'Krul' turn of events deny United.

Manchester United 0 Newcastle United 0

Following the euphoria of United's winning return to the Champions League, it was back to the bread and butter of the Premier League and the visit of Newcastle United to Old Trafford.

United welcomed former assistant manager Steve McClaren back to Old Trafford as the away team manager. McClaren, of course, was Sir Alex Ferguson's right-hand man in 1999 when United completed the historic treble and was revered for his coaching skills, but has not really hit the same heights as a club or international manager since then.

United's home record against Newcastle in the Premier League is almost 100% perfect as they have only lost once at home to the Geordies and that was as recently as 2013.

In last season's corresponding fixture, it was captain Wayne Rooney, who put in a man of the match performance scoring a brace and adding an assist in the 3-1 win. With all the criticism, he has endured at the start of this campaign, he would have wanted to repeat those exploits in this match.

Louis van Gaal had used an unchanged starting eleven in the last two victories against Aston Villa and Club Brugge but this time he decided that he would slightly tinker with the team selection as he looked to achieve a four match winning start to the season something that hadn't been done since 2011.

United's starting XI: Romero; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Mata, Januzaj, Memphis and Rooney. Subs: Johnstone, McNair, Valencia, Carrick, Herrera, Young and Chicharito.

Schweinsteiger made his first start for United in place of Carrick, who in turn would be on the bench alongside McNair, who had been recalled to the side because of Fellaini's absence as he served the last match of his ban. There was still no place for De Gea as Romero continued in his place and deservedly so.

First half: The away side got the match under way as they attacked the Stretford End. Luke Shaw made the first move forward as he collected the ball and attempted a low cross which was easily cleared this was followed by a shot from distance by Memphis which didn't trouble his compatriot keeper Krul.

A bright start from the red devils and a continuation of the attacking flair they had shown against Club Brugge.

In the first five minutes Rooney had been at the core of all United's attacks and even had the ball in the back of the net, but it was ruled out for a very close and debatable offside decision.

In the 10th minute, United won a free-kick in a dangerous area after Darmian was scythed down. Memphis left it for Mata whose effort was easily caught by Krull. With his track record of scoring from free-kick situations, Memphis has to step up and take control of the set pieces more.

Mata had a low drive palmed away at his near post by the impressive Tim Krull as United piled the pressure on the visitors penalty area and Rooney tried his luck from the edge of the box, but it was too weak to trouble the keeper.

After a quarter of an hour, the home team was in total control as Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin governed the middle of the park with authority and didn't allow the opposition to have time on the ball.

Darmian received United's first caution after catching Haidara late then the Newcastle forward had his name taken for a similar challenge on Blind in United's penalty area.

Memphis tried his luck in the 20th minute but decided to make it easy for the keeper by placing his shot rather than blasting the ball. This was followed by a close call for the reds as Newcastle nearly stole the lead when Mitrovic's dipping header alluded Romero but struck the crossbar. A real let-off for United.

Back on the attack Memphis almost opened up the visitors defence, but his final ball into the area was a little behind his teammates. The match was turning out to be an enjoyable one as Newcastle at least tried to create some chances, especially with the lively Mitrovic.

In the first half hour, Januzaj was having little or no effect on the proceedings and the game was crying out for a player like Herrera to help out the hard working Mata.

Blind's thunderous strike from distance almost took the head of a defender as United strived for the vital opener before half-time. Darmian ended a great United passing move by delivering  a delightful cross that Rooney only just failed to meet.

As the half progressed, you got the feeling that with no goal to show for the effort United had to be careful at the back as Newcastle possessed enough pace to trouble the defence but the confident Smalling and Co. kept any threat at bay.

United had one last chance before the half ended as Januzaj, Rooney and Mata attacked, but the young Belgian dithered on the ball and by the time Memphis had joined the attack the momentum had been lost.

Half-time 0-0 and for all their sweat United were all level at the end of a half that at the beginning had promised much but failed to deliver on the end result. The forwards came up against Tim Krul, who had excelled for Newcastle in goal with a string of fine stops and had a personal battle with his Dutch teammate Memphis.

