United's Hopes Dented By Chelsea.

Chelsea 1 Manchester United 1

Diego Costa's goal in added time salvaged a point for Chelsea as United looked to have done enough to earn a hard fought win at Stamford Bridge.

Even with United lying in fifth place and Chelsea sitting in the lowly position of thirteenth, this is still one of the biggest clashes in the Premier League and as a spectacle it didn't disappoint.

Since they last met six weeks ago both teams have had a slight improvement in their fortunes, but are both still struggling to find the rhythm needed to surge further up the table.

Following United's two wins on the bounce and six goals scored, Louis van Gaal unsurprisingly decided to show faith in the side that convincingly beat Stoke in midweek: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

The selection meant youngster Borthwick-Jackson would continue to gain valuable experience at the back while Carrick and Fellaini continued together in midfield and the quartet of Mata, Lingard, Rooney and the ever impressive Martial were given another chance to prove their quality together up front.

With Rooney edging ever closer to Bobby Charlton's all-time scoring record of 249 the emphasis had to be for him and his teammates on an all out attack against a Chelsea defence who have struggled for form this season.

Chelsea got the game underway with the fantastic away fans making the loudest noise inside the stadium.

United started the brighter of the two sides with Borthwick-Jackson proving he has crossing ability by delivering a superb ball into the box that unfortunately evaded everyone. Positive play from the away side.

With Darmian providing an outlet on the right United seemed to have a good balance in attack. It was that youngster Borthwick-Jackson, who had the first speculative effort on goal from distance which lacked power. However, it showed the confidence is growing in the full back.

Five corners in the opening eleven minutes showed exactly how dominant United had started the game. They just had to turn that dominance into goals.

Carrick tried his luck with a low drive that didn't really trouble Courtois in the Chelsea goal, but at least, United was having a go.

The home side hardly had a look in during the opening fifteen minutes as United were first to every loose ball and when they did manage to string some passes together the away side harassed them into mistakes.

Martial and Mata combined well on the left and the French striker let loose with a drive that the keeper had to dive at full stretch to tip the ball past the post. A brilliant strike and save to match.

Mata was clearly enjoying his return to his former stomping ground as he pulled the strings in most of United's attacks.

Daley Blind was certainly getting plenty of practice taking corners from the left and right, but couldn't find the killer ball and most were aimed at Fellaini who failed to make contact with any of them.

It was Diego Costa's first ever match against United and his frustration began to boil over as decisions didn't go his way.

In a rare corner for Chelsea, De Gea pulled off a fine reaction save from a Magic header. United would have to be on their toes as the home side slowly got their game together.

Costa came the closest for Chelsea just after the half hour mark when he dragged his shot wide of De Gea's far post this was then followed by a chance for Oscar who blasted a good chance over at the near post.

United's play had gone slightly off the boil as they let Chelsea see more of the ball and their high tempo of the opening twenty minutes had disappeared.

The one time Fellaini did manage to connect with a Blind corner, he could only direct his effort wide.

A cross from Darmian two minutes from half-time only needed the slightest of touches from Rooney to give United the deserved lead, but he couldn't quite get to the ball in time. Then the play switched to the other end where there was a huge claim for a penalty as Terry's snapshot seemed to hit Blind's arm. Thankfully referee Oliver only awarded a corner.

Half-time and it's a little surprising that it ended goalless as both sides had more than their fair share of chances to score if not for the brilliance of the two keepers at either end who both made some fine saves.

Chelsea had to be the happier of the two teams as they made their way down the tunnel as it had been United who enjoyed the majority of the play. The visitors could have been down to ten men and a goal behind if the referee had awarded the penalty against Blind in the last minute. However, they must have also felt aggrieved not to be ahead at the break after a commanding half that included ten corners to the hosts three.

United started the second half with the same eleven hoping to get only their sixth win at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League.

The Red Devils started at the same pace as they had in the first half with both Rooney and Martial coming close to breaking the deadlock as United forced the pace.

Lingard was the next to test Courtois with a shot from the edge of the area and the keeper was equal to the task with another fine save.

There was a lengthy stop in play as the Chelsea defender Zouma fell awkwardly after trying to attempt a clearance. The young defender was stretchered off clearly in a lot of pain. Let's hope it's not too serious. The delay in play would have a significant bearing on the result.

