World Cup Roundup – Goals Galore!

FIFA is still terrible. Qatar is still terrible. This tournament should not be happening in a place with social laws that would be antiquated even 100 years ago. The pitch invader at the Portugal match today carrying a rainbow flag and championing women’s rights has more integrity in his pinky toe than every member of FIFA combined.

That being said, we finally got some high-scoring matches today, and it’s about bloody time! There have been far too many 0-0 draws at this tournament, but today we had 14 goals scored across 4 matches!

Portugal vs. Uruguay

This was the big headline matchup of the day, and while the score line was a decisive 2-0 to the Portuguese, it was a very tense match throughout. It was goal-less at halftime with Portugal dominating possession, but Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur came closest when his long run with the ball was snuffed out by Portuguese keeper Diogo Costa just before Betancur could shoot. The Uruguayans were also defending well, and they kept the opposition out for the first 45 minutes.

Portugal went ahead however on 54 minutes when a high-arcing cross from midfielder Bruno Fernandes nestled into the bottom corner of keeper Sergio Rochet’s net. Striker Cristiano Ronaldo was running onto the cross and leapt into the air to try and get a touch on it, and while he clearly missed the ball it fooled Rochet enough as to where he didn’t run out to collect the cross. Without Ronaldo’s run and leap I think Rochet makes the save, but Ronaldo did not get a touch on the ball in spite of animatedly claiming that he did. Bruno’s goal, but it doesn’t go in without Ronaldo leaping for it.

The Uruguayans responded by bringing on additional attacking threats, and striker Maxi Gomez was unlucky to hit the post from just outside as the box as the South Americans pushed for an equalizer. Costa was beaten, and maybe an inch to the left sees this match levelled. But the majority of Uruguay’s attacking threats were nullified repeatedly throughout this match. Much like the Portuguese in the first half, they simply couldn’t create that one clear chance they needed. Every shot was blocked, and every final pass was cleared by the resilient Pepe at center back and the rest of Portugal’s back line.

They got their second via the penalty spot, although for me it was never a penalty for hand ball in a million years. The Uruguayan defender was sliding across the ground to make a challenge on Bruno, and when Bruno passed it away it the defender’s hand while his hand was on the ground and trailing slightly behind him. 100% accidental for me, but that’s not the rule anymore. The referee adjudged the defender’s hand to be in an “unnatural position” (whatever that means) and the penalty stood. Bruno stepped up to the spot and sent Rochet the wrong way for 2-0. Bruno now has 2 goals and 2 assists in this tournament and is really showing how valuable he is to this team.

Credit to Portugal for defending well today, but I am disappointed with the Uruguayans, particularly up front. This is a squad that boasts the likes of Darwin Nunez, Luis Suarez, and Edinson Cavani. All of those strikers are world-class or world-class adjacent, and as a result I expected a lot more from them in terms of goal-scoring not only today but in their previous match as well. They sit bottom of Group H on 1 point, and will need to beat an impressive Ghana side outright to progress.

Congrats to Portugal on securing advancement to the Round of 16. They’ve done just enough in both matches to earn 3 points, with Bruno being the star of the show so far. A draw against South Korea in the final guarantees first place in the group.

Brazil vs. Switzerland

This was the only match with a single goal scored today, and it was by the Brazilians who held on to win 1-0. While they were the better side for most of this match, the Swiss definitely had their chances to get a surprise goal. Their build-up play via counter-attacks was very good, but they couldn’t find the key vital pass.

The Brazilians thought they went ahead early on in the second half via winger Vinicius Jr., who’s finessed shot found the far right corner past keeper Yann Sommer. VAR checked the goal and it was determined that Vinicius was marginally – and a very thin one at that – offside when the ball was played to him. It was close, but that’s often how these matches go at this level.

Brazil finally did their goal on 83 minutes, and it was from an unlikely source. Some neat build-up play on the left wing saw the ball played to midfielder Casemiro in the penalty area, and he struck a sublime curling effort into the far corner of Sommer’s goal. The finish was similar to that of Vinicius earlier, but this time there was no question of offside. A great goal from a man described by teammate and superstar striker Neymar as “the best midfielder in the world.” A lofty title, but given that he has an argument to be titled as such, I am very happy that Casemiro plays for Manchester United!

Brazil also secured progression to the second round today, joining France and Portugal. They need only a draw against Cameroon to win the group. Switzerland are also in good position to progress, but they will need to beat Serbia in their final Group G match to guarantee a place in the Round of 16.

Cameroon vs. Serbia

Goal-fest! This thriller of a match ended 3-3, with the Cameroonians fighting back from 3-1 down in the second half to keep themselves alive at this tournament. Had they lost, they would have been eliminated. They showed real heart and team spirit today.

Cameroon took the lead on 29 minutes after a cross from a corner was bundled home by center back Jean-Charles Castelletto. Nothing fancy about it, but a goal nonetheless. Cameroon were pegged back in first half stoppage time however when a Serbian free kick was re-directed home via the head of center back Strahinja Pavlovic. Cameroon where then stunned again just 2 minutes later when they lost the ball in their own third, and midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic finding space to power a low shot home from just outside the edge of the penalty area. Cameroon went from winning the match to facing a World Cup exit in the span of about 120 seconds!

To compound their misery, Serbia got their 3rd on 53 minutes from striker Aleksandr Mitrovic, who had been in scintillating form the whole game. He is probably Serbia’s best player in terms of talent, and a player like him needs to be on the score sheet. It was a simple finish from just inside the 6 yard box, and the Cameroon defense was nowhere to be seen. Poor marking, but a professional finish from Mitrovic nonetheless.

The match continued to provide twists though, as just 10 minutes later the Cameroonians got one back from substitute striker Vincent Aboubakar, who beat the offside trap before chipping a finish over Serbian keeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Initially, the goal was ruled out for offside, but a VAR check determined that Aboubakar was onside when he received the ball. Fine margins, but the goal stood.

Cameroon smelled blood in the water and kept pushing for the equalizer, and it was a scant three minutes later that they got it. Aboubakar did well to again beat the offside trap which gave the Cameroonians a man over in attack, and he then simply crossed the ball in from the right along the ground. Forward Eric Choupa-Moting was up alongside him to slot home with Vanja completely taken out of the play. It was a fantastic turnaround for the Indomitable Lions from west Africa!

Serbia were the more dangerous team in the final 25 minutes, with Mitrovic going close several times. His positioning and runs into the box were causing them all kinds of problems, but he could not find a winning goal for his side. The points were shared on the day when the final whistle blew.