The usually critical United manager would surely have had stern words for his team in the dressing room after the side failed to capitalise on their possession and would want to see an improvement in the second half.

Second half: United got the second half underway and it was their turn to attack the Stretford End hoping to have more luck in finding a way to beat a keeper who was on top of his game.

Within the first few minutes, full back Darmian made another excellent run into the Newcastle area and earned a corner for his industry and he was straight down the other end stopping an attack.

After ten minutes, the play had become fairly balanced as both sides tried to find a way through the resolute defences and you got the feeling it was going to take something special to break the deadlock.

Memphis went on a typical run towards the opposition area, but was upended by former red Obertan to earn a free-kick that he took himself and smacked the ball straight into the defensive wall. Memphis then collected the rebound and crossed to the far post where Smalling tried a looping header, but Krul once again collected easily.

Just before the hour mark Schweinsteiger, who was clearly feeling the effects of a heavy first-half challenge, was replaced by Carrick. Soon after Memphis had another effort deflected for a corner and the resulting cross found Smalling at the far post, but his shot was blocked.

In the 66 minute van Gaal decided to beef up his attack as he brought on Hernandez for the ineffective Januzaj. The Mexican last scored for United against the Toon, which was hopefully a good omen.

Mata's creativity provided Rooney with an opportunity in the 71st minute but the captain's turn and shot was well blocked, then a minute later Rooney returned the favour with a cross to the far post which Mata caught full on the volley only to see his effort fly well over the bar.

Hernadez had a shot that was almost deflected into the net by Memphis and since his introduction Carrick was helping his side turn the screw. In one attacking foray, Luke Shaw found himself in a shooting position but once again Krul proved hard to beat.

76 minutes of play and Valencia was brought on to replace Darmian who had once again shown his quality in the right back spot.

Tim Krul was turning on the heroics as he saved from Hernandez at point-blank range when a goal looked certain. It was going to take something extraordinary to beat the Dutch keeper today.

In the last ten minutes it was all the home side as they tried to grab the winner that would give them a perfect start to the season and three valuable points ahead of some tricky matches.

Valencia almost found a route to goal but his effort was blocked for a corner which was cleared for another. It was all United as the fans urged their side on for the last five minutes.

The closest United came was as the clock showed the 90th minute and Memphis floated over a corner that was met by Smalling's head, but as it wasn't to be United's day the ball was cleared via the last defender and the post. Then the away side went on the counter attack which was wasted as they had a three on two advantage.

There was still time just before the final whistle for Michael Carrick to blast a shot goalwards which was blocked for another corner.

That was to be the last action of the match and the game ended in a disappointing goalless draw.

This was one of those games that has been witnessed so many times down the years at Old Trafford where the visiting goalkeeper has the match of his life and the same was true for Newcastle's Tim Krul as you got the feeling that United could have played all day and still not got past the Dutchman. The visitors grew in confidence as the match progressed and had their own chances to win the match.

Two points were abundantly clear after this result one is that Januzaj is still under performing while Herrera's talent is being wasted on the bench and secondly United need an out and out striker but having said that even they would have struggled to get past Krul today.

On a positive note the team performed well and Italian full back Matteo Darmian once again produced a performance of a high standard earning him man of the match.

All this week the media and a section of fans have centered on United's failure to attract players such as Pedro and Otamendi who joined our main rivals Chelsea and City respectively. Louis van Gaal insisted that if he had wanted those players then he and Ed Woodward would have signed them.

However, it doesn't alter the fact that United desperately needs a striker that can bolster the forward line and add the goals on a regular basis together with a central defender to ease the burden on the likes of Daley Blind. Sure, Marcos Rojo is close to a return to first-team action, but if the team suffers from the injuries and poor defensive form as last season then this will be an issue.

Next up for United is the important away leg of the Champions League playoff in Belgium which they will take a healthy score line of 3-1 to thanks mainly to the efforts of Memphis and the late, late goal by Fellaini in the first match that will then be followed by a tricky away match at Swansea City in the Premier League.

Until then, thanks as always for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Memphis lights up Old Trafford.

