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Manchester United Special: Cavalry Charge Draws Blank In Bid To Reel In Chelsea
Support cast sinks in face of exceptional Aston Villa
13-Dec-2009 2:16:02 AM
One mindless moment from Wes Brown denied Manchester United the chance to draw level at the top of the table as Aston Villa kept out the title chasers.
The Midlanders’ 1-0 win was sealed by a header from Gabriel Agbonlahor and earned by an outstanding defensive display.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be worried by a performance full of determination, but devoid of the nous to nudge past the visitors. Even the all-guns-blazing combination of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen couldn’t find a way past.
A sigh of relief was breathed by everyone connected to Chelsea as their 3-3 stumble at home to Everton wasn’t taken advantage of.
The nagging doubt at the back of the mind of all United supporters was with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, Rooney has to consistently be at his best to secure a fourth straight league title.
Tonight, United’s inspiration was absent as a season’s worst performance from Rooney coincided with a first Premier League win for Villa in this fixture.
His shots were scuffed wide, passes missed their mark and the depths were plunged with an appalling dive that earned a yellow card from Martin Atkinson.
Winner | Agbonlahor is United's arch nemesis
A fire needs a spark to ignite, and no-one else could provide the light. The contribution of Antonio Valencia and Park Ji-Sung was well below the supreme standard set by opposite numbers Ashley Young and Stewart Downing.
Young was the man to craft the only goal of the game as his cut-back and cross found an unmarked Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Poor defending from Brown allowed the space for the winner to be nodded home. The strike continued a four-year scoring streak for the England international against Ferguson's charges.
Question marks can rightly be cast at Brown for his part in the defeat, but Owen and Berbatov still cannot find consistency.
A lack of quality out wide forced Ferguson to concentrate his resources in the middle. The disappointment that neither superstar striker could step up to the mark when brought on was palpable at Old Trafford.
Villa’s exceptional verve and vibrancy proved too much as United looked to the wings, and then the centre, to make the difference. No matter the combination, only desperation in the hosts ensued.
Off days for Rooney will happen and must be navigated to keep pace with Chelsea at the summit of the Premier League standings. The supporting cast cannot continue to use him as a crutch to hide their fallibility in the face of a red-hot championship race.
Matt Monaghan, Goal.com UK
The Midlanders’ 1-0 win was sealed by a header from Gabriel Agbonlahor and earned by an outstanding defensive display.
Sir Alex Ferguson will be worried by a performance full of determination, but devoid of the nous to nudge past the visitors. Even the all-guns-blazing combination of Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Michael Owen couldn’t find a way past.
A sigh of relief was breathed by everyone connected to Chelsea as their 3-3 stumble at home to Everton wasn’t taken advantage of.
The nagging doubt at the back of the mind of all United supporters was with Cristiano Ronaldo gone, Rooney has to consistently be at his best to secure a fourth straight league title.
Tonight, United’s inspiration was absent as a season’s worst performance from Rooney coincided with a first Premier League win for Villa in this fixture.
His shots were scuffed wide, passes missed their mark and the depths were plunged with an appalling dive that earned a yellow card from Martin Atkinson.
Winner | Agbonlahor is United's arch nemesis
A fire needs a spark to ignite, and no-one else could provide the light. The contribution of Antonio Valencia and Park Ji-Sung was well below the supreme standard set by opposite numbers Ashley Young and Stewart Downing.
Young was the man to craft the only goal of the game as his cut-back and cross found an unmarked Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Poor defending from Brown allowed the space for the winner to be nodded home. The strike continued a four-year scoring streak for the England international against Ferguson's charges.
Question marks can rightly be cast at Brown for his part in the defeat, but Owen and Berbatov still cannot find consistency.
A lack of quality out wide forced Ferguson to concentrate his resources in the middle. The disappointment that neither superstar striker could step up to the mark when brought on was palpable at Old Trafford.
Villa’s exceptional verve and vibrancy proved too much as United looked to the wings, and then the centre, to make the difference. No matter the combination, only desperation in the hosts ensued.
Off days for Rooney will happen and must be navigated to keep pace with Chelsea at the summit of the Premier League standings. The supporting cast cannot continue to use him as a crutch to hide their fallibility in the face of a red-hot championship race.
Matt Monaghan, Goal.com UK
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