Premier League Preview: Manchester United

Last Season: 7th

Pre-Season Prediction: 5th - Van Gaal and his new system will drastically improve the team although the squad just currently isn't good enough. Prediction could change by the end of the transfer window though.

'Last season? What last season?' The Moyes Era has already become known as the Forgotten Era to fans of Manchester United after they suffered unquestionably their worst season at least in my living memory. A seventh place finish,  an overpriced purchase of Marouane Fellaini, failure to qualify from Europe, failure in cup competitions are but a few of Moyes' many failures in his short time as Manchester United manager and the future can only be brighter after that worst of seasons.

The summer started promisingly with the signings of Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw but has rather stagnated since then. Potential deals for Mats Hummels and Thomas Vermaelen both fell through and United still look extremely weak at central defence, especially with Van Gaal opting for three central defenders. It looks like Marcos Rojo may be joining but another centre-back will definitely be needed for ample squad depth. With Michael Carrick out for a few months another midfielder may be required whilst a competent right-sided wing-back is a necessity after the uncertainty of Antonio Valencia in that position.

All of that said, it is uncertain as to whether Van Gall will actually opt for a larger squad after already saying he would prefer to work with a small squad to get back into Europe. Much of this will depend upon who he manages to shift before the end of the transfer window. Rumours are as many as seven players could be departing Old Trafford which would leave the squad very thin. Van Gaal may be willing to gamble on youth but that is a dangerous game considering he has been told to get top four football or he faces the axe.

So far Van Gaal's tactics have been top notch. His 3-4-1-2 tactics have led to an unbeaten pre-season including a trophy as well in the form of the International Champions Cup after defeating Liverpool 3-1 in the final. Six victories out of six - although one was a penalty shoot-out victory against Inter Milan - has left the squad members vocally optimistic. Defensively there is still plenty of work to do as players adapt to this new system, but from an offensive level there has been a marked improvement from the dismal displays of last year.

The general consensus among the media is that 3-4-1-2 is a sparkly new tactic which is completely fresh but the reality is that it isn't. The likes of Wigan and Hull have implemented this in the not so distant past and met with mixed results, as you can see from Wigan's relegation. Unfortunately for Van Gaal he is unlikely to have time on his side. The board as well as the fans are demanding an instant return to Champions League football and if LVG suffers a slow start then the pressure will very quickly start to build. Unfortunately, with the implementation of new tactics and a growing concern about the quality of the squad with little action in the transfer market, it may already be too little, too late for United's European push.

Key Man: Darren Fletcher - With the departures of Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic and Giggs, there has been a major loss of experience in this young Manchester United side. Rooney has been awarded the captaincy and will inevitably be important but Fletcher's importance is greater if not more understated because of his position on the pitch and the dearth of quality in his position. Fletcher will probably be required to play week-in-week-out at this current rate and his stability in the center of the park could be instrumental to controlling the pace of this new side. He will also provide protection for a back-line which is still learning their roles.

One to Watch: Tyler Blackett - With just three current first-team centre-backs and no new signings on the immediate radar, any injuries to either Evans, Smalling or Jones could see heads turned to the reserves. One of the stand-out players in pre-season has been the versatile defender Tyler Blackett, who can play either at centre-back or as the left-sided wing-back. Blackett has impressed with a number of mature performances, especially in the ICC Final against Liverpool and also provided the assist for a last minute goal against Valencia a couple of days ago. With Phil Jones error and injury prone, you could be seeing Blackett starting sooner rather than later.

Best Signing: Ander Herrera - Finally United have signed a central midfielder with a bit of flair and creativity. Central-midfield has been a problem area for the Red Devils for a number of years now but through the signings of young Spaniard Herrera it looks as though it might be solved for now. Herrera's performances have been mixed so far and it still remains to be seen how he will cope with the physicality of the Premier League but he has at least provided some moments of magic including a golden first touch and some quick feet. He seems to be built in a similar mould to Luka Modric and with the right guidance could be just as good.