Manchester United 3 Club Brugge 1

The Theatre of Dreams opened its curtains once more as it staged the return of the Champions League.

There is something special about European nights at Old Trafford, the atmosphere, the floodlights, the anticipation among the fans and not least the chance to see the best teams and players in Europe visit the famous stadium.

United welcomed Club Brugge for the first leg of their qualifying tie and it was the first time that United had faced the Belgian team in any competitive match. However, United's first ever venture into the European Cup was against another Belgian side, Anderlecht, whom United beat 10-0 in the second leg at Old Trafford beginning their illustrious association with the competition.

The last time United found themselves in this position was exactly a decade ago when they beat Debrecen fc of Hungary 6-0 over two legs with the likes of Ronaldo, van Nistelrooy and Rooney leading the attack with the latter coming under criticism from many quarters this week after his below-par displays in United's opening two games of this season. Here was a chance to prove the naysayers wrong.

There were many players making their United European debuts in the starting XI which was unchanged from the victory at Villa Park: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Memphis, Januzaj and Rooney.

The only change was on the bench where Fellaini replaced McNair: Johnstone, Valencia, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Fellaini, Young, Chicharito.

1st half: United kicked off the match attacking the old scoreboard end and immediately went on the attack with a superb through ball by Mata into the path of Januzaj who delivered a low cross which Rooney only just failed to meet. A great start by the Red Devils and by the fans who were in fine voice.

Rooney then found Memphis with a cross-field pass, but the young winger couldn't make a clean connection. At the other end slight confusion in the home penalty area almost gifted Brugge a penalty thankfully the ref waved play on.

An exciting opening five minutes that even saw Chris Smalling create an attack by confidently running out of defence and passing the ball to the lively Rooney who crossed but too close to the keeper.

Then in the 8th minute an early blow for the home side as Brugge won a free-kick 30 yards out and when the ball was floated into the area Michael Carrick sliced his clearance into the back of the net giving the Belgians the all-important away goal. Januzaj has to also take partial blame as he could have blocked the ball but instead chose to turn his back to play.

After a great early start for United, that goal was a bad blow but there was plenty of time to bounce back.

And bounce back they did five minutes later when Memphis collected a ball from Carrick on the edge of the box and dribbled into the area after lifting the ball over Cools' head, then he produced a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner of the net. What a fantastic first goal to start his United account with.

From that point on United applied the pressure with a succession of corners of which Rooney came agonisingly close to adding a second on two occasions.

Then just before the half hour Mata once again played a delightful through ball to Januzaj who went down in the box after being easily muscled off the ball but again the referee was having none of it. In fact, the German ref seemed to have a disliking for young Adnan as he reprimanded him like a teacher to a school kid.

United had a let off after the half-hour mark when Brugge attacked and a low Dierckx cross from the right thankfully eluded everyone in the penalty area, but it was a warning. Then United went up the other end with Memphis clear on goal but with only the keeper to beat, he inexplicably decided to square the ball across towards Mata but it didn't reach the Spaniard, a wasted chance. Then the Dutch winger tried to make amends with a rasping drive from the edge of the box but the keeper punched it clear.

Then it became 2-1 to United after 43 minutes and it was the No.7 Memphis at it again with a superb thunderbolt from outside the area that left the keeper with no chance. A great strike and one that past No.7 legends would have been proud of.

Half Time: After falling behind to an unlucky own goal United took control of the game and really deserved to be ahead at half time. Memphis gave by far his best performance in the red of United and aided by the running of Januzaj, Mata and Rooney the attack looked to be clicking for the first time this season. The defence were also holding up well, however Brugge still posed a threat when attacking.

2nd half: In the second half United were hoping to score more goals at the Stretford End to make the tie more comfortable ahead of the return leg in Belgium next week. Louis van Gaal made only one change at half time by making his customary swap of Carrick for the German Schweinsteiger, who would add both steel and experience to the midfield.

United started the livelier of the two teams with both Mata and Memphis trying their luck on goal. Memphis almost completed his hat-trick after he was allowed to shoot from the same distance as his two goals but this time the keeper was more alert than his defenders.

