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peternewbo
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arnes2k
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footymadcanuck
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salter316
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nolers
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Justanotherbrickinthered
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jimmypage92
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Johngreen70
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edwardprichard
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An important day in Manchester United history, as David Moyes, Fergie's heir apparent, takes control of his first game at Old Trafford. For the first time in 27 years, and in my lifetime, the Old Trafford crowd welcomes a new manager into its home. As he walks quickly down the touchline, arms waving to the crowd he's greeted thunderously, managing the quite impressive feat of overshadowing Jose Mourinho who has returned to the Chelsea bench after a 6 year spell away at Internazionale and Real Madrid. The Stretford End even has a new banner for Moyes, he's christened 'The Chosen One', a slightly hyperbolic choice of words but its meant mainly as a dig at 'The Special One's' rather overt coveting of the United manager job over the years. By the time Moyes takes his seats a chorus So come on David Moyes, play like Fergie's boys, we'll go wild wild wild, we'll go wild wild wild gets going for the first time. (It's ironic but it only took a week after the club had announced him as our new manager for a better chant to be found for Moyes than was ever sung for Fergie.)
This is the first big clash of a season of transition in the Premier League. The Godfather of English football has left: Jose is back: Tottenham have sold Bale and spent big and seemingly wisely in a bid to break the top four monopoly : Everton have an exciting manager fresh from winning the FA Cup against the holders City, who have moved Mancini on in favour of Manuel Pelligrini and have also also strengthened wisely: and Arsenal, have finally made a top draw signing in Mesut Ozil. Nobody is really sure what's going to happen. Common wisdom has it that City and Chelsea are favourites with the best squad and manager respectively, and that United shouldn't expect too much with Fergie's departure (albeit to the backroom) predicted to unsettle the club from top to bottom. Indeed this has already become apparent with a debacle of a summer transfer window ending in the signing of Marouane Fellaini (many peoples 3rd or 4th choice signing) on the last day for several million more than his release clause after embarrassingly failed public bids for Fabregas and Thiago Alcantara from Barcelona. Arsenal are seen as having an outside chance for the title, mainly due to having the benefit of stability on their side as Wenger enters his 18th season with the club.
Both sides enter this game on the back of opening day wins, Chelsea dispatched Hull 2-0 with a professional performance that had all the hallmarks of the routine wins that Mourinho was a master of in his first spell at Chelsea, and United swept to a 4-1 victory in Swansea. Despite the good form but expected instability of both teams, the game itself is dour and lacking in events (the best chance falling to Welbeck who as he so often does, fluffs his lines). Seeing as Mourinho set out a 4-2-4 strikerless formation, with new signing Andre Schurrle as the 'false 9', and seeing as Moyes, an essentially conservative man, averse to taking risks, was playing his first home game, it shouldn't have been a surprise the game panned out as it did. However sat where I was, at the very top of the East Stand with an eagles eye view of the game, I enjoyed the game. I found it a fascinating tactical battle of two very well organised defences versus attacks that couldn't quite click. It helped that this was my first game back at Old Trafford after a three year absence, but I couldn't help but feel that Chelsea were there for the taking and Moyes didn't have the bottle to go for it. But it's early days.
In the end the most interesting thing about the match was the sub-plot of the future of Wayne Rooney, dropped well and truly in it by Fergie after his last home game the season before, announcing that he had handed in a transfer request, and openly coveted by Mourinho, he spent most of the match being serenaded by both sets of fans. A bizzare set of circumstances that I doubt I'll see again in a while.
In all, it was great to back at OT, and I'm glad to say I saw Moyes' first game. This should make for an interesting season, and not necessarily in a good way.
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RTimewell
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Hello. Sign In
Kevin De Bruyne (32), Fernando Torres (80)
