United Rue Missed Chances

Manchester United 1 Stoke City 1

Manchester United failed to capitalise on their opportunities and even a splendid opener by Martial wasn't enough to earn all three points against Stoke.

United headed into this league match in a buoyant mood after three wins in a row that even though had been achieved without setting the pulses racing at least pointed Mourinho and his side in the right direction.

The night before the match came the sad news that former United and Stoke forward David Herd had passed away, so it was a fitting fixture to honour his memory and both sides wore black armbands out of respect.

Mourinho chose the same starting XI that blew away Leicester City in the first half last time out in the Premier League: De Gea, Valencia, Smalling, Bailly, Blind, Pogba, Herrera, Mata, Lingard, Rashford and Ibrahimovic.

Once again Rooney would have to be resigned to a place on the bench alongside a recovered Martial as the manager perservered with Rashford. Mourinho clearly wanted to continue to explore the midfield partnership of Pogba and Herrera as it had worked so well against the champions.

United kicked off and immediately attacked the Stretford End with Pogba feeding a clever little ball through to Ibrahimovic, who looked odds on to score as he tried to lift the ball over the keeper but Grant stood firm and blocked the Swede's effort. Not a bad start for a keeper making his first Old Trafford start.

The early pace of United up front with the likes of Rashford and Lingard seemed to cause the Stoke defence worries and if not for some poor passes they could have easily got behind the defenders.

Antonio Valencia received an early yellow card for a rash challenge on Pieters on the right touchline.

Stoke had their own chances to upset the applecart, including a golden opportunity that was wasted by Cameron, who only had to find a corner but instead fired straight at De Gea.

At the other end, it was Pogba's turn to hide his face in his hands after he inexplicably fired his shot wide after some brilliant one touch football in the build up.

In the opening twenty minutes the crowd had seen three great chances squandered, but at least it was entertaining.

Teenage sensation Rashford stormed into the area and was unlucky not to pick out a teammate with a low cross from the byline.

United's diminutive Spaniard Mata tried an audacious chip from the edge of the area that the keeper just managed to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner, Pogba rose unmarked but guided his header wide.

It was a promising start from the home side who were comfortably in control and kept probing away at a deep lying Stoke defence.

Brilliant attacking play down the left-hand side by Ibrahimovic almost ended up with Lingard opening the scoring as he met the cross well enough to score. However, the keeper managed to intervene and it went out for a corner. Fantastic approach play by Ibrahimovic and it deserved a goal.

Next up it was Lingard's turn to become the provider as he delivered a delightful cross from the right which found Ibrahimovic at the far post and his first-time volley was blocked by Shawcross.

The chances were now coming thick and fast and surely it would be only a matter of time until United found the all important breakthrough.

That breakthrough would have come if Pogba hadn't have slipped before lining up a shot after another flowing move involving Ibrahimovic and Rashford.

There was a moment when Smalling was embarrassed with a nutmeg by the skillful Shaqiri down by the corner flag but Bailly bailed out his defensive partner with a clearance from the resulting cross.

Half time and all square at 0-0. United had moved the ball around well and showed good movement off the ball and would have been ahead if it hadn't been for some good saves by journeyman keeper Lee Grant.

The visitors got the second half underway with United unchanged from the first period.

Stoke won an early free kick delivered by Shaqiri that was met by the head of Indi and tipped over acrobatically by De Gea. The effort wouldn't have counted as the offside flag had been raised earlier.

United immediately went down the other end and won a corner that Mata took and as it was cleared Herrera tried to replicate his goal against Northampton Town but this time the shot lacked both power and direction.

The match had restarted in a scrappy manner and Herrera was lucky not to receive a red card after a high challenge on Allen in the centre circle. It was Allen who then almost opened the scoring as he tried to bend the ball into the corner but De Gea was equal to it.

Ibrahimovic also got his name into the referee's book for an alleged elbow on Shawcross.

On the hour mark, the match had become pedestrian which suited Stoke more and needed an injection of urgency from the Red Devils if they were to earn the win.

United were guilty of conceding a succession of free kicks thirty yards from goal which gave the visitors numerous chances to deliver threatening balls into the box.

As Mourinho organised his substitutions Herrera let fly with a shot that kept low and whisked just wide.

The changes Mourinho made were Rooney and Martial on for Mata and Lingard with just over twenty minutes of the match left.

