Cambridge United 0-0 Manchester United - 5 Talking Points
Premier League side, Manchester United, travelled to League Two outfit, Cambridge United, in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The tie was a glamorous one for the cash-strapped club and as it was telecast on TV it meant a cash windfall for the club.The match did not feel like a Premier League side were playing a team in the fourth division of English football. Cambridge had chances of taking the lead in the first half, but failed to capitalize on set pieces.The second half saw wave after wave of Manchester United attacks, but, the Cambridge defence stood firm and earned another outing with the Premier League side.Here are the five talking points from the match:
#1 Lack of directness
Manchester United were at their sluggish best tonight against Cambridge. The ghosts of David Moyes era came to the fore as United were very slow and indirect in their approach. Louis van Gaal had brought back the zip and verve which have been synonymous with United for almost a quarter of the century.
The wide men were almost nonexistent and whenever they came to life, they were a complete wreck especially the likes of Adnan Januzaj and Daley Blind, who due to their sluggishness gave Cambridge time to get back into shape. The lack of movement by United’s front two, James Wilson and Radamel Falcao, gave nothing to their creative wizards with their movement as they barely made any runs behind the Cambridge backline.
Even Michael Carrick, who is always reliable, was going sideways more often than forward. Marouane Fellaini, who was in the side specifically for his direct style of play, was nowhere to be seen for major swathes of the game.
It was United’s lack of directness or incisiveness which cost them the game and not to forget the shambolic finishing on show by two of their best forwards. This can lead to their downward spiral in the cup competition if they consistently continue to misfire.