Manchester United (Red Devils) | Special Thread

[Rutashubanyuma]

18 min Old Trafford is pretty loud this afternoon, a by-product of the Moyes, er, era. Talking of which, St Mary’s; the best of the new grounds, in mine.

 

[Mc Tilly Chizenga]

Walete walete wanyera haooooooooooo

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

19 min Trouble for Southampton: Alderweireld stretches, and immediately waves to the bench, then waves arms in fury. He’s not long for this game.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

20 min Alderweireld departs, and there’s a kerfuffle about whether the ball needs to be kicked out, returned, all that. United return it to themselves, Carrick sweeps right-to-left to find Di Maria, and he performs a one-two with Van Persie before shooting hard, low and wide. Gardos is on.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

22 min Dowd fails to award a foul against Smalling, in low and hard on Elia, then warns him “no more”.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

24 min Talking of Roberto Duran, he spoke good English, but refused to do so in public as, it not being his first language, he wasn’t perfect at it, which he felt showed weakness. I believe the technical term is “badass”.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

27 min Wanyama wins a corner on the right, laid short, returned, returned again, and then Davis clips to the far post, where Fonte has lost Carrick. He heads over the top, but that was a warning.

Share
3m ago16:27
26 min “He’s admired because he can tackle and pass,” says Martin Tyler of Schneiderlin - skills once crucial to midfield play, now a bonus. How many other generals are there in world football? Schweinsteiger is one, Ander Herrera might become another, but otherwise, it’s all attacking and defensive prefix-excuses. What a nonsense.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

29 min Valencia pressures high up the field and wins a throw, transferred to Mata and then Blind, left of centre. He has a look and curls a ball into space between Clyne and Fonte for Di Maria, who races towards it, pauses, and in that pause, loses the flight.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

30 min Rooney breaks into space, and in front of him, Van Persie makes the angle for a pass - not hit properly, but the kind of circumstance United are planning to bring about.

 

[mfarisayo]

Southampton wameshaelekea kibla tunawachelewa tu hawa

 

[Mdakuzi]

Dah! Southampton wameiweka bus kama Mourinho. Inatakiwa tuwatie bao hawa ili mpira uchezwe.
Ova

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

33 min “Really missing Herrera’s fluidity out there thus far,” reckons Mike Walker. “Helps connect and involve - Mata and Rooney especially.”

Couldn’t agree more - same’s so of more or less every United supporter I know. But it’s not easy to argue with Van Gaal. I imagine it’s partly a physical thing, partly a tendency to fade in and out.

Share
3m ago16:32
31 min “Are we allowed to point out that it’s a fairly poor game yet?” asks Mark Turner. “All huffy and puffy and some neat little skills. But I’m yawning.”

Of course we’re allowed - and fair enough. I’m quite enjoying it, but, looks like it could develop into something fairly decent. But Southampton defend very well, so United, who’ve had most of the ball, are struggling to create chances.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

35 min Valencia cajoles a foul from Bertrand, at inside-right - he’s booked. 25 yards out, Di Maria makes to arc the free-kick towards the back post, but scuffs it into the wall instead. Horrible, horrible.

Share
3m ago16:35
33 min Valencia - who reminds me of a Kick Off 2 player, able to run very fast in a straight line, but unable to turn in possession - runs very fast and hard in a straight line. Gardos tackles well.

 

[mfarisayo]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

37 min Quiet period for Southampton - they’re still defending well, but not crafting as much going forward. But the enjoy a passage of possession, ended by Shaw sliding in on Clyne, emerging with a limp. Oddly, he seems ok.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

38 min Van Persie closes Gardos down - please do not adjust your sets, that did indeed happen - and blocks his attempted clearance, lifting a pass into space for Di Maria. Scurrying after it and cutting inside onto his left foot, he can’t muster much in the way of shot, but United are looking confident now.

 

[mfarisayo]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

40 min Southampton find a pocket of space on the right, but United press them into passing back to Forster; they’re finding it hard to threaten.

 

[mfarisayo]

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

44 min “Ah, Kick Off 2. The Go-Bots to Sensible Soccer’s Transformers. The Stone Temple Pilots to Sensible Soccer’s Pearl Jam. I miss my youth...” says Matt Dony, crying into his inappropriate Um Bongo.

Share
2m ago16:43
41 min Lovely from Rooney, who powers inside and outside two challenges, arriving at the edge of the box, dead centre, before flicking a pass left to Van Persie. His first touch is magnificent, turning the ball from behind him directly into his stride, and he shoots low, hard and across Forster - but Clyne extends a leg to block, diverting it into the air and allowing Forster to collect, under “pressure” from Mata, poised to tap in should he drop it.