Both teams are still alive in this tournament, but they are on the outside looking in. Cameroon face the tough task of having to beat Brazil to progress, while Serbia need a win over Switzerland to guarantee any kind of progression. The Swiss only need a draw though, so it could be tough for Serbia to break them down. Mitrovic will need to have another day like today for them to go through.

South Korea vs. Ghana

This was another thriller with five total goals scored, and the Ghanaians won 3-2 at the final whistle.

The Koreans were the better side for the opening 20 minutes or so, but Black Stars center back Mohammad Salisu got things underway on 29 minutes when he bungled home after a mad scramble in the box resulting from a free kick. The Koreans simply didn’t clear their lines, and letting the ball bounce around in the box like they did is very dangerous. The second goal on 34 minutes was much better in terms of quality, with forward Jordan Ayew whipping a delicious aerial pass into the box that found the head of midfielder Mohammad Kudus. Kudus was facing away from goal when he made contact, but showed excellent awareness to head the ball up and over Korean keeper Kim Seung-gyu. Midfielder Thomas Partey was then unlucky to not get a third after he made contact with the ball at close range from a corner, but somehow the ball inexplicably went over the bar from barely a yard out!

The Koreans came out strong again in the opening part of the second half, and this time they capitalized on their possession and chances. Striker Cho Gue-sung pulled one back for his nation with a close range header on 58 minutes, although Ghana keeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi probably should have kept it out as the shot was low and very close to him. Still though, at 2-1, the Koreans had life. They got their equalizer just three minutes later, and again it was Cho on scene to drive home a powerful diving header. Crosses from the left had been Ghana’s weakness all match, and that trend continued with this goal. The marking in the box was fairly good from Ghana, but Cho just wanted the ball more. He outjumped his marker and absolutely buried the header. It was 2-2 and with barely an hour gone, both sides knew there was plenty of time to find a winner.

Ghana struck back just seven minutes later, and it was well-worked goal finished off by Kudus. A low cross from the left was fired into South Korea’s penalty area, and the ball was deftly left to run by a Ghanaian attacker directly into the path of Kudus. His marker was too far away from him, and he re-directed the ball back across Kim Seung-Gyu’s goal and into the opposite corner. The shot was somewhat close to the keeper, but he couldn’t get down to the ground in time to stop it.

South Korea then dominated the final 20 minutes or so in desperate search of an equalizer, but a combination of last-ditch defending, poor finishing, and poor final balls kept the Koreans frustrated. After what seemed like an eternity of stoppage time for Ghana, the whistle blew and they were winners.

Ghana now find themselves second in Group H, which means they are in a good position to progress to the next round. Portugal have already claimed the other spot, which means that South Korea must now beat those same Portuguese to progress from this group. They are third with 1 point, tied with Uruguay but ahead on goal differential. Ghana need a win over a desperate Uruguay side to guarantee progression, but they could also progress with a draw and a South Korean loss.

The second round of group matches is now complete! Congratulations to Portugal, France, and Brazil for already securing qualification. Commiserations to Qatar and Canada for already being eliminated.

United Draw With Leicester / World Cup 2022 Groups

Manchester United returned to action this past weekend in the Premier League, hosting Leicester City at Old Trafford. United knew that only a victory would keep them in the race for the top-4 and Champions League football next season. Unfortunately, due to illnesses and injury, neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Edinson Cavani were available for selection. Manager Ralf Rangnick thusly elected to play without a traditional striker, deploying Bruno Fernandes as a “false-9”. There was some controversy among some pundits for choosing this particular approach when Marcus Rashford was available for selection. Rashford has not been in good form this season though, so Rangnick was kind of damned either way.

The tactic didn’t really work though. Bruno was torn between dropping back into midfield to get on the ball and getting forward to get on the end of crosses. He can’t do both. Rashford was brought on in the second half, but he did not make much of an impact either way. He was robbed of a good chance in stoppage time when Anthony Elanga mysteriously got in his way while Rashford was attempting to shoot. No coordination or communication at all there. The match finished 1-1 with United probably having the better of the chances, but it was only thanks to VAR that they did not lose this match 2-1. Leicester scored first but United got an equalizer four minutes later via Fred after Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel could only parry away a shot from Fernandes directly into his path. But for the most part, the false-9 strategy did not work. United looked toothless in attack for most of the match. They defended well (mostly) and were able to put together some good combination passes in midfield (sometimes), but the production in the final third of the field was sorely wanting.

United have a lot of problems to sort out this summer. Our midfielders are not consistently good enough. Both of our best strikers are on the wrong side of 30. The defense plays well enough at times but they still allow roughly one goal per game. When your strikers aren’t scoring, allowing a goal a game is a recipe for draws and defeats. Rangnick said post-match that the players lack physicality and tenacity, and while that is a mind-boggling concept at the professional level it’s hard to argue against him. Supposedly Dutch manager Erik Ten Hag will be brought in this summer and he could indeed get things back on track to a degree, but the problems at this club are bigger than one manager. The players are overpaid and unmotivated, and ownership has no aspiration or ambition beyond making the top-4. Old Trafford needs renovations, and the club’s training ground at Carrington needs revitalization as well. The Glazers have neglected this club for the past 17 years and must be held accountable for their poor stewardship. They need to either sell the club or give over majority ownership to the fans. We will not consistently challenge for trophies as long as the Glazers remain in charge.

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In more optimistic news, the draw for World Cup 2022 has taken place and England find themselves in Group B along with the Americans and Iran. They will also play one of either Scotland, Ukraine, or Wales. That has not been fully determined yet due to the war in Ukraine delaying their fixture with Scotland. Wales plays the winner of Scotland/Ukraine for the final spot in the group.

Iran on opening night of the tournament will be a challenging fixture most likely, as they always seem to give bigger teams trouble when the spotlights are on. Scotland/Wales/Ukraine will also be tough no matter who ends up qualifying. Scotland and Wales both despise England and will be highly motivated to get a result, and if it’s Ukraine then the entire world will be cheering for them to do well. England are used to being the villains at this point, but it would be especially tough to play against a country that almost everyone in the world feels sorry for right now.

But the mouth-watering fixture is on Black Friday 2022 against the Americans. I was rubbing my hands together in anticipation when I saw the potential for England and USA to be drawn in the same group. I’ll do a much more in-depth preview of the match once it gets closer, but I am beyond excited for this one. The Americans held England to a draw in the group stage of World Cup 2010, and they beat us outright back in the 1950s. England are in very good form right now though, and I am not sold on just how good the Americans are right now. They have talent in attack to be sure, but their midfield and defense are not as consistent.

Some other intriguing match-ups in the group stage:
Argentina vs. Mexico

Argentina vs. Poland (Messi vs. Lewandowski)

Spain vs. Germany

France vs. Denmark

Portugal vs. Uruguay

More to come on World Cup 2022 as it gets closer!

