Premier League: United Continue Winning Form

Manchester United played host to newly-promoted AFC Bournemouth today at Old Trafford in the Premier League. On paper United were the far more talented side and they are in really terrific form right now, so another victory was expected by many today. The south coast side locally known as the Cherries, along with manager Gary O’Neil, were looking for any kind of positive result today. Of course, every team goes into every match thinking they can win, but a draw or even a narrow loss would have been acceptable for them today.

The match got underway with United primarily on the ball for the first 20 minutes or so, but they failed to create a solid chance in that time. Cherries keeper Mark Travers was largely untroubled, but in fairness so was United keeper David De Gea. Both sides displayed some nice passing in the build-up, but both failed to find the final ball or shooting chance needed. The Red Devils drew first blood however on 23 minutes, when midfielder Christian Eriksen’s free kick from a foul on the left wing found the right foot of fellow midfielder Casemiro in the box about 15 yards from goal. There was a lot of pace on the free kick, so all Casemiro had to do was re-direct the ball goal-wards. Travers stood no chance of getting to it given the power on the ball, and it was 1-0 to United. Casemiro has been in sensational form since before the World Cup break, and he continued that form today. His main contributions (tackling, interceptions, passing) usually don’t involve goal-scoring, so when he gets one it’s like found money. Also, another set-piece goal for United!

Bournemouth did well to respond though, creating some of their own chances through set-pieces United needlessly gave away. United kept attacking as well, clearly not content with just a 1-0 lead. They did not get another goal though in the opening 45, despite being dominant on the ball. A 1-0 lead at halftime did feel like a fair indication of how the game was going, though. The main blemish for United was an injury to midfielder Donny Van de Beek that required him to be replaced.

The visitors found themselves pegged back again though just four minutes after halftime, when a thrilling United counter-attack was finished off by left back Luke Shaw. Shaw carried the ball up through the middle of the pitch after a neat 1-2 with striker Marcus Rashford, and he did well to shrug off challenges coming in from Bournemouth defenders. Shaw was just outside the box when he played the ball to his right and into the feet of midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who instantly hit the ball along to substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho on the right side of the penalty area. Garnacho hit the ball low back across goal, where it was swept home by Shaw largely unmarked. Lightning quick goal, and it was great to see four or five different United players involved in the buildup. Most clubs cannot keep up with United when they move the ball quickly up the pitch like they did. Great instincts from Shaw to continue his run as well. Shaw is another player not known for scoring goals, but he showed no rust or discomfort with the finish. 2-0!

Interestingly, the next 15 or so minutes after the Shaw goal was Bournemouth’s best spell of the match. It seems they realized they had nothing to lose by going forward, so they started doing so more urgently. Admittedly, it caused a few problems in the United defense. They were getting their wingers forward and putting in some real quality crosses. De Gea was called into action to make a big save from striker Philip Billing’s header from close range on 58 minutes, then he made another save again shortly afterwards. Wingers Jaidon Anthony and Ryan Christie were causing real problems with their positioning and crosses. United made several changes on 67 minutes, including bringing on midfielder Fred for more solidity in defense.

Despite their attacking intent, the Cherries could not find a way through for a goal. United regained their foothold in the game around the 80 minute mark or so, and from there it was all Red Devils. They got their third and final goal of the match on 86 minutes from the in-form Rashford. A United corner was cleared long by the Bournemouth defense, with the ball eventually being recycled back to Shaw just inside the center circle. Shaw spotted a brilliantly-timed run from Bruno in behind the defense on the right wing and played a long ball over the top to him. The pass was inch-perfect and Bruno simply knocked the ball across goal into the path of the onrushing Rashford, who had the simplest of tap-ins from about five yards out. Rashford has been on fire this season for both club and country, and he is currently United’s top scorer this season. His pace and athleticism are unmatched, although this goal was primarily crafted by Shaw and Bruno. Great vision and pass from Shaw, great run from Bruno. The final whistle blew after three minutes of stoppage time, with no more major events happening.

United solidified their grip on fourth in the Premier League table with this win, and are now level on points with 3rd place Newcastle. United are behind on goal difference, but they also have a game in hand on Newcastle. Even more interestingly, they are now just a point behind Manchester City in second place, although City have a game in hand on United. It’s great to be back in the top 4 and to be challenging the teams above us, but the trick for manager Erik ten Hag will be to keep this good form going. Inconsistency has plagued United for several seasons now, and this win streak (six in a row in all competitions) is the best we’ve done in ages. ETH is clearly a manager with a plan, and he has so far been effective in conveying that plan and getting the players to execute it. When a player receives the ball in the midfield, he knows where the ball is going next before the ball even gets to him. That alone is evidence of good tactical planning by the coaching staff, never mind the goals scored. The players have bought in to ETH’s ideas, which is a stark contrast to the disaster of last season.

No time to rest though, as United will host Everton in the Premier League on Friday. Everton have a history of giving United trouble, though it must be said they are struggling right now. Another three points will be expected.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: United Defeat Forest at Old Trafford

The English domestic leagues all resumed yesterday on Boxing Day, but United’s first league fixture post-World Cup was today at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest. Forest, newly promoted from the Championship last season, visited Old Trafford for the first time 24 years (almost exactly) today. As United were heavy favorites, Forest would have been more than happy with an away draw. Given the severe wind and rain falling on Manchester before and during the match, a draw could have very much been on the table.

A brief personal aside before the recap – no matter the outcome of this match, I wasn’t going to be too disappointed. The Red Devils are my team of course and I always want them to win, but I definitely have a soft spot for Forest. I know having a second team is sometimes frowned upon giving the tribalism of club football, but I have close personal connections to the club through my grandparents. I was also fortunate enough to take a tour of the City Ground in 2007, and I have a lot of respect for the prestigious history of the East Midlands club.

