Sunderland 1 Manchester United 1
The crest on the shirt is still the same. The songs go to the same tune and in the closing moments, hunting a late winner, there was at least something to reassure their supporters. Yet this is not Manchester United as we know them. Not yet, anyway. Louis van Gaal had predicted it would take three months, or maybe even longer, before everything clicked and there were only fleeting moments here when they looked even close to getting it right.
They were fortunate in one respect that Sunderland did not have more refinement in their own play. Sunderland really ought to have done more to examine United’s shortcomings after Jack Rodwell’s first goal for the club had put them level when there was an hour of the game to be played. There was an overwhelming sense that this was undoubtedly a good time to come up against Van Gaal’s side.
In the first half in particular there was plenty of evidence to support Van Gaal’s assertion that United’s self-belief had been “smashed” by their defeat to Swansea City the previous weekend.
United did at least start passing the ball with some of the old spark after the interval but it was strange that Gus Poyet's team did not play with more adventure bearing in mind their opponents finished with a three-man defence featuring Tyler Blackett and Will Keane.
Sunderland, overall, were disappointing, huffing and puffing to the final whistle and passing up the opportunity to take advantage of United’s shortcomings. In the circumstances, Van Gaal’s team coped reasonably well during those passages when Sunderland’s fans must have longed for their team to take control.
Even so, it was rare to see a United side move the ball with so little distinction. So many of the qualities that we associate with this club seem to have been placed in temporary storage. They were slow with their thinking and their passing. Danny Welbeck's arrival as a second-half substitute gave them more impetus but Van Gaal must have been startled by their general lack of cohesion before that and it flattered them greatly when Juan Mata gave them a 17th-minute lead.
There was also a touch of ignominy attached to the result given that it incorporated another incident that will further enhance Ashley Young's reputation as a serial diver. Young received another yellow card for his troubles, accused of trying to con referee Martin Atkinson into awarding a second-half penalty, at the first stage in the match when the visiting team had started to put their opponents under concerted pressure.
Until that point, United had left the clear impression that Angel Di Maria's impending arrival from Real Madrid will only partly ease their issues. At one point Chris Smalling brought the ball out of defence and then held out his arms in exasperation about the lack of movement in front of him.
Young, inside the opening minute, gave the ball away in his own half and was fortunate that his mistake was not punished. Tom Cleverley's carelessness felt stuck on a loop. Robin van Persie looked short of fitness and the Sunderland defender Santiago Vergini probably took enough of the ball to warrant the benefit of the doubt when United thought they should have won a penalty. The incident came directly before Young exaggerated his fall from Wes Brown's challenge.
Provided everything goes through with Di María, Van Gaal might feel compelled to abandon his wing-back system and his experimentation with three centre-backs. The injury that forced off Smalling late in the first half continues their misfortune in that context but, equally, this is a recurring theme. The same applies to Jonny Evans and Phil Jones and it seemed bewildering that United had not done more to strengthen this part of their team.
When they took the lead it was the first time in the match they had attacked with any real purpose. Valencia went round the outside of Patrick van Aanholt too easily and his low centre took a slight deflection off Lee Cattermole to help it across the six-yard area. Seb Larsson had allowed Mata to get away from him and the Spaniard applied the finishing touch at the far post.
Sunderland were briefly dispirited but Will Buckley seemed eager to make a good impression with his new club and Cattermole, at the base of their midfield, led by example.
United were always likely to be vulnerable on the left of their defence, via the inexperienced Blackett and the inadequate Young and the corner for Rodwell’s equaliser came from that side. Larsson swung the ball over and Rodwell eluded Valencia to score with powerful header.
Guardian Service
