Euro 2024: England Held by Slovenia, But Still Win Group C

England played their third and final group match of Euro 2024 earlier today, taking on Slovenia in Cologne, Germany. It was a scorching hot day in northwest Germany, so both sides knew going in this could end up being a slog. England knew that a win and possibly even a draw would see them top the group, depending on the result between Denmark vs. Serbia. England were also through to the knockout stages as of yesterday, when Albania lost to Spain. The rules around progression from the group stages are different this year, with the top two teams from each group advancing, along with the four best 3rd place teams (based on points, goal differential, and other factors). It can be kind of tricky to explain, but the main takeaway is that England had already clinched progression to the knockout stages before this match even started.

Slovenia were quick out of the blocks, and forced the first shot on goal of the match. It was a tame header from striker Benjamin Sesko though, which England keeper Jordan Pickford collected easily. England eventually got on the ball more, but when they did it was the usual harmless and tepid position that they’ve been guilty of the last two matches. No one was willing to run forward, no one was willing to pass it forward, and no one was willing to dribble a little bit and take on their defender. This lasted for about 20 minutes or so. England did have the ball in the back of the net around the 25 minute mark after a neat pass and move and from winger(?) Phil Foden and midfielder Declan Rice, which was tapped in by winger Bukayo Saka. Unfortunately, the goal was (correctly) ruled out by the linesman for offside. Foden was about half yard behind his man when Rice played him the ball. Frustrating, but that moment should have provided a formula for an England goal. When they move the ball quickly in attack, the Slovenians won’t be able to keep up.

Unfortunately, England seemed to ignore this formula and continue to play passive and slow possession that often ended up in nothing happening. On some occasions, they would lose possession in dangerous areas and allow the Slovenians to run at them. There were one or two half chances for them in the first half that made Three Lions supporters sweat more than the heat did. Make no mistake – Slovenia were not over-awed by England nor the occasion, particularly in the first half. They were well organized in defense, and keeper Jan Oblak had little to do. At halftime it was 0-0, with Slovenia surely the happier of the two sides.

England manager Gareth Southgate brought on midfielder Kobbie Mainoo at halftime for the ineffective Conor Gallagher, and after about 4 or 5 minutes, England were in possession and control of the ball a lot more. That is not solely down to Mainoo, but he certainly helped. They were still struggling to create clear chances, but they had snuffed out Slovenia’s attack for the most part. Substitute midfielder Cole Palmer and winger Anthony Gordon eventually came on, and it was these subs that were probably England’s best players on the day. Palmer got on the ball and created a half-chance for himself, after which Gordon did well to dribble at his man and create a chance. There were one or two other “good buildup but misplaced final pass” situations for England, but the match ended 0-0.

Fortunately for England, Denmark vs. Serbia also ended 0-0, so England won Group C on 5 points. Denmark finished second, with the Slovenians third. Serbia are eliminated. Group C ended up being a bit of a snoozer overall. Very few goals and a lot of 0-0 draws. England will play on next Sunday, with a likely opponent being the Netherlands, but that is not set in stone as of yet due to tomorrow’s fixtures. But by winning the group, England have avoided the fearsome quartet of Spain, Portugal, Germany, and France, all of whom are on the other side of the bracket. They cannot play any of those teams until the final.

But that is about the extent of the good news. England’s performance today was not a reassuring one for fans, not by a long shot. They failed to score for the first time this tournament against a side they should likely be scoring against. Again, the play was slow and lethargic for long portions of the match. There was very little effort from England’s players to get forward and take chances. This has to change. The system is certainly part of the problem, because it’s not allowing the players to play where they excel. I think the lack of productivity feeds into itself, because the body language of the players today was very nervous and anxious.

Southgate needs to fix this, and it needs to be fixed now. He started Gallagher in place of midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold today, but that was the only change he made from the last match and it didn’t do anything. Bringing on Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon was correct, but Gordon got little to no time to do anything. Foden still looks lost on the left wing. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous for the second straight match. Striker Harry Kane was dropping deep too often and not leading the line like he is supposed to. Left back Kieran Trippier needs to be dropped, too. He slows down play far too much and still acts like he has no idea Foden exists in front of him.

One potential solution would be to drop Gallagher and move Bellingham to the number 8 position, alongside Rice at the 6. That would allow Foden to move into his natural number 10 position, and Gordon can take his place on the left wing. If left back Luke Shaw ever gets himself fit, he needs to be played over Trippier. These are just a few of many ways in which this team could be improved. Most importantly of course, the manager must take the shackles off these lads. They need to be encouraged to run forward and take on players, because most of them have the natural talent to do so.

Southgate seems to have made up his mind, though. He is going to live and die by this “system” of his. Hopefully, he at least starts Mainoo, Palmer, and Gordon in the next match. We need energy and drive in this team, not passive possession. Happy to see the lads moving on and winning the group of course, but much improvement is still needed.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Euro 2024: Tepid England Draw with Denmark

England’s second group game of Euro 2024 was held against Denmark in Frankfurt on June 20. Thanks to the draw between Slovenia and Serbia earlier in the day, England would win Group C and qualify for the knockout stages if they beat Denmark. The stadium atmosphere at kickoff was wonderful, with both sets of fans in full voice during their respective national anthems. Denmark are widely regarded as the second best team in this group in terms of talent, with some truly top class players such as midfielder Christian Eriksen, striker Rasmus Højlund, defender Andreas Christensen, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. England would need to be at or near their best to make sure all three points were taken.

And for the first 20 minutes or so, England looked very strong. Aside from an early and rather tame shot straight at England keeper Jordan Pickford, England dominated the possession and chance creation. Midfielder Phil Foden appeared to be in better form than his previous match, and he created a good chance for himself with some neat dribbling before misfiring on his shot.

England took the lead on 18 minutes after a Danish defensive error. Their left back was lazy in chasing down a loose ball, and he failed to see England right back Kyle Walker blazing towards him over his right shoulder. Walker stole the ball off the defender, then dribbled it into the box. He put a cutback cross in towards winger Bukayo Saka, but the ball took a few deflections before falling straight to the feet of striker Harry Kane. Kane was only about 6 yards out, and he tapped the ball home with the inside of his left foot like he was at home in his garden. Great bit of effort from Walker to set it up, and the Three Lions got a little bit of luck with the deflections in the box. 1-0 to England!

But once England had the lead, something very predictable and very annoying happened. England began to sit back in defense and let the Danes have the ball. They were content to sit back and break up attacks, while reticent to go forward in search of game-killing goal. This has been a hallmark of manager Gareth Southgate’s tenure, and it’s been especially apparent at this tournament. That’s how they continued to play as the half wore on, and it was downright boring to watch.

