Played 4. Points 1. Goals 0. Better form at a season's start that has seen managers leave. Why would Owen ever consider coming here?
The number of players to come out of this with much credit can be more or less counted on one hand. Given didn't do much wrong, Taylor continues to be one of the best players we have on the pitch, Parker is the best player we have and Shearer continues to forlornly try. Perhaps Luque can be added for his effort and having to toil through the whole 90 minutes. Dyer and Emre might be excused; we were actually playing OK when they went off, although that was in part thanks to the opposition's pedestrian pace---it wasn't like we looked the most inventive side in the world. The fact we lost Emre and Dyer midway through the first half must again ask question of the medical staff. Too often players supposedly return from injury only to not even last a half. Too often those injuries are occurring in the first place. Then again, questions could probably be asked of an awful lot of the back room staff.
So we did play well for spells in the first half of this game. Not to the extent of really testing Van der Sar's goal though. Having spent three games watching a lonely Shearer running hopelessly around in front of an over packed midfield it was a puzzle why Luque wasn't simply put up front right alongside him (perhaps that's partly my personal fondness for the 4-4-2 but surely it would have been better than what we got). There were moments when we threatened to threaten, and some of that team spirit seemed to have reappeared. We even gained a bit of confidence as the game went on. Then the midfielders started to drop like flies.
To be fair to the performance the shape of the midfield was changed by those injuries. We were a better side with Emre, Dyer and Bowyer than with Ameobi, Jenas and Faye. Come the second half though and Man U stepped it up, leaving us trailing in their desire and skill. It was beginning to feel like a matter of time but still it shouldn't have come as easily as it did. If we payed that much money for Boumsong and he was supposed to be that good for Rangers then it just goes to show how much easier things are in Scotland. Having begun to look fairly solid and trust worthy the defender again made claim to be a Bramble clone with some awful defending. Too many times for a "world class" player his lapses are costing us dearly. Rooney's desire to continue his fine record against us epitomised the difference in the second half but the ball should never have past the Frenchman.
And if Boumsong was guilty for the first he was doubly so for the second (all be it the match was effectively over anyway). Rooney's work ethic to win the ball in the right back position and eventually be breaking free down the right must be praised. But his final cross for van Nistelrooy effectively went through Boumsong's legs on its way.
If nothing could be taken from the Bolton game what can be taken from this? Well, the first half we did play a bit and were sharp to the tackle to prevent the opposition attacks building. As for actually scoring this season though, not a lot. We probably still need another striker (yes, Owen would be fantastic but realistically someone else). Yet that is by far not enough. You can have all the strikers in the world and they won't score unless the ball comes to them with a sight of goal. Somewhere we need to find an inventiveness and cutting edge that is very sadly lacking right now. And more sadly there's no where obvious it's going to appear from.
This could be just a blip. If we'd had this little run of games in the middle of the season it would have been disappointing but hardly a major crises to have us thinking about relegation (look at the table if that's not a thought). The start of the season sets the tone though. This tone is decidedly off key. There's an international break now. We need to regroup and come up with something more (like too up front strikers...), or we will be in danger of the fat lady singing.
(@17:08)
