Capital One Cup: MK Dons 4-0 Man Utd – Van Gaal’s Mix-And-Match Red Devils Battered By League One Dons (Photos & Highlights)

Alan Duffy

26th, August 2014

4 Comments

By Alan Duffy

MK Dons 4-0 Manchester United – Capital One Cup – 26th August 2014

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Louis Van Gaal may have fielded an inexperienced Manchester United side at Stadium:MK on Tuesday night, however few would have expected the Premier League champions of 12/13 to receive a right battering from the League One hosts.

United’s backline, with Jonny Evans the only experienced player in there, were shambolic throughout, with Will Grigg netting a brace before sub Benik Afobe, on loan from Arsenal, banged in two more.

While the Dons were vibrant and sharp, the young United side looked at sea throughout and while a cup defeat isn’t the end of the world for the Red Devils, the manner of the defeat will worry both Van Gaal and the United board.

One wonders what David Moyes is thinking right now. And Angel Di Maria for that matter!

Photos…

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Highlights…

Photos: PA

Highlights: Footytube

Posted in League Cup, Man Utd, Newsnow, Videos

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4 Comments

  1. Jarren says:

    Ok, I’m going to stay calm and not resort to violent angry swearing…

    We have become a laughing stock. Nobody respects us anymore. Our 1st team is completely out of balance. I watch our games now expecting the other team (NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE) to score. I feel immense sympathy for de Gea.

    I want this to change.

    I don’t care if it takes all season (and I said that last season too).

    I just want to see improvement. Just a slight glimmer of us returning to the proud team that we should be.

  2. sirreg says:

    @Jarren Welcome to the world of the rest of us football fans.

  3. Anonymous says:

    Who would have thought getting rid of the only 3 good defenders on your books would make you utter shite at the back

  4. JLBK says:

    @Jarren, you hit the nail on the head with the balance comment. The issue is that Van Gaal is hell bent on this 3-5-2 formation and we just don’t have the players for it. Valencia can definitely handle the runs forward and tracking back to defend but he’s wasteful in the final third – his crossing has been shambolic for at least the last year. Can Ashley Young handle the left side of that formation? That’s a rhetorical question because we all know the answer. He’s just not good enough to pull on the United shirt. So now we buy Di Maria – fantastic signing! We overpaid but aside from Balotelli, who isn’t overpaying at the moment? BUT, there’s no way we can play a 3-5-2 with him on the right. He doesn’t defend so we’ll be exposed at the right back. I think Van Gaal needs to take a serious look at his tactics/formation. It looks great at times and can be exciting but as for balance, there really isn’t any. I think we need to go back to some version of a 4-4-2 (obviously not the traditional one). Di Maria takes care of the right side, no problem but the left is going to be an issue. Young needs to go and Januzaj needs to step up to the plate.

    Also – Can we talk about the fact that Marcos Rojo could be facing a year in prison in Argentina for attacking his neighbor with a bottle? Happened in 2012 but they are now pursuing charges. Work permit headache aside, this could be a major problem.

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