BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
SUNDAY 15TH MARCH, 2015
(4 pm)
MANCHESTER UNITED 3 (3) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0 (0)

Scorers:-
Fellaini, 9
Carrick, 19
Rooney, 34

Attendance:- 75,112

Referee:- Mark Clattenburg
Assistants:- S Beck & H Lennard
Fourth official:- R Madley

Teams:-
Man Utd (4-1-4-1):- De Gea; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Blind; Carrick (sub Rafael, 87); Herrera, Mata (sub Pereira, 77), Fellaini (sub Falcao, 83), Young; Rooney (Capt.)

Subs not used:- Lindegaard; Blackett; Januzaj; Wilson

Booked:- Mata (foul on Mason)

Spurs (4-2-3-1):- Lloris (Capt.); Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose; Mason (sub Lamela, 64), Bentaleb; Townsend (sub Dembele, 31), Eriksen, Chadli (sub Adebayor, 79); Kane

Subs not used:- Vorm; Chiriches, Davies; Paulinho

Booked:- Rose (foul on Herrera)

Normal service has been resumed

Beware the Ides of March indeed!

My hopes of a history-making third consecutive win at Old Trafford, and our hopes of making top four were simply shattered by an inept team performance, and arguably, an inept coaching performance too. Mauricio Pochettino has said the game seemed to be over as soon as United opened the scoring in only the ninth minute. It was certainly over in the 34th minute, by which time Louis van Gaal’s side were three goals to the good. On the bright side then, Spurs did manage a goal-less draw over the last 55 minutes of the game, but of course United had the game won, and only had to make sure they did not surrender such a commanding lead.

Spurs reverted to type here today, and didn’t seem to be properly prepared for the game. They certainly were not competitive. I feel mugged for having had such high hopes. I most certainly think that top four is well beyond us now, and even Europa League might be too much for us. Some would be grateful not to qualify for that journey to far flung places in Eastern Europe.

Whether by design or accident, Van Gaal found a style and formation which was able to cut through the all too predictable Spurs formation, despite the enforced absences of the suspended Jonny Evans and Angel Di Maria, and the injured Robin van Persie. I viewed the United set-up as a 4-1-4-1, with Carrick in front of the back four, and Herrera, Mata, Fellaini and Ashley Young across the midfield behind Rooney. Fellaini would often get forward to support Rooney, and was an imposing figure (perhaps too imposing) for Eric Dier to control. The right side of the Spurs back four looked weak and vulnerable, with Walker all too often in no-man’s land, and Dier, perhaps left in the lurch. If Walker gets selected for the England squad, it would surely be a travesty, because he has not found his defensive form yet this season, since his return in December.

Another Spurs player who will be very, very lucky to gain England squad selection will be Andros Townsend, who was subjected to surely the earliest ever tactical substitution by Spurs after only 31 minutes. Townsend hardly got a touch; offered little assistance for Walker, and was up against Daley Blind, whose presence at left back perhaps surprised Pochettino. Townsend was replaced by Dembele, but thanks to a piece of charity by Bentaleb, Rooney soon scored the third United goal. There is hardly a good word to be said about any Spurs player today, and that is very, very sad.

Lloris held an early shot by Ashley Young, who had been allowed space and time on the left, before firing his shot towards Lloris’s left-hand post. De Gea conceded a cheap corner, but this was cleared with ease by the United defence, who were rarely bothered by Spurs. Bentaleb cleared the danger well from Rooney, after Young had fed him the ball, again from the left. However, it was all too soon when United took the lead, when Carrick threaded the ball to Fellaini on the left of the box. He fired home across Lloris and into the left hand side of his net.

United were dominating possession, so Spurs could not even claim that statistic in their favour, which is usually the case. They went two up in the nineteenth minute. A header by Fellaini was cleared, but only as far as Carrick, who was able to score with a header. Lloris was yet again beaten on his left hand side.

The substitution of Townsend meant that Chadli moved to the right of midfield, whilst Eriksen moved to the left to accommodate Dembele. Sadly, Bentaleb soon gifted the ball to Rooney, who went hell for leather towards the Spurs goal. The England captain was in the clear and did not fail to convert. Two minutes later, Rooney had another chance after Blind and Fellaini passed inside from the United left flank. Rooney fired wide, and also missed the target with another effort in added time.

After the break, Spurs forged a chance. The move started with Dembele towards the right, the ball fell kindly for him and reached Eriksen, who passed to Danny Rose on the left. Rose crossed, but Dembele skied his shot. Rose was at least getting forward more in the second half. At the Stretford End, Blind had a shot blocked after Valencia crossed. Harry Kane was working hard, as always, but with little success. He was involved in a move which ended with a chance for Mason, whose right footed shot passed wide. By now, Eriksen and Chadli had switched. Kane got the ball to Dembele, who was in a shooting position, but could not manage a shot.

The United fans got excited when Blind crossed deep, and Mata’s shot hit the side netting, but the offside flag was already up. There was little action of consequence in the latter part of the game, during which all remaining available substitutions were made. Adebayor was booed by some Spurs fans when he replaced Chadli. That was not a great confidence booster, was it?

Late in the game, Spurs at last forced a save out of De Gea, when substitute Lamela ran past two challengers and passed to Kane, whose low shot was saved by De Gea between his legs. That might have been painful, but it was nowhere near as painful as the whole game had been for Spurs fans.

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