A Disappointing Defeat on Derby Day

Manchester United travelled to the eastern part of Manchester to take on Manchester City today at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. I was apprehensive about this matchup, as City are arguably the best team in England and United have been inconsistent in the Prem this season. To make matters worse, United were without Cristiano Ronaldo (injury), Edinson Cavani (injury), Luke Shaw, and Raphael Varane (both positive for Covid-19). On another day, all four of those players would be starting a big match such as this one. City needed a win to maintain their grip on first place, while United needed a win to move back into 4th place having been leapfrogged by Arsenal earlier in the day.

Neither half was good for United, but the first was definitely better than the second. City were attacking United down their left hand side and finding a lot of success. The entire back four had a crappy game, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire were particularly poor. City’s all-world attacking players were running rings around them for most of the match. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne got City’s first after a cross from the left along the ground fell to him. It was only 5 minutes in that he scored and I knew it was going to be a long day after that. Picked apart after a scant 5 minutes of play is exceedingly poor.

United did get an equalizer though, and it was thanks to their best passing move of the match. The ball broke for Jadon Sancho in a forward position, and he did very well to create some space for a shot that he buried into the opposite corner from the left hand side of the 18 yard box. Several good passes leading up to the goal, and United were level at 1-1. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It gave me a glimmer of hope that United might be able to take something from this.

United were behind again just before halftime, and it was again De Bruyne on the spot to put it away. United were again torn open on the left hand side, and they lost the ball in their own half in a very dangerous position after a failed clearanced. Attacking midfield/forward Phil Foden then showed why he is one of England’s brightest prospects. His touch and control in the box took Victor Lindelof out of the play altogether, and although his shot came back off the post and the follow-up was blocked, the ball eventually fell to De Bruyne who buried a shot from close range. No chance for United keeper David De Gea. Some excellent play and passing by City, with United’s defense unable to cope. 2-1 at halftime wasn’t a great score line, but I did try to console myself with the fact that it could have been much worse.

Whatever semblance of strategy United were playing with in the first half, it was completely gone about 5 minutes into the second half. City were on the ball a lot more, and it was near impossible to get it off them. When United did have the ball, they looked lost and couldn’t figure out where to play it. Some awful passing the final third usually led to a City counter-attack, which United would have to get back quickly to defend. If another goal was to come, you’d put your money on City bagging it. Manager Ralf Rangnick tried to inject some more pace into the attack by bringing on Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, but they didn’t really do much to help relieve any of the pressure United were under.

The third City goal was a fairly poor one to concede. A cross from a corner was played over the top by De Bruyne, with the ball not being touched until it fell to the feet of winger Riyad Mahrez. He stepped forward and swept the ball towards goal with his left foot, and the ball curled around the men in front of him and into the left hand corner of De Gea’s net. Good skill from De Bruyne and Mahrez to be sure, but where was the defending? Why was Mahrez virtually on his own in that position? The entire move was two kicks and the ball was in the net! Horrendous.

That’s when the wheels fell off. United stopped trying. Plain and simple. They capitulated completely and it was a miracle that City only got one more goal. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan brought the ball forward after a poor clearance from De Gea, and he found Mahrez on a neat diagonal run in behind the United defense. There was a hint of offside to the goal perhaps, but a crisp finish from Mahrez put City up 4-1. If it wasn’t over before, it certainly was at that point.

It’ one thing to lose to the best team, but it’s another thing to lose in the manner that United lost. It was just complete and total surrender! Rashford and Lingard were useless substitutes. Bruno Fernandes misplaced passes left and right. Wan-Bissaka and Maguire were at sixes and sevens the entire match. It was even unclear what our tactics were in the second half, thanks to some incredibly poor execution. City were toying with us for the final 30 minutes or so. Utterly disgusting.

This match is the perfect metaphor for the season – so much promise but in the end regression and disappointment. I’m numb to it at this point. A result like this would have shattered me a few years ago, but today I don’t even really feel anything. This was supposed to be the season we made a legitimate title charge, but it’s all gone pear-shaped. Does this club need a sports psychologist? An exorcist? I don’t even know anymore. From ownership down, this club needs to be revamped completely. I almost don’t want us to qualify for European play next season because then we would get a little bit of a re-set. I expect at least 6-7 of these current players to go in the summer. It’s true that Rangnick did not have the best game as manager, but this result is 90% on the players. The tactical plan doesn’t matter if they players stop trying 2/3rds of the way through the match.

I don’t even care who or when we play next. We need a miracle to place in the top-4 now.

Another Match, But the Same Old Story

Manchester United travelled to the northeast of England today to take on Burnley in a Premier League match at Turf Moor. It’s safe to say that expectations were fairly low for United supporters, given the disaster against Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Friday. Burnley are a bottom of the table club and stand a good chance to be relegated this season, but just because a team is not very good doesn’t mean United will beat them. The torrential rain, wind, and cold did not help to raise my expectations. Teams in the northeast thrive on horrendous weather because they practice and play in it all the time.

What happened today was the exact same thing that happened against Boro. Almost exactly the same match in terms of what happened; indeed it’s even a little odd just how similar these two successive matches were.

United were dominant in the first 45 minutes, just like against Boro. They had several chances either not taken or ruled out by the referee/VAR but did manage to score one goal, just like against Boro. Jadon Sancho scored against Boro around the 20 minute mark, and today Paul Pogba did the same thing around the same time. Burnley couldn’t get near us in the opening half, with Bruno Fernandes and Pogba controlling the midfield. United were winning the ball, passing well, and creating chances. Center-back Raphael Varane had a goal ruled out for an offside from a free kick, and Burnley keeper Nick Pope did well to deny United several times.

I wanted the match to stop at halftime though. The fact that we only scored one after dominating so thoroughly had me nervous for a repeat of what happened against Boro.

And I ended up being correct, although I did not want to be. Burnley came out in the second half and really took the game to United, and the opposition were undoubtedly galvanized by the lack of clinical finishing (again). Burnley got their equalizer just two minutes into the half via strike Jay Rodriguez, who was let through on goal after a mistake by Harry Maguire. More on him below.

The second half in totality was poor from United. It’s true they didn’t concede another goal, but that was more due to Burnley’s own ineptitude in front of goal than United’s defensive efforts. Burnley dropped all 11 men behind the ball once they equalized and suddenly United were out of ideas. Possession was fine along with some of the build up play, but every final ball or shot was cleared or blocked by a Burnley defender. The play of Burnley center-back Ben Mee was simply phenomenal. He always seemed to know exactly where to be to snuff out an attack, and he always made the right clearance at the right time.