Ibrahimovic picked the ball up deep and when there was nothing on in front of him tried a shot himself and it almost paid off as the ball was only a whisker away from going in.

The breakthrough finally came in the 69th minute from a brilliant strike by Martial who had started the move down the left, then played the ball to Rooney on the edge of the area who was dispossessed by a defender, but luckily for United the ball fell nicely back into the path of Martial who curled a delightful ball into the far corner of the net that the keeper had no chance of saving.

The goal was reminiscent of the one he scored against the same opposition last season.

It was that man Martial who was making all the difference since his arrival on the pitch as once again he created the next chance. He never gave up the chase for the ball inside the area as first he then Ibrahimovic and finally Blind were left frustrated by the defence as the ball ricocheted around the area.

It was all out attack from the Reds as Ibrahimovic had one chance blocked, then another saved by Grant in goal.

Stoke had all hands on the pump to thwart United's hope of a second goal and their patience paid off when they managed to snatch an equaliser in the 82nd minute with a goal from nowhere.

De Gea showed he is in fact human when he only managed to parry a low shot away from his goal line that was flicked back into the six-yard box over him and two of his defenders and there was Allen on hand to tuck the ball into an open net.

It was noticeable in the build-up to the goal that De Gea had a chance to collect a deep cross but elected to leave it for his defenders who then proceed to give it away and that move led to the goal.

Mourinho made his last change of the day by introducing Memphis for Herrera.

Rashford now playing on the right crossed a ball that was met with a firm header by Pogba which crashed against the bar.

With four minutes of injury time added Rooney took over the corner and free kick duties and to be honest his deliveries were poor, to say the least.

Full time and United were the victims of their own undoing as they allowed Stoke to commit a smash and grab raid to share the spoils.

This match was a difficult one to assess as United had done enough to win it in the first hour, but once they took the lead allowed Stoke to claw their way back to earn a vital point. On any other day, both Ibrahimovic and Pogba could easily have scored a double each but it wasn't to be.

The visiting keeper, as is so often the case at Old Trafford, had a game to remember and deserved the Man of the Match award.

Once again we now head into another international break and then the fun really starts with United up against Liverpool, City and Chelsea before the end of the month. Those are the matches that United can't afford to make the same mistakes in as they did against Stoke.

Until then thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

United Stoke Up The Fires.

Manchester United 3 Stoke City 0

Man United turned on the style against Stoke City with a display that had United's proud name written all over it and one that just might be the springboard for a surge up the table.

Following their decisive victory over Derby County in the FA Cup for United, it was back to the bread and butter of the Premier League with the visit to Old Trafford of former Red hero Mark Hughes and his Stoke City team.

Stoke have been impressive this season and like many teams who are normally classed as mid-table fodder has performed way above their weight and pulled off some impressive results including the defeat of United on Boxing Day.

Louis van Gaal, still shadowed by rumours of an imminent departure, badly needed a home win to restore faith in his ability and that of his players. The side he selected had a couple of tweaks to it from the cup win: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard, Martial and Rooney.

Carrick started in midfield allowing Schneiderlin to have a well-earned rest on the bench and Darmian returned to the line up in place of Varela.

United got the game underway attacking the old Scoreboard End and certainly looked up for the fight in the opening minutes with Mata coming the closest with a deflected shot from the edge of the area.

Martial continued in the same frame of mind from the cup win with some thrilling runs into the box from the left, which proved it was going to be a torrid night for his markers.

Rooney tried to get one more goal closer to Bobby Charlton's record early on when he twisted and turned 25 yards out and eventually let fly with an effort that the keeper had to save at full stretch. Prior to the match Rooney was six goals shy of Charlton's long standing record of 249 goals for the club. A record that judging by the captains' form in January won't be around for too long.

After ten minutes the home side looked comfortable enough and played the ball around well up front as they bided their time looking for a way through the visitors defensive line.

Then in the 14th minute, Jesse Lingard produced the goods following fantastic work on the left involving the trio of Martial, Mata and birthday boy Borthwick-Jackson, who delivered a pin point cross into the six-yard area where Lingard stooped low to gleefully head the ball into the back of the net.

Just the start the home side needed and it was almost followed up by a second as Martial, clearly with the bit between his teeth, powered into the box and fired a shot into the side netting.

Stoke tried to get back into the match, but hit a dead end in the shape of David De Gea. But it showed that the threat of Stoke was clear and present and that United would need the cushion of a second goal.

