Analysis: QPR 0 Manchester United 2

Premier League, Saturday 23^rd February 2013

Manchester United battled to a 2-0 victory against an uninspired QPR side at Loftus Road on Saturday. Rafael opened the scoring with a superb volley before Ryan Giggs finished masterfully late on to secure the three points. The win was hard-fought with plenty of pleasing aspects for United. Below is some brief analysis on the fixture:

A different Nani

Nani was one of United’s most impressive players against QPR with a mature performance. The Portuguese international is oft criticised for a disappointing final ball and poor decision-making, but both were dramatically improved on Saturday. Two examples of a good final ball from Nani were his first half cross that narrowly evaded Javier Hernandez, and his second half reverse-pass assist for Ryan Giggs’ goal. Perhaps more impressive though was Nani’s good choice of pass when around the area.

The 26 year old was initially deployed on the right hand side before a late switch to the left. When on the right he was certainly playing more narrowly than the touchline-hugging Antonio Valencia would, a useful tactic considering the tight pitch at Loftus Road. Nani would cause trouble by coming inside and becoming an extra central player, whilst Rafael made the right side his own with a man of the match performance. Good performances from Nani like in his last two games could see him play even more towards the end of the season, and will hopefully inspire him to sign a new contract.

Experience

Sir Alex Ferguson chose experienced players to face QPR, as United were forced to contend with a compact pitch and potentially intimidating atmosphere. Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic were all included along with fellow experienced players Patrice Evra, Michael Carrick and Robin van Persie. The Red Devils coped with the challenge admirably, and the experienced guard did their job. Ferdinand and Vidic were imperious at the back, with Carrick in front of them providing a good defensive platform. Giggs pushed on further than Carrick in midfield, a strategy that reduces some of United’s possessional control of the game but offers an additional attacking threat. United did the basics well whilst the attacking players produced some spark, and the experience in the side guided the team all the way to another important three points.

Going Forward

United appear relentlessly focused as they hunt down a possible 20^th league title. The experience on show at QPR was a signal of the importance of winning a tough away fixture, whilst some individual performances from the likes of Nani and Rafael were particularly encouraging. The Reds now have a rare weeks rest before a run of four home games as they look to keep marching on.

Ratings

[4-4-2]: De Gea-7, Rafael-9*, Ferdinand-7, Vidic-7, Evra-6, Nani-7, Carrick-7, Giggs-7, Young-7, van Persie-7, Hernandez-7

(Welbeck-7, Rooney-6, Valencia-6)

*Man of the match

Analysis: Manchester United 2 Reading 1

FA Cup, Monday 18^th February 2013

Manchester United saw off Reading in a mellow tie thanks to goals from Nani and Javier Hernandez. A late Reading rally made the nerves jitter for those inside Old Trafford, but ultimately United were too strong for their Berkshire opponents. Here are some thoughts emanating from the game:

Defensive coordination

United’s defensive display was a mixed bag. The essentials were there in abundance and there was little to worry about, yet some little snags still remained. Nemanja Vidic, whilst dominant and frankly outstanding aerially, appeared to be lacking in coordination and communication with his defensive colleagues. This is understandable due to his long injuries, but better communication with Alex Büttner for example may have prevented Reading’s goal. Vidic showed all his wonderful raw defensive qualities, but also gave a demonstration of why the oft played together trio of Rio Ferdinand, Jonny Evans and David De Gea at the back give more assurance at times.

Meanwhile Alex Büttner showed in qualities in attack and looked more composed in defensive one-on-ones than he has in past games. Nevertheless, the Dutchman’s work rate and positioning was questionable at times. Chris Smalling was smooth in his defensive duties, and displayed what a rock he can be at the back, but also demonstrated his lack of composure at times, particularly with some wayward balls forward. Overall United defended well, but there were also small concerns in a back four completely changed from the Reds last fixture.

