Perhaps somebody should send out a memo at Old Trafford. The memo should read along the following lines:
“Competitive matches for Manchester United Football Club began four weeks ago, maybe the playing staff could start competing now.”
Alas, United have somehow managed to drag the lacklustre performance seen recently in the millionaire’s playground of Monaco into the urban wasteland of Liverpool. The Super Cup Final was, well, a cup final and we looked like we couldn’t be bothered. Games against Liverpool are bigger than cup finals and, again, our motivation was sorely lacking.
Despite recent form, and our decent record against them, if a Manchester United team steps out at Anfield giving anything less than 150% they are going to be beaten.
By starting with Tevez, Rooney and Berbatov we were left with no wingers and therefore no width and service for the guys up front. It looked to be working after three minutes as the new man danced down the right to set up Tevez. But after that it all started to go wrong, poor Rooney was everywhere achieving nothing again and we didn’t even have somebody to take the corners. Anderson’s two attempts could find their way into a textbook on backpassing.
So the formation didn’t really work and our pingy passing game was further unsettled by Liverpool’s energy and hustling. Then we lost control of the midfield and the second half comes close to embarrassing. I struggle to remember anything from that second period that comes close to resembling a good move. Giggs showed enduring class with his reactionary volley but that was about it. You always know it’s not going to be your day when someone gets sent off in the last minute through frustration and now we are missing an important player to suspension.
To put it mildly the players need a major rollicking and you can expect Kuscak and Neville to start against Chelsea whilst VDS and Brown find themselves in Trafford General Hospital having their eardrums reattached.
With Chelsea and Arsenal registering wholesome victories nearby we are the only ‘big gun’ not to have recorded a sizeable win yet. Horribly, Liverpool were good value for this victory. Not to worry, the next game is at Stamford Bridge, we’re sure to win 6-0 there.
A setback not a disaster but an embarrassment all the same. We were inded outplayed and a poor game by VDS infected the back four’s confidence. 4-4-2 rather than 4-3-3 might have been a better decision but I wasn’t saying that for the first 10 minutes.
At least once we have been the Rent Boys’ place we will know how much we have to do to get back to the top and our two most difficult away games will be out of the way. As in Europe, it’s best to have the away legs first.
Quite correct, Jono. At least it only happens every six years or so.