Premier League: A Tale of Two Matches – Newcastle and Chelsea

The past two matches have seen United lose away to Newcastle 1-0, followed by a 2-1 victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford earlier today. The Red Devils looked god-awful against Newcastle at the weekend and probably should have lost by a bigger margin. In contrast, they looked borderline spectacular against Chelsea and probably should have won by more. But there were only four days between these matches, so how can a team like United look so bad in one match and then play so wonderfully in the next one? Well, there’s several reasons…

Location, Location, Location

United have been dismal away from home during the tenure of manager Erik ten Hag. No two ways about it. They haven’t beaten a top-half of the table side away from home since 2021. St. James’ Park in the northeast of England is a cold and dreary place to play, and the fans there always create a tough atmosphere. United’s away form against the big clubs is easily the toughest nut ETH has yet to crack.

At home however, United are a juggernaut. They don’t lose often within the hallowed halls of Old Trafford. Indeed, they have claimed the scalps of some of the biggest clubs in Europe when playing in front of 75,000 screaming United supporters. Old Trafford has been a fortress during ETH’s time in charge, and it’s walls held firm for the most part again today.

The Opposition

Newcastle are a better team than Chelsea, as things stand. Chelsea have tons of new signings and a manager (Mauricio Pochettino) who is still trying to figure out his best XI players. Manager Eddie Howe at Newcastle has his lads drilled exceptionally well and they have the financial backing of an oil state, which has allowed them to bring in some very talented players.

Line-Ups

ETH shuffled the deck quite a bit between the previous match and the one today, largely because he had to. Forwards Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have been in poor form for weeks now, with Rashford playing particularly poorly in the previous match. Those two players were dropped to the bench in favor of winger Antony dos Santos and striker Rasmus Højlund respectively. Further, midfielder Sofyan Amrabat was given a start, paired with Scott McTominay in midfield.

Højlund and Antony both had stellar games, and Amrabat put in a very good shift as well. Antony won a penalty on 8 minutes that midfielder Bruno Fernandes failed to convert, and even though Højlund has yet to open his Premier League scoring account, he was tireless in his running today and put himself about on the pitch in a way that continually caused problems for Chelsea. Amrabat had a key tackle in the buildup to McTominay’s opener on 19 minutes as well. I am really happy with how Mainoo played when he came on as a substitute. He didn’t do particularly well against Newcastle, but his pairing with Amrabat in the center of the park really seemed to suit him. Mainoo has the energy and athleticism, while Amrabat has a ton of experience playing at the highest levels. Their styles of play compliment each other well.

Effort

You would think that a team full of professional athletes wouldn’t need to be told to play hard and put in good effort. Counter-intuitively though, it seems that’s exactly what was needed. The effort on display from the players in red was easily the biggest contrast to the loss against Newcastle last weekend. The majority of the team was guilty of bad effort last weekend, but I want to talk about a single player specifically.

I don’t know what’s wrong with Rashford. He’s in the “effort” section because he showed zero of it against Newcastle, and when he came on today against Chelsea in the closing minutes, he proceeded to again show zero of it. I just don’t get it. He’s not running anywhere. He walks or jogs when running is definitely required. I know he knows this, but no one is going to be a world-class footballer if they don’t run. The media is rampant with speculation that he’s squabbling with ETH or somehow unhappy with how things are going. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but his lack of effort is totally unprofessional. It’s okay to be frustrated or upset with the manager. It’s okay to not be happy when the team is in inconsistent form. The unacceptable thing is not trying! The professional thing to do would be to go out and give 100% even if you’re frustrated, so that supporters know you’re at least trying. I am a big fan of Rashford and have been since he came up through the United youth academy, but I’m not going to defend his lack of effort anymore.

Since this post is all about contrasts, let’s contrast Rashford’s lack of effort with another maligned United player – center back Harry Maguire. This is a man who was stripped of the captaincy in the off-season, and was only seeing so much playing time this year because of injuries to fellow center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane. I don’t think I’ve seen a player take the amount of stick that Maguire gets on social media every time he makes a mistake. It’s absolutely brutal. Maguire’s season started off extremely rough and the noise around his form was quite loud, but he kept his head down and kept himself focused on the game. He was a rock at the center of defense today, his overall play in the month of November earned him the accolade of Premier League Player of the Month, awarded to him today. Rashford should take note of how Maguire ignored all the noise around him and just focused on working hard and playing hard. Even if Martinez and Varane were suddenly fit to play, it would be hard for ETH to drop Maguire due to his excellent form. Both of them are extremely talented players, but one is displaying focus and determination right now, while the other is not.

Tactics and Execution

Interestingly, the tactics in the Newcastle match and the Chelsea match today were not all that different. ETH does not deviate much from his preferred 4-2-3-1, with the players running a counter-press when out of possession, and building from the back when in possession. In order to effectively play the counter-press, every attacking and midfield player needs to know when to press and on which opposing player. Vitally, the players must be willing to run at the opposition, and not just let them have possession without pressure. If one player doesn’t press effectively, ETH’s system is practically neutered. This is almost exactly what happened Newcastle. We had an attacking player who didn’t feel like running anywhere, and as a result we didn’t create anything for the first 80 minutes.

Højlund, Antony, Bruno, Amrabat, and winger Alejandro Garnacho all executed the tactics wonderfully today. They were coordinated in their press and Chelsea often looked rudderless at times due to it. Amrabat pressing the ball in the attacking third is what led to United’s first goal! They forced Chelsea into a turnover in a dangerous area, and United punished the Blues for it. ETH football in a nutshell. The finishing was poor today and United should have had at least 4 goals, and that has to improve, but the chance creation was so much better today. Credit to McTominay for getting both United goals. The Scotsman is in truly wonderful attacking form this season, and being given license by ETH to roam forward a bit more has suited him well.

ETH has faced some frankly ridiculous media speculation in the past four days that his job may be in jeopardy if United’s poor form continued. The media were trying to generate headlines and clicks of course, but this match should end any wild conjecture that ETH will be sacked soon or that he’s somehow lost the locker room. It’s clear he’s the man to bring us out of this mess. He knows this team is far from perfect and that there is still a ways to go before we are back at the top, but we’re headed in the right direction. He has the tactical nous for the job as has been evidenced, and it seems he has finally learned to drop players in poor form. Man-management is a criminally under-appreciated aspect of what it takes to be the manager of a multi-billion pound football club. You have to be able to manage the often very large egos of professional athletes, and it’s a skill that takes a very deft touch. There is an abundance of evidence that the overwhelming majority of the players believe in him and what he’s trying to do. The Glazers still need to sell the team and leave, but it’s clear we finally have the right manager at the helm.

