The formations set out by both managers meant that the midfield was overloaded with players and therefore stray passes and loss of possession became surprisingly commonplace.
I think that one player's performance however, did not receive the praise it deserved. Former Porto star Anderson has had peaks and troughs during his fledgling United career, yet he seems to be returning the level he showed when he first walked out at Old Trafford.
I remember (rather fondly) that he dominated Steven Gerrard in an encounter with Liverpool at Anfield in his first season, a 1-0 win the result for United.
Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira (to be prudent) impressed during his first campaign, he lifted the Premier League and Champions League at the end of that season(2007/08) but then seemed to stutter.
A serious knee injury, coupled with rumours of unrest and misdemeanours, meant that he was in and out of the team. His comeback has seen him fill a gap in the United midfield engine room and his box-to-box approach was evident against both Valencia and Arsenal, scoring his first Old Trafford goal against the former.
He must now kick on and become the player Sir Alex thought he was buying when he splashed out 30million Euro on a teenage sensation. He needs to provide more goals from his position, but other than that he is adept at passing both over short and long range, and certainly doesn't mind the rough of tumble of a scrappy Premier League game.
Time to build on those performances, starting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (if he plays of course, although he probably should given recent performances) and he may establish himself as a first team regular for the first time since coming to England. He must certainly be above the out-of-sorts Michael Carrick in the pecking order, and with Owen Hargreaves STILL injured and Paul Scholes not able to play every minute of every game, he won't get a better chance to hold down a first team berth.
He could be important to United for many years to come, it is really dependent on his own progression and growth both on and off of the pitch. He seems to have started to do so with the news today that he has signed a new, long-term deal with United.
rec2rec
