Adam Dennehey WAFU manager
On a night when 24000 empty seats spoke volumes about the League Cup’s place in the fan’s mind, Manchester United reserves took the field against a Crystal Palace team that is way below our level and far from a threat in front of goal.
The men in red all had a chance to shine, and show us all why they are the next generation at Old Trafford, with a few more established stars on the field too
Surely any team boasting Jonny Evans, Chris Smalling, Park Ji-Sung, Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov could put to rest a struggling visiting side through skill, patience and ability.
Some things I liked about the line up.
The back 5 had pace and 2 fullbacks who would overlap and attack.
Darron Gibson was given the chance to prove his Twitter experience is behind him in midfield and find his range. Park would compliment him with his industry and energy. Valencia would roast the left back, Mame Diouf would cut inside the right back, and the 2 strikers of Federico Macheda and Berbatov would pass thru the centrebacks, power in headers from the crosses and generally rip the defence apart.
45 minutes in and it was just awful as sadly none of the above happened!
Neither fullback was crossing the halfway line, Diouf was just awful, no control and inadequate pace, Valencia was defending most of the time, Gibson’s passing was pedestrian, Park headless, Macheda no threat, no control and no idea and Berbatov was worse than all them.
I suspect Sir Alex told them he wasn’t too pleased at halftime, and perhaps he kicked Berbatov’s boots hard enough to break them as he left the changing room for the showers and a drive home to his mansion wondering where he will go next, after the worst display of a season in which he looks like Torres on a bad day.
Sir Alex shook it up second half.
Paul Pogba came on, did well in midfield then dropped into what looked like a back 3 for the last hour of the 120 minutes of torture we endured.
Ravel Morrison came on and showed a few touches, looked ok but hardly dominant.
Valencia and Park, alongside Evans, started to look like they wanted a first team place.
But Macheda was awful (again), and Diouf rivalled him for Uniteds worst player on the night.
Frankly, Gibson seemed our only route to goal and that was from 30 yards out. He really was without guile, pace or ideas.
Both Palace goals were either brilliant- well done Darren Ambrose on your strike but for Palace’s second both Smalling and Evans should be annoyed with themselves for not heading it clear.
However we were at home, we are the big team and we had the talent to win this by a mile.
Every season has its lows, the Manchester City game was as low as I’ve felt in a long time, but this game felt just as bad.
The fans clearly didn’t care enough to come, the team didn’t seem to care enough to try their best and the point is that a lot of these hopefuls will get very few more chances this season to shine for United in a big game and they blew it.
I do think Pogba, Morrison and Ezekeil Fryers are players for the future and they showed what they have and it’s not half bad but it’s a season away at least.
However I also think Macheda, Diouf and Gibson showed they are players who should move on, and join Berbatov as ex-United players who just didn’t have what it takes to make it in the Theatre of Dreams.
Really, Manchester United, is that all we have in reserve?
By Steve Burrows CBE @ifollowsteve