That said, this was a match dominated by United from almost start to finish. They were on the ball more, had better chances, and ran the press very effectively today. Striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring on 19 minutes, and it was a rare set-piece goal for United! Before midfielder Christian Eriksen played the ball in, about 4-5 United players all went and stood near the back post. Forest’s defenders naturally went with them, and that created a lot of space in front of the right side of the goal. Eriksen played a neat pass towards the center of the area, which Rashford ran onto with no one around him. He hit the ball first time with a deft touch that re-directed the ball across the goal and over Forest keeper Wayne Hennessey’s head. A rehearsed and executed set piece is always great to see, and it was doubly good given that United haven’t scored many from set pieces in recent seasons.

Forest’s damp misery was compounded just three minutes later, when a classic United counter-attack down the left hand side saw striker Anthony Martial net his 3rd goal of the season. The ball was won by midfielder Casemiro just outside United’s own penalty area, and it was very quickly played up the left wing. Rashford got on the end of an aerial ball over the top of the defense down the left, and danced about with it for a second or two on the edge of the area. He found Martial in a central position with space, so he played a simple ball along the ground to him. Martial nutmegged a Forest defender with his shot, and while it was close to Hennessey the nutmeg seemed to wrong-foot him somehow. He completely misjudged the path of the shot, and could only get a weak right hand to it before the ball went in. A bad error on his part. Hennessey is not a bad keeper, but it was clear that Forest were missing their normal starter Dean Henderson. Interestingly, the only reason Henderson couldn’t play today was due to the rules surrounding the loaning of players. Henderson is on loan to Forest from United this season, which renders him ineligible to play against his parent club.

Forest grew into the game a bit and won themselves a set piece about thirty minutes in, and midfielder Ryan Yates thought he had notched one back for his side when his header from a set piece. He did well to lose his marker Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and he appeared push the ball home with his leg past United keeper David De Gea. There was a lengthy VAR check however, and unluckily for Forest the goal was ruled out for offside. Yates was onside, but after his first touch replays showed that the ball actually came off the leg of striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who was indeed in an offside position after Yates’s first touch. Unlucky for Forest and for neutrals, but the right call nevertheless. Neither side created many more chances before halftime and the teams went in to towel themselves off with the score 2-0 to United.

The second half continued much in the same fashion. United were dominant in possession and passing, and they were creating the better chances. Hennessey had steadied himself a bit though, and he produced some fine saves from United winger Antony dos Santos and midfielder Bruno Fernandes to keep his side in the match. Forest were still rather woeful going forward, but they kept United at bay for large portions of the second half. They did fashion the occasional corner, but De Gea and the United back line were never seriously concerned.

United got their third and the game-sealer on 87 minutes. Forest were attempting to break out from the back, and the ball was given away just outside their own area. It’s never good to give the ball away and it’s borderline suicidal against a team in good form like United is. The ball was recovered by Casemiro, who took some neat touches around Forest defenders before finding substitute midfielder Fred with a low ball across the face of goal. Fred was largely unmarked, and while he isn’t known for finishing he did well with this one – firing a shot back across goal into the right hand side of the net that Hennessey had no chance at. A good finish from Fred who was in the right place at the right time. After 5 minutes of stoppage time in which no more major chances were created, the final whistle blew and it finished 3-0.

From United manager Erik ten Hag’s point of view, this was a very good match. Three goals, three points, and clean sheet are never to be complained about. Maybe they should have finished one or two more chances, but that is nitpicking at best. Rashford and Casemiro are on form, our counter-press was run extremely well, and we finished the chances we created. Good run outs for players like Donny Van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho in the second half as well. In short, this was a match United needed to win comfortably, and they did. Casemiro might be the best defensive midfielder in the world! We’ve needed a player like him for so long and it’s great to see him clicking with Eriksen and Bruno. United remain 5th in the Prem, but are a scant 1 point behind Tottenham in 4th with a game in hand.

While a loss is obviously disappointing for Forest, it’s not the end of the world. Their sole and singular goal this season is to survive relegation, and they have already done some good things to prevent that from happening. They will not be relegated just because they lost this match today. They need to focus on beating the other teams in the lower half of the table. If they can consistently get good results against the bottom six or so clubs, they will stay up this season. They are not a bad team, they just played a much better one today. I certainly hope they stay up, and I think they have enough quality to do so.

United next travel to Wolverhampton for a Premier League match against the Wanderers on New Years Eve. Wolves will provide a tougher test than Forest, but three points is still expected.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Red Devils Held to a Draw in Final Champions League Group Match

The sixth and final Champions League matches took place today and yesterday, and while that can be a vital fixture in some seasons, today it was not. Indeed, it was what is referred to in sports as a dead rubber match, meaning a match in the season that is of no competitive consequence to a team due to results from earlier matches in the competition. Manchester United knew going in they had already won Group F and would face the runner up from another group in the Round of 16 in February. As such, manager Ralf Rangnick rotated his squad completely, making 11 changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace last weekend. The opponent, Swiss side BSC Young Boys, knew that only a victory could help them continue European play this season. They needed a victory at Old Trafford and Atalanta to lose to Villarreal to capture a Europa League spot.