As was foreseeable, England were punished for their conservative approach on 34 minutes when Denmark midfielder Morten Hjulmand lashed home a low and powerful shot from long range. England had lost the ball in a dangerous area, and suddenly Denmark had men in numbers near the box. No one stepped up to close down Hjulmand, and his finish from 20 yards or so beat Pickford at his far post, rattling in off the inside of the post. The Danish fans erupted in cheers while England could only look on. The shot was truly exquisite, but England fans felt like the equalizer could have been avoided with more aggressive attacking play. The half finished 1-1, with Denmark the happier of the two sides.

The second half was even more tepid than the first half. Foden was trying to make things happen, but no one else around him was really doing anything. Denmark still had plenty of the ball, and there were spells where they looked more likely to score than England did. Midfielder Jude Bellingham was anonymous, Kane went missing after his goal, and England were incredibly passive when in possession. They even lost possession numerous times in dangerous areas, and had to be bailed out by yet another strong defensive performance from center backs Marc Guehi and John Stones.

The match ended 1-1, with both sides only creating half chances sporadically as the match fizzled out. There were some nervy moments for England whenever Denmark won a corner, but the points were shared at the end of the match. England remained top of Group C on 4 points, but missed out on clinching the group and moving on to the knockouts. A victory over Slovenia in the final group game guarantees progression. A draw may also do it if Denmark draws with or loses to Serbia.

England were bad in this match. No two ways about it. Outside the first 20 minutes, it was a terrible performance. There are several issues with the current set up of this team from a tactical perspective, and Southgate is to blame for not fixing them when they became apparent in the last match against Serbia. For starters, it seems that he has to choose between Foden and Bellingham. They both shine in the attacking midfield, but they are not as good when played elsewhere. Foden was good today, but Bellingham was not. Bellingham was good against Serbia, but Foden was not. Southgate has to make a choice there. I suggest dropping Foden for a natural left winger in Anthony Gordon, then bring on Foden for Bellingham late in the match if need be. I understand the level of Foden’s talent and that he would start on almost any team he played for, but for England he has to take a backseat to Bellingham. This team is unbalanced, and the Foden/Bellingham issue is a big reason why.

I also don’t know why Southgate insists on playing Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield when that is clearly not his best position. He plays right back for his club, although he is much more like a traditional right winger given his talents in passing and crossing. For whatever reason though, Southgate thinks he should play as a defensive midfielder next to Declan Rice. There’s just no other way to explain it – he just simply isn’t meant to play there. He also needs to be benched, with either Conor Gallagher or Kobbie Mainoo starting ahead of him.

Perhaps the biggest issue though is the style of play. Not only is it conservative, right now its uncoordinated as well. There were multiple instances where Pickford and his back line were not on the same page in terms of ball distribution. Pickford clearly wanted to play it long, but players like Walker and Rice were frequently directing him to play it short to a nearby defender. Pickford just ignored them, tried to play it long into a sea of red shirts, and Denmark would inevitably end up with the ball again. England would get stuck in their own half for minutes on end because Southgate is insisting on style of play that his players are not accustomed to. Our players have a ton of experience at building from the back and establishing possession that way, and Southgate must employ a style that suits them.

I get that England are still in a good position to get out of the group. It’s not really the results that are the problem. The problem is that England are simply better than this, and we have a manager who is failing to get the most out of his players. He puts square pegs into round holes all over the pitch, then doesn’t let them play attacking football anymore after scoring the first goal. It’s one of the most frustrating things I’ve ever seen. We can easily score 3 or 4 goals against almost anyone! I am imploring anyone within shouting distance of Southgate to tell him to let these lads play!

My biggest fear is that all this criticizing is in vain. Southgate is likely going to continue playing this way. Hopefully he at least changes the team selection for the Slovenia match, but he is virtually guaranteed to play conservative again if England take the lead. Many are calling for the Football Association to sack Southgate mid-tournament, but that isn’t likely to happen either. What is for sure is that Southgate has a lot he needs to figure out, and he needs to figure it out quickly. Even though England are likely to get out of the group, the opposition in the knockout rounds will be much tougher. It’ll be another lost tournament for England if they can’t figure out their tactics and best line-up. Slovenia on Tuesday at noon PDT in Cologne!

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Euro 2024: England Earn Narrow Victory Over Serbia in Group C Opener

The Euros started on June 14 and have generally been entertaining thus far, although a bit predictable. There have been no major upsets, but there’s been goals in every game and Albania did a good job frustrating the Italians yesterday. Today was the biggest match so far for this particular blog, with England taking on Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The other two Group C teams, Slovenia and Denmark, drew 1-1 in the early match of the day, which meant that the winner of this one would top the group after the first round of matches.

England were the dominant team for the first ten minutes in terms of possession, with the Serbians unable to get out of their own half. The Three Lions were passing the ball effectively, although they didn’t create many opportunities initially. That all changed on 13 minutes though, when all-world midfielder Jude Bellingham got on the end of a deflected cross from winger Bukayo Saka. There was a Serbian defender in his path, but Bellingham dove for the ball and delivered a thumping header into the top corner from about eight yards out, with Serbia keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic unable to do anything about it. It was England’s first attempt on goal and really their first incisive move of the match, with Saka doing especially well to beat his marker to the end line and get a cross in. Bellingham is on an absolute tear right now for club and country, and the sky is the limit for the 20 year old from the West Midlands. His contributions will be vital towards England’s success at this tournament.

It was 1-0 after that and England continued to dominate possession until the last five minutes of the half or so. Serbia made some adjustments tactically and began playing more aggressively, although they did not fashion many good chances. Aside from a slightly inaccurate but powerful shot from striker Aleksandr Mitrovic, the Eastern European side looked fairly toothless. The only major complaint from any England fans would have been the lack of a second goal in the first half. They had several opportunities to put the match to bed, but they failed to do so and it remained 1-0 at halftime.

Serbia manager Dragan Stojkavic made some more changes at halftime, and the Serbs continued with their aggressive play to try and find an equalizer. England were lackluster in the first ten minutes of the second half or so, and Serbia really grew into the game. They still struggled to create clear chances though, as England were defending very well. Every time they’d get close, an England defender would step up and clear the danger. Good games in particular from center backs Marc Guehi and John Stones. Serbia felt they should have had a penalty on the hour mark after a collision in the box, but the referee did not give anything and VAR did not intervene.

As the second half wore on, it became clear that England manager Gareth Southgate was happy to sit on his side’s 1-0 lead. He made several defensive substitutions by bringing on midfielders Conor Gallagher and Kobbie Mainoo, and also brought on winger Jarrod Bowen for Saka. Bowen was impressive once he came on, and he almost got an assist if not for Savic parrying a header from striker Harry Kane onto the bar. Bringing on Bowen was the correct move, but I question the other subs from Southgate. He has a very conservative style of play once England have a lead, and that has bitten him in the behind before. A one-goal lead is a very narrow margin at this level of football, but he perpetually believes in England’s ability to defend that lead. Stubbornly so, at times. This style makes England dull to watch in attack on the best of days, but even more so on days like today when the opposition were hell bent on fouling England’s forwards every time they got on the ball. Kane, Bellingham, Saka, and others did well to win a number of free kicks in forward areas today.

