Jesus F Christ! We got robbed!!
What a terrible decision by a fucking useless referee. I'm shellshocked by the decision which changed the entire complexion of the game. We were a goal up, and in complete control until that mad man flashed his card at Nani. Just fucking unbelievable.
Manchester United 4 - Norwich 0
Scorers
Manchester United: Kagawa (45, 76, 87), Rooney (90)
Team: De Gea, Vidic, Evans, Smalling, Evra, Carrick, Anderson (Cleveley 74), Valencia, Kagawa, Rooney, Van Persie (Welbeck 66)
We didn't play particularly well but what's important is that we got the result. And just like last week, we move 15 clear of Shitty, as the number of games start to become an issue for an unlikely come back.
We didn't pass the ball well and it seems for a good period of the entire game, the lads' focus was on the upcoming Champions League game against Real Madrid. The passing was lacklustre and there was very little energy shown on the pitch. The only thing that worked in our favour was that Norwich seems equally uninterested in the game.
The first half was practically a non-event. Come to think of it, other than the 4 goals, the entire game was a non-event. Not trying to short-change Kagawa's achievement, but the game seems like an appetizer for the main course on Wednesday. Even the crowd seemed muted.
Even the goals had a sense of nonchalance about them. For the first two goals, Kagawa wrong-footed the keeper and with the third, he lifted it easily over Bunn. Rooney's long distance shot was the icing to the result.
Hell, there's such a sense of anticipation for the Champions League game that even I'm getting restless writing this entry.
So for what it's worth, despite some really terrible football, 3 players stood out.
- Evans for having a terrible first touch that should be punished over and over again. As much as he's been called upon due to injuries, there are times, like today, he looks like a walking calamity waiting to happen.
- Kagawa for his hattrick. I wasn't his biggest fan when he arrived. I was rooting for Gotze, who in my opinion is Dortmund's best player, but I'm genuinely happy for Kagawa. Pride of Asia, I suppose.
- Rooney for just being United. His two assists to Kagawa was just good football and unselfish play, especially for the second goal which he could have taken himself. Instead he slid it to Kagawa for an easy pass into the net.
And if we beat Real on Wednesday, it seems likely that the treble might....might just happen. With Barcelona one foot out of the competition, our other big rival is Bayer Munich, who are very much beatable. They are so far ahead of the Bundesliga that their intensity might just not be at the peak, although the same can be said of us.
QPR 0 - Manchester United 2
Scorers
Manchester United: Rafael (23), Giggs (80)
Team: De Gea, Rio, Vidic, Rafael, Evra, Carrick, Giggs, Young (Valencia 68), Nani, Hernandez (Rooney 62), Van Persie (Welbeck 41)
Kinda surreal feel to the game. Neither side played football and despite the huge gulf of points between the top team in the league and the bottom, one could hardly tell which was which. The only difference in the end was the quality of finishing that the scoreline reflected.
To say we played down to the level of competition is a sheer understatement. QPR were putrid and we didn't smell any better. Strangely for a team that packs with individual talent, QPR just cannot seem to find any teamwork, and it's no wonder based on today's performance, they deserve to be firmly rooted to the bottom of the league. I can only recall two decent shots at our goal. One was cleared off the line by Rafael, the other palmed away by De Gea. Other than those, QPR were never near to troubling De Gea.
At least we looked decent in front of goal, scoring from a screamer from Rafael in the first half and Giggs giving us the badly needed cushion when QPR looked like mounting an unlikely comeback. Our defense looked decent for once with Rio and Vidic making a rare appearance together.
The midfield, however, was another story altogether. It looked listless and uninterested in the game. In fact the words 'casual' and 'nonchalent' come to mind. Maybe it's just me being critical, but Carrick and Giggs in the centre of the park normally spells trouble. An injection of youth is much needed and we were lucky to face an even slower midfield that had Granero and Taarabt.
As poor as we looked, we still won this one comfortably, but that's exactly what potential champions should be doing. Despite playing way below our normal standards, we are able to produce results. And I'm keeping my fingers crossed, surely we can't squander a 15 point lead.......