Then on the hour came a goal of pure class from Jesse Lingard that even had van Gaal jumping out of his seat. Standing on the edge of the area with his back to goal Lingard controlled a ball that was crossed by Borthwick-Jackson and was touched on by Rooney.

In one fluid movement Lingard spun and smacked the ball on the turn into the top corner of the net and this time, Courtois had no chance. A brilliant strike from a player on top of his game and a goal United fully deserved.

De Gea was at his world class best as he saved at his near post from a strike by Ivanovic. A truly instinctive save from the keeper. He then followed that up with another stop this time from Fabregas at the other post. It looked like nothing was getting past him today.

Rooney tried his trademark overhead kick, but pulled it just wide at a point in the game that United would dearly have welcomed a second goal with fifteen minutes left.

With almost ten minutes to go in the match van Gaal made his first change by replacing Fellaini with Schneiderlin to provide a fresh pair of legs in the middle and the first thing he does is to announce his presence with a crunching tackle.

Chelsea tried their best during the last ten minutes by peppering the United penalty area with cross after cross, but the away defence stood tall to a man and blocked all that was thrown at them even if it meant bookings for Smalling and Blind.

Goal hero Lingard was replaced by Memphis for the final few minutes of the match and he received high fives from all on the bench.

Then in the first minute of the six added on Costa broke United hearts as he grabbed the equaliser after he rounded De Gea and placed the ball into the net. Borthwick-Jackson made a last ditch effort to intervene but to no avail.

The last throw of the dice by van Gaal was to make a change by introducing Herrera for Mata.

Costa almost rubbed salt into the wounds by adding a second at the death, thankfully for United De Gea stood his ground and made a point blank one-handed save low to his right.

Full-time and the game ended as a contest all square. Of the two sides, United will feel they should have taken all three points and will head back up north ruing their missed chances and allowing Chelsea to gain the momentum at the end.

The standout performance had to be from David De Gea who certainly prevented Chelsea from scoring on at least three or four occasions with top class saves, but was helpless to prevent their equaliser.

The way the top of the league is taking shape United need points as quickly as possible if they are to gain a top four finish as there is already six points between them and Man City in fourth. If they go about their upcoming fixtures in the same frame of mind as they did against Chelsea then they still have a chance of Champions League qualification starting with Sunderland away next weekend.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Tribute: The Flowers of Manchester.

On this day 60 years ago, a group of young men and officials of the most famous football club in England waited at the Munich-Riem airport for their Elizabethan aircraft to be deemed ready to brave the snow and freezing temperatures to carry them on their journey back to Manchester.

The club was returning from a successful match in Belgrade and had stopped in Munich to refuel.
The events that unfolded after the party boarded the plane for the last time would be engraved not only in the memories of those who lived through the terrible tragedy that would unfold, but also in the generations of supporters who would carry the light of their lost heroes forward so that no one would ever forget.

On the day of the tragedy seven players lost their lives in the plane crash, they were Roger Byrne, Tommy Taylor, Mark Jones, Eddie Colman, David Pegg, Liam Whelan and Geoff Bent. These were followed by Duncan Edwards, the greatest player of his and possibly later generations, who passed away a fortnight later in hospital after a brave fight. The heart of the Red Devils had been ripped out in the cruelest of ways. Matt Busby was left fighting for his life, not knowing the truth about his beloved Babes.

The club also lost Walter Crickmer, club secretary, Tom Curry, trainer and Bert Whalley, chief coach.

Many words have been written down the years detailing that fateful day, and I like millions of others have read most of the accounts, which have not only included biographies of the victims but also the stories of heroism by some of the survivors. Heroes like Harry Gregg who risked his own life to help the people trapped inside the burning wreckage.

There were many contributing factors that led to the crash. The biggest of which was the pressure on Busby to get his team back to England in time for their upcoming match on the coming Saturday. If only they had been given a little leeway on the return time they could have delayed the flight until the terrible weather conditions had cleared. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

We should also remember the people who were left behind in Manchester to carry on and try to pick up the pieces. None more so than Jimmy Murphy, Busby's right-hand man. He was left with the unenviable task of rebuilding a side that had been decimated while Busby fought his way back to fitness.

