It is not a case of me being baffled, just looking at things (or trying to) in a sensible manner, if we were to bring an extra centre back in, just whose place would he be taking over from? That is hardly a daft question, or way to look at things.

If we were short on options, or he didn't fancy players that were here, then I could understand bringing in extra players, but this doesn't seem to be the case.
There doesn't seem to be a rush to sell any of our centre backs at this stage (as far as I can tell only Schneiderlin and Memphis currently seem close to leave g us on a permanent deal), so why bring someone else in, and disrupt what seems to be working so well so far.

Yes of course we have to try and cover for any and all eventualities, (injuries, suspensions, and players performing below expectations etc), but I just think we have enough cover as it is currently.



Let's see what happens, but I think that is more of a summer deal than a winter deal.

The team for today:- Romero, Young, Smalling, Rojo, Blind; Carrick, Fellaini, Mata, Rooney, Martial, Rashford

Subs J. Pereira, Fosu-Mensah, Jones, Schweinsteiger, Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Ibrahimovic

Bit of an insurance policy there on the bench!

Shaw was meant to start but is ill.

Dodgy pizza last night, presumably.

Probably some bad pepperoni. Always struck me as the type at risk of doing himself mischief with a dodgy sausage.

For anybody with a multi satellite setup the match is unencrypted on Eurosport1 , 19E.

Shame really, as it would be nice to get him back into the side.

1-0

History maker!

No one has scored more goals for us than Rooney!

Great start so far!

Reading look like they had the same pizza Shaw had.

2-0

A wonderful team move, and a lovely finish by Martial!

This is a great watch!

Jones coming on!

Rojo gone down!

Young might be going off!

2-0 up!

If it is Rojo's hamstring might quicken a deal for Fonte or bring Lindeloff nearer.

First time in a long time united have played on my birthday and we are doing fantastic.

Shame that so far Rashford has not yet scored, his performance deserves or warrants one!

Enjoy it!

The last time we played on mine, Mata scored that sensational goal at Anfield!

It'll be nice if we scored a third quite early on in the second or concluding half of the match.

The curse of Smalling...... Rojo had been doing so well, Smalling comes in and injures him. Not sure if we took the foot off the gas or the substitution just turned heads for a short while, but till then Reading hadn't done a thing. As it was I was fearing for them with the ease we were creating chances in the first 20 minutes, it could have been 3 or 4, and we could have had 5 or 6 by half time. Had we taken the chances, we could have killed the season for them, they looked like rabbits starring into headlights.

Going to give Young some leeway, but he seems to have lost a yard or two of pace over the past 12 months, and certainly doesn't offer us the width that Valencia has done recently. Rashford and Martial doing well, but both need to do better with the final ball, be it shooting or passing. I know Martial has scored, but he has been guilty of wasting chances through poor decisions.

Agreed, then we could give a tad bit of a rest or break to key or vital players like Carrick.

3-0

And a fully deserved goal for Rashford!

Carrick with a Carruckesq pass to set him up!

4-0

Rashford's second, with the easiest finish anyone will ever have in any game!

A complete Gary Walsh mistake by their keeper allows him to have a simple tap in.

Finishes 4-0, very good all round performance from the team against a Reading side that are going great in the Championship.

Only slight negative is Rojo's injury, hopefully it is not too bad, presumably Smalling and Jones will be our partnership for the semi final v Hull.

When did Walsh do that for us?

Well that ended up as it should have, had we got the 3rd goal a bit sooner, I guess we might have seen the other subs sooner. I think the last two subs were always going to get a run out, I don't even think the bookies would have taken money off people for that one.

Not for us, but for Bradford City against us in 99, Teddy scoring away from home on that occasion.

Yeah the subs from both teams were practically agreed by both managers to be happening after we got our third goal.

Carrick just keeps on being Carrick, quite how or why his name is not being talked about as overall player of the season, I haven't got a Scoobies!
He is a fabulous player, that through ball for Rashford's first was top class.

Gary Walsh was a quality keeper just blighted by injuries

It'll have to be, as we've not got anyone else.

Of course, we could be looking at bringing someone in, but that would make no sense, apparently.

Blind could fill in or fosu mensah.