Analysis: Manchester United 1 Galatasaray 0

Champions League, Wednesday 19^th September 2012

The welcome back to elite European competition for Manchester United was more arduous than anticipated, but nevertheless resulted in a good three points. After Michael Carrick’s early goal the Reds struggled to impose themselves, and Galatasaray became a constant counter-attacking threat. United’s defence was excellent in the second half however as Galatasaray were nullified. Here are the main talking points:

A faltering engine room

Whilst Galatasaray were very impressive in midfield area, only Michael Carrick was truly effective for United as he broke forward to score a superb goal early on. Paul Scholes, whilst simple and efficient, laboured through the match until he was substituted, something perhaps attributed to the fact this was his second match in a week. United’s defence was solid, and the attack fluid if not lacking a killer touch. However the engine room in midfield was guilty of giving the ball away far too often, and did not successfully prevent any counter-attacks from the Turkish side. This is an ongoing concern for Sir Alex’s side, and a big part of last season’s disastrous European campaign. The side on the whole were sloppy, and this was characterized by the faltering engine room.

One solution to this midfield conundrum may in fact be the return of Darren Fletcher. It was heart-warming for any fan to see him return to action after ten months out, and whilst his passing was erratic, his positional play immediately showed the Reds what they’ve been missing while he’s been out. Perhaps Fletcher’s dogged determination and defensive capability may be a turning point in United’s fortunes in midfield.

Another problem on the night was, as Ferguson commented, United’s frivolity with the ball. The team as a whole didn’t keep possession well, something essential in European competition. Better ball retention would’ve prevented Galatasaray forays forward, and is necessary in the forthcoming matches.

Penalty drama

This match saw plenty of penalty appeals, many turned down. It is still a mystery as to why UEFA’s extra officials behind the goal appear to do nothing, and again they were not helpful in assisting the referee to give what should have been four stonewall penalties (two apiece) yesterday. The referee did however give one penalty, to the home side, and Nani stood up to take it. Everything about his stuttering run-up suggested he wasn’t going to score, and indeed the goalkeeper saved it. This made it three penalty misses out of three for United this season, not to mention the three out of four missed in pre-season. Sir Alex himself has admitted that in future he will need to plan who takes penalties before matches (stick to van Persie or Rooney please.) But this particular penalty hoo-doo at the moment needs addressing. Penalties are gifts and need to be taken full advantage of. United don’t want to be missing out on vital goals this season because of poor penalties.

Going Forward

Three points to start off this season’s Champions League campaign is nothing short of ideal, and the perfect platform to push on and achieve early qualification for the knockout stages. Sir Alex will need to be wary of the apparent defensive weakness of his midfield, but perhaps Darren Fletcher is the catalyst to change that. This game will not live long in the memory, but lessons can be learnt from it, and hopefully it will be the beginning of a successful season in the Champions League.

Ratings

De Gea-8, Rafael-7, Evans-7, Vidic-7, Evra-6, Carrick-7, Scholes-6, Nani-6, Valencia-6, Kagawa-6, Van Persie-6

(Fletcher-5, Hernandez-6, Welbeck-6)

*Man of the match