[justboy68]

We don't even look like giving them a sniff which is promising. Still need to produce a bit more ourselves but a good half overall I thought.

 

[Sandikan]

Wayne Rooney isn't going to get 10 goals this season.

will settle for 10 shots on target this season the way it's panning out.

 

[VorZakone]

Villa are so shit, they cannot play normal football at all. Great pass from Mata. That's what you get when you play football through the middle, you get more goals from that than crosses.

 

[Mr.Kaya]

Not a very impressive 1st half, but we're in the lead at least. Expect more of both Rooney and Memphis though. Great that Januzaj was the one scoring the goal. Hope we press on the in 2nd half though and create more than we've done in the 1st half. Would like to see Schweiny come on in the 2nd half, maybe Chicharito too.

 

[OutOfTowner]

15 mins of the USPGA

Sky Sports News for me.

 

[WR10]

It's crazy how having good fullbacks in the premier league makes us look formidable. We never look like conceding with shaw and darmian. They shut off almost all of premier league team attacks (wing play)

 

[SqueakyWeasel]

Can't read the White text on my phone.

Got a run-out of Walter White quotes in front of me that I'm using for a job I'm working on and the first one is the "Chemistry" one!

 

[Ananke]

Btw: Rooney getting over 20 goals this season? You are having a laugh

 

[ivaldo]

Rooney is best playing behind a main striker. He can't play the main striker.

Never, he's clearly demonstrated he doesn't have the touch, spacial awareness, passing or vision to play there. He needs to concentrate on staying up top.

 

[diarm]

Chris Smalling is fecking excellent. He's a rock at the back.

Agreed. He's been excellent.

Mike Smallings passing has been shocking though.

 

[WyoManU]

Can't understand how Rooney is starting for us. Our attack is a shambles. Good news is that we have good shape and much better midfield control. Problem is we don't have any good outlets. All I can ever think now when I watch us play is that LVG has focused so much on possession that nobody takes any risks anymore.

On a better note I can only laugh watching Villa. This appears to be a team built entirely with players who have the fitness and physique to sprint, press and tackle endlessly but none of them have a clue what to do with the ball once they win it.

 

[Bruno8]

Today is all about RESULTS...performances will come later once we build momentum

Most players still look very unfit, but as long we win we will be fine

 

[Kubalionzzale]

Oh dear. Rooney's touch is abysmal. He is becoming our new Falcao.

 

[RetroStu]

Van Gaal is too safe and rigid, its obvious he limits creative freedom and wants the safe pass first, hense why we pass it back so much even when not under pressure.

 

[Steven Seagull]

Glad we're ahead and first games about results and rusty blah blah blah... But that was boring as feck. Fair enough we haven't clicked yet or don't quite have the experiences creative players (says LVG) but my god, why don't we press the ball and force some mistakes? We have such a low work rate for a so called top side. We'll get murdered in Europe playing like this.

 

[langster]

Mata looks broke

Yup, unfortunately.

 

[Judas]

Can't really get my head around how pedestrian and off the pace Rooney looks. Of course he goes deep looking for the ball, which is even more annoying when he's meant to be the one leading the line.

 

[ottosec]

We have done well defensively, the had no chances whatsoever. Offensively we were our usual shit.

 

[Litch]

Lvg has called it wrong. He's playing the wrong side and players in wrong position. Mata is a 10, two defensive midfielders is so defensive and why is Herrera not playing?

 

[The White Pele]

Rooney's level seems to have dropped off a cliff in 2015

 

[Randall Flagg]

Passing poor at times. But mostly good

Put feck it totally in control and not really giving them a sniff

That mata pass to adnan was sexual


For once the Rooney haters are correctly he was very poor indeed

 

[The Hacker]

We ease off every time we score a goal. Why? Invite shit pressure then struggle to string 5 passes together.

Rooney may as well be at home.

Luke shaw seems the only one who wants to do anything!

