Man Utd started the season well enough with 4 wins from 4 games to maintain a 100% record, but just add 2 more games to that and you’ll begin to see the cracks, as United have performed way below par in the past two games, losing to Arsenal 1-0 at Old Trafford and barely making it against Reading with a 1-1 draw.
1 point from a possible 6? that is just not good enough if they are serious of winning back the league that is.
Looking back at the game against Reading i would say it was an entertaining game even though United has the lion share of possesion.The day started with mix emotions for United as Saha was ruled out of the starting line up because he complaint of a hamstring problem, it was not serious and he did make an appreance in the second half but United were not taking chances from the start.
The good news for United was the appreance of Gabriel Heinze and Nemanja Vidic who were making their first appreances this season, with Heinze amazingly making his debut after a 1 year long absence, however he did manage to play for Argentina in the World Cup.
The lack of firepower up front and a quality midfield player was so evident today, United haven’t beefed up their front line and can only call Saha and Rooney as their main strikers (no offence to Solksjaer) while in the middle of the field it was evident they desperately need a player of Owen Hargreaves quality, they had craftyness and creativity in Scholes and Carrick but seriously lacked muscle in the middle of the park.
The game began brightly and if was open flowing football with reading making most of their moves down the right flank with Korean Seol Ki-Hyeon who really gave Heinze a game today!
It was end to end stuff in the first half and i think Reading suprised many of the travelling United fans with their display.Wayne Rooney had a subdued game again though he did show flashes of brilliance and agility especially when he tested home goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann within two minutes of the start,the American fumbled his low shot and it needed Royals captain Graeme Murty to hack clear before Kieran Richardson could pounce.
The second half was almost too good to be true for Reading who found themselves in the lead three minutes into the half after Gary Neville was adjuged to have handled the ball in the peanlty area and referee Peter Walton pointed to the spot as Kevin Doyle stepped up to the plate and made no mistakes even though Van Der Sar got a hand to the ball.
By now Ferguson was fuming and demanded more from the players and more they did produce especially after the introduction of Saha in the 60th minute but the Reading defence stoof their ground anddenied anything United threw at them.
Sir Alex threw on O’Shea and Solskjaer just 10 minutes later in place of Fletcher and Heinze in a bid to avoid yet another defeat, and the move paid dividends almost immediately as boo-boy Cristiano Ronaldo when on a fine solo effort in the 73rd minute, cutting in from the left and evading the back-tracking Murty before firing across Hahnemann and into the net.
It was a ‘red wave’ after that with United pounding the Reading goalmouth but they stood still and United head back to Manchester in the knowledge of their rivals Chelsea taking top spot after they beat Fulham 2-0 thanks to a brace from Frank Lampard.
Final score United 1 Reading 1
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I hate it when reading was playing super defensive…everytime Manchester United attack, they send almost the entire squad to defend.. and about the penalty…shame on you Neville!!