The Whoopie Cushion: Blackburn Rovers 3 – Manchester United 2

Photo by Stevendepolo on Flickr

Blackburn Rovers played party spoilers at Old Trafford on Saturday, as Manchester United surrendered a shocking three goals and lost at home for the second time this season.  Injuries tell part of the tale, especially on defense, but even the most ardent Red would have to look himself in the mirror and say the team just wasn't good enough on a day that saw United play a lineup full of attacking options — including Antonio Valencia, Nani, Danny Welbeck, Chicharito, and Dimitar Berbatov all on the pitch at the same time.

The game began like many of the team's recent efforts, as the movement both on and off the ball looked strong to begin the contest.  There were bursts of flowing movement, but with a key difference to the last several matches: no end product.  Even more unfortunately, the game's first score came from a most unexpected spot: Dimitar Berbatov — showcasing that his defense still needs some work — pulled down a massive fistful of Yakubu in the box, and the Nigerian calmly dispatched the ball beyond David De Gea to give the visitors an unfamiliar 1-nil lead.

With so many players being deployed outside of their natural positions, United were overly aggressive in their tackles, with Nani and Michael Carrick giving confirmed United hater Mike Dean two easy opportunities to brandish his yellow card. Phil Jones' offesnive effort was unwittingly blocked by Chicharito as the Reds finally began to build up a head of steam on the offensive front, dominating possession. For their part, Blackburn showcased some grit but little polish on defense, although they did manage to limit the Reds' real chances to somewhat less than a handful by the game's half hour mark.
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