This time (emphasis on this time), the conservative approach worked. Aside from a long-range effort from striker Dusan Vlahovic that England keeper Jordan Pickford tipped over the bar, the Serbs had very little to offer in terms of attacking threat. England won 1-0, and earned their first victory of the tournament! The lads defended well today, but Serbia had far too much possession for my liking and they were given too many opportunities to equalize.

While this was a win, Southgate has a lot to figure out. First and foremost, he needs to figure out what to do with winger/midfielder Phil Foden. Foden is not a natural left winger, and it was obvious he was not playing in his preferred position today due to him not contributing much. He is a natural attacking midfielder, but the problem there is that so is Bellingham. Foden is wonderfully talented, but he should never displace Bellingham in this team. However, that leaves limited options for him to play elsewhere. England got absolutely nothing out of the left side today in terms of production, and that is due to Foden being out of position and having little to no chemistry with left back Kieran Trippier. Foden may grow accustomed to his role on the left should he play there again, but it may take a bit of courage from Southgate to sit Foden in favor of a natural left winger, such as Anthony Gordon. Foden can come on as a sub for Bellingham, and that may be how he can help this team the most.

I also urge Southgate (in the highly unlikely event that he reads this) to not pull back and try to protect narrow leads in the future. Our players should be urged to try and retain possession while building towards a second or third goal. We can’t continue to sit back and just let other teams go at us throughout this tournament. Put simply, the other team has zero chance of scoring if they don’t have the ball! I realize it’s impossible to do this 100% of the time in a given match, but I think the main reason England got a positive result today is that Serbia are simply not very good. Outside of their two forwards and maybe a midfielder or two, they do not possess the quality and talent that England has. We should be beating teams like Serbia by two or three goals, not grinding out nervous 1-0 wins.

Of course, if we win every match from here to the final 1-0, no England fan will complain. We still won, and we’re still top of the group. Also, you never want to play your best game in the first match of a tournament. The conventional wisdom is that there should be room for improvement after the first match. However, the opposition is going to be better next time. Denmark have some question marks in defense, but they have world-class players in Cristian Eriksen, Rasmus Højlund, Andreas Christensen, and Kasper Schmeichel. England will need to be much sharper in attack than they were today. The match is next Thursday, June 20, at 9:00 a.m. PDT. With a win, England will have a superb chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Three Lions on the Shirts!

Mega Blog – Manchester United Win the FA Cup, Season Review, and England Euro Preview

I can’t believe it’s been close to two months since I last wrote a blog post! Work and my other obligations were in the way, but moreover it was difficult to motivate myself to write about a very lackluster and average Manchester United team. Not to worry though, I am back and ready to thoroughly break down all the happenings of the past seven weeks or so in this mega (aka longer than normal) post!

United Win the FA Cup

The highlight of the season was easily United’s 2-1 victory over the blue bastards Manchester City to win the FA Cup at Wembley at the end of May. Goals were from winger Alejandro Garnacho and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. United were heavy underdogs coming into the match, given their own poor form this season and the fact that City are the reigning Premier League champions and widely regarded as the best club team in the world. But our lads finally showed up and played their best game of the season when it mattered most. The first goal from Garnacho was more of a defensive error from City than anything, but some credit is due to Garnacho for being in the right position to capitalize on it. The second goal was truly a work of art in terms of passing and tactical awareness. It was a counter-attack goal, and it involved at least five United players before Mainoo slid it home from about eight yards out. The final pass from midfielder Bruno Fernandes to Mainoo in particular was pure football poetry.

It was nervy at the end of the match for sure, as City pulled one back through striker Jeremy Doku with about 20 minutes left to play. United keeper Andre Onana probably should have kept it out since it was a low shot from distance at his near post, but it slipped past his fingertips and City had a lifeline. However, some good center-forward play from Rasmus Højlund and solid defending saw the Red Devils hold on and claim their 13th FA Cup in club history!

Spot-on tactics and substitutions from manager Erik Ten Hag (more on him below) and fantastic effort from everyone who was on the pitch. When this United team is clicking, they can play with any team in the world. The fact that two teenagers from our youth academy took down the oil state-backed football machine that is City is the stuff dreams are made of. As mentioned above though, the rest of the season was much different.

Manchester United Season Review

The success in the FA Cup is important, but the rest of the season was poor by United standards. They crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage, were knocked out of the League Cup in the quarterfinals, and finish a very mediocre 8th in the Premier League. The FA Cup win qualified them for the Europa League next season, but had they not won that match, there would be no European football at Old Trafford next year. And to be honest, we wouldn’t have deserved it.

Consistency was again an issue, and it has been at this club for several seasons now. For whatever reason, the lads simply can’t string together good results consistently enough over the span of the season. There were a ton of players missing matches due to injuries, indeed more than the average amount, but that really only seems to be part of the problem. Frequently, I found myself questioning the desire and motivations of too many of these players. There were too many times in which they simply didn’t look like they could be bothered to play well. Our starting eleven and several of our bench players are all extremely talented, but talent means very little if they don’t put the hard work in that’s required to win at this level of football. They’re all millionaires, for crying out loud! Give the average man 20% of their salary and he will run himself into the ground, and do it happily. It’s very clear that several United players need to go in the summer, but who goes and who stays remains to be seen.

As has been stated many times on this blog, the overall structure of the club needs to change as well. The lack of investment in this team from the Glazers has never been more apparent than this season. Old Trafford has more leaks in it than the Titanic, and the water cascades down the steps and floods the place every time it rains. It’s needed a facelift (or perhaps even a rebuild) for a long time now. The attitude of salutary neglect from the owners trickles down just like the rainwater down the steps. If the owners don’t care and are only there to make money, why would anyone else who works for the club care about winning? Obviously yes there are people there who do love the club and want to see us win as much as possible, but the ones at the very top clearly don’t, and that is why this club continues to wade in the waters of mediocrity season after season for the past 11-12 years.

Fortunately, change does seem to be coming. Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his firm INEOS have brought in two new executives to start next season, and they have begun the process of regenerating Old Trafford. There is even the possibility of United moving to a new version of Old Trafford in the coming years. But fixing the stadium is only one of many issues. Ratcliffe has to work at changing the culture of this club. Everyone from the stewards to the players to the coaches to the owners needs to be on the same page and focused on the same goals. We need a coherent transfer policy, and there needs to be continued and sustained investment in the youth academy. We need to make players want to play here again, and we do that by re-establishing a culture of inclusion and support for anyone who puts on the red shirt for us. That’s hard to do in the era of social media, but I believe it can be done if the right people make the right decisions.

