Team Ratings: Hull City vs Manchester United 26/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - A mixed bag. Hard to put him at fault for the goals but could have given one away when he came out of his net to collect a dropped punch and ended up way out of position. However, he made up for this with a fantastic save to deny Chester the chance to equalise in stoppage time.

2. Rafael - 5 - Was replaced inside 20 minutes after picking up a groin strain.

12. Chris Smalling - 6 - Like the rest of the defence he started slow but improved as the game went on. Also scored United's first goal with a good header.
6. Jonny Evans - 5 - Looked shaky, especially at the beginning of the game and ended up deflecting the ball in for their second after he had already failed to clear. Got better as the game went on but a poor personal performance in general.
3. Patrice Evra - 5 - Struggled all afternoon and was out jumped for Hull's first. 

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - Was pushed to right back after Rafael hobbled off and did well generally, linking up nicely with Januzaj. Almost spoilt the comeback though when he picked up a needless yellow card for kicking the ball away.

23. Tom Cleverley - 6 - Not his best game but he saw a brilliant curled effort saved and worked hard throughout.

24. Darren Fletcher - 6 - Played an hour and was tidy on the ball. Another good step forward for the Scottish midfielder.

18. Ashley Young - 7 - Another decent performance as he grabbed an assist for the winner.

10. Wayne Rooney - 9 - Once more proved that he is United's main man, getting an assist for the first that started the fightback and then the all-important equaliser with a sublime strike. He also put Chester under pressure for him to put it in his own net for the winner. A class act as always.
19. Danny Welbeck - 7 - Worked hard and linked up well with Rooney.

Substitutions-

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Replaced Rafael. Changed the game, won the free kick that gave United their first goal and caused Hull all sorts of problems.

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 5 - Replaced Fletcher. Made a couple of wrong decisions but that probably comes from a lack of playing time. 

16. Michael Carrick - 5 - Replaced Young. Didn't have too much time on the ball but United fans will be relieved to see him back.

Match Report: Hull City vs Manchester United 26/12/2013

Chester's own goal ensures that it's a Christmas cracker at the KC Stadium as United come from 2-0 down to secure 3-2 victory against Hull.

United travelled along the M62 in hope of securing their fifth win in a row on Boxing Day, whereas hosts Hull were without a win since their impressive victory over Liverpool at the start of the month. Steve Bruce's side have been tough to defeat at home though, with Crystal Palace being the only team to take home three points from the KC Stadium so far this season.

Darren Fletcher made his first start for a year in the centre of United's midfield as Phil Jones picked up a knock in the win over West Ham. Michael Carrick also made a return on the bench but Robin Van Persie was left out again. Hull were unchanged for the fourth consecutive Premier League match with Warrington-born centre-back James Chester facing his former side after spending four years in the youth team at the start of his career.

Chester could not have believed his luck when Hull made the early breakthrough inside four minutes as he was allowed space in the box to volley home from a corner. United felt aggrieved that the corner was even given as it appeared that Elmohamady had put the ball out of play rather than Cleverley. It could not excuse their poor defending though, as Bruce rose to beat Evra to Huddlestone's ball in and was allowed to head it down for Chester. Chester was then given time to volley it in unmarked from a couple of yards for his first goal of the season and only his fifth during his time at the KC stadium.

It was the perfect start for former United Captain Bruce's side and it got even better when less than ten minutes later they doubled their lead after more poor defending from United. Meyler showed skill to get the ball out to the left to Sagbo whose ball in then fell back to Hull's number 7. He hit it poorly but Evans failed to clear, giving Meyler a second opportunity to hit it. He did and it took a slight deflection off the Northern Ireland defender to wrong-foot De Gea and put Hull two goals ahead. It was scrappy but was no more than they deserved as United looked sluggish and sloppy throughout the opening stages.

In the 18th minute David Moyes suffered more bad news as he was forced to make an early substitution when Rafael was unable to continue after sustaining a knock. He was swiftly replaced by Januzaj as Valencia took up the Brazilian's spot in defence. The change actually helped to improve the away team though, as Januzaj caused Hull problems with his quick feet. United certainly looked more impressive after the change, putting their poor showing from the first twenty minutes behind them and attempting to get an early goal back before half time.

It didn't take long either, as Januzaj won a free kick that Rooney swung in from the right for Smalling to head past McGregor. It looked a routine set piece from the England pair as Smalling got above Davies to nod in with ease. United then began to press for the equaliser and went close through efforts from Welbeck and Cleverley. The first was another header off a Rooney free kick that was well blocked by Chester. Cleverley's effort was a curling shot from outside the box that had to be palmed behind by McGregor.