Conclusion

A changed line-up, better effort, and better execution are the main reasons why United were so much better today against Chelsea than against Newcastle last week. As has been said a thousand times on this blog though, the inconsistency has to stop. I won’t be celebrating this club’s resurrection until we win the Premier League title again, and inconsistent teams do not win titles. Well done against Chelsea today, but if we have another Newcastle away-type match, it means little.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: An Impressive Victory at Everton

Manchester United traveled 30 miles west to Liverpool for a match against Everton FC at Goodison Park yesterday. This was the first match after the resumption of the international break, and the Red Devils were happy to have left back Luke Shaw back in the team after a long injury layoff. Manager Erik ten Hag handed a debut to 18 year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who started alongside midfielder Scott McTominay in the center of the pitch. Everton, their supporters, and manager Sean Dyche were definitely motivated to get a positive result in this match, having (wrongly, in my opinion) been docked 10 points by the Premier League for violations of the Financial Fair Play rules.

Despite the restless and raucous atmosphere inside Goodison, it was United who got off to a flying start just 3 minutes into the match when winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring with an absolutely stunning overhead bicycle kick. I could describe it in detail, but Bill Shakespeare himself couldn’t put the words together to describe this beauty of a strike!

The goal went viral quickly, and if you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. It was good play from United to get it up the pitch quickly, but the cross from right back Diogo Dalot was a little bit behind Garnacho. All credit to the 19 year-old Argentine for his technique and the audacity to pull off something so grand. 1-0 to United!

Everton were unmoved, however. Despite being behind, they were mostly the better side for the rest of the first half. Keeper Andre Onana was on hand to make a double save around the half hour mark, after which the ball was cleared off the line by Mainoo. The United defense was holding up alright, but in attack they were again struggling to create chances for a second goal. Despite Everton’s dominance, they couldn’t capitalize and it remained 1-0 at halftime.

United got their second goal on 50 minutes, thanks to finally catching a break from VAR. Striker Anthony Martial looked to have been fouled in the box by Everton right back (and former United player) Ashley Young, but the referee did not give a penalty and also booked Martial for diving. VAR checked the incident though, and upon replays it was clear that Young stuck his leg out and tripped Martial in an effort to get to the ball. Martial’s yellow was rescinded and a penalty was given. Initially, midfielder Bruno Fernandes had his hands on the ball to take the kick, but then he walked over and handed the ball to winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford stepped up and buried the penalty into the upper-left corner of the goal, with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford unable to do anything about it. Rashford has been in poor goal-scoring form this season, so perhaps Bruno sensed he needed this penalty to raise his confidence a bit. Aside from this goal though, Rashford had another poor performance. His passing and awareness were bad for most of the game. He does not seem to be injured, but rather distracted. His head isn’t in the game, as it were. A very recent post of his on social media indicates he is mourning the death of a family member, which may be part of the reason for his absent-minded play. If that’s the case, I don’t blame him at all for playing poor today. I hope he takes care of his mental health first and foremost, and I think the penalty will help with his confidence. 2-0 to United!

United continued to run at the Everton back-4 in search of a third, and came close a few times before eventually getting that third goal from Martial on 75 minutes. The ball was won in midfield thanks to a good press, and there was an exchange of passes between Martial, Bruno, and substitute winger Facundo Pellistri near and beyond the center circle. Pellistri played a return pass to Bruno on the edge of the area, who found Martial on a run just ahead of him with a beautifully weighted pass. The Everton defense was all over the place, and Martial took a touch to knock it into space before deftly lifting the ball over the onrushing Pickford. 3-0 to United, and game over! Everton managed to hit the crossbar a few minutes after the third goal, but there was no major action after that.

For the first time this season, United looked convincing away from home. This is also the first time they’ve won by multiple goals on the road in close to a full season. All three forwards scored in this match, which is yet another positive that hasn’t happened often this year. The first goal will grab all the headlines, but for me the most important goal was the third one. The first goal was a piece of individual brilliance, and the second goal was the result of VAR actually working as it’s supposed to, but the third was the exact sort of goal ETH has been looking for all season. We pressed in midfield, won the ball back in the center of the park, and were quickly away down to the other end to create a chance. Press + passing = goal. That is the footballing philosophy that ETH wants this team to employ. We don’t need 70% possession. We don’t need 500 passes. We need to get the ball, pass the ball, and score a goal. It’s what this team is built to do, and it’s fantastic that they finally remembered how to do it. Brilliant from Martial, Bruno, and Pellistri. Also a quick shout-out to Mainoo, who had a very impressive debut. He’s only 18, but bossed the midfield like a man ten years older. His passing, positioning, awareness, and tackling were all excellent.

The challenge now is to go out and do it again in the next match. Consistency must be the next step in the process. It’s no coincidence that some good form has returned now that some key players have finally returned from injury. Everton are not the best team of course, but to win like this in a very hostile atmosphere is nothing to minimize. This was a big win, no two ways about it. As I have said many times though, winning like this means nothing if they can’t go out and replicate it.

United have won 5 out of their last 6 Premier League matches, and find themselves 6th in the table. They are just four points from fourth, and a scant six points off the top. They next play Galatasaray in Istanbul on Wednesday, which will make Goodison look like a tea party in terms of the atmosphere. Turkiye is an insanely difficult place for foreign clubs to play, and frankly I won’t be upset if the result is less than positive. The European campaign this season may already be doomed due to previous results, and I don’t want the club to have to play in the Europa League for the rest of the year should they fail to finish 2nd in the group. Let’s give it a good effort, but if we lose it’s not the end of the world. This team needs to focus on the Prem and the FA Cup the rest of the season.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United in Turmoil – But How Do They Fix It?

United’s last two matches have been nothing short of piss-poor. That’s strong language coming out of the gate for this post, but every word of it is true. United were defeated in the Manchester Derby by Man City at the weekend 3-0, and then they were similarly drubbed by Newcastle United in the League/Carabao/EFL Cup by the same score yesterday. There were very few positives to take from either match. They were uninspiring in attack and porous in defense. Just bad football all around. Yes, City and Newcastle are good sides, and losing to good sides isn’t the worst thing in the world, but the absolutely listless manner in which we are losing is unacceptable. It’s not even close!

Rumors are flying everywhere about the status of the club and what the real source of the problems are. Unfortunately, without being present in the locker room for training sessions and matches every day, there is no way to suss out the real problem(s). Any and all media speculation, including from me, should be taken with a grain of salt. Every major sports news outlet claims to know what the problems are based on the aforementioned rumors, but no one aside from the players, manager, and club staff really know what’s going on.

Let’s approach this from the point of view of trying to get better. Okay, it’s been a crap start to the season. United are 8th in the Premier League table, they are out of the League Cup already, and they are second from bottom in their Champions League group. A decidedly poor start by the standards of this club. But alright, let’s acknowledge the poor start and then move on by asking the key questions – how do they fix it? How do they go about improving results on the pitch?

Some have called for the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag. While it’s true that his tactics have been stale and confusing at times this season, and he could stand to change things up a bit, I don’t think firing ETH will really change things in the long run. It’s the simplest way to change things, but will it really do anything? I doubt it. For one, who do you replace him with? There are no obvious candidates with the proper coaching pedigree available right now. For two, his tactics last season were largely successful. Is he really the biggest problem? Or is it that the players aren’t listening to him?