Darmian collected the first United yellow card for a needless foul in the 50th minute and with the referee's hardline he would have to tread carefully for the rest of the match.

After an hour it was all United as they totally controlled the game and were passing the ball around comfortably and at this point had achieved eleven shots to Brugge's one but still needed to add to the score line.

Then it was squeeky bum time as Schneiderlin played a suicidal back pass to Romero, who was clipped by  Oulare as he tried a rushed clearance. Luckily no goal and no serious foot injury to Romero. After the treatment to Romero, Darmian tried to put things right by launching an attack and winning a corner.

In the next attack goal hero Memphis really should have added his third after a great cross from the right by Shaw and a back heel from Rooney which the winger tried to score with a spectacular volley when he had more time than he realised to slot the ball home. That was a great opportunity to put the tie to bed.

In the 66th minute, Schweinsteiger almost added his name to the scoresheet when he nearly converted a corner but the defence managed to clear.

In the 71st minute, the fans saw the return of Hernandez, after his season-long loan spell, return to action for United to replace Januzaj.

Memphis was desperate to get his third and he even tried his luck with a free-kick from distance which sailed wide but at least he was trying.

With 20 minutes left United became a little too anxious to add another goal and it took the likes of Schweinsteiger to calm the less experienced players down.

Brugge defender Mechele fouled Hernandez which earned him a second booking and a subsequent red so United would play the last ten minutes against ten men. This was followed by a caution for Smalling.

Louis van Gaal decided that it was time for the introduction of the  'unmarkable' Fellaini as he replaced captain Rooney in the 83rd minute.

Fellaini immediately set about at making a nuisance of himself in attack as United tried to make use of his height in the penalty area and it almost worked as the Belgian planted a header just wide of the far post.

During the last five minutes, United threw everything at Brugge and Smalling almost delivered with a close range header that the keeper somehow managed to save.

Then in the 93rd minute with the last action of the game Fellaini delivered on his threat after converting a cross by Memphis to make it 3-1 with a header and make the tie a lot safer than it would have been one second before.

After missing out on the elite competition last season it was imperative that United didn't slip up at the first hurdle and by winning they have taken a huge step towards the Champions League proper. It wasn't just the win that was important, but the manner in which they achieved it with some breathtaking attacking football that had the crowd on its feet with almost every attack. It was like the United of old.

Brugge didn't help their cause with the red card and will find it difficult to overcome the score line in Belgium but United still have to be wary of their forwards on their own ground. However, you would expect United to grab at least one away goal.

There were many performances of note from the home side, especially in the back four and Schneiderlin in midfield, who quietly and efficiently went about his job, but there was only one man of the match and that had to be Memphis Depay.

The opposition couldn't deal with the mercurial winger as he was allowed so much room on the left to display his vast talents and apart from the excellent goals if his passes had had the same accuracy then his teammates would have benefitted more themselves. He rounded off an excellent night by providing the assist for Fellaini's last minute goal.

United are back in Europe and back with a bang.

Until next time thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Januzaj seizes his chance.

Aston Villa 0 Manchester United 1

Over the last two decades, United's record at Villa Park is an exemplary one to say the least as Aston Villa have not beaten the Old Trafford side at home in the Premier League since August 1995.

That was the infamous defeat that produced the quote 'You can't win anything with kids'. This time they did just that with the kid Januzaj winning the match.

It was up to Louis van Gaal to continue that record going as he took his new-look team to the midlands trying to add his first away win of the season to the opening home defeat of Spurs last weekend.

United enjoyed the perfect start to the season in the 1-0 win over Spurs, albeit by an own goal, as all five of the summer signings had a part to play in the victory with special mention going to Matteo Darmian who had an impressive home debut at right-back and goalkeeper Romero who made a string of saves in the final ten minutes that kept United ahead.

However, it was the performance in the middle of defence of Chris Smalling that stood out as he was a commanding figure playing alongside Daley Blind. The defence came under fire many times from all angles last season, but towards the end of that campaign Smalling raised his game and that continued last week and into this match. The hope among fans is that United will purchase an experienced partner for Smalling before the transfer window closes.