The Hull stopper couldn't keep out United's next chance though as Rooney got the equaliser moments later with a fabulous strike. The move started with a lofted ball upfield from Evans that was controlled by Rooney and flicked ahead to Welbeck. Welbeck held the ball up before it came back to Rooney, who tee'd himself up with his knee before smashing it home from 25 yards out with a volley that looped over the head of McGregor and into the net to put United back on terms.

It was a thoroughly entertaining first half and the second 45 minutes provided more of the same with both sides looking to get a third goal and go ahead in the tie. Hull made two changes at half time as McGregor and Meyler went off to be replaced by Harper and Koren. Hull's best opportunity in the second half came when manager's son Bruce headed against the underside of the bar following a corner. United were let off though as the rebound fell for Evra in the box and he acrobatically cleared the ball to safety.

Hull were left to rue that golden chance when United then went up the other end and got the winner. What started off as a brilliant day for Chester turned into a miserable one as he couldn't deal with Young's cross in from the right and he headed past Harper to give his old club the lead for the first time in the match.

To the host's credit they never gave up and after United got their third they kept going looking for the equaliser and caused some dangerous moments amongst the United defence. One mix-up saw De Gea way out of position as he came out to collect a dropped ball from a punch out, Graham got it round the keeper but the defence crowded him out before De Gea finally got a foot on it to clear.

Hull then had a one man advantage going into injury time as Valencia received a needless second yellow card for kicking the ball away inside United's half following his foul on Huddlestone. Hull capitalised on United's lack of cover in the right back position and created their final chance to end the game level deep into injury time when Boyd put Chester in with a through ball on the right inside the box. The defender's touch was poor but he still should have found the net with his shot but unfortunately for him his miserable afternoon continued when De Gea made a brilliant save with his stomach to keep the effort out.

United showed great resilience to come back from 2 goals behind to win the match but Hull impressed throughout and can take many positives from this performance before their next game, again at home, to Fulham on Saturday. Moyes' men travel to Norwich where they will be without Valencia through suspension and Jones through injury. It is not known whether Rafael will miss the trip after limping off in the first half of this match but one thing's for sure, United need another three points in their final game of the calendar year if they are to continue to rise up the table and secure a top 4 spot in May.

Match Report: Manchester United vs West Ham United 21/12/2013

Fairytale of new Young: Winger scores for the second time in two games during substitute appearance as United hammer visitors West Ham 3-1 in festive clash at Old Trafford.

Two teams in high spirits after each reaching the Capital One Cup Semi-Finals took to the Old Trafford pitch today as Manchester United looked to take some positives from their last two performances in order to avoid a third successive home loss in the League and gain victory over West Ham. The Hammers face Manchester City in their Semi-Final in January but Sam Allardyce's men had this trip to the North West to contend with first as they looked to join teams like West Brom and Newcastle in securing historic victories at The Theatre of Dreams.

David Moyes made two changes from the side that won at the Britannia Stadium in mid-week as Wayne Rooney returned for United, replacing Anderson. He played up front alongside Danny Welbeck as Robin Van Persie remains sidelined with a groin injury. Their other change came as goalscorer Ashley Young dropped to the bench with Adnan Januzaj taking his place on the left wing. Sam Allardyce handed a start to former United player Ravel Morrison, who had made three substitute appearances for the reds before completing a move to Upton Park. Spaniard Adrian was chosen in goal for the away side as he made his League debut to keep Jussi Jaaskelainen on the bench for the second time this week.

It didn't take long for United to test the Hammers' goalkeeper as they started with intent, winning a corner through Rooney inside the first minute. Januzaj played a short corner, completing a one-two with Rooney before sending a cross into the box that eventually found Cleverley, who hit it first time from 6 yards out. Adrian got down low to his left and made a brilliant save to help justify his first League start. 

Adrian was called upon again in a busy opening twenty minutes for the Spaniard as Valencia then forced another good save from him with a drive from a tight angle just outside the box on the right. United eventually managed to get the ball past him though, as Jones took a quick free kick inside the West Ham half to set Welbeck on the path towards goal. Welbeck spotted Rooney immediately and played a delightful ball to the number 10 with a delicious flick on. Rooney, enjoying a playmaker role in a deeper position, then picked up the pass and carried it into the box before returning it to his fellow England striker Welbeck to bury into the net with a fine finish.

United had a penalty shout turned down when Januzaj was felled by Noble in the box but the youngster wasn't fazed by the West Ham players' claims he had dived as he then went on to put United 2-0 up moments later. Rooney started the move as he won the ball off a dithering Collins, Welbeck then collected it and gave it to Januzaj on the wing who played a lovely one-two with Welbeck and made a darting run into the box to gather the return pass. The 18 year old showed great composure to fool Collins and cut inside onto his right foot before bending a wonderful shot past Adrian for his first Old Trafford goal.

Januzaj was involved again before half time as he was then found guilty of diving and booked by referee Mike Jones. Replays showed it was the correct decision and United fans will be hoping that the young Belgian can eradicate this from his game as it was a shame for him to spoil an otherwise classy first half individual performance.