Future of Erik Ten Hag

Speaking of the right people, it was announced today that ETH will be keeping his job as United manager next season, meaning he will likely be signing a contract extension as well. It’s difficult to succinctly describe his tenure so far. Last season was objectively pretty good, having won the League Cup and finished 3rd in the Prem, with an FA Cup Final appearance. This season was decidedly not as good, and ETH is partially at fault for that. Winger Antony dos Santos, a player brought on the insistence of ETH for a staggering £80 million, has failed to improve in his second season and actually gotten worse.

His tactics were often questionable as well. United faced more shots on target than any other team this season, and we relied heavily on the counter-attack to create opportunities to score. This worked against lesser opposition fairly well, but United struggled frequently against any team with a semi-competent attack. Their inability to keep possession left them tired at the end of matches, and they frequently conceded late to lose points. I understand ETH was severely hampered by injuries and issues above his rank this season, but at some point I would have hoped for more adjustments from him to somehow get us playing more competent football.

However, as stated above, it has been decided that he is staying for next season. It seems the FA Cup, the League Cup last season, and his general trust in youth academy players has earned him at least one more year at the helm. It was unclear if he was staying or not, and the lack of a decision over the past 2-3 weeks was frustrating to many, but of course it was a big decision that needed to be carefully made. Admittedly, the FA Cup Final did it for me as well. I saw how we played that day and it showed what this team can do when they aren’t injured and properly motivated. It was a fantastic display of tactics from ETH in the biggest game of the season. This transfer window will be interesting to see who the manager and Ratcliffe bring in for next year.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

England Euro 2024 Preview

Before I dive down into the depths of this topic, a quick shout-out to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and Borussia Dortmund/Man United winger Jadon Sancho. Those two England teammates played against each other in the Champions League final on June 1, with Bellingham’s Madridistas victorious. Well done to them both, and a special well done to Bellingham for winning his first European Cup at the tender age of 20.

Bellingham and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane will be key to England’s success at Euro 2024, which starts on June 14. Bellingham was Player of the Season in Spain this past year, and Kane had 30+ goals in the Bundesliga. Man City winger/forward Phil Foden, Player of the Season in England, will also have a vital role to play for the Three Lions. We have some bloody amazing players, but can they finally put it together? Can they finally bring home a trophy for the first time in 58 years?

England are in Group B, along with Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia. Denmark are a decent side thanks to players like Højlund and midfielder Christian Eriksen, but England are heavy favorites to top the group. England’s first match is against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 16 at noon PDT, and I am very excited to watch it. This team has disappointed me over and over again in the past, but like a fool I always get optimistic before the start of a major tournament. We’re spoiled for riches in attack and very solid in midfield, but the defense is a little bit of a question mark. England are especially thin at left back and also to a degree at center back, with manager Gareth Southgate relying on the very good but also very injury prone Luke Shaw and John Stones. I have concerns about them standing up to the likes of France and Portugal if need be. England can score for sure, but can they keep teams out?

There are a number of younger players in the squad as well, including Mainoo and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. I like that approach, given the experience of players like Kane, Stones, and right back Kyle Walker. There is a good balance of youth and experience here, and that is often key to winning tournaments. I think the superstars will need to be at their best though. I’m talking about Kane, Bellingham, and Foden. They are the best players at their positions in the world, and they need to play like it. I do think England will likely win the group given the level of opposition, but the likes of France, Portugal, Italy, and possibly Germany will not be easy to beat. We have the talent to win this tournament, but as has been the case recently, it will likely come down to the decisions of Southgate.

I have a feeling that unless England win the whole thing, Southgate will either call it quits or be sacked. He has done phenomenally well compared to every other England manager not named Sir Alf Ramsey. He has taken us to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018, the final of Euro 2020(1), and the quarterfinals of World Cup 2022. His conservative but consistent style of play has brought us more success and happiness in recent years than almost any of his predecessors. But that same style has come back to haunt him when it comes time to take a gamble in a big match. There will come a moment in a knockout game when he has to make a big decision, and his job will likely ride on whether he makes the right one. He has been a very good England manager, but this will likely be his last chance to become a great England manager.

Three Lions On the Shirts! It’s Coming Home!

FA Cup: Manchester United Shock Liverpool in Quarterfinal Classic

There’s no denying that this hasn’t been a good season by the illustrious standards of Manchester United. They won’t be winning the Premier League, the top-4 seems like it will take a borderline miracle to attain, they lost their League Cup crown earlier in the season, and they are out of all European competitions. They’ve been incredibly inconsistent all year, with injuries playing a massive role in their sputtering form. The Red Devils’ last realistic chance at any trophy this season is in the illustrious FA Cup – the oldest single-elimination football tournament in the world. United squeaked by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground 1-0 in the 5th round, which set up an incredibly juicy quarterfinals tie with their hated rivals Liverpool earlier today at Old Trafford. While these two sides have their own rich histories and traditions of winning, title-contenders Liverpool were the heavy favorites to move on to the semifinals at Wembley Stadium.

But under-fire United manager Erik ten Hag and the squad had other plans. United were the dominant team for the first 10 minutes or so, and cashed in on their dominance thanks a rebound finish from midfielder Scott McTominay. They couldn’t add another one in the first half though, and Liverpool struck back twice at the end of the first half via midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and winger/forward Mohamed Salah. United scored via winger Antony dos Santos (playing at left back today) on 87 minutes though, which forced extra time at 2-2. Liverpool then went ahead again on 105 minutes via attacking midfielder Harvey Elliot, only for United to continue to fight back and get a 3rd from winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Finally, in the dying seconds of stoppage time and after a breathless 120 minutes of football, United winger Amad Diallo found the opposite corner with a low finish after a breakaway. Old Trafford erupted in joy as the ball rolled past Scousers keeper Caoimhin Kelleher for 4-3. Diallo ended up being sent off on a second yellow card for removing his shirt during the goal celebration, but it was an absolutely legendary 30ish minute cameo from the Ivorian winger.

I blitzed through the goals and major incidents recap mostly because there are so many other talking points to discuss. For one, ETH may have saved his job next season with this performance. I have long been a defender of ETH because I generally believe his footballing philosophy is one that can win matches, but it was becoming more and more difficult to defend him with each head-scratching lineup or substitution. But today, he got it 100% right. It was extremely unorthodox at times, with numerous players playing out of position and we didn’t seem to have a midfield late on in the match, but it somehow worked. I could have sworn I saw us in a 4-1-5 formation at some point! I also saw Antony at left back, Bruno Fernandes in central defense, and Harry Maguire was effectively a striker! It was ludicrous, but again, it worked. Bringing on Diallo and Antony ended up being brilliant moves as well. It was chaos ball, but maybe some chaos is just what was needed to make the Scousers uncomfortable.