The match ended 1-1 as the quality of football deteriorated in tandem with the weather. No real chances created for either side as the match wore on. Not even the introduction of Cristiano Ronaldo could spark a winner. His two best chances were a header over the bar and a header straight at Pope.

And ok yes, we did not lose, but we should be winning matches like this by 3 or 4 goals. Sometimes, a 1-1 draw is a good result. It absolutely was today for Burnley. This is a draw that feels like a loss for the Red Devils though. Any time you score only one goal despite a litany of chances, your club will be susceptible to a comeback. That is the nature of professional football in the Premier League. Some teams are worse than others, but anyone can still get a result anyone given the right conditions.

Maguire was terrible tonight and has been terrible for most of the season. He needs to be dropped for a few games to get his head right. Victor Lindelof has shown some promise working alongside Varane, and in my opinion he should be given more playing time. Edinson Cavani was also terrible for most of the match as well. He lost possession several times, which became more and more costly as the match wore on. Bruno and Pogba, for all their brilliance in the first half, went missing in the second. Marcus Rashford can’t finish a chance to save his life, and he also lost possession several times today. Sancho and Luke Shaw were also good in the first half, but again largely disappeared in the second.

Managers of rival clubs will take note of this very simple fact: if you can challenge United and rattle them mentally a little bit, they will fold like a house of cards. Burnley came out aggressively against us in the second half, and this squad for whatever reason couldn’t handle it. Piss poor attitude, really. We have World Cup winners and highly experienced international players in this squad, yet they can’t mentally handle being pegged back by objectively the worst team in the Prem. Manager Ralf Rangnick is somewhat to blame for this mental weakness, but in a team full of professionals its inexcusable.

There was so much hope and optimism for this squad before the season started. Many bookies and casinos gave us good odds to win the Prem, given the additions of Ronaldo, Sancho, and Varane. Now though we’ll be lucky to finish 4th. In all honesty, a team that can’t beat Boro or Burnley does not deserve to be anywhere the title or the top-4. This inconsistent form and lack of mental toughness have to be addressed, and I have no idea how to fix it.

United drop into 5th with this result. United are at home again on Saturday, Feb. 12th against Southampton at Old Trafford. I expect nothing, but I’m sure I’ll still be disappointed anyway.

A Stoppage Time Winner Versus West Ham

Manchester United continued their Premier League campaign today at Old Trafford versus West Ham in the Premier League. United came into the match looking to continue the good form they showed against Brentford in midweek, but West Ham were sure to be a much tougher test. They came into this match in an impressive 4th place (given their relatively modest budget) and are helmed by former United manager David Moyes. He knows Manchester United very well in terms of the club’s philosophies and individual players’ strengths and weaknesses. United’s current manager Ralf Rangnick was looking for continued efforts from the players in terms of desire and physicality.

The first half was rather tepid from a neutral point of view. If you wanted to see a lot of goals, this was not the match for you. United really only had one clear-cut chance in the first half, and that was on 20 minutes when striker Cristiano Ronaldo just barely missed getting his head on a brilliant aerial cross from his Portuguese compatriot Bruno Fernandes. Although United did not look strong in attack, the defense was rock solid in that opening 45 minutes. West Ham were really struggling to create chances, as United were very good at winning the ball back if they ever lost it. The back 4 and the two holding midfielders were really cohesive and West Ham lost chances to score with every clearance from United.

The second half was much more entertaining, as both clubs seemed to take more risks going forward. Fred forced a fine save from West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola just 3 minutes after the kick off, and West Ham saw a shot from midfielder Jarrod Bowen go just wide of keeper David De Gea’s post just 5 minutes later. French center back Raphael Varane then came close to a goal with a header from a United corner, but his effort went over the bar. West Ham did not mark him correctly, and I think he knew that he should have scored from that position. The chances then petered out for about 20 minutes, before West Ham came close from a corner on 87 minutes. The whipped-in cross got a slight touch off the head of midfielder Tomáš Souček, but he couldn’t generate enough contact on the ball and it ended up going wide. Much like Varane’s chance though, he probably should have scored. Ronaldo then had a shot called back for offside, after which West Ham midfielder Declan Rice forced an awkward save from De Gea from a tight angle at his near post.

But then the moment came; the moment feared by all away fans when they come to Old Trafford: Fergie time. The last final few seconds before a close match ends when United can sometimes find a winner, named for our legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Alex Telles played the ball forward from his left back position, and after the ball came off a West Ham player’s head it fell straight into the path of Ronaldo. Ronaldo took a touch or two before playing in substitute striker Anthony Martial, who then made a very intelligent layoff pass to (another substitute) striker Edinson Cavani just off his left shoulder. Cavani spotted striker (and yet another substitute) Marcus Rashford streaking towards the far post, so Cavani played it to him with a crisp pass. Rashford poked it home from 3 yards out with his marker beaten, and Old Trafford erupted in celebration. A quick and decisive goal that would make both Rangnick and Ferguson very pleased to see. VAR checked to see if Cavani was offside, but when the goal was upheld Old Trafford roared again in celebration. There was no time for West Ham to respond, and United won 1-0. You have to see it to believe it!

Make no mistake, this was the best 90 minutes of football that United have played during Rangnick’s tenure as manager. He deserves all the credit in the world for his second half substitutes, as all three of them combined to score the goal. I raised my eyebrows when Martial was brought on, as he has been out of form for several months now and is believed to be close to leaving the club sometime this month. I didn’t think he would contribute much. But he, along with Cavani and Rashford, were much-needed sparks in the United attack. The most important aspect of this match though was the desire, belief, determination, and physicality on display from the Red Devils. In this sport, you always have to fight until the very end. When it’s close like it was today, things can turn in your favor (or against you) in a matter of seconds. That’s exactly what happened today. Truthfully I would have been mostly happy with a 0-0 given how the match went, but a Fergie time winner is always something to be celebrated. West Ham are tough opposition and not even the elite clubs can win every match 3-0. Sometimes you have to grind out a win, and that’s exactly what United did today.

A few final thoughts – United’s set piece and corner routines continue to be atrocious. Whatever we are doing in training when it comes to scoring from set pieces, it’s not working. In matches such as this one it’s risky to rely on a Fergie time winner, and scoring from a corner would normally be the most reliable way of getting a goal. That must improve. A big shoutout to Rashford though, who has now scored in successive matches and has scored more stoppage-time winners than anyone else in Prem history (4). Also, I want us to sign Rice as our defensive midfielder. He is truly excellent at breaking up play and United is still in desperate need of a true DM. I also like him because he’s one of England’s best players, and Manchester United needs to be a home for English talent. Time to open up the checkbook, Glazers!

