ZLAT’S YOUR LOT, MOYES
PREMIER LEAGUE United heap suffering on Sunderland boss
WATCHING this game of football unfold at a largely disinterested Stadium of Light, it was strange to recall the day, less than four summers ago, that David Moyes was introduced as the new manager of Manchester United.
Hand-picked by Sir Alex Ferguson, Moyes was christened ‘The Chosen One’ by a Stretford End keen to put their trust in the wisdom of their outgoing manager. Since that day, there has not been much in Moyes’ professional life that he would have chosen.
The sack after nine months at Old Trafford, an unmemorable spell in Spain and now this. A season of unending lethargy at Sunderland and the dreadful damage rendered to his reputation by leaked footage of his unedifying recent exchange with BBC reporter Vicki Sparks.
With all that in mind, there is no reason to be surprised by what happened when his former club came to visit. Sunderland lost. They usually do. They didn’t score. They usually don’t. And there was a big dollop of misfortune to throw in there, as well. This has not been Moyes’ best week.
Sunderland were a goal down before the dismissal of Seb Larsson just before half-time. A poor game had been enriched by Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s lovely goal in the 30th minute and Moyes’ team may not have recovered anyway.
Still, referee Craig Pawson’s decision to send Larsson off definitively influenced the game and, after looking at many replays, it still seemed the wrong call.
The Swede definitely caught Ander Herrera as he slid in for the ball. His foot was slightly high and, as such, there was risk involved. But Herrera’s decision not to challenge for what was a 50-50 left him vulnerable to the committed arrival of his opponent.
In effect, Herrera was just standing there and the impact of that was to make Larsson’s challenge look far worse than it was. A yellow card would have sufficed but Pawson viewed it differently and after that there was no way back for Moyes’ poor Sunderland team.
A goal from Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the first minute of the second half essentially sealed the outcome and substitute Marcus Rashford scored a third on the break in the final minute of normal time.
Mkhitaryan’s goal was another true strike. The first two United goals were worthy of repeat viewing and exhibited great technique from two accomplished players. Both also featured lacklustre defending as Sunderland were slow to close down.
Defender Lamine Kone featured both times. Things like that suggest a season is only going one way and it will not be long before relegation to the Championship is sealed.
For their part, United remain in touch with the top four, courtesy of games in hand.
But Jose Mourinho, in what could be construed as a dig at Arsenal, said he would prefer to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League.
‘We don’t hide that we are still fighting for our situation in the Premier League but the Europa League becomes a fundamental competition for us,’ he said. ‘It is the only competition we can win now. I don’t want our club to be happy just fighting for the top four and Champions League. I want us fighting for trophies. We won the League Cup and now we fight for the Europa League.
‘But while it is still mathematically possible, we keep fighting for the top four.
‘We know Chelsea are on holidays for a couple of days and the next match is against us. We know we go to Brussels for the Europa League (against Anderlecht) and it is more difficult for us, but we keep fighting. It is a good problem.’
United were hardly exhilarating here but Ibrahimovic remains a force of nature and, prior to Larsson’s sending off, the main talking point of a poor half had been the quality of his goal.
Receiving the ball with his back to goal on the edge of the area, he turned Billy Jones and drew a low shot across goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and in to the far corner with his right foot.
The strength of the turn and the quality of the strike were not in doubt. Pickford dived for the ball but only in vain. As for the efforts of Jones and Kone, they were questionable. Both men needed to show more desire. Jones to stop the turn and Kone to make the block. But neither did what was expected.
It was the first really notable moment of a flat game up until that point but Sunderland did create one chance to equalise before Larsson left the field.
A cross from the right allowed Victor Anichebe to turn Eric Bailly skilfully close to goal and only the reactions of United goalkeeper Sergio Romero — in for the injured David de Gea — prevented the Sunderland striker scoring.
That transpired to be the extent of Sunderland’s challenge and they hadn’t touched the ball in the second half by the time United scored again.
Mkhitaryan’s finish was adroit, struck hard and low across Pickford from the angle of the penalty area. Once again the route to goal was too easy. Luke Shaw played the pass from deep with too much time and subsequently the attention of Lee Cattermole was not strong enough, and the attempt to block by Kone not enthusiastic enough.
Right at the death, United countered devilishly. Ibrahimovic fed Rashford after indicating where he should run and the teenager drove a neat low shot across Pickford and in to the corner.
It is now more than 11 hours since Sunderland scored and almost three months since they scored at home.
‘There’s no hiding the fact we’re in a difficult position,’ said Moyes, with no little understatement. ‘We’ve got a home game next. Let’s see if we can get some momentum and try to get a win in that.’