Sports Ladder (14th-20th April)

UP - Gareth Bale - How do you prove to an unconvinced fan base that you are good enough for your team? Well scoring an outstanding winner in a cup final will certainly go some way towards proving it. That is precisely what the Welsh wizard did this week, as he slaughtered Marc Bartra for pace, running from the half-way line to the goal in seven seconds before tucking underneath the Barcelona keeper to secure the Copa Del Rey for Real Madrid. Success for the Brit abroad.

UP - Jazz Carlin - An excellent week for Welsh swimmer Jazz Carlin who smashed her welsh record with a time of eight minutes 18.36 seconds in the 800 meters freestyle. As well as setting a new national record, Carlin also set the fastest time in the World this year in her discipline as she heads towards the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. With two medals already under her belt, the youngster will be looking to make it three this year.
 
UP - Crystal Palace - Go on then. Who honestly predicted that Palace would avoid relegation this year? Who thought they would be thirteen points clear of relegation with three games to go? Oh you did did you? Well then you're a liar. What an incredible job Tony Pulis has done since arriving at Selhurst Park. Not only has he steadied the ship but he has created a team that can get the ball down and play. With five victories on the bounce can they finish in the top half?
 
UP - Charlotte Dujardin - What a fantastic weekend the double Olympic champion has had. The equestrian star opened up with a record breaking Grand Prix victory on Saturday, beating her own previous record of 85.942% with a 87.129% riding on her horse Valegro. The Brit then followed this up with another victory in the World Cup freestyle with an exceptional 92.179% to claim her second gold medal of the weekend. Now that's a productive bank holiday.

UP - Liam Phillips - Another marvellous double victory but this time on a BMX instead of a horse, with Britain Liam Phillips sweeping up both the Supercross and the time trial at the season's first BMX World Series. Phillips continued from where he left off last year when he was crowned World Champion in New Zealand. It was a strong week for British riders in general as both Kyle Evans and Charlotte Green finished inside the top five as well.

DOWN - Pablo Larrazabal - I've seen some bizarre stories in my short lifetime but this really is up there. Poor Pablo Larrazabal had to leap into a lake in the second round of this weeks Malaysian Open after being attacked by a storm of hornets. The Spaniard described it as "the scariest moment of his career" and was only able to continue after injections and medical examinations which said he was in a fit state to carry on. Never has a golfer been so happy to be in the water hazard.

DOWN - Chelsea - Is that Mourinho's title challenge done? Not for definite, but this week could prove to be a major blow over the next few weeks. A 2-1 loss to Sunderland could be the final nail in the coffin for Chelsea's title challenge as Liverpool's eleven game winning run shows no signs of ending. And with an important mid week Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, could the season get even worse for the Special One?

DOWN - Daniel Ricciardo - A mixed week for Daniel Ricciardo. Disappointingly for him the appeal against his second place disqualification in Australia was declined so he will lose his maiden podium at his home Grand Prix. However, he did once again out-qualify his team mate Sebastien Vettel and also beat him in this weekends Chinese GP. This left the current world champion notably rattled. Has Ricciardo made a foolish enemy of his team mate?

DOWN - David Moyes - Is the Chosen One about to become the Fired One? Sunday's 2-0 defeat to Moyes' former club Everton at the weekend may well be the final straw as strong rumours circulated on Monday that the end is nigh for the Scotsman. With suggestions that dressing room confidence is low after reports of Danny Welbeck wanting out it looks like there is no way back now. Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement wish looks to be falling flat.

DOWN - Rafael Nadal - It was last year we began to talk about Roger Federer's possible retirement. Andy Murray decline has set in since his Wimbledon victory and now Rafael Nadal looks to be struggling. The dominance of the top four is well and truly splintered. Nadal failed to reach the Monte Carlo Masters final for the first time since 2004 and alongside his Australian Open final loss and also his Indian Wells defeat this year, could it be that another is about to fall in this tennis shake-up?

