United 1 - 1 Celta Vigo (2-1 agg)
Romero
Valencia Bailly (s/o) Blind Darmian
Herrera Pogba
Lingard(Rooney) Fellaini Mkhi(Carrick)
Rashford (Smalling)
Jesus Christ. One of these days
our boys will kill me. What the hell was that? We can’t even beat Celta Vigo at
home. Yes, we reached a European final but even the celebrations by our players
at the end of the game looked half-hearted. We limped into the final when in
reality we should have demolished this side. Some of our players simply didn’t show up
today.
In some aspects I do agree with
Mourinho’s post-match comments. Celta Vigo had nothing to lose and our players
probably started feeling the pressure as clear favourites to win the tie. But
if our players crumble under the pressure of an Europa League semi-final, then
I don’t want to imagine what they’ll do if we are in a title race when the
pressure’s on week in week out. I feel that we still don’t have a player that
can shoulder responsibility, a player that rallies the troops.
Celta Vigo started brightly but
we managed to get a grip on the game for like 20 minutes. Fellaini scored quite
a good goal after an inch-perfect cross from Marcus Rashford. We’re in the
final and we’ve got a 19 year old to thank. We needed two swings of his
right-foot to win this tie and his goal vs. Anderlecht got us in the semis.
The second half was quite
difficult to watch. I can’t understand how a team currently sitting 11th
or 12th in La Liga could dictate play the way they did at Old
Trafford. We destroyed them when we played at their ground so I can’t
understand why the negative tactics today. Keane, who I really despise as a
pundit, got it right when he said we should be attacking these kind of teams
and winning by 3 goals. We did that at Celta but not today. Celta scored the
equaliser and from then on you could see the tension inside Old Trafford.
Bailly was harshly sent off in the 88th minute but what happened
next almost killed me. With a few seconds of injury time remaining, Guidetti
almost had an open goal at his mercy and he mishit the ball. My heart skipped a
beat and I am pretty sure every United fan’s heart was tested there. We truly
never do it the easy way.
I thought Pogba did quite well. There
was an instance when he just took the piss of 4 players surrounding him. Looked
like a big student in school playing against children 4 years younger.
Brilliant. Football is about winning but it is also a source of entertainment
and that was something that wowed the crowd. Something our players haven’t done
all season.
Fellaini was his effective self.
He scored a header after a good run and managed to break up play here and
there. The crowd was singing his name which was quite nice to hear. I still don’t
understand all the hate he gets. I still expect more from Mkhi. Yes, he was
quite good during the first half but where was he during the second? Same goes
for Lingard.
Herrera, Bailly and Valencia had
a good game but Darmian and Blind had a tough game....and Mourinho let them
know. Sergio Romero was excellent...again. I hope he starts the final because
he deserves to play.
Anyway we’re in a European and we
are surely favourites to win the cup. With our top-4 hopes now truly dead, I
expect Mourinho to rest our players so that they’re fresh for the final in Stockholm.
A very difficult season, with very boring performances can be saved in two
weeks time. We will end in 5th or 6th but if I’d rather
get into the Champions League by winning a trophy than by finishing in the top
4. Silverware is silverware, no matter what competition it is. Let’s get that
trophy!
 |
| We've won 65 trophies but never won the Europa League |
Comments