United 1 - 2 Ajax

De Gea

Rafael Smalling Jones Fabio

Nani Park Cleverley(Scholes) Young(Evans)

Berbatov(Welbeck) Chicharito

Before the game I told my friends that I will watch today's game calmly with no pressure whatsoever. Yet I spent the final thirty minutes agitated in my living room while Ajax ran rings around our players. Chicharito scored a really good goal early in the game and I thought it was game over for our opponents but I was wrong. We let them back in the game and I must admit that Ajax deserved their win. 

I never felt this disappointed after a qualification. Ajax, I heard, have had a poor season in their national league so, although we fielded a young inexperienced side, I don't believe that our side should have been held with their backs against the wall for most of today's game. 

Good Goal By Chicha

At the front Berba and Chicha combined to score a real good goal but the former faded as the game grew older while our Mexican ran his socks off but to little effect. Welbeck, who was on the pitch for about 15 minutes, looked really sharp and produced a very dangerous counter attack. Our wingers failed to impress me once again. Young was poor and Nani produced two moments of magic and a handful of pure frustration. His usual self. I thought Cleverley did quite well but his fellow central midfielder, Park, looked out of place in today's position. Our defence looked vulnerable. Fabio and Rafael always look a silly tackle away from fucking a game while the central defenders were given a torrid time by Ajax's strikers. De Gea produced a world class save again today and that eventually kept us in this competition.

I'm disappointed and I hope we up our performance for Sunday's clash vs Norwich. Without Rooney and Valencia, our side lacks ideas. Thankfully our injury list is finally easing but the inclusion of 7 United players in England's side might put a couple of names on that list once again. Let's hope that does not happen. Until then we'll be facing a Norwich side which has won 5 games, drawn 4 and lost 3  at home. It will be a very tough fixture and if we play like today we won't be getting much joy against the canaries. What have we learned today? United never do it the easy way! Good night.