Aston Villa 0-1 Man Utd: Another Solid But Unspectacular Win

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Having just watched United gain another three valuable points, away from home, to start the season two wins , two goals, two clean-sheets and 6 points , I guess I shouldn’t complain too much. It certainly wasn’t great viewing, however, and not unlike the game last Saturday against Tottenham.

There were promising signs with the back four, who rarely looked troubled and played with good composure, and Schneiderlin also looks like a great addition to the team.

Mata was our one creative force, providing a brilliant pass for Januzaj to score…

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Mata later hit another perfectly weighted ball in the second half for Memphis that should have seen our new number 7 open his United account.

In attack, United still have serious problems; we rarely look a convincing threat when we have the ball in the final third. Rooney had a night to forget, and was arguably the poorest player on the pitch. Is there a fundamental issue with Van Gaal’s tactics that blunts our strikers’ power? RVP, Falcao and now Rooney have all disappointed under the Dutch boss, but perhaps that’s more down to the players themselves. Rooney in particular often takes a while to get going in a new season – in the 2012/13 title-winning campaign, he didn’t score his first league goal till 20th October, but went on to bag 22 goals over the course of the season.

Along with Rooney, Memphis and Shweini also look somewhat off the pace, and whilst United just about deserved the 3 points last night, there need for improvement is clear.

United are crying out for Pedro, although the latest rumours suggest the move is stalling due to Pedro’s concerns about Van Gaal and his handling of Spanish players. If it isn’t Pedro, then we need someone of that pedigree with pace , who attacks defenders and creates openings when teams are happy to defend.

Let’s be realistic, Villa are not a top half team. We have a fantastic record against them, and whilst we picked up all three points again last night, we should have been able to roll over this transitional Villa team with ease. If we can get some good wins under our belt against the lesser teams , it will build the confidence for when we play the bigger boys.

Right now, United are looking solid but unspectacular. Compared to the equivalent point last season, that’s definitely an improvement, and I’m very happy with six points from six; I just hope we make a couple more exciting signings and see a more thrilling United on the pitch.

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