West Brom 1-0 Manchester United: Mata just a scapegoat
Midfielder’s red card was symbolic of the Red Devils’ atrocious performance
Manchester United showed no determination or resolve in the 1-0 loss to West Brom, but Louis van Gaal will likely chalk up the loss to bad luck.
On a weekend when both Arsenal and Liverpool overcame their own one man disadvantages to draw and win, respectively, Manchester United looked more inclined to hang on to a one goal defeat.
Juan Mata turned the match in favor of West Brom when he received his second yellow card before the 30th minute. Despite some protest, the Spaniard only had himself to blame – his first card was the result of unsporting behavior when he blocked a Baggies free quick, while the second was for a rash challenge on Darren Fletcher.
With Tony Pulis’s side known for its defensive strength, United was up against it from then onward. But instead of coming together as a unit and fighting to get a result, the team caved in on itself.
The manager began his squad’s demise by substituting Morgan Schneiderlin on for Ander Herrera, when the latter had been United’s best outlet valve from the back. Schneiderlin has been in fine form recently, but his talents as a defensive midfielder were ill-suited for the situation.
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Almost immediately following the switch, the Baggies increased the pressure on the Manchester United defense, leading to its collapsed. A good ball in from Sebastien Pocognoli found Saloman Rondon completely unmarked in the box, where the striker coolly finished in the bottom corner. Chris Smalling, in his return to the team, had contained the Venezuelan international all match, but in one of the few moments where he found space, Rondon capitalized.
The goal deficit was another chance for the Mancunians to come together in an effort to level the match or even to go on and steal the win. But of the remaining ten on the field, Anthony Martial looked to be the only hope of salvation. Memphis eventually came on to replace 18-year-old Marcus Rashford, but neither he nor the Frenchman could come up with a moment of individual brilliance.
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Louis van Gaal said in his pre-match press conference that the club’s aim is to win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League, but that the Premier League is still there for the taking. But then Leicester found a way to win with a late Mahrez goal, Arsenal managed to draw against Tottenham despite being down a man, and Manchester City trounced the much weaker Aston Villa.
That left Manchester United in a situation where they needed a win to keep pace with the top four. Instead, however, the manager seemingly went back on his word by resting several key players and then making two defensive substitutions despite his squad still being in the contest.
The performance was incredibly frustrating to watch, particularly as it comes after four consecutive wins in all competitions. Every time Manchester United looks to have turned a corner and found a winning formula, the squad under-performs and supporters get to listen to the Dutch coach speak of injuries, or red cards, or whatever excuse is most relevant.
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If the Red Devils want to win a trophy, and if they want to qualify for the Champions League, they’ll need to learn how to respond when in the face of adversity. On Sunday against West Brom, United simply folded under the slightest of pressure.