and those who had braved the rain witnessed a damp squid of a half in which United hadn't managed one effort on goal. Their play had reverted back to the desperate December displays and all this against a side from League One.

The visitors had come with a game plan to defend against United which had worked to frustrate the home team and the home fans who voiced their displeasure with boos once again ringing in the player's ears as they made their way down the tunnel.

Man United kicked off the second-half attacking the Stretford End with the hope of putting the dire first 45 minutes behind them with no changes made by van Gaal.

However, it was the same old story with misplaced passes together with a lack of conviction in their play that made for a very sorry sight indeed. In fact, it has to be said this was shaping up to be one of the worst United team displays ever seen on the famous Old Trafford pitch.

Hoofing the ball into the area aiming for the head of Fellaini, who made no serious effort to win the ball, was the best United had to offer.

The visitors began to sense the uncertainty in the home side and started to play some decent football without putting any serious pressure on De Gea's goal.

Van Gaal made a double change on the hour mark when he took off Herrera and Mata and introduced Lingard and Memphis, which didn't please the home faithful at all as they chanted Herrera's name to show the manager their displeasure at the change when it should have been Fellaini who had made way.

His changes had no immediate effect on the Red Devils' performance until Memphis tried his luck from distance. After his shot whistled wide it was met by a sarcastic round of applause by the crowd as it was by far the closest they had come.

Sheffield United managed to do what United couldn't after 70 minutes and had a shot on target from Basham which De Gea collected easily. At the other end Darmian did dig a shot out from close range but he was tumbling as he did and the chance was gone.

Even the experienced international Schweinsteiger couldn't direct his shot on target as he received the ball unmarked on the edge of the area.

As the match entered the last ten minutes van Gaal made his last throw of the dice as he, at last, took off Fellaini and gave Pereira a chance to become the hero.

United did create a chance when Lingard placed a great ball in the area for Martial who was immediately closed down by the defence and as the ball was cleared Schweinsteiger was involved in a 50-50 collision and caught his knee, which at first looked likely to require the stretcher, but true to form he got up and ran it off so United wouldn't be reduced to ten men for the last five minutes.

Things went from bad to worse as a free kick was played into the danger area and was met by Martial, whose snap shot was saved but the loose rebound was not mopped up at the far post by Smalling.

There were six minutes of added time to give United the chance they needed to score and it worked as Memphis won a dubious penalty as he ran into the opposition's area to give Rooney the chance from the spot which he took with aplomb to guarantee a 4th round tie.

On closer inspection, it was a close call for the penalty, but even though Memphis went to ground with more theatrics than a Shakespearean play he was definitely caught by the defenders studs. At the moment, United will accept anything they are given.

Full-time and thanks to Rooney's 93rd-minute penalty United will go into the bag for the 4th round draw and his spot kick certainly saved the home side's blushes, however, it will not detract from the fact that they were just plain awful.

Credit has to be paid to the visitors who came so close to forcing a replay and, therefore, applying more pressure on van Gaal.

The longer van Gaal sticks to his methods the quicker he will be on his way as it is clearly not working and the fact that his team can't overcome a League One side until added time doesn't exactly fill anybody with confidence for the challenges ahead.

Here was a chance for the Man United players to show they had turned the corner and put on a display of attacking football, but all they managed to do was to prove that even though they won they are not 'United' in any way, shape or form.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.