West Brom 1 Manchester U 2:THE LONELY celebration at the other end of the pitch said it all. As the Manchester United players rushed to congratulate Ashley Young for the enterprising play that led to Steven Reid putting the ball through his own net, David De Gea stood in the opposite penalty area with fists clenched. For the second weekend running the Spaniard made a dreadful mistake that would have proved costly but for the late intervention of his team-mates.
De Gea’s faux pas, which allowed Shane Long to mark his West Bromwich Albion debut with a goal, was not the only worrying sight for Alex Ferguson on an afternoon when United lost Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to second-half injuries. It was not a particularly bruising encounter but Ferguson could be forgiven for worrying whether De Gea, who looked nervous throughout, is struggling psychologically after also making an error against Manchester City in the Community Shield.
The young goalkeeper’s relief was obvious when Young teased Chris Brunt before sliding a ball across the face of the six-yard box that deflected off first Gabriel Tamas and then Reid to leave Ben Foster stranded. United were running out of ideas up until that point, with Foster nothing like as busy in the second half as he had been in the opening stages of the game, when the champions had started, to borrow Roy Hodgson’s expression, “like a house on fire”.
It was no surprise when Wayne Rooney put them ahead following a flowing move on the left, although Ferguson was left to lament United’s failure to add a second during the opening half-hour.
Two excellent chances dropped to Nani during that period but the winger lifted both opportunities over the crossbar. The cost of those misses became apparent when De Gea made his bungled attempt to stop Long’s tame shot, two minutes after producing a fine save to deny Paul Scharner.
Somen Tchoyi, whose physical presence and powerful running caused problems to United throughout, outmuscled Fabio Da Silva before finding Long. After swapping passes with Brunt, the €5 million signing from Reading cut inside Chris Smalling and curled a low shot that De Gea should comfortably have saved. Instead he somehow dived over the ball, allowing it to slip under his body and into the corner of the net.
It was a horrible moment and one that prompted chants of “dodgy keeper” from the Albion supporters behind the goal as De Gea cut a crestfallen figure, shaking his head and throwing his hands in the air.
He never recovered his composure thereafter and it would be no surprise if Ferguson turned to the more experienced Anders Lindegaard for United’s next game, against Tottenham Hotspur, a week today.
Albion predictably tested De Gea with several high crosses in the second half and, although Ferguson bemoaned the lack of protection the goalkeeper was given by the referee, Mike Jones, it was also significant that several of the United players, including the substitute Phil Jones and Anderson, felt the need to point out to the 20-year-old that he needed to be stronger and raise his elbows when challenging to catch the ball.
United could never have imagined that this would turn into such an awkward encounter when Rooney finished off a beautifully constructed goal. Da Silva started the move, sliding a ball into the feet of Rooney, who nonchalantly flicked it on to Young.
With Albion standing off, Young picked out Rooney on the edge of the area and the striker had the time and space to get the ball out of his feet before drilling a left-footed shot through Tamas’s legs.
With Anderson a bustling presence in the centre of the field alongside Tom Cleverley, who was making his first United start after his impressive display as a substitute against Manchester City, the visitors were in complete control. Yet Albion edged their way back into the game. Youssouf Mulumbu began to snap into tackles while Tchoyi and Long, thrown together on the training ground only on Friday, started to combine well.
The sobering reality for Hodgson, however, was that Albion’s efforts ultimately counted for little.
With a trip to Chelsea next, Hodgson knows things could get worse before they get better. “We hope the sporting gods are on our side next week because today we feel they weren’t,” said the Albion manager.
“Had the game finished 1-1, I don’t think we would have had to make any apologies.”
Ferguson later insisted that United will overcome the twin injury blow to Ferdinand and Vidic. “Rio has a hamstring injury. He will be out for six weeks,” said Ferguson. With Nemanja, we hope it is a nerve in his calf. He felt it prior to the game but he wanted to play. That may be a couple of weeks.”