Right on cue in the 23rd minute, they delivered with a sublime finish from the man of the moment Martial who curled in a shot from just inside the opposition penalty area to double the scoreline. A goal of superb quality from the young French star and the composure he showed to convert his chance proves exactly what an awesome talent he is.

The goal had United of old written all over it as Mata collected the ball high upfield and proceeded to take out two defenders with a superb piece of skill, then delivered a pass infield to Rooney, who in turn looked up and found Martial with a high quality ball from one edge of the box to the other.

Mark Hughes knows a good striker when he sees one and following the second goal the Welshman reshuffled his defence by bringing on ex-red Phil Bardsley to try and get to grips with the French terrier.

Mata and Rooney got in each others way as they both went for a cross from Darmian and it was the Spaniard who met it but headed wide.

With United enjoying a comfortable lead for the first time in a first half at home since September the game became a little flat with United just happy to play the ball around and didn't allow the visitors the time needed on the ball to present any major threat on De Gea's goal especially with the duo of Smalling and Blind standing their ground at the back.

Half-time and United fully deserved to be leading at the break and it could easily have been by a higher margin. There was an assured look about the Red Devils that has been missing for a long time and one hopes that the corner has been turned and the team can build on the new found confidence and go onto to kill off Stoke in the second half.

The second half got underway with no changes having been made by van Gaal as the rain fell around the Theatre of Dreams. But even that couldn't dampen the spirit inside the stadium as United attacked the Stretford End that was resplendent with its tributes to the Munich air disaster victims.

Within four minutes of the restart, Rooney muscled his defender off the ball with a good old-fashioned shoulder barge and proceeded to fire the ball into the net, however, referee Roger East called the play back after he adjudged Rooney's challenge as a foul.

This decision fired up the captain and in the next attack in the 53rd minute he got his just rewards by firing United into a 3-0 lead. The move was once again started by Mata who caressed the ball wide to the waiting Martial who played a wonderfully weighted cross into the grateful path of Rooney, who tapped home from close range to continue his great goal scoring run since the turn of the year.

The goal was another example of the smooth passing style that United have been missing for the majority of the season and one that delighted the home bench as even van Gaal showed a glimmer of emotion as he chatted with fans sat behind him.

The only black spot on Martial's night came when he received a booking for a foul on Bardsley after he chased the defender down after not being awarded a free-kick himself. This tussle continued between the two for the next few minutes with the referee keeping a close eye on them both.

It was pleasing to see the experienced calming influence of Michael Carrick back in the engine room alongside Fellaini as both worked hard to thwart most of the Stoke forays through the middle as Stoke tried in vain to find a way back into a match that had slipped away from them.

Both Darmian and Borthwick-Jackson had the confidence to charge forward down their respective flanks and put over some decent crosses. Smalling and Blind stood tall all match against the threat of Stoke's bulky striker and Ibrahimovic look-alike Arnautovic and the lanky, ineffective Peter Crouch, both of whom hardly had a sniff at goal.

With the game won van Gaal decided to freshen the side up for the final ten minutes of the match when he introduced Memphis for the brilliant Martial who received a standing ovation from the Old Trafford faithful and deserved to be named the man of the match following his display. This was quickly followed by the second change when Fellaini, who looked to be nursing a knock, was replaced by Herrera.

Memphis almost grabbed a goal that would have done his confidence the world of good, but his effort sailed wide of the far post after great movement and one touch passing build-up play by his teammates.

The third and final change for United came with only three minutes left on the clock when Pereira entered the match for the industrious Juan Mata who played one of his best games in the number 10 position where he was at the center of everything United did in attack.

Full-time and a resounding win for United in what could have been a tricky fixture. Three goals and a clean sheet plus the way in which the players performed showed that if they continue in this form, then a top four finish is definitely on the cards. Especially when you consider the scoring form of Rooney, seven goals in as many games, Martial's huge contribution to the attack, Mata providing the build up play and a defence that is holding strong.

The important win has to be the best home display of the season and long may it continue starting with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. When attacking at pace, as they did in this match, not many defences can handle United's attacking force and it was pleasing to see the players enjoy the freedom they had been given, but it begs the question why they hadn't been able to perform like this all season?

This coming Saturday will be the 58th anniversary of the Munich air disaster a date forever linked with our great club. The Flowers of Manchester and their legacy will live on through present and future generations of fans as a symbol of the eternal flames of Manchester United.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.


