Five Things We Learned: United v Newcastle

Laundry. It’s no secret that our defence is not what it once was. We’ve had less clean sheets this season than a regular Imodium user. If it was not for the excellence of our forward line, and our ‘we’ll score one more than you’ approach, it may an even bigger issue.

Having used roughly 3,486 different back five combinations this season, we kind of have an excuse for things not being what they were. However, with the majority of our defenders now returning to fitness, we must stick with our strongest back five.

One thing we must take from today, and the whole of the season, is that we must stop making things so hard for ourselves. If our strikers have a dip in form, we are going to really struggle.

On the payroll.

We get all the decisions, apparently. Well, that seems to be the view of everybody who doesn’t support Manchester United.

However, anybody with even a little football knowledge and half a brain (Not Piers Morgan then) can see that’s not the case. Failure to disallow a ‘goal’ and the failure to award at least one clear penalty shows that referees are not scared to give decisions that will negatively effect Manchester United.

Coupled with decisions in other games this season, it may appear that referees may actually enjoy making us work that little bit harder for our points.

Old man time.

Some may not want to admit it, but Ryan Giggs had a decent game. At the tender age of 78, Ryan Giggs can still perform at the highest level, admittedly not every week.

While we have our fans who moan when they see his name on the team sheet, he would walk into the majority of the premier league’s first choice elevens.

He has had a few bad games this season, but look at the team, who hasn’t. However, while fans seem unable to criticise some, Giggs seems to be in the group of players who they don’t mind lambasting.

Today proved that Giggs can still do a job for us. He can still bring something to the first team before he retires and becomes the Hugh Hefner of Wales.

Food fight!

During the festive season, a vegetable is always at the forefront of everybody’s mind. However, this year is different. The Little Pea upstaged the Brussels Sprout.

You ether love or hate Brussels Sprouts. This is not the case with Chicharito. I have yet to meet a rational human being that doesn’t love him.

The thing the majority of Manchester United fans love about him is his goals. They are pretty much guaranteed. You supply the balls he’ll supply the goals. Teams pay over the odds for a goal scorer. We got one for £8 million. While people moan at the players we missed out on, they seem to take for granted the players we have.

Today, he perhaps took a few more attempts than normal to find the back of the net, but he still came up with the winning goal.

May I have a word?

Fergie marched on to the field during half time, with the look of a man who had been told there were no pigs in blankets left at Christmas dinner.

While some will see him ‘talking’ with the ref as a bad point, it shows that he has all the passion, energy and determination of a man half his age.

Despite criticism from rival fans, the media and even our own fans, his love for the game is unquestionable. Accused of making mistakes with team selection, he has guided an injury hit team to seven points clear at the top of the table.

While people are betting on his successor, I have a feeling we won’t be seeing him at Old Trafford for a long time.