Fair result for two teams playing poorly in steady rain. The finishing was awful except for Aubameyang's delicate chip over a stranded DeGea. McTominay's goal was lauded by the announcers until the replay showed that it was a fortunate deflection. Both clubs desperately needed the three points, but neither earned them. Supporters can dream about how both these squads will be bolstered by returns from injury, but this was today and the men wearing the shirts weren't good enough.
Not that there wasn't a great deal of enterprise and grit. It was a tough match to referee, bodies flying everywhere and plenty of play-acting and appeals to the officials. Kevin Friend was somewhat uneven, but got it right most of the time--and when he didn't, he got it wrong the other way soon enough. The first half was dreadful, but the second had much more action, and redeemed the contest as a spectacle, I thought.
If I'm going to complain, and of course I am, it will be about the decision to play Pepe and Chambers on our right. The former was never going to give the latter the help the latter needed to corral James, especially after the early yellow. Nelson was a lot better in that regard. Pepe contributed very little on the day, I thought, except poor dead ball deliveries. Saka was somewhat better on the left. It's hard to criticize the tactics because nothing either team did seemed to work. Leno had another very good game, and had to.
I'm disappointed. If there was ever going to be a good time to play at Old Trafford, this was it, and we couldn't get it done.
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