A goal from second-half substitute Juan Mata was enough for Manchester United to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday. The home side dominated the possession but were unable to do too much with it and the introduction of the Spaniard saw the side’s most productive spell of the entire game, which resulted in a goal. For the visitors, former United striker Frazier Campbell missed a glorious chance in the first-half and the result leaves them hovering just above the relegation spot in 17th, on goal difference.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
International break comes at the perfect time for United
International breaks in the middle of the season often warrant plenty of criticisms from club managers. After all, it was only in the last International break that Jose Mourinho criticized Spain for playing Diego Costa. But if there is one manager who will be happy that the break has come around now, it will be Louis Van Gaal. The Dutchman will be thanking his lucky stars for the break as he has run out of central defenders to play.
Before the start of the game, United had already had 11 different centre back pairings in 10 games and the Red Devils added two more to that, by the end of the game. At the end, Michael Carrick and Daley Blind, were playing as centre backs, with Valencia as one full back and Luke Shaw, the only fit defender who was playing in his preferred position. With a couple of weeks to go before the next game, Van Gaal will be hoping that at least a couple of his central defenders come back to fitness and by the time they go out to face Arsenal, they will at least have something resembling a proper defence.
The Mata Conundrum
The Red Devils struggled to create too many clear cut chances before his arrival. But barely minutes after he came on, Juan Mata scored the game’s only goal and secured a vital three points for his side. While it would be far too simplistic to say that the home side won because of him, it is fair to say that the Spaniard brought a cutting edge that was otherwise absent in the side’s performance hitherto. His 9th League goal in 15 appearances shows just how productive he has been whenever he has been called upon.
The return from suspension of Wayne Rooney meant that Mata was going to lose out on his starting position. And with Van Gaal switching to a formation that required wingers more than central playmakers, it was always going to be difficult for Mata to find his way into the side. But over the past few games, Adnan Januzaj has shown a startling lack of composure and has often looked like a player who doesn’t know if he should shoot or pass. While the Belgian certainly does deserve some more time, United need results now and don’t have the time to give him a lot of time. If Van Gaal is serious about results, then he would do well to bench RVP, play Rooney up top and bring in Mata as a central playmaker as that would certainly get the best out of everyone concerned.
Carrick returns along with United’s sense of control
Coming on, late in the first half at centre back with the side down to 10-men wouldn’t have been the ideal situation to bring Michael Carrick in his for his first Premier League appearance of the season, but that is what transpired last week in the 1-0 loss to City. Against Crystal Palace, he was in more familiar territory as he was the sole defensive midfielder as the Red Devils employed a 4-1-4-1 formation.
Making his first start of the season, the Englishman played as though he had never been away. Crisp and precise with his passing and always at hand to help out in defence, Carrick gave United not just control in midfield but also height from set-pieces. While he wouldn’t have expected to complete the entire 90 minutes, such is the current injury crisis that the Englishman had to play as both the left and right sided centre back before the final whistle was blown. In each of his role, Carrick displayed composure and added a serenity to the proceedings, particularly towards the end of the game, when the home side had to keep hold of the ball to claim a victory. His partnership along with the more energetic Ander Herrera might be just what the doctor ordered for in midfield for United.