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