Sparks

An FA Cup tie on a Monday night the week after an intense match in Madrid was always going to lack some of the energy from the week before. Despite some incisive attacking moves from the Red Devils, Reading stifled them for the first hour, leading to a slow and frustrating game. United required some of their players to spark them into life, and Tom Cleverley and Nani duly obliged.

Reading pressed well in midfield, and Anderson and Cleverley were largely ineffective for the first part of the game in central midfield. Midway through the second half however, the Englishman sprung into life offering better movements and crisp passing. This energy in the centre ignited the team. Nani meanwhile was showing his fantastic abilities on the wing. The Portuguese winger was causing turmoil in the Reading defence with a range of good shots and clever movement, ultimately resulting in a superb goal and assist. The impact of Cleverley and Nani in terms of getting United goals served to highlight the different assets in the United squad.

Going Forward

This was a satisfactory performance from Manchester United. Whilst at times slow, a much-changed United side did the job with some good individual performances. It is important to remember that United can’t be expected to dominate every game. This win continued United’s fight on three fronts. A trip to QPR this weekend is likely to involve further rotation, and Sir Alex Ferguson will be determined for his team to consolidate their lead at the top of the league table.

Ratings

[4-4-2]: de Gea-7, Jones-6, Smalling-7, Vidic-7, Büttner-6, Valencia-6, Cleverley-7, Anderson-6, Young-6 Hernandez-7, Welbeck-7

(Nani-8*, van Persie-8, Carrick-7)

*Man of the Match

Analysis: Real Madrid 1 Manchester United 1

Champions League, Wednesday 13^th February 2013

A decent result for Manchester United at the Bernabeu sets up an enticing second leg at Old Trafford in three weeks time. Danny Welbeck opened the scoring with a good header before Cristiano Ronaldo equalised with his own superb header. Despite Madrid’s superior possession and shots statistics they faded towards the end of the game, and United will be disappointed they didn’t take one of a few chances that could’ve given them a 2-1 victory. Here’s some thoughts on the match:

Hard work pays off

United setup in a fashion designed to work hard and close off space for Real Madrid, whilst looking to take full advantage of attacking opportunities. Danny Welbeck embodied this spirit with a tireless running game, although his excellent quick-thinking with the ball shouldn’t be overlooked either. Welbeck and Rooney were both sacrificed out wide as they were tasked with working hard in defensive areas. Phil Jones in midfield had a largely impressive game at limiting Real Madrid’s forays forward, and may be an option for Sir Alex Ferguson in the second leg. This was a disciplined display, much similar to the manner in which United approached the game with Everton last weekend. The Reds sacrificed some of their typical swashbuckling, attacking football in favour of defending tight and limiting Real Madrid.

Lessons for the second leg

After an intense hour from Real Madrid, the Spanish team tailed off in their pressing game, allowing United more time on the ball. Particularly towards the end of the game, Michael Carrick and Phil Jones were able to have more influence on forward attacks, and Madrid were limited to mostly ineffective counters. The second leg at Old Trafford is likely to follow this pattern of more United control on the game, whilst Real Madrid look to excel at their best tactic; counter-attacking. The team from Manchester will need to take full advantage of attacking opportunities, something they didn’t do as well as they could at the Bernabeu, but will also need to be wary of Madrid’s counter-attacking ability.

Going Forward

Manchester United can be mostly satisfied with the 1-1 draw at the Bernabeu, and will be marginal favourites for the return leg. In particular, the performances of de Gea, Ferdinand, Evans, Jones and Welbeck were extremely pleasing. There are three weeks before the second leg, in which time United will look to consolidate their lead of the Premier League and advance further in the FA Cup this Monday against Reading. Sir Alex Ferguson will be again thinking how best to rotate his team for the coming games, with every player (bar Darren Fletcher) fit and available.