The match kicked off in very wet and wintery conditions, with a youthful United side on the front foot from the start. They were on the ball and running at the Young Boys’ back line almost immediately, and they were pressing very effectively when off the ball. They were rewarded for their efforts with an early goal as well, via future superstar Mason Greenwood on 9 minutes. The ball was worked up through the left channel, with touches from Nemanja Matic (in central defense, interestingly), midfielder Jesse Lingard, and winger Amad Diallo. Diallo played a ball to Luke Shaw on an overlapping run, and he was in behind the defense by the time he got to the ball. Shaw played a cross at about waist-height into the box, where it was met by Greenwood who hit it first time with an incredibly athletic kick. He hit it with his left foot seemingly around a Young Boys defender, and buried it into the bottom corner. Young Boys keeper Guillaume Faivre had no chance. Greenwood’s technique and instincts are absolutely insane for someone who is only 20 years old. He’s a future world-beater if he keeps developing and growing his game.

United had several good chances in the next 20 minutes or so and probably should have been ahead by more goals but for some excellent saves by Faivre. And unfortunately, it was Young Boys who got the equalizer on 43 minutes. The ball was given away cheaply by United midfielder Donny Van de Beek after a bad pass from Matic, and Young Boys forward Fabian Rieder was the first to pounce on it, beating out Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the ball. He unleashed a wicked curler of a shot from just outside the 18 yard box, and United keeper Dean Henderson had no chance to stop it. It was disappointing to concede after a very good opening 40 minutes or so, but credit to the Swiss side for cashing in on the gift given to them. If you give the ball away that cheaply in the Champions League, you can expect to be punished.

The match was 1-1 at halftime and it continued down the road towards a draw as the second half played out. Young Boys seemed to be galvanized by their goal and were definitely the better side in the second half, despite United forward Anthony Elanga having his shot from close range saved by Faivre after a classic United counter-attack. It could be argued as well that Young Boys could have had a winner when defender Quentin Maceiras missed wide from about 12 yards out. Rangnick also handed out debuts to academy products Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage, both of whom made a bit of history in their own right. Iqbal is the first British-Asian to make an appearance for the club, and Savage is the son of former player and current match commentator Robbie Savage. There was a nice moment when the play-by-play commentator let the senior Savage take over to introduce the younger Savage as he came on for United. You could tell it meant a lot to both of them, given how hard it is to become a professional footballer for Manchester United and the level of dedication it takes just to get to the level of coming on as a sub in a dead rubber match for a scant three minutes. The match ended 1-1 and United finished their campaign as group winners on 11 points. Young Boys are eliminated from further European play this season.

There are positives and negatives to be taken from this match, and Rangnick will have been given plenty of food for thought. He will need to work to reduce the number of times United give the ball away cheaply, that much is clear. It’s also clear that Greenwood needs to be given as much match time as possible. He has to compete for a place with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but from a team perspective that is a good problem to have. It was also good that so many youth players got a run-out, as it could be argued that Rangnick’s main objective today was to see what he has to work with. Credit to the new manager as well for using so many academy players. United’s footballing philosophy as a club has always been to develop our own talent as much as we can, and we got away from that a few years ago. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reinstated the policy, and I am happy it is being continued by Rangnick. It must be said that the experiment of Matic as a center back largely did not work, and Wan-Bissaka had a bit of a shocker. It’s hard to see him maintaining his spot in the lineup when fellow right back Diogo Dalot is hitting a good vein of form.

The draw for the Round of 16 will be held tomorrow. The Villarreal/Atalanta match was actually postponed to tomorrow due to excessive snow in Italy, so the final spot will not be decided until then. However, United can potentially draw Atletico Madrid, Paris St. Germain, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, or Red Bull Salzburg. I personally would like us to get one of the last three I listed. Atletico and PSG are giants and Inter has a glittering history in Europe. United will have the advantage (against whoever we get) of playing the 2nd leg at Old Trafford due to winning their group.

The Red Devils resume Premier League action next Saturday, away to Norwich City. More of the usual starters should be back playing, and 3 points will be the main item on the agenda. United need to keep building momentum in the domestic campaign so as to continue climbing the table.

Glory glory Man United!

Manchester United Secure Qualification to the Knockout Rounds of the Champions League

The Red Devils travelled to the Valencia region of Spain today to take on Villarreal CF at El Madrigal in the second to last match of the Group Stage in this year’s Champions League tournament. If United could manage to win, they would secure passage to the Round of 16 by virtue of being the winners of Group F. A draw would also have helped United significantly, so a loss was the only outcome that desperately needed to be avoided. To make matters even more interesting, today’s match was the first under emergency caretaker manager Michael Carrick. The wisdom of the owners of this club needs to be criticized as to the timing of the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer just two days ago, as it left Carrick in a rather unenviable position of facing a very important match with little time to make his own impact on training sessions and the team.

However, his team selection showed a clear departure from what OGS likely would have done. He started midfielder Donny Van de Beek over Bruno Fernandes, striker Anthony Martial over Marcus Rashford, and winger Jadon Sancho over Mason Greenwood. It was nice to see things shifted around a bit, even if there were a lot of questions about starting Martial. But going up against a skilled tactician like Villarreal manager Unai Emery, we needed a change in personnel. It would give Emery something to think about, at the very least.

Despite the changes, it must be said that Villarreal were the better side for roughly the first 2/3rds of the match. United had a half-chance from an Alex Telles set-piece delivery on about 5 minutes, but that was United’s only chance of the first half. United keeper David De Gea was called into action on several occasions though, making at least 3-4 good to great saves in the game. He has saved United time and time again, and today was no different. United have a good young goalkeeper in Dean Henderson waiting in the wings, but De Gea’s form this season has generally been sensational. When the defense is inconsistent, United can count on De Gea to be a rock between the posts. Judging by his banter with some of the Villarreal players after the saves, you could tell he wanted to win in his native country. It is because of him that United kept the game at 0-0 for so long.

