---
title: "Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: Four things we learned"
canonical: "https://readmanutd.com/2015/04/19/chelsea-1-0-manchester-united-four-things-we-learned/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
section: "Man Utd Match Reports"
published: "2015-04-19T11:59:30Z"
modified: "2015-04-19T12:15:33Z"
---

# Chelsea 1-0 Manchester United: Four things we learned

In a fixture where the score line didn’t necessarily epitomise the goings on at Stamford Bridge, the home side’s establishment of a one goal lead was enough to keep them going whilst their opponents seemingly outclassed them. Here are four things we discovered from this one;

**1. Team spirit is what United run on**

Despite running on empty when it came to options for the starting XI, Louis van Gaal plugged the gaps of the injury laden quartet in Michael Carrick, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Phil Jones seamlessly. To say this is a selection of his squad’s most pivotal players, the Red Devils looked to be the same side that ransacked the Etihad only last weekend. Nothing looked to be out of place. It was another uplifting performance from a group who always come back stronger each week, and nobody could have expected us to dominate against Jose Mourinho’s men. It’s just a shame the score line said otherwise.

**2. Luke Shaw wants to be a mainstay**

With Blind seemingly a cornerstone in the Premier League outfit’s backline after Carrick’s return left the Dutch international to the same fate, our nearly £30 million left-back was fast becoming surplus to requirements. Money doesn’t appear to be an object to United but it was still a waste somewhat of teenage talent but all was flipped on its head on Saturday afternoon when the defender was presented with the chance to engrave his name into the team sheet and seized the moment with both hands! He served his purpose and his performance was rather admirable so say he had been declared ‘not fit enough’ on several occasions.

**3. Perhaps Falcao’s future lies elsewhere**

On the bright side, he’s getting closer! The striker rattled the post on 77 minutes from an awkward angle, but for his bank balance it is no surprise that people expect a more clinical character. His history now at the club is possibly just too much of a burden for Falcao to reach his full potential at Old Trafford – particularly with the 29-year-old positioned at the centre of attention for the wrong reasons. In all fairness to him, he hasn’t been provided with the chance to prove himself and when he was handed the jersey, it was during the period in which the Reds’ football isn’t as attractive as it now is. It seems best for both parties involved if the summer signing looks elsewhere.

**4. We turned a corner too late on**

As mentioned, Manchester United were once that team that looked like a mid table League Two side hoofing the ball up field in desperate hope of finding someone in a red shirt. We know now that they look like a team destined for European silverware, but this incline in form came about too late on in the campaign. We could be sat where yesterday’s opponents are had this corner been turned in pre-season, in time for the 2014/15 season kicking-off. Nonetheless, a Champions League return is what we set out for and it looks well and truly in the bag. However, there’s always the story of what might have been, and we can only hope this does not steal our attentions away from the title race we have so missed.