Manchester United got back to winning ways against West Brom today with one eye on the past and one eye on the future. A relatively youthful defence put in a decent display to provide the platform that allowed the champions to coast to the sort of regulation win we were accustomed to before this season.
West Bromwich Albion were quick out of the blocks. Manager Pepe Mel knew that Manchester United players were likely to be a bit nervous in the wake of recent results. His decision to start by taking the game to the champions was also bolstered by a young pairing of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones at the heart of the United defence.
The Baggies pressed high up in the first 10 minutes, with Victor Anichebe, Morgan Amalfitano and Chris Brunt virtually playing as a trio of strikers. They almost pinched a goal from it. Amalfitano’s break down the right wing drew a fine block from Jones in the third minute. They obviously couldn’t maintain it so they eventually dropped and sat back having failed to nick the opening goal Mel was probably banking on.
From then on they had to soak up pressure and try to use Anichebe as an outlet for attacks. This certainly made sense since Anichebe is an industrious and powerful player who is very good at holding the ball in the final third. There were moments in which he threatened the visitors by finding the ball in spaces that United’s full backs were leaving.
The other threat the Baggies posed was when they quickly transitioned by committing a lot of midfield players forward after winning the ball. They didn’t fully exploit that. For all his passing brilliance in the game, Michael Carrick was overwhelmed by these runners. With Marouane Fellaini was slow at dropping back to add more cover, West Brom could have made more of these situations.
One main thing can be read from the way David Moyes set up his team: he was very much looking to the future. He chose Jones and Smalling ahead of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, mainly because he needs to assess players that he will still have come next season.
He should privately have thrown the towel on the prospects of a top four finish now, so he needs to know if ought to be signing just one central defender or more this summer.
Rafael Da Silva was a surprise pick – accommodated by both Jones and Smalling being otherwise engaged – and Moyes will be glad that the Brazilian right-back gave a man-of-the-match performance. The rest of the players picked themselves, really.
United had to try and win this tie in the manner you would expect of a Manchester United side. Once they weathered the early storm from the Baggies, they had to go for it.
They still need to improve on the urgency with which they move the ball around because, initially, their threats mainly came from set pieces.
Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata were interchanging fluidly, while Fellaini kept on making runs from the midfield. He may lack the pace to run all the way beyond Robin Van Persie, but he certainly has the will. This sometimes left Carrick exposed alone as a single man pivot when West Brom attacked.
There was really little to separate from two relatively flat sides until Amalfitano moved to right back in a reshuffled back four. He was culpable for Rooney’s scoring United’s second goal and from that moment on the Baggies lost steam.
If United can quickly move the ball the way they did on their third goal then they will be a handful to many teams.
