Manchester United 2 West Ham United 1 - 5 talking points

10-man Manchester United side hang on to a 2-1 advantage at home as they beat West Ham yesterday evening. Goals from Robin van Persie and captain Wayne Rooney ensured all three points for Louis van Gaal’s side at Old Trafford.Here are the 5 key talking points from the clash:

#1 Paddy Mcnair and Luke Shaw show promise

Every time the ball was sent into the United box, Old Trafford held its breath in uncertainty. The Red Devil’s defensive situation has become desperate, with 3 of the first choice centre backs being out injured. Rafael and Rojo were the oldest defenders for United, both 24 years old.

While United did look shaky at times, some encouragement can be taken from the performances of youngsters Luke Shaw and Paddy Mcnair.

A senior debut for Mcnair was greeted with positivity and concern, but the 19 year old performed admirably.

A good game for the youngster, however the highlight of his performance was an incredible defensive header towards the end of the game, where he was forced to adjust his body to head away a dangerous cross.

Mcnair has shades of Rio about him, being very comfortable on the ball. There were times where he would carry the ball from the defensive third all the way to midfield searching for options. Something, which Van Gaal was craving: a ball playing center half.

Luke Shaw also performed well, but this was less of a surprise as his quality was evident at Southampton. His smart passing was there for everyone to see, rarely giving the ball away. Also his one-on-one ability was evident as he rarely lost his balance or jumped early into a tackle. West ham found it difficult down that left hand side.

#2 The resurgence of Stewart Downing?

Stewart Downing in my opinion was impressive on the night. He seems to have transformed and is enjoying playing through the middle. West Ham’s approach of course, didn’t allow him to see much of the ball, but he did always provide a threat when he did.

Drifting to the left hand side, he put in those teasing crosses, which had the United’s defense second-guessing.

His deliveries from the corner flag were a constant menace, and it was from his corner that Sakho benefited from to score.

He will be a key player for West Ham this coming season, provided he stays fit.

#3 Rooneys moment of madness

Rooney was enjoying himself against the hammers, until the red card. The pundits and commentators alike were up in arms against the United captain as he maliciously kicked out at Downing.

This was reminiscent of the old Wayne Rooney, who lashed out at the slightest provocation. The Wayne Rooney we all sorely miss.

His anger was his thrust, one that made him a world-class forward. Terrier like tenacity and bulldog like aggression mixed with the vision and touch of a genius: He was a match winner.

In his very own words, Sir Alex described in his book how Rooney had lost some of his “old thrust” and had gone a bit “soft”.

Post the 2009/10 season, Rooney has taken his foot off the gas and since then we have witnessed a slow and steady decline.

It looks as though this captaincy has partially fired up the engines of old in Wayne Rooney, and I don’t know about you but I would love to see them operate in full flow.

#4 De Gea must show improvement

De Gea again showed his vulnerability in the box. A demon that every one thought banished, De Gea was in no mans land as he tried to punch the ball clear, creating confusion which resulted in the goal.

His distribution was also particularly poor on the day with 14 out of the 34 passes (long and short included) from his box did not reach a red shirt.

De Gea must show improvement and take back the command of the box for United to progress further in the league this season.

#5 Ander Herrera is shaping up well for bigger challenges

Ander Herrera is very Spanish in the way he plays; with his great close control and tremendous technical ability. However, he is slightly different from your average Spanish artist.

Operating as a “shuttler” in the diamond formation, Herrera runs up and down the right hand side of the pitch, combining well with the strikers and in particular, Rafael. The two seem to have an understanding, passing to each other 14 times, the third highest passing combination in the game. He also isn’t afraid to put in the challenges, with 3 out of 4 successful tackles throughout the game.

Greatly versatile, he can play on that right hand side, in the middle or even behind the strikers. A tremendous all-round player, Herrera is shaping up well and will be key to Van Gaal’s plans.