Along with the survivors of the crash Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and the legend that is Bobby Charlton. Murphy begged, borrowed and almost stole players so that United could put out a team for their first match.

That match was at an emotionally charged Old Trafford in the FA Cup against Sheffield Wednesday. Charlton wasn't fit enough to play but Gregg and Foulkes took part in a game that United won 3-0. A poignant match programme had a blank team sheet where the names of the babes should have been.

It is a true testament to Murphy that he managed to take the side all the way back to Wembley for the FA Cup final. Even though we lost the match the result didn't really matter, the occasion did, as Matt Busby managed to join his team at the stadium where most of his fallen babes had played the season before.

Matt Busby and his boys were the pioneers of English football in Europe and it should never be forgotten that they died for a dream that Busby had of taking his team to the pinnacle of European football. A dream they would surely have realised if not in the same season then in the next.

It should also be remembered that the English FA were strongly against Manchester United entering the European Cup. Thıs began the uneasy tension that has been evident between the two ever since.

There is no doubt that with the talent in the team they would have matched and most probably surpassed the great Real Madrid. Already dominant in England, it was a formality that Europe would fall at their feet. The average age of the team was only 24, so it is safe to say they would have been together for many years ahead. Many of the players were England internationals and could easily have helped to lıft the World Cup before 1966.

Not only did United lose a team, but also the world of journalism lost it's valued colleagues, including: Frank Swift (News of the World), Henry Rose (Daily Express), Eric Thompson (Daily Mail), George Follows (Daily Herald), Archie Ledbrooke (Daily Mirror), Alf Clarke (Manchester Evening Chronicle), Tom Jackson (Manchester Evening News) and H D “Donny” Davies (Manchester Guardian).

As each year passes, it's only natural that people connected with the events surrounding Munich pass away, but what is important is that we should never forget that this one heartbreaking disaster is the bedrock of our truly great club. The tears for our lost Flowers of Manchester should never stop flowing and nor should people forget the legacy that Matt Busby and his Babes gave to the greatest club in the world and football.

They are the team that will never die. They are the Flowers of Manchester.

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 Up For The Cup.

Derby County 1 Manchester United 3

The darkest week in Louis van Gaal's tenure as Manchester United manager ended on the bright side as his team booked their place in the draw for the FA Cup 5th round with a resounding win against plucky Championship side Derby County.

Following a torrid time in the press and on social media, it was imperative that van Gaal and his side answered their many critics by putting on a performance that was more akin to a United side than had been witnessed last weekend against Southampton.

To do so, the manager made two changes to his starting XI by replacing the injured Darmian with Varela and he dropped Herrera to the bench in favour of Mata. Line up: De Gea, Borthwick-Jackson, Smalling, Blind, Varela, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Mata, Lingard, Rooney and Martial.

Fellaini was once again van Gaal's preferred choice to partner Schneiderlin in midfield and it would be interesting to see if the Belgian would cause havoc to the Rams' defence or be the hindrance to his own side that he sometimes is.

Derby got the tie underway amid an electric atmosphere inside the iPro Stadium, with the away supporters numbering almost 5,500, once again in superb voice.

Martial had the first chance of the match when he was played into a shooting chance by Rooney, but the French youngster curled his effort high over the bar. The idea was right only the execution was all wrong.

The opening exchanges belonged to United as they had an encouraging start by bossing the play and not allowing the home side anytime on the ball. In fact, Derby's first effort on goal came in the tenth minute when a shot from Christie was easily collected by De Gea.

Then just after the quarter hour mark, up stepped Rooney to give United a rare goal in the first half of a match when he collected a pass on the left-hand edge of the area from Martial, then as cool as you like he curled a superb effort wide of the despairing dive of the keeper into the opposite corner. Although there was the slightest hint of offside in the build-up nothing can take away the brilliance by Rooney and a lead fully deserved by the away side.

Exactly the start United had hoped for. Now could they keep control of the game and hopefully find the second crucial goal to kill the tie off?

Derby to their credit did try and hit back immediately after falling behind with a header inside the area from Blackman that required De Gea to save at full stretch. One player who was bossing the play on the quiet was Schneiderlin as he made sure that his side didn't lose the ball in midfield.

It could and should have been 2-0 when Martial collected a return pass from Mata, but his first touch was too heavy as he bore down in the area.