Sports Ladder (4th - 10th February)

UP - Jenny Jones - This week Jenny Jones became the first Briton in Winter Olympic history to win a medal on snow and only the 23rd ever to win a medal full stop. In fact, she won a medal quicker at the Winter Olympics than Team GB managed at the Summer Olympics two years ago. Her bronze came in the Olympics sexy new sport, Snowboard Slopestyle, in which Britain have actually turned out to be surprisingly good!


UP - Dan Evans - British tennis has been dominated in recent years by Andy Murray as well as the rise of Laura Robson and Heather Watson. But could there be a new kid on the block? At only 22, Evans has time on his side and this week rose to his highest career ranking of 123rd in the World. After upsetting Philipp Kohlschreiber and pushing Tommy Haas to three sets the Birmingham born star will be looking to push into the top 100 to cement a regular place at Grand Slams.

UP - Yulia Lipnitskaya - Sometimes sport just makes me sit and wonder what i've done with my life. Watching 15 year old Yulia Lipnitskaya produce two stunning figure skating routines was certainly one of those moments. The young Russian oozed class and maturity as she glided elegantly across the ice. Her two displays helped Russia win the team figure skating event, becoming the youngest Russian gold medalist in the history of the games in the process.

UP - Katarina Johnson-Thompson - In amongst all the Sochi madness, a new British star emerged on the athletics circuit. Johnson-Thompson made a name for herself after an enigmatic display at London 2012, finishing 15th in the Heptathlon at just 19 years of age. This week she took the British Indoor Championships by storm, collecting Gold in both the long jump and the high jump. More impressively, she broke the British high jump record, held by Debbie Marti since 1997. The next Jessica Ennis?

UP - Dama Schmieg - Now i'm sure a lot of you, like me, have got swept up by the Winter Olympic excitement. Now I doubt any of you have got quite as swept up as Dama Schmieg though. Schmieg has created an 150 yard luge course in his own back garden, which takes 45 seconds to get from start to finish. He has certainly become the coolest man in his neighbourhood after his creation, as many have flocked to have a go at the course.


DOWN - Johnny Quinn - They say lightning doesn't strike twice. Quinn would probably dispute that saying after a seriously unlucky opening few days in Sochi. First, Quinn got stuck in one of the toilets without a phone or any way of getting out. So naturally the American bobsled participant smashed his way out, breaking a hole through the door. But it gets worse, as today Quinn and his teammates got stuck in an elevator and had to be rescued. Is Sochi trying to tell him something?


DOWN - Joe Kinnear - The least surprising news in football occurred this week when Jo(k)e Kinnear left Newcastle at the start of last week. Asking people to judge him on his signings and then making not a single permanent signing wasn't a great start. Failing to pronounce the players names didn't help either. Attempting to sign one of his own players who was out on loan also wasn't a bright moment. The list of stupidity goes on. Newcastle fans will be counting their lucky stars that he is anywhere but at St James' Park.


DOWN - Anna Gasser - Poor Anna Gasser. The final woman left to run in the final of the Snowboard Slopestyle final. The only woman left who could get in the medals. Yet she managed to take all the tension out of the occasion with a seemingly unheard of false start. Tumbling down the hill before she was meant to, before comically failing to get back up it. Then when she did get going she crashed out. It just wasn't her day.


DOWN - David Moyes - Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The pressure is building on the United manager as they conceded a last gasp equaliser to bottom-of-the-league Fulham at the weekend. The signing of Mata looked to be the rejuvenation  that Moyes needed but it has not had the desired impact and the strange tactic of sending in cross-after-cross was extremely unsuccessful. Moyes needs time, there is no doubt about that, but regardless, beating the bottom side in the League is pretty much a must for the new United boss.


DOWN - Kevin Pietersen - The curtain closes on a wonderful England career but not how anyone would have wanted. Pietersen was told by the ECB that he is no longer wanted in the team as his teammates do not trust him. He was also criticised for some of his dismissals during the recent Ashes tour, despite being the highest run scorer in the squad. It is a shame his England career has ended in such controversy as he had the potential to go down as one of the all time greats. Hopefully he still will.

