5 things we learnt from Manchester United this weekend
Manchester United and Liverpool squared off in an enthralling encounter on Sunday afternoon with The Red Devils edging out their bitter rivals 3-2. Here’s 5 things we learnt from yesterday’s game:
1. United fans are finally seeing the best of Dimitar Berbatov
Many Manchester United fans were questioning the reasoning behind Sir Alex’s decision to spend all of £30 million on Berbatov. He has come under fire for his languid style, often displaying what seems to be a disinterest in proceedings through his body language. This perceived lack of effort has brought him several detractors but his scintillating form this season will have silenced those critics.
He was simply unstoppable on Sunday, scoring a hat-trick of real quality. His first was a pinpoint header from a Ryan Giggs corner. His second was an act of genius as he controlled a Nani cross and fired a majestic overhead kick in off the underside of the bar. He capped off his display with a powerful centre-forward’s header, rising head and shoulder above Jamie Carragher to seal the United victory.
2. Nani’s form makes up for the loss of Valencia
Like Berbatov, Nani has had his fair share of criticism in a Manchester United shirt but he has really shone in United’s opening games so far, although his acting skills still need a bit of work. He was a constant threat to Liverpool’s defence, always looking to take on the man and get his cross in. He came within inches of scoring when he cut inside and thundered a shot off the Liverpool crossbar.
He provided the cross for Berbatov’s excellent second goal and left Liverpool left-back Paul Konchesky chasing shadows for most of the game.
3. Ferguson needs to find the right man at right-back
Ferguson needs to find a solution at right-back. John O’Shea looked uncomfortable yesterday and was at fault for Liverpool’s equaliser. He found himself out of position and fouled Fernando Torres as the striker bore down on van der Saar’s goal.
He played Gary Neville last weekend against Everton and he was woeful as United surrendered a two goal advantage in injury time to draw 3-3. Brazilian youngster Rafael is highly rated at Old Trafford but there have been question-marks about his temperament in the big matches following his red card last season against Bayern Munich.
It remains to be seen whether John O’Shea will start at right-back next weekend against Bolton but Ferguson will be looking for a marked improvement from whoever gets the nod or else United’s defensive woes may continue.
4. Individual lapses in defence almost cost United the win
Speaking of the defence, they almost gave Liverpool a lifeline in the game through a series of individual errors that Sir Alex will be unhappy about. First it was Jonny Evans who rashly conceded a penalty when he brought down Torres in the penalty area. Then it was John O’Shea who was lucky to only escape with a yellow card as his foul on Torres set up Gerrard to equalise from the resulting free-kick.
The free-kick only went in as a result of a poorly-assembled Manchester United wall. Raul Meireles nudged Darren Fletcher to create a gap in the wall and Gerrard duly fired the ball through it. If Fletcher was a bit stronger and more in-tune with his surroundings, Gerrard’s shot would have been harmless. In the end, it proved to be academic as Berbatov bailed out his defence but cutting down on individual defensive errors is an immediate area of concern for United.
5. Rooney is still not back to his best
Recent games have seen Wayne Rooney improve but he is still not back to his imperious best. He has changed his game slightly as he looks to shake off his indifferent start to the season. He has dropped a lot deeper and come looking for the ball a lot more to get more involved with play and yesterday he displayed a nice range of passing as he linked play effectively. However, I don’t remember Rooney troubling Reina with a shot on target in the whole game and this needs to change sooner rather than later if Rooney wants to get back to top form.
What did you think about United’s performance yesterday?
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