The majority of commenters online are laying blame at the feet of the players these days. It’s hard to disagree with those comments at times. It’s true that injuries have forced some of them to play out of position, but that’s not an excuse to not try hard. There’s no denying that our forwards – Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Højlund, Antony dos Santos, and Alejandro Garnacho – have all been extremely poor this season. There is just one measly Premier League goal amidst all that talent, and it was scored by Rashford in a losing effort against Arsenal. The attack is just so static and uninspiring. No one makes runs into the box. No one tries to play a dangerous ball into the box. They just bring the ball into the attacking third and then stop! Is that at the instruction of ETH? Is it the players not understanding what ETH wants? Worst yet, is it that they simply don’t care to try? Are they upset with ETH over something and don’t trust him anymore? I think no matter what the real problem is, it can’t be denied that at least part of the problem is that the dynamic of the locker room has shifted for one reason or another. I think there is a negativity surrounding the relationship between ETH and the majority of his players that wasn’t there last season. However, whatever the problem, there is no excuse not to work hard. Every single one of these first-team players is making hundreds of thousands of pounds every week to play this game. It’s the absolute least they can do to run their asses off every match! Every single player who claims to love playing for United needs to come out and show that.

Of course, yet another entity to blame is ownership. My gripes with the Glazer family are well-documented on this blog, and as owners of this club ultimately a lot of the blame is on them. The structure of this club is absolutely garbage, in the sense that it’s unclear who is in charge of what tasks and what goals each person is trying to achieve. Manager of Man City, Pep Guardiola, recently took an indirect swipe at United when he suggested that the reason for City’s success is that everyone at that club is on the same page and has the same goals. Their manager, sporting directors, and owners are all aligned on what they want and need to do. Now, Pep can be a little bit flippant at times and there’s a lot more to success than just being aligned, but I have to admit that he has a point. The owners need to set the tone of what the club needs to be, and the manager/sporting directors/players all have to align with that. The Glazers are not doing that, put mildly. There’s no accountability from them, and that trickles down to every level of the club. If they don’t really care about results and are only in it for the money, that attitude can and will permeate. Glazers Out, now and forever.

It has been reported by several outlets that the Glazers will eventually be selling 25% of this club to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, a British billionaire who grew up supporting United. It is also rumored that Ratcliffe and his people will be taking over football operations and will be re-building the structure of the club. If that’s true, he has a mountain of work ahead of him. We have players that need to be sold, more that need to be brought in, and serious renovations are needed at both Old Trafford and Carrington training ground. The leaky roof on our beloved stadium is the perfect metaphor for this club’s current issues – a once great entity that has fallen into disrepair due to mismanagement and neglect.

In short, there is no simple solution to the club’s problems and no instant fix. We need an over-arching and holistic solution that no one seems to be interested in providing. There’s also very little to feel optimistic about. The Glazers need to sell, ETH needs to improve his tactics, and the players need to try harder. We didn’t get to this point accidentally. This is what happens when businessmen (and not football men) are allowed to own a club. Financial investment is a major aspect of the modern game, and United have fallen far behind on that front. We’re a joke right now. Every other club in Europe is laughing at us, and rightly so. Many of them aren’t even laughing as loudly as they once were, because at this point the tepid mediocrity isn’t even funny anymore. It’s just sad.

United have an away trip to Fulham in west London up next on November 4th. Any kind of positive result would be welcome, but I’m not holding my breath.

Glazers Out!

Manchester United – This One Is For Cathy Ferguson

Manchester United’s inconsistent form has continued the past few weeks. There was a win over Crystal Palace in the League Cup, followed by a dismal loss to the same side in the Premier League a few days later. United also lost to Turkish side Galatasaray in midweek in the Champions League, in a match marred by controversy. The main reason for this sputtering form is bad defending. The Red Devils have more leaks in defense right now than the Titanic post-iceberg, but that is largely due to injuries. Defenders Raphael Varane, Lisandro Martinez, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka have all been bitten by the injury bug at the exact same time. That’s the entire preferred back four out all at once. To make the atmosphere even more negative around Old Trafford, supporters were saddened by the loss of Cathy Ferguson, wife of former manager and United legend Sir Alex Ferguson. Her influence on this club is the biggest of any person who has never actually worked or played for us. She was the one who single-handedly convinced Ferguson not to retire when he initially wanted to in 2002, thus ensuring another decade of success and trophies for Manchester United. My deepest condolences to Sir Alex, the Ferguson family, and anyone who ever met Cathy.

The club needed a response today. Something needed to happen, and thankfully it did. United took on Brentford FC earlier today at Old Trafford in the Premier League, with three points being the order of the day. Unfortunately, United found themselves down a goal on 26 minutes after midfielder Casemiro needlessly gave the ball away, and Bees midfielder Mathias Jensen was on hand to sweep home a low finish past United keeper Andre Onana. United had been lackluster up until that moment, and they were punished for their usual complacency.

The poor play continued until about the last half an hour or so. Manager Erik ten Hag brought on striker Anthony Martial and winger Antony dos Santos around that time, with the ineffective forward Marcus Rashford among those coming off. United improved significantly with these changes, although Martial and substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho were wasteful in front of goal. As the clock ticked towards full time, ETH made another key substitution – bringing on midfielder and Scotland international Scott McTominay for make-shift left back Sofyan Amrabat.

Six minutes of stoppage time was given by the referee, and United finally got an equalizer on 93 minutes thanks to a tidy finish from McTominay. Brentford failed to clear their lines, and McTominay showed great predatory instinct to beat Brentford keeper Thomas Strakosha at his near post. Old Trafford erupted in celebration when United finally found a way through for 1-1.

McTominay and United weren’t finished, though. The Red Devils won a free kick near the halfway line on the right wing, just as the clock hit the 97th minute of play. Had United not already scored, the referee may have blown his whistle and not permitted us to take the free kick. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes played a high aerial ball into the box, and it found the head of center back Harry Maguire. Maguire was on the left side of the box, and his header back towards the goal found McTominay on a run. McTominay had ghosted in front of his marker intelligently, and he looped the pass from Maguire up over Strakosha and into the back of the net for 2-1. A winner in Fergie Time! Absolutely amazing. The ref blew his whistle shortly after that and United miraculously emerged with a victory!

The storylines from this one are fantastic. A Scottish player scores two goals in stoppage time to win the match the day after the death of Cathy Ferguson. It was absolutely magical and it was desperately needed for the club. Here’s to hoping Sir Alex can smile about something now. Well done to McTominay and the rest of the lads for not quitting. Effort is something that has been lacking this season, and I hope the players remember that they are never out of a match. They have to keep fighting. They have to keep running at the opposition and taking chances. United have been incredibly short on luck this season too, so it was about time a roll of the dice went our way. There are still many issues with these players and the manager’s tactics that need to be addressed, but credit to ETH for getting his substitutions right (this time). He changed the game with those subs, and Brentford failed to put the game away. Big shoutout to the much-maligned Maguire as well. He takes a lot of flak when he doesn’t play well, but he was a rock in central defense today and that needs to be noted.