The second half saw Januzaj at the heart of the action again early on but this time for the right reasons as he supplied a wonderful cross in from the left that bounced just in front of Welbeck and had to be cleared with a diving header by McCartney. Rooney and Januzaj then displayed great link up play and understanding again when a one-two from the corner allowed the former to cross for Evans. The Northern Ireland defender made good contact with a header but the effort was cleared off the line by Noble to keep the scoreline at 2-0.

Welbeck was replaced by Hernandez just before the hour mark when he picked up a slight knock and the Mexican was almost on the score sheet immediately as he had a well-taken goal wrongly ruled out for offside. Valencia played him in with a through ball and it looked like he was being played just on but it was ruled out to ruin what would have been a brilliant substitute's goal. However, United did eventually get their third through a substitute in the 72nd minute as Young, on for Januzaj seconds earlier, continued his goalscoring form from Wednesday with a fantastic strike to put the home team 3-0 ahead.

The move for the goal was started when a brilliant pass from Rafael had found Valencia in space down the right which gave him time to cut the ball back for Rooney. Rooney then claimed his second assist of the day as he controlled the ball on the turn and laid it off for Young with a delicate touch that allowed the newly confident winger to curl a sublime shot into the top corner with his first touch of the ball.

McCartney escaped a red card for a nasty challenge on Hernandez late on but West Ham finally gave their travelling fans something to cheer about inside the last ten minutes when a through ball from Maiga left Cole clean through on goal and onside after poor defensive positioning from substitute left-back Buttner. Cole was one-on-one with De Gea who could do little to stop the shot as it went straight through his legs and into the net to give the away team a slight consolation. The Hammers then had a late shout for a penalty turned down when a shot from Morrison appeared to be blocked by the arms of Cleverley just inside the box. It would have been a harsh decision to give it though as it seemed difficult for him to get out of the way of the effort and had the away side scored from the resulting spot kick the scoreline would have been a poor reflection on a game where United were rarely troubled in defence.

The game ended 3-1 to United to give them some momentum going into a busy period of matches. Their next challenge is a trip to Hull City on boxing day where Moyes and his men will be hoping for a late Christmas present of three points to help them climb further up the table.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs West Ham United 21/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - Couldn't do much about the goal. Had nothing to do really. Good distribution out to the full backs.

2. Rafael - 7 - Got forward more than he has in the last couple of games. Seems to be getting his fitness back and put in some dangerous crosses although was sometimes wasteful in the final third.

12. Chris Smalling - 8 - Growing in this role with every game. Was composed and confident, developing a decent partnership with Evans.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Took a couple of knocks in the first half but came out for the second and battled through. Remained solid throughout.
3. Patrice Evra - 6 - Linked up well with Januzaj and then Young when he came on. Didn't have a lot to do at the back.

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - It was a little hit and miss for the Ecuadorian today, he could have had a goal but sometimes he made the wrong decision in the final third. His decision to shoot rather than play Jones in on goal ended in West Ham's break for their consolation goal.

23. Tom Cleverley - 7 - Another energetic performance. Put in some good tackles as well as keeping possession well in the middle.

4. Phil Jones - 8 - Put himself all over the pitch as usual. Reads the game well and made some crucial interceptions.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Scored a brilliant goal but faded as the game went on, which is understandable as he's still learning his trade.

10. Wayne Rooney - 9 - Played in a deeper role and was at the heart of everything. Claimed two assists and went close with a free kick in the first half.
19. Danny Welbeck - 7 - Scored the opener with a great finish but unfortunately got a knock so had to be taken off in the second half.

Substitutions-

18. Ashley Young - 7 - Replaced Januzaj. Seemed in confident mood and scored another beautiful goal.

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 6 - Replaced Welbeck. Another lively cameo, scored but it was ruled offside.
28. Alexander Buttner - 4 - Replaced Evra. A lack of concentration meant he played Cole onside for West Ham's goal. Poor.

Team Ratings: Stoke City vs Manchester United 18/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - Could have stayed at home he had that little to do.

2. Rafael - 6 - Gave Valencia the support needed and made some good runs. Little to do defensively.

12. Chris Smalling - 7 - Kept Crouch quiet and was rarely troubled. Comfortable throughout and was a threat in the air too.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Continually impressive and composed. Another fine performance. Maybe should have scored though.
3. Patrice Evra - 7 - Capped a quiet night in defence off with a superb finish with his wrong foot. 

25. Antonio Valencia - 6 - Was lively but struggled to find the quality final ball needed. Worked tirelessly though and is definitely gaining some of his confidence back.

23. Tom Cleverley - 8 - Kept United ticking over well and started off some good attacking moves. Needs to keep it up.

4. Phil Jones - 7 - Got stuck in well in the centre although a quiet game by his standards.

8. Anderson - 5 - Seemed to struggle. Whether that be due to the conditions or because of a lack of match fitness it was hard to tell but United certainly looked much better when he was replaced.

