Manchester United 0-1 West Brom: Takeaways
Credit: Caught Offisde
It was a third defeat in a row for Manchester United as they fell 1-0 to West Brom at home, thanks to a goal from Jonas Olsson that was deflected in off Chris Brunt’s free-kick.
Here are some thoughts from the game:
1) Failure from the forwards
Despite boasting Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and later on, Radamel Falcao; the Manchester United forwards were simply not good enough and was evident in the fact they could not score a goal. Granted, West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill was in fantastic form but even so there were a number of chances that the United forwards passed up.
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Indeed, Robin van Persie had his penalty saved, and for much of the game he seemed to get more frustrated with every chance he missed. This bad attitude is not the best advert for himself if he wants to stay at Manchester United. Rooney was deployed in midfield again and could not influence the game. Falcao was thrown on late but did little.
It was the first time since 2007 that Manchester United have failed to score in three successive games. This is unacceptable given the host of talent in the squad. Another damning statistic is this: Rooney, Fellaini, Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao only had two shots on target between them.
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With the race to secure a Champions League spot heating up and Liverpool winning their game to narrow the gap it is imperative that the Manchester United forwards get back on track immediately. In addition it also gives rise to the question – how many of them will be here next season?
2) Work in progress?
Despite being the final few games of the season, it is possible to argue that Manchester United are still very much a work in progress side under Louis van Gaal, remembering it is his first season in charge. Therefore, tactics are still being tweaked and players still learning to play in his various systems. However, it isn’t an excuse.
It was rather surreal to see Robin van Persie playing in midfield at some points in the game. Carrick is still being hugely missed and this prevents Hererra from being as effective as he usually is. It also nullifies Mata somewhat and can arguably be attributed to Fellaini’s dip in form. Just speculation, but Carrick’s absence has definite effects regardless.
The team lacks pace too. When Young and Di Maria tried to show they were fast enough, they kept miss-placing passes and basically did not communicate to each other at all. If there are to are to be a number of signings as part of a squad overhaul in the summer then some faster players need to be looked at. This also makes the case for signing Memphis Depay a whole lot more solid. He is the perfect player needed to reinvigorate the Manchester United attack.
3) Sometimes, it is just a game
Before the game, the footballing community was met with the tragic news that Rio Ferdinand’s wife, who was the mother to his three children, had passed away after a short battle with cancer. She died too young, and while the news was very sad there was overwhelming support for the former Manchester United defender and his family.
In the fifth minute, a minutes applause was given from all sections of the ground, including West Brom fans as a sign of respect due to Rio’s famous number 5 shirt he wore for club and country. In addition, both sets of players wore black armbands. At current club QPR, Ferdinand did not play but his captain Joey Barton received flowers from Steven Gerrard on behalf of Liverpool to give to Ferdinand, which was another great sign of respect.
In short, it is sad news but everybody is supporting Rio in this tough time. No matter how big or small the game, no matter how important it may seem – nothing is more important than a person’s life.
Other Takes
– What a return to Old Trafford for Darren Fletcher. He had a pretty standard first half but really grew into the game in the second-half to lead his team to a famous victory against his old side.
– Maybe Boaz Myhill is the best replacement for De Gea if he goes? An outstanding performance from the West Brom man who is actually the second-choice goalkeeper behind the currently injured Ben Foster.
– Another pointless cameo for Falcao. Surely he will not be at Old Trafford next season. Surely?