Here’s to hoping that this win is the spark the club needed to get back into consistently good form. A win like this one can change the mentality of the players and fans from negativity and pessimism to self-believe and positivity. United head into the October international break with a win, which is all anyone can ask for. They are now out of action until October 21st, when they travel north to play Sheffield United. England have a friendly against Australia on October 13th, and then there is a crucial Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy at Wembley on October 17th.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: United Come From Behind to Beat Forest

Manchester United hosted East Midlands club Nottingham Forest earlier today at a rainy Old Trafford in the Premier League. The Red Devils were looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat last weekend away at Tottenham, but they were hindered by the losses of left back Luke Shaw and midfielder Mason Mount through injury. Forest meanwhile were riding high after they beat Sheffield United last weekend, and they knew that they didn’t necessarily need a victory today. Forest and manager Steve Cooper are merely trying to stay up like they were last season, and anything on top of that would be icing on the cake. Earning a draw would be a more than satisfactory result for them. All of the pressure was on United manager Erik ten Hag and the rest of the squad to deliver a performance the supporters could feel good about.

Forest were the first to score though, and they did so within two minutes of kickoff. United had actually won a corner, but the cross into the box was cleared away and back out towards the halfway line. Unfortunately, United striker Marcus Rashford (who was covering defensively for some reason) was caught flat-footed, and he was beaten to the bouncing ball by Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Rashford is normally not a defender, and Awoniyi was at least a yard ahead of the rest of the United defense as they had committed so many men forward. Awoniyi carried the ball into the box with United keeper Andre Onana retreating, and he finally got a shot away under a challenge from Rashford. The shot fooled Onana and rolled into the goal despite not having a ton of power on it. Onana maybe could have done better to go out and challenge Awoniyi, and Rashford has to be quicker to the ball if he is going to be tasked with defensive cover on corner kicks. Regardless, it was 1-0 Forest and those who had travelled north from Trentside were in celebration mode.

United’s misery was further compounded just two minutes later, when Forest got a second goal. Winger Brennan Johnson won a foul on the right wing after being brought down by deputizing left back Diogo Dalot. Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up to take the free kick, and he whipped in a sublime ball to the center of the box. Forest center back Willy Boly was standing in the area, and he simply re-directed the ball down and to Onana’s left with his head. It rolled over the line and the rapturous celebration from the away fans’ section that hadn’t really died down from the first goal was re-ignited anew. Very poor set-piece marking from United on this one. Boly didn’t even have to jump to get to the cross. A good ball from Gibbs-White and a controlled header from Boly to be sure, but someone in red needed to get in the way of that one. It was the fastest United had ever gone down 2-0 at Old Trafford, and it took just 3 minutes and 47 seconds.

It was the worst possible opening four minutes for United, but it would be unfair to say that United did not improve after that. They took some time to re-establish possession and start creating chances, and they got their opening goal on 17 minutes from midfielder Christian Eriksen. Fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes had launched a long-range shot towards goal that Forest keeper Matt Turner could only palm away, and it fell to the feet of striker Anthony Martial off to the left of the goal. Martial played it backwards towards Rashford on the left side of the box, and Rashford beat his marker (Forest right back Serge Aurier) to the end line and played the ball along the ground. Eriksen had made a run towards goal, and he deflected the cross home with the outside of his right foot. It was the deftest of touches, but Turner couldn’t keep it out and United had a lifeline at 2-1.

Midfielder Casemiro really should have made it 2-2 on 25 minutes when he missed an open goal with his headed attempt. Turner and the Forest defense all missed the cross in from the corner completely and it fell straight to him. It’s possible the rain had made the ball slicker than usual which caused it to skid on the surface of the pitch a little, but Casemiro will be wondering for ages how he missed given that he was all alone in front of an open net. The pitch was only getting more and more damp, but the chances conversely dried up for a bit. At half time it was 2-1, with Forest definitely the happier of the two locker rooms.

United got an equalizer on 51 minutes, and this time it was the result of a set piece. Casemiro made amends for his earlier miss when he volleyed home a headed cross from Bruno. Bruno had also taken the initial free kick, playing it diagonally backwards to Rashford about 25 yards from goal. Bruno then darted into the box diagonally, leaving his marker in the dust. He headed the wondrous ball from Rashford back across goal, and Casemiro was all by himself yet again. This time he managed to take the ball on his knee then hit it home from about 3 yards out on the volley. No doubts about that one. A great set-piece goal from United, but the Forest back line were definitely guilty of ball-watching. 2-2, and United smelled blood.

Winger Antony dos Santos nearly got a third as the clock struck 54 minutes, but his wicked curler of a shot was pushed wide by Turner. Things got worse for Forest on 67 minutes when center back Joe Worrall was shown a straight red card by the referee for bringing down Bruno after Bruno had sprinted past him. The challenge itself wasn’t super aggressive or physical, but Worrall definitely grabbed Bruno’s shirt/shorts while pulling him back. Bruno went down as a result, and the referee was well-positioned to come in and deliver the red. Worrall was just too slow to react, and it cost him and his team.

The comeback for United was completed on 76 minutes, when Bruno converted from the penalty spot. Rashford once again got the better of his marker on the left wing, and as he darted into the box he was clipped by the knee of Forest midfielder Danilo. He went to ground, and the referee pointed to the spot immediately. Rashford had been dangerous on the left wing all match, and despite not scoring today he played his best game so far this season. Turner did well to guess the correct direction of the penalty, but the placement and power on the shot from Bruno left him no chance. 3-2 to United!

Interestingly, it was Forest in the ascendancy for much of the remaining time despite being down to 10 men. They created several decent to good chances, and they were worthy of an equalizer. Onana had to be alert to deny yet another effort from Boly, and Forest striker Chris Wood really should have got contact on a peach of a cross from winger (and former United player) Anthony Elanga. After an agonizingly long 13 minutes of stoppage time, the ref finally blew his whistle and United were winners on the day.

Another victory is always good, and no one can rightly say this match wasn’t entertaining. United made it hard on themselves again, though. They conceded 2 goals in the opening 4 minutes, but then kicked into gear and scored the next 3. It’s very clear that Rashford needs to play on the left wing. Whether ETH likes it or not, Rashford is not a center forward. He caused so many problems for Forest down the left hand side today. Bruno was Man of the Match, and indeed this was probably one of his best performances in a United shirt. He is the catalyst for us. His creativity and drive in attacking midfield is essential to everything ETH wants to do tactically. He must continue to play as the number 10 in behind a striker, and not be shuffled out to right wing where he is half as effective. Good games also from Casemiro, Eriksen, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka,

I also want to give recognition to the United supporters who staged a sit-in at Old Trafford after the final whistle. Thousands of Red Devils supporters congregated in the opposite ends of the stadium to demonstrate their collective disdain for the Glazer family, owners of Manchester United. The familiar chant “We Want Glazers Out” rang out around the stadium for at least 30-45 minutes after the match had ended, with the intent being that the Glazers once and for all sell the club to another owner. There were rumblings of their intent to sell back in the summer, but it doesn’t appear that any actual progress has been made on a sale. It’s not even clear if they want to sell anymore, and hopefully this protest reminds them that they need to go. For all the reasons I’ve listed over the years writing this blog, Glazers Out!

