1. Van Gaal on the brink?
The Mancunian rain began to get heavier as Manchester United came out for the second half against Norwich City. Already a goal down after Cameron Jerome's first-half strike, a vital 45 minutes of football would follow.
Defeat was unimaginable for team who'd lost their two previous matches, not won in five, been eliminated from the Champions League and whose manager Louis van Gaal was under intense pressure.
It was a filthy afternoon with dark, brooding skies when Norwich scored a match-winning second goal after 54 minutes. As the 1,400 away fans celebrated, supporters in Old Trafford's giant stands recovered their step. From Stretford End to J Stand, they were loud, proud and sang songs about "the football taught by Matt Busby."
They roared the 59th-minute substitution of a newly shaven-headed Ander Herrera for Marouane Fellaini and sang songs about winning at home and winning away, yet United have stopped doing just that.
The team went into December, a crucial month, needing to show their quality. They've lost three and drawn one of their matches so far, not the form expected on any Manchester United team, especially one as expensively assembled Van Gaal's charges.
The pressure already was crushing around Van Gaal and he said in the prematch news conference that he didn't want to lose his final job by getting the sack. Speculation will only increase after another defeat.
United fans inside Old Trafford still supported him until Norwich took the lead. Their rousing second-half efforts helped too. Anthony Martial scored a 66th-minute goal as they reduced the deficit to one, which led to more cries of "attack." One team heeded them and they wore green and yellow.
The last time United failed to win in six matches, they won the treble in 1998-99. United will do well to win anything this season. Van Gaal will do well to keep his job.
2. Rooney fails to score on landmark appearance
Sir Bobby Charlton presented Wayne Rooney with a silver salver on the pitch before his 500th United appearance.
United's captain already has played more games than club legends Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, George Best, Rio Ferdinand, Paddy Crerand and Mark Hughes. History will remember him well, a club legend who won the lot, but his form has dipped this season and fans are worried that he'll never recover the form of old. In mitigation, he's playing in a system that doesn't score enough.
Back after a three-game absence, Rooney was one of four changes to the United side that lost 2-1 at Bournemouth a week ago. Ashley Young, underused by Van Gaal, also started while Chris Smalling, United's best player this season, was back at the back.
Rooney began in a central attacking role with Martial to his left and Memphis Depay to his right.
The Liverpudlian thought he'd scored his first goal since October when he stabbed in an early effort as his team started brightly, but it was offside. He also stroked a 23rd-minute shot wide after combining well with Juan Mata, and Smalling headed wide a minute later. He'd miss an even better chance in time added on.
Rooney chipped a neat 27th-minute ball towards Depay after Michael Carrick had won possession but for United's pretty buildup, the team was still toothless in attack. They don't score enough goals. They did manage one against Norwich -- the problem was they were 2-0 down at the time at Old Trafford.
Technically, Rooney will get an assist for Martial's strike, but the ball flicked off his head.
United fans began to leave five minutes before time, prompting cries of "Is there a fire drill?"
As they chased an equaliser, Rooney over-hit a ball towards his own area. It was a microcosm of another shocking defeat for United.
3. Jerome sparks City
Old Trafford has seen fewer Premier League goals than any other top-flight stadium this season, but Norwich did their best to change that as they became the first team to score more than a goal in the league there.
The chance of a sixth 0-0 in 11 games at England's biggest club stadium disappeared when Norwich, who had slipped into the relegation zone with one win in their previous 11 matches and taken five points from 27, took a 38th-minute lead through Jerome after he avoided a challenge from Young and held off Carrick to calmly score.
United have kept more clean sheets than any other team and Liverpool's Christian Benteke was the only other player to score against in the league at Old Trafford this season, where United boast the meanest home defence in 21 years.
The goal stunned Old Trafford. Until that point, United had dominated and showed more attacking intent than in previous matches, yet Norwich goalkeeper Declan Rudd still had little to do. United had scored 13 without reply in their past four matches against Norwich, but while the Canaries' form has dipped, so has United's.
发表于 20-12-2015 12:55 PM
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