Good afternoon everyone. This promises to be a pretty tasty fixture, doesn’t it? United were humbled twice by Swansea last term and Garry Monk’s side have started this season very well – they thoroughly out-performed Chelsea on the opening day before easily sweeping side Newcastle but they were frustrated away to Sunderland and had to make do with a 1-1 draw.
Still, they’ve got a couple of exciting players – not least Andre Ayew and Jefferson Montero while Jonjo Shelvey has put together a collection of eye-catching performances.
The good news for United is that Montero misses out here though. He picked up a thigh injury in training so he’s not even in the squad. Still, there’s plenty of attacking options ij their side with Wayne Routledge and Gylfi Sigurdsson alongside Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis.
For the guests, Ander Herrera is rewarded for his goalscoring contribution to United’s big European win over Club Brugge last week by getting his first league start of the season. He’ll play in place of Adnan Januzaj while Bastian Schweinsteiger starts alongside Morgan Schneiderlin in a midfield double-pivot.
Michael Carrick is on the bench, as is Maroaune Fellaini who returns from his three-game domestic ban.
This is Louis van Gaal’s 50th game in charge of United and he’ll certainly want to celebrate the milestone with a victory. To go unbeaten after four league games is not something to be sneezed at, despite their performances not having been very convincing so far. Still, there have been plenty of positives – mainly the defence. Just the one goal conceded just once – a Carrick own goal in the first leg against Brugge.
Here’s what Louis van Gaal has said pre-game:
On what’s changed since Van Gaal’s first game in charge – also against Swansea: ”There’s been a lot of progress in our defence – we do it well. Our ball possession can improve. We improved against Brugge but we have to show that in the league too.”
On Herrera starting: “His start was nervous (against Brugge) but he ended very well & that’s why I wanted to start him again.”
On Wayne Rooney back among the goals: “Maybe he’s more confident (after the hat-trick against Brugge) but he’s always confident to score. It’s dependent on other aspects too though.”
Over on Sky Sports, Gary Neville has spoken in positive terms about Ander Herrera and he claims Van Gaal’s treatment of him has been ‘interesting’. Neville is unsure whether the Spaniard is a ‘natural’ number 10 but that he has excelled playing further forward rather than in a deeper midfield role.
Was looking forward to seeing Darmian face Montero – it promised to be a bit of a ding-dong battle down the Swansea left/United right. Still, I’m sure the Italian will still face a pretty stiff afternoon. Interesting to see how United start here – allow Swansea to sit on the ball and control or try and dominate in the early stages? In both games last term, we had goals inside the first half hour. Something similar here would be nice.
United will have to be wary of the running from Swansea, particularly in the right channel. Ayew likes to push from deep and attack that space while Gomis scored a really excellent goal against Sunderland from chasing a through ball into that zone and firing to the far corner. Daley Blind and Luke Shaw will need to keep a firm eye on the Swansea movement while Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger can’t afford to lose their runners either.
Here are the benches for both teams today…
Swansea subs: Ki, Dyer, Nordfeldt, Tabanou, Eder, Rangel, Bartley.
Man United subs: Hernandez, Carrick, Young, Valencia, Fellaini, McNair, Johnstone.
1′ – AND WE’RE OFF!
2′ – An early free-kick for United here as Naughton brings down Memphis – dangerous position here.
2′ – CLOSE! It is Memphis who strikes the set-piece and it’s on target, low to the far corner but Fabianski gets down and parries and Swansea manage to eventually clear. Moments later, Juan Mata has a shot from the edge of the area but it’s way too high. Good start from the guests.
4′ - First real involvement for Shelvey as he looks to release Routledge but Darmian covers well and heads back to Romero.
5′ - Good work from Darmian again as he follows Routledge as he darts across the front-line to try and latch onto a through ball. Good awareness from the full-back.
8′ - Early doors and the ball hasn’t spent too much time sticking to feet. Conditions are greasy so extra care needed in playing passes. Schweinsteiger has already lost his footing and probably to be expected that it’s tentative early on.
11′ - Swansea are having trouble in getting the ball forward. Have tried to release Gomis and Routledge a few times but it’s been far too easy for Smalling to mop up the direct approach. Haven’t seen much of the neat build-up we talked about pre-game.