Eight minutes before half time the iPro Stadium erupted as Thorne levelled for the home side to make a dent in all the hard work United had put in. A goal totally against the run of play and one where Thorne controlled the through ball well before evading the United defenders and poking the ball past De Gea.

Man United responded positively and a few minutes later Martial had a low shot somehow cleared from danger by the Derby defence and De Gea was grateful to see a long range effort from Blackman flash past his post.

The Reds had a good shout for a penalty after Martial's tracker seemed to handle the ball inside the area while making a tackle on the United forward.

Cup tie well and truly on as it was all square at half-time and it was Derby who ended the half with their tails up after the equaliser had given them a new sense of belief.

United had done everything that was expected of them, but once again came unstuck in one moment of hesitation at the back that allowed the Rams back into the game. But it was Martial who had caused the most damage to Derby with his spirited attacks.

The question now would be how would the Red Devils react in the second half?

The away side got the second half started with no changes having been made by van Gaal and showed their intent by attacking from the off. The ever lively Martial made a run down the left and tried a cross come shot which evaded everybody.

Blackman almost produced an identical goal to Rooney's from almost the same spot. Thankfully for United his attempted curler whistled over De Gea's bar.

As in the first half Martial was United's main outlet in attack as the game was now all United with Mata coming within a whisker of a goal with a header back across goal from a Lingard cross.

Thrilling play as first Mata and Lingard combined well inside the area, then Martial found the ball tied up between his feet in the crowded area and was unable to get away a shot.

Derby was somehow hanging on as United poured forward seeking the second goal with Varela providing the outlet down the right and Martial doing the business on the left with Lingard and Mata utilising their pace and guile respectively.

All that effort paid off in the 65th minute when Blind smashed the ball into the back of the net from close range as he latched onto a great cross from Lingard to restore the lead with a blistering finish. Exactly how he found himself in the most forward position only he will know but thankfully he was.

Close attention still had to be paid to Derby's attacks and full concentration would be needed for the last twenty minutes of the tie.

Van Gaal made his first change of the match by replacing the impressive Schneiderlin with the fit again Carrick.

The final nail in Derby's coffin came with seven minutes left on the clock as Mata finished off the hard work done by the man of the match Martial with a low left-footed drive into the bottom corner of the net. Fantastic play by the young Frenchman to provide an assist of the highest quality which goes to prove what a true talent he is.

The goal was Mata's last kick of the game as he made way for his compatriot Herrera, who would add fresh legs to the side for the final few minutes of the game.

The game was over as a competition following Mata's decisive strike, but still Derby didn't give up hope of salvaging some pride and if it hadn't been for a couple of errant shots they could have.

Full-time and it ended 3-1 to United which was nothing more than they deserved with an attacking display and finishing not witnessed for a long while. Most importantly, it was a potential banana skin avoided by the Red Devils and one that they will hopefully take into their next game in midweek at Old Trafford against Stoke City.

The star of the show was Anthony Martial who gave the home defence a merry dance every time he attacked and his footwork and vision is a wonderful thing to witness in a player so young. The good news for United, but bad news for opposing teams, is that Martial will only get better and when he moves into the middle as the leading striker then the side will truly reap the benefits of his immense talent. It was just a shame he couldn't find the goal to put the icing on top of his endeavours.

Another star of the night had to be the fantastic away supporters who never gave up singing and encouraging the United players to keep on the front foot. It's often overstated that fans can be the 12th man for a team. However, our travelling fans have to be the best as they continue to blast out their chorus of chants at every away stadium up and down the country and they, more than anybody, deserved this result.

So, United are the first side into the bag for the 5th round draw. Whisper it quietly but could this be the season to win back the old trophy?

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Derby County v Man United: FA Cup Preview.

Will the FA Cup provide a welcome relief for Louis van Gaal or will it add to his woes?

Both Man United and Derby County will set their sights on the diversion of the FA Cup 4th round from their league campaigns as both teams had a torrid time last time out.

United, as has been well documented, lost at home to Southampton last Saturday and Derby had a night to forget as they were well beaten by Burnley away 4-1 on Monday evening. But as they say, league form counts for nothing when the cup comes around.