United face a difficult test next Sunday, Sept. 3rd when they travel to London for a Premier League match with title-contenders Arsenal. United’s away form against big clubs simply must improve. If you want to win the trophy, you have to win consistently on the road. It’s one thing to win at home against a (no disrespect) bottom-half side like Forest, but it is another to go on the road and win at Arsenal. There is hope however that there will be a debut for new signing and striker Rasmus Højlund.

Glory Glory Man United!

Premier League: Defeat at Tottenham

Manchester United travelled south to London earlier today for match #2 of their Premier League schedule against Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They would be looking to improve on their opening day performance last Monday, a match which they won but looked far from convincing in doing so. Tottenham and new manager Ange Postecoglu were looking for their first 3 points of the season, having drawn their opening match last weekend. United manager Erik ten Hag named an unchanged lineup from the last game, which raised some eyebrows among the pundits pre-match. Everyone at the club knows that our away form against the bigger sides needs to improve, as it was abysmal last season and the main reason why we didn’t challenge for the title. This was Spurs’ first home match since the departure of talismanic striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, with many wondering how they are going to replace his goal production.

The first half started strongly for Tottenham, but United settled in a little and began establishing possession after the first 10 minutes or so. Half chances and narrowly missed opportunities were the theme of the first 35 minutes. Tottenham were struggling to play the ball out from the back, but United were again (like the previous match) disjointed in attack and not really clicking with one another. United had a penalty shout when the ball struck the hand of Spurs center back Cristian Romero in the box, but VAR confirmed referee Michael Oliver’s decision to not award a spot kick. Romero’s hand was up, but it was deemed to be close enough to his body to not be in an “unnatural” position, whatever that means this week.

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes should have put United ahead 1-0 right around 36 minutes or so, when a pass over the top found him all alone about 6-7 yards in front of the Tottenham goal. He tried to re-direct the pass into the far corner, but his header was far too powerful and it went over the bar. It was an embarrassing miss given how much time and space he had to put it away. Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario was relieved to see it go over, because Bruno is normally ruthless from that close.

Tottenham had the next best chances of the half, with right back Pedro Porro striking the crossbar of the United goal with keeper Andre Onana beaten. Tottenham then struck the woodwork again just a few seconds later, although this time it was via a deflected cross off Red Devils center back Lisandro Martinez. It was only down to fortune that the ball did not go in. At halftime it was 0-0, and while United were probably slightly better than the first half of the match last week, they still had nothing to show for it. Postecoglu was undoubtedly the happier manager going into the locker rooms.

Tottenham raised their urgency a bit in the early part of the second half and were rewarded for their efforts on 49 minutes with the opening goal from defensive midfielder Pape Matar Sarr. Spurs winger Dejan Kulusevski ran down the right wing with the ball virtually unchallenged before getting to the end line and playing an aerial cross back across the face of the goal. The ball took an unlucky deflection off Martinez before falling straight to the feet of Sarr, who buried a shot into the roof of Onana’s net. Spurs got a bit lucky to be sure, but what on earth was United left back Luke Shaw doing in the build-up? He was 20 yards off Kulusevski, and he didn’t bother to come over and make a challenge until the Swedish winger was already in the box! Very poor defending from a player who is usually sturdy at the back. Most of the blame for this goal lies at his feet.

I was looking for a sharp and positive response from United after going down, but none was forthcoming. It was dismal, really. Tottenham, led by captain and superstar winger Son Heung-min, were dominating United down their attacking left wing. It seemed like they had an extra man on that side every time they brought it forward. When United did break up an attack and get on the ball, they resulted to playing hopeful long passes instead of playing it through midfield. They couldn’t maintain any possession and were giving the ball away needlessly. Winger Antony dos Santos did manage to strike Vicario’s post just after the Spurs goal, but beyond that they looked completely toothless.

Some befuddling decisions from ETH did not help the situation. A triple change was made on 63 minutes, where he brought on winger Jadon Sancho, midfielder Christian Eriksen, and right back Diogo Dalot. Marcus Rashford, ineffective on the day, was kept as the central striker. Bruno was pushed out on to the right wing as well. Whatever the manager’s idea was, it did not work. Sancho had one or two flashes of good play, but beyond him everyone looked rather lost and disinterested in trying to get back into the game.

To add insult to injury, Tottenham got a second goal on 83 minutes, and this was a comically bad goal to concede. No luck for Tottenham this time, just more miscommunication and bad defending from United. A low and diagonal pass was played in to the United box from the left channel, with left back Ben Davies the intended recipient. Davies mishit the ball completely, but it took yet another deflection off Martinez and rolled into the goal with Onana wrong-footed. Just a terrible own-goal to concede in every way. There was no pressure on the ball in the left channel, and the back four were once again asleep at the wheel. United did not offer much of a response to this goal, either. They had more possession as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, but aside from a few long-range efforts that did not trouble Vicario, they offered nothing. Spurs won 2-0.

Alright, damage report time. ETH deserves most of the criticism for this result. He named a starting 11 that did very little against Wolves. It’s clear after today that winger Alejandro Garnacho is not ready to start, yet. Antony was more wasteful than useful. Rashford was anonymous in the striker role for the second match in a row. Bruno missed a sitter, and then was shoved out to the right wing in the second half, which is not his preferred position. Midfielder Casemiro looked slow and off the pace yet again. Shaw went to sleep at the worst possible moment. Midfielder Mason Mount’s tactical role in the team is totally unclear. Why Sancho and fellow winger Facundo Pellistri are not starting is a complete mystery.

ETH really needs to get his tactics sorted out for the next match, and the team overall needs to play with a lot more urgency and desire. What’s worrying is that passion for the game is difficult to coach – either a player has it on the day or he doesn’t. ETH, club captain Bruno, and the other locker room leaders need to be giving each other a proper bollicking over this dismal match. Along with starts for Sancho and Pellistri, Rashford needs to be moved out to the left wing, where he feels most comfortable. Bruno needs to stay in the middle as an attacking midfielder too. It feels like ETH is trying to force a tactical plan that is not suited to the talents of our attacking players. We can’t win on the wings, we can’t play the ball through the middle, and we are still shit at set pieces. I trust ETH to make some positive changes, but they need to happen soon. Starting Anthony Martial at center forward next week will help, as will the addition of striker Rasmus Højlund once he is fully fit and ready to play. Supporters can’t rely on just Højlund to fix everything though. ETH needs to adjust his lineups and overall tactical plan.

There is still time for additional signings before the transfer window closes, but for various financial reasons, United need to clear out some current players before more can be signed. Center back Harry Maguire’s transfer to West Ham has fallen apart though, while ETH still seems to be trying to be rid of midfielder Scott McTominay. Again though, the overall tactical plan needs to be adjusted. He was exceptional at implementing a plan last season that the players bought into, and now he must do that again. One loss is not the end of the world, but these losses will multiply without changes being made.

