All is now well at the RS The same people who yesterday wanted Brenda to **** off now think he'll take them to a CL place. Just after a lucky win over a poor Villa.
Not saying arguing about the opposition. Although PSV, Swansea and Newcastle were also put in front of us. Nor is anything I'm saying negative. I can only comment on what I've seen of United so far under Van Gaal and even this season it's too early to say we'll win anything with his approach.
Serious discussion not possible on a United board as far too many are insecure about their support it seems. Anything alternate to unabated jingoism should be banned
Feck staying calm. Its been a while so savour it. Seriously though I agree with staying grounded, Treble, but that's not to say we cannot look at it and think, OK, maybe there's a little more to United than we've given credit for. We are all guilty of it, even Mr Positive here has moaned about certain players and games but in the end, we've made a cracking start and have topped a league that City had already won just a few weeks ago. All in all, with Brendan staying employed for a while longer, this has been a brilliant weekend for United fans. Now @Skylarker* . you can now address us all as Sir Table Toppers, thank you very much.
By coincidence the last home game I went to last year was Sunderland and the first this Sunderland. The difference is huge. Well, no Di Maria and Falcao for a start who both stunk the place out last season so that's a positive. The fact BBC MOTD didn't other to show any of the first half bar the goal, which I missed as I'd just nipped to the bar, is significant as the first half was pedestrian really, although no back passes to the keeper from our own corners like the corresponding fixture last season. Second half was great though, the tempo was upped and we played some nice football. My tenner on us winning four nil turned out to be a waste though and we should have had a least that fourth goal. One thing that's obvious is Darmian is no left back so it was good to see donkey kong come on as sub so that Blind can perhaps go to left back. Valencia was ok at right back though, I don't see the complaint about that to be honest. Got to eat my words on Smalling, I think it was during the Moyes period I said he'd never make it as top centre half. I was wrong, looks every inch our first choice centre half for years to come. Great to see the improvement.
Many first halfs this season have been action free. Almost like the tactic is to spend 45 minutes assessing what the opposition have to offer before picking apart their weak points in the second half. Really they should be going at Sunderland from the first minute.
Or it could be just to bore them into submission. Either way, it's not really my thing this new style of play. I would much prefer a faster and more direct approach. Second half was better, the tempo increased and the match was a lot easier on the eye.
That's my view on it thus far as well. Lot of passing sideways and probing in the first half, finding the weak spots then exploiting them in the second. LVG almost stated it outright in his post match, saying he made some tactical switches at half time and they reaped dividends. Maybe it's a bit over cautious, particularly against the likes of Sunderland and Liverpool who we could have battered a lot harder if we'd gone full blast from the kick off. But then again it avoids us getting caught out like Chelsea against Newcastle and Everton, or like we did last season against Swansea, West Brom and Everton, and be left chasing the game from early on. Should also reap some dividends in the CL, where we've often shot ourselves in the foot in recent years by going all out too early and leaving a tie out of reach.