In his pre-match interview, Louis van Gaal declared a clean bill of health for his squad all except Phil Jones who was still suffering from thrombosis in his calf. David De Gea was deemed not to be in the right mindset for the match and the game proved to be too soon for defender Marcos Rojo.

The starting XI chosen by the manager had only one change from the side that featured last week and that was Adnan Januzaj would start in place of former Villan Ashley Young who would begin on the bench.

Line up: Romero, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw, Carrick, Schneiderlin, Mata, Memphis, Januzaj and Rooney.
Subs: Johnstone, Valencia, McNair, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Young and Hernandez.

1st half: United, wearing their new white away kit, kicked off the game with Januzaj playing slightly behind Rooney in the number 10 position with Memphis taking over wing duties on the left.

The match started with many empty seats in the stadium due to the terrible motorway road works around the area, causing many fans to be late, but that didn't seem to hamper the loud atmosphere.

United got into their stride after five minutes by neatly passing the ball around but without creating any chances. It was a cautious start to try and gain control of the proceedings. In the early exchanges, Januzaj was either knocked off or beaten to the ball far too easily which halted the attacks of the away side.

Former Man City defender Micah Richards wanted United to know he was back in the Premier League by clattering into Morgan Schneiderlin giving away a free-kick on the edge of the box in the 16th minute. The resulting free-kick was whipped over to the far post by Memphis and was met by Schneiderlin who couldn't direct his header on target.

Two minutes later Memphis was almost through on goal but the Villa keeper Guzan reacted quickly to the danger.

Chris Smalling continued his fine form by reading the game at the back so well in the opening 20 minutes clearing all the balls that were played towards United's penalty area.

After 25  minutes, the game was stuck at 0-0 with United on top, but with only half chances falling their way most of which fell to Memphis.

Then in the 29th minute came the opening goal following a great passing move by United that was started by Januzaj and ended with the ball at the young Belgian's feet inside the penalty area after a superb through ball from Mata and as cool as you like he placed the ball into the net even though there were defenders all over the place. The ball took a slight deflection on the way, but it didn't matter as that was a brilliantly worked goal.

1-0 to United and fully deserved as Villa had not produced any attack of note.

The home side did manage to get into United's face after the goal, but the away defence stood firm and Smalling and his defensive colleagues mopped everything up.

Half time and United were deserving of their slight lead, but in fairness the match was one sided and it's was a shame United hadn't been able to add to the score. Villa, for a side playing at home, were very poor and offered nothing in the way of a threat on Romero's goal. United just needed to keep the possession as they had in the first 45 minutes and the game would be theirs for the taking.

2nd half: The game started with no changes made by van Gaal and with the away fans in fine voice as ever.

Villa had the first chance of the half, but Ayew fired well over without even troubling Romero when he really should have done better with the home side's first real chance of the match.

United looked solid and were defending higher up the pitch to give Villa little chance of mounting any serious attacks and when they did the back four tidied up or Villa's final passing was wasteful. Even their free-kicks amounted to nothing.

In the 54th minute, Agbonlahor planted a header from a corner goalwards but Romero showed good strong hands by catching the ball on the line. The home fans naturally started to get behind their side, urging them to attack which they started to do, but of course that left them open to United's counter-attacks.

Then just before the hour mark Louis van Gaal decided to strengthen the side by making a double substitution as he brought on birthday boy Herrera and Schweinsteiger to replace scorer Januzaj and Carrick.

The plan seemed to work as United blunted Villa's forward play from midfield and began once again to control the match. Herrera received an early present from Villa's Amavi when he had a very late lunge on the Spaniard's shins.

After 70 minutes United was playing some lovely football, especially the two amigos Herrera and Mata who were linking well down the right hand side add that to the work rate of Shaw and Memphis on the opposite wing and all that was needed was another goal to make the game safe.

Two minutes later Mata produced the pass of the match to put Memphis clean through, however, the forward put his effort wide when the whole ground was certain that he would score. It was a great chance for the winger to open his United account but more will come for the Dutch youngster with the pace he has.

77 minutes in and Herrera picked up the first yellow card for United after a foul out of frustration after he had been upended a few times himself and got nothing from the referee Mike Dean.