But moreover, I think the big headline from today is not about ETH, nor is it about United beating their biggest rival in a classic football match. The biggest takeaway from today from the perspective of the supporters is that the Red Devils finally showed some fight. They kept trying to win the match and never stopped, and it paid off big time. Far too often this season and last, this has looked like a team that lacked a competitive spirit. Every once in a while they show some spine, but more often than not United have repeatedly shown a lack of backbone in bigger matches once they get punched in the face. Even with a lead, if they concede a cheap goal or a call from the referee doesn’t go their way, they have often just capitulated and lacked a desire to carry on fighting. That did not happen today, however. Indeed, it was just the opposite. They got a somewhat surprising lead, but conceded two very cheap goals just before halftime. It was sadly expected by many (including me) that they would yet again surrender and not really try in the second half. But they came out with dogged determination, Liverpool were a bit sloppy with some of their chances, and they got an equalizer late on to force extra time. They could have easily capitulated again when Liverpool went ahead 3-2 on 105 minutes, but they just kept running forward and getting the ball ahead to the attacking players. Again, it paid off when Rashford made it 3-3. That put them in a position to go and win it, and they took advantage of some questionable tactics by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to go and win the match.

Brilliant match today. Absolutely brilliant. Likely the best one during the ETH regime. To beat our biggest rival in the FA Cup quarterfinals as underdogs in the dying seconds of extra time is the stuff dreams are made of. Excellent matches from Rashford, Bruno, McTominay, Maguire, Diallo, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony. Some special recognition to right back (left back?) Diogo Dalot as well, who did not put a foot wrong for 120 minutes. When this team believes in themselves, they have the ability to beat some of the best teams in Europe. Well done to the home supporters at Old Trafford too, who were raucous from start to finish.

It’s true this season has not gone well. It’s true that inconsistency and injuries have plagued the Red Devils all year. It’s true that we are still at the beginning of a massive overhaul that will continue for several more seasons. Today made all of that much easier to digest, though. I believe this will show both the Glazers and new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that ETH is the man to guide us through this rebuild and get us back the promised land. All of the problems surrounding the club can be temporarily forgotten, because today we knocked the Scousers out of the FA Cup. Hope the lads get some good celebrating in tonight.

United have been drawn against Championship side Coventry City in the semifinals of the FA Cup, to be played in about a month’s time at Wembley. They have some difficult matches to be played in the Premier League between now and then, but all eyes are now on the weekend of April 20/21. The top 4 would still be a great achievement given how this season has gone, but honestly, if I had to choose, I’d want us to go and win the FA Cup. Let’s turn this crap season into something positive by finishing strongly with a trophy. Manchester City take on Chelsea in the other half of the semifinal.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League – Narrow Victory in Luton

Manchester United traveled south to the outskirts of London for a Premier League match against Luton Town FC at Kenilworth Road earlier today. Luton, colloquially known as the Hatters, have been a tough nut to crack in their own stadium this season. They are very much in the relegation battle, but have taken teams like Liverpool, Man City, and Arsenal to the very brink already. They would have been more than happy with a draw in this match, as every point is vital for them as we edge closer to the business end of the season. United’s away form has improved of late, but they are still in 6th place heading into this match, needing to keep pace with Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.

The match got off to a flying start for the Red Devils, with striker Rasmus Højlund putting United ahead 1-0 just 37 seconds into the match. The United defense cleared a long ball over the top in the general direction of Højlund, and it should have been easily collected and recycled by the Hatters back line. However, the first touch from the defender was a very poor one, and it allowed Højlund to run on to the ball in behind the Luton defense. He took a touch to play it forward, another touch to take it around Hatters keeper Thomas Kaminski, then buried a low shot into an empty net from about 12 yards out. It was a bit lucky to be sure, but credit to Højlund for continuing to run and press. You have to be lucky in this game sometimes, but you also have to be in a position to take advantage of that luck when it breaks your way. Højlund is now the youngest player to score in 5 straight Premier League matches, and this goal was also the fastest away goal for United in over 30 years. I am very happy he has found his form, like we all knew he would.

Højlund and United were not done, either. They won a corner around the 7 minute mark, and the ball was played in aerially by left back Luke Shaw. Luton only half-cleared the cross though, and it fell to winger Alejandro Garnacho on the right side of the penalty box near it’s edge. He lashed a shot towards goal, and it took a deflection off Højlund’s chest before bouncing over the line. Kaminski had no chance, Højlund was just in the right place at the right time. Luck again played a role in this goal, but the chest control and re-direction of the ball seemed to be intentional from the big Dane. Højlund now had a brace, and it was again the fastest brace in the history of the Prem from United! No matter what we do looking ahead, Højlund needs to be leading the attacking line.

There was a hiccup for United about 7 minutes later though, when Luton took the opportunity to get themselves on the score sheet too. They looked like they were going to get ripped apart early on, but they regained some composure and pulled one back on 14 minutes via striker Carlton Morris. Midfielder Tahith Chong (a former United academy player) tried to get a shot away inside the box, but it deflected off the foot of center back Harry Maguire and up into the air. Morris was first to get his head to the ball, and it was too close to keeper Andre Onana to be kept out. It was a little bit of a soft goal to concede, but it was a reminder that losing focus for even a few seconds can lead to punishment. All credit to the Hatters for endeavoring and not falling apart after being down 2-0 early on.

That Luton goal set the tone for the rest of the half though. Worryingly, United seemed content to sit back and defend while Luton ran at them. Morris went close to getting another one on 36 minutes, and frankly the Red Devils were fortunate to get to half time with a lead. Midfielder Casemiro was on a yellow card so he was replaced with Scott McTominay at halftime, with Maguire going off as well. He was replaced by 36 year-old center back Jonny Evans.

The second half continued similar to the end of the first half. United would have the odd spells of possession here and there, but it was mostly Luton on the ball and they were creating chances. Paradoxically however, United’s chances were the better ones. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes and winger/forward Marcus Rashford both failed to score from good positions, and then Garnacho really should have finished the game off on 67 minutes after he was put through on goal by Rashford. Indecision struck him at the worst time however, and his effort was blocked by a retreating Hatters defender. United looked very promising on the counter-attack every time they went forward, but the finishing was poor. Højlund could have had a hat-trick as well, but he was denied from point blank range by Kaminski.

The score remained the same, and it made for a very tense finish for both sides. Luton were really piling on the pressure, and they had all the chances as the game drew to a close. Every time they got close though, a United defender was there to make a key block, or Onana was on hand to make a save. United were not doing enough to keep the ball at the other end of the pitch though, and I feared a late equalizer from Luton. Midfielder Ross Barkley had a header clip the cross bar towards the end of stoppage time, and while it raised the pulses of the fans, it ultimately did not go in. The final whistle blew shortly after that, and United won 2-1.

Once again, a win is a win. Can’t complain about three points on the road in the Premier League too much. However, this was much more difficult than it needed to be. At 2-0 after 8 minutes, this never should have been close. Yet again though, ETH had his men sit back and defend the lead and it nearly cost us three points.

