Sport

Moyes concerned by toothless United

konknaijaboy | On 30, Sep 2013

Manchester United manager David Moyes
admits his team’s lack of cutting edge is giving
him serious grounds for concern following a
shock home defeat by West Bromwich Albion.
Moyes’s side have not scored from open play
in the Premier League since their 4-1 victory
at Swansea City on the opening weekend of the
season.
The run continued when they were deservedly
beaten 2-1 by West Brom on Saturday, making
it three defeats in Moyes’s first six league
games in charge and United’s worst start to a
season since 1989.
Moyes had previously complained about a
difficult opening to the campaign that saw his
side take on Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester
City over the course of the first five games.
After heading to Shakhtar Donetsk in the
Champions League in mid-week, they travel to
Sunderland next weekend before a pair of
back-to-back home matches in the Premier
League.
Moyes’s only major addition in the summer
was midfielder Marouane Fellaini and despite
the lack of any attacking signings, he is
adamant he has the options at his disposal to
resolve the goal-scoring issue.
“I’m concerned, but only because we didn’t
play well (against West Brom). There’s a lot of
games to go and we can put it right in the
games to come,” he said.
“It’s not from the lack of trying or lack of
forward players. There are plenty of forward
players out there. It’s just not quite opening
teams up the way we would like and we need
to try to do that better.
“We missed that spark, which would have been
something just to go on and make the
difference and make it happen. If we’d got the
goal, it would have changed.
“West Brom deserved it no question, and I
can’t argue with that.”
Robin van Persie, who had missed the previous
two games with a groin problem, came off the
bench against West Brom as United looked to
force a way back into the game.
Moyes is hopeful that Van Persie will be fit
enough to start Wednesday’s match in Ukraine.
“I hope so. He’s not missed an awful lot,” said
Moyes, whose team slipped to 12th in the
standings.
“His injury was a small injury and hopefully
he’ll be back. Our plan was to give him some
time and give him 15 or 20 minutes.”
Moyes replaced Japan international Shinji
Kagawa with youngster Adnan Januzaj at
halftime.
Kagawa has rarely been used in his preferred
position behind the striker since signing from
Borussia Dortmund last year, but Moyes says
that is not an excuse for below-par
performances.
“We want Shinji to feel he’s getting an
opportunity to show what he can do and his
best position may be number 10,” the manager
said.
“But even for Japan he plays off the left as
well, so it’s not something which is strange to
him or not his position. He’s used to that.
“But there’s a lot of competition here and we
want to push each other on to give
performances and improve.”
Anderson hit the crossbar for United with a
header in the opening period, before France
international Morgan Amalfitano opened the
scoring shortly after halftime with a
magnificent solo run and dinked finish.
Wayne Rooney equalised with a free-kick, but
West Brom pulled ahead again when Saido
Berahino drove in.
West Brom manager Steve Clarke feels his
team’s aspirations are beginning to change
when they travel to grounds like Old Trafford.
“It’s not about the fear factor. The biggest
thing is if we’re trying to grow as a club and a
team,” he said.
“We’ve been in the Premier League for a
number of years and we’re trying to change the
mindset.
“West Bromwich Albion have always been
capable of coming to these sorts of places and
been able to defend doggedly for 90 minutes
and nick a winner or a draw, but I want to try
to win the game and we achieved that.”