United are on break for the next two weeks or so, but they resume play against Championship side Middlesbrough in the 4th Round of the FA Cup on February 4th. I am hopeful that this match serves as a confidence booster to the lads and that this form continues. United are currently 4th now after this win, but Tottenham and Arsenal still have games in hand behind us. No matter, all we can do is focus on winning and building positive momentum.

Glory Glory Man United!

A Win Choked Away Versus Aston Villa

First things first, apologies for the belatedness of this post. Got sidetracked by a busy weekend and the NFL playoffs. I try to get these done same-day, but that doesn’t always happen. Thanks to those who waited patiently!

It’s not often that you play the same club twice in successive matches, but that’s exactly what Manchester United faced on Saturday when they travelled to Villa Park in Birmingham, England for a Premier League match against Aston Villa. United beat Villa 1-0 at Old Trafford in the FA Cup 3rd Round, and they were looking for another victory to get back on track in the push for the top-4.

And indeed, it was United off on the front foot after just six minutes when Villa were let down by a massive error from goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Bruno Fernandes was on the left side of the box near the edge of it, and ran onto a touch pass from left back Alex Telles after a free kick. Bruno lashed a shot directly at keeper Martinez, who mysteriously fumbled the shot and let it slip between his legs for a goal. He was crying for offside or some kind of foul to save his embarrassment, but really it was just a very poor error from him. A shot like that from Bruno, which was at some distance and at a tight-ish angle, should be saved by the keeper every time. It was speculative at best from Bruno to shoot from there, and it is possible that Martinez was distracted by striker Edinson Cavani trying to get a touch on the shot just in front of him. But that’s why we play the game and don’t let stats decide outcomes – human error is a very real contributing factor to the game.

The rest of the first was arguably the best the Red Devils have played under interim manager Ralf Rangnick. They were passing the ball around well and creating chances for further goals. They were even more impressive when out of possession. The systematic pressing and positioning of our players left Villa with nowhere to pass the ball when they tried to go forward, and I don’t think they got a shot on target until about the half hour mark. Keeper David De Gea was forced into a fine reflex save from Villa midfielder Emi Buendia’s header from a corner, but aside from that United were strong and it was 1-0 at halftime.

United’s position was further strengthened by a second goal, which was again provided by Bruno on 67 minutes. Brazilian midfielder Fred was on the front foot and pressed a loose pass along the Villa back line, and was rewarded for his efforts by winning possession. He played a simple pass to his left along the ground and into the path of the onrushing Bruno, who lashed a shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the goal. Villa had been giving the ball away dangerously in the early part of the 2nd half, and this time United were there to capitalize on it. At that point, it felt like the points would go to United.

But it was not to be. Villa got a goal back ten minutes later, and it was thanks to their growing possession, some key substitutions by manager Steven Gerrard, and confidence in themselves. Yes they were down 2, but they knew that they could fight their way back into it if they just kept persisting with their game plan. United almost seemed to switch off a bit after the second goal went in as well, which is a mental error that must be addressed by Rangnick. Villa put some neat passes together in the left attacking third, and the ball was eventually under the feat of substitute Phillipe Coutinho, the former Liverpool midfielder on his debut for Villa. Fred actually stuck a boot out and knocked the ball away from him, but it went straight into the path of midfielder Jacob Ramsey. Ramsey swept a high curling shot past De Gea from about 10 yards out, and suddenly Villa were only down one goal. All credit to Ramsey and Villa for finishing the move, but the goal was a tad fortuitous nevertheless. Ramsey is a Birmingham native who grew up watching Villa, so it must have been incredibly exciting to score his first goal for the club at such a crucial time.

Villa got their equalizer just four minutes later, as United completely lost their heads defensively. The ball was played in to Ramsey on the left side as he ran in behind the United defenders, and he hit a great cross in front of the face of goal that found Coutinho unmarked at the back post. Coutinho is not known as the best finisher, but it’s incredibly hard to miss when you’re only 6 yards from goal and no one is marking you. Coutinho clipped a shot to De Gea’s left, and he had no chance to save it. Poor defending from United all around. Ramsey should never have been let in behind, and the marking on Coutinho was non-existent.

Injuries and poor passing from both clubs highlighted the final 10 minutes, and there were no further goals. The match finished 2-2, and while United still earned a point, it will feel more like a loss psychologically. We had them beaten soundly after 67 minutes, but let them back into it through poor effort and poor tactics.

It seems that Rangnick is having a lot of trouble finding the balance between attack and defense. United let Villa have the ball for most of the second half, and only scored thanks to some opportunistic pressing. United seem to be overly-reliant on winning the ball high up the pitch and trying to score. We need to improve from set pieces as we have not scored from one yet this season, but there also needs to be some thought put into how we want to maintain possession and kill a game off. Rangnick needs to continue working on his system to be sure, but the lackadaisical defending from the players in the final 15 minutes or so is a much bigger concern. There is something wrong with our players from a mental perspective, as it is incredibly rare for any Premier League side to choke away a two goal lead in such a short amount of time.

Good game from Fred, Bruno, forward Anthony Elanga, and De Gea, but a very poor game from the back four and Cavani. United could not get out of their own half in the second 45 minutes, and that is in part due to poor hold up play from Cavani. A striker is not only supposed to score goals, they are also supposed to be an outlet for when the team is pinned back in their own area. In that scenario a strong center forward needs to use either strength or dribbling to them to maintain possession while teammates run forward for support. Then the CF can play the ball to a teammate and then run forwards towards the goal. I didn’t see any of that from Cavani on Saturday, or any of our attacking players really. United were capable of breaking up crosses and passes for the most part, but the ball came straight back at them repeatedly. Villa were able to continuously recycle possession for themselves and keep United under the cosh without too much difficulty.

It’s a match typical of United under Rangnick so far – good for a bit, then terrible for a bit. The first half was some of the best play I’ve seen, followed by some of the worst in the second half. It’s maddening.

United travel to west London on Wednesday for a Premier League match with newly-promoted Brentford FC. You would think United would win such a match, but I don’t trust our form or team mentality at this point. United are currently 7th in the Premier League.

United Escape Aston Villa; Plus an FA Cup 4th Round Recap

England’s version of March Madness got into full swing this weekend with the 3rd round of the FA Cup now in the books. There have already been a number of upsets and there are at least 2 clubs who will believe that they’re going on a Cinderella-run of sorts. A more in-depth review can be found below!

Manchester United’s particular 3rd round tie was against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, held earlier on today. Aston Villa are currently in the bottom half of the Premier League table, but they are an intriguing side nonetheless given that their manager is none other than former Liverpool player (and villain of Old Trafford) Steven Gerrard. He was easily their best player for most of his career, and he certainly caused one or two anxious affairs for United when he was on the pitch in midfield. I was hoping the lads would be up for this one given who the opposite manager is, as there is nothing Gerrard (and Liverpool) would like more than to knock United out of a major tournament.