Next match is at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest on August 26th in the Premier League. The Red Devils need to bounce back, and they need to bounce back with passion. As always, Glazers Out!

FA Cup Final: United’s Good Season Ends on a Sour Note

The whole of Manchester travelled south to London earlier today for the FA Cup Final, featuring Manchester City vs. Manchester United. Despite the long and storied history of the Manchester Derby, there has never been one in an FA Cup Final before today. City and manager Pep Guardiola are the precipice of winning the the Treble, while this match was United’s final one of the season and their last chance to win silverware. The atmosphere inside a packed and sun-drenched Wembley Stadium was jubilant and boisterous in the run-up to kick off. United were not playing at full strength going into this match, thanks to the injury absences of striker Anthony Martial and winger Antony dos Santos. Both of them would have started this match had they been fit.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they were behind just 12 seconds into the match after an exquisite finish from City midfielder İlkay Gündoğan. A long ball was played forward and won on the edge of the box by midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and no one was covering Gündoğan as it fell right to him. It was a great finish of course and United keeper David De Gea had no chance at it, but it was a soft goal to concede that was really down to poor marking in the United midfield. With this goal, Gündoğan set a record for the fastest goal in the FA Cup Final and it put United under serious pressure immediately. Whatever Plan A was for the Red Devils, it was now out the window.

However, the lads did well to weather the storm. There was a serious danger of us collapsing having conceded so early, but the back-4 stuck to the task and held United together while the midfield and forwards sorted themselves out. United got an earned equalizer on 33 minutes from the penalty spot, after City winger Jack Grealish was adjudged to have used his hand in an attempt to clear a cross in the penalty area. The handball rule has serious flaws to it, but it was indeed a handball as the rule is currently written. Grealish had his hand over his head and the ball struck it. A discussion needs to be had in the close season about the how to re-word the rule, but this was indeed a penalty per the current letter of the law. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes stepped up to the spot and sent City keeper Stefan Ortega the wrong way for 1-1. Great fightback by United to get an equalizer, and it was all square going into half time.

City went ahead again however on 51 minutes, and this goal was probably even softer than the first one. City had a corner and the ball was whipped in by De Bruyne, who had spotted Gündoğan unmarked on the edge of the area. De Bruyne expertly put it on his left foot, and Gündoğan hit it first time on the volley from the edge of the area. It went through a sea of bodies in the box and nestled into the lower left corner of the goal. De Gea could have gotten over to it a bit quicker, but as to why Gündoğan was left unmarked at the edge of the box I will never know. Very poor defending, and City punished United for it.

City came close to getting a third a few times including having a goal waived off for offside, but United had a few chances of their own as the second half wore on. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho went close after some neat dribbling in the box, only to see his shot go just wide of the far post. Midfielder Scott McTominay also almost netted an equalizer in stoppage time during a goal-mouth scramble, but the City defense did just enough to put the ball out over the crossbar. The final whistle eventually blew and Manchester City won the FA Cup.

What’s most annoying about this result is that United had their chances to win, they just didn’t execute as well as City in the final third and conceded two soft goals. Had City come out and flattened us it would have been hard to complain about the result, but this one is agonizing due to the fact that United could have easily won it. City did not play up to their standards today, but they still won due to being clinical at the right times. The case could be made that the referee did not do much to help United with several questionable calls, but that doesn’t change the fact that United weren’t good enough going forward. Maybe a full strength side gets a different result today, but we’ll never know.

Still though, United had a very good first season under manager Erik ten Hag and this result does not spoil the progress made. They are still League Cup winners and will be playing in the Champions League next season. No one dressed in red should feel too bad about how the season has gone overall. However, United’s ownership cannot stall now. This club needs investment, and it needs it badly. It’s not just about buying new players, either. The Glazer family as owners must stop extracting funds from the club to line their own pockets and instead reinvest the profits into the club’s infrastructure. City have benefited from over a billion pounds of investment from their Kuwaiti owners in the last few years, and they are winning trophy after trophy as a result. United can do that too with less greedy owners. The club’s most urgent needs right now are a striker, a second option at goalkeeper, and ball-carrying midfielder.

It will be interesting to see what happens this summer for United, particularly for the long-tenured De Gea, center back Harry Maguire, McTominay, and midfielder Fred. We need to remove some of the hefty wages from our wage bill, and some hard decisions will indeed be made in the coming weeks. I trust ETH to make the right decisions in terms of continuing the rebuild, but I do not trust our ownership to back him in the way that he needs. The sooner this club is sold, the better. More on that in a separate post down the road. I will also cover the Champions League Final next Saturday, and I will be supporting Inter Milan.

For the last time this club season: GLAZERS OUT!

Premier League: United Flatten Chelsea and Qualify for the Champions League!

Manchester United played host to London side Chelsea FC in the penultimate match of the Premier League season earlier today at Old Trafford. United and manager Erik ten Hag knew they needed just one point from this match in order to finish in the top-4 and qualify for the Champions League next season. Contrarily, Chelsea and interim manager Frank Lampard came into the match with very little to play for. It has been an absolutely dismal season by their illustrious standards, as they find themselves in the bottom of half of the table and floundering in 12th place. Lampard fielded an exceptionally young side for this match, probably in an attempt to get some of the younger players experienced going into next year. Given that United have been nearly unbeatable at the Theatre of Dreams this season, most expected the Red Devils to get the result needed and seal the last available CL spot.

The first half was an odd one, but nevertheless overall positive for United. They got the first goal just 6 minutes in, thanks to a well-placed header from midfielder Casemiro. United won a free kick on the left wing, which was played into the box by fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen. No one was near Casemiro when he got his head to it, and after a quick VAR check for offside the goal was permitted to stand. Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had no chance. It wasn’t a technically complicated goal, just poor marking by the Chelsea defense and a good quality ball over the top by Eriksen. Casemiro has now scored in consecutive matches, while also rediscovering some of his magnificent form in his role as a defensive midfielder from earlier in the season.

Chelsea dominated the next 30-35 minutes after that though. They created a litany of chances, but I have to sit back and laugh at their comically poor finishing during this period of the match. Several players missed gilt-edged chances, including winger Mykhailo Mudryk and striker Kai Havertz. Chelsea were doing extremely well to get the ball forward and at getting it into dangerous areas, but they really should have finished some of their chances. They were doing everything right in terms of opening up the United defense, but they couldn’t hit the back of the net to save their lives! This period of play was a microcosm of Chelsea’s awful season: good play in the build-up and chance creation, but atrocious finishing. There was another concern for United when winger Antony dos Santos went down injured after a fairly innocuous-looking challenge, and he was stretchered off and replaced by striker Marcus Rashford. Well wishes to Antony on a speedy recovery.