Sports Ladder (20th - 27th January)

UP - Stan Wawrinka and Li Na - It's a funny old game tennis. Going into the tournament as the 8th and 4th seeds respectively and yet few would have bet on either of these two winning, such is the dominance of players like Djokovic, Nadal, Williams and Azarenka. So it was certainly refreshing to see two 'surprise' victors at this years Australian Open, especially Wawrinka who beat Djokovic and Nadal on route to becoming the first man outside the 'Big Four' to win a Slam since DelPo in 2009.


UP - IBF - Groves vs Froch. It's the rematch that everyone wants to see and thankfully the IBF have stepped in to say that a rematch must occur within 90 days due to "inappropriate stoppage" by referee Howard Foster. Foster controversially ended the match with Groves in the ninth round after Groves was well ahead on points.  Froch needs it to defend his title and Groves will want revenge after the last bout. Fiery.


UP - David Moyes - Is last week the turning point for Moyes' season? Okay so they may have lost the worst penalty shoot-out in the history of football. But finally Moyes has signed a player which fans can be happy about. Somehow Moyes has managed to secure the signing of Juan Mata. Admittedly not a position they really needed more players after Rooney and Kagawa but an excellent signing nonetheless.


UP - France Handball - Hipster choice of the week. On Sunday France celebrated winning the European Handball Championship with a crushing 41-32 over Denmark to cement their reputation as the greatest handball team in history. It may not be a heavily followed sport over in the UK but there can be little doubt that it is a fast-paced and exciting one that certainly deserves more coverage.


UP - UoN - I delayed this weeks ladder by one day so I could hopefully include the University of Nottingham (my Uni) beating Nottingham Trent in the opening event of this years Varsity; the ice-hockey. At 3-0 down within 8 minutes I was on the verge of publishing what I already had but something told me not to. A stunning 4 goal comeback from Uni led to a 4-3 victory for the second year running. Looks like I made the right choice in waiting.


DOWN - Gareth Bale - The initial media buzz around Gareth Bale has slowly died down despite the Welshman having an excellent season so far. However this week Bale was the victim of a poor tackle in a match against Granada, resulting in a full-blooded boot to the balls. Luckily he has not suffered any lasting damage but is being rested for tonight's Copa Del Rey quarter-final. Click on the image on the right to wince at the tackle.


DOWN - Formula One Cars - Its slowly returning after the Christmas break and this week saw the reveal of the new generation of Formula One cars. And what an ugly bunch most of them are. The new 'anteater' nosecone is simply horrible as it protrudes from the front of the car. Luckily some teams have avoided using them but it looks like they are set to stay for now.


DOWN - Bowls - Now I know bowls can be considered a bit of a dull sport, but the videos that emerged from this weeks Indoor World Championships were a little bit embarrassing to say the least. The first shows the compare attempting to get a rather perplexed crowd clapping along to Happy by Pharrell Williams whilst the second shows 'Barry from Eastenders' singing to the crowd. Very strange.


DOWN - Andy Murray - Whilst Andy Murray did not necessarily play badly on his return from injury, his quarter-final loss to Roger Federer at the Australian Open has left him nearly 10,000 rankings points away from world number one. However, with Wawrinka winning in Melbourne it gets even worse as Murray drops to sixth in the world, his lowest ranking position since 2008.


DOWN - Manchester United Penalties - I briefly mentioned them earlier but they were so bad they need to be spoken about again. The very fact that the penalty shoot-out finished 2-1 to Sunderland after ten penalties shows how truly shocking they all were but Manchester United's were something else. Jones, Welbeck, Januzaj and Rafael all missed with Fletcher the only saving grace.

Sports Ladder (26th August - 1st September)

UP - Dan Evans - It finally looks like Evans might be maturing into a top 100 tennis player. After a third round run at the US Open which included knocking out Kei Nishikori and Bernard Tomic, both established top 100 players, Evans will be looking to push on. After his controversial past he will have gained a lot of fans this week.

UP - Women's Ashes Team - Following on from the success of the men's team a few weeks ago, the women stepped up and matched them, with a 12-4 points victory over Australia. With English Cricket on a high at the moment we all look forward to the third Ashes event of the year during Christmas as the men take on the Aussies down under.