But this was once again a lackluster affair from United. They did get the game’s only goal on 8 minutes via a header from Scott McTominay, but the victory tends to paper over the cracks of all the issues on display. Villa were the better side for most the game, in particular the second half. They even had the ball in the net twice, but both goals were correctly ruled out after VAR review. Raphael Varane was solid in central defense and David De Gea had a good day in goal, but make no mistake, this was an ugly match. Marcus Rashford looks like a shadow of himself. Mason Greenwood is developing some ball-hogging tendencies that usually result in him losing possession. Further, we can’t retain possession to save our lives as collective team. It’s the same problem that has haunted us for over a month now – we give the ball away far too easily and there’s no effort (or at least no coordinated effort) to win it back.

There is still some adjustment to manager Ralf Rangnick’s playing style going on, and I am not sure how much this particular squad has bought into it. To be fair, there is a question of whether playing with only two men in midfield is an effective strategy for United and that is something that needs to be addressed more in-depth as the season moves forward. However, the lack of effort in ball recovery is perhaps an indication that not everyone fulling co-signs to this new style of play. That is not good at all, for several reasons. For one, in football you have to play as a unit. If multiple players don’t want to play the tactics that the rest of the team is doing, it’s not going to work. For two, it speaks to a level of apathy that is unacceptable for professional athletes. They all get paid millions to play a kids game, and that seems to have been somewhat forgotten.

I also think that several of our players, most notably Rashford, are not in the right space mentally. Rashford is not aggressive enough, and Greenwood is probably too aggressive. Substitute Anthony Elanga did more on the left wing in 10 minutes than Rashford did in 80. I love Rashford and I want to see him succeed, so I’d like to see another senior member of the team or one of the coaches get with him and see what the problem is. He’s insanely talented, but he hasn’t looked the same since he returned to the club after the Euros this past summer.

In short, Rangnick needs to get this squad together. I was happy with Elanga’s energy and Varane’s discipline today, but that’s really about it. Rashford, Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, and Edinson Cavani all need to improve. The whole squad does really, but those 4 in particular are playing well below their usual standards.

United will host Championship side Middlesbrough at Old Trafford in the next round of the FA Cup. The next fixture though is a repeat of this one – hosting Villa in the Premier League in 5 days’ time. If we play like this again against them, they will at least earn a draw or outright beat us.

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A quick but important shoutout to three other clubs – Kidderminster Harriers FC and Boreham Wood FC. I won’t lie, I hadn’t heard of those two clubs before yesterday. But these two have made some serious waves by winning their FA Cup 3rd Round fixtures – by beating Reading FC and AFC Wimbledon respectively. What makes those two results so notable is that both Kidderminster and Boreham Wood are non-league teams, meaning they are comprised entirely of semi-professional players. There are 8 divisions in the English football pyramid, and both teams play in the 6th division, referred to as the National League. It’s always great to see the minnows earn a chance to swim with the big fish, which is exactly what these two have done. For their efforts, Kidderminster get the reward of hosting Premier League side West Ham United, while Boreham Wood will travel to play Championship side AFC Bournemouth. Both clubs stand to make a good deal of money from these fixtures, and for me there’s nothing cooler than semi-pros getting to try their hand against professional millionaires. Imagine you and 5 friends start a basketball team, and your get far enough into a tournament to get a chance at playing the LA Lakers or Chicago Bulls. That’s the equivalent of what is happening here.

Also a very special shoutout to Nottingham Forest FC, a Championship side who knocked Arsenal out of the FA Cup yesterday at Emirates Stadium. Forest is my grandparents’ club and I have taken a tour of that club’s stadium personally, so I feel a special affinity towards them when they aren’t playing United. It’s a big achievement for Forest to take down one of the giants, and it was in no small part thanks to James Garner (no relation to the actor), a midfielder on loan to Forest from United. Forest have been devoid of major success for a few decades now so it’s great to see them get a result. Always good to see Arsenal lose in the FA Cup as well, as they have won it more times than any other club.

Wolves Defeat Man United at Old Trafford

The heavily congested Premier League fixture list continued this afternoon at Old Trafford where the Red Devils took on Midlands-based club Wolverhampton Wanderers. The club colloquially known as Wolves have been a bit of a bogey-team for United in recent years, as United typically struggles to dispatch them. They are good defensively, but have had a lot of trouble scoring goals. United were looking to continue on the improvements made during the Burnley match a few days ago. The biggest headline pre-kickoff was the inclusion of center-back Phil Jones in the United starting XI, as he has not played in roughly two years due to injury and mental health challenges.

But this match was nothing like the previous one, not for United at least. The first half was positively boring to watch for all fans, as neither side were good in the final attacking third of the pitch. United’s style of play was causing some rumblings and confusion as well. They seemed to be under instruction from manager Ralf Rangnick to sit back and try to hit Wolves on the counter-attack. That can be a good tactical approach to a match, but it was largely ineffective against Wolves. Wolves did not commit many men forward, and even when they did they were very effective at getting back quickly so United could not get the ball to the dangerous forward players. And indeed, if you had to pick the better team over the first 45 minutes, you would be hard pressed not to pick Wolves. United gave the ball away in promising positions more times than I bothered counting, with Wolves forming an effective block in midfield and defense.

It also appeared that Rangnick wanted our attacks to involve the fullbacks to a heavy extent, which again can work in certain situations. It did not today though. For all his defensive prowess, United right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka cannot consistently cross the ball well to save his life. He puts a good one in every once in awhile, but today he was very poor. I counted at least 2 crosses where United had players in good position in front of the goal, only for his cross to be over the head of everyone. To be fair, his counterpart on the left side Luke Shaw wasn’t having a very good game either. So many missed passes today, and not only from those two. Almost every single United player was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply at some point. There were even moments when simple 10 yard passes were going astray, with Wolves more than happy to pick up on the loose ball in most situations.

Goalkeeper David De Gea had to make a few routine saves in the first half, which he was more than equal to. Wolves were having their own issues in the final third in terms of completely passes and not losing possession themselves. The real concern was that it took almost half an hour for United to get a shot on target, and it wasn’t even really a menacing shot anyway. Wolves keeper José Sá was hardly tested by it. Those of us who have been watching United for the past few decades know that 1 shot on target which took 30 minutes to register is not good enough. Unacceptable for Manchester United FC.

