Fellaini finally arrives. Manchester United 1 - 1 Chelsea

Just imagine that you badly wanted to have a fancy gadget, booked it online by paying the full amount to get it on time for Christmas, only for the courier guy to deliver it by next year Christmas. That is the same feeling I got watching Marouane Fellaini having his best game in a United shirt, albeit a good 1 year and 3 months after 27Million quid was paid to Everton’s pockets. He did a commendable job, sticking on to Fabregas throughout the match, as if a hooker on her prospective customer, and thus blocking the service to Hazard and Oscar. This proved out to be a tactical masterstroke from Van Gaal when every one of us was thinking about the way Fabregas ran riot against Arsenal. It again shows how naïve Wenger can be at times with tactics.

I can bet my life on the fact that there wasn’t a single United supported who wasn’t worried when Rafael was booked inside the first 15 minutes for a silly foul on. It was to everyone’s relief that he went on to have one of his stable games on the right wing.  United looked strong going forward and shaded the first half in terms of possession and attacking threat. Di Maria was a constant thread on the right wing, after being moved there to accommodate Januzaj on the left. Januzaj had his worst game in a United shirt against West Brom, but here he came up with his best display of the season. The chances in the first half were few and far between, but United’s best chance came through Van Persie, only for Thibaut Courtois to come on top.

The deadlock was broken in the second half, when Didier Drogba showed the entire world that he has lost none of his predatory instincts, by heading home at the near post after losing Rafael. Whoever has asked Rafael to mark Drogba has probably not seen Drogba’s goal in the UCL final against Bayern. He is a monster against properly built centre backs, and Rafael’s 5’7 figure did not pose a threat to him.

United introduced James Wilson, the 18 year old striker, on 68^th minute in place of Juan Mata, who had a comparatively quieter game.  United could not force the issue and the final quality ball never arrived. Jose Mourinho went into his usual mode of introducing defenders and defensive midfielders while protecting a 1 goal lead. Mikel, Schurlle and Zouma arrived in place of Oscar, Hazard and Willian to slow the game down. Branislav Ivanovic got the second yellow on the 93^rd minute and was promptly sent off for tripping Di Maria on the left side of Stretford End. Di Maria delivered a sumptuous ball from the resulting free kick and Fellaini forced an excellent save from Courtois, only for the ball to fall in to the left side of Van Persie inside the 6 yard box. When the net bulged at the Stretford end, not even the staunchest United supporter could argue that it was a deserved point. Nobody in a red shirt could have complained if Chelsea had won today. It is fair to say that United got out of jail today. But in the current form of United’s back four, it seems almost illegal to allow Sergio Aguero to run at our defense the next week.

First of many for Falcao. Manchester United 2 - 1 Everton

  

On his second ever match for Manchester United, Paddy McNair was given the unenviable task of marking Romelu Lukaku for the entire match. At the end of the match, he had Lukaku well inside his pocket but that was not the only reason that United finished the match with 3 points in their pocket. For that we all have to thank David De Gea who had to make two exceptional saves in the last 5 minutes of the match. In the final minute of the first half, Luke Shaw made a challenge from behind on Tony Hibbert inside the box, and a penalty was given correctly. Until today no goalkeeper in the Premier League has saved a penalty from Leighton Baines, giving him a tally of 14 successful converts from the spot. Today De Gea guessed the direction correctly and promptly palmed away an admittedly weak shot from Baines, which kept the spirits high going into half time.

There is something wrong in Louis Van Gaal’s half time talk, or at least it appears so. United have played poorly in the second half for every match they have played this season. Van Gaal should seriously consider re-modulating whatever he is talking at the break! Everton came back with vigour in the second half and got their reward on 55^th minute, when Baines, making up for his earlier penalty miss, delivered a pinpoint cross, after working out a neat one-two from a freekick, to Naismith who headed the ball in. Then there was a 5 minute period when it appeared that United will implode as Everton put the numbers forward and pressed the United players when possession was lost.

There was news that United could move for a permanent deal for Radamel Falcao as early as this January Transfer window for a reported price of 43M. 43 million quid is an awful lot of money, but Falcao showed today why he is worth every penny of that. Though he was yet to score for United coming into this match, his movement off the ball and his overall play have been impressive. When a goal to restore the supremacy was badly needed, Angel Di Maria tried to unleash a left foot shot towards the goal, only to end up scuffing it. But when the ball found its way between the two centre backs, there was Falcao to poke it past Tim Howard for his first Manchester United goal.  At first it looked like he was offside but when continued his celebrations after having a look at the linesman, it was evident that United had got their advantage back. The replays confirmed that the linesman has got this one absolutely right.

The rest of the match, especially towards the end, was a torture to watch for every United fan as Everton came very close twice to leveling for the second time in the match. With 2 minutes and extra time remaining, Leon Osman was played clear at the edge of the box and his shot flying towards the left corner of the goal was palmed away by De Gea. His second save was an even better one. A short free kick from outside the box ensured a melee in the penalty area, and the ball was partially cleared, only to reach Bryan Oviedo, the same man who scored the winner in the same fixture last season. The collective groan heard around Old Trafford when De Gea flew to his left to turn Oviedo’s shot over the bar was a mixture of both surprise and relief. At the end of the match De Gea thanked the crowd which was singing his name around.