UP - Men's Eight (Rowing) - For the first time in the history of the World Rowing Championships, England walked away with gold in the Men's Eight category to top off a great week for British Rowing. This victory took us to third in the overall medal table with three golds and five bronze medals.

UP - Chris Mitchell - A record breaking week for Chris Mitchell who became the first one-armed man to complete a race around the TT track on the Isle of Man. It is an extraordinary story for the man who lost the use of his arm during a motorcycle accident in 2001, as he finished in 11th place in the 20-strong field.

UP - Papiss Cisse - After his bizarre summer sponsorship incident, Cisse has certainly boosted support amongst Toon supporters after hosting a BBQ for young fans. The youngsters were treated to a tour of his house, some home-cooked food, FIFA Tournaments and games of pool. That is certainly one way to win back your fans.

DOWN - Romelu Lukaku - Poor Romelu Lukaku. After a fantastic season last year he has to suffer with being behind Fernando Torres in Chelsea's pecking order. As if to further his misery, this week he missed the vital penalty in the European Super Cup meaning that meant Chelsea missed out on their first potential silverware of the season.

DOWN - Venus Williams - For so long it was the 'Williams Sisters', now it looks more likely to be Serena and 'the other one'. Venus has not won a Grand Slam in 5 years whilst Serena has won seven in that time and will certainly be a contender for a fair few to come. After her third consecutive US Open second round exit, Venus' time could soon be up.

DOWN - US Open - Once again the US Open has come under scheduling criticism, this year from our very own Andy Murray, who had to wait until the night session on the third day of the tournament to play his first match. It seems to happen every year and something really should be done as some women had played two rounds of tennis before Murray had played one. Blushing Meadows!

DOWN - Gareth Bale - So as I write this, history's most inevitable event has finally occurred as Bale leaves for Madrid but it has not been a good week for the Welshman. His unprofessional approach to this transfer led to him nearly getting fined for failing to show up to training. What's the best way to get transferred away from a club? Annoy the people stopping you from leaving obviously. At least the saga is finally over.

DOWN - David Moyes - Oh dear David. Still no summer signings of note (sorry Varela), a 1-0 defeat to rivals Liverpool and #MoyesOut sprawled all over twitter. Moyes needs an expensive day of shopping tomorrow to ease the mindset of many United supporters. Look on the bright side though, at least he doesn't have the World's fastest man out to get him...

Liverpool Leap to League Lead

Liverpool battled to a 1-0 victory against Manchester United on the eve of Bill Shankly's 100th Birthday to move top of the Premier League.

In a feisty game at Anfield Daniel Sturridge continued his outstanding form with a poachers header after four minutes as Liverpool put in a strong defensive shift, sending a message of intent to their rivals.

The game underwent a lively start with United sending two dangerous crosses in within twenty seconds, but it was Liverpool who struck first. After careless play from Ashley Young, a Gerrard corner was headed towards goal by Agger with Sturridge getting the final touch.

United almost hit back instantly with a Van Persie overhead kick clearing the cross bar. Their pressure continued, with a low Welbeck shot well saved before a corner flashed across the face of goal, missed by everyone.

Liverpool regained a foothold in the game with Daniel Sturridge skipping away from Ferdinand, a strong tackle required by Vidic to bring him to a halt. Shortly after a Gerrard free-kick was well held by De Gea.

As the pace began to drop, tensions rose as Jones fell to the floor injured and United were furious when Liverpool played on, a nasty tackle from Tom Cleverley ending this period of play and earning him a booking. This was followed by bookings for Aspas, Van Persie and Carrick.

The half continued on a knife edge and ended on a sour note as a coming together between Van Persie and Skrtel led to verbal exchanges between a number of players and could perhaps have ended with a red card for Van Persie.

United started brightly after the break but lacked any sort of cutting edge whilst Liverpool looked extremely solid defensively. Glen Johnson in particular seemed to be making a number of important blocks.

