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Martin Rickett
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Manchester United vs QPR, Premier League

Today’s sole Premier League game sees Manchester United host QPR.

Just the one game in the Premier League today but it is filled with intrigue as Manchester United, with all their deadline day signings, host QPR.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the action. Email will@thescore.ie, tweet @football_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

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Hello and welcome to our liveblog of today’s game at Old Trafford between Manchester United and QPR. First, here are the teams.

Manchester United: De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Rojo, Blackett, Blind, Herrera, Mata, Di Maria, Rooney, van Persie.

QPR: Green, Isla, Ferdinand, Caulker, Hill, Kranjcar, Sandro, Fer, Phillips, Austin, Hoilett.

What do you think of United’s team? It is hard to fit in all of their new attacking signings so they have Falcao ready to come off the bench. This is how Gary Neville sees United lining up anyway. van Gaal has already confirmed that he will play four at the back rather than go with his usual 3-5-2.

I presume Shreeves has already began harassing Falcao on the sideline:

“Do you know you AREN’T starting today Falcao?!?”

Quick look at the odds: United are 2/7, QPR are 10/1 and the draw is 9/2.

United -1 is 8/11 now but was 4/5 earlier in the week, which I thought looked a decent price.

I forgot to add this in the odds: Rio Ferdinand to get absolutely roasted is 1/10.

A nice moment before the game as Ferdinand is given a plaque by Bobby Charlton. Presumably Woodward and co. wanted to make up for not allowing Ferdinand to say a proper goodbye to the fans last year.

We are off!

GANMU / YouTube

Slow start so far as neither side can assert themselves in the first three minutes.

In fairness to Ferdinand, he has had an assured start, dealing with a cross towards Rooney and then a pass in the direction of van Persie.

Rafael won a corner for United but Di Maria’s cross is too long and misses everyone. Meanwhile, Gary Neville has already highlighted United’s diamond midfield.

Rafael plays a lovely reverse pass to Herrera down the right hand side and his cross is met by Mata, but the Spaniard can’t keep his shot down.

“You get the feeling that it would be a huge step if United win the league this year.” – This might be the first time Gary Neville has stated the obvious as a pundit. C’mon you’re better than Andy Townsend, Gary!

United’s midfield have been good at getting on the ball so far but they haven’t been able to create anything clear-cut as of yet. Herrera has been industrious though.

A lovely pass from Di Maria flashes across the box but van Persie takes it off the toe of Herrera and the chance is lost. Poor communication between the two as there was a good chance there.

QPR pile men forward and after losing possession United break quickly through Di Maria. The Argentine speeds down the left wing but his cross is a poor one. I was having flashbacks of Di Maria’s beautiful assist against Germany last week, which was from a similar position but on the right hand side.

GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 QPR

Angel Di Maria had a free from wide on the right and his beautifully flighted cross bounced all the way in.

That could be the first of many. United have been dominant and the QPR heads could well drop after that goal.

United could have definitely been given a penalty there as Clint Hill bundles over Herrera. The ref doesn’t give it though. United are playing with more verve in attack now, with Di Maria being particularly prominent.

Lee Dixon thought Hill’s foul was a penalty so that settles that. Meanwhile, here is Di Maria’s goal. Can you blame anyone for this? That sort of bouncing ball is very hard for a keeper to save.

Di Maria gets free on the left once again and finds van Persie but his header is miles over. At the other end, David DeGea leaves his line early and completely misreads the situation. QPR’s Phillips has a great chance to lift the ball into the net but Evans gets back to clear for United.

A timely reminder that not matter how much attacking talent they have, United still have problems at the back.

Lee Dixon: There was a breakdown in communication between DeGea and Rojo so perhaps there was a language problem.

Arlo White: They both speak Spanish, Lee.

GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 QPR

Another menacing run by Di Maria causes panic and he picks out Rooney, who in turn feeds Herrera. The Spaniard hits a lovely first-time shot into the bottom corner and it is a just reserve for his busy performance so far.

The camera cuts to a beaming Alex Ferguson and he has reason to be happy. United could win this by four or five pretty easily.

This is the crisp finish by Herrera, who along with Di Maria has been the star so far.

Di Maria plays an exquisite chip into the area that just barely misses Rooney and van Persie.

Goal! Manchester United 3-0 QPR

Herrera returns the favour to Rooney who drives a low shot into the net. For the third time, Robert Green is picking the ball out of the bottom right hand corner.