13′ - Excellent work from United to re-group after Memphis cheaply coughs up possession and Swansea look to break quickly. Good, clear defensive lines and Swansea are unable to find a way through. In the end, there’s a feeble pass and Smalling picks it up.
15′ - Really good pressing from United, forcing Swansea into a different type of game. They’re trying to get Shelvey into it but as he’s dropping deeper, Schweinsteiger is right on his shoulder and the home side can’t get any rhythm going. United have done plenty of research.
17 - Great possession from United and they play some nice touches to try and engineer something. In the end, Mata floats a cross to the far stick and Swansea concede a corner. When it comes in, Smalling is called for a high boot and it’s a free kick to the hosts.
18′ – CLOSE! Decent chance for Rooney after Shaw pings an excellent pass into the inside left channel and it’s the attacker v Ashley Williams. Rooney tries to flick it inside the centre back and then take on the shot but the defender reads it and makes the challenge. Fabianski mops it up. Briefly an opening for the visitors.
20′ – CLOSE! Oh, Juan Mata should do better! Patience from United down the left before Shaw spots Herrera in some space. The Spaniard picks it up in the area, and delicately takes a touch before a deft pass to Mata who whips it wide of the near post. Just was a bit anxious and was wasteful.
23′ - There’s the pass we talked about. Ayew picks it up and immediately Gomis makes the run into the right channel and Blind just loses his positioning for a second, allowing the ball to fall for the striker. But he’s very wide with the finish, much to the delight of the away fans.
25′ – VERY CLOSE! It should be 1-0 to Swansea. Shelvey’s free-kick is whipped in very low, looking for Gomis. But it falls for the on-rushing Sigurdsson who takes it on and rolls it towards the far corner. It misses by a matter of inches. Very, very close.
27′ – VERY CLOSE! Off the post from Gomis! He’s done superbly well to pick it up in the same right channel and holds off Blind before turning superbly to evade another challenge and race into the area. He cuts onto his left, around another tackle and with the outside of his boot he helps it to towards the far corner. Clips the outside of the post and trickles wide. All Swansea right now.
29′ - Darmian whips in a ball from the right and Rooney is played onside. It drops down from the heavens and very difficult to control but he’s disappointed that he can’t help it on target. His stab towards goal is too high and it floats harmlessly over.
A different type of game for Memphis today. He’s been stuck in a very conventional left wing position and has been well monitored, unable to cut inside too often onto that right foot.
33′ - That’s better from United. Herrera gets turned and instantly finds Rooney with a lovely pass into the left channel but he elects to chip Fabianski instead of driving in a shot and the keeper easily gathers it. That was a decent chance and needed better decision-making from Rooney. A little too clever for his own good.
35′ - Schneiderlin pushes forward and it makes space. He knocks it inside to Herrera and there’s a gap for the shot. But his left-foot effort is always heading away from the bottom corner as he pulls it just a little. Good line break from the Frenchman though – United need more of that to get Herrera into pockets.
38′ – BOOKING! That’s a bit silly from Schneiderlin as Jack Cork is going nowhere along the left touchline. The midfielder slides in, he’s late and he’s straight in the book.
41′ – BOOKING! Second yellow card in quick succession for United as Memphis loses his footing and drags back Naughton. Then, Darmain is brought down by Routledge and the Swansea man has his name taken.
45′ – United struggling to find a way through now and it’s all a bit inevitable. Blind lashes a pass into the area that misses everyone and it rolls harmlessly out of play. Before that, Shaw stretched his legs before checking back inside. No directness from United and lack pace, particularly in wide areas. Both Mata and Memphis cut inside always and easy to defend against.
AND THAT’S HALF-TIME!
An odd half. United started very well, shutting Swansea down with high pressing and Shelvey found it hard to get on the ball and make things happen. But Swansea still created the two best chances of the half – Sigurdsson rolling a low shot narrowly wide and then Gomis grazing the post after great work in evading a couple of challenges.
United have struggled to get Herrera into key areas but when they have, he’s created two chances for Rooney and Mata. The finishing let both players down but other than that, Memphis and Mata have been very easy to defend against, constantly cutting inside instead of being direct and heading for the by-line.