 

United Lack Fight On Boxing Day

Stoke City 2 Manchester United 0

In a week that hasn't exactly seen much Christmas spirit aimed towards Louis van Gaal no amount of mince pies and wine will be able to hold the critics from the door as once again United succumbed to defeat in the most demoralising and depressing fashion.

It was imperative that van Gaal stopped the rot and quickly. So, with that in mind, he chose a side that had the huge responsibility of possibly saving his job. The starting XI he went for was: De Gea, Young, Jones, Smalling, Blind, Carrick, Fellaini, Herrera, Mata, Memphis and Martial.

Van Gaal produced a surprise by dropping Rooney to the bench and bringing back Herrera. The move could be with one eye on the Chelsea match on Monday or just down to form. With Schweinsteiger serving the final match of his ban Carrick was preferred to continue in the middle ahead of Schneiderlin. Jones was chosen again to partner Smalling at the back with Young continuing his role as the right wing back.

Martial had the opportunity to keep his goal scoring on the rise as he would spearhead the attack with the support of Memphis and Mata.

It was a blustery Britannia Stadium that welcomed both sets of fans looking to blow off their Christmas day festivities and get right behind the two teams. The main concern for the away fans had to be the form of Stoke's mercurial player Shaqiri.

United got the game underway with Fellaini starting the match playing in the number 10 position with Herrera lying deeper in the midfield, which bearing in mind the conditions wouldn't suit any high balls up to the Belgian.

The hosts started the brighter of the two sides as United struggled to get into a rhythm. Once they did get some movement going it was Herrera, who had the first effort from distance that didn't really trouble the keeper.

It was clear from the outset that like most teams playing United this season Stoke were not afraid of a Red Devils team that was clearly short on confidence.

United were guilty of providing the opposition far too much time on the ball and the home side seemed to enjoy running at the visitors with Shaqiri especially in the mood against Blind on the right wing.

Memphis almost sneaked a curling free-kick past Butland at his near post in the 18th minute, then up at the other end within a minute the Dutch winger badly messed up a back header that was so awful it allowed Johnson to set up Bojan to put Stoke in the lead.

Then the pressure was really put onto van Gaal's shoulders after Stoke won a free-kick right on the edge of the area after a handball by Young. The resulting free-kick was played square and up stepped striker Arnautovic to slam home a thunderbolt into the back of De Gea's net to make it 2-0.

Once again, no words could describe the state of United's play to put themselves into the position of being behind after half an hour. They only had themselves to blame.

Memphis did try and redeem himself with another attempt from distance after United had won a free-kick, but after it was parried by the keeper it was the lack of clinical finishing in Fellaini's follow-up that summed up the United team at present, weak and without belief.

Fellaini had another opportunity to grab a goal back, however, not for the first time this season he dithered on the ball at the crucial moment. United did manage to end the half with a flurry of corners, none of which troubled the home defence.

Devoid of ideas in all departments United went in at half-time having not only conceded two goals, but, more worringly, having not shown any of the conviction that is expected from players wearing the famous shirt.

The last time United came back from two goals down to win in a Premier League game was on the same day in 2013 away at Hull City. Just didn't get the feeling that was going to happen in this game.

The second half got underway with van Gaal making the expected change with Rooney replacing Memphis in the attack and at least they started on the front foot showing the urgency needed. Having said that the attacks lacked any fluid movement and were easily cancelled out by the home defence.

Young tried his best down the right wing and one of his attempted crosses was almost met by Rooney's head.

At the back, even the usually reliable Smalling was having a stinker, especially when attempting to play the ball out from the back with passes that we're way too short for his teammates. It really is no coincidence that his level does drop when he is paired with Jones in defence.

Fellaini was presented with a chance on a plate following great work on the byline by Rooney, but his close range shot was straight at the keeper when it looked odds on he would score. Then Mata had a sneaky effort saved under the bar by Butland.

United had the majority of possession after the hour mark, but you got the feeling that Stoke felt comfortable enough to let United come at them, so confident in fact they even withdrew playmaker Shaqiri with twenty minutes still on the clock.

Young saved United from any further damage with a superb interception to prevent Arnautovic getting onto a through ball to score his second. Great defensive play from Young, who to his credit hadn't stopped running up and down his wing all day.

