Date: 21st August 2012 at 12:00am
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Wazza puffs away after something of a shocker

Wazza puffs away after something of a shocker

A far as opening day performances go, this was one from United was as rusty as you’re likely to see. When the new season fixtures were released, some United fans such as myself would have groaned when we saw the opening fixture on the list. A trip to Goodison is difficult at the best of the times and is hardly the kind of fixture Sir Alex would have been hoping for to ease the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Robin van Persie into the side.

Many people debated whether marquee signing van Persie would come straight into the eleven, and in the end Ferguson opted to start him on the bench with Rooney filling the lone striker role in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Danny Welbeck cutting in from the left on occasion. It’s no secret that the strength to United’s play for as long as I can remember is getting it wide in the final third and relying on delivery from our usually excellent wingers. With the signings of van Persie and Kagawa, presumably to fill central roles, I had been expecting to see a little less reliance on this tactic against Everton. Perhaps it was a credit to David Moyes and the disciplined Everton defense that gave us no option but to spray it wide by compacting the middle of the final third. Whether it was forced upon United or not, the tactic didn’t work. Nani had one of the poorer games I’ve seen him play in a United shirt and Valencia, playing at right back, didn’t have his usual licence to take defenders on in the final third.

Kagawa, who looked promising on debut, mixed it up, occasionally cutting in on the left and at other times, looking to play one-twos on the edge of the box with Rooney. It was a tough introduction for the Japanese international, against a typically determined Everton defence that limited his space and time on the ball. United looked at their most dangerous on the couple of occasions that Welbeck made direct runs into the box, before he was replaced mid-way through the second half by van Persie.

It was one of those games where it felt a goal just wasn’t going to come, perhaps typified by Phil Jagielka’s clearance off the line when Tom Cleverley seemed destined to score. United will have to improve at home to Fulham on the weekend, who had a hugely impressive victory over Norwich on Saturday. It may be the first week of a long season, but the points all add up and Chelsea and City have made a flying start compared to United’s lacklustre performance tonight.

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4 responses to “United’s False Start Leaves A Lot Of Work To Be Done”

  1. hangry red says:

    Rooney and anderson need a diet pair off fat lazy cunts and time to get rid off evra young cleverdum and carrick and wellbeck can fuck off too who is fergie kidding but we do have super nani the retard

  2. the kaizer says:

    RVP must start and hopefully evans is back. Possession wise we were good buy we need to feed in RVP. And yeah rooney really needs to loose weight. What did he eat?

  3. detoy117 says:

    i think SAF is sick why must you play rooney for 90mins when right from start he was rubbish… bringing van P on was unnecessary when the problem lies in th mid-field Paul and cleverly are too small to handle the Belgium player why wait till 84mins to address the issue… as an experienced manager he should know better… the two mid-fid player plays alike u need Anderson in @ around 60mins to disturb maroune and charge the ball forward remove rooney instead of wellbeck or withdraw him back…… dis manager is old and out of clue…. can someone pls get me PEP G, or Jose M

  4. NathonW says:

    We did look rusty and slow but take nothing away from Everton, they played very well. It is a bloody tough opening game.

    Opening games mean bugger all anyway – last season we won 5 out of 5, hammering Arsenal and Chelsea in the process, and what did we finish with? Bugger all.

    I hope this is a kick up the backside for all players.

    I would have started with RVP. I am still not convinced by Welbeck. He is good, but not outstanding.

    Still a long way to go.