Manchester United treated us to another limp performance on Sir Alex's 25th anniversary at the club. Perhaps the sense of the occasion and the celebratory mood ahead of kick-off could have had an effect on the performance but it's not like we've been doing any better recently.
Luckily for us, Wes Brown forgot the identity of his current employers to see us through. I guess the one positive we can take from the match, besides the three points is a fourth consecutive clean sheet. Nemanja Vidic has surely addressed the rot at he back---long live the captain.
In truth, the International break could not have come at a better time for us. Between this one and the last, we've put up some limp displays but crucially picked up the points in those games (bar the City one). It bodes well for us that after starting the season in fine scoring form, we have come good at the back as well. What now remains is to find the right balance that we should carry along for the rest of the season.
So far, the team have looked anything but inventive without Tom Cleverely in the middle of the park so hopefully we get to see him in the side more often after the break. It is vital that he improves our midfield show lest the manager will have to shop in January to match the class of City---on the pitch at least.
Our main title rivals have recently faced stiff tests from minnows Wolves and QPR and the worrying thing is that they have gone on to win those games when it looked like they would drop points. At the moment you hope that we don't give them any more breathing space than we have already afforded them.
In the meantime, I can't believe that I'm saying this but, thank God for the International break; It gives us one last time to regroup and charge again---this time with no finger nails in the mouth.
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