TRAFFORD CENTRED
Manchester United 1 West Ham 0
West Ham United haven’t won at Old Trafford for a while but there have been a couple of decent draws and none of the home victories have been by more than the odd goal or two.
It’s an odd, slightly defensive Hammers’ team, Moyes preferring Noble to Benrahma, but they start with the same back three that played at the Etihad. The thinking isn’t obvious, but Moyes has surprised enough times this season to earn the benefit of the doubt.
United’s build up is patient and thought through, but rarely penetrative. It’s said that Manchester United are still the most lucrative football franchise in Europe, though their trophy cabinet in recent years doesn’t explain this continuing ‘success’.
This is slowly beginning to look like the recent FA Cup tie here, where both sides snuffed each other out like a couple of boring old dusty candles. McGuire and Antonio clash in an aerial battle, and then Rashford misses a golden opportunity. Hammers are more than a match for their opponents on paper, but need to get up the other end if they’re going to threaten the win.
Fabianski keeps Hammers in the game with a brilliant fingertip save from Greenwood’s curled effort. It looked a goal all the way once it had left his foot but Fabs had other ideas. My stomach, tied in knots by the non-events of the first half, is slightly soothed by the half-time whistle.
So let’s take time out for a moment and remember a couple of great West Ham victories here. In the week after Glenn Roeder died at the age of just 65, it’s worth remembering that he brought his West Ham side here in December 2001, and won 1-0 with a second half header from Jermaine Defoe. Then in May 2007 another 1-0 win for Curbishley’s Great Escape XI in the last game of the season with a goal just before half-time by Carlos Tevez. Enough fantasy, back to reality.
Within ten minutes of the second half, West Ham are behind from a corner when, caught in a crowd of players on the edge of the six yard box, Craig Dawson heads into his own net. West Ham are so brilliant from set plays, aren’t they. Hammers win a corner in their first attack after the goal, but in the end it’s just another one of their few positive stats.
On the hour Fabianski makes a breathtaking save from Fernandes’ sweet strike. This is the cue for Lanzini and Benrahma to replace Noble and Johnson, and for something, anything, to make Manchester United struggle. A brilliant cross from Cresswell picks out Bowen but his header is wide. FFS. United are nevertheless beginning to look vulnerable.
Ten minutes later and the pressure has come to nothing. Greenwood hits the post on the counter attack. Benrahma looks devoid of the kind of creativity needed for this fixture, despite seeing a lot of the ball. Another Fernandes’ corner with just ten minutes to go, but Fabianski punches clear.
It’s clear these were the wrong tactics, and as they were tried and failed here just a few weeks ago, it’s an error from the manager, his first for some time. It’s a missed opportunity and a repetition of the score from early February.
1 Lucasz Fabianski, 23 Issa Diop, 15 Craig Dawson, 3 Aaron Cresswell, 31 Ben Johnson, 5 Vladimir Coufal, 16 Mark Noble (captain), 41 Declan Rice, 28 Tomas Souček, 20 Jarrod Bowen, 30 Michail Antonio
Substitutes: 9 Saïd Benrahma, 10 Manuel Lanzini