But right around 68-70 minutes, the tide of the match began to turn in United’s favor. Carrick brought on Rashford and Fernandes, and they had an almost instant impact. United were running directly at Villarreal more, and there was less passive movement in midfield with short but ultimately meaningless passes. Cristiano Ronaldo was able to start testing Villarreal keeper Geronimo Rulli, and it was ultimately Mr. Champions League himself that broke the deadlock on 78 minutes. Rulli played a lazy pass out from goal under medium pressure from Ronaldo, but United midfielder Fred had spotted the poor pass and was on it in a flash. The ball came off the Villarreal defender due to the pressure from Fred, and fell directly to a lurking Ronaldo right on the edge of the box. He saw that Rulli was far off his line so he calmly lobbed it over him and into the back of the net. A calamitous error by Rulli and the Villarreal defender, but credit to Fred and Ronaldo for being on hand to punish them. Fred will not get any statistical credit for the goal, but it would not have happened without him pressing. Ronaldo of course must be praised for the finish, as he didn’t even look at the goal before shooting. He has unbelievable instincts when it comes to scoring. As things stood at that point, United were group winners.

Villarreal kept at it though and put United back under pressure again as they became desperate to find an equalizer, and De Gea was indeed forced into a fine save off a low and bouncing shot to preserve United’s lead. It was United who got the next goal though, this time courtesy of a lovely counter-attack and finish by Sancho, who opened his United goal scoring account today. The ball was won by United in their own half thanks to more industry from Fred and Ronaldo, during which Fred found Scott McTominay in a bit of space just to his right. Ronaldo had run forward again on the left wing, and McTominay did well to find him with a ball along the ground. Ronaldo hit the ball first-time directly into the path of the on-rushing Rashford, and he dribbled the ball into the box before cutting back a cross into the feet of Bruno. Bruno seemed to miss hit the ball a little bit, but intentional or not it rolled straight into the path of Sancho. He took a touch from about 15 yards out and lashed the ball with his right foot off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal. It looked like Rulli had most of the goal covered and there was also a defender trying to cut out the angle for a shot, but Sancho beat them both with power and placement. A very solid and crucial first goal for the club. He had been working hard the whole match and had just missed a much easier chance earlier, so I’m glad he got on the score sheet. Hopefully he really gets going now!

Villarreal were beaten at that point, and the final whistle went shortly after the second goal. United were victorious and – somehow – won the group with a match to spare. The club’s form has generally been very poor in this campaign, and today was generally in line with that until the final half hour or so of the match. It was the Ronaldo magic that got us through this group, though. Without his goals and late game heroics, we would not have been able to pull this off. He has scored in all 5 group matches so far, and almost every goal has been a winner or an equalizer. He does not deserve to play in the Europa League, and neither does De Gea. Almost all the other players do, but those two do not. Credit must also be given to Carrick for starting VDB and Sancho, although the Martial start didn’t pan out. I think Martial is mostly done at this club. If John Murtough and Darren Fletcher are smart, they’ll try to offload him in the summer. The skeleton of Juan Mata did more in his 3 minutes on the pitch than Martial did in 60+. Aaron Wan-Bissaka also had a bit of a rough game, as did McTominay aside from his pass in the build-up to the second goal. It wasn’t a perfect match by any means, but United were clinical when Villarreal were not and that was the difference on the night.

Despite the positive result today, there should be no calls for Carrick to become the permanent or even the interim manager. He did well today, but he has no managerial experience. There are some (most notably United legend Paul Scholes) that have openly questioned whether Carrick, Kieran McKenna, and Mike Phelan should all still even be part of the managerial staff given their failings with OGS. My concern is that the famous lack of ambition in the Glazer family will rear it’s ugly head again, and Carrick will be deemed “good enough” until we get to the end of the season. That is a terrible idea for a litany of reasons, most notably because the squad we have right now is good enough to win a trophy or two. Come summer, Paul Pogba is almost guaranteed to leave. So is Jesse Lingard. It’s possible that Ronaldo may also leave, if the poor form continues. There are so many X-factors in play come summer that could all affect what manager we get, so we need to appoint one now.

The constantly-flowing rumor mill right now suggests that Mauricio Pochettino is the front runner for the next permanent manager due to him being unhappy at Paris St. Germain. Pochettino would not be my first choice, but he also would not be my last choice. In all honesty, I just want to see some logical planning and decision making from ownership and the Board of Directors. Figure out who it is you want, go and get him, and get it done quickly. The longer Carrick is in charge, the more likely it is that the indecision at the top levels of the club will only get worse.

Only the small matter of Premier League leaders Chelsea, away in London next Sunday. They are playing extremely well right now, and I am highly concerned about what that well-oiled machine is going to do to us. Sound defensive play will be key, but that is something United has not been known for this season. I would happily accept a draw if it was offered right now. I really am struggling to be positive, because going to Stamford Bridge in the current form we are in and expecting to win borders on the naïve. I’ll be interested to see what happens, nevertheless.

Ronaldo Rescues United – Again

Mancheser United travelled to Bergamo, Italy to play Atalanta BC this afternoon/evening at Gewiss Stadium. Champions League Group F is still hotly contested, with United coming in top of the group on 6 points while Atalanta were level-second with 4. Both sides would have been eyeing a victory beforehand here. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was desperate for a convincing win to build off the victory over Tottenham at the weekend, while the Italian side probably smelled a little blood in the water. Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini and their collective players knew we’ve been in poor form recently, and if they could manage to beat United in the Champions League it would go down as one of the most famous nights in the club’s history.

The energy and intensity of the local crowd was matched by the Atalanta players from the get-go though, and it was clear that this was going to be a very tough match for the Red Devils. United did a get the first real chance of the match though, via a deflected shot from Scott McTominay that hit the post. Atalanta grew into the game though, and their Colombian striker Duvan Zapata was causing a lot of problems for the back line with his physical style of play. He was able to consistently hold off United’s defenders and keep the ball while his teammates ran forward, and on several occasions he even created chances for himself.