18. Ashley Young - 8 - His best performance for a while. Scored a brilliant goal and seemed to grow in confidence afterwards, also grabbing an assist. We'll see if he can keep it up.
19. Danny Welbeck - 6 - Worked hard in the difficult conditions but was largely isolated up top on his own.

Substitutions-

14. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez - 6 - Replaced Anderson. Showcased some good movement and got an assist. Lively.

24. Darren Fletcher - 6 - Replaced Welbeck. Didn't have much to do when he came on but great to see him get some minutes on the pitch. 

Match Report: Stoke City vs Manchester United 18/12/2013

United rain supreme in Stoke as stunning strikes from Young and Evra send them through to League Cup Semi-Final.

Manchester United were looking to build on their thumping win over Norwich in the last round of this competition and knock out Stoke City after The Potters had scraped through to the Quarter-Finals on penalties against Birmingham. Mark Hughes' side will have taken confidence though, from the fact that they have never been beaten in a cup tie at home against United- although the red devils had been victorious in the last four meetings between the sides.

Wayne Rooney picked up a groin injury in training that ruled him out of the tie leaving Danny Welbeck to lead the line after his brace against Aston Villa at the weekend. Stoke were still without Robert Huth and Matthew Etherington who missed out with knee and back injuries respectively.

United made the best start of the two teams on a wet and windy night as they created the game's first chance inside the opening three minutes. Young latched on to a through ball from Welbeck but he couldn't keep his shot on target and it went into the side netting. Inside ten minutes Stoke's Cameron then went on a good cross-field run but his shot on the United goal was also off target and sailed over the bar. 

United's first shot on target came through Anderson after a good move involving Cleverley and Welbeck. The resulting shot was poor from the Brazilian midfielder who is notorious for his lack of finishing and his effort was collected easily by Sorensen in the Stoke City goal. It was a game of few chances early on and the biggest highlight of the match came when referee Mark Clattenburg stopped the game on 28 minutes due to unplayable weather conditions. The visibility had become very poor due to the amount of hail falling on the pitch and the players were taken back to their dressing rooms until the referee felt it was fit to continue. This meant a 10 minute delay in play that actually served to help the teams regroup as the game seemed to benefit from the stoppage and became a more entertaining display after the re-start. 

The away side went close to taking the lead right at the end of the half when Cleverley's corner was flicked on by Smalling and almost allowed Evans to stab the ball home. However, Sorensen was alert to the danger and ensured he got to the ball first to deny the defender a rare goal. United brought on Hernandez for Anderson in a bid to make the breakthrough in the second half and shortly after Welbeck had headed a good chance over the bar, they got the vital goal they needed. Young picked up the ball and played a one-two with Hernandez on the edge of the Stoke box, the England winger then hit a stunning first time shot that swerved over the helpless Sorensen and into the net to give United a deserved lead just after the hour mark.

Stoke tried their best to reply but their best chances came from good crosses that nobody could get contact on, notably a superb one from Pieters on the left that just missed Walters sliding in in the box. United continued to press for the second though and were rewarded when Young, confident from his goal, fed in Evra who had made a lovely run into the box. The Frenchman remained composed, sidestepped an onrushing defender and coolly finished with his right foot into the top right corner of the goal.

Hernandez, who had clearly made an impact from the bench, then had a chance to score yet another goal against The Potters after scoring five goals against them since he arrived in England. However, it wasn't to be as he couldn't make proper contact with the ball after Valencia had drilled in a dangerous cross from the right. The whistle then went that meant United progressed to the Semi-Final after a deserved win that came from two classy second half goals. They will be hoping for more of the same in their two games against Sunderland, their next opponents in the two-legged Semi-Final.

Team Ratings: Aston Villa vs Manchester United 15/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Made a couple of smart saves and stood his ground during a spat with Agbonlahor.

2. Rafael - 7 - Showed great determination to put in a brilliant cross to create the opener. Supported Valencia well and kept Agbonlahor quiet throughout.

4. Phil Jones - 8 - Although rarely troubled this was a fantastic, commanding performance from Jones. He fought for every ball and won almost all of his challenges and headers.
6. Jonny Evans - 7 - Looked comfortable throughout and showed good distribution. Definitely deserves to be starting alongside Jones as their partnership looked impressive.
3. Patrice Evra - 7 - Although untested for large periods he remained composed and made some good interceptions. Also linked well with Januzaj down the left.

25. Antonio Valencia - 8 - A fantastic display. Looked confident and caused Luna all sorts of problems. Crossed for Welbeck's second and was a threat all afternoon.