The game went into a lull as Liverpool successfully held out against a far from penetrating United attack but a weak Vidic pass-back nearly let Sturridge in as Liverpool looked to put the game out of sight.

Mignolet was called into action by Nani when a vicious shot was palmed away and Hernandez had
a shot easily saved but the best chance of the game came with two minutes of normal time remaining, when Hernandez played in Van Persie who shot well wide.

Sterling nearly killed off the game in stoppage time but his shot was well saved by De Gea. However, it did not matter, as Brendan Rogers side ended David Moyes' competitive unbeaten run as United manager, moving Liverpool to the top of the table.

Liverpool Player Ratings:

Simon Mignolet: 7 - Had little to do but performed well when called upon.

Glen Johnson: 8 - My Man of the Match with a brilliant defensive performance. Made Ashley Young look very average.

Martin Srktel: 7 - A solid display on what could be his last Liverpool game.

Daniel Agger: 7 - Got the assist for the goal and player well throughout.

Jose Enrique: 7 - Quiet but competent when he needed to be.

Lucas Leiva: 7 - The unsung hero had a fine game in midfield.

Steven Gerrard: 7 - A typically assured performance from the captain.

Jordan Henderson: 6 - Drifted in and out of the game but did little wrong.

Iago Aspas: 3 - A very poor game. Terrible passing accuracy and weak on the ball.

Philipe Coutinho: 6 - Didn't fully show what he was capable of.

Daniel Sturridge: 7 - Scored the winner but faded in the second half as United pressed on.

Substitutes:

Raheem Sterling: 6 - Wasn't on the ball much but had one shot saved in stoppage time.

Andre Wisdom: N/A - Came on too late.

Luis Alberto: N/A - Came on too late.


Manchester United Player Ratings:

David De Gea: 7 - Looked sharp to prevent a second goal. Could do nothing about the first.

Phil Jones: 6 - Looked solid until his early injury.

Rio Ferdinand: 5 - Struggled at times to deal with the creativity of Liverpool.

Nemanja Vidic: 6  - A weary backpass but otherwise okay.

Patrice Evra: 7 - One of United's few bright sparks. Linked well with Welbeck on the left.

Ryan Giggs: 5 - Looked his age in a rare poor performance from the veteran.

Tom Cleverley: 5 - Never got into the game and failed to make an impact.

Michael Carrick: 6 - Typically solid game from United's central midfielder.

Ashley Young: 4 - A disappointing return to the United team, his error led to the first goal.

Danny Welbeck: 7  - Constantly worked hard and caused Liverpool some problems.

Robin Van Persie. 5 - A quiet afternoon but missed a good chance at the end.

Subsitutes:

Antonio Valencia: 6 - Continues to look better than last season but still a long way to go.

Nani: 5 - Shows no signs of returning to form.

Javier Hernandez: 6 - Played a nice ball through to Van Persie and looked busy.

Premier League Preview: Manchester United

End of an era, start of an era, call it what you want, this is a very different season for Manchester United fans. With the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson leaving his post after nearly twenty seven years in charge, Everton's David Moyes takes the reigns and will have a lot to do to live up to his predecessor. However, only yesterday he made a strong start with a 2-0 victory in the Community Shield.

Where Moyes has drawn slight criticism in his early days in the job is in the transfer marker. Despite attempts to sign Thiago and Cesc Fabregas showing the kind of calibre of player Moyes is looking for, the fact that neither have, or will sign is slightly disconcerting for United fans. The other fact that no one, other than a youngster Guillermo Varela, has been signed will be a cause for concern with the season starting in five days, especially with Chelsea and Manchester City spending big money. Expect signings at Old Trafford before the end of the transfer window.

Manchester United's pre-season form has been sketchy but with such a vast quantity of games in such a variety of countries they were never going to have it perfect. Plenty of fans would like to be patient with Moyes but at the end of the day they are used to success, and if that does not come there may be a backlash. Moyes has an incredibly tough job to emerge out of Ferguson's shadow but if he does things his own way he should be alright. He would certainly have appeased the fans with his victory in the Community Shield.

