QPR vs Manchester United Match Review is this the end of the 3-1-4-2 ?

On Saturday we played QPR and won 2-0 and on the way of driving home listening to call Colomore which I usually listen to laugh at the people who think they know football but don’t. But this time there was one caller who said that the tactics this week where the worse he have seen and where worse than they were under David Moyes so after watching the match and watching reruns of the match and important parts I have to say he was right. It was worse I have seen tactically from a Manchester united manager I have seen until the formation was changed and to four at the back with wingers included in the formation. But this does leave a big question is this the end for 3-1-4-2 well in my opinion yes it should be and we should change to a four or five at the back to make us more of a balanced team which would mean we would win more away games like this one. Here are my player ratings for this match.

De Gea: 8

Kept us in the match with some amazing saves from shots that should have seen the back of the net.

Evans: 5

Was poor in the first half of this game but did eventually improve as the game went on.

Rojo: 6

Was good in the game but allowed Zamora to get under his skin which is why he only has a 6.

Jones: 7

Was our best defender on the pitch and did well in getting the ball even though it was wired to see him taking corners.

Blind: 4

Looked good on the ball but looked disconnected from the midfield this is why he only gets a four from me.

Carrick: 7

Saw plenty of the ball and kept it well but did not have enough penetration when going forward.

Valencia: 5

Had a poor game in whole but did well in picking Fellaini for the first goal.

Di Maria: 6

Was a poor in the striker role but when LVG swapped the formation was better in a deeper role.

Rooney: 7

Did well on the ball as he continued in his midfield role but could have had a bigger impact in a more advance position.

Mata: 6

Created United’s best chance in the first half when he played a ball into Falcao but then was replaced by Fellaini.

Falcao: 3

Was disappointing today and should have scored a hat trick.

Subs:

Fellaini: 7

Came on for Mata and gave our midfield a more solid look and did well taking his goal.

Wilson: 7

Gave us pace and made chances for the team also got a good goal from running from the half way line.

Herrera: N/A

Come on too late to score.

Our next match is against Leicester at Old Trafford which we will be hopping for a better performance and another win. If you have enjoyed reading this then you can follow us on Facebook by searching for the united wrap also you can follow us on twitter @theunitedwrap but if you don’t have any of these you can get email updates on the latest stuff on the blog by clicking the follow button. Thanks for reading and supporting the united wrap.

QPR vs Manchester united Preview

So after losing ground the weekend to tie up third place we will be looking to get back to winning ways against a QPR side who are strong at home and also looking to improve on results from last weekend where they lost to Burnley 2-1 but also prove to their fans that they want to stay in the premier league. But what can we expect from QPR? Well it depends on what side turns up and what Harry Redknapp decides for the game but we can expect a tough match with Austin trying to get on the end of knockdowns from Zamora or Taarabt which will be supplied by Barton with long balls and through balls into the area. As for their defence and midfield well I can’t see them overrunning us in these areas but I can see them giving us a physical game in midfield and defence. But they also have a mistake in their midfield and defence so we could expect to pounce on this. This is how I expect QPR to line up.

QPR team to face united

So what can we expect from united well we will hope to have shot on target in this match but also could we see a change formation with a lot of us starting to think is this formation really working and Van Gaal coming under pressure to make sure that we do not lose any more ground on third and drop out of the top four. We can expect the likes of Jones back to the starting line up but also expect Van Persie out for this match with an ankle injury. But the next big question for all united supporters will be will Falcao start or even be in ground after reports of him leaving in his car from Old Trafford and with his agent this week saying I don’t see him playing at united when his load is over. This is how I expect United to line up at the weekend.

Manchester united team to face QPR

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Is Falcao Falgone? Manchester united vs Southampton Review

This Sunday saw the end of our winning streak against a well organised Southampton side but for Manchester united fan the fact that we lost will not be the worrying thing about this loss is not the fact we lost but the reports coming from papers and some online media sports out let about Falcao. Which is that Falcao was seen driving away from Old Trafford at speed saying to his agent on the phone find me a new club and not been seen in the directors box at all has only filled fuel to the speculation what has gone on behind the scenes from Sunday. So what positives can we take out of this match? Well the biggest thing is that we where solid in defence for the majority of the match apart from one player who has just come back from a long injury and the fact we made load of chances in this match. But what are the negatives from this match? Well with all the chances we had we couldn’t put them away and that our players made the wrong decision’s but the biggest negative that we can take from this match is that we have lost against one of our biggest rivals for the champions league places and now looks like we are on the back foot for making them with teams round us winning as well. Here are my player ratings for this match

De Gea: 7

Had nothing to do thanks to a well organised defence

Smalling: 6

Did well to stick to Pelle for most of the match but was at fault for the goal for not sticking tight enough to him to stop the shot going to goal.

Shaw: 6

Did well in getting forward but did not create anything of any note.

