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| Memphis Manchester United Winger |
He doesn’t walk it in, Memphis.
Manchester United’s signing of the summer demonstrated his gift for the
spectacular, with two of the most perfectly executed goals Old Trafford will
see all season.
Setting up the third with almost the
last kick of the match, the young Dutchman has probably done enough to steer
United through to the group stage already. Bruges have nobody like Memphis
Depay at their disposal, not even Lionel Messi’s old friend from his Barcelona
youth team days, Victor Vazquez.
After an early scare, United were
much the better team here, and Bruges had no answer to the speed, wit and
accuracy of Depay, his first-half goals the highlight of their season so far.
It is three straight wins now, but this was the most impressive — a victory
that came with some of the panache of old.
If the accusation has been that
United have lacked style under Louis van Gaal, Depay is the antidote. He would
not look out of place on any team’s catwalk. The No 7 shirt means something at
Old Trafford and it would appear Van Gaal has awarded it to the right man.
United were an unlikely goal down
when Depay started to take the game away from Bruges. An eighth-minute Michael
Carrick own goal had stunned Old Trafford but the Dutchman cheered the locals
up again just five minutes later. Carrick laid the ball in and he brought it
under control before lobbing defender Dion Cools, skipping round the other side
and beginning to work his way inside.
The crowd were screaming for him to
shoot but Depay took his time. He knew what he was doing and when he pulled the
trigger, his curling effort had perfectly targeted the opening at the far post,
leaving goalkeeper Sebastien Bruzzese no chance.
The second, after 43 minutes, was,
if anything, its equal. Daley Blind hit a perfectly weighted pass into Depay’s
path on the left and he cut inside again before unleashing a quite spectacular
shot that flew past Bruzzese and into the net.
His every involvement caused
pandemonium. When he ran straight at the Bruges defence after 52 minutes, one
could almost hear sirens going off. Ultimately, the panic told. Centre-half
Brandon Mechele will miss the second leg having been sent off for a second
bookable offence, a needless foul on Javier Hernandez who was going away from
goal at the time.
Yet it was Depay’s final
contribution, an assist not a goal, that should see United home in Belgium a
week on Wednesday. Referee Deniz Aytekin had the whistle in his mouth,
literally, when he allowed United to complete their attack towards the
Stretford End. Bruges might have something to say about that when they find
out. Maybe had the play been deep and more central, United would have been
marching towards the tunnel preparing to defend a slender lead.
Instead, Aytekin delayed, Depay
whipped the ball in from the left and Marouane Fellaini headed it past
Bruzzese. Van Gaal said they had been working on that in training. The winger
putting one on the bonce of the big man? Where does he get them from?
Still, United should have it taped
from here. Only a calamity got Bruges in front and only a calamity would get
them back in contention. Unfortunately, goalkeeper Sergio Romero has the
potential to be that calamity, and after 60 minutes he almost was.
He collected a simple backpass but
held on to it for an eternity, creating a 50-50 with substitute striker Obbi
Oulare. Romero came off worse and was lucky to be awarded a free-kick. Had
Bruges rolled the ball into the unguarded net it would have been the equaliser.
A valuable reminder not to break out the cigars just yet.
Yes, there may have been tougher
teams in the draw, but Bruges are still no fools. Their early goal was a fluke,
but there was danger on the break and they cannot be taken lightly.
An early goal could change the
complexion of the tie and as Carrick found to his cost, it only takes a lapse
or a bad break.
Vazquez took a free-kick 30 yards
out, which he clipped low and without much thought or threat. It hit Adnan
Januzaj, however, troubling Carrick, who stuck out a leg, succeeding only in
diverting the ball in at the near post out of reach of a despairing Romero.
It was not the most auspicious start
and, even at this early stage, Van Gaal’s stunned face reflected the huge
pressure to qualify.
It was unthinkable that United would
not make it into the tournament proper this year. Weren’t Bruges supposed to be
the soft option?
Yet United responded well. If this
season has been about containment and slender single-goal victories so far, here
at last was a glimpse of the cavalier football fans are desperate to
revisit.
Depay, obviously, and Januzaj were
always a threat, combining well on the left, with Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney
buzzing around the periphery.
The game was little more than a minute
old when Mata put Januzaj in for a cross which Rooney just couldn’t reach to
turn in. After his fruitless mission at Villa Park on Friday, what a start that
would have been.
In the 26th minute, a Depay corner
ended with Rooney attempting an ambitious overhead kick at the near post. He
made a good connection but was unsighted, and the ball was cleared off the
line.
Depay, who was never less than
magnificent on the flank, should have gone it alone soon after when he broke
free, only to square the ball unselfishly for Januzaj, but without the
necessary accuracy. Januzaj, always a threat, hared through on goal from a Mata
pass but tumbled trying to win the physical battle with Oscar Duarte.
That happened too often, really. If
Van Gaal is serious about playing him as a central striker any time soon, he
may need to splash out on membership of a boxing gym.
The second half was much the same.
Chances for Rooney, Januzaj and a couple more for Depay who expressed his
frustration at failing to wrap the tie up single-handed.
By the end, though, United were all
smiles. Rooney was better, the football was better, and in Depay, Old Trafford
may have a new hero at No 7. He’s got one hell of an act to follow — a few in
fact — but already looks as if he may be up for the challenge. And then some.
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