23. Tom Cleverley - 8 - Kept possession well, completing 94% of his passes. He got a well deserved goal early in the second half with a nice finish after an energetic display that should see him be United's first choice midfielder in the absence of Carrick.

11. Ryan Giggs - 6 - Helped to control the game and the tempo. Taken off after playing his second game in a week.

44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - A quiet game overall for the youngster as United got more joy down the right but his header allowed Welbeck to tap in for the first and he was always looking to cause Villa problems. Another promising display.
19. Danny Welbeck - 8 - Proved that he can do the job in his natural position with two good, instinctive finishes. A powerful performance.

10. Wayne Rooney - 7 - Was integral to the win, dropping deep to help out the midfield and helping create up front. He went close to scoring himself but his highlight was the perfect pass he gave to Cleverley for United's third goal.

Substitutions-

18. Ashley Young - 5 - Replaced Januzaj. Not much to do.

24. Darren Fletcher - 7 - Replaced Giggs. A really nice cameo where he looked comfortable and kept the ball well. Great to see him back.

29. Wilfried Zaha - 5 - Replaced Rooney. Came on for 6 minutes and didn't do a lot.

Match Report: Aston Villa vs Manchester United 15/12/2013

United finally find some festive cheer at happy hunting ground Villa Park as Darren Fletcher makes his comeback and a Welbeck double helps the Champions thrash Villa 3-0 to avoid a third consecutive league defeat.

Manchester United headed to Villa Park in vital need of taking home three points after two consecutive home losses to Everton and Newcastle. Paul Lambert's Villa team had already caused an upset at home against Manchester City and a win would see them go level on points with United.

Wayne Rooney and Danny Welbeck returned upfront for Manchester United but the best news for their travelling fans was that Darren Fletcher took a place on the bench, almost a year since his last appearance. Ron Vlaar was left out again with a calf problem for Villa but Antonio Luna returned to bolster the home side's defence.

Villa made a decent start to the match as Albrighton had two shots in the opening ten minutes, although both were tame and De Gea collected them with ease. United soon began to dominate the play though and it took just under a quarter of an hour for Moyes' men to go 1-0 up. Rafael did brilliantly to hold off Sylla and get to the byline before sending a fantastic cross into the box. Januzaj got up well to head the ball goalwards and it had beaten the outstretched arms of Guzan but couldn't beat his right-hand post. Fortunately for United it hit the upright and rebounded off to Welbeck who was in exactly the right place to tap in from 6 yards.

Just over three minutes later United's class shone through again as they doubled their lead when Welbeck scored his second of the afternoon. Cleverley started the attack as he collected a poor pass from Baker just inside the Villa half. He passed to Welbeck who quickly spotted Valencia and distributed the ball out wide to the winger. Valencia waited for Welbeck's run into the box before he sent a low cross in for the England international to slide on to and loop over Guzan and into the net.

The away team weren't being closed down as they had been in their last two games and they enjoyed lengthy spells of possession as Valencia constantly found space down the right channel. The Ecuadorian created a fine chance for Rooney in the 28th minute of the first half as he beat his man and cut the ball back for United's number 10 on the edge of the box. Rooney hit it well but it sidled just wide of the far post.

Shortly afterwards Valencia was involved again, this time setting up a chance for Welbeck to grab his hattrick with a lovely defence splitting through ball. However, Welbeck's resulting effort echoed his strike partner's hit from minutes earlier as he sent the ball wide of the same post.

Villa struggled to trouble De Gea with Benteke in particular looking starved of service and failing to put his mark on the game. It wasn't long before United found their momentum from the first half and scored their third in the opening seven minutes of the second half. Cleverley was the unlikely goalscorer as he started off a move by winning the ball just inside the Villa half after a poor pass from Luna. He then gave the ball to Rooney who ran at the defence before completing the one-two as he threaded a through ball back to his fellow England international. Cleverley had made a brilliant run into the box and matched it with a nice finish past Guzman for his first goal for exactly a year to secure United were well out of sight.

Villa had a rare opportunity when Evans and Rooney failed to clear the ball properly in the United area. Albrighton showed skill to pick the ball up from a tight angle, turn and get a snap shot away that stung the hands of United's Spanish stopper. 

United fans were in good spirits in the away end and they reserved their biggest cheer for the 70th minute when Fletcher completed his much anticipated return and came on to replace Giggs. It was a good cameo from the Scottish midfielder who will be a welcome addition to United's injury-hit squad. 

It was a strong performance from the Champions as they controlled the game throughout and looked dangerous on the attack. Welbeck wasted an opportunity for his hattrick when he shot over late on for United, who saw the final minutes of the game out with ease to ensure that they picked up three points for the first time in four League games. United's next game in the Premier League comes against West Ham, where they will be hoping to build on this impressive performance with a win at Old Trafford.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk 10/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 6 - Made a couple of saves of note but looked a little shaky early on, taking longer than usual to clear the ball. 