United were undone just 12 minutes in after Atalanta was allowed far too much time on the ball around the edge of the box. Striker Josip Iličić was found by a neat pass along the ground from Zapata, and he struck the ball along the ground towards keeper David De Gea’s goal. De Gea’s vision appeared to be blocked by another Atalanta player in front of him, and the ball squirted underneath him and into the back of the net. It was a very soft goal to concede due to the lack of power on the shot. It must be pointed out that the Atalanta player blocking De Gea’s vision was probably in an offside position, but VAR reviewed it and the goal stood. It’s true the offside player didn’t touch the shot as it went through, but given his role in blocking the keeper’s vision I think he was contributing to the play. In that situation, the flag should have gone up. Still, the Red Devils were in a familiar position this season, down 1-0 early to inferior opposition.

Atalanta could have easily had a second goal on half an hour when Paul Pogba played a dangerous backwards pass in the air towards De Gea, which was seized upon Zapata. The ball fell to him in acres of space inside the United box, but he took a shot just as Ivorian center-back Eric Bailly was arriving on scene. Bailly threw his body into the path of the shot, where it the top of his shoulder and flew over the bar. An heroic block from Bailly that was as valuable as a goal. VAR checked for handball, but no penalty was awarded.

United found an equalizer in first-half stoppage time though, and of course it came from none other than Mr. Champions League himself, Cristiano Ronaldo. United won a throw-in in the attacking third, and it was moved around quickly in midfield before Bruno Fernandes ran into the box in front of his man. He was found by Mason Greenwood via a crisp pass along the ground into his feet. Bruno then played a backheel onto the onrushing Ronaldo, who struck it sweetly into the left side of the net. It was a brilliant bit of team play, and it was a good finish to cap off our best move of the match. Ronaldo simply cannot be stopped in the Champions League. Bruno probably could have a had a shot himself given that he had beaten his marker, but he definitely made the right decision by leaving it behind for his fellow countryman.

At halftime it was 1-1 and although it had been a rough start, I felt that United would capitalize on their sudden momentum into the second half. I was wrong. Despite Bruno having a shot early on blocked, it was the Italian side that took the lead again, and this time Zapata could not be stopped. A ball was played over the top to him, and he found space between Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Bailly to run into. Harry Maguire (also on a shocker) couldn’t get over in time to close him down, and Zapata tapped it past De Gea from close range for 2-1. Initially, the goal was ruled out for offside, but after a very lengthy VAR check the offside call was overturned and Gewiss Stadium erupted into celebration again. This was quite an unprofessional goal to concede. Several United players were just stood there with the arms raised calling for offside, all while Zapata was in on goal. Ok yes the call was questionable, but questionable calls happen all the time! The players have to be switched on enough to go and clear the ball anyway, even if they think it’s offside. Really poor to see from an effort point of view. Play until you hear a whistle – it’s as simple as that.

Edinson Cavani replaced a largely-ineffective Marcus Rashford soon after the 2nd goal, which didn’t really change much. Nemanja Matic came on for Pogba shortly after that, which was probably 20 minutes too late. Pogba needed to be off much sooner, given how poor he played. Atalanta continued having the better of the chances, and I thought United were heading towards defeat in northern Italy. More substitutions were made on 85 minutes, with Jadon Sancho and Donny van de Beek (VDB) coming on as well. And finally, a positive effect was felt. Those two contributed more in 10 minutes of play than Pogba did in 70+. Why they both weren’t on earlier is a mystery to me as both contributed to the late equalizer.

Sancho and VDB combined well down the left side, with VDB eventually getting a cross in along the ground. It was only partly cleared by Atalanta, and the ball fell to Ronaldo on the left side of the edge of the penalty box. He dribbled parallel to the goal for a bit before finding Greenwood, who juggled it a bit in the air haphazardly before getting it back to Ronaldo. Ronaldo hit it on the volley first time low and with power diagonally across the box, and the ball went under Atalanta keeper Juan Musso at the far corner for 2-2 in the 91st minute. Unbelievable. Ronaldo is simply other-worldly. You can keep him quiet for 88 minutes but if you slip up in just two of those minutes, he can hurt you. Both of his goals were well-taken but the finish from outside the box on the 2nd goal was truly stunning. United would be bottom of this Champions League group if not for him.

VDB then almost won it from United from close range at a tight angle just minutes later, but Musso produced a fine save to deny him. The final whistle went and the points were shared. United still lead Group F, but they are level on points with Villarreal at 7 apiece. Atalanta sit 3rd with 5 points. United are still in the driver’s seat to win the group, but the match against Villarreal in a few weeks’ time in Spain is now the pivotal match in the group. Win, and we’re essentially through to the knockouts. Lose, and we stand a very good chance of missing out on the next round and being forced to play in the semi-dreadful Europa League.

Needless to say, no one was convinced by this performance. Yes we got a point away from home in the Champions League, but it was an awful bloody struggle to get it. OGS got his tactics wrong – again – and we had to be rescued by two moments of brilliance at the end of each half. The back three didn’t work today, and who knows how long OGS would have stuck with it if he wasn’t forced into a change by an injury? It’s clear that Gasperini and his staff watched our performance against Tottenham and figured out a way to stop us from hitting them on the counter attack. It was a simple move on paper, really. He just told his back line to play further back towards their goal than Tottenham’s back line did, and we couldn’t get any runners in behind them like we did at the weekend. They also knew – again – when to press us and who to press, and that was usually Maguire. His poor positioning was directly responsible for their second goal. I think he needs a benching for a match or two to get his head right because he is not playing up to his full abilities.

