Manchester United: 5 Points of Interest from the Community Shield Final

This Community Shield between Manchester City and Manchester United was eventful, to say the least. It used to be called the Charity Shield, and let's just say that there was no charity in this game.

Micah Richards of City, for example, was not afraid to put himself about, and gave many free-kicks from his position outside the box. Anderson and Edin Dzeko both received yellow cards in the first half for a scuffle on the halfway line.

After the first 20 minutes, two things were made explicit. The first was that United were looking to dominate the game and were not holding back on the tackling front.

Secondly, they were not found wanting pressure-wise, pressing high up against Manchester City and playing one-twos in little space. In the first half, Ashley Young particularly stood out. His distribution and his runs were impeccable and well-timed.

United had all the possession and all the territory, and City were on their back foot. However, in the 38th minute, Joleon Lescott scored a header, putting away a cross from David Silva.

United followed up with more pressure, recovering well from the goal. Things only got worse for United, though, as Edin Dzeko lashed in a long-ranger in the 45th minute. United now went in 2-0 down at halftime.

As soon as play resumed, United looked likely to score and dominated the match yet again. Sure enough, Chris Smalling scored off of a Young free kick. United came in waves after that goal, with lack of defensive regard.They got the equalizer they needed, as Nani finished off a Barcelona-esque team move.

Deep into extra time, United sealed the game with Nani scoring a George Best-esque goal, sidestepping the keeper and finishing after a failed block by Vincent Kompany.

United's New System

United played a 4-4-2 today. At least it seemed like one. Sure enough, in the opening exchanges, Chris Smalling did what Rafael so often does, bombing forward to support Nani, while Patrice Evra remained back (to some extent).

However, the most remarkable thing about this formation was the roles of Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney.

I, for one, expected that Rooney would drop deep in the hole behind Danny Welbeck, who would play as a main striker. Rooney would help counteract City's three-versus-two advantage in midfield, harass Nigel de Jong, pressure the two defenders and create for Danny Welbeck. Ferguson, as usual, went above and beyond the usual in a big game. 

Both Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney played the role that Wayne Rooney typically plays in the United setup. This role was not a typical second striker role, however; it had some added fluidity involved. An accurate word to describe this would be a trequartista, a role many believe was pioneered by Serie A legends Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti.

In fact, this United team draws comparisons with the 4-6-0 of Luciano Spaletti's Roma, where Francesco Totti was the first man forward.

Ashley Young

Ashley Young now looks like a great purchase. His play today, in linking up with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Nani were integral to United's success and, sure enough, he provided an assist for United's first goal, which was scored by Chris Smalling.

Ferguson seems to have a role set for him in United's new fluid system. He will be a star this season.

Nani

Nani was United's player of the season last year, keeping United's title hopes alive when Rooney was off form. He was the league's assists leader despite having been left out of many matches in the second half of the season by Alex Ferguson.

He was simply scintillating today, being on the end of many a United counterattack and scoring two of the goals that led to United's victory. He also proved he was more than just a potent dribbling and shooting weapon, showing off astute passing abilities comparable to those of Ashley Young, his partner on the other side.

David De Gea=Fabien Barthez?

David De Gea is a great goalkeeper...for Atletico Madrid. He has pulled off several stunning saves during his time there, keeping them in the game many times.

He does not seem to do the same for United, as the two goals they conceded were directly De Gea's fault. The first one was an unclaimed cross from David Silva which led to Joleon Lescott scoring, and the second was a speculative Dzeko effort which should have been blocked.

Is he the new Fabien Barthez, another goalkeeping flop?

I am inclined not to think so. The kid is just 20 years old, and it was his first competitive game as a Red. He'll learn.

Fergie's Answer to Barcelona?

This new fluid front line seems to be a throwback to the days of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez, when those two and Rooney were free to roam wherever they wanted to.

That team did okay against Barcelona in 2009, performing much better than they did in 2011, and a similar approach would seem to be a plausible step in the right direction towards beating the European Champions.