Mata's Red Damages United's Chances.

West Bromwich Albion 1 Manchester United 0

As the season enters its final furlong any number of teams can still end up in one of the coveted top four spots needed for Champions League qualification. However, it looks increasingly more certain that Man United will not be one of them following this demoralising defeat in the West Midlands.

After winning their last four matches on the trot United went to The Hawthorns with a proud record of having never lost a Premier League match there and was buoyed by the return of centre-back Smalling to hopefully boost their rear guard.

Van Gaal made four changes from the side that laboured to the win over Watford in midweek. At the back, Darmian and Smalling replaced Varela and Fosu-Mensah. In midfield, Carrick returned to give Schneiderlin a well-earned rest and Lingard came in for Memphis. Starting XI: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Carrick, Herrera, Lingard, Mata, Martial and Rashford.

Teenage sensation Rashford was given another start up front and an opportunity to combine with Martial yet again. Fellaini returned from injury and started on the bench.

The first effort of the match fell to Martial after a couple of minutes with a long range effort to test former United keeper Ben Foster which the former Red collected easily.

United started the match well from the kick off by utilising Darmian's pace on the right to good effect as he provided some early pressure. Rashford started as the main striker with Martial positioned on the left and Lingard on the right with Mata linking the midfield and attack.

The visitors almost produced the opening goal as Mata linked well with Herrera, who tried to play his compatriot in on goal with a chip over the defence but slightly overhit his return pass.

It was then the turn of the home side to test the visitors resilience with a couple of high balls into the area which were dealt with well by Smalling and Blind. There was a chance for Dawson, who rose above United's defence only to get his header all wrong.

Blind failed to clear his lines and the poor clearance ended up at the feet of Berahino who let the ball run away from him and the chance had gone. The Dutchman was in the thick of the action again as his foot was too high as it connected with Berahino's face. A free kick was awarded right on the edge of the penalty area. Martial was back in defence and helped to clear the resulting free kick.

There was a scare for United as another free kick was floated towards the far post where McAuley stormed in and headed the ball across the face of goal with De Gea stranded. If the ball had gone in it wouldn't have counted as the flag was already raised for offside.

Then just before the half hour, a couple of rash decisions by Mata turned the game on its head. Firstly, he didn't retreat the full ten yards from a Fletcher free kick and was booked. Secondly, a few minutes later he went late into a tackle on Fletcher and caught the former United player for which the referee had little choice but to issue a second yellow and, therefore, Mata had to walk.

It has to be said that both yellows were needless from Mata and he should have known better as it put United on the back foot so early on in the match. It was also United's first red card of the season and the Spaniards first in the Premier League.

Dawson had another chance this time with a dipping shot that only just dropped wide of the post.

As the first half came to a close, it was the Baggies who dominated as United tried to regroup after Mata had been dismissed. Martial did manage to work himself into a shooting position inside the box, but he took too long to adjust himself.

Lingard engineered a good break down the left wing and earned a corner for his troubles on the stroke of half-time.

0-0 after 45 minutes and a half that was all about Mata's carelessness and less about the football. Even though West Brom created more chances they were mainly from high balls played into the area looking for either Rondon or Berahino which were dealt with without too much concern by the back four.

United created little of note before and after Mata saw red and an improvement in the second half would have to be found from somewhere if they were to gain the three points they badly needed. It would be an uphill struggle but not impossible. The biggest question was how van Gaal would reorganise his ten men for the second half.

The home side got the second half underway as van Gaal decided against making any changes and it was United that started on the front foot. They earned a corner from a Rashford shot following a great trademark twisting run into the penalty area by Martial. Better from the Red Devils now if they could only make the pressure count with a goal.

A couple of corners for United followed by a big appeal for handball against Gardner after he clearly handled a Rojo cross was waved away by the referee who was standing only a few yards away.

Lingard, who scored his first United goal against the same opponents at Old Trafford, tried his luck from distance and wasn't that far away.

It was all United at that point as Martial was upended just outside the area. Herrera fired the resulting free kick into the wall. Martial was proving to be a pain in the home side's defence as his pace and trickery caused problems for Olsson especially.

