Well, long old day. Left the house at 06:30 (Norwich time) and took the cabbagemobile oop North, got back in the house about 10:45 (also Norwich time)
Was given wrong pub info and started in The Quadrant and found we were the only away fans in there, supped up and left and went to the cricket ground, which was much better.
We started brightly, but never really threatened, you always felt that Man U knew we would come and give it a go, and that they just had to ride it out for a bit. Poor Adam Idah was very isolated, he is a big lad, and he does have pace when he gets going, but he just does not have the engine that Pukki has. They let us fanny about for a while, without doing any damage, then Rashford got on the end of a peach of a cross, 1 nil. Cantwell had a good chance just before half time but us being us, of course it didn't go in.
Second half, just the one goal down, you are still in with a chance, and then shock of shocks, Man U get a pen. Looked like Krul got the ball, but not surprised it was given, haven't seen it back as no way was I watching MOTD. Would it have been given at the other end? Debatable. But thats 2 nil away from home, and our only fit striker is starting to look out of ideas. You could visibly see the players heads go down, and I won't bother running through the rest.
Farke switched to 3 at the back, probably too late, but to be fair, hanging in there and two minutes later 3-nil, really not sure what more he could of done. There was an inevitable 4th, and that was that. Worrying knock on Hanley late on, we don't need any more injuries. Re the 3 at the back, I think given better circumstances, and having two strikers then a 3-5-2 could be the plan B we desperately need, but haven't had the players to play.
Emi was good, I thought Cantwell was excellent, Vrancic was poor, he should have been threading balls through for Idah, but just didn't.
The long and skinny of it is that we are just not quite good enough, and it is all conspiring against us, the CB injuries, the striker injuries, we just don't have the quality in depth to absorb any kinds of injury, and all too often you look at the bench for inspiration and don't quite see it. I see people blaming Farke, I don't. The fans were in fantastic voice, and stayed long after the whistle to appreciate the team, despite the result. The away fans are definitely still with the team. End of the day, losing to Man U away isn't going to define our season, but we are seriously starting to run out of games now.
Last game for me, for a while, away back to work on Tuesday!