Halftime saw both sides at 0-0 though, so I thought this would be another match where we play like shit and don’t deserve to win, only for one of players to produce a moment of quality that earns us the points. But it was Wolves who remained largely on the front foot, with United struggling to gain a foothold. Around the hour mark Bruno Fernandes was brought on for a bit more creativity in midfield, and it was he who had United’s best chance to score. A cross came in from the left wing along the ground, and Bruno was unmarked as he ran into the box. He struck the ball first time with Sá beaten, only for his high and powerful shot to rattle the crossbar and back into play. Cristiano Ronaldo (captain on the day) tried to get his head to it, but he couldn’t get a good angle on the rebound and the chance was gone.

Several half chances were created by both sides after that, but the respective defenses cleared the ball away each time. I was actually somewhat impressed with the United defense up until the 80th minute or so. Jones cleared a pass with his head that fell to Wolves’ Portuguese midfielder João Moutinho, who let loose a shot with his left foot from just outside the United penalty area. It cleared a sea of bodies before rolling into the left hand side of the goal with De Gea unsighted. It was a shitty goal to concede, but it did seem to be coming and it’s hard to argue that Wolves didn’t deserve it. United had asserted some dominance from 60 minutes to about 80 minutes, but Wolves were back on top after that.

Bruno did well to force a save from Sá in stoppage time from a free kick, but that was really the only dangerous chance United created after the goal went in. The full time whistle went and United were losers on the day, 1-0. Wolves beat us in almost every single statistical category, including a shocking 8-1 margin in their favor for corners taken.

The tactics were a problem today. So was taking off United’s best attacking player in Mason Greenwood for an out-of-form Bruno. However, those problems were minimal in comparison to the main problem: the collective attitude and communication of the United players. You can have the best tactical plan ever and make all the right substitutions, but if the players aren’t executing the plan and doing the simple things correctly then there is no hope for victory. Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani were mostly invisible today. Jadon Sancho gave the ball away frequently. Marcus Rashford was running around like a headless chicken. Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic were overrun in midfield consistently. Neither fullback could put in a decent cross. There were times when it seemed like the players had never even met one another before. The list of issues goes on and on. No pressing, no aggressive challenges on 50/50 balls, and just a general lack of interest in doing the routine and basic things all professional footballers are capable of doing. It makes the fans want to pull their collective hair out.

Rangnick needs to re-think using a two-man midfield. It stopped working under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and has not really worked during Rangnick’s tenure either. I thought it might be better for Ronaldo to have a second striker up there with him, but a much more pressing need is stability in the midfield. If we can’t hold possession against Wolves, we will really struggle against teams that are actually good. It’s extremely difficult to tell what Rangnick is doing that is different from what OGS was doing, and while that might be partially on Rangnick it is more on the players. Even if the tactics are crap, I expect full commitment and high energy from every single player we have. They are too talented (and too well-paid) to be as static as they are. As I said after the dismal draw at Newcastle, a fire needs to be lit under the players’ asses. I say we bench the superstars for a match and put the youth team out there. They may not be as technically gifted or strong, but they are guaranteed to try hard and put in a shift.

De Gea was good today like he usually is, as was Jones and center-back Raphael Varane. Yes Jones was partially responsible for the Wolves’ goal, but he had a very solid performance today overall given that he hadn’t played in two years. He got a lot of stick on social media after some poor performances in 2019 and early 2020, so I am glad to see that he is getting praised today. He was even the guy that won the foul where Bruno almost scored late on. On the very long list of United’s problems, Jones is right near the bottom. All credit to him for putting in some work today, because many of United’s players did not.

United host Aston Villa at Old Trafford next Monday, January 10th. I have zero expectations, but I’m sure I’ll still be disappointed. I expect a massive clear-out and rebuild this summer if the players continue to show a lack of interest and execution. It’s beyond maddening because on paper this is a very good team, and this was supposed to be the season where we returned to our rightful place at the top of the table. That’s not happening now though. We have all the talent necessary to win, but you don’t win in the Prem on talent alone.

United Improve, Finish 2021 With Three Points

The final Manchester United match of calendar year 2021 took place this afternoon at Old Trafford, with the hosts taking on Yorkshire based club Burnley FC. The Red Devils and manager Ralf Rangnick were looking to improve on their last performance against Newcastle in which they were decidedly second best, while Burnley were playing their first match in almost three weeks due to a Covid-19 outbreak among their squad. Burnley is a well-coached side defensively in most games, but they lack the ability to consistently score. Rangnick, clearly disappointed with the side he fielded last Monday, made six changes to the team.

The match got underway with high intensity from both sides, and that intensity resulted in clear goal-scoring opportunities for both sides. Burnley striker Chris Wood likely should have scored in the first 5 minutes but his free header went wide, and United striker Cristiano Ronaldo should have also opened the scoring just two minutes after Wood’s missed chance. He was through on goal after a great pass from left back Luke Shaw, but he blazed his shot over the bar while being harassed by a Burnley defender. United did get the opening goal though, and it was the earliest goal they have scored in the Premier League all season. The ball was played out to the right wing to right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who did well to find striker/winger Mason Greenwood in the penalty area. Greenwood attempted a dribble before firing a shot, but it was blocked by the Burnley defense. He carried on though and recovered possession to the right of the goal, after which he played the ball back out to Ronaldo along the ground. Ronaldo’s first touch was heavy however as he attempted to get the ball onto his left foot. I thought Burnley might clear it, but the onrushing Scott McTominay was there to seemingly take the ball away from Ronaldo and lash a shot into the bottom corner of the net. It was a wonderful strike from about 18 yards out, and he placed it into a very narrow corridor between the post and Burnley keeper Wayne Hennessey. McTominay is not known as a goal-scorer usually, but he can contribute about 5 goals per season from his position in defensive midfield. United had failed to score in the first half hour all season, but they broke that trend today. The first goal in a match is always an important one, and far too often this season and last we were the ones to go behind first.

Of course, the first goal doesn’t mean much if you don’t add a second or third one. The Prem is just too good talent-wise to try and defend a 1-0 lead for 82 minutes, even against an offensively-inept Burnley side. United did add a second however about 20 minutes later, largely thanks to the work of Shaw and winger Jadon Sancho in the left channel. Shaw brought the ball forward and tried to play a cross to Ronaldo, but there wasn’t enough air under the pass and Burnley partially cleared it. The ball came back in the direction of Shaw though, and he got a bit of luck when two Burnley players collided trying to clear the ball and it fell straight to him about 40 yards from the goal. He spotted the overlapping run of Sancho and played it to him. Sancho took the ball down the wing and into the box, before cutting inside on his right foot and firing towards goal. The ball took the slightest of deflections off Burnley defender Ben Mee before rolling past Hennessey and into the far corner. While the Dubious Goals Committee (yes, that’s a real thing) eventually scored it as a Burnley own-goal, Sancho deserves most/all of the credit for creating the opportunity. Sancho seems to be a player who needs confidence to play well, and contributing to a goal like that will do wonders for him. Mee likely did get a touch on the shot, but was just unlucky with the deflection he got.

