Man United 3-0 Sunderland
by Simon Williams
at Old Trafford

SUNDERLAND manager Dick Advocaat slammed the performance of Adam Johnson following his side’s defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The winger was replaced by Steven Fletcher at the break with the home side having taken the lead through Memphis Depay in first-half injury time.

“Every ball he touched was wrong,” said Advocaat. “Plus the fact that Fabio Borini, our striker, had problems to keep the ball. That is why I brought on Fletcher.”

But his frustrations grew within a minute of the restart when Wayne Rooney bundled home an Anthony Martial cross from close range.

Juan Mata netted a third for the Reds to send them to the top of the league while Sunderland remain rooted the foot of the table.

And Advocaat, who helped the Mackem’s avoid relegation last season, didn’t hold back on his criticism of the rest of the players.

“The team was organised OK in the first half and we tried to hurt United at the other end as well. But the mistake we made for the fist goal, you are asking for problems,” said the Dutchman.

“It was just a long ball, [Patrick] van Aanholt is watching his own man, Lee [Cattermole] had a good game but he wasn’t close enough. From that distance, you cannot let the ball go.

“That was a mistake. The second goal was the same. Too easy, the third the same. Then you lose 3-0. I can accept losing but we made it very easy for them.”

For United, the victory saw Rooney end an 11-game goal drought in the league while Memphis registered his first Premier League goal since his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

But manager Louis van Gaal insisted that he didn’t care who scored. He said: “Who is making the goal is not so important.

Personally for Rooney, Depay or Martial I know it’s very important.

“And I am a happy coach because Rooney and Depay have scored in the Premier League. But when we beat Wolfsburg [on Wednesday] and [David] De Gea scores I am also happy.”