Manchester United 3-1 Club Brugge: Takeaways

It was a big night at Old Trafford, with Manchester United returning to European competition after a long season out.

Memphis Depay hit two superb goals to open his Manchester United account to save the blushes of teammate Michael Carrick who had opened the scoring for Club Brugge having deflected the ball into his own net. Marouane Fellaini rounded off the scoring late on – with the whistle already in the referee’s mouth four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the second-half.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

1) Memphis is the real deal

He looked confident. He looked happy. He looked dangerous. He looked the real deal. Memphis Depay lit up Old Trafford against Club Brugge and gave a real good account of himself and looked every bit the player who deserved to wear the now sacred number 7 shirt.

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Granted he missed a couple of chances, but he put away two good goals thanks to his raw ability and opened his Manchester United goalscoring account. Perhaps it was the calibre of the opposition, because he struggled against Tottenham and Aston Villa. Or he was simply finished settling in.

Starting on the left, Memphis was always involved in the attacking foray’s undertaken by Manchester United and also got the assist for the third Manchester United goal courtesy of Marouane Fellaini.

2) Rooney in decline?

Wayne Rooney again failed to find the net against Club Brugge, making his goal drought now nine games without a goal. It is also worrying because the depth chart for strikers isn’t brilliant. Behind Rooney there is Javier Hernandez and then James Wilson. That’s it. No-one else is a recognised striker.

Adnan Januzaj wasn’t effective in the number 10-role that really should be Rooney’s instead. But the issue again is there is no striker that can play up top to Louis van Gaal’s liking. With Pedro now seemingly off to Chelsea, there is less and less time for a good option to be bought in.

Javier Hernandez made a second-half cameo and impressed with his improved first touch but he wasn’t given a chance with Louis van Gaal last season. Perhaps these circumstances will change that but many people still do not believe Hernandez is the man to play that role to allow Rooney to shift back to his favourite position.

3) Blind still at CB – do United need someone else?

He wasn’t awful but it was clear at times in the match that Blind was not a centre-back by trade. WIth Marcos Rojo still lacking match fitness and Phil Jones still injured; the only other option is young Paddy McNair. Jonny Evans has been linked with a move out of Manchester United as he is not in Louis van Gaal’s plans this season.

Blind if of course a midfielder, who can play on the left or more centrally. But that is his best position after all and therefore should be starting there, not in defence. But with the additions of Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger there simply isn’t room to accommodate him. Carrick too needs a home and even Ander Hererra and Marouane Fellaini are still to be considered. So perhaps Blind at centre-back is just how it will be from now on.