 

[prath92]

I like Rooney but he needs a kick up. Good half. But sloppy but solid defensively. The penalty incident could have gone either way imo

And Adnan 1 sterling 0

 

[Organic Potatoes]

Darmian has been excellent as well.

Minus the penalty claim. Plus I like to keep it at three...

 

[MajorTom]

Ah, how we've all missed the footie. Looks to be two wins out of two and we are all loving it.

 

[CG1010]

Schneiderlin has been amazing, btw! Great touches and energy.. really liking all our signings this season (except for Romero!)

 

[siw2007]

Solid first half. Bit concerned with those last 10 minutes though. Bit disappointed with the hysteria over the pen as richards has hold of darmians shirt too.

Also rooney needs to get his act together. I gave him the benefit of the doubt against spurs but can't today.

 

[MUFC > Everyone]

+Darmian is solid again defensively. Haven't seen any runs that have gone past Mata go past him.
+Shaw has been fantastic going forward.
+Schneiderlin is everywhere, breaking up attacks, passing forward, making runs. Very impressed.
+Januzaj has been involved but either he's getting fouled too much and MD is not calling it or he needs to build up some strength.

-Romero has to be the worst keeper on the ball I've ever seen.
-Depay has come into the game a little bit but I would like him to run more on the wings.
-Aside from Mata's fantastic pass to Januzaj, I get disappointed when Mata cuts inside cuts inside and then passes back.

 

[Giggs86]

What in the world happened to Rooney? Is he drunk? Is he suffering from a drinking problem and plays hungover every time? I don't see any other explanation for these performances.

 

[Shiva87]

I am happy with that half. Solid defensively. Only problems were caused by poor passes from Smalling, and Mata getting dispossessed. Attackers gelling better. Mata is all over the attacking third. Memphis looks so much more at home on the left, and Adnan bulking up is showing.

Some incisive attacking play in the next half now.

 

[Rado_N]

Just wait until Monty is on commentary...

Why must you try and ruin everything?

 

[Seven Seas Sardines]

Decent result, but in general dire play. I wonder how long we're going to stick with a huge gap in midfield thanks to 4-2-3-1. When our defenders have the ball, there's still no Carrick or Schneiderlin to be seen! Ridiculous with two sitting midfielders. And of course, I hope somehow LvG gets it into his head that we cannot rely on the slouch that is Rooney all season..

 

[Kill 'em all]

SAF was right when he said Rooney will be finished once he hits 30.

 

[Mystry]

We move the ball forward quickly and we start to create bits and pieces and eventually score a goal. What do we do then? We go back to passing it back at every opertunity, slow down the pace and put ourselves under pressure.

 

[OutOfTowner]

Yeah, that makes more sense

Well some on this forum are trying to devise a Mata/Herrera fanfic so you can never be too sure.

 

[ChaddyP]

Schneiderlin = midfield

This. Jesus he is just doing some simple things that almost go unnoticed so well. Happy we hot the lad

 

[DarkXaero]

Rooney needs to be dropped, he has been playing like a low tier PL club striker. Can't believe that is our highest paid player, captain, and someone supposed to be our best player.

 

[space]

We were very safe, and there was better movement, considering our away record last year it's been alright. Rooney has been very poor and I do like him, but he just seems to be over thinking everything and looking uninterested.

 

[Mali_Zeus]

Glad we're ahead and first games about results and rusty blah blah blah... But that was boring as feck. Fair enough we haven't clicked yet or don't quite have the experiences creative players (says LVG) but my god, why don't we press the ball and force some mistakes? We have such a low work rate for a so called top side. We'll get murdered in Europe playing like this.

Just like we got murdered in big games last season.
Oh wait.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Today is all about RESULTS...performances will come later once we build momentum

Most players still look very unfit, but as long we win we will be fine

Agreed, especially when the big teams are dropping points. Arsenal and Liverpool used to start their seasons strong, thumping their chests and going on about how its going to be their year, then fall apart before Spring.