I was browsing a Reddit thread on this topic in mid-week and an interesting theory was put forward – that there is a disconnect between what ETH wants his players to do, and what he believes they are capable of doing. He might think that we simply don’t have the players in midfield to possess the ball with ease. McTominay is not Prem-caliber defensive mid, Casemiro has aged a lot, and the possession abilities of injured center back Lisandro Martinez are sorely missed. Kobbie Mainoo has been the only midfield player showing any degree of consistency, but it’s unfair and unwise to rely on an 18 year-old to be your best midfield player. Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount were supposed to help with this issue, but Eriksen is about the same age as Casemiro and Mount has been injured more than he’s been fit this season. ETH may think that this defensive/counter-attacking style of play is the only style that’s sustainable for us over the course of 90 minutes. There was a little bit more possession today as opposed to last week, but again Luton had plenty of chances to find their equalizer. The solution to this problem is reinforcements in midfield over the summer, but we are still quite a ways off from being able to bring in fresh blood. United fans may be stuck with this nerve-wracking style of play until the end of the season.

Still, great games from Højlund, Garnacho (minus his finishing), Mainoo, and Evans. Evans needs praise in particular, not only for continuing to play at his advanced age, but his ability to consistently prove doubters wrong. I include myself in that category. I did not think there was much he could do for us any more at this level, but he was a rock today when he came on at halftime. A quick message as well to England manager Gareth Southgate – get Mainoo in this team! He’s a brilliant midfielder and he would fit in well in the middle of the park with the national team.

United remain 6th after this result, but they are a scant 5 points off Aston Villa in 4th place. United next play on February 24th at Old Trafford against Fulham. Another three points must be secured to keep the pressure on the clubs above us.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: Victory at Villa Park

Manchester United traveled to the Midlands of England for a Premier League match at Villa Park earlier today. United were in good form going into this match, thanks to some improved attacking play and the return of some key players from injury. Villa however were trending in the opposite direction after a very hot start to the season under manager Unai Emery. Despite beating Liverpool and Manchester City earlier this year, they have been in stuttering form recently and were at a risk of dropping out of the top-4 with a loss today.

Villa were somewhat better than United in terms of chance creation in the opening 20 minutes or so, but it was United who found themselves ahead 1-0 on 17 minutes through striker Rasmus Højlund. United had won a corner, and it was played aerially into the box by midfielder Bruno Fernandes. The ball was only partially cleared by the Villa back line though, and it was played back into the box from the opposite side by center back Harry Maguire. The ball fell straight to Højlund, who was given far too much space in the box by the Villa defense. He bundled the ball home past Villans keeper Emiliano Martinez, and then wheeled away in celebration. Not the prettiest of goals, but credit to Højlund for showing his striker’s instincts and getting the ball over the line. He has now scored in 5 consecutive matches and is positively on fire right now!

Villa kept up their chance creation throughout the half, but United were defending well and sitting back as they had a goal advantage. I was wary of this approach from manager Erik ten Hag, as inviting pressure on the road against a top-4 side usually does not result in positive outcomes for this squad. However, United were still 1-0 up at halftime and were nevertheless on their way to a massive result.

Villa continued much as they did in the first half – creating chances fairly frequently, but failing to finish them off either due to lack of composure or good defending/keeping from United. During this period of the match, United were limited to counter-attacks and playing hopeful long balls over the top. Villa were rewarded for their pressure on 67 minutes when midfielder Douglas Luiz turned the ball into the net from close range. United keeper Andre Onana had made some brilliant saves from very close just before that, but a failure by the Red Devils to fully clear their lines led to Luiz capitalizing on the Villa pressure. United’s defense is simply not good enough to keep a clean sheet on the road at this time, so it was puzzling why ETH elected to invite so much pressure by having the team sit back. The roar from the Holt End supporters at Villa Park also suggested that Villa would now go on to try and get a winner.

In response, ETH brought on midfielder (forward?) Scott McTominay and took off forward Marcus Rashford, and a collective groan went through the away end. Many thought this was ETH waiving the white flag and playing for a draw, but it was interesting to see McTominay take a spot further up the pitch in attack. United did not regain a strong sense of possession until the 80th minute or so though, and the hour was getting late to find a winner.

However, cometh the hour, cometh the man. Around 85 minutes, United had the ball forward and were probing the Villa penalty area. United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo did well to leave the ball for right back Diogo Dalot to put in a peach of a cross from the right wing, and McTominay out-muscled his marker to get his head on the ball. He redirected the ball goalwards, and the velocity on the header saw it go straight through the arms of Martinez and into the back of the net! 2-1 United, and what a thumping header it was. McTominay was given the opportunity, and he capitalized on it. Somehow, the Scotsman is United’s leading scorer in the Premier League this season with 7 goals. That is more goals this year than his past two combined.

Even though there was 6 minutes of stoppage time, Villa failed to really test United again, aside from a series of long-range efforts that amounted to little more than catching practice for Onana. The final whistle blew, and United had their first away victory over a quality side in nearly three seasons. You could see how much it meant to the players and manager, and a hard-fought win like this can do wonders for team chemistry and the locker room dynamic. United are still in 6th place, but the gap between them and 4th place Tottenham is now down to just six points. With 14 matches left in the season, there is still definitely a lot to play for. Given how crap this team was at the start of the year, it’s a borderline miracle that they are within shouting distance of the Champions League at this stage of the season.

I still don’t agree with the tactic of sitting back and trying to defend a slim lead, especially on the road against a decent side like Villa. United can be effective on the counter-attack to be sure, but why give the other team a chance of getting their footing again? Why concede possession for such long periods of time? Once we score, we should be possessing the ball as best we can in an effort to find another goal. There is still a missing element of ruthlessness in this United team, and that could be a problem in future matches. It’s a better idea to go and kill the game off early, so that the opposition doesn’t get the chance to believe in themselves a bit. I am sure ETH has his reasons for this style of play, and he will correctly point to the result as validation of his choice. Still, we shouldn’t have to consistently rely on a late substitution to get us over the line.

Nevertheless, three points is three points. Well done to the lads. Great games from Højlund, Maguire, Bruno, and Dalot. I can’t complain too much about 4 wins in a row. United next travel south to Luton Town next weekend, for a match with a relegation-threatened club of the same name. Luton will no doubt be in the mood to try and claim a big scalp by beating United, but there is no reason why the Red Devils should not come away with all three points next Sunday.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United…in Good Form?

First things first, I apologize for falling behind this past month or so. Been very busy in a number of ways and haven’t had time to write. However, there is one advantage in not having written a blog in approximately 26 days. It has afforded me the opportunity to analyze the club’s form over the course of a month, instead of writing and reacting on a match-to-match basis. This has allowed me to see a bigger picture of where the club is overall. A lot has happened!

For the first time all season, the Red Devils are in consistently good form. United have won 3 out of their last 4 matches, with the one off result being a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. Since that draw, United have beaten Newport County in the FA Cup 4-2, then beat Wolverhampton Wanderers in a 4-3 thriller in the Premier League, and just today beat West Ham at Old Trafford 3-0. They began the month of January in 8th place, but now find themselves in 6th in the table and in the 5th Round of the FA Cup.

