Swansea rallied after going down early in the second half to secure a memorable comeback win over a disappointing Manchester United.
United were left visibly frustrated by their inability to break down a resolute Swansea after back-to-back goals by Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis had turned a game that had appeared to be heading towards a routine away win, completely on its head.
Swansea take their chances
Garry Monk would have been thrilled with how his side responded after they went down to a well taken goal by Juan Mata. The visitors had dominated possession but had failed to create many genuine scoring attempts. After spending the first 50 minutes trying to hit United on the break, going a goal down should have been devastating for Swansea. Well, that is at least what United appeared to expect.
The Swans fought their way back into the match after the Red Devils took their foot off the pedal after taking the lead. Andre Ayew’s headed goal was the culmination of a brilliant counter-attack that left the United defence looking heavy-footed. The lapse was compounded when Gomis slotted home his fourth goal of the season past a stranded Sergio Romero. Questions will be asked of how Romero failed to save Gomis’ shot. Still, it was a well taken goal by Gomis who showed all the physical attributes that make him such a tough proposition to handle. All in all, Monk and his Swansea side may have just laid out the blueprint as to how to beat Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United this season.
Midweek hat-trick no silver bullet for Rooney
Wayne Rooney’s slow start to the season had been a real cause for concern for a team that is in desperate need of a sizeable contribution from their captain and sole striker. Rooney’s midweek hat-trick in the Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge had temporarily silenced his critics.
Unfortunately for Rooney and United, he was not able to build on that display. His performance was reminiscent of his early season struggles in the Premier League than his clinical display in Belgium.
The United captain was guilty of wasting some golden chances that ended costing his team dearly. Twice he got in behind the Swansea defence but elected to take a touch rather than shoot. On both occasions Swansea defenders scrambled back to save the day.
It has become somewhat of a disturbing trend for Rooney this season. On the opening day, he was equally guilty of taking an excessive amount of time on the ball in the box. On that occasion, Kyle Walker’s desperate tackle resulted in an own goal, leading to a 1-0 United victory. In South Wales, it ended up costing United all three points.
Van Gaal still coming to grips with preferred lineup
From all perspectives, it is plain to see that van Gaal is still coming to terms with his preferred and most effective lineup.
Ander Herrera was a welcome inclusion into the side that failed to score at home to Newcastle. His efficiency on the ball and precision passing was a needed aid. However, United’s display still felt largely disjointed despite their dominance of possession.
Rooney often cut an isolated and frustrated figure up front. For the most part, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin sat deep, doing an excellent job of recycling possession without giving United much of an edge.
The Red Devils seemed content to hit crossfield balls to the back post for much of the game. But without any real presence up front to knock the ball down, the tactic was predictably ineffective. If indeed this was the tactic, it was strange to see Marouane Fellaini stay on the bench as long as he did. These were passes tailor-made for Fellaini’s skill set.
So far this season, van Gaal has been willing to play with two deeper holding midfielders, either Carrick, Schweinsteiger or Schneiderlin. It has given the team a solid defensive base but has restricted them going forward and they have only found the back of the net three times in four league fixtures.
The loss to Swansea may indicate it is time for van Gaal to throw caution to the wind with his team selections, especially with a crucial encounter with Liverpool up next.
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