Derby has failed to win their last five league games and are currently lying 5th in the Championship, but having said that they will be well up for the visit of the Red Devils and will look to pile more pressure on van Gaal and his team, who are fairly easy pickings these days.

Manager Paul Clement will be hoping that his leading scorer Chris Martin can add to his season tally of 9 goals, all coming in the league, against United. The Rams overcame Hartlepool 2-1 in the 3rd round with goals from Butterfield and Bent.

Manchester United have always had a love affair with the FA Cup throughout their illustrious history and the way the season is taking shape it could be their only realistic chance of silverware in this campaign. However, they almost blew their chance in the 3rd round eventually needing a penalty from Rooney in the 93rd minute to break the hearts of a spirited Sheffield United side who were seconds away from a money spinning replay.

Van Gaal has a lot more on his plate than his Derby counterpart. The main problem is getting the fans back in his corner, however, judging by social media that could be way too late. Also, he has to get his team back to the style of play that has been missing in his time as manager as it's not just the fact that his team are losing matches and points it's the way they are doing it. Last weekend the players' body language said it all after the latest defeat as they trudged off the pitch to a chorus of boos.

United's tactics have to be to kill the game off as soon as possible and in doing so silence the home crowd. To do this they will have to score in the first half, something they have struggled to do this season. If they don't then it will quickly become a cauldron of a typically boiling hot cup atmosphere that could make the away team feel the heat and just want to escape the kitchen. A lot depends on which United turns up at the iPro Stadium. Will it be the team that won at Anfield or the nervy version that lacked ideas and confidence against Southampton?

The Red Devils can take heart that their record against The Rams in the FA Cup is respectable, having played 9 won 6 drawn 1 and lost 2. The last victory came in the 5th round in 2009 when United ran out winners with a scoreline of 4-1. On target that day was a certain Ronaldo, how van Gaal would love to have a player of his quality in his team during these difficult times

The biggest advantage United will have on their side on Friday evening will be the tremendous away support that has followed the team around all season and have wholeheartedly got behind the players even through the bad times.

Here's hoping United can use this game to turn their fortunes around and not slip on the latest banana skin that could become the final nail in van Gaal's almost completed coffin.

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.

Saints & Sinners

Manchester United 0 Southampton 1

Following the euphoria of grabbing all the three points from Anfield, it was back to home with a bang for United as Southampton inflicted a defeat on the Red Devils that could have a huge reverberating aftershock on the club.

United were looking to continue their unbeaten start to the year, an unbeaten start in which the results have glossed over the performances which to be honest have been well below than what is expected at United.

There was more bad news on the injury front as van Gaal revealed that Ashley Young will be absent for 'a long time' with an operation expected on his groin problem. The Dutchman actually admitted that it might force him into the transfer market if the right player became available.

Add to that the missing Schweinsteiger, Jones and Carrick and the team selection had a familiar look to it: De Gea, Darmian, Smalling, Blind, Borthwick-Jackson, Schneiderlin, Fellaini, Herrera, Rooney, Lingard and Martial.

The only change from the victory over Liverpool saw young defender Borthwick-Jackson given a chance to start in place of Young. Mata was once again demoted to the bench with the unpredictable Fellaini given the thumbs up by van Gaal to start.

The last time that United beat Southampton at home was back in 2013 in a 2-1 victory that included a double from Rooney and if he could manage the same feat in this match he would reach 100 Premier League goals at the Theatre of Dreams.

The visitors got the game underway with their latest signing Charlie Austin on the bench.

Could United manage something they had only achieved once in their last eleven matches at Old Trafford and that was to score a goal in the first half? Their first effort came in the eighth minute when Martial's tame shot squirmed woefully wide of the post.

It was clear that the Saints had come with one plan in mind and that was to defend then look to counter pretty much as every team has done this season to thwart United.

Blind tried his luck from distance with a shot that had the power, but not the accuracy to get past Forster in the Saints goal. Herrera managed to get on the end of a through ball inside the opposition area but failed to get the ball under control. At last, the home side had lifted the tempo which had the desired effect on the home fans as they started to get behind their side.

Rooney had a blast wide in the 20th minute as it looked increasingly like it was going to another barren 45 minutes if they continued in the same vein. Because of this Southampton grew in confidence as the half progressed and started to play higher up the pitch seeing that United was lacking in ideas up front.