United were not done, either. Greenwood found himself on the ball on the left wing on 35 minutes, and he spotted Sancho on the opposite wing. He played a long ball to him over the top, and Sancho did well to get it under control and take a dribble or two towards the goal. McTominay was again rushing in from midfield, so Sancho played a casual ball to him along the ground. McTominay struck it cleaning first-time from the edge of the box, and Hennessey made his finest save of the match up until that point by pushing the screaming shot onto the post. Unfortunately for Burnley though, the rebound off the post fell directly to Ronaldo who was completely unmarked. He tapped the ball in with the outside of his right foot, and Ronaldo won’t score many goals easier than that one. He wheeled away and did his trademark “SIUUU” celebration, with McTominay right there alongside him. Ronaldo is the club’s top-scorer through the first half of the season, with 14 goals in all competitions.

The festivities were dampened slightly just a few moments later however, as Burnley broke through for their first goal of the match on 38 minutes. Burnley had the ball right around the halfway line when it was played forward towards Wood, but the pass was intercepted by United center-back Eric Bailly. Bailly’s touch was heavy though and it fell directly into the path of striker/winger (and former England international) Aaron Lennon about 40 yards from goal. Lennon ran at the United defense, riding a challenge from midfielder Nemanja Matic and being closely watched by center-back Harry Maguire. There was a lot of space for Lennon however, and he was able to hit a sort of re-direct shot away from Maguire and along the ground. I thought keeper David De Gea would save it due to the lack of power on the shot, but he didn’t get to it in time and Burnley found themselves on the score sheet completely against the run of play. Well done to Lennon to turn back the hands of time and produce a finish in the way that he did, but it was a poor goal to concede from United’s point of view. Bailly’s heavy touch and Maguire’s indecision in making a tackle and then ultimately covering the wrong angle allowed Lennon to get into that dangerous position. Still, it was 3-1 at halftime and most felt that United were in control.

In contrast to the fun and entertaining first half, the second half was mired in the doldrums. Neither side really went forward, although for different reasons. It seemed United were deliberately holding back while Burnley simply had no idea what to do with the ball when in possession. Frustratingly, there were several times when United seemed like they would be able to break forward and create a chance, only for someone to play the ball backwards and the chance would be gone. Rangnick himself was also visibly frustrated on the touchline when an opening was wasted, much to the delight of the United faithful. Burnley’s best chances came from set pieces, but the best chance overall in the second half was United’s thanks to good counter-attacking play from Sancho, Ronaldo, and striker Edinson Cavani. Cavani’s acrobatic shot was ruled out for offside after he forced the best save from Hennessey on the night. Had the ball gone in it would have been an interesting situation though, as VAR showed that Cavani appeared to be onside when Ronaldo played it to him. The matched ended 3-1 with all four goals scored in the first half.

Make no mistake, United showed a lot of improvement today, particularly with the front 4 plus McTominay. The player affectionately known as “McSauce” was easily Man of the Match, not only for his goal contributions but also for his industrious work rate. He seemed to be everywhere today. It is also a good thing that United scored 3 goals without Bruno Fernandes stepping on the pitch. Far too often last season and somewhat in this season we rely on him to produce a moment of magic that leads to a goal. Other teams saw that, man-marked Bruno, and all of a sudden we weren’t scoring as much. The energy from the team overall was much better overall as well, and we looked more cohesive pressing the ball. It’s true that Burnley aren’t very good and probably employed the wrong tactics today by failing to press United when on the ball, but you can only play the team put in front of you. Good shifts put in by Sancho, Ronaldo, Shaw, Cavani, Greenwood, and substitute Diogo Dalot.

That being said, there is still room for improvement. The back four still looked shaky today, similar to how they did against Newcastle. It’s true that Victor Lindelof is out with Covid-19 and Raphael Varane is still adjusting to first-team football after an injury, but it seems no matter what center-back pairing we play there is always someone who makes errors throughout the match. Bailly was mostly OK aside from his bad touch that led to the Burnley goal, but Maguire had another poor performance. He seems so indecisive whenever he needs to make a tackle. He’s a great passer of the ball, but his defensive positioning and decision making have been poor for several weeks now. He needs to be on the bench for a match or two so that he can get his head right. Defending is just as much a mental task as it is a physical one. Maguire has no issues physically, but the mental side of his game is in shambles. I am sure he will get back into good form at some point, and hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

Still, United have cracked the top 6 in the table, and they are level for 5th on points with West Ham but with a game in hand. United’s next match is Monday, January 3, when they will host Wolverhampton Wanderers. They are a much tougher test than Burnley, so hopefully the good form continues. It’s odd to have a Premier League match on a Monday early afternoon/early morning America-time, but the fixtures are heavily congested at this time of year.

Glory Glory Man United, and Happy New Year to all! Here’s to Manchester United and England in 2022!

Red Devils Escape Newcastle With a Draw

Manchester United travelled to the northeast of England this afternoon to take on Newcastle United in the Premier League at St. James’ Park. Newcastle is a storied club with a rich history, but it has made headlines recently by becoming the richest football club on the planet. It was purchased by the royal family/government of Saudi Arabia, and the wealth of that entity far exceeds even the riches of Manchester City and Paris St. Germain. A separate post would be required to discuss the ethics and implications of such a move, but suffice it to say that Newcastle will have a lot of good players in 2-3 years’ time. This season they’ve been fairly poor however, and they came into this match in the bottom 3. United meanwhile had enjoyed (suffered?) a lengthy 16-day layoff due to Covid-19. It’s been agony watching other clubs play while 2-3 of our matches were postponed.

The match ended 1-1 and I won’t go into a full breakdown of everything as the first half was exceedingly poor from a United point of view. Newcastle got their goal via French striker Allan Saint-Maximin on just 7 minutes, after United center back Raphael Varane had been hassled off the ball and Harry Maguire overplayed his attempt at a block. Sant-Maximin lashed a high and curling shot into the top corner with keeper David De Gea stranded and completely unable to do anything about it.

If I had taken a shot of whiskey for every time United gave the ball away in the first half, I’d be dead from alcohol poisoning. It was so bad. Just a clear lack of effort and general lethargy from all 10 outfield players. It looked like a pre-season training match at times instead of a mid-season Premier League fixture. No fighting for the ball, no attempting to win 50/50 tackles, and no pressing of the opposition when off the