Hello there reader/looker-at-picturer. The blog won’t be updated for the next few months as I travel across the United States. Hopefully upon my return to England the midfield will have been addressed by either new signings in January (ha!) or the kids, Pogba and Morrison, making their mark and we’re well on our way to 20.
However unlikely it may seem at present, stranger things have happened (note October 23rd 2011) and with this team, you never know.
See you soon and come on United,
Cal.
Manchester United 2-0 Norwich City
Old Trafford, October 1st 2011
34. Lindegaard 7; 25. Valencia 6, 4. Jones 6, 6. Evans 6, 3. Evra 6; 17. Nani 6, 24. Fletcher 6, 8. Anderson 6, 13. Park 7; 10. Rooney 8, 14. Hernandez 5. Substitutes: 11. Giggs 6, 19. Welbeck 7, 5. Ferdinand 6.
Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United
Anfield, October 15th 2011
1. de Gea 9; 12. Smalling 6, 5. Ferdinand 6, 6. Evans 6, 3. Evra 7; 4. Jones 6, 24. Fletcher 7, 11. Giggs 4; 13. Park 6, 18. Young 4; 19. Welbeck 7. Substitutes: 17. Nani 5, 10. Rooney 5, 14. Hernandez 7.
Apologies to any regular visitors to the site, a prolonged house move has, and still is, taking precedence over any blog posting unfortunately. In the five games following the demolition of Bolton, United have won two and drawn three, scoring eleven and conceding six.
Phil Jones has shown that he is human after all, while the lack of creativity alongside him in central-midfield is stifling Anderson. For all the chat about how valuable Michael Carrick is to the team for his abilities to “keep possession” and that how stats show he makes more “forward passes” than everyone else, for a holding midfielder his constant shirking of defensive responsibilities (note the number of times he passes on a midfielder who burst past him to defenders) and lack of protection for the defence show this fan that it’s no coincidence that the free-flowing football disappears when he’s in the team.
Nani has been excellent and his goals and performances against Chelsea and Stoke, as well as his changing of the game in the shameful team display against Basel, have justified why he’s been keeping Antonio Valencia out of the team.
For all the doom and gloom, United finds themselves top of the League table with five wins out of six. David de Gea is settling in nicely and with Wayne Rooney and Tom Cleverley still to come back, that feeling should find itself eradicated in the coming weeks.
Benfica 1-1 Manchester United
Estadio de Luz, September 14th 2011
34. Lindegaard 8; 20. Fabio 6, 12. Smalling 7, 6. Evans 6, 3. Evra 6; 25. Valencia 6, 24. Fletcher 5, 16. Carrick 6, 11. Giggs 8, 13. Park 6; 10. Rooney 6. Substitutes: 14. Hernandez 5, 4. Jones 6, 17. Nani 5.
Manchester United 3-1 Chelsea
Old Trafford, September 18th 2011
1. de Gea 7; 12. Smalling 8, 4. Jones 8, 6. Evans 7, 3. Evra 7; 17. Nani 10, 24. Fletcher 7, 8. Anderson 7, 18. Young 7; 10. Rooney 8, 14. Hernandez 6. Substitutes: 25. Valencia 7, 16. Carrick 6, 9. Berbatov.
Leeds United 0-3 Manchester United
Elland Road, September 20th 2011
40. Amos 7; 25. Valencia 7, 16. Carrick 7, 51. Fryers 8, 20. Fabio 7; 32. Diouf 8, 13. Park 7, 11. Giggs 8, 27. Macheda 7; 9. Berbatov 7, 7. Owen 9. Substitutes: 42. Pogba 7, 19. Welbeck, 52. Cole.
Stoke City 1-1 Manchester United
Britannia Stadium, September 24th 2011
1. de Gea 8; 25. Valencia 5, 5. Ferdinand 6, 4. Jones 6, 3. Evra 6; 17. Nani 8, 24. Fletcher 7, 8. Anderson 6, 18. Young 6; 9. Berbatov 6, 14. Hernandez. Substitutes: 7. Owen 4, 11. Giggs 5, 19. Welbeck 6.
Manchester United 3-3 FC Basel
Old Trafford, September 27th 2011
1. de Gea 7; 20. Fabio 6, 5. Ferdinand 4, 4. Jones 4, 3. Evra 5; 25. Valencia 5, 16. Carrick 4, 8. Anderson 5, 11. Giggs 5, 18. Young 5; 19. Welbeck 8. Substitutes: 13. Park 4, 9. Berbatov 5, 17. Nani 7.
1. de Gea 7
4. Jones 10
5. Ferdinand 7
6. Evans 7 (12. Smalling 61 6)
3. Evra 7
18. Young 7 (11. Giggs 61 7)
23. Cleverley 6 (16. Carrick 24 6)
8. Anderson 7
17. Nani 7
10. Rooney 10
14. Hernandez 9