Then the first change was made by van Gaal just after the hour mark when Herrera made way for Schneiderlin in midfield.

Not for the first time this season, the away fans were in fine voice, but they were silenced in the 66th minute when West Brom took the lead through Rondon, who blasted a low left-footed drive past the despairing dive of De Gea. Exactly how Rondon escaped his marker to score only Blind can answer.

An uphill struggle suddenly looked like a mountain to climb for United who found themselves 1-0 down and with only ten men. From this point on United struggled to mount a reply against The Baggies.

Daley Blind was having a nightmare of a game against scorer Rondon and found it hard going against the robust forward.

Memphis was given a chance to rescue his team when he came on for Rashford for the final fifteen minutes. His first piece of action saw him brought down in a dangerous position. He also took the free-kick which evaded everyone inside the area.

Fosu-Mensah became the last change by van Gaal when he replaced Darmian at right back as the game entered the final ten minutes. It was a like for like change and even if Darmian had an injury then surely it would have made more sense to put on a player who could do more damage up front. A gamble on Fellaini's height maybe as the game neared the end.

The signal for four minutes of added time failed to spur United into anything close to a chance on goal and the match ended in another disappointing result for van Gaal's side.

There were many performances to forget, especially from Blind and Carrick. The latter created nothing from his holding position in midfield and spent most of the match following the goal passing backwards or sideways when the Carrick of old would have tried to pick out forward players with his passing ability. Those forwards also missed Mata's vision for the majority of the match and struggled to have any bearing on the result. Herrera was of the boil as were most of the team.

This was a defeat that could signal the end of a top four finish for United and more worryingly next up is the small matter of the first of the double header against bitter rivals Liverpool in the UEFA Europa League last 16. It will be the first time the two giants of English football have pitted their wits against each other in European football.

We can expect two matches of heated rivalry on and certainly off the pitch as both sets of players and supporters will not give an inch to each other.

With the second leg at Old Trafford, you would expect United to come out on top over the two legs as van Gaal's record of never having lost against the Anfield outfit bodes well. But after this result who knows what will happen.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Patience is a virtue for United.

Manchester United 2 West Bromwich Albion 0

After breaking their goal drought in midweek, it was a return to the bread and butter of the Premier League for United and the visit of WBA to Old Trafford.

Could the Red Devils build on that win against CSKA Moscow and start to mount a serious challenge in the league? The 4-4-2 system against the Russians gave the fans what they wanted which was a more attack-minded side with Rooney and Martial utilised in tandem up front.

When Louis van Gaal announced his starting XI it became clear that he had embraced the style of play that best suited United by continuing with the same side and system that worked so effectively on Tuesday evening. The starting XI was made up of: De Gea, Young, Smalling, Blind, Rojo, Schweinsteiger, Carrick, Mata, Lingard, Martial and Rooney.

Subs: Romero, Borthwick-Jackson, Jones, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Pereira and Memphis.

Included in the squad was 18-year-old left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, who had been drafted in as cover for the injured Shaw, Valencia and McNair and also due to the suspension of Darmian. Another example of the youth being given a chance following Axel Tuanzebe's inclusion last week against Palace. There could be a new chant around Old Trafford of 'Louis' Lads' if this continues.

Fellaini missed out completely after picking up an injury in training, but Schneirderlin made a welcome return to the bench following a short illness. Former United players Jonny Evans and Darren Fletcher started the match for the Baggies.

United got the game underway in the autumn sunshine that bathed the Theatre of Dreams following a well observed minute silence for remembrance weekend.

It was a usual start by the home side as they enjoyed the majority of the possession but with nothing to show for it. West Brom had clearly come with a gameplan  to defend and hope for a chance on the break so United had to be careful of not becoming complacent at the back.

The first real chance fell to Mata on the quarter hour mark after Rooney had opted to play in the Spaniard rather than take a shot himself. Mata tried to bend his effort into the far corner from inside the area, however, the ball sailed just wide.

The United attacking formation took shape after the first twenty minutes with Lingard out on the left and Rooney, Martial and Mata roaming around the front line with all three popping up here and there as they tried to find a way through the away defence.