Ratings

[4-2-3-1]: de Gea-8, Rafael-6, Ferdinand-8, Evans-8, Evra-7, Carrick-7, Jones-7, Welbeck-8*, Rooney-6, Kagawa-6, van Persie-6

(Giggs-6, Valencia-6, Anderson-5)

*Man of the Match

Analysis: Manchester United 2 Everton 0

Premier League, Sunday 10^th February 2013

Ryan Giggs scored in the league for the twenty-third successive season as Manchester United completed an impressive victory over Everton. Robin van Persie scored the second goal as United were rarely troubled in a strong performance. Some of the attacking spark of recent matches was missing, but this was more than made up for by an effort-filled, organised, and efficient performance. Sir Alex Ferguson gave his players one job; to win, and this they did. Here’s some analysis on the game:

Tactical responses

An important feature of United’s good performance on Sunday was the tactical responses made by Sir Alex Ferguson throughout the game. United initially lined-up in a 4-4-1-1, with Ryan Giggs left, Antonio Valencia right, Phil Jones and Tom Cleverley in central midfield, and Wayne Rooney clearly behind Robin van Persie up front. Jones was man-marking Marouane Fellaini (see below) meaning he was often dragged out of his central midfield position leaving Cleverley two versus one in the middle.

Ferguson responded to this marvellously. Jones was left to marshal Fellaini, whilst Giggs moved into a central midfield position alongside Cleverley to give United more midfield presence. Wayne Rooney was moved onto the left-hand side, a useful move as Rooney helped to nullify the marauding attacking from Everton’s full-back. Meanwhile van Persie was left up front on his own, something that was not detrimental because of Everton’s high defensive line. Van Persie was left to make runs in behind, one of which led to his goal. The tactical changes from Ferguson demonstrated his astuteness, and also gave United an organisation which saw them efficiently win the match.

Jones on Fellaini

Fellaini was easily the best player in the reverse fixture earlier this season, but Phil Jones was left to man-mark him in this game, and successfully depleted his impact. Jones’ close attention hindered Fellaini’s ability to pick up the ball in pockets of space, and thus one of Everton’s main threats was shut off. One downside to this man-marking system was the space Jones left in midfield when dragged out of position, but as explained earlier, Sir Alex Ferguson countered this. Another downside was the detriment Jones’ role had on United creating flowing, attacking moves forward. Because he was pre-occupied, Jones was unable to focus on setting up attacking moves as Michael Carrick may have done, and United lost some forward focus from midfield. This was not a problem however as United found goals and most importantly prevented the team from Merseyside getting any themselves.

Going Forward

This performance was impressive and efficient. De Gea, Rafael and Vidic all shone, whilst Jones in particular completed his role effectively. Antonio Valencia also showed signs of improved form by containing Leighton Baines and getting forward to good effect. The organisational nature of United’s performance gave promising signs ahead of the crunch encounter with Real Madrid this Wednesday. For now though, Manchester United can be happy with opening up a mountainous 12 point lead at the top of the table.

Ratings

[4-4-1-1]: de Gea-8, Rafael-9*, Evans-7, Vidic-8, Evra-7, Valencia-7, Jones-7, Cleverley-7, Giggs-7, Rooney-7, van Persie-7

(Carrick-7, Smalling-6)

*Man of the Match

Analysis: Fulham 0 Manchester United 1

Premier League, Saturday 2^nd February 2013

Manchester United completed their second victory over Fulham in a week after a late goal from Wayne Rooney secured the points. Despite hitting the woodwork three times, United were under pressure for large parts of the game, and Rooney’s goal will potentially be looked back on as significant in the title race. Here’s some thoughts emanating from the game:

Defensive rocks

United’s backline proved their worth against a Fulham side who kept knocking on the door. Rio Ferdinand was supreme in the air as he won nearly every aerial challenge. David De Gea was confident in goal as he collected several high balls amidst a series of top-drawer saves. Jonny Evans also played a part in United’s victory with a confident and largely composed performance on his return from injury. Sir Alex Ferguson will face a real selection dilemma in defence for United’s tough upcoming fixtures. Nemanja Vidic is sure to feature soon, but dislodging Ferdinand or Evans from their starting berth is no easy task.