Gomis has been a nuisance and Blind has had one or two moments when his concentration has dropped and gaps have appeared. For me, Herrera is the key for United and it was interesting that when Schneiderlin pushed forward, shook off a challenge and headed towards goal, space opened up and allowed Herrera to pick it up and fire in a shot. There’s been far too little of United taking players on and beating them and far too much passivity. Tempo needs to be quicker – just like the opening fifteen minutes.
He’s had a couple of half-chances but there’s been plenty of perspiration and not enough inspiration from the skipper.
AND WE’RE BACK UNDERWAY!
No changes for either side, by the way.
47′ – That’s crazy from Daley Blind who plays a tame pass across the field that puts Darmian in all kinds of trouble. Free-kick conceded.
GOAL! Mata!
Well, we spoke about directness and Luke Shaw races clear up the left side and clips in a cross towards the near post. It misses Wayne Rooney but there’s Mata following up to rifle high to the net.
50′ - CLOSE! So, United in front here. Interesting to see what the Swansea response will be. Meanwhile, Memphis heads down the right, whips in a cross and Williams almost turns it into his own net – Fabianski doing well to tip it away.
There have been a few attacking tweaks from United here – Memphis has been far more mobile and changed positions a few times since the half has started. Mata has seen plenty of the ball early on here too.
Ki is about to be introduced for Swansea here. He featured in the League Cup midweek after picking up an injury in their first game of the season against Chelsea.
58′ – SUBSTITUTION! Ki (on) – Routledge (off)
That means a slight change in formation for Swansea and Ayew will play off Gomis up top.
GOAL! Ayew!
And we’re level. Space on United’s left and Swansea exploit it with Sigurdsson in acres of space. He measures the cross and it’s a superb one. Ayew is all on his own and powers a header to the net and that’s his 3rd league goal of the season.
That’s the first goal United have conceded a league goal this season and Swansea deserve it. Game on and things should be more exciting and brighter from here on.
GOAL! Gomis!
Oh dear. United are cut to ribbons and the goalkeeper Sergio Romero is really, really poor here. Ayew sends a delicious pass inside the United defence from the right side, and bends perfectly into Gomis’ path. But the strike isn’t great, low and pretty central but Romero allows it to slide under his body and it rolls over the line. Unite stunned here.
A double change for United coming up. Michael Carrick and Ashley Young are about to be sprung from the bench.
SUBSTITUTIONS! Young and Carrick (on) – Mata and Schneiderlin (off)
Twenty minutes left and United have a plenty of control in deep midfield but very little pace and power now. Young has taken his place on the right side.
If I was a betting man, I’d say United will bring Fellaini on for the last 15 minutes or so. But surely Swansea have prepared for such an eventuality.
Fellaini is certainly coming on and is receiving his instructions on the touchline. I’m sure they’re quite basic – ‘Do exactly what you did against Brugge, pal’.
And there’s a foul throw by Darmian. Not helpful.
SUBSTITUTION! Fellaini (on) – Herrera (off)
As predicted, here he comes…
There’s already a siege on the Swansea goal and they need to be careful here, that they don’t get too deep too quickly.
BOOKED! Shelvey disagrees with an offside decision and his verbal volley at the referee’s assistant is enough to get him a yellow card.
SUBSTITUTION! Eder (on) – Gomis (off)
He’s been a real handful for United all afternoon and popped up with what could prove the winner but Gomis comes off.
Very little from United in attack right now. They’re struggling to find any way through. Grim.
CHANCE! Oh, Wayne Rooney! What a chance! He does so well to take a ball down from the skies and nicks it past another Swansea player as he races towards goal but just as he pulls the trigger, Williams is there to make a brilliant challenge. What a chance.
There’s going to be four minutes of injury time here. Can United snatch something?
AND THAT’S FULL-TIME!
Well, Swansea certainly have United’s number. Another league win for them over Louis van Gaal’s side and United were pulled apart over the course of a few second-half minutes. Gomis was a constant issue for them but the winning goal will go down as a horrible goalkeeping error from Sergio Romero.
Thanks for staying with us – there will be plenty more reaction and analysis on the site a little bit later.
