Hello, hello. How is everyone? Having a nice and relaxing Saturday? Well, if you’re a Manchester United fan, best to prepare for that calm and composed feeling to disappear shortly. The team’s performances have been infuriatingly dull and uninspiring for the majority of the season but with the competition for Champions League places hotting up, they really need to start putting markers down and delivering clear messages of intent to their rivals.

The United team has just landed and…it makes for interesting reading!

Meanwhile, here’s how the guests will line up.

So, it would seem (though it’s always difficult to second-guess Van Gaal) that Wayne Rooney will start up front, slotting in behind Falcao with Angel Di Maria and Ashley Young providing the width. With Herrera and Blind both selected, there appears little need for Rooney to play in a deep midfield role.

Five changes for United as Van Gaal is pretty ruthless with his selection. Valencia, Young, Smalling, Evans and Falcao all come in. Disappointment for  Paddy McNair, Jones, Shaw and Fellaini. As mentioned earlier, Van Persie is injured.

A couple of alterations for Sunderland too. Connor Wickham, Jordi Gomez and Patrick van Aanholt all come in as Vergini, Alvarez and Danny Graham miss out.

Good to see Herrera in the United side. Think he’s an intelligent player and has been a bright spark for the club in his debut campaign. Van Gaal, I’m sure, has some lingering doubts about his physicality but he’s a smart ball-player.

He gave an illuminating interview to the Telegraph’s Henry Winter here. You should check it out. Intelligent and engaging. A rare feat for a footballer.

Thanks for all the kind words regarding the new look of our liveblogs. Our tech team have been working tirelessly behind the scenes to put together something special. Good to see it’s appreciated.

A damning statistic. any thoughts on why United’s attackers are struggling so badly?

Wayne Rooney leads out the United team – lots of responsibility on his shoulders this afternoon considering the team’s issues in front of goal.

But he may be a bit rusty…

We’re moments away…predictions?

AND WE’RE UNDERWAY! 

And there is the first display of nerves from Smalling who dallies in possession and is forced to boot a clearance up field. Moments later, he’s almost too short with a header back to De Gea.

VERY CLOSE! Wickham races clear of the trailing United midfield, the space opens up for him and he tries to send it to De Gea’s near post. The keeper gets down low and turns it around the upright. Fantastic save but where was the cover? Blind and Herrera both seemingly out of position.

CLOSE! Moments later, Rooney is closed down on the edge of the area by Cattermole, it breaks for Defoe who tries to whip it to the top corner. He doesn’t miss by much. United in charitable mood in the opening few minutes.

Sunderland getting stuck into United – firstly, Smalling is harried when coming forward with the ball and is almost dispossessed. Then Falcao is brushed off it by Cattermole and Sunderland will be thrilled with this start.

VERY CLOSE! Di Maria ships in a superb cross towards Rojo at the far post. A Sunderland boot flicks it away but Young arrives and drives a thunderbolt towards the top corner. It’s a fraction of an inch too high.

Di Maria has surely frustrated his manager here. Wide on the left, United are keeping good possession. He has support inside but balloons a cross straight out of play. Cue close-up of a seething Van Gaal on the touchline.

Dreadful from Falcao who is dispossessed by Wes Brown, who wants it more. He releases Defoe who cuts inside onto his right boot, trying to engineer some space. When he eventually gets the shot away, it’s too close to De Gea who easily gathers.

It looks like United are playing 4-3-3 with Rooney flanked by Blind and Herrera but I’m not sure if the players know that going by their performance so far.

Adam Johnson took a tumble in the United area and seemed aghast that a penalty wasn’t awarded. But it seemed pretty theatrical. Referee Roger East agreed.

This is a mess. United’s players seem to have very little idea of their shape and/or individual responsibilities. Evans knocks it back to De Gea from close to the halfway line and boos ring out at Old Trafford.

VERY CLOSE! Valencia cuts a cross in from the right and it falls perfectly for Young. He drives the shot towards the bottom corner and it seems certain to go in but for a late stretch from O’Shea, who deflects the ball onto the bar and it bounces clear. On the follow-up, United can’t force it in. Fantastic improvisation from the centre-back but large slice of good fortune too.

Here is O’Shea’s moment of magic. Probably couldn’t do it again if you asked though.

United have had 69% possession. But barely threatened. Story of their season. Falcao has no support and being battered by Brown. Rooney, is racing from end-to-end and on the periphery of the action. And Di Maria looks decidedly disinterested.

Meanwhile, Young, their best player so far, cuts inside and is close to finding the bottom corner from distance.

CLOSE! Herrera gets taken down on the edge of the area and Rooney tries to bend in the subsequent strike to the top corner. But it’s too close to Pantillimon who pushes out for a corner.

CLOSE! And from Young’s corner, Rojo sends an unorthodox strike towards the bottom corner but Larsson gets back and boots off the line.