Blind: 5

Made his return from injury but could tell that as he was rusty in this made and needs more preparation time before starting again.

Di Maria: 6

Played close to Van Persie in this match and didn’t have any real impact on the game

Carrick: 8

Carrick one of the best performance on the day and did well sitting in front of the defence and then setting up the attack from there.

Valencia: 7

Did well in playing down the right and made a lot of chances from a tight midfield.

Van Persie: 4

Tried hard but didn’t do anything of worth of note before being subbed on the hour mark because of injury.

Rooney: 7

Did well in creating from midfield before being moved up into the attack looks to be growing well in his captain role.

Mata: 5

Struggled in making any real impact on this game and should have scored from chances that were made for him. Would say drop him for the next game.

Subs:

Fellaini: 6 Herrera: 5 Blackett: 6

Man of the match

My man of the match for this match is Carrick for the way he looked calm in controlling midfield from a deep position and providing cover for the back three when in a defending situation.

Our next match is against QPR away which we will be looking to get back to winning ways and look to get a rare away win.

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Manchester United vs Southampton Preview

This Saturday sees the return fixture at Old Trafford of united vs Southampton and after a win in the FA cup we will be looking to continue our undefeated streak on Sunday. This will be difficult though as Southampton are undefeated in their last five matches with their last defeat coming in getting knocked out of the capital one cup by Sheffield united. At this moment in time they have two of their first team regulars are in the way of Mane and Clyne but apart from that we can expect a full strength squad. What can we expect from Southampton? Their style of play is to keep the ball and play with it until they can find an opening on goal but they also press high when in possession of the ball so that they can keep the ball in their opponents half. Who are there Danger men? There biggest danger man is Pelle who often makes runs behind the defence and holds up the play so that more players can join the attack. There other danger men are Schneiderlin who can create scoring opportunities by playing balls over the defence to Pelle and Long who tends to score from the second ball and passes from Pelle and Schneiderlin. This is how I expect Southampton to line up on Sunday.

Southampton team to place United on Sunday

For united we are looking to improve on an average performance in the FA cup but also to continue our undefeated run but that will be difficult with the likes Valencia, Young, Rafael and Shaw all out of action with the earliest back expected on the 11^th of January but we could see the return of Blind who might make an appearance on the subs bench. We could also see a change in formation now that most of our wingers, left backs and right backs are now injured but I very much Van Gaal would like to do this as this would hamper to progress of the team to understand the system that he wants to play. This is how I expect us to line up on Sunday given no more injuries between now and Sunday

Manchester united team to face Southampton on Sunday

My prediction for this match is that it will be a 2-2 drew with Rooney and Herrera scoring for united and can expect a mistake from defence some were in the match.  Let’s hope we can improve on performances from last weekend in the FA cup.

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Transfer Who’s In Who’s Out Part 6

This time we are going to look at Mata who seems like a long shot of leaving at the moment but this could happen with the return of Fellaini and Blind coming back to fitness it would look like that Mata position is under threat. But can we really sell Mata well my judgment would be no unless we have a better replacement for him like a Strootman who would fit into the team better. Where did it go wrong at united? Well if I am honest it hasn’t gone wrong but he hasn’t set the world on fire for the fee we paid for him. The biggest problem with Mata is that he doesn’t tack back and make tackles when the team is on the back foot but then on the other hand he doesn’t contribute to the attack like he did when he played for Chelsea but don’t get me wrong I’m not saying he is a bad player for united it is that his contribution can be more than what it is at the moment this could be down to that he is being played out of his favoured position.

Where should he go? Well this is a hard one in my opinion he would be best served going back to Spain but if not Spain then Italy would be the next best option the reason for this is that it is suited to his style which is where he waits on the half way line and then on the counter attack plays the vital pass which sets up chances for the attackers or other midfielders. But there is one more place for Mata is France which I think he would be good but not at his best as the current style of play in France is one that is slower than the other leagues and also one where most teams play 4-3-3 or a 3-4-3 that Mata would play in which would mean that Mata would have to adapt to a new role like he is having to do at united.

How much should we accept for him? Well this is one depending on what we do in the transfer window in the terms of buying Strootman which if we do go for him then it would be good for us to propose a swap deal for him. But if this does not happen then I reckon we should accept in the region of 25 to 30 Million for him which would be a fair amount considering he has at least 4 good years left in front of him.

Here are some of Mata’s best bits so far for united.

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Mid Season review 2014-2015

Now that we are half way through the season we are going to take a look at the season so far looking on how we compared to this time last season and what we can expect in the future and what where the important results of the season so far and a look into how Van Gaal has managed our club in his first season with us. Also I will rate how we have improved in each area of the pitch compared to last season as well.

