A match which we simply had to win, with the recent run of matches, ended in another loss. If there was anything good yesterday, it was seeing Fletcher return to Old Trafford. Another thing that was good was the way we dominated the match. But unfortunately, that was it. With the return of van Persie in the starting XI, it seemed inevitable that Rooney would be pushed back to midfield. That's where all the problem was. The change of position. This again happened in the second half when RVP was put in midfield and Fellaini put in attack. There's a reason why positions are named and why players prefer certain positions. It's because they are born to play there!



We could have utilised a 4-4-2 formation or even a 4-4-1-1 formation if Rooney was insistent on creating chances. But instead we put attacking midfielders like Herrera as defensive midfielders. How is that gonna work? When Fellaini played as a striker, the only thing we did was try and lob the ball onto his head, hoping he would assist. But credits are due to the West Brom defence as well. They narrowed down our attacks very effectively.

We were able to see glimpses of the glorious form of Di Maria when he dribbled past a few people and when he took a good shot. But he too didn't play his best. Nothing can be expected from Falcao when he's given only 10 minutes to play. He should have been put on earlier! We haven't lost 3 matches in a row in a long, long time, especially without scoring in one. If we are to qualify for the Champions League, we need to run the remaining three. Also, Chelsea's won the league this season, unsurprisingly.

After an undeserved loss at Stamford Bridge, came yet another loss, this time at Goodison Park. In the match against Chelsea, had the last minute penalty been awarded, a point might have been secured, giving hopes of somehow winning the title. But, only a top four finish is now possible. Victory against Everton would have pushed us to second, which is second best to winning. But, an early lead due to our defensive error changed the course of the match. We kept possession for long time, creating decent attacks but our finishing was poor. They pressed forward in the counter and were successful in set-pieces as well.



De Gea was powerless in this match as was Rooney, who tried to create more chances rather than attack himself. Rooney was always successful when he pushed forward and did what he does best : Score Goals! But he was not to be blamed alone, the others weren't creating that good a chance themselves. Valencia did good at moving forward, but did poor at marking the opposition which led to the second goal. So, it seems the curse of Goodison Park continues as we fail to win yet again for the third time in a row.

This match shows once again, how much we miss the Midfield Maestro, Michael Carrick. His calm and composed presence always led us to victory. Daley Blind failed to impress in his position. He lacked the attacking mentality and ability to pull in key passes. Blind is better off defending. He's already shown that this season. He's a natural Left-back and very good at intercepting. Whatever Louis van Gaal has to do, he needs to do it now. The last 4 mathces of the Premier League remain and we need to win all four of them to ensure a Champions League spot.

As we face Stoke city tomorrow at Old Trafford, we look yet again to climb the table. With the long lost form of van Persie returning, our injury problems reducing, we certainly can have our confidence levels back up. The match against Hull City reminded everyone of the speed of our counter-attacks and our the attacking talent we possess.

So, here is the predicted starting XI:

De Gea, Smalling, Rojo, Valencia, Young, Mata, Fletcher, Januzaj, Rooney, Falcao, van Persie
Formation: 3-4-3