A Rooney reminder

Wayne Rooney reminded everyone against Fulham of his importance to Manchester United. The fixtures Rooney missed over the festive period were arguably also those in which Robin van Persie gave his greatest performances. But for those who started to believe van Persie is the main man at Old Trafford, Rooney will have made them think again since his return to the side. Rooney has now started and scored in the last three games, games in which van Persie has not scored or assisted a goal. Van Persie, whilst not at his flying best, is not out of form, and still provides an important clog in United’s attack with his superb movement, touch and set-piece taking. Rooney’s goal against Fulham however was another gentle reminder that van Persie isn’t the only world-class striker at Manchester United.

Going Forward

United have now won two uncomfortable Premier League games on the trot, something that bodes well for tough upcoming games. United’s defensive showings recently have been the most pleasing aspect of their performances, especially considering the defensive weakness shown in the first half of the season. The international break this week may disrupt the side slightly, but big games against Everton and Real Madrid will act as motivators in the coming weeks.

Ratings

[4-4-2]: de Gea-8, Rafael-6, Ferdinand-8*, Evans-8, Evra-7, Valencia-6, Cleverley-6, Carrick-6, Nani-6, Rooney-7, van Persie-6

(Hernandez-6, Giggs-6, Welbeck-6)

*Man of the Match

Analysis: Manchester United 2 Southampton 1

Premier League, Wednesday 30^th January 2013

Wayne Rooney scored two first-half goals to overturn an early deficit, but the manner of United’s overall performance against Southampton will not have pleased manager Sir Alex Ferguson. United were confident and fluid, yet still sloppy in the first half before being largely overrun in the second. Here’s some brief analysis from the fixture:

Different wide men

Ferguson continued his habit of selecting in-form players with Chris Smalling and Phil Jones in defence, and also Shinji Kagawa and Danny Welbeck out wide. Kagawa and Welbeck’s inclusions make for interesting analysis because wide midfield is of course not their natural positions. Despite United lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, at times there were similarities to a 4-2-2-2 most commonly used by Manchester City. Opposed to David Silva playing in an inside left position however there was Shinji Kagawa. This inside wing-play presented United with different options to the usual touchline-hugging style of play seen by most wingers. Kagawa was superb at getting in between the lines of defence and midfield, and caused Southampton problems by being hard to pick up. The Japanese’s excellent movement resulted in United’s first goal, and for that he must be praised.

Southampton pressing

The second half in particular was a superb example of pressing from Southampton as they pinned United back almost constantly. The last time a team to so effectively press United were Athletic Bilbao in last season’s Europa League. The ease with which the Red Devils were pushed back was a concern, and Michael Carrick and Anderson must be criticised for their lack of control over the game in midfield. As the game progressed, Phil Jones was moved into midfield and Rio Ferdinand came on into defence to eventually secure the win.

United are often caused problems when pressed effectively, but this isn't always the case. Particularly against Manchester City earlier in the season, the United midfield showed it can grasp control on a tight game when the performance is high enough. Against Southampton however, United were simply not playing with enough intensity to deal with the pressing. The pitch of course was also of detriment to United’s usual slick, passing game, and this needs to be addressed in order to help the team.

Going Forward

Ferguson will be pleased with the three points from this fixture after what was a nervous performance at times. Carrick and Anderson underperformed in central midfield, and a well-rested Tom Cleverley can be expected to make a return to the first team soon. United now face Fulham away at the weekend as they look to pick up another important three points.

Ratings

[4-2-3-1]: de Gea-6, Jones-6, Smalling-6, Vidic-7, Evra-7, Welbeck-6, Anderson-5, Carrick-5, Kagawa-7*, Rooney-7, van Persie-6

(Ferdinand-6, Rafael-6, Nani-6)

*Man of the Match