Let’s start with the biggest change to this season and that was with our Manager with the arrival of Van Gaal and results from pre-season united fans where jumping of their seats waiting for the season but with a visit from Swansea which we lost 2-1 expectations were grounded after this and going forward. But things didn’t get better until a 4-0 win over QPR but questions where still hanging over our defence after we lost to Leicester city 5-3 where we were winning comfortably which still lasted over our derby day lost 1-0 with Smalling getting sent off but then we are now on an undefeated streak which is still going on. So what is the verdict on Van Gaal compared to last season well if I’m honest it’s a massive improvement on last season given that we are now playing better football and higher in the league than last season. So my verdict on manager is A but would be A+ if Van Gaal would manage the injuries better.

Now on to how we compared to last season as a team. Well like the manager being better than last season the football is better and what I mean about that is that we are no longer playing long balls up to wide men then crossing one million times with no result at the end of it where as now we keep the ball better and play more creative football but not just that we look like there is a plan for the future unlike last season which looked like we use to make it up as we go along. The rating for this is A+ because we now are building for the future unlike last season.

What can we expect in the rest of the season well like most things in football we cannot predict what happens but I will say that you can expect us to play better football week by week and with more first team players coming back that will happen. But where will we finish in the end of the season well we should be happy with a top four finish but anything below that would be considered a failure.

Let’s now look into each area of the pitch compared to last season with starting with Defence. Well if I’m honest it’s got worse than last season due to the lack of game time our defenders have had due to the over use of Vidic and Ferdinand which has made our current back four or three nervous which in turn has led to bad decision making and poor passing which is why I believe it is worse than last season but I do believe it will get better with more games that pass. My verdict on the defence compared to this time last season is F-

Now on to the midfield and I have to say it is a big improvement with the added additions of Di Maria, Blind and Herrera who can create more opportunities for the attackers than any of the players from last season. Also we have to say that there is a big improvement in players from last season for example Fellaini, Young and Carrick who are now playing well compared to last season. My verdict for how the midfield compared to last season is B+ the mark would be high if there was more consistency in away games

Now it is time for the attackers which if I’m honest are hot and cold depending on game to game but has more to be with the fact that our main striker is on and off form for each game but apart from that the addition of Falcao has been good when he has been fit and the rise of James Wilson has been a revelation to show the world that the united academy can still produce good players at a top quality level. My verdict on this is C+ the only reason the mark is so low is in away games one of our attackers who is the main attackers goes missing but this could be down to being worn down from the world cup.

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Transfers who’s in whose out Part 5

Our next player we are going to look at is that boy Anderson who let’s be honest has had a huge fall from grace from his early days at the club but what is the reason for this? Well the biggest problem is his application and dedication to keeping himself fit to a professional athlete standard like many of his age group have done in his profession the other biggest problem has come as a combination of the problem I have just mentioned and that problems is his ability which has dropped to an unbelievable low now due to the lack of game time. Why it went wrong at united? Well the problems that I said before have played a problem for him at his time at the club. The other reason why is one that is mentioned in Alex Ferguson’s book in which he states that between the age of 21-25 if a player is not playing enough football then his talent starts to stagnate and this is what I believe happened to Anderson and the emergence of younger and better players which did not help him. But also the fact that he did not show the dedication or determination to get back into the first team did not help in putting him in the manager’s good books.

Where should he go? Well this is the biggest question on every Manchester united fan out there. Well there are only two or three places I can see Anderson going to and the first place is the Brazilian league in which Anderson came the other two I can see it being is the Mexican and lower ends of the Portugal leagues. But there is a big problem in this case and that is how much Anderson will cost in his wages and this is why he has not been sold at all up until now. So what should we do if we can’t sell him at the end of this window well the first thing I would do is release him and pay the two million it would be to let him go because in the big picture for a club of United’s size two million is really a splash in the pan compared to the money they make in a year.

How much should we accept for him? Well if I’m honest anything at all because Anderson will never come back to bite us on the back side and it would be better for us to get him off the books as quick as possible which is a shame for a player who was meant to be one of the next big things in the football world.

Here are some of Anderson best bits for united and country

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Stoke vs Manchester United Preview

So after a draw at the weekend we now play Stoke on the road on New Year’s Day whose form at the moment has been good only being beaten once in the last five games so it will be hard for us to win this game as it always is going to Stoke. What can we expect from Stoke well they do tend to play a mix of well play short passes and a mixture of long balls but recently they have turned back time and gone for the traditional stoke long ball system in the last couple of games. Who are there danger men? There biggest threat is Bojan which most of their play come through if they play properly the other two danger men for them at the moment is Diouf who knows all about us being a ex Manchester united play. Their other danger man is Crouch who is as always the biggest threat in the air. This is how I expect Stoke to line up against us.

