United deal with Reading and Nani puts in a shift. I know, right?
HONESTLY the game against Reading largely went according to the script. They came to compete and not just park the bus, and we had to work for the goals and the victory. That’s exactly as it should be. Adam Federici in the Reading goal and the rest of their defence seemed to combine for a large part of the game to be one massive pain in United’s arse, and we mean that positively you understand.
Javier Hernandez saw a shot and Danny Welbeck’s rebound both blocked by Adrian Mariappa, Federici saved from Welbeck and Ashley Young had his effort blocked by Sean Morrison and all this in the opening five minutes. Adam Federici continued to deny as the first half went on; Tom Cleverley drove the ball towards goal from the edge of the box, Federici saved that and the follow up from Ashley Young.
The game on Monday night gave us something we have wanted to see for a long time, no not Nani on a plane out of Manchester airport, Nani actually putting in a performance. We will give credit where credit is due, he picked up that dodgy Reading clearance and smacked a volley against the post just before half time AND he scored one and made Hernandez’s with a cross, good for him.
However, football fate is a kinky bitch sometimes and doesn’t reward without taking away. I’m sure the United support out there would share one voice in wishing that Nani’s man of the match performance, the game we have waited for him to have, hadn’t come because Phil Jones had to leave the pitch through injury. Footballing fate has slapped us a little there.
Result wise, we got there in the end, team wise the Jones injury is a bit of a ball ache and Van Persie had to be brought on from the bench to give United more bite, Michael Carrick replaced Anderson and his presence certainly helped and David de Gea looked more decisive and firm. The choices de Gea makes about when to and when not to come for crosses have not helped him look like the most confident man on the planet but recent performances will have helped and on Monday night he looked to be flapping less, arguably he stayed back a bit more. He did flap when United conceded, but it got a little edgy for everyone around at that point – the defenders didn’t clear the ball and McAnuff put the ball home from close range.
When Nicky Shorey curled a free kick, the ball just didn’t want to leave the danger area but it did and we got through.
Anderson baffles me. Search his name on this website and you’ll see points in the past when he has gone a bit stupid with words. It’s nothing new. In the dictionary of football phrases, next to I was misquoted, Gaffer it says see Anderson. He’s tried to leave, but then he goes out of his way to say he’s happy and he wants to stay, but it’s difficult and he doesn’t want to be another failure like Kleberson and Juan Veron. He’s a decent squad member who probably should have done more, injuries haven’t helped but neither do comments in to the press about trying to leave.
He wears red, for now, as does Nani. We’ll see if that’s the case come August.
In a bit –
GTS
Given to Score 