Really exciting game and Norwich contributed hugely and may feel unlucky not to have got a draw.
We looked great for 20 minutes but Norwich came back into it and looked the better team for a period. Our formation didn't do us any favours with Giggs tucking in and Evra being left a bit exposed and Norwich exploited that. They were having a field day with Evra and he is regularly targeted by teams as our defensive weak link. Luckily, he now has Rio beside him, so not quite as much of a liability. Evans did OK and De Gea was really good. Jones seems to have lost that early season sparkle.
Carrick and Scholes were great but Scholes gave Norwich the ball under no pressure and that led eventually to the Norwich goal. Nani still isn't near his best. Giggs, as always, verges from the sublime to the ridiculous. Brilliant to see him score the winner. Hernandez was anonymous again but he and Welbeck didn't really have much to feed on in terms of crosses. Welbeck played very well, I thought, which doesn't seem to be the view of everyone. His movement and touch was really good and he worked his socks off. He should really have buried the header near the end but at least he's the one getting into the positions.
I'm pleased that Norwich look like they will stay up because their manager has done wonders and they play the right way, although there were a lot more longballs and up-and-unders today than normal.
On the balance of play a draw may have been fair but last minute winners marks us out as being special. The stuff of champions.
We looked great for 20 minutes but Norwich came back into it and looked the better team for a period. Our formation didn't do us any favours with Giggs tucking in and Evra being left a bit exposed and Norwich exploited that. They were having a field day with Evra and he is regularly targeted by teams as our defensive weak link. Luckily, he now has Rio beside him, so not quite as much of a liability. Evans did OK and De Gea was really good. Jones seems to have lost that early season sparkle.
Carrick and Scholes were great but Scholes gave Norwich the ball under no pressure and that led eventually to the Norwich goal. Nani still isn't near his best. Giggs, as always, verges from the sublime to the ridiculous. Brilliant to see him score the winner. Hernandez was anonymous again but he and Welbeck didn't really have much to feed on in terms of crosses. Welbeck played very well, I thought, which doesn't seem to be the view of everyone. His movement and touch was really good and he worked his socks off. He should really have buried the header near the end but at least he's the one getting into the positions.
I'm pleased that Norwich look like they will stay up because their manager has done wonders and they play the right way, although there were a lot more longballs and up-and-unders today than normal.
On the balance of play a draw may have been fair but last minute winners marks us out as being special. The stuff of champions.