2. Rafael - 6 - United's best defender by a mile. Also got forward well and put in some dangerous crosses. Slowly getting back to his best.

5. Rio Ferdinand - 5 - Was caught in possession and made many mistakes in the first half. Picked up his game in the second half but it was still a performance well below his standards.
6. Jonny Evans - 6 - Beaten by Teixeira's pace at times in the first half but much improved in the second half and contributed to United keeping a clean sheet against the tricky opposition.

28. Alex Buttner - 5 - Unconvincing at left back and unlikely to challenge Evra for a place in the first team with this form. Given a torrid time by Shakhtar's Brazilians.

18. Ashley Young - 5 - Had two decent opportunities to put United ahead against the run of play at the end of the first half but failed with both. Taken off and United looked better for it.

4. Phil Jones - 8 - Was a vital component of the victory and not just because of his well-taken winning goal. He ensured United got a foothold in the game in the second half and put in some brilliant tackles.

11. Ryan Giggs - 4 - His passing was poor throughout and the game seemed to be passing him by. Was replaced after an hour by Cleverley and United looked much stronger with some younger energy in the middle.
44. Adnan Januzaj - 6 - Showed skill with a nice turn in the box to create a chance for himself in what was a poor first half overall for United. Other than that it was a quiet night for Januzaj but he has plenty of potential and will only improve with more game time.

26. Shinji Kagawa - 5 - Didn't contribute much at all. Was surprised he was kept on for the full ninety minutes.
10. Wayne Rooney - 6 - Not a vintage performance but he put in his usual 110% effort and made some good passes to play in his team mates. Had a couple of close efforts in the second half.

Substitutions-

23. Tom Cleverley - 6 - Replaced Giggs. Brought his usual energy to the midfield role and helped United up the tempo. 

20. Robin Van Persie - 6 - Replaced Young. Got an assist after 4 minutes of being on the pitch. An impact sub.

25. Antonio Valencia - 4 - Replaced Buttner. Helped see the game out.

Match Report: Manchester United vs FC Shakhtar Donetsk 10/12/2013

Jones goal puts United on right side of 1-0 scoreline as they secure top spot of Group A in their final group match against Ukrainians.

Considering Manchester United's current position in the Premier League you would have been forgiven for forgetting that their last performance in the Champions League was a magnificent 5-0 victory away at domestic high-flyers Bayer Leverkusen.

United's results in Europe have been enough to take them to the top of Group A but they needed one last win in this fixture at home to Shakhtar Donetsk to ensure that they qualified as group winners. A win would also help silence some critics before their Premier League match against Aston Villa on Sunday and realising this, David Moyes chose a strong line-up. There was six changes for the home side as Rio Ferdinand, Alex Buttner, Ashley Young, Ryan Giggs, Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney all returned to the line up with Rooney taking the Captain's armband in the absence of Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra.

Shakhtar looked arguably the livelier of the two stages in the opening stages and for much of the half. Clearly wanting to take advantage of United's recent poor form at home they were quick to close them down and never allowed Ferdinand and Evans time to distribute the ball freely out of the defence. They also created the game's first good chance as Taison put Teixeira in with a well-timed through ball. Teixeira used his pace to beat Evans to the pass and ran into the box but couldn't find the finish and dragged his shot wide of the far post.

United then had a chance of their own after Januzaj was given space in the box to chest down a deflected Kagawa cross, turn and shoot shortly after the quarter of an hour mark. It was a lovely piece of skill from the youngster but Pyatov parried the shot away from the centre of his goal to keep the scores level. The Brazilian trio of Taison, Teixeira and Douglas were constantly causing problems for United and Teixeira utilised his lightning pace once again in the 28th minute with a dazzling diagonal run that saw him ease past Giggs and several other United players to reach the United box. Once again though he struggled to find an end product and his shot was tame and hit straight at De Gea.

United's only opportunities came when they had the chance to break with the ball and Rooney was given a chance shortly after the half hour mark with a free kick after Januzaj had been brought down on one of these rare United counter-attacks. Rooney took it well but it ended up on the wrong side of Pyatov's left-hand post and nestled into the side netting. Shakhtar were continuing to create chances though as Ferdinand looked unusually shaky at the back and allowed Teixeira to steal the ball off him and cross for Fred. Luckily for the former England defender he got back to put a block in to deny the Brazilian.

 Against the run of play, United should have scored shortly before half time when Young got on the end of a ball over the top from Giggs ahead of Shakhtar Captain Srna. He tried to chip the on-rushing keeper but his dinked effort went just wide of the far post. It was undeniably the home side's best chance of the first half but it would have been incredibly harsh on the Ukrainian visitors, who had performed admirably throughout the opening 45. That chance seemed to have woken the hosts up though and they had one last opportunity before the whistle as they pounced on a poor defensive clearance from Shakhtar. Jones passed to Rooney who saw the in-field run of Young in space on the left and slid the ball to him but the inconsistent winger sent a poor finish hopelessly wide and into the crowd.