As the Baggies had only come to defend Carrick and Schweinsteiger found themselves in the thick of the attacking play in and around the penalty area and had a couple of opportunities where they maybe should have had an effort to test Myhill in the visitors goal.

Half an hour played and although they had enjoyed more than 80% of the ball the Red Devils still hadn't troubled West Brom.

Ashley Young was having a nightmare at the Theatre of Dreams as not once but twice he gave the ball away first with a long pass to, it has to be said, no one, then dribbling past himself to concede a throw in and the picture on van Gaal's face was priceless. But what would Roy Keane make of it?

Five minutes before the break Lingard was put through on goal but was thwarted by a brilliant challenge from Jonny Evans. The speed of Lingard is something that United need to make more use of as he really is a player who possesses lightning pace.

Just before the break Martial almost created a chance for himself as he showed excellent ball control inside the area to turn and unleash a shot that was well saved by Myhill. Best play by a United player so far and it deserved a goal, reminiscent of Mark Hughes in his prime.

Half time and not for the first time this season it was all square at 0-0 after United had found it difficult to find a way through to goal against a side clearly under instructions to defend at all costs and play for time.

An example of this was when the visitors had won a corner and the length of time it took the player to walk over to take it was pure gamesmanship and the referee did nothing about it, time wasting at its most ridiculous.

West Bromwich Albion is not the first and certainly won't be the last to use such negative tactics at Old Trafford, but it is up to United to learn how to overcome such play and brush these teams aside.

The second half saw no changes made by van Gaal as the home side looked to break down a resolute Baggies defence as they attacked the Stretford End.

At least West Brom did venture forward in the opening minutes of the second half, but without troubling birthday boy David de Gea.

Not only were the players flat so were the fans who had had nothing to shout about until Jesse Lingard changed all that when he produced a moment of pure excellence in the 52nd minute as he collected the ball from a headed clearance outside the box and showed exceptional composure to curl the ball past the diving keeper and into the bottom corner to score his first goal for the club. Brilliant and just what the game needed.

The first change of the match followed the goal and saw a straight swap as Phil Jones replaced Ashley Young.

Since the goal, the visitors realised what football was all about and tried their utmost to mount some kind of attack, but Smalling and company were in complete control at the back as usual.

Rooney's attempt at a long-range pass from a position he shouldn't have been in was the springboard for the visitors best chance of the match as they countered attacked and following the cross an unmarked Berahino headed over from close range. A big let off for the home side, and Rooney.

Then a very special moment for a young player as Cameron Borthwick-Jackson made his debut when he came on in place of Rojo in the 76th minute.

United came close mainly through the running of Martial and Lingard, but Rooney didn't help his cause with some poor passes and van Gaal decided to replace the captain with Herrera for the final ten minutes of the match.

A smart header from Martial played in Mata for a chance that he blasted high, wide and not so handsome over the bar.

Once again a former player had the game of his life upon returning to Old Trafford this time it was the turn of Jonny Evans, who managed to block almost everything United threw at his defence. If only he had shown the same commitment on a consistent basis while at United maybe he wouldn't have been let go.

With the match in its final throes French starlet, Martial, went on one last lung-busting run all the way into the penalty area only to be upended by McCauley, who not only conceded the penalty but also gave referee Mike Dean no option but to send him off.

The resulting spot kick was blasted down the middle by Juan Mata to give United a more respectable winning margin of 2-0.

Overall the three points along with another clean sheet are what matters and the play from the team fully warranted the win over a West Brom team who until United took the lead offered nothing in the way of an attacking threat.

There were numerous performances that merited a special mention including Schweinsteiger for his control of the midfield, Smalling for his marshalling of the defence, Mata and Martial for their non-stop running on and off the ball.

However, it has to be Lingard, who deserves the man of the match award again as nothing seemed to phase him and his pace was a problem for the opposition defenders all day. The way he finished his goal was probably worth the accolade on its own and the joy etched on his face said it all after he scored his wonderful opening goal for the club and what a way to do it right in front of the adoring Stretford End.

An important morale-boosting win before the players depart for international duty is just what the manager would have hoped for and all fingers will be crossed that not only will the players return injury free but that United can keep up this form into the busy winter period.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.