Early in the season, we were struggling to both score goals and keep clean sheets. If we won, it was usually a tense 1-0 or 2-1. If we lost, it was usually by multiple goals. However, in the past four matches, manager Erik Ten Hag has clearly figured out the attacking situation. 13 goals in 4 matches is an excellent scoring record. I think a lot of it has to do with striker (and 21st birthday boy today) Rasmus Højlund finally finding some good form. It took him awhile to break his Premier League goose egg this season, but now that he has started scoring, he simply cannot stop. Another aspect of the improved attacking form is the move of winger Alejandro Garnacho out to the right wing, when previously he exclusively played on the left. Garnacho has multiple goals and assists over the past four games, and he has taken to playing on the right wing like a duck to water.

Now if the attack is improving, that usually means the midfield is improving as well. United have been helped in that department by the return of midfielder Casemiro from injury, but the real standout in the middle of the park is teenager Kobbie Mainoo. He is absolutely brilliant and way ahead of where most players are at 18. He can tackle, pass, dribble, shoot, and he reads the game exceedingly well for a player with such little experience. His winner against Wolves in late stoppage time was scintillating! He needs to continue developing physically so that he doesn’t get bullied off the ball as much, but Mainoo is easily one of the most exciting prospects out of the United Youth Academy in ages. If he can learn a thing or two about shithousery and aggressiveness from Casemiro, he’s going to be a terror to deal with.

Now, there are problems still. The scores listed above also indicate that (with the notable exception of today) United are still leaky in defense. A team like United should not be conceding 2 against Newport County and another 3 against Wolves. Conceding 7 goals in 4 matches is a below average defensive record, and there’s no two ways about it. Similar to how the attack and midfield have benefited from players returning from injury, the opposite has happened to the defense. Due to injuries along the back line, ETH has been forced to field 10 different center back pairings this season. And due to keeper Andre Onana being called up for international duty the past couple weeks, there was a different player in goal as well. In a position group where all four/five players need to work together, it’s exceedingly difficult to develop that chemistry and understanding when they can’t play together consistently. I was overjoyed to see center back Lisandro Martinez finally back from long-term injury the past few matches as well, but he unfortunately suffered what appeared to be a gruesome leg injury in the West Ham match today and likely faces another long layoff. He’s had rotten luck recently and his injury was the only sour note in United’s victory today.

United next travel to Birmingham for a match against Aston Villa in the Premier League, where that patchwork back line will again be tested. Villa are in the top-4 currently, and are having one of their best-ever seasons under wily manager Unai Emery. Here’s to hoping that United can continue this positive form and continue to pick up points. Beating a team above them can be huge for the top-4 race, as United are currently on the outside looking in. It is also a chance to improve the team’s away form under ETH, which has easily been his biggest weak spot.

Off the pitch news: I have been deeply concerned for the mental health of winger/forward Marcus Rashford recently. He seems to be struggling with something (based on the numerous news reports of his recent nightclub adventures) and I really hope the club and its staff are helping him with it. Professional athletes are still humans, and they can suffer from mental health challenges like any of us. No one outside the club knows what’s going on for sure so be careful what you read, but he does seem to be on the rebound in recent days. His mental health has to come first, so I hope he continues to improve.

On a lighter note, INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe have gotten off to what I would call a satisfactory start as new part-owners of the club. The Glazers have set an admittedly low bar, but the fact that INEOS representatives have sat down and begun talks with the club’s official fan groups about the problems we’ve had for the past 12 years is a big step in the right direction. The Glazers don’t speak to the club’s fan groups and haven’t done so for almost the entirety of their tenure as owners, while Sir Jim and his people have begun holding talks within the first few weeks of buying 25% of the club. Of course, their success as owners must be measured on a long-term scale, but again this is a satisfactory start. The next step of course is for them to actually enact the changes requested.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

FA Cup: Victory at Wigan

Manchester United traveled 20 miles west to Wigan, England for an FA Cup 3rd round match with League One side Wigan Athletic at DW Stadium. This was the first FA Cup match of the season for United, and it is the sole competition left for them in which they can win a trophy. Manager Erik ten Hag is deeply aware that United supporters expect to win trophies, so he named a very strong side despite the lower league opposition.

Aside from a scary moment very early on, United were dominant in possession and chance creation the entirety of the first half. They had the lead going into halftime as well, thanks to a tidy finish from left back Diogo Dalot on 22 minutes from just outside the edge of the box. Striker Rasmus Højlund and winger/forward Marcus Rashford had both missed clear cut chances before the goal, so it was good to see one of the numerous chances actually go in. Rashford almost did have one go in after Wigan keeper Sam Tickle (wonderful name) spilled a save behind him, but he recovered the ball before it crossed the line. But United could not find another goal, and it was 1-0 at halftime. The Red Devils really should have been 3 or 4 goals ahead, and many supporters were worried that United had left the door open for Wigan to equalize.

United very much picked up where they left off as the match resumed in frigid conditions, but the weather was similar to that of United’s shooting: cold. Rashford continued to be wasteful, and he was playing indecisively when on the ball. His teammates weren’t much better, but the Wigan keeper Tickle was in fine form. He produced several top-class saves that kept the Latics in the match in both the first and second halves.

United sealed the victory on 73 minutes however when Bruno drew a foul in the box and United were awarded a penalty. Bruno was definitely clipped on his right foot by a Wigan defender, but he of course did a very good job of “selling” the penalty when he went down. He stepped up to the spot himself and sent Tickle the wrong way with a low finish for 2-0. United maintained possession and created a few more half-chances after that, but there were no more goals and the Red Devils secured progression to the 4th Round of the FA Cup at the final whistle.

First thoughts – a win is a win. It wasn’t the resounding beat down that United fans would have wanted against a team from two leagues below us, but the reality is that Wigan never consistently threatened us and we won by multiple goals. I’m very impressed with young defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and winger Alejandro Garnacho had a very good match as well. The domination in possession and chance creation today is largely thanks to those two players.

Rashford did get an assist on the Dalot goal, but other than that he still looks rather lost at times when he runs forward. He slows the ball down far too much when making a decision, and then usually makes the wrong decision. He is at his best when he is direct and runs straight at defenders, and someone on the United coaching staff needs to remind him of that. Højlund didn’t bring his shooting boots today unfortunately, but he got a lot more service than he usually does. With enough chances, they will start going in for him soon enough. It’s still unclear to me what midfielder Scott McTominay’s role was in today’s tactics. He missed a chance or two in the box like everyone did, but other than that he was largely anonymous. I do think there is a place for McTominay in this team, although I am not sure where he fits best. ETH needs to help him figure that out.

