Aston Villa 0-1 Manchester United | Three thoughts

1. Two wins out of two

Our strong start to the season continued when we saw off Aston Villa last Friday evening with the sort of win we are rapidly (and annoyingly) becoming accustomed to. It was yet another ground-out, unattractive yet resilient performance - strong in possession (55%) however very poor in attacking prowess and creativity (only two shots on target). Of course, we'll take it if it means we carry on winning, however there were times our defence was stretched to the point you thought we were lucky not to concede. Had that been a Diego Costa/Alexei Sanchez-like player attacking the United goal, then we surely would have. So things certainly need to improve before we do start hitting the harder games.



We need to remember that United do have a distinctly easier start to the season compared to our fellow title challengers - whereby Liverpool at home and Southampton away (both in September) are our toughest tests in the first seven games - therefore we need to capitalise on the weak opponents. This is of course exactly what we are doing...however the nervey displays are hardly convincing anyone that this run can carry on for much longer. Especially with the issues we have in attack...

2. We need to talk about Rooney...

As solid as we were at the back at Villa Park, we were rather dreadful in attack. Mata and Memphis, continuing where they left off against Spurs, were energetic and creative but our main (/only) man in attack - captain, Wayne Rooney - was abysmal.



With no RVP or Falcao to fall back on this season, Rooney has the added pressure to deliver by being United's only decent striker. Not ideal for a man who has started the season as looking lethargic and stuck in pre-season mode - check out his cringe-worthy stats for the season so far (via the Guardian)...

And to add to that, Wazza didn't actually actually take a touch in the Villa penalty area until...wait for it...the 93rd minute. Needless to say we need to find Rooney some decent support, or, dare I say it, a long-term replacement by the end of the summer.

3. Januzaj

The inclusion of Januzaj, in place of the reliable Ashley Young (or my choice of Ander Herrera), came as a bit of a shock to, well, everyone. It was his first start in over six months and with growing speculation that he is to leave United this summer, he was one of the last people I expected to see  in the line-up. However it was a smart move by the boss.



Whereas Rooney's state-of-mind is pre-season in the sense that his game lacks energy and his attitude ozzes "it's just a friendly, innit?", Adnan's seized his opportunity, impressed the manager and carried on from where he left off regarding his performances during the summer. A very well-taken goal after an excellent pass from Mata. Is this the start of something special for the 20-year-old this season?