For the second match running Memphis was replaced in the last ten minutes this time by Ashley Young, who received his customary boos from the home crowd.  A like for like change on the left. The substitution was quickly followed by United's second caution of the match for Darmian.

United tried their best to kill the game off during the final minutes but failed to do so and the game ended in a 1-0 victory for the Red Devils.

A solid professional performance and at times a bruising outing for Louis van Gaal's side who never looked in any doubt to secure their first away win of the season and made it a positive start to the new campaign with a second successive victory.

To be fair Villa is a work in progress and they didn't give United any cause for concern. It would have been great if United had cemented their superiority and added to the scoreline, having said that a win is a win plus another clean sheet is always a bonus.

There were a handful of players that stood out during the game Smalling, Darmian and Schneiderlin. However, the man of the match award has to go to Juan Mata as it was his vision that opened up the Villa defence time and time again and if the forwards had been on target from his assists then it would have been a higher winning goal margin. All the more reason van Gaal should strengthen the forward line with an out and out goalscorer.

United will face Newcastle United at Old Trafford in the Premier League next Saturday in another early kick-off but before that there is the small matter of the return of the Champions League this coming Tuesday as United will take on Club Brugge at Old Trafford in the first leg of the qualifying match.

The United squad is full of experienced internationals old and new who should be able to carry the team into the group stages of the competition that the Red Devils have won on three occasions.

There is no escaping United's illustrious history in the competition and even the new signings will be swept along on the tide of support that comes whenever there is a European match at the Theatre of Dreams.

Until next time thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Smalling Spurs United On.

Manchester United 1 Tottenham Hotspur 0

Well, here we are again at the start of another new season and what a match to kick off the new campaign, Spurs at Old Trafford.

This season promises to be an exciting one, to say the least, especially with the return of the Champions League to the Theatre of Dreams putting the club back on the European stage where it belongs.

Since the end of last season United, as usual, haven't been out of the news having been linked to any player who can kick a ball, but Louis van Gaal kept his cards close to his chest and alongside Ed Woodward made come shrewd purchases during the transfer window and the club is set to continue with at least two more players earmarked by the manager.

The five new recruits to Old Trafford were Depay, Romero‬, ‎Darmian‬, Schneiderlin‬ and Schweinsteiger a mixture of experience along with new young blood has been added plus Hernandez returned to the United fold after his loan spell. The squad is still in need of a central defender and a striker, therefore the hope is that those positions will be filled as soon as possible.

The most exciting prospect seems to be Memphis who, after a promising pre-season tour of the States has been handed the iconic No.7 shirt and he seems a confident young player who will rise to the challenge.

There have been departures, of course the biggest of which has been the sale of our record transfer of last summer Angel Di Maria, whom we sold at a £15m loss to PSG along with the release of Falcao's loan agreement after a disappointing season last year and last, but certainly not least, Robin van Persie moved to Fenerbahce in Turkey along with Nani.

There was also the change in the strip sponsor with Nike ending their long association with United to be replaced by Adidas for a whopping £750m over the next decade.

Van Gaal had informed the press that due to his head not in being the right place David De Gea would not take any part in the season opener along with Marcos Rojo who had been deemed not match fit.

The starting XI chosen by van Gaal for the Premier League's first match of the season was: (4-3-3): Romero; Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Shaw; Carrick, Memphis, Schneiderlin; Mata, Rooney, Young.
Subs: Johnstone, Valencia, McNair, Schweinsteiger, Herrera, Pereira, Hernandez.

The line-up meant no places for Phil Jones, who had endured a difficult pre-season and Fellaini who is suspended. However, there was a return to the bench for Hernandez.

1st half highlights: A bright day greeted the teams along with the vocal home crowd at a packed Old Trafford as Spurs kicked off the new season facing the Stretford End.

The new players understandably took their time getting used to their new surroundings and playing in front of over 75,000 fans.

Spurs had the first chance of the game as early as the 5th minute as Eriksen lobbed Romero, but luckily the ball landed on the top of the Argentine keeper's net. An early let-off for the home team.

