United extend the unbeaten string at Villa Park to twenty-one matches after a 1-0 victory in a disjointed affair that saw three different players stretchered off the pitch.
Based on this causality list, you’d imagine a tight, no-holds-bar match, but it was quite the contrary.
Seemingly a supernatural curse befell the unfortunate three, as they all went down on at their own accord out of the blue, and you can’t blame the famously immaculate surface at Aston Villa. Sun rises. Sun sets. Villa Park is a velvety carpet. It’s that predictable.
Last match, the Red Devils were simply profligate in front of goal with their many chances.
Today, United bossed possession, yet failed to create as many opportunities in front of goal against a largely uninspired side.
So poor were the Villains, in fact, that they allowed Jones and Carrick to dictate matters to Villa’s three central midfielders. Nobody bothered to track Jones on his forays forward, which led to the game’s only goal in the 20th minute – a brilliant, top-shelf volley off a Nani cross from six yards.
Such was the delight on Jones’ and the managerial staff’s faces, with the number four pointing to his manager immediately after the strike, that you figured the player had a personal wager with the Scot. Smiles all around. United seemed in pole position to pile on the goals.
But again, it was not to be.
United played out their recent script, as the Reds simply oozed control over the match, yet found concentration, execution, or ideas lacking at THE critical moment in attack.
We’ve seen this Groundhog Day adventure before.
Nani dribbling away possession. Valencia getting his crosses blocked. Young looking a shadow of his early season form. Players standing over the ball too long. Rooney frustrated by the inability to pick him out crashing goal-side when someone gets around the edge. Somebody hitting a gilt-edged opportunity wide.
Against Newcastle and now Villa, we’ve witnessed poor focus cost the Reds two goals. Each time, the forward needlessly strayed a yard offside while drooling for the juicy final pass. Today’s culprit was Danny Welbeck.
You know that in the end, the goals will come – it’s inevitable given the quality of the side. In the big picture, the Reds continue to pick up points while not playing their best football. No large worries here.
But in the short-term, let’s hope the final third form doesn’t cost us all too much away at Basel.
Sir Alex’s men put themselves in a position of needing a result on the last day of group play in a weak group. As we’ve seen before, all it takes is one unlucky break for the Red Devils to pay a hefty price.
Let’s hope that Wednesday provides a much-needed cathartic release around goal. As we all know United are way overdue for one.
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Back at you hopefully after THE match midweek. Cheers to you and yours.
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