HT Manchester United 3-0 QPR

This was Rooney’s 175th Premier League goal, drawing him level with Thierry Henry for third all-time. He only trails Andy Cole (second) and Alan Shearer now.

Rooney has been pretty quite all half but has still grabbed a goal and an assist.

Di Maria and Herrera have both been outstanding for United. I imagine Louis van Gaal giving his half-time talk like this.

Who do you think has been United’s best player so far? Does anyone else have Rooney as their Fantasy Football captain?

Here are a few half-time tweets from the ether:

 

 

Phil Dowd also fell over. Not the most exciting five seconds you’ll ever watch but hey, it is half-time, cut me some slack.

We are off for the second half here!

I tend to agree with Mr Clichés.

Di Maria tracks back and dispossesses Phillips before backheeling the ball to Blind. The Argentine can do no wrong at the moment.

Clint Hill has been replaced by Armand Traore and immediately the sub makes a difference. He pilfers the ball from Herrera and picks out Kranjcar on the edge of the box but DeGea saves with his feet to keep United’s clean sheet intact.

Evans has done a such a good job today that United haven’t missed Jones and his beaker face.

United almost grab a fourth after Rafael plays a one-two with Mata on the right hand side and he rolls it to Herrera in the middle of the box. The Spaniard scuffs it into the path of Rooney but the striker can’t finish it either.

Traore once again threatens for QPR as he runs straight through the United midfield but the ball gets caught slightly under him and his shot is blocked.

van Persie has been very quite and you would think Falcao will replace him soon enough. That is, of course, if Falcao isn’t secretly carrying a crippling knee injury.

GOAL! Manchester United 4-0 QPR

Di Maria goes for a long range shot that is nowhere near the goal but luckily lands at the feet of Mata who dispatches it to the roof of the net with gusto. Mata had been lurking behind Rio Ferdinand.

Here is Mata’s goal. If you claim Di Maria meant this assist, then you and I can never be friends.

Di Maria works a corner to Rafael whose whipped cross is met by the head of Herrera but the header is blocked and cleared.

The bib is coming off! Falcao is getting ready and unless there is an incident like this, he should be on momentarily.

ESPNsoccernet / YouTube

QPR have a nice little spell near the United goal but it ends with Kranjcar shooting so high that the ball knocks the prawn sandwich out of someone’s hand in a corporate box.

Falcao and Valencia are on and Mata and Rafael are off.

He has only been on the pitch two minutes and he has already made Man United history.

van Persie has finally gotten involved. First, a dangerous cross almost drops into the top corner of Green’s goal and moments later his hooked shot flashes a couple of feet wide.

Karl Henry comes on for Sandro, who has picked up an injury.

This game could be ended now and I don’t think anyone would mind. Training warm-up pace at the moment.

Despite being dominant in attack, United’s defence have given up some good opportunities to QPR. This time Vargas sneaks in behind Blackett but pulls his shot badly wide.

Worry for United fans as Di Maria goes down. Doesn’t look too serious but then again, I am neither a physio or a doctor.

Di Maria is up seconds later. Maybe I could have done medicine.

Di Maria is coming off for Adnan Januzaj. The Argentine surely has a man of the match award, and a nice bottle of bubbly, coming his way after the game. Of course, the obligatory interview with Shreeves is a pretty heavy price to pay for getting the honour.

Falcao almost opens his United account after Green spills a shot from Blind but the Colombian hits it into the body of the keeper. Lee Dixon thinks rust played a factor in the miss.

Dixon uses the last few minutes of the contest to stand on his soapbox and blast personalised numbers.

‘I would prefer if everyone on the pitch just wore 1-11′.

Rooney picks out Valencia in a great position on the right but the winger’s feeble attempt at a cross is easily dealt with.

This is a Di Maria pass from earlier, which is very reminiscent of his beauty against Germany. Just a warning: proceed with caution.

Another chance for United as a van Persie cutback finds its way to Januzaj but his shot is well saved by Green.

FT Manchester United 4-0 QPR

United struggled to create chances initially but once Di Maria scored a long-range free kick, QPR fell apart. Goals from Herrera, Rooney and Mata followed, and although Falcao didn’t get his first goal for the club, United’s new signings acquitted themselves well.

Thanks for joining us for our liveblog today, hope you enjoyed it and will join us again next weekend for some more minute-by-minute Premier League coverage.

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