Manchester United beat West Ham United 2-1 in a match which showcased the two sides of Wayne Roney. The Manchester United captain opened the scoring on his 10 year anniversary at United with a brilliantly taken goal in just the fifth minute, but was poor throughout the rest of the afternoon before being sent off for a horrendous challenge early in the second half. United did very well to hold on and take all three points, but this will only fuel speculation that Rooney is not the right man to captain this side.
United entered the match with only one senior central defender fit, so young Ulsterman Paddy McNair stepped in alongside Marcos Rojo and had a superb match. The 19 year old looked more and more self-assured as the match wore on, and was instrumental in keeping the Hammers out of the bacl of the net in the second half. While United still do not look entirely comfortable at the back, in the man from Ballyclare and young Tyler Blackett, they may have found two central defenders for the future.
United got off to a roaring start as Rooney opened the scoring in just the fifth minute with a superb goal. Rafael made the first of many buccaneering runs down the right flank, and was found well. The Brazilian cut his cross back along the top of the box and the onrushing Rooney nonchalantly curled the ball into the far corner, leaving Hammers keeper Adrian with no chance. It would be Rooney's best moment of the match.
Just seconds later, Enner Valencia nearly equalized. United looked as if they were still celebrating the opener, and a lazy back pass from Daley Blind found no one. The ball went over everyone in defense, and Valencia found himself in on goal alone. The World Cup star had a chance to equalize straight away on the half-volley, but skied his effort from just eight yards out.
United were not attacking with quite the same fluency that has been seen in the last two matches, but were still able to find a second in just the 22nd minute. Ander Herrera and Radamel Falcao crowded out Diafra Sakho just thirty yards from his own goal, and the Colombian slipped in Robin van Persie. The Dutchman made no mistake with his finish, coolly slotting it into the far corner. Old Trafford was in fine voice, and United looked set to keep putting the ball in the back of the net.
They were, however, powerless to stop the Hammers from pulling one back just before halftime. David De Gea attempted to come for a corner, and missed his punch, allowing Enner Valencia to send a costless header onto the bar. Manchester United could not clear, and Diafra Sakho was able to send another costless header in. It was truly a shambles at the back, and a very poor goal to concede.
West Ham came out from their half-time team talk firing, and looked the far likelier side to open the scoring. That likelihood only increased after Wayne Rooney's moment of madness.
The Manchester United captain had done little apart from opening the scoring, and was sent off in the 59th minute for a rash challenge on Stewart Downing. Downing was preparing to lead a break, and it looked like the Hammers had numbers going forward. Rooney hacked down the former Liverpool man, kicking out at him and lashing him right on the thigh. It was the correct decision from the referee, and a shocking challenge from Rooney.
West Ham piled on the pressure for the rest of the match, but struggled to create many clear-cut opportunites. Valencia had a snapshot saved with just about 20 minutes still on the clock and sent a header wide moments later.
The closest the East London side came to an equalizer was in stoppage time. A dangerous ball in from Downing found an onrushing Kevin Nolan who smashed the ball into the back of the net, sending the away fans into raptures. Just as first few strains of "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" were heard, Phil Dowd had chalked off the goal for offside. The Hammers protested vociferously, but the assistant made a correct decision, and Nolan was half a yard offside.
It was not a vintage Manchester United performance, but it was an important one. They needed the three points today, and it was an encouraging defensive performance, especially from young Paddy McNair. We will know much more about this side after next weekend when they host Everton.
| Manchester United (2) | West Ham United (1) | ||
 |  |  |  |
| De Gea | 6 | Adrian | 5 |
| Rafael | 7 | Demel | 6 |
| McNair | 9 | Tomkins | 7 |
| Rojo | 7 | Reid | 6 |
| Shaw | 7 | Cresswell | 6 |
| Herrera | 7 | Downing | 7 |
| Blind | 6 | Song | 4 |
| di Maria | 7 | Poyet | 6 |
| Rooney | 4 | Valenica | 5 |
| van Persie | 8 | Amalfitano | 5 |
| Falcao | 7 | Sakho | 8 |
| Substitutions | |||
| Fletcher | 7 | Nolan | 5 |
| Valencia | 6 | Jenkinson | 6 |
| Thorpe | - | Cole | 6 |