Reds go into the international break as a happy bunch, having broken into the top four for the first time for a year. There is some stat which says that United are above Liverpool for the first time in a year too. It is only safe to assume that the person who came up with that had been in a self imposed sleep for the last 24 years when Liverpool fans looked at the table and found United above them always. United’s next fixture is a Monday night match against West Brom 2 weeks away, before they face Chelsea home and City away. The only positive out of this long break is that it allows some of the injured players to recover fully by that time. Going by the current form, United will include De Gea even if he shows up with only one leg on the morning of the match, though.

Welcome to England, Van Gaal. Leicester City 5 - 3 Manchester United

It was a defeat every bit naïve, comical and farcical even by the low standards set under David Moyes last season. As far as I can remember the record books, Manchester United never lost a league game under Sir Alex Ferguson after having a 2 goal lead. That is a small matter to 1000 odd games we are talking about. Today United let go 0-2 and 1-3 leads to eventually get beaten by 5-3. There were some atrocious refereeing decisions, of which more later. 

United started as the brighter side and raced to a 2-0 lead with goals from Robin Van Persie and Angel Di Maria. The first from an excellent curving delivery, which RVP headed in, from Radamal Falcao and the second from an absolutely delightful chip from Angel Di Maria, after exchanging passes with Rooney who started behind the 2 strikers. Leicester got one immediately back, from a delivery which should have been called out. Ander Herrera’s goal in the second half restored United’s 2 goal lead but what happened after that was disastrous. 

On 1994, exactly to this day, a red haired wiry youngster made his debut for Manchester United against Port Vale and scored both the goals in a 2-1 victory. Over the course of the next 18 years Pauls Scholes became a living legend and one of the best in Europe, who controlled the Manchester United midfield with conviction. It is debatable that, with Scholes on the pitch, United would not have suffered the meltdown they had today, but I am pretty sure that he wouldn’t have allowed the complete lack of recovery which was on show today after Leicester took control. Once the 3^rd goal went in from Esteban Cambiasso, United players went into panic mode and the foxes took in charge.

Tyler Blackett had started every Premier Leage game this season, and he has been solid, to say the least. Today he made a bad decision for a last ditch tackle towards the fag end of the match when Leicester was leading and sent off for a professional foul with a penalty awarded too. While this was a correct decision, Mark Clattenburg’s other 2 decisions which had a greater impact on the game were abysmal.  Even with Howard Webb on the scene, I have no doubt in my mind that Mark has been the best referee in the League for the last 3 seasons. He has been decisive, authoritative and correct on most of the occasions, coming to this season. That doesn’t mask the fact that he had a completely off day today. First he failed to spot the ball going out, which he should have done considering that he was closer to the ball than the linesman, and the resulting delivery went in for the first goal. Then, United leading 1-3 and threatening more, he failed to award a foul on Rafael and then proceeded to award a penalty against him for a nonexistent foul. That, in my opinion, changed the complexion of the match though the panic and meltdown followed was entirely United’s fault.

Louis Van Gal looked every bit downcast after the match and understandably so. Until now he did not have a welcome to England the way he wished, and going by today’s performance it will be a long time before it comes.

It is time to deliver. Manchester United 4 - 0 QPR

David De Gea is the player who can be called the most improved in the last 2 years at Old Trafford. Of late, he is getting close to the final package and the only glitch in his armour is his reluctance to come forward in the box. Today, on 32^nd minute, with United leading by a single goal, he charged straight out of his box to tackle a long ball, to only completely miss out, presenting Matt Phillips a clear sight of the open goal. Fortunately Johny Evans was at the right place to divert his shot to safety, which preserved the lead. Angel Di Maria scored on his home debut, curling a free kick past Robert Green, the former City keeper who was present at their goal when Micheal Owen toe poked that 96^th minute winner. United went into half time with a 3-0 lead, with the game as good as won against a staggeringly poor side.

The second half saw the introduction of United’s new number 9, Radamal Falcao in place of Juan Mata, but only after he scored United’s 4^th and final goal of the match. By any standards, it was a stroll in the park for United against a staggeringly poor QPR side. At times QPR’s resistance was next to none, but those who saw the way their players celebrated with the City team when they won the League on goal difference would not mind that. No united fan in his right sense of mind would think of QPR as the toughest opponents to come to Old Trafford this season, but there were noticeable differences in terms of power, passion and precision compared to whatever United dished out last season.

26 years ago Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United and promptly lost his first match against Oxford City 2-0. His first victory came with a 1-0 win over, none other than, QPR. Louis Van Gaal will enjoy that similarity but he was anything but bullish while assessing the performance of the team. He rightly pointed out that improvements are still required for this to provide this kind of performances week in and week out.  David Moyes was dismissed only 6 months ago, but his actual death bell rang in the last summer, when Ed Woodward failed to land quality signings for him, of which the reasons are various. This time, it is fair to say that, he compensated for that. He first delivered his now famous “watch this space” dialogue and then proceeded to spend 150 odd millions of pounds on Daley Blind, Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Radamal Falcao and Ander Herrera. History shows that, given the right resources, Van Gaal invariably achieves results. Woodward has kept his promise and brought a fleet of world class talent to Old Trafford. Over to you Louis Van Gaal, it is time to deliver.