---

This is post-matchday, not post-match. For measured opinion and different retrospection.

---

Premier League Matchday 22

HT: **Stoke City 1 - 0 Manchester United

FT: **Stoke City 1 - 1 Manchester United

---

Goals:

1-0 Mata OG 19'

1-1 Rooney 90+4

---

Stats

Stat	Stoke City	Man Utd
Possession	35%	65%
Shots	6	25
On Target	1	8
Blocked	2	9
Corners	1	7
Offsides	0	6
Fouls	13	12
Passing %	71%	84%
Attacking Third %	49%	77%

---

Man of the Match

Lee Grant (BBC)

---

Premier League Table

-	Team	Played	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Points	Form
1	Chelsea	22	18	1	3	47	15	32	55	WWLWW
2	Arsenal	22	14	4	3	50	23	27	47	WWDWW
3	Spurs	22	13	7	2	45	16	29	46	WWWWD
4	Liverpool	22	13	6	3	51	27	24	45	WWDDL
5	Man City	22	13	4	5	43	28	15	43	WLWLD
6	Man United	22	11	8	3	33	21	12	41	WWWDD

---

Post-Match Pressers

Jose (Post-Match Interview)

Rooney (Post-Match Interview)

Jose (Post-Match Press Conference)

Jose: "It was a big game with two teams in the beginning trying to win. But after 25 minutes one team tried to win and the other tried to defend, which they did amazingly well. They showed great work-rate and did everything to try and stop us. We did everything well except in front of our target. We missed unbelievable chances. We hit the post, the keeper saves, we missed chances. The opposition goalkeepers are always amazing against us"

Hughes: "We are disappointed but we need to pick ourselves up. We were within seconds of beating a very good Manchester United team. My only criticism to the guys is that we didn't keep the ball long enough. We are good enough to do that but we needed more care to get up the other end of the pitch. In the end we tried to protect what we had and I can't criticise what we did for the free kick."

---

On Rooney's Record

Rooney: "It means a hell of a lot. It is a great honour and I am very proud. It is difficult at the minute to be over-pleased because of the result, but in the grand scheme it is huge honour. It is not something I expected when I joined. I am proud and I hope there is more to come. The players who have played for this club have been world class"

Jose: "The record is the record. It is the record of the biggest club in England and one of the biggest in the world. Before him the record belonged to a legend of English football. Now Wayne becomes a legend of Manchester United."

Sir Bobby: "I would be lying to say that I'm not disappointed to have lost the record. However, I can honestly say that I'm delighted for Wayne. He deserves his place in the history books. He is a true great for club and country, and it is fitting that he is now the highest goalscorer for both United and England."

Sir Alex: "Wayne thoroughly deserves his place in the history books of this great club and I am sure that he will go on to score many more goals. Well done Wayne, I am absolutely delighted for you, you have been a great servant to this club and long may it continue"

Hughes: "It is an outstanding record and won't be surpassed. It has taken 40-odd years for Sir Bobby's record to be broken which shows how high a mark it was."

---

Links

Match Thread / Post-Match Thread

BBC Report

Highlights/Full Match Download or Watch Online

---

Next Match: Hull City (A) - KO 19:45 BST, Thursday 26th January - EFL Semi-Final Leg 2

Following 5 Matches: Wigan (H) *, Hull City (H), Leicester City (A), Watford (H), St Etienne (H)**

* FA Cup
** Europa League

---

Some Thoughts

• Big missed opportunity to pick up 3 points last night and poor finishing let us down once more. Unlucky to concede through a deflected cross, we became our worst enemy afterwards and summed up our season with good approach play and awful finishing. Ibra hesitating to shoot, Mata missing an open net, Mkhi blazing over, Rashford firing wide, Rooney heading over etc. Just painful to watch and so frustrating to watch, especially whilst Stoke wasted time by booting the ball away all the time and Clattenburg let them (I remember when we had a free-kick on the half-wayline, Valencia went to take it and Arnautovic backheeled it miles away before he could. Clattenburg watching decided against even having a word. Was ridiculous). Weak officiating, poor finishing and the worst atmosphere (90 minutes of shrill whistling anyone?) just made for a horrible match

• On a side-moan about the above we're ranked 18th for shot conversion and 20th for "clear-chance" conversion (although I don't know what goes into that particular stat). We've scored 12 less goals than Spurs with 15 less shots and 18 less goals than Liverpool with 6 less shots. We've scored 13 less goals than Chelsea with 60 more shots and 17 less goals than Arsenal with 32 more shots. This is all bad - at least we're creating multiple chances but the players simply need to start putting the ball away.

• Has been raised in its own post but I was going to mention it anyway; Our threat from set pieces (corners, free-kicks) is pathetic given our height and set piece takers. We're 18th in the league from set pieces and every corner is either hitting the first man or floating aimlessly up and down - I don't understand how this isn't being changed or worked on and, if it is, I don't understand the lack of progress!

• On a positive note though, we have (after 22 games) the third best defence in the league behind Spurs and Chelsea and this has formed the backbone of our 17 game undefeated run. With games coming up against Hull (home and away) and Wigan we should, hopefully, be able to make it 20 games undefeated and continue to put pressure on the Top 4 for the run in. The lack of points being dropped by the rest of them does make this weekend's result more frustrating though but hey, positive note - unbeaten still.

• On a second positive note; Rooney's 250th goal. Top goalscorer for us, top goalscorer for England. Whatever else you may think of him that's an outstanding achievement to reach and he deserves every single piece of praise for reaching that target.