In the opening 10 minutes, new Italian right-back Matteo Darmian was extremely lively down the right channel delivering crosses of high quality as he ventured forward at every chance.

There was some sloppy play by United in the 11th minute when Romero passed the ball to Schneiderlin in a dangerous position and the Frenchman was easily bundled off the ball but the Spurs attack could only produce a corner. Romero certainly looked a little nervous with his passing in the opening quarter. However, he quickly made amends with a fine blocking save.

In the 22nd minute came United's first goal of the match and indeed the season when Young played a superb ball from the right for Rooney, but Spurs defender Walker put it into his own net before the captain could get a foot to it. So, United's first goal of the season was an own goal but they all count. This is the first time a Premier League season's first goal has been an own goal.

The goal, United's first shot, seemed to galvanise the side and they pressed hard for a second and in the 26th minute there was a bad foul on Mata right on the edge of the box. The crowd was shouting for Memphis to let fly, but Mata to tried his luck and he struck the ball straight at the wall.

Mata came close just after the half hour after a mistake in the Spurs defence allowed Rooney to play in the Spaniard, but after his first shot was blocked his second effort was pulled wide.

Half time summary: A few nervy performances from the side especially Romero and Schneiderlin, but as the match progressed they seemed to find their stride. Darmian and Memphis were the liveliest with Young enjoying a fine battle on the left with Walker. Spurs enjoyed the early possession, but the own goal put them on the back foot as United tried hard to find the valuable second goal.

2nd half Highlights: United started the second half unchanged and attacked the famous Stretford End. They seemed to be more composed as they passed the ball around with more confidence than the previous 45 minutes. They also seemed to trust one another more which bodes well for the season.

Memphis tried to get his eye on the target with an early long-range effort which sailed over. There was warm applause for Bastian Schweinsteiger as he began warming up along the touchline.

With the score at only 1-0 Spurs were still posing a threat but United's defence seemed steadfast against Harry Kane & Co. Romero made a low save from a Spurs free-kick and seemed to have got rid of his earlier jitters.

Rooney came under attack up front as he received a knee in the back of the head which the referee ignored.

On the hour mark came the introduction of German World Cup winner Schweinsteiger making his home debut in place of Michael Carrick.

A good build up in the 64th minute involving Schweinsteiger, Rooney and Mata ended with a low drive from Young that was saved on the line by Vorm.

Since Schweinsteiger's introduction, United had a more aggressive feel about their play in midfield which was summed up when the German received a yellow card after only being on the pitch for 9 minutes.

Herrera was brought on in the 68th minute for Memphis who enjoyed a fabulous ovation from the home faithful after running his socks off alongside Rooney.

Chris Smalling made an immense tackle to put a stop to Harry Kane running on goal. Great defending from the England international.

United were turning the screw as the match headed into the final twenty minutes and Rooney tried to replicate his stunning overhead bicycle derby goal but failed to make contact with the ball.
Another free-kick was awarded to United on the edge of the box this time Rooney was the culprit as he blasted the ball over the net.

Free kicks were a let down last season and the side don't convert enough of these chances something they have to address this season. If he is on the pitch Memphis should be allowed to take them as last season he scored the most goals direct from dead ball situations in all of Europe.

Once again Chris Smalling was the last line of defence in another Spurs attack. Smalling was really proving to be pivotal at the back.

Darmian, who had produced a fine debut performance at right-back was replaced by Antonio Valencia in the 79th minute. The Italian has really settled into his defensive spot and is turning out to be a good bit of business by van Gaal.

In the last five minutes as Spurs pressed for the equaliser Romero made three smart stops the first from a low effort by Eriksen, the second a diving punch off the line and the third a fingertip away. Who needs David de Gea?

Match Summary: All in all a good result for United especially considering the side had five new signings involved as the team tried to get used to each other. It was a shame that no United player managed to score but with a new striker a possibility that won't be a problem for long.

All credit to Spurs who tried their hardest to grab a point, but ran up against a defender on top of his game. Chris Smalling has to be considered as the man of the match after a towering display at center back alongside Blind. At times, you could have been forgiven if you thought Rio Ferdinand had returned so assured was Smalling.