Gasperini needs to be credited for making a tactical switch at halftime as well. He assigned a normally more attack-minded midfielder to instead man-mark Bruno, meaning he was to follow Bruno around whenever Atalanta were off the ball and make it impossible for him to be the playmaker he normally likes to be. For most of the half, it worked. Pogba was having an absolute shocker of a match and with Bruno man-marked, we had no one to create for us in midfield. We couldn’t keep consistent possession, and even when we did manage to gain a foothold, the ball was promptly surrendered again. Again, I cannot a recall a match in which I have seen Pogba play so poorly.

All in all, Atalanta won this match from a tactical perspective. It was domination by them for the majority of the time. They had better chances. However, United were more clinical. We only had maybe 3-4 shots on target the whole match, but we made 2 of them count thanks to the magic of Ronaldo. However, this style of play is unsustainable. You cannot give your opponent the lead twice in a game and expect to get something out of it every time, because you won’t. I am gravely concerned about our defending, in particular the lack of communication along a back line that was so consistent last season. Seeing Raphael Varane go off injured again was a large black mark on the match as well, because he is now probably unavailable for the Manchester Derby on Saturday.

I do think it’s time for OGS and Manchester United to move on from each other. He keeps making the same mistakes over and over again, and there is still no clear style of play. He refuses to bench out-of-form players, and he routinely makes either the wrong substitution or waits too long to make the substitution altogether. I understand we need a defensive midfielder, but rollercoaster form like this is not acceptable given the talent we have. We need a manager with a solid vision for the system he wants to implement and a clear path for how to do it. I appreciate everything OGS has done for this club both as a player and manager, but I do feel that his unwillingness to make changes and inability to make effective changes means that he has taken us as far as he can take us. If the City result is negative, I can see his time being over.

Man of the Match = Eric Bailly. Several key blocks and tackles won in crucial areas, coupled with a magnificent work-rate. Best player on the pitch by a mile wearing red.

United return to Old Trafford on Saturday for the Manchester Derby. I’m not optimistic. Maybe we get a few moments of magic like we did today, but keeping Manchester City from scoring will be a very tall order indeed.

I Don’t Even Care About the League Cup Anyway

Manchester United were eliminated from the League/EFL/Carabao Cup today at Old Trafford at the hands of West Ham United. An early goal from Hammers midfielder Manuel Lanzini was the difference between the sides. I would be more upset, but I honestly don’t care about this tournament all that much and it’s probably for the best that our fixture list isn’t so congested going forward. The fact that the tournament has changed names/sponsors so many times tends to suggest that many in England don’t really rate this tournament either. Sure it would be nice to win, but you don’t get super upset about going out.

What’s most annoying is that it’s hard to measure any kind of takeaway from a match like this, because both managers played mostly substitutes from the get-go. I was mostly pleased with the play of United midfielder Donny Van de Beek, who has been searching for playing time at the club ever since his arrival. He was good on the ball and made some incisive passes, and if he lost the ball he was keen to win it back. I do hope to see more of him this season.

I think Anthony Martial’s time at the club is just about up. He played alright in the opening 20 minutes or so but was completely anonymous after that. He has the skill and strength to be a Premier League forward, but his positional awareness and ability to read the game have diminished greatly in the past two seasons or so. The mark of a good center-forward is the ability to know where to be in a given situation; where to stand or run in order to collect a pass and shoot. Martial does not seem to know where he is supposed to be in attacking scenarios. I don’t know if that’s on him, United’s tactics, or some other factor – but it is clear that he cannot be relied on as a goal threat anymore. If you don’t play well against West Ham’s backups, how can he be relied upon to score in bigger matches against tougher opposition? I appreciate everything Martial has done for us, but I think he needs a change in scenery to re-discover his form.

One other player to consider from today’s match is Jadon Sancho. He looked bright at times today but other times looked off the pace. What I am seeing from him is a player with all the skill in the world, but he is lacking in confidence. He had several opportunities today to take on his defender 1-on-1 but far too often he elected to pass it backwards. He seems scared to take a risk with the ball for fear of losing possession, but that shouldn’t be his concern. Attacking players are going to lose the ball every so often. It’s guaranteed to happen. Even our best midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, loses the ball with a degree of regularity. You don’t mind that though because a guy like Bruno is going to find the right pass eventually, and it usually leads to a goal. That’s what I want to see from Sancho – more risk taking. Play the dangerous pass, mate! Take your defender on with some dribbling! He’s more naturally talented than roughly 85% of all other attackers in England, so he should start playing like it. He will improve the more he gets used to our tactics and with more game time, but he’s really got to get stuck in and play with confidence.

Other than those three things, not much new was learned today. Frustratingly, West Ham were only the better side in this match for the opening ten minutes, but that’s all they needed. This team has to respond better when going a goal down. We did well at that last season, and we need to find that form again. Ideally though, we would start these matches more positively and take the initiative to score first. Spotting the opposition a goal in the opening 20 minutes or so is not a reliable way to win matches, no matter the opponent. It was believed that United would learn that lesson after the Europa League final last season, but apparently not. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to try something different to motivate these players to get them playing with aggression and pace from the opening whistle. While it is impossible to dominate every second of every match over the course of a season, one does feel that United could be doing more to get off on the front foot.

The ref was also poor today, as he completely missed a penalty after a foul on Jesse Lingard and then also screwed up stoppage time by taking too long to reset a dropped ball. He was not the biggest issue for United today, but he certainly did no favors to the argument that England has a high standard of refereeing. If we can all see it’s a penalty, why isn’t someone in the ref’s ear to let him know? Sigh. The amount of missed fouls in the box on United this season is starting to suggest something intentional is going on. I will not go as far as to suggest some kind of collusion, but the more penalties that are flagrantly missed the more one has to wonder just what is going on here.