United looked much improved in the second half, maintaining possession for longer periods and keeping Shakhtar's Brazilian talent at bay. The substitutions made on the hour mark also saw the home team begin to look more competitive in the middle of the park as Cleverley replaced the 40 year old Giggs. Van Persie replaced Young too and it was his contribution that made the difference in the 67th minute when the Dutchman whipped in a delightful corner for Jones to volley in with venom. It was a lovely take from the versatile England man who had been one of United's better performers on the night.

United settled and Shakhtar heads went down meaning the visitors struggled to get back their momentum from the first half. De Gea made a late save from a Srna effort but ultimately the Ukrainians failed to create anything of note in the closing stages meaning they finished third in Group A and United go through to the Round of 16 as group winners. Although they struggled in the first half they managed to get the goal and see the game out. They now look ahead to next Monday's draw knowing that they will avoid European giants like Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid in the next round. However Moyes' team will certainly need to perform better in both legs against whichever team they are pitted against as they are likely to be punished if their performance is as sluggish as it was in the first half of this match.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Newcastle United 07/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Made two decent saves from Debuchy at the end of the first half and a touch off Vidic for Cabaye's goal makes it difficult to place any blame on him for the result.

2. Rafael - 5 - Still rusty after his spell out and didn't get forward much meaning he was taken off for the more attacking outlet of Valencia.
6. Jonny Evans - 6 - Dealt with everything pretty well but didn't have much to do.

15. Nemanja Vidic - 4 - His passing in the first half was woeful. He was slow on the ball and was often kicking it up field to no-one in a panic. Kept Remy quiet for large periods of the game but definitely looks to be going through a dip in form.
3. Patrice Evra - 4 - An absolute liability at left back. Caught napping for the Debuchy effort at the start of the first half and allowed Sissoko to go past him with ease for the goal. Needs to be more disciplined.

17. Nani - 5 - Struggled to make an impact and was inconsistent as always meaning he was substituted after Newcastle scored.

23. Tom Cleverley - 5 - Made some decent cross-field passes and had a shot blocked in the first half. Probably one of his better games but still did nothing of considerable note.
4. Phil Jones - 6 - Put himself all over the pitch in a decent display but couldn't help ignite United's spark.
44. Adnan Januzaj - 7 - Showed flashes of brilliance throughout but lacks experience and faded as the game went on.
20. Robin Van Persie - 5 - Besides one brilliant pass from deep in the second half he looked understandably sluggish after almost a month out. Tried his best and had a decent header ruled out for offside.

14. Javier Chicharito Hernandez - 5 - One of United's better players in the first half but was isolated for large parts of the game and definitely does better coming off the bench.

Substitutions-

8. Anderson - 5 - Replaced Cleverley. No worse than Cleverley, showed energy but lacked a decent pass.
29. Wilfried Zaha - 5 - Replaced Nani. Curled an effort wide but couldn't do much else.
25. Antonio Valencia - 4 - Replaced Rafael. Couldn't make a difference.

Match Report: Manchester United vs Newcastle United 07/12/2013

Theatre of Screams! Newcastle win at Old Trafford for first time since 1972 as United suffer two consecutive home defeats for first time since 2002.

Manchester United were the hosts for the second time in a week for this Premier League clash against Alan Pardew's Newcastle United. Both teams were looking to bounce back from disappointing results in mid-week where Newcastle were beaten 3-0 away at Swansea and Everton won 1-0 at Old Trafford.

Robin Van Persie returned to the United line-up for the first time in almost a month and started up front with Javier Hernandez as Wayne Rooney was suspended. Adnan Januzaj and Tom Cleverley were also among the seven changes from the team beaten by Everton. Newcastle only had one change from the team that played at the Liberty Stadium as Vernon Anita came in for Shola Ameobi.

It was a first half of little opportunity as United struggled to create many chances without the creative input of Rooney. Newcastle were much like Everton in the fact that they never gave United any time on the ball and were constantly closing down to make it difficult for the home side to get the ball up to Van Persie and Hernandez. 

Jones forced a low save from Krul with a first-time shot from 20 yards 10 minutes in before Nani and Januzaj linked up to create an opening for Cleverley a minute later. The midfielder's initial shot was blocked by Coloccini and Van Persie got the ball back to Cleverley for a second chance but unfortunately for the Old Trafford crowd his second shot was also blocked and trickled into the arms of Premier League Player of the Month Krul.

Newcastle created the game's best chances right at the end of the first half when Debuchy had two efforts in as many minutes. Remy caught fellow Frenchman Evra napping at left back and sent a fine through ball to another France international, Debuchy, who had made a clever infield run from the right. Debuchy sent a decent effort towards goal but De Gea got up well to make the save to keep the scoreline level. Santon created the second chance with a lovely cross whipped in for Debuchy who could only head straight at De Gea to ensure the game remained 0-0 at half time.