The Blues’ misery was further compounded however deep in first half stoppage time. Casemiro brought the ball forward and played a sensational no-look, chipped pass out to his right and into the feet of winger Jadon Sancho. Sancho was in a bit of space and looked like he might shoot, but he wisely played it across to the unmarked striker Anthony Martial who tapped in for 2-0 with Kepa stranded. An excellent passing move that was truly against the run of play! Well done to Casemiro and Martial, but special credit to Sancho for making the right decision. He has consistently had struggles with making the right decision at the right time this season, as he usually dawdles on the ball and the chance goes begging. This time though he got it exactly right! 2-0 United at half time, with Chelsea likely demoralized given their opportunities to score.

The second half was much more dominant from United. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes went close first, striking the angle of the crossbar/post after center back Victor Lindelof did well to win the ball high up the pitch. Chelsea were not strong on the ball, but they did well to keep United from scoring again for about 30 minutes or so. However, United did get the decisive 3rd goal on 73 minutes from the penalty spot. Bruno was dancing on the left side of the penalty box, and he beat Chelsea right back Wesley Fofana with a nutmeg. Fofana then stuck a leg out though and tripped Bruno, and of course Bruno went down as if he’d been shot. Referee Stuart Atwell pointed to the spot, and there wasn’t much complaining from the Chelsea players. Bruno stepped up and sent Kepa the wrong way with a low finish to his right. 3-0, and United were now confidently on their way to the top-4!

They weren’t finished however! Just 5 minutes later, Fofana played a ball across his own box that was wayward, and it allowed Bruno to pounce on the ball. He crossed it back towards Rashford in the center of the area, and his touch took it past the last Chelsea defender. Kepa did well to stick out his left leg and save the initial shot, but the rebound fell straight to Rashford. He took it around Kepa with ease and had a tap-in from about a yard out. 4-0! Utter domination in the second half and a thorough beat down of a (usually) competitive rival. A special shoutout to Rashford on scoring his 30th goal in all competitions this season! He is the first United player with a 30 goal season since Robin Van Persie exactly ten years ago.

Chelsea got a consolation goal on 89 minutes from forward João Félix after a fine run and finish which ruined keeper David De Gea’s clean sheet, but it was nothing more than a consolation. This was United’s day through and through. Realistically they could have have had 5 or 6 goals today. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho struck the crossbar late on, and substitute midfielder Scott McTominay had a close-range effort saved by Kepa in stoppage time. Atwell blew his whistle shortly after that and United were through to the Champions League next season!

United also moved into 3rd place for the time being, two points ahead of 4th placed Newcastle. There is still one match to play for all teams on Sunday, but the heavy lifting has now been done. 5th-placed Liverpool can no longer mathematically catch them, and the Scousers can look forward to spending their Thursday nights playing in the Europa League next season. It would be nice if United beat Fulham in their remaining match next Sunday to lock up 3rd place, but 3rd vs. 4th matters little in this context. Top-4 was the goal for ETH and the lads at the beginning of the season, and they’ve locked it up with a match to spare. The club can look forward to the revenue generated from these European matches, along with being more easily able to attract top-level talent in the summer. Given how this season started for United with consecutive losses, to be where we are is nothing short of a magnificent achievement for this manager and group of players.

United’s final match of the season is not until June 3rd when they play in the FA Cup Final against Manchester City at Wembley. Due to the importance of the fixture, it will be interesting to see how ETH manages the last Prem game on Sunday. Fulham have naught to play for similar to United, so will he rest all of his usual starters? Will he keep them out there to continue momentum? Either way, the match against City will be extraordinarily difficult. United and Inter Milan are the only two clubs standing between them and the Treble.

I will do a match report for Fulham and the FA Cup Final, and I think I will do another post about the prospective sale of the club early on in the close season. This season is already much, much better than the last one though. Thank you, Mr. Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: A Deserved Victory Over Wolves

Manchester United hosted Midlands-based side Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier today at a sun-drenched Old Trafford in the Premier League. This match was of high importance to United and manager Erik ten Hag, as they needed a victory to ensure that they could temporarily hold off Liverpool in the race for the top-4. Wolves and manager Julen Lopetegui on the other hand did not have much to play for, given that they are mathematically safe from relegation and are unlikely to reach a European qualifying place. Matches against Wolves usually aren’t high scoring, but United fans would be fine with that as long as there was a victory. Striker Marcus Rashford was worryingly absent due to a leg injury, but there was a boost for United in defense with the return of center-back Raphael Varane. In attendance today was former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, along with former winger (and club legend) Park Ji-sung. Both are fan favorites and their presence helped create a very positive atmosphere at kick-off.

While both sides were slow out of the gate, United were the team showing the impetus as the first half got going. Winger Antony dos Santos went close on 8 minutes after Wolves gave the ball away in their own end, only to see his shot from about 20 yards go just wide of Wolves’ reserve keeper Dan Bentley’s post. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes then forced Bentley into another save on 27 minutes from a free kick on the left wing. United eventually got their deserved breakthrough on 32 minutes. Bruno did well to win the ball in midfield, and he then played a 1-2 with fellow midfielder Casemiro before bringing the ball forward into space. Bruno played the ball ahead onto the run of Antony, with Bentley forced off his line to try and minimize the angle for Antony’s shot. Antony did not shoot though, instead opting to smartly cross it to striker Anthony Martial. Martial was mostly on his own at the back post with Bentley stranded in no-man’s land, and he took his chance to bury a shot from about 9 yards out. A very well-worked goal for the Frenchman, and it’s good to see him back on the score sheet. Bruno was the engineer of the goal however, and credit to Antony for making the right pass at the right time.

The Red Devils forged a few more half chances after that, but they went to the locker room for orange slices up 1-0 after 45 minutes. Martial maybe should have made it 2-0 after a sensational lung-bursting run from Antony down the right wing on the counter in first half stoppage time, but his shot was tame and an easy catch for Bentley. ETH and the supporters in the stadium were still mostly happy with the score line, though. It had been one-way traffic for United, with Wolves failing to register a shot on target.

While the second half again got off to a slow start for both teams, the aforementioned one-way traffic soon resumed for United. Antony had a shot that was again just wide of the post on 59 minutes. United probably should have had a second on 73 minutes after a good run into the box from winger Jadon Sancho, but his low and powerful shot was pawed away by Bentley. A very good save from the Wolves reserve keeper, but Sancho likely should have done better from 12 yards out in space. Bentley again did well just a few minutes later when he got down low to get a hand to a long-range and dipping effort from Casemiro. United were keeping the ball in the attacking third though, and Bentley was called into action yet again as the clock struck 90 minutes. Bruno and Antony combined well on the right wing, with Bentley diving down to parry Antony’s shot out behind for a corner.

A staggering 6 minutes of stoppage time was given by the referee, and for the first time all match Wolves tried to get forward. This ultimately ended up biting them in the rear end though, as United were 2-0 up on 94 minutes thanks to substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho. The ball was cleared away by left back Luke Shaw, and it eventually fell to Bruno inside the center circle. He spotted Garnacho on a diagonal run ahead of him, and he played it into the feet of the Argentine teenager perfectly. Garnacho carried the ball into the box, after which he took a touch on the ball to get his marker to commit to the challenge. Bentley and the defender both moved to Garnacho’s left, so he struck the ball to the keeper’s right and clanged it in off the right-hand post! A great way to kill off the match and seal all three points for United. Garnacho was on his first appearance after a long injury lay-off, but he did very well to show the Old Trafford faithful what they are going to get all next season. He’s only 18, but he’s shown this season that he will be a vital part of the United attack for years to come.

