So it turns
out Jose Mourinho may know what he is doing after all and on this
occasion it was quite simple. Recognise the clear weaknesses in the
opposition before kick-off, pick your team accordingly and watch as they
roll them over.
Manchester
United were much improved here. They scored one sumptuous goal through
Paul Pogba and created enough chances to score more than the two that
followed. For the time being at least, the word ‘crisis’ can be attached
to some other clubs, Swansea being one of them.
What
a mess Bob Bradley’s team were. How weak and embarrassing. How shameful
in their meekness and their lack of courage, belief and basic
application. They somehow scored one goal from a set piece in the second
half and it was more – much more – than they deserved.
When the team sheets landed before kick-off, it seemed an odd United team. No pace, just bodies; just big bodies.
But
Mourinho had recognised something nobody else had, namely that Swansea
in their current form are not only a physically small team but have no
fight in them either.
So
this United team was able to impose itself physically and territorially
with some ease before playing the kind of football that players of this
calibre are able to do if given sufficient time and space by the
opposition.
Maybe
this sounds like faint praise. It shouldn’t do because it isn’t. United
were given a clear plan by their manager – sitting in the stands
because of suspension - and executed it perfectly. That is how you win a
football match, especially when you are short on form and inspiration
yourselves.
Pogba
scored an excellent early goal and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two of his
own in the first half, his first in the Premier League since early
September. There could have been others, too. Wayne Rooney, meanwhile,
enjoyed his best game for a long time and was probably his team’s best
player.
Swansea
could have helped themselves if they had made the odd tackle, committed
the odd foul even. That would at least have reminded United that they
were around. But that didn’t happen. Swansea, to all intents and
purposes, didn’t really exist. They were booed off at half-time and at
the end and they were fully deserving of that.
Rooney,
for all that he enjoyed himself, actually started uncertainly. Only 90
seconds of the game had gone when the United captain played a wretched
ball across his own penalty area straight to Swansea’s Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Fortunately
for Rooney, United had cover and the danger was quickly snuffed out by
red shirts. Rooney’s afternoon was soon to get better while for Swansea
that was pretty much as good as it got.
Beforehand
it was pretty difficult to predict what may happen in this game. Yes,
this was a strange looking United team, with much attacking threat
sitting on the bench. But they were playing a team that struggled for a
long time, a team that had shown little in losing at Stoke on Monday
that it was ready to compete properly again at this level.
So
what would we get? It didn’t take long to find out. United began this
game playing to a clear Mourinho plan. A plan to play directly up to
Ibrahimovc, try to dominate the Swansea central players and then build
from there. It worked wonderfully. Swansea had no appetite for the
battle and seemingly no plan. It was soon clear there was to be no
contest here.
As
United dominated possession and territory, Rooney was able to influence
a game like no other this season. Stationed on the left side, he was
involved in just about everything positive United did, cutting in with
intelligence and purpose to link with Ibrahimovic and, sometimes, the
advancing Pogba.
After his early mistake, Rooney came very close to making amends within a minute.
The
ease with which he was able to accelerate past his man down the left
and ease in to the penalty area was startling. When he checked inside to
curl a shot towards the far post with his right instep, a goal seemed
inevitable but the ball missed its target by about an inch.
A
goal for Rooney would have been timely. Before he hadn't scored in the
Premier League since the opening day of the season but if he was made to
wait until another day for his goal, United didn’t have to wait long to
take the lead.
During the
opening 15 minutes, Mourinho’s team didn’t look particularly dangerous
but they were comfortable. The goal Pogba scored to move them ahead,
meanwhile, was terrific.
Poga
played a chipped ball through to Rooney who had run beyond the Swansea
back four and in truth the England captain’s volleyed pass back over his
own shoulder was played in hope more than in expectation. But when
Ibrahomovic challenged for it in the area, it dropped nicely for Pogba
20 yards from goal and the right foot volley that flew high to Lukasz
Fabianski’s left and into the top corner was exquisitely struck.
Paul Pogba opens the scoring with a delightful strike from long range to give Manchester United an early lead
In
his seat in the directors’ box, Mourinho hardly flinched. But it was a
signicant moment for United and indeed in terms of the course of the
game. It was at this point that it became clear that Swansea had
absolutely nothing to offer by way of reply.
Physically
small – it’s hard to blame the players for that – Bradley’s team have
no heart either. Well, not on that evidence. As United grew in the game,
the Welsh club’s players withdrew into themselves and opened the door
to more punishment.
Marouane
Fellaini almost scored with a neat side foot volley within two minutes
but United didn’t have to wait long for another goal. From Swansea’s
perspective, this one was an utter shambles.
Again
Rooney was involved as he laid the ball back to Ibrahimovic on the edge
of the penalty area. There were still 20 yards and about four Swansea
defenders – not to mention a goalkeeper – between the Swede and the
target but a challenge worthy of note was not forthcoming and as the
ball travelled low towards the corner Fabianski could only apply the
weakest of right hands to it. It wasn’t enough to stop it reaching the
back of the net and, with only 22 minutes gone, this game was
effectively over.
United
were in control and had played properly and competently. Rooney was
emerging with confidence while in midfield Michael Carrick was able to
ensure the majority of the possession was enjoyed by the away team.
Swansea
were not a threat at all. They hardly saw the ball and when they did it
was in the wrong areas. Bradley’s players are clearly devoid of
confidence and when the third United goal arrived 10 minutes before
half-time they played their own part in it once again.
David de
Gea’s long punt was gathered by Rooney and the ball he slid through to
Ibrahimovic was a neat one. Still, there was a chance for Angel Rangel
to challenge. In fact he was clear favourite to clear the ball from his
opponents’ toe. But Rangel’s tackle was weak and with the defender out
of the way Ibrahimovic was able to lift his shot over Fabianski from 10
yards.
Not
surprisingly, the home support had seen enough. As Bradley turned away
in horror in the technical area, the fans turned their ire on the club’s
American owners. 'We want our club back,' was the chant. At that stage
they probably had more chance of that happening than of their team
getting anything from this game.
As
is often the case in games that are effectively decided so prematurely,
the team in the ascendency allowed their levels to dip as it
progressed. United were not to dominant in the second half. This game
was done and they knew it.
Swansea
did improve a little but then they had to. Bradley’s team played with a
little more energy and directness. They attempted to get on the front
foot and engage the crowd a little. It had been a long time coming.
There were a
couple of shots from the edge of the penalty area but still no save
required of De Gea, who must have been getting rather cold, before
defender Mike van der Hoorn scored completely out of the blue with a
little over 20 minutes to go.
A
free-kick on the right was swung in by Sigurdsson and, despite looking
marginally offside, Van der Hoorn rose to head powerfully in to the net
from eight yards.
So
with a good while yet to go, Swansea suddenly had a glimmer and another
test for them presented itself. Totally unsurprisingly, they flunked
that one too.
United
began to look a little leggy after their trip to Turkey in midweek and
as such the home team continued to enjoy some possession. They had a
goal chance, too, with eight minutes to to, substitute Modou Barrow
finding space at the far post.
Another
goal then and against all the odds we would have had a game. But
Barrow’s lack of conviction summed up his team’s performance and his
weakly struck shot rolled tamely wide of the post.
United’s latest downturn in form would appear to be over. But they will have tougher afternoons than this one.
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