SPOT ON WAYNE
Blades are blunted as United claim penalty winner in Fergie time
WAYNE ROONEY spared Manchester United another embarrassment last night, netting a stoppage-time penalty to edge past League One Sheffield United into the fourth round of the FA Cup.
The England captain had been off-colour − along with the rest of Louis van Gaal’s side − for the majority of the evening.
Some supporters in the Stretford End booed their team as they trudged off down the tunnel at full-time as Van Gaal saw another laboured outing, with pressure still very much on the Dutchman.
It needed second-half substitute Memphis Depay to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, the Dutchman winning the late penalty which Rooney rammed home for his ninth goal of the season.
The FA Cup remains the club’s most likely path to silverware during a disastrous campaign.
But ex-midfielder Paul Scholes was scathing about his old club, claiming watching them is no longer an enjoyable experience.
WAYNE ROONEY struck an addedtime penalty against League One Sheffield United to spare the blushes of Louis van Gaal at Old Trafford.
The Dutch manager, criticised by home fans for his substitutions, was heading for an eighth goalless draw of the season until substitute Memphis Depay drew Dean Hammond into a foul and Rooney rammed in the spot-kick as he continued to close on Sir Bobby Charlton’s club goalscoring record.
Depay had dramatically spun up in the air after contact from the Blades defender and replays showed he had been caught on the shin. Certainly referee Jon Moss had no doubts.
It was pure relief for LVG, whose side managed just two shots on target in the evening third-round tie. Disgruntled supporters chanted the name of Ander Herrera as he was replaced after an hour while Marouane Fellaini was sarcastically cheered off a little later — the home fans wanted him gone long before.
Manchester United failed to create anything of substance until Anthony Martial’s shot was blocked by Chris Basham late on.
Van Gaal does not have a good record in domestic cups at United, beaten in the early stages of the League Cup by MK Dons and Middlesbrough, as well as failing to score in their first FA Cup tie against League Two Cambridge United last season before being knocked out by Arsenal.
So the Dutchman was taking no risks against Sheffield United, who reached last season’s Capital One Cup semi-finals and have beaten Aston Villa, Southampton and West Ham in recent years.
He made just three changes from the improved 2-1 Premier League victory against Swansea a week ago, which had ended an eight-match winless streak.
Rooney again led the line and after watching Sheffield United dominate the opening 10 minutes, he looked to have carved out a chance before slipping on the rain-sodden pitch. Rooney, who has responded well to being dropped at Stoke on St Stephen’s Day, seemed to enjoy his good old-fashioned battle with Neill Collins, both men making use of the shoulder charge in their battle for supremacy.
Slippery conditions were not helpful to either side. It did make for some terrific sliding tackles, though, and one from David Edgar dumped Herrera on his backside. Moss waved play on, surely to the delight of the traditionalists.
The first goalkeeper to be called into serious action was Manchester’s David De Gea, tipping over a stinging attempt from the edge of the box by Conor Sammon after 19 minutes, though it wouldn’t have counted with the striker ruled offside.
Rooney responded by dribbling around the other goalkeeper, George Long, but went too wide in the process and his subsequent cross was blocked by the visitors.
Manchester United fans have been cheesed off for most of the season by the ponderous nature of their side’s play, particularly when coupled with poor results. The past two games had been a little better, a 0-0 draw with Chelsea followed by the Swansea win, but the first half yesterday was a step back with Sheffield United, ninth in League One and 48 places below Van Gaal and his men in the league pyramid, looking more organised.
Their manager, Nigel Adkins, had named an unchanged team and will have been delighted by his players. As usual, Van Gaal stayed in the dug-out taking notes. His side bossed possession — 70 per cent — but went nowhere with it.
His best and most dangerous player in the first half was Matteo Darmian, whose delivery on the overlap was regularly top drawer. In contrast, Juan Mata didn’t seem happy in the wet conditions.
Herrera did try his arm at creativity after 35 minutes with a pass slipped into Rooney but again it just skidded through a little too strongly for the United captain and Long came out bravely to smother.
Daley Blind then tried to clip a pass into Herrera but the ball bounced off the Spaniard with a poor first touch.
You could sympathise with Van Gaal wanting to sign more players in January, even if he has already spent £260million since succeeding David Moyes. Ironically, £25m winger Depay has flopped so far at Old Trafford but made an important contribution in the end.
Manchester United haven’t won the FA Cup for 12 years — too long for a club of their size and prestige. Yet there seemed little urgency. Even the half-time talk on in-house television station MUTV was one of frustration that the manager was taking so little risk.
There did seem to be some emphasis on shifting the ball a little quicker in the second half but the final ball was too often woeful.
As the clock ticked towards the hour mark without a single shot on either target for either side, Sheffield United fans found their voice and mockingly chanted towards the Premier League superpower: ‘Are you Wednesday in disguise?’
LVG threw on Jesse Lingard and Depay but it was unpopular as two creative players, Mata and Herrera, made way rather than any of the deeper-lying midfielders, Bastian Schweinsteiger or Fellaini.
Depay did have a hand in the winner, tucked home by Rooney but it was hardly progress for Van Gaal.