The faces in the away dug out painted a picture that must have been shared by the millions of bewildered fans watching around the world the only difference being the men on the bench had the responsibility of doing something about the situation, but as always they sat unanimated at a time when the side needed leadership. Especially bearing in mind former red Mark Hughes never left the touchline and his team was winning.

For the final ten minutes of the match van Gaal made his last change, of what could very well turn out to be his United career, when he introduced Pereira for Herrera and the youngsters first piece of action was to be cautioned for a professional foul.

Pereira almost instantly made up for his mistake with a pass that provided Martial with a shooting chance that was well saved by Butland low to his left.

Game over and another defeat for the Red Devils with the question being how will van Gaal be able to survive this massive setback after his words of solidarity prior to the match?

Clearly, all is not well in-house and with the home fans taunting the beleaguered Dutch coach by chanting his colleague Jose's name, you really have to wonder if he will indeed call it a day himself and let someone else pick up the pieces.

Over the last season and a half, I for one have championed van Gaal as a manager even though not agreeing with his methods at times. I really believed that with his pedigree as a coach the good times would return to Old Trafford. But after this match, which was an opportunity to put the record straight, even I have to accept that enough is enough and maybe it's time to go forward with a new man at the helm.

However, that man should not be Ryan Giggs as being a legend doesn't suddenly make you a great manager. We need someone special who can reinvigorate and reinvent the side back to winning ways.

Whatever happens, in the next few days, it will be interesting to say the least, especially when you consider who United face at Old Trafford on Monday.

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 didn't rule Britannia.

Stoke City 1 Manchester United 1

Man United started the New Year as they had ended the last one by only managing a draw away from home.

The last time we visited the Potteries was a 1-2 loss back in February. How times have changed. New manager and new players, third in the league and unbeaten in the last nine games. Things were definitely looking up for the Red Devils as we entered 2015.

The Britannia Stadium has always been a tricky place to get results and today was no different, as the wind blew across the pitch making high balls hard to defend. Former United favourite Mark Hughes had the extra height of Peter Crouch in attack to cause havoc with the ball in the air. This was going to be a real test for United's defenders

Man Utd's starting eleven brought a recall for Luke Shaw and Chris Smalling to the starting line up in place of Antonio Valencia and Paddy McNair. The team: De Gea, Jones, Smalling, Evans, Carrick, Young, Rooney, Mata, Shaw, Falcao, van Persie.

When the team was announced I cringed at the thought of Smalling, Jones and Evans together at the back, as something usually goes wrong, and after only 1 minute 45 seconds it did just that.

From a corner Crouch, unchecked in the box, rose to head towards goal, it was smacked into the net by Shawcross. The worst possible start for United as the defenders were found napping in the box. Van Gaal had said before the match that he wanted his players to dream of matches beforehand, here they were actually sleeping during play.

United must have known about the threat Stoke posed from set pieces, why they had so many players in the box doing nothing was totally unacceptable. I guarantee van Gaal, the perfectionist, was seething on the touchline that his side had conceded such an early goal in that manner.

It took 8 mins for United to win their first corner, but the delivery by Mata was not good enough, and Begovic collected easily. The second corner from Mata had exactly the same result. He again took the responsibility to take the third corner, which again was poor.

When you have an opposition keeper as tall as Begovic, what is the point of lofting crosses into the box that he's going to eat up all day. I remember a time when Robin van Persie was taking the corners on the right in his first season with better results.

The uneasiness in the United side was summed up on the quarter hour by an over hit pass down the wing from Young which was meant for Falcao. Young is best suited playing on the left as has been proved with this match and the away match at Villa. he is quite simply wasted on the right.

United won a free kick on the edge of the Stoke area which Rooney took control of, but his effort was high and and not so handsome. You began to get that feeling it clearly was going to be one of those unfortunate days. Not much was going right for the team in blue.

The first mistake from Evans was on 18 minutes. He was out hustled and bustled off the ball by former red Diouf. Luckilly for Evans, Diouf pulled his effort wide when he should have done a lot better. Maybe David de Gea's performances made him panic into shooting too early. That was big let off for Evans and the team. This is not the first time Evans has put the team in danger this season, and I have to question his reliability.

United's equaliser came in the 26th minute when a Rooney corner from the left was heade on by Carrick's through to Falcao, who swept the ball into the net. A goal from nothing but welcome all the same. That was Falcao's third goal for United, and it came at a perfect time in the game.