Lingard was having another poor outing and even the mercurial Martial looked particularly jaded. Herrera was trying his best to generate some forward momentum that had the fans chanting his name.

After half an hour it had been another frustrating display by United who distinctly looked void of ideas. Saints striker Mane slipped through the home defence and had a great chance to put the visitors ahead but thankfully for the home side, he completely missed his kick with only De Gea to beat.

Five minutes before the break and the boos could be heard aimed towards the manager more than the players after what has to be said was an awful display and the body language of some of the players spoke volumes about their own dismay at their lack of creativity. It was all a case of hit, hope and see.

Half-time and no surprise at the scoreline of 0-0. What can be said that hasn't been said before about United's inability to produce the goods in the opening 45 minutes of a match this season. Nothing.

Last week at Anfield it was reported that the players had a shouting match at half-time in which some home truths were laid out on the table. One can only hope that the walls inside the home dressing room were vibrating from a similar tirade this time around.

United got the second half underway as they attacked the favoured Stretford End with an immediate change that received the biggest roar of the day when Mata replaced the ineffective Fellaini.

Mata had an immediate impact by spraying a great ball into the path of Lingard down the right wing and his through ball almost picked out the forward run of Rooney. Mata's introduction seemed to have the desired effect not only with his teammates but also the crowd.

Rooney and Martial almost combined to open the scoring but the ball failed to sit right for either of them. This was miles better from the Red Devils.

United's passing was crisp and they had an air of urgency about them that was distinctly missing in the first half. Still the danger from the visitors hadn't disappeared and Darmian took one for the team as he was unceremoniously clattered by Long as he cleared a dangerous cross. The Italian clearly couldn't continue and had to be replaced by Paddy McNair. Yet another casualty added to the already lengthy injured list.

The lengthy delay in the match for the injury to Darmian came at the wrong time and definitely disturbed United's drive as they took their time to get back into the attacking rhythm. It was Southampton who had a couple of close chances from two corners that had the watching home fans holding their breath. The visitors were getting closer.

McNair almost played Lingard through on goal with a ball that would have been the pass of the match, but it was slightly overhit even for someone with Lingard's pace.

The game had totally opened up as Southampton had the belief that they could pull off a win against a United team devoid of confidence or imagination.

As the match entered the last ten minutes everything about United's play had become stale with absolutely no efforts on goal or a sense of urgency from the home side.

A cheer rang out for Borthwick-Jackson when he made way for Januzaj. However, the first action the returning Belgian was involved in was to give away a foul in a dangerous area. When the ball was delivered there was the unmarked debutante substitute Charlie Austin to power home a header to pour more pressure on van Gaal and his team. The striker was left free in the area once Schneiderlin decided to leave him alone to help out McNair.

There was a late flurry by the home side as the referee added five extra minutes to the clock, but apart from an off-target effort from Januzaj United offered nothing in response to the visitors goal.

It ended 0-1 but it's not the defeat that hurts the most it was the way it was lost. All the staff at United have to take responsibility for the way in which this famous club has been transformed into a side that isn't feared by any team.

Apart from a ten-minute spell at the start of the second half, this was yet another dismal display by United that left the watching faithful bemused and bewildered at not only the way they played but in the manner they went about it.

This was not a case of a bad day at the office it was deeper than that. Not one player performed to anywhere near a level that is expected from a United player. They looked devoid of ideas and demoralised in their general outlook on the pitch.

The name Manchester United doesn't automatically earn you the right to win games that right has to be earned and that is just not happening at the moment. Fingers of blame will be pointed, but in the end they have to be directed at the manager and his coaches.

It's not just the first team that has questions to answer as the U18's suffered a demoralising 5-1 defeat at the hands of Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup 4th round. It seems all is not well with the youngsters as they have struggled in the league having lost ten games on the bounce.

For a club that had been built on a proud youth policy, this cannot go unnoticed as it has been a long time coming. The traditions have been slowly ignored and left to be run down in recent years and it is a situation that has to be addressed and quickly. I wonder what was going through Sir Bobby Charlton's mind as he sat in the stand watching the young Reds capitulate as easily as they did.

Where does the club go from here?

Thanks for reading.

Miles Dunton.