Manchester United wins 2-1 over Blackburn, but Streak is Broken

Manchester United 2-1 over Blackburn – United’s Defense Breached

Manchester United beat Blackburn at Old Trafford in a game that saw United give up a goal for the first time since November 8th, and the result could have gone the other way.  Manchester lead the Premier League by 8 points, with Liverpool playing Sunday to close that gap. The day’s mission may have been accomplished, but at what cost to their confidence?

The match started with Man Utd keeping possession relatively effortlessly, but one could sense some nerves on their behalf. A rough pitch and some heavy touches? Or is the weight of the press and expectations around winning multiple competitions this year catching up with them?

United’s passing and movement were world class, however the Blackburn Rovers defenders made clutch blocks and tackles until the 23rd minute when Rooney was able to tap in a ball defender Nelson couldn’t get to in earnest.

At that point fans’ minds were wondering how far up the Red Devils would run the score, and perhaps the players themselves were thinking about the games ahead, a lack of focus that cost them. At 32 minutes Blackburn’s Ooijer rushed in to nip a midfield ball from day dreamers Nani and Schloes and passed to Santa Cruz. Rio dived in to tackle and Keeper Kuszczak threw himself in the same direction, colliding with Ferdinand, while Roque Santa Cruz kept his cool and went around them both to slot the open goal. The best team in the world or the Keystone Cops? The score at half time was 1-1.

Could there be any better entertainment than being in the locker room at half time? One can imagine Ferguson and Allardyce each addressing their team with more than a drop of vinegar.

The 2nd half of play revealed a more confident Rovers, a number of chances at both ends, a disallowed Jonny Evans header, and questions of whether penalties should be given.  Ferguson and Allardyce got into it on the sideline over whether the Rovers were due a penalty after Da Silva put his hands on Pedersen’s shoulders and Pedersen went down in the area with only the keeper to beat.  No penalty was given.

What a team needs in a game like this is for someone to come deliver a world class performance to make the difference. In the 60th minute Cristiano Ronaldo decided to oblige, taking a free kick from the left outside the area which rocketed and went around the corner, a bending, high velocity ball that left everyone standing as it found its home in the upper netting.  Here’s a look.

Nothing was certain until the end, with United being more dominant, but Blackburn threatening with everything they had, even keeper Robinson coming forward for a corner.  Manchester United held on for a 2-1 win.

What else is there to know?

• Manchester United wins and maintains their Premiership lead at 62 points
• Blackburn Rovers lose and are still in the relegation zone at 23 points
• The Manchester United defense showed some lack of organization and communication when under heavy pressure.  Perhaps they have enjoyed too much forward play of late and are not at their best
• Jonny Evans may be injured, a real blow for the Champions League match with Inter Milan as Vidic is banned from that fixture.
• Wayne Rooney played 90 minutes but looked to suffer from just enough fatigue toward game end to miss his shots.
• The Blackburn Rovers played what is perhaps the world’s best team and had a real shot at winning it. If they can take their confidence out of that, and duplicate that attitude, they ought to be able to fight their way up the table and avoid relegation