Clearly struggling to get into the game, Van Persie was forced to drop deep to get on the ball which he did at the start of the second half, a move that created United's best opportunity of the match. The Dutchman picked the ball up in midfield and lofted a sublime pass over the Newcastle defence to Hernandez who showed great control and hit a drive goalwards. It would take more than that to beat Krul though and the Newcastle goalkeeper saved it with his legs. United were starting to build some momentum and seconds later had a second shot on target, this time from Januzaj as he somehow found the space to get away a half-volley in the crowded Newcastle box but once again it was saved by Krul.

The home side then had shouts for a penalty as Evra's header off a corner from Nani was saved by the post and then Anita on the line. The midfielder looked like he had used his arm to block the ball before he cleared it to safety but referee Andre Marriner clearly didn't see it as deliberate and refused to give the spot-kick. 

United were left to rue their missed chances as they were against Everton when Newcastle caught them on the break around the hour mark and punished them. Evra was once again left chasing shadows as Sissoko broke with pace down the right before cutting the ball back for Cabaye in space in the penalty area. The Frenchman was cool, calm and collected and swept the ball into the far corner of the net to send the travelling Newcastle fans into dreamland.

United had half an hour to turn the game around and Moyes soon brought on Zaha and Anderson to replace Nani and Cleverley. Van Persie thought he had the equaliser in the 72nd minute but Sian Massey rightly flagged for offside after the cross in from Januzaj had took a touch off Evans that made the Dutchman a few yards off.

Van Persie then put in an excellent cross from a free kick that no-one could get a touch on to divert towards goal as Moyes brought on his final substitute Valencia who replaced Rafael at right back. Newcastle made some attacking changes too with Ameobi coming on for goalscorer Cabaye. It was clear the away side were confident of maintaining their lead, if not doubling it and it was Pardew's men who ended the game on the front foot as they frustrated United by winning successive corners in front of the jubilant away support. The whistle finally went which meant Newcastle joined West Brom and Everton in achieving historic victories away at Old Trafford for the first time in years, 41 years in the case of the North East club.

It leaves David Moyes and his side with a huge challenge to even make top four by the end of the season meaning three points in their next League game away at Villa Park are essential. First they have to face their final Champions League group match though on Tuesday and you wouldn't blame the opposition Shakhtar Dontesk for fancying themselves to cause yet another upset at the once-feared Old Trafford.

Team Ratings: Manchester United vs Everton 04/12/2013

1. David De Gea - 7 - Made some good saves from Lukaku and Mirallas and his distribution was good too. Once again he couldn't do much for the goal and you have to feel for him being constantly let down by his defence.

2. Rafael - 5 - Understandably rusty on his return and his passing was poor at times. Did put in one brilliant cross for the Giggs effort though.
12. Chris Smalling - 6 - Wasn't helped by the performance of Vidic and sometimes struggles under pressure however he definitely seems more comfortable at centre-back and made some good blocks.

15. Nemanja Vidic - 4 - Was bullied throughout by Lukaku and was constantly muscled off the ball and outpaced. A game to forget.
3. Patrice Evra - 7 - Added to the attack and even tested Howard twice himself with a header and long range shot. Did surprisingly well down the left considering he had no cover.

25. Antonio Valencia - 5 - His final ball was poor all night, he never looked to beat Oviedo and then failed to track him for the Everton goal.

31. Marouane Fellaini - 5 - Did a good enough job in the first half but faded fast in the second and allowed Lukaku to cross for the goal.

11. Ryan Giggs - 5 - Could have scored in the first half but it was an average performance from the Welshman. You can hardly blame him though as he shouldn't have to play ninety minutes at 40 years of age.
19. Danny Welbeck - 5 - Tried hard but should have scored when he had an open net to direct his header at but instead he hit the bar. Was isolated out on the left and didn't have too much of the ball.

26. Shinji Kagawa - 6 - Had some good touches and put in one excellent cross that Welbeck and Rooney should have done better with. A bit hit and miss though and failed to boss the game so was taken off.

10. Wayne Rooney - 5 - Did okay in the first half and was unlucky to see a deflected shot hit the post rather than go in but it was a poor performance by his standards and he has left United without many options up front on Saturday as he picked up a needless booking and suspension.

Substitutions-

44. Adnan Januzaj - 6 - Replaced Rafael. Forced a decent save from Howard with a good drive but apart from that failed to have much of an impact coming off the bench.
14. Javier Chicharito Hernandez - 5 - Replaced Welbeck. Brought on too late to do anything.

17. Nani - 5 - Replaced Kagawa. Looked lively but he was frustrating as usual with his final ball.