The blue smog is slowly lifting on a disappointing Derby defeat the morning after the night before it’s clearly time to reflect.
The Line-up:
In part when the line-up was announced I was in agreement that an extra man in midfield would be required to quell City’s obvious strength but again I was left confused by the use of Cleverley who has featured in all Liverpool, City, Arsenal and Spurs games this season as well as a fair helping of Champions League games. Moyes is almost using him as a big game player someone you wheel out for the big occasions where confidence and experience is key. A player who is clearly struggling at the moment with a backlash on social media and in the press, I would have thought he would be best served to remove some of the pressure from his shoulders not throw him in to the big games in a sink or swim environment. Mata again was used on the right side of an ever changing system to see the best out of the 37 million pound man we need him playing a central role, you don’t spend 37 million to play a player out of position.
The Game:
City started the game like they had been catapulted onto the pitch from the dressing room, they clearly sensed blood and wasted no time taking the lead through Dzeko, after a brief spell of dominance where they could well have added to their tally we started to impose ourselves on the match with the much maligned Cleverley moving the ball quickly and purposefully about the pitch, I don’t think Cleverley is a bad player I just think he needs limited responsibility, put a Scholes, Gerrard, Iniesta, Silva or even a Mata beside him and I think he would flourish. We created some good opportunities where that final ball was rushed or the right option not selected, Fellaini was almost in a Left Wing position at times and should have seen red for a mindless elbow that summed up his game. In the second half we resorted to our main threat coming in the form of our fullbacks with a succession of poor crosses finding only City players or going out of touch. We didn’t seem to have a plan and ultimately with no plan you won’t succeed. City went on to score 2 more and win the game as they were expected to do.
The Chosen One:
The support has become strained in recent weeks as even the most ardent supporters of Moyes have become tired of the same excuses that we were just unlucky. He is clearly a man under pressure, with a number of players out of contract in the summer, some dead wood and an unfortunate Injury list that’s seen Rooney and RVP feature together in only 15 or so games this season it’s certainly not been an easy baptism. We were told to get behind our new manager and with funding in excess of 70 million you can’t argue he has been backed financially. So what’s missing, has he lost the players? Are they buying into a philosophy that has no proof of success? Are they as confused as me over the team selection process? This of course is guess work but what is clear is even the most patient of fans are starting to become restless.
Twitter was rampant on match day with some sections of the United fraternity hoping for a City win just to dent Liverpool’s title tilt. If the noisy neighbours we’re to go on and win the title it would be the lesser of two evils but still a bitter pill to swallow.
The Manchester United Vessel still afloat damaged but repairable the only question is will Moyes still be in charge when is sets sail next season?
4 replies on “Time to Reflect after Derby defeat for Manchester United”
Nothing about moyes selection showed any logic or desire to win.
fellaini, statistically our most aggressive DM, more tackles than Carrick per game, best positioned centrally to try and give direct defensive support… Stuck to the left side.
Carrick, statistically only impressive as a interceptor, and very few tackles per game, put in the direct place of yaya and so just lets yaya walk all over and around him.
cleverley, he needs a chance, but not this game.
Kagawa… He tried when he came on, but at this point everyone else around him had lost any desire, one man can not do it all, he would make a good pass, try open space, and then Mata fellaini etc just messed up. Mata had a decent first half, but wasted all his energy.
yes we may have had possession before half time, but we were never gonna score and city new that. They let us tire ourselves out which we did… CUs moyes was too foolish!!
vs bayern
de gea
Rafael smalling jones buttner
fellaini
Valencia giggs Kagawa nani/welbeck
rooney
Should we really be shocked? A team that beat even Ferguson on multiple occasions, including a 6-1 defeat, in recent years, has beaten Moyes’ worse side?
All of our problems come from our squad at the moment. We have so many attacking players but so few midfielders and defenders that are of the same quality, that they are not allowed to shine. Simply, Wayne Rooney, United’s sole striker, should not be filling in at LB and RB during that kind of game.
Looking at the players, where City have, in his prime, one of the best CB’s in the world in Vincent Kompany, United have an ageing beyond footballing recognition Rio Ferdinand. In the midfield engine room, again, City have the world class Yaya Toure with Fernandinho alongside him, where we have an old (but still class) Carrick with noone really to back him up. Fellaini certainly isn’t playing on the same level as the City pair, and nor is Cleverley. Aguero is one of the best ST in the world. Though you could argue RvP is, he won’t be for much longer, and he’s already past his ability to run behind defenders.
It’s only when you see the attacking players that you think United could give City a run for their money. Rooney Mata And Valencia vs Dzeko Silva and Jesus Navas.
So Moyes hasn’t got much to play with. And with other top players like Kagawa, Nani, Chicha, Welbeck… all wanting their go, he doesn’t have spares elsewhere.
When Kagawa and Hernandez came on, all of a sudden we had 5 attacking players and one proper midfielder.
Moyes needs the money to invest. To have players like Gundogan, Kroos, Mangala, Carvalho, Pogba, Shaw etc. Only when Moyes is losing games that on paper, we should be winning, will I fully judge him.
firstly i refuse to accept carrick as being a class player for this season. he has had no influence at all. he has in no way allowed us to dictate the midfield and provided no assists. and ignoring this match vs city… this includes all our matches vs bottom of the table teams. carrick has been anything but class this season.
the first match all season, where utd looked to have the ability to dominate in the middle of the pitch as vs west ham. when carrick was NOT in midfield. carricks time is up… over… he is currently holding us back.
fellaini has been a big flop, but will at least press and look to get the ball up the pitch, hes not really good enough, but more of a positive influence than carrick.
moyes has been so fixated on defending, but i strongly agree he has neglected to find the replacements for rio vidic and evra, to at least push jones smalling a bit more. a defensive midfielder is definitely a needed signing.
but most annoyingly, knowing we have defensive weaknesses, moyes hasnt even tried the other idea of trying to defend with possession, attacking intetnt and having a solid attacking team that will score 3-4 every match! and we have the players to do his!
the biggest disgrace is that we have lost these matches and are in 7th spot. we cant even beat the worst teams in this league!
this is why on paper moyes is a disgrace… this is why we have to look at if carrick is actually doing more harm than good… and why failling to use both mata and kagawa is a big mistake.
rotation by moyes has been a disgrace,
vs west ham i would like to see a bit of an experiment
de gea
rafael jones smalling/vidic buttner
fellaini fletcher
mata kagawa rooney
welbeck
Moyes should stick the the United way of pace and strength, and dominance.
Either 4-2-3-1
De Gea
Rafael Mangala Jones Shaw
Carrick Carvalho
Valencia Rooney Nani
RvP
Or 4-1-2-3 like Barca
De Gea
Rafael Mangala Jones Shaw
Carrick
Rooney Mata
Valencia RvP Nani