So yes, overall, more positives than negatives, but negatives remain nonetheless. Looking ahead, United have been drawn against the winner of the Newport County FC vs. Eastleigh tie in the 4th Round. That match will be replayed after they drew 1-1 in their own 3rd Round match today. I honestly had never heard of either of these teams before today, but that is the magic of the FA Cup. Newport are in League Two, which is one league below Wigan. Eastleigh however are in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football! It’s incredible that a club that small has a chance to play against a Premier League club. What’s even better for those teams is that whoever wins will get to host Manchester United, which will earn them a nice chunk of change in the form of match day revenue. The date of the tie has yet to be decided. United’s next match however is at Old Trafford in on January 14th, when they host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Before I sign off, a heartfelt farewell and Rest In Power to former German international and footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died earlier today at the age of 78. He was a world-famous footballer in the 1960s and 70s, and he is widely considered to be one of the best players of all time. He started as a midfielder but made his name playing in central defense. He won the Balllon d’Or twice in 1972 and 1976, and was West Germany’s captain when they won the World Cup in 1974. He was also a prolifically successful manager when his playing career ended, managing West Germany to another World Cup win in 1990. He also won numerous titles with his club Bayern Munich, and helped turn that club into the titan that it is today. His name belongs among such others as Pele, Maradona, and Charlton. RIP.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League – Another Away Defeat, This Time in Nottingham

Manchester United traveled to the East Midlands of England earlier today for a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. United were looking to continue their winning momentum having beaten Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, while Forest were also looking to continue their winning form under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. For a team like Forest in a relegation battle, every point they can scrape matters. The points mattered for United and manager Erik ten Hag as well, but for the visitors it was more about putting in a competent performance and playing with the consistency that has eluded them this season.

The atmosphere inside the City Ground was electric and high energy from the start, although the play on the pitch in the first half from both sides was decidedly dull. Forest were probably slightly better on the balance of things, mainly because United were absolutely anemic in attack. They put together some decent moves towards the end of the half, but the shots on goal were few and far between. Forest failed to score as well, but they looked much more cohesive when in possession. For the umpteenth time this season, United looked clueless in attack. A key substitution was made at halftime by ETH, with defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo being replaced by fellow midfielder Scott McTominay. More on this substitution below.

The second half was much more high-energy and uptempo from both sides. Forest grew into the game considerably well, likely buoyed by their home support. The opening goal came from midfielder Nicolas Dominguez, who slotted home past United keeper Andre Onana on the hour mark. Hard to say Forest didn’t deserve it, but the defending from United was very poor. As a defensive midfielder, McTominay was responsible for defending the edge of the box. For whatever reason though, he wasn’t there and Dominguez was given an opening from which to shoot. Onana maybe could have done better with his positioning, but McTominay has to be in position to make a clearance in situations like this one.

I was resigned to another away defeat for United given their lack of urgency going forward, but the Red Devils responded a bit (finally) after going down 1-0. Left back Diogo Dalot struck the post after a good move, and United got an equalizer on 78 minutes thanks to some good pressing from winger Alejandro Garnacho and a bad mistake by Forest keeper Matt Turner. Turner had been having issues playing the ball out from the back for most of the half, and Garnacho jumped on one of his many unconvincing passes. He won the ball about 20 yards out from goal, after which he found winger/forward Marcus Rashford to his left. The Forest defense was scrambling to get back, and Rashford was able to curve a shot along the ground past Turner for 1-1. The goal came about more because of the mistake from Turner than anything else, but of course it counted all the same. I would have been more than pleased with a 1-1 given how the match had gone, as well. Well done to Rashford for finishing clinically despite not being in good scoring form this season.

Unfortunately, United’s defense was undone again just four minutes later by attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. United were pushing for a winner, but were caught out on a swift counter-attack organized by winger (and former United player) Anthony Elanga. Elanga brought the ball forward before centering it along the ground for Gibbs-White, who curled a spectacular shot around center-back Jonny Evans that crept inside Onana’s left-hand post. Again, a fine move and finish from Forest, but where was the marking from United? Evans and fellow center back Raphael Varane weren’t communicating properly, and McTominay was again nowhere to be found when he was supposed to be covering the edge of the box. Gibbs-White is a talented player, and he was given far too much room to shoot. 2-1 to Forest.

United pushed again for another equalizer and were aided by a staggering 10 minutes of stoppage time, but the best they could muster was a deflected effort from midfielder Bruno Fernandes that was saved by Turner. A few more routine saves from the American keeper helped Forest out the rest of the match, and the Garibaldi Reds 2-1 winners on the day. It was their first ever victory over United at the City Ground, and it was a crucial three points towards their survival at the end of the season. All credit to Forest and Nuno, but United were bad yet again.

Frustratingly, there was again a lack of urgency and desire from the players until they were already down 1-0. I don’t know why they don’t start trying until they’re already losing. Another big factor was ETH’s initial tactics and substitutions. He insists on playing Garnacho on the left wing, with opposite winger Antony dos Santos occupying the right wing. This is a good idea if both are encouraged to cut inside and get shots away from distance, but teams have figured out that tactic and they know how to prevent it. Antony in particular was poor today. It’s not a coincidence that United improved when he was taken off and replaced by fellow winger Amad Diallo. Antony has scored just one goal in 33 matches in 2023, and he has not justified his £85 million price tag. I don’t know why ETH simply doesn’t swap Garnacho and Antony so they can ping crosses in with their preferred foot. The “cutting inside to shoot” tactic isn’t working and hasn’t worked, so why not try something different?

Further, taking off Mainoo for McTominay was utterly baffling from ETH. Mainoo has been one of our better midfielders since breaking into the first team earlier this season, and he was doing fairly well at helping to control the midfield. So why was he taken off? There was no injury or yellow card situation for him, but ETH still elected to take him off at halftime anyway. As has been discussed before on this blog, McTominay is not a defensive midfielder. He is simply not good at it and is much more suited to attacking than the defending. It could be argued that McTominay was at fault for both Forest goals due to being out of position both times. United may still have lost anyway, but I think Mainoo would have done much better at helping the defense than McTominay did.

This is the first match where I’ve really questioned what ETH is trying to do. He needs to stop trying to make the inverted winger tactic work, and he really needs to ensure that McTominay is not playing as a defensive midfielder. Is it stubbornness from the Dutchman? Lack of options? I know the injuries have been bad this season, but I think United could have nicked a draw today had Mainoo been on the pitch longer. ETH really needs to re-evaluate his tactics, and the team selection needs further scrutiny as well. Put Antony on the left, Garnacho on the right, and stick a center forward between the two of them with Bruno in behind. Let’s get a lot more players into the box and have the wingers play crosses in to them. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there needs to be a lot more desire and drive from a good portion of this United team.

United remain 7th in the Premier League table, but could fall as far as 9th once Brighton and Newcastle play their games in hand tomorrow. Next up, it’s a short trip to Wigan, England for a match in the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic. The FA Cup is our last chance at a trophy this season, and ETH really needs a victory there to restore some of the supporters’ faith in him. If they lose to a lower league side in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, the seat underneath ETH will become very hot indeed.

Glazers Out!