Key Man: Robin Van Persie - Van Persie's two goals in the Community Shield only reinforced the fact that he is instrumental at Old Trafford. Van Persie was the turning point in last season's title race and with Rooney potentially on the way out he will be even more important this year. Last year's League top scorer, Van Persie will be looking to replicate that feat and United will need him if they are to push for the title.

One to Watch: David De Gea - After a rocky start to his Manchester United career David De Gea has emerged as one of the best goalkeepers in the league. His incredible shot stopping has obtained him a regular starting spot ahead of Lindegaard. His strength has improved over the last few years but he still struggles to deal with balls in the air and if he can conquer this flaw he will emerge as one of the most promising goalkeepers in the world.

Best Summer Signing: Wilfried Zaha - A bit of a cheat on this one as Zaha was technically a Ferguson signing earlier in the year but my knowledge of Varela is as rich as my knowledge of nuclear physics. Zaha, signed straight from the Championship and already with England caps under his belt, is a technically gifted winger with the ability to run with the ball. After making the step up from the Championship how will Zaha cope with the increased pressure on him?

Last Season: 1st

Pre-Season Prediction: 3rd - A season of change will see United slightly off the pace, especially with their rivals spending big.

RVP Brace Seals First Moyes Silverware

David Moyes' career at Manchester United starts with a trophy as Manchester United cruise to a solid 2-0 victory in the Community Shield.

United never looked troubled on a day when a Robin Van Persie brace earned them the Shield. Their slick passing and solid defensive showing would have pleased Moyes who has come under question in the media for his lack of summer signings.

Van Persie's early header got United off to a strong start.

United started the stronger of the two teams with Wigan failing to establish themselves in the game and it didn't take them long to capitalise. On the 6th minute a sweeping cross from Patrice Evra allowed Robin Van Persie to accurately head back across goal, placing the ball in the bottom left corner.

One of the early talking points was Moyes' decision to play the youngster Wilfried Zaha. Zaha had a busy game, getting involved where possible and playing direct attacking football, one cross in particular nearly led to United's second.

As the first half progressed Wigan began to grow into the game and just after the half an hour mark had a good opportunity to draw level. Chris Smalling was beaten by a bouncer over the top and James McClean should have done better with a shot across goal to play in Grant Holt.

Wigan continued to press and had a good chance from a Ben Watson free kick. The cross drifted in to the far post where Emmerson Boyce's header back across goal was slightly too high for leaping defender Leon Barnett.

After the interval Wigan emerged as they had left at the end of the first half. Their play was encouraging for new manager Owen Coyle with play focused down the flanks. However, the first chance of note fell on Tom Cleverly who fluffed a shot wide from the edge of the area.

Despite Wigan continuing to play fluid football it was Van Persie who struck the killer blow. A nicely worked move culminated in a Welbeck pass to Van Persie, his low shot taking a deflection off of James Perch, carrying it past an unlucky Scott Carson in the Wigan goal.

The second goal seemed to knock the life out of Wigan with the game going through a flat spell. One man who got a rousing reception on his substitution was Ryan Giggs who, at 39 years young, produced yet another fantastic display. Wigan had one final chance of note when Roger Espinoza shot a half volley wide.

The game seemed to lack tempo as it neared the end and it gave Moyes a chance to show some fresh blood in the youngster Adnan Januzaj, who had impressed in pre-season. Januzaj showed his ability on the left, finding some room and sending a deflected cross over the top of everybody.

Moyes lifts his first silverware at United.

In the end it was not too testing a day for United. Wigan had a few dangerous spells but were unable to test David De Gea at all during the game. Still, they will take some solace from their performance and will look to carry their mid-game performance into the rest of their season in the Championship.

Moyes will be pleased to have got off to a winning start after a rocky pre-season, but more importantly he will be pleased to have kept a clean sheet. Michael Carrick winning the McDonalds Man of the Match epitomises the type of game that was played and Moyes will now turn his attention to more serious matters in the form of Swansea next weekend.

One trophy down, thirty-seven more to go to catch up with his predecessor.