The whistle blew for full-time not too much longer after that. A vital win for United who were the more dominant team, but Wolves were very poor in attack today. It was clear that their level of motivation was low. The only player from the opposition who covered himself in glory was Bentley, as the match would have been well over much sooner if he hadn’t contributed with his fine saves. Not bad for a lad on his Premier League debut, in the end. Was the finishing poor from United today? Maybe, but it’s hard to tell sometimes when the opposing keeper is playing a blinder. What is clear is that if Antony can add an end product to his game next season, he will be one of the most dangerous wingers in the world. He went close several times today. A quick shoutout as well to right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. He was fantastic in defense yet again for United, and he has added an attacking element to his game that was not present in previous seasons. Most everyone played well today, even if Wolves were poor on the ball. The visitors finished the match with 0 (zero) shots on target.

With this win and Newcastle’s draw earlier in the day, the two teams are level on 66 points in 3rd and 4th place. Newcastle are ahead on goal difference, but there are still three matches left to play. United have crucially secured a four point gap between themselves and Liverpool, which was the principal and primary mission of the day. Being pipped to the top-4 by the Scousers after their sub-par season would be very negative for United, but they took a big step towards the Champions League today. They need six points from the remaining nine to mathematically guarantee the top-4.

Next up is a trip to the south coast for another Premier League match with AFC Bournemouth next Saturday. United have been poor away from home this season, but Bournemouth are similarly situated to Wolves. They are safe from relegation and have very little to play for. Perhaps their motivation will be a little low as well. United will also hope that relegation-strugglers Leicester City can get a positive result from their match against Liverpool tomorrow. That isn’t super likely though, so United will need three points next week.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: Back-to-Back Defeats Leaves the Top 4 Race Hanging in the Balance

I was too upset and frustrated to write about Manchester United’s loss away to Brighton & Hove Albion last Thursday, so I thought I would wait until after the match away to West Ham United earlier today and do a double-post with the hope that the result today was better.

It wasn’t.

United have suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats on the road against those aforementioned teams. They looked to achieve a respectable 0-0 against Brighton until center back Luke Shaw mysteriously stuck his hand in the air to meet the ball in the box in stoppage time, and midfielder Alexis Mac Alister converted a 97+ minute penalty to steal all three points for the Seagulls. Today, United were behind on 27 minutes after Hammers winger Saïd Benrahma’s speculative effort embarrassingly slipped through the gloves of United keeper David De Gea. United were unable to find the net as the match wore on. Truthfully, United could have easily lost by a 3-0 margin today in East London. The referee saved them from further goals awarded despite the Hammers finding the back of the net several times, and they likely should have been awarded a penalty for handball in first half stoppage time.

Usually I’m able to point to one specific problem that leads to a defeat, but in this case it appears there are several. Each problem by itself is probably not enough to cause these losses, but taken together it’s all a recipe for disaster.

For one, the Red Devils have been terrible away from Old Trafford this season. We have more defeats away than relegation-strugglers Everton, and it speaks to a problem with the team’s mentality and attitude. Manager Erik Ten Hag has shown he is capable of good man-management at times, but this team wilts like a flower in the July sun away from home and it must be changed going into next season. Whatever ETH did at the beginning of the year to get this team to buy in, he needs to do it again.

Another reason for these losses is the overall play of De Gea. His error today was terrible and probably one of the worst of his career. But his shot-stopping issue today is still not the biggest concern. Again, his distribution when playing the ball out from the back has been below standards in multiple matches this season. Part of that is the center back pairing in front him (and that is addressed below), but he has repeatedly shown he is not capable of effectively distributing the ball out from the back, which is crucial to the tactics and philosophy of ETH. De Gea gets it right every once in a while, but at this level he has to be much more consistent. The casual observer might think he’s had a good season given that he’s on pace to win the Golden Gloves (awarded to the keeper with the most Premier League clean sheets), but that is a misleading statistic for keepers. Keeping a clean sheet involves all 11 players, not just the keeper. ETH likes to use the keeper to start the build-up play and then for the team to move the ball up the pitch along the ground, but when the keeper is consistently making poor decisions with the initial pass, the build-up doesn’t work. ETH has resorted to letting De Gea play long balls at times, particularly against Brighton, but those haven’t been the most accurate either.

It does not help De Gea that center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are battling long-term injuries. Martinez and Varane were first choice under ETH for a reason – both are very good on the ball and can usually withstand a high press from the opposition. Replacement center backs Victor Lindelof and Shaw have shown that they are capable defensively for the most part, but they are not as good on the ball and struggle to make the key passes into midfield when pressed. Shaw is normally very good on the wing when he plays his natural left back position, but as he has had to deputize at center back, the left wing has looked unproductive. It’s no coincidence that the scoring of forward Marcus Rashford slowed down once Shaw was required to move into central defense. Shaw and Rashford have good chemistry between them, and they scare teams with their movement and passing down the left wing. Deputy left back Tyrell Malacia had a good start to the season, but his form the last several matches covering for Shaw has left a lot to be desired in attack.

Of course, no one man or unit is responsible for the team losing. De Gea hasn’t been good, but this team is more than capable of getting results against teams like Brighton and West Ham. The rest of the outfield players have frankly been poor. Winger Antony dos Santos usually looks good for a half, then he disappears. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes is always running his tail off, but his passes haven’t been accurate recently. Midfielder Casemiro is being knocked off the ball too easily. Striker Anthony Martial hasn’t looked sharp since he returned from injury. Rashford’s goals have dried up. Striker Wout Weghorst can’t find the back of the net to save his life, and indeed no one’s finishing has been good. The list of players underperforming goes on and on. As hinted at above, this is a team that is collectively low on confidence, and it is on ETH to reignite the team’s confidence and get them firing again. It took them until the 90th minute today to really start playing with intensity, which is unacceptable. I imagine several of them will be out the door this summer while ETH continues to rebuild.

The top-4 is now in serious jeopardy for United, and failing to qualify would be borderline catastrophic for the club’s finances and moreover their ability to recruit players over the summer. They are just one point ahead of Liverpool in 5th, as these losses have seen their cushion evaporate. They still have a game in hand over Liverpool, and fortunately three of the last four matches will be at the fortress known as Old Trafford. But, all of Liverpool’s games seem very winnable for them as well. United still need 9 points to mathematically guarantee the top-4, and there are only 12 maximum points available. The Scousers and/or Tottenham Hotspur could still bottle it themselves of course, but you never want to leave qualification in the hands of the opposition.

United return to Old Trafford next Saturday to host Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves are safe from relegation and likely do not have much to play for, so hopefully United are able to get back on track with three points.