United 2 - 0 Swansea

DDG

Rafael Smalling Vidic Evra(Buttner)

Valencia Carrick Fletcher Kagawa

Januzaj 

Welbeck(Chicharito)

Thanking the Heavens. This win was vital, we can't slump to any more defeats against such sides.

After a pretty incoherent first half, the real United showed up and produced a pleasing performance. We could have easily scored a couple more but a combination of rotten luck and hesitation in front of goal kept the score at 2 nil. Anyway, Welbeck and Valencia scored the goals that won us the game, we kept a clean-sheet and got 3 very much welcomed points.... just what the doctor ordered. 

So what changed during the second half? Basically, Januzaj and Kagawa switched roles. We looked much better when Januzaj drifted to the left and Kagawa played behind the striker. Not that the latter did anything extraordinary but our Belgian, or whatever nationality he is, was absolutely excellent during the second half. It's almost incomprehensible how a teenager could carry a whole team made of players with ample of experience but that's exactly what happened during this game. We depended on the youthful exuberance of this excellent talent and he did not fail to deliver. Man of the match by one million miles.

I thought the combination of Fletcher and Carrick in the middle of the park was more daring than what we've seen lately from any combination involving Cleverley. The recovery Fletch has done is quite amazing but, as he said in the post-game interview, there's still a long way to go to reach the level he was at a couple of years go. He's only in the starting XI because the other midfielders have been awful. Regardless, well done Darren! 

At the back Evra and Rafa operated well while Vidic blocked everything that came his way. Smalling wasn't bad either although he missed an absolute sitter. He showed he could be a good gymnast on the high bar though....there's another career he could consider. 

A win today was vital and that's what we got. We'll be playing at Stamford Bridge next week. A loss and we're back to square one. A win and that'll surely do the team's confidence a world of good. Under Mourinho's helm, Chelsea haven't lost a PL game at home so I'm not expecting much. Anything other than a loss will be a bonus. The midfield battle will be key but their midfielders are much better than ours so whoever's playing in our midfield should put in that extra effort. Come on United!