 

Stoke Line up

What about our beloved united? I expect us to line up the same against Stoke. But we should put a strong midfielder in the middle of the park against stoke so that we can break up there play better then we can dominate the play in midfield. Also we could also play four at the back in this match being against a team who is currently playing a lot of long balls at the moment which will help us in the terms of protection for the goalkeeper and also keeping possession on the knock down from the headers. This is how I expect us to line up against Stoke.

United Line up

My prediction for this match is that we will win this 2-1 with Rooney and Falcao to Score. But I do expect this to be a hard match for us and not dominate possession like we have done in the last two matches.

If you have an opinion then I would love to hear and how you do that is by leaving a comment below or by tweeting me @theunitedwrap and don’t forget you can follow the united wrap by email by clicking the follow button or by following me on twitter. Thanks again for reading and showing your support for the united wrap.

Manchester United vs Newcastle United Review

Rampant Manchester united box the stuffing out of the toon

Going into this game Newcastle united where desperate for a win against us after losing the last three games on the bounce and as for united we were trying to play better in this match than we did in our drew against Aston Villa. But it was us who got the win in a dominate display where we saw Rooney and Van Persie score in a 3-1 score line. What are the positives we can take from the match? Well the biggest positive we can take is that we dominated play against in a relatively good opposition and not just dominate but look confident in possession in which is the first time this has happened this season. The other positive is that it truly looks like Van Persie is back to his best and the partnership with Falcao looks to be blossoming with every week they play together and with Falcao looking to be back to fitness which is another positive. What are the negatives from this game?  Well there is only one and it is one we keep coming back to every game and that is the defence which if I am honest is the best I have seen it today but still have concerns over playing a back three with Evans and Jones in. Who keep on making mistakes every game for example today Jones’s late tackle which eventually lead to Newcastle getting a goal where we would have kept a clean sheet otherwise.

My player ratings for this match are.

De Gea: 7

Didn’t have much to do today but when needed made some great saves.

McNair: 6

Did well and seems to be understanding what is needed in the system with every game that goes past.

Jones:  6

Did well for the whole game up until the end where he gave away a penalty this is why he has been given a six.

Valencia: 8

Did well today and was good going forward and backwards and found passes well but crossing let him down.

Young: 9

Had a near perfect game if I am honest was good going forward and backwards and did well in finding crosses which led to one goal and made loads of decent chances.

Carrick: 7

Another strong display from Carrick who has made us looks like a well oiled team with him in the side.

Mata: 7

A brilliant display from Mata and did well in creating an assist for the second goal.

Rooney: 10

Had a perfect game today and took his goals well and is starting to look like a proper captain now and will gain all of the fans support if carrying on like this.

Falcao: 8

Great performance from the striker and is starting to look back to his best before all the injury’s he got.

Van Persie: 7

Did well in playing on the last man in the defence and that showed in the third goal.

Subs:

Rafael: 6

Did well with coming on after his injury but needs more time to get back to his best.

Wilson: 6

Looked lively in attack and looks to be a star for the future.

Fletcher: 5

Did well but was never as good as Carrick.

Our next game is against Spurs on Sunday away and we will be looking to keep on the undefeated streak on the go as we look to catch up with Manchester city for second place.

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Transfers who’s in who’s out part 4

In this next part we are going to look at who could go out in the transfer window coming up and the first player we are going to look at is Tom Cleverley. Yes he has left the club on loan at this moment but if rumours are to be believed then we could see a fee agreed in January for the player to go across in the summer. In this we are going to look at where he could go, why it went wrong at united and how much should we accept for this player.

Let’s begin with why it went wrong at united? When first seeing Tom Cleverley play for united live against Wigan I was blown away with the range of passing he has and the accuracy of his passing which was on par with dare I say it Paul Scholes with his vision and accuracy but after he suffered an injury he never seem to regain this and then started to play passes which were accurate but where always next to an opposition player which could take the ball off our player and also could not hold the ball up as well as he could which all led to what can be famously known as the most criticism a united player has ever seen in modern times and if I’m honest it was not deserved as Cleverly is a good play but not a Manchester united player and this led to a loss of confidence which in turn became a poor back up player for united. Also which did not help him as a player was the arrival of Moyes the reason for this is that he did not know how to play and get the best out of Cleverley which saw him go backwards in confidence and ability.

Where should he go? Well there are many clubs he could go to with one of them being Aston Villa which he would fit in nicely and talking to many villa fans they are impressed with the way he keeps the midfield ticking over and many say he is underrated in their midfield. But where else could he go well there are the likes of West Ham, Sunderland, QPR and West Brom.

How much should we pay accept for him? Well this has been made in to a big joke since it emerged that Villa where willing to pay 8 million which was more than what Real Madrid accepted for Xabi Alonso. But given that Cleverley is 23 and has not had his best years yet seems reasonable to me as a club would get his best years and ten plus years of his services so 8 million would seem a bargain compared to other midfielders of his age.

Here is a video of Tom Cleverley’s best bits.

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