Ashley Young is reveling in this but it’s going to get quite repetitive as United are seeking him out at every opportunity.

There’s going to be one minute of added time.

AND THAT’S HALF-TIME! 

Well, it took us about 20 minutes to figure out what formation United were playing. And seemed to take the players about twice that long. They sparked to life late in that opening period with Ashley Young playing well. Outside of that, Falcao has been isolated and with Wes Brown relishing the marking job, he’s becoming more and more frustrated. Di Maria seems generally disinterested while Rooney is going from box-to-box and not doing much else.

United should be better this half but it was woefully bad for a lot of that opening period.

I wonder will we see Adnan Januzaj at some stage after the break?

AND WE’RE BACK UNDERWAY! 

SUBSTITUTION! Januzaj (on) – Di Maria (off)

Well, that’s brave. But correct from Van Gaal. The Argentine was awful in that first half and the Belgian has an opportunity to impress.

Already, the youngster has won his side a couple of corners and the crowd show their appreciation.

More energy and purpose from the hosts – unsurprisingly. Tempo is better but Rooney has just wasted possession by cheaply giving the ball away.

United break quickly with Herrera slipping it to Rooney. He whips it wide for Young. They’re in a great position but as he slips it wide to Rojo on the overlap, the Argentine isn’t there, having failed to read the intention. Probably because he’s rarely played out wide since joining the club. Young turns and gestures and the chance goes a-begging.

Blind’s lack of pace costs him as Gomez races through midfield and the Dutchman brings him down. Cheap free-kick to giveaway. Larsson is superb at set-pieces but this is a long way out.

With an hour gone, United are going to make another change. And it looks like Fellaini is going to be introduced.

Finally, Falcao can get turned on the ball. He looks up and spreads a delightful ball wide for Januzaj. He knocks it back inside and Herrera tries the shot but it’s blocked. Maybe if United can get better passes into the Colombian, they can get more use out of him. Just a wild and wacky thought.

CLOSE! A United free-kick is cleared and breaks for Januzaj. Under pressure, he pings the shot towards goal but it’s always slightly veering away from the target. Almost, though.

PENALTY! Falcao pops up again in the box and delightfully brings the ball down and turns. Just as he’s about to roll it to the net, O’Shea brings him down and it’s a spot-kick for the home side.

RED CARD! Wes Brown! A case of mistaken identity here as O’Shea should be gone. The captain is pleading with Roger East that he was the one who brought Falcao down but the referee isn’t interested.

GOAL! Rooney! The striker makes no mistake as he drives it low to the bottom corner.

Well, it’s been coming. United much better since the second half began and how ironic that Falcao suddenly sprung to life, was brought down for the penalty and then replaced?

SUBSTITUTIONS! Fellaini (on) – Falcao (off) & Vergini/Graham (on) – Wickham/Defoe (off) 

United go close to adding a second in the last few minutes with Januzaj and Rooney both testing Pantillimon from distance before Fellaini misses a great chance from close-range after the ball breaks kindly for him in the area.

He’s now leading the line with Fellaini tucked in just behind him so he could grab another before this one wraps up.

Sunderland seem to be tiring rapidly here. Valencia makes inroads down the right side and bodies are sliding in everywhere trying to prevent him from getting a shot away. He tees it up for Januzaj and the shot it blocked. The guests are creaking here.

Januzaj has been full of life since being introduced. He beats Van Ahnholt down the right side but his legs are taken from him and the defender picks up a yellow card for his troubles.

SUBSTITUTION! Fletcher (on) – (Johnson (off)

The guests bring on a target man and will hope the Scot’s physicality can lead to a couple of chances in the last 10 minutes or so.

GOAL! Rooney! United keep the pressure on after some neat touches around the area. Januzaj cuts inside and thumps the shot towards goal, Pantillimon can’t hold it and Rooney does well to stay onside before nodding to the net.

Here’s Rooney’s second. Not long left now.

Looked like Herrera had grabbed a third for United but the flag was up so it won’t count. He’s been solid, once United figured out their formation. The second half was one-way traffic but there can be no excuses for how poor they were in the opening 45′.

AND THAT’S IT! 

Well, Van Gaal will rage at his players for their insipid first-half showing and how different would the game have been if Wickham had taken that great opportunity early on?

Still, United finally found some rhythm after the break and the passes were quicker, there was more purpose to the play and in Januzaj and Young, they had two wide-men willing to take on the full-backs and stretch things.

The turning point came when United began finding Falcao in dangerous positions. Firstly, he made a run into the left channel, turned, looked up and spread a delightful ball wide. And soon after, he was in front of goal, brilliantly taking down a pass and forcing O’Shea into fouling him, just as he was about to pull the trigger.

But it will be Rooney who will get the headlines. A brace for him, his second coming after he was pushed up front. United jump back into third and that’s all Van Gaal will care about.

Thanks for staying with us throughout our coverage. Lots more reaction on the site this evening.