Also, a special mention for Argentine keeper Romero, who kept the away side out at the death with a string of saves which proved his pedigree.

Three valuable points and next up for the reds is a first, a Friday evening away match in the midlands to take on Aston Villa.

Until then thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Man United's Fallen Angel.

He came, He saw, but He didn't conquer. Hopes were high last summer when it was announced that Louis van Gaal had secured the services of Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for a record fee of close to £60m.

The news got all the fans excited in anticipation of what the Argentinian would bring to the team. Fast forward 12 months and all that hype and promise has turned sour as United have offloaded the star to Paris Saint- Germain at a loss of around £15m.

So what went wrong? Why did Di Maria turn out to be an expensive flop like his fellow countryman Juan Veron?

There are a number of contributing factors, but many will point to the fact that van Gaal didn't exactly know which position best suited Di Maria or whenever he did play the team seemed disjointed and performed better when he wasn't included. Or maybe it was a case of the player's head and heart was just not in Manchester and when the going got tough he decided to hightail it away to pastures easier and new.

It had all started so brightly for Angel when he made his United debut at Turf Moor against Burnley in front of just under 22,000 fans packed into a small stadium a million miles away from what he had been used to at the Bernabeu. The match ended all square at 0-0, but Di Maria showed glimpses of what the fans could expect.

Next up was Queens Park Rangers and a chance for Di Maria to show the Old Trafford faithful exactly what all the money had been spent on. He delivered on all the hype and scored the first in a 4-0 win. Everything was going to plan and the fans had surely found a new hero to wear the famous No.7 shirt.

Then came a match away at Leicester City in which he scored an early contender for goal of the season by collecting a pass and upon entering the penalty area delivered an exquisite chip over red legend Peter Schmeichel's son Kasper in the Foxes net, but at the end of that match, United had inexplicably given away a 3-1 lead and lost 3-5.

His next goal came in the home match against Everton in October which United won 2-0 with another of the summer signings Falcao grabbing the other, but the match would belong to David De Gea who performed heroics in goal that day.

Di Maria remained an ever-present in the side until United beat Hull City at the end of November then he was hit by an injury that made him unavailable until he was named as a substitute one month in the draw away at Aston Villa.

He missed all the Christmas fixtures, but did come back as a substitute in the 3rd round of the FA Cup away at lowly Yeovil Town in which he scored a late goal to wrap the game up 2-0.

Di Maria went on to start in the next 12 games which included a mixed bag of results, losing at home to Southampton and Swansea in the league plus being knocked out of the FA Cup by Arsenal at Old Trafford.

During that period it was revealed by the club that Di Maria and his family had had the scare of a home invasion earlier in the season which must have been all the more terrifying as they were in the house at the time. This clearly had an effect on him as he had to uproot his family and move into a hotel.

From March onwards Di Maria hardly featured in the side and if he did it was usually alongside Falcao on the bench as an unused substitute. When he did make it onto the pitch it usually only lasted a few minutes with an injury forcing him to leave the field.

It was clear to many that something was not right with the Argentinian as when he did play he just didn't seem that interested or focused. The rumours of a rift between him and van Gaal started to do the rounds in the media leading to speculation that all was not well.

In his first and last campaign at United he made 32 appearances, 8 as a substitute and scored 4 goals and he also held the record for the most assists, 11, in the team.

At the end of the season the news grew of an interest from French outfit PSG but while on Copa America duty Di Maria promised the United faithful that he would return to Manchester and prove himself in his second season. However, the situation turned sour when he failed to report for pre-season training with the squad on tour in America on July 25th.

That turned out to be the last straw for van Gaal and the club and the decision was made to cash in on the player for as much as they could get from PSG, which turned out to be a reported £44m.

Angel Di Maria has an undoubted talent, of that there is no question, but he is a player who will be discussed by many fans who that feel let down and they will debate the how's and why's of his fall from grace as a Red Devil.

It proves that even the best players can find it difficult in the Premier League compared to other less competitive leagues. One thing is for sure Di Maria wasn't the first and will not be the last to be found out.

Miles Dunton.