Five Talking Points: Manchester United v Singha All Star XI

Manchester United started the 2013/14 season with a lacklustre display against Singha All-Star XI in their pre-season match under hot and humid conditions at Bangkok, where they lost 1-0 against a defensively resolute Thai side.

David Moyes, who was managing his first match as Manchester United manager, must be really disappointed with the lack of cutting edge from his side, who failed to create clear cut openings during the match.

Here are the five major talking points from the match:

1) United’s line up

All United fans must have been wondering before the match as to how their new manager will be lining his team up for his first match in-charge, and they got their answer by seeing the team sheet, where United were set to line up in a traditional 4-4-2 formation.

The formation was not alien to United as they have been following the same for the past two decades under Sir Alex Ferguson as well. However, they were lacking the natural width required for the 4-4-2 formation.

Ryan Giggs started from the left-hand side, but was very involved in the central areas during the first few exchanges of the match. Tom Cleverly, primarily a central midfield player, started on the right wing. Carrick and Anderson held the midfield responsibilities.

The defence consisted of familiar faces with Johnny Evans and Rio Ferdinand in the centre, and Fabio and Alexander Buttner at the right back and left back roles respectively.

The attack, spearheaded by Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj, lacked the experience with Wayne Rooney out injured and Robin van Persie still to return from his holidays.

David Moyes made several changes as the match progressed, however, it still remains to be seen if he sticks to the same formation in the matches ahead or experiments with other different options.

2) Adnan Januzaj’s performance

Adnan Januzaj, along with Wilfried Zaha, was one of the two players every United fan wanted to witness tonight showcasing his skills, and he didn’t disappoint them at all. The 18-year old Belgian was given a free role upfront, and he was at the heart of every United attack, especially during the first half.

He showed tremendous courage and confidence on the ball and caught the eye of every United supporter with his technique, balance and quick feet, which could have easily earned him United’s man of the match.

Composure in front of goal, however, was one thing missing in an otherwise impressive first performance. Despite that, he still remains to be an exciting future prospect for United, and it remains to be seen how David Moyes fits him in his plans.

3) Wilfried Zaha’s performance

Apart from Adnan Januzaj, another player who every United supporter wanted to have a look at was Wilfried Zaha.

The 21-year old Englishman, signed by Sir Alex Ferguson in January, came on for Ryan Giggs in the second half and immediately made an impact with his pace and trickery on the right wing.

With a little bit of luck on his side, he should have equalized for United late in the second half, when he went past one defender and drilled in a left foot shot from just outside the area that beat the goalkeeper but struck the post.

Besides that, he showed several other glimpses of his pace, trickery and technique which should make every United supporter excited for the season ahead. Zaha can be the answer for the wing wizardry that United lacked last season.

4) Team’s overall performance

United’s overall performance was nothing but lacklustre, where they kept on giving away the ball quite often, and failed to create enough clear cut opportunities to break Singha’s defence.

The hot and humid conditions of Bangkok can be given as an excuse, but still the likes of Carrick, Cleverley, and Giggs kept on losing the ball in the midfield quite easily, which never gave United an opportunity to open the opposition’s defence.

Moreover, Danny Welbeck and Adnan Januzaj failed to convert the opportunities which could have brought United level on terms with the Thai team.

The defence also looked off-pace and were lucky to concede just one goal. However, a couple of saves from Ben Amos and tackles from Evans were noteworthy in an otherwise forgettable display.

Although, it was the first match of the pre-season, but still a huge improvement in performance is required before the new season gets under way in August, where United have a tough opening fixtures lined up.

5) Way forward

Although it was not the start that David Moyes and Manchester United were looking for, it was a good outing for players in extreme humid conditions which must have given their fitness a huge boost.

Also, impressive débuts of Adnan Januzaj and Wilfried Zaha must keep United supporters and manager on their toes for the matches ahead.

With van Persie, Javier Hernandez and Shinji Kagawa due to join the United squad in Australia, things look bright ahead for United. As always, a strong response from United is expected in the upcoming matches.