Capital One Cup: Stoke City Vs Manchester United: Is this Moyes only silverware chance?

While the Premier League title seems a distance (but not totally out of it), David Moyes’ hopes of silverware lies in the three cup competition, one of which is tonight’s game against Stoke City at Britannia Stadium. The Champions League where Manchester United was surprisingly doing well – topping the group without loss, and drawing the relatively ‘safe’ Olympiakos in round 16 – will only gets tougher in the knockout stage progress with quality teams like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona waiting. Therefore it is the domestic cups which Moyes will have an eye at – particularly the Capital One Cup.

Premier League – Manchester United Vs Newcastle United: What now?

David Moyes and his team will be facing another high flying team – Newcastle United – at home. As in the case of Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and lately Everton, teams like these goes to Old Trafford with confidence knowing that they could return with positive results – and the fear factor United used to possess under Sir Alex Ferguson is long gone.

Premier League – Manchester United 0 Everton 1: Everton a better team now!!

David Moyes could not get the better of the man who replaced him at Everton – in his own backyard! That does not sound good – at all to any Manchester United’s supporters. Managing Everton and United is totally different – it is akin to driving a Japanese car compares to driving a German marquee brand. The quality of the squad is also way different and yet Everton managed to create history at Old Trafford on Wednesday night!

Premier League – Tottenham Hotspurs 2 Manchester United 2: Another 2 points dropped

Another draw and another 2 points dropped – and now Manchester United is 9 points off Arsenal (a rather surprise league leader). In the end United was saved by a dubious penalty through Danny Welbeck – and subsequently Wayne Rooney.

Premier League – Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0: This is the stuff of champions!

What a result – despite the 1-0 scoreline. It is the manner in which Manchester United won that has changed a lot of perception about them – and their title hopes. This is the Arsenal team sitting on top of the Premier League table – eight points ahead of United, the defending champion.

Premier League – Manchester United Vs Arsenal: Here we come!

This is it, the one true test for Manchester United. There is one slight discrepancy though, United the home team will not be the league leader as has been the case for the last six to eight years – it is Arsenal that is in pole position and sitting 8 points clear of United. This does not really happened before – this unfamiliar positioning of these two teams. But fact is Arsenal who is flying high, still has the same manager in Arsene Wenger while United under David Moyes is still searching for its footing after the end of Sir Alex Ferguson’s successful era.

Champions League – Real Sociedad 0 Manchester United 0: Dull!!!

Typical of Manchester United so far this season – inability to finish the game when the chances are there. Robin Van Persie misses a penalty and hit the crossbar, so did Antonio Valencia while the normally reliable Javier Hernandez miss an absolute sitter. Elseway Marouane Fellaini sees red in his first season in Champions League football and Ashley Young re-ignites his love for the dark art of football with his controversial penalty winner.

Premier League – Fulham Vs Manchester United: Let’s keep the momentum

The 4-0 win over Norwich City at the Capital One Cup will soon become a distant memory. After all it is at a minor domestic cup and the opponent was basically a ‘no-show’. It is still an important win especially given David Moyes’ difficult start as Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement. The talk will be back on one issue – team selection!

Capital One Cup – Manchester United 4 Norwich City 0: Hernandez and Fabio

The night belongs to these two players – Javier Hernandez and Fabio da Silva. Two players that find it hard to get game times under new manager David Moyes. For once the score line reflects the class between the two sides but of course both sides did field squad players and youngsters. Still, this win completes the last of the four series of home games for Manchester United at Old Trafford this month and it can be deemed – satisfactory (3 wins and a draw).

Capital One Cup – Manchester United Vs Norwich City: Let’s see the others!

On the back of that much talk about performance from Manchester United against Stoke City, the attention shift to the next fixture – Capital One home fixture against Norwich City. For once too since Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign, this might not be that one fixture where United fans will get to see more younger players – with the exception of Adnan Januzaj, or maybe Wilfred Zaha.

Premier League: Manchester United 3 Stoke City 2: This is definitely Man Utd!

David Moyes finally did few things in this game that will win him ‘brownies’ point among die hard Manchester United fans. For one the manner of which United clawed back from being down bring back what had been missing all season – the ability to fight back and secure victory. And while Moyes’ team selection was not spot on, his tactical changes were, and for that Moyes deserve credit for this hard fought win.

Premier League: Manchester United Vs Stoke City: Moyes Vs Hughes

This is the third of the four series of home game which are deemed ‘winnable’, and so far it is one draw and one win – both games are still far from convincing. It will also pit David Moyes against Stoke City’s new manager Mark Hughes, a former United boy. Hughes has already fire the first shot at Moyes by saying that United should be doing better and Moyes could be facing the sack. This is nothing short of mind games from Hughes, knowing that the new United under Moyes is still vunerable and shaky.

Champions League: Manchester United 1 Real Sociedad 0: Better than none!

Yes, that is how desperate Manchester United fans have become – a win with a solidarity goal (own goal by opponent in the opening minutes). It was at Old Trafford and facing an opponent considered the weakest in United’s Champions League group and all this United side can do was one own goal win!

Champions League: Manchester United Vs Real Sociedad: Get The Results Moyes!

What a start to Manchester United’s season under new manager David Moyes – worst starts in more than 24 years. Hopes of retaining the Premier League title has been written off by many. In cup competitions will now lay any hopes of silverware and United is involved in two of them – the Champions League and the Capital One Cup, both considered different categories of prestige but silverware nonetheless.

Premier League - Manchester United 1 Southampton 1: Here Comes Our Nightmares!!

It has been said before, time and time – that the new era post Sir Alex Ferguson will be difficult, for the club and its fans. Even the man himself warned that the difficulties will be ‘present’ – for periods longer than most fans would expect. And it has been said that David Moyes must be, and will be given time to manage Manchester United after Ferguson’s successful era. But in the new era, United is the defending Premier League champion, a football powerhouse as well as one of the biggest clubs in the football world – as compared to when Ferguson took over in 1986.