After the goal United started to take control of the game more. The only real threat from Stoke came from the height of Crouch, and that unforgiving wind. Stoke had a slight chance as an inswinger from their left confused all in the penalty area until Shaw miskicked the ball over the crossbar for a corner.

The Stoke keeper Begovic angered van Persie by showing his studs as he kicked out his leg in the Dutchman's direction. Van Persie was rightly incensed, but the referee Michael Oliver and his assistant didn't see what happened. On closer inspection Begovic was lucky he didn't make contact with the forward or it could have been very nasty indeed.

The away fans were in fine voice out singing the home fans who had long given up booing United's every touch of the ball.The first half ended all square at 1-1.

The second half got under way with no changes in the United side. With Young still on the right and Shaw on the left you got the feeling that United were going to struggle to create chances. Stoke were closing down quickly and our midfield trio of Carrick, Rooney and Mata failed to stamp their authority on the game. Poor passing and dwelling too long on the ball gave Stoke a self belief, and they started to play the better football.

United had a look of uncertainty about their play and really needed to have a spell of keeping the ball, but Stoke were not giving them any time to settle into a rhythm. Just after the hour mark, van Gaal made a double change. Bringing on Ander Herrera and Adnan Januzaj for Falcao and Shaw. I totally understood the confused way Falcao looked as he was substituted. Not sure why he was the fall guy when others around him were just as equally under performing.

There was a moment of controversy after Jones had headed behind from a Stoke cross. From the resulting corner the ball struck Smalling on the arm, as the home fans screamed for a penalty the ref waved play on. A minute later the same thing happened to Smalling again, once more Michael Oliver angered the locals by showing no interest in their claims for a penalty.

From the resulting clearance, United  broke down the left only for Januzaj opting to shoot when a cross would have been the wiser choice. Shortly after, van Persie nearly managed to convert a lobbed shot, but sadly for him pulled it wide.

Crouch was causing all sorts of problems for United. In a two minute spell Stoke hit the post and Diouf had a blast from the edge of the box, which only just flew over the crossbar.

This was proving to be a tough New Years Day for the visitors. There was no urgency in our play and no chances were being created. Then, as Young galloped away on a counter attack, he pulled up sharply with what looked to be a hamstring problem. This meant that Rafael made it on in Young's place. Another injury to add to the list.

In the last 20 mins United had their own appeal for a penalty waved away, when Rafael looked as if he had been impeded. Maybe the referee was addressing the balance. When Januzaj did deliver a cross from the left, van Persie just couldn't quite convert it at the near post.

United finished the match on the attack with a flurry of corners and crosses, which in the end didn't result in any clear cut chances to grab a winner. It ended all square. Our poor performance made Stoke look the better side in the second half.

This was not the type of start to 2015 that everyone expected from Manchester United. It meant that van Gaal was still waiting for his 'perfect' match. From the look of things it will be a long time before he gets it. The side were short of ideas and lacked the balance from the last few weeks.

Valencia was missed today, as when he and Young played out wide there was a cohesion in the side. Now that Young and Valencia will be missing for the foreseeable future the need for other players to return is imperative. We desperately need Di Maria and Blind to make a speedy return and start winning again. On a positive note, United are now unbeaten in the last ten games.

The transfer window opens this weekend and as I've said many times this season the defence is our biggest problem area. We desperately need someone at the back with the experience to bring stability. How many points have been dropped by our inept defenders? To say that Smalling was the best defender on show today doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. Smalling, Jones and Evans are our own 'Bermuda Triangle' as strange things happen when their together.

Next up for United is the 3rd of the FA Cup in which they will face League 1 outfit Yeovil Town. The main hope is that van Gaal approaches the match differently to the loss against MK Dons back at the start of the season. I'm hoping for a good cup run as it could be our only realistic chance of silverware this season. The last time we lifted the old trophy was back in 2004, so it's well overdue.

United have faced Yeovil twice before, both matches in the FA Cup. The first was at Old Trafford in the 1937-38 season in the 3rd round that was won by United 3-0. The second match was in the 1948-49 season. This time it was in the 5th round. United played the match at Manchester City's ground, Maine Road. United netted 8 goals without reply. Incredibly the attendance that day was 81,565, amazing.

The first match of 2015 has ended rather disappointingly, but there is still a lot to look forward to, I'm sure.

Thanks for checking out my thoughts.

Miles Dunton.