The Red Devils take on Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Saturday in the Premier League, early morning America time.

Premier League Final Day Round-Up, Plus a Preview of the Europa League Final

Going into the final matchday of the season, most of the important questions about how the league would finish up had already been answered. It was clear that Manchester City would be champions, and that Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, and Sheffield United were all to be relegated. Really the only question of any importance that hadn’t been answered was who would take the final two top-4 spots. City and Manchester United had already clinched 1st and 2nd respectively, but Chelsea, Liverpool, and Leicester City were all fighting for the final two Champions League places and all the riches that come with finishing in those two spots.

Liverpool beat Crystal Palace, Chelsea lost to Aston Villa, and Leicester lost to Tottenham despite being two goals ahead at one point. As a result, Liverpool finished 3rd, Chelsea finished 4th, and Leicester were left on the outside looking in. They, along with West Ham, will play in the Europa League next season. Great season for West Ham considering they weren’t really expected to finish so high, but a disappointment for Leicester finishing 5th when they had been in the top-4 for most of the season. They still have the FA Cup to hang their hats on, but to not qualify for the CL is a let down for that club. Arsenal and Everton miss out on European competition all together, which is also a disappointment for clubs of that size.

United took on Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineaux in the final match day of the season. Neither side had much to play for, and it showed by the team selection from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Wolves were perhaps a little bit more keen to win though, given that it was the last match of their beloved manager Nuno Espirito Santo. All of United’s regular starters sat out today in anticipation of the Europa League final on Wednesday, but I was indeed impressed with several of our youth players, including but not limited to Anthony Elanga, Amad Diallo, and substitute Hannibal Mejbri. They are young guys but they did very well today against an almost full-strength Wolves side. Elanga opened the scoring (and his United goal scoring account) after a peach of a cross from Daniel James on the left hand side. We conceded an equalizer to Woves via a Nelson Semedo finish from close range, but Juan Mata then converted a penalty after Donny Van de Beek was tripped in the penalty area by a Wolves defender. Some good defensive work from Axel Tuanzebe and Eric Bailly ensured that Wolves did not get another goal. Seeing so many academy products on the pitch today was awesome and the fact that they managed to win is a great sign for the future of the club. OGS understands the importance of this club’s academy and integrating players from there into the first team, as evidenced by the fact that he has given more first team debuts to youth products than any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson left.

Today was likely the last match in the United red for Mata, who looks to be either headed into retirement or possibly back to his native Spain for one last season. He is an absolutely class player, and he is equally class off the pitch as well. His skills have diminished due to age, but he is an excellent team leader and his presence in the locker room was key for many of the younger players and new signings. You always need players who are good for the locker room, even if their skills are perhaps just not quite good enough for the pace and intensity of the Premier League. I hope he gets a testimonial match in his honor, but if he doesn’t he can retire knowing he is a Premier League winner, Champions League winner, and Euros winner with Spain. There’s a possible club ambassadorship in the offing for him as well. Thank you for your services, Juan Mata!

Overall, 74 points and second place is a big improvement on last season. I am content with it, but not fully satisfied. We need some reinforcements in the summer, but this is the closest we have been to the Premier League title since the departure of Ferguson. A legitimate title challenge next season is the next step for this club.

Only one match left to play now – the Europa League final against Spanish side Villarreal next Wednesday in Gdansk, Poland. I do like United’s chances, but a big worry will be the absence of center back and captain Harry Maguire. OGS said in earlier in the week that Maguire is very unlikely to play, which means that the normal pairing of Victor Lindelof and Maguire will need to be changed. It is either Tuanzebe or Bailly that will fill in for Maguire, and it’s unclear at this time who OGS will select. Both had good games today, and there are pros and cons to selecting either of them. Bailly is more athletic and experienced, but Tuanzebe tends to show up in big games and is very good mentally in terms of concentration and awareness. I could see it going either way, but if it’s me I pick Bailly. He is a former Villarreal player so he probably knows some of the players there still, and he has experience playing against the passing tactics of Spanish sides. He just really needs to concentrate and listen to what Lindelof tells him to do. He must be disciplined and likely cannot go off doing his own thing, which he sometimes tends to do.

Villarreal are managed by the Frenchman Unai Emery, and he is indeed very good at setting up his team(s) tactically when playing against United. He is a former Arsenal manager, and he has previously given United fits when the two squared off in the Premier League in seasons past. Villarreal does not have the star players we have, but never underestimate the ability of an Emery-coached side to play better than the sum of their parts. When you can’t match the individual skill level of the opposition, playing coherently as a team and sticking to your tactics is the best way to still get a result.

I think United are going to need to score, and score multiple goals, in order to win this match. Our defense looks shaky without Maguire, so I am not super optimistic on our chances of keeping a clean sheet. Players like Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, and Edinson Cavani will need to be in good form to break down any stubborn defending from Villarreal. I think Bruno in particular will have a good game. He is hungry for trophies and now that silverware is on the line, I think he is going to take his all-world form to an even higher level. Players like Pogba and Rashford have already helped us win the Europa League once back in 2017, so I expect them to have big games as well.

Next weekend is also the Champions League final featuring Man City and Chelsea, which I anticipate doing a preview/review for as well. It is Europe’s version of the Super Bowl, after all.

Glory glory Man United!

Red Devils Close the Gap on Man City, plus a “European Super League”?

It was a bit of a struggle today at Old Trafford for Manchester United but in the end 3 points was won thanks to goals from Mason Greenwood (x2) and Edinson Cavani. United won 3-1 in a match that was closer than the final score would indicate. The first half was a rather drab affair where both sides had some half-chances but neither could manage to get the ball into the back of the net. Burnley were causing problems with their giant strikers and central defenders from set pieces and from long passes over the top of the United back 4. Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof had their hands full all day, even though Burnley are a side a mere six points above the relegation zone.

United opened the scoring early in the second half though via a very nice move down the right hand orchestrated primarily by Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. Rashford beat his man with a nice move and crossed it along the grass towards the center. Bruno Fernandes cleverly let the ball run between his legs, and the ball rolled towards Greenwood who made no mistake with his finish. Now that he has 4 goals in 3 games it is clear he is back on form. Beautiful move to watch, and a great finish on the end of it.

The lead did not last long though as Burnley equalized roughly a minute later through the gigantic defender James Tarkowski. Maguire lost position on him in the box and when the ball came in from a corner he smashed it home. If there is one knock on Maguire and our center backs, it is that they occasionally have mental lapses on set pieces that often lead to goal-scoring opportunities. We have perhaps gotten somewhat better at defending them in recent weeks, but Burnley reminded us today of that problem. I certainly would like to see this squad not only continue to improve at defending set pieces, but also scoring from them. Maguire’s head is far too big for us to not be taking advantage of it. Seriously, he’s got a massive head!

United left it late to go back ahead, with Greenwood scoring again in the 84th minute from roughly the same position having been spotted in the right channel by Paul Pogba. Greenwood beat a man before shooting towards goal, only for the ball to hit a Burnley defender and wrong-foot the keeper as it trickled past him. United had the lead and they had it for good. A bonus goal then came from a very neat counter-attack, with Bruno, Greenwood, and the substitute Donny Van de Beek involved in the build-up. The neat pass from Van de Beek set up Cavani for a tap-in due to Burnley pushing men forward for an equalizer. Few teams can handle us when we break with pace and I love watching it happen. I also am loving this team’s mentality right now. We are very good at fighting back to win when tied or losing and that is a credit to not only the players but also manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Only 8 points now, Man City! Now officially closer to 1st than we are to 3rd as well, at least temporarily. Leicester City have a game in hand but are 10 points behind us. I sense that 1-2 drops of sweat may be forming on the furrowed brows of City supporters world-wide. It’s not going to be as easy as they thought, and I must point out that I was celebrating yesterday when City were knocked out of the FA Cup by Chelsea. City can now longer win a Quadruple (4 trophies) nor can they win a true Treble (3 biggest trophies) because they cannot win the FA Cup. I really want Jose Mourinho and Tottenham to shithouse them in the League Cup final as well. That would be hilarious.

The lads finally have 7 days between matches for the first time in what feels like months. They’ll need to rest up too because it’s away to Leeds United next with the tough stretch of AS Roma – Liverpool – AS Roma after that. Leeds are always a goal-scoring threat and old rival so you know they will come to play. City still need to do some losing, but all we can do is keep winning and they’ll know they have to keep up.

*****

Earlier today six of England’s biggest football clubs, including my beloved Manchester United, all decided to sign on to play in what is known as the European Super League. If formed, it would be a league of 12 major European clubs from England, Italy, and Spain that would all play against each other exclusively, with no relegation or promotion from that league. This is a bad idea in so many ways that I can’t possibly list them all, so I will let United legend and pundit Gary Neville explain:

“This is abandoning-your-club type stuff.” He’s absolutely right. This “ESL” needs to go. It is a threat to the very foundations of the English football pyramid. I do not know what I will do if this whole thing goes through. It has proven to be massively unpopular online and it has been universally panned by every media pundit of substance across Europe. No to the ESL! No to the greedy billionaire owners!

Welcome to Manchester, Donny Van de Beek!

The squeaky wheel gets the grease!

In my previous post a few days ago, I complained very loudly and poignantly about the lack of transfers so far this summer and how the Glazers and CEO Ed Woodward were failing to support manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Clearly, someone at Manchester United reads this blog because no sooner than 48 hours after posting that blog, United have signed 23 year-old Netherlands midfielder Donny Van de Beek from Ajax. The fee is believed to be around £40 million. Not a bad price admittedly for what could be an important player. I admittedly didn’t know much about him other than the fact he was part of the amazing Champions League run Ajax went on 2 seasons ago. From what I have read and what I have seen in videos online, he appears to be the very definition of “versatility”.

We desperately need depth in midfield, and Van de Beek (VDB) provides that. He can play defensive midfield, as a play-maker in the attacking third, or even as a box-to-box midfielder. He gives OGS the ability to switch up the formation in midfield from game to game too. If there is one criticism of OGS it is that he sometimes fails to adapt “on the fly” to what is happening on the pitch. VDB should change all of that. Need him to create? He can do that. Need him to recover the ball and retain possession? He can do that. Need him to go out and do a lot of running to assist with the press? He can do that.

Most importantly, he is a quality midfielder we can rotate in to cover for the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, and Nemanja Matic. On far too many occasions last season we were one injury away from being stagnant in attack. VDB should help remedy that problem with his versatility. OGS’s tactical plans must evolve the more quality players the club acquires. I would like to see him occasionally change from the now customary 4-2-3-1 to something like a 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2. We need to be able to score in a variety of ways from a variety of formations in order to be a top-caliber team in both England and Europe.

This is a good first signing. Emphasis on the word “first”.  VDB is just the beginning. We need another 2 players at a minimum. The board should not rest on their laurels now. Fan ire towards ownership will continue if further investment is not made. Another striker and a center back, and I will feel satisfied. We are currently rumored to be in for Bayern Munich and Spain midfielder Thiago Alcantara, and he would be a massive signing indeed. Nothing confirmed on that yet though other than it being clear that Thiago wants to leave.

I will continue to post about actual signings as they happen. Glory glory Man United!