Manchester United on International duty – How did they fare?
Thirteen Manchester United players are away with their national teams this week as the Premier League goes on it’s final international break of the season. Here’s a breakdown of how they’ve done while on their travels so far.
Jonny Evans and Paddy McNair – Scotland 1-0 Northern Ireland :
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Evans performed well with his defending compatriots to thwart Scotland’s attack for much of the game, until Christophe Berra finally broke through the line with a winning header off a corner in the 85th minute. That was after Evans had already been taken off, so who knows if he would have prevented the goal. Evans was one of the lone bright spots for Northern Ireland in a dismal game.
Paddy McNair made his international senior debut but looked iffy on the right side of the defence, constantly under pressure from Ikechi Anya’s brilliant speed. It didn’t help that Northern Ireland rarely ventured forward, often keeping ten men behind the ball. Probably not the debut that he would have wanted; it’ll be interesting to see if he starts the next game for his country.
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Wayne Rooney, Michael Carrick, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones – England 4-0 Lithuania:
Rooney had a goal on a rebounded header after Lithuania’s keeper parried a Welbeck shot into his path. The goal gets him within two of Sir Bobby Charlton’s record 49 goals for England. Rooney also saw an early strike come off the post and roll across the line before trickling out for a corner, while he also headed against the bar in the first half. Ex-Red Danny Welbeck scored shortly after after his header deflected in off the thigh of the Lithuanian defender.
Carrick provided a masterclass for England, showing his composure in his favoured holding midfield position. Granted the opposition was a weaker side but the holding midfielder showed why there are questions asked when he isn’t selected for the squad. He plays smart passes and rarely loses the ball. With few other options in holding midfield for Roy Hodson, Carrick should be able to hold on to his spot.
Phil Jones looked to be the best of the English defenders, showcasing his aerial ability and tackling strengths. Still, he didn’t have much to do as Lithuania rarely forayed that far into England’s depths while Chris Smalling was an unused substitute.
David De Gea – Spain 1-0 Ukraine:
For whatever reason, Iker Casillas started ahead of De Gea against Ukraine. The decision makes no sense in my opinion even without my bias to United players. De Gea has been in world class form this season while Casillas has looked like a shell of his former self in goal for Real Madrid. So not entirely sure what’s going through manager Vicente Del Bosque’s head but he really needs to start respecting De Gea’s ability.
Marouane Fellaini – Belgium 5-0 Cyprus:
Fellaini scored twice as Belgium cruised past Cyprus 5-0. The first came off of a scrappy bit of play inside of Cyprus’ box, eventually resulting in a left footed finish into the bottom left corner of the net. The second finish was much more spectacular, as Fellaini curled a shot from outside the box into the top corner. The Belgian giant continued the impressive form he has been showing at United into the international break and was eventually substituted after 72 minutes, denied an opportunity to get a hat-trick ahead of the midweek trip to Israel.
Daley Blind – Netherlands 1-1 Turkey:
Blind started in defence for the Netherlands in a 1-1 draw against Turkey, with ex-Red target Wesley Sneijder equalizing in stoppage time. The men in orange have been struggling of late and their poor form continued into the match against Turkey. Blind managed to have a decent showing, linked up well with his team-mates to create numerous chances that they failed to take advantage of. His display at left-back may continue to give Louis van Gaal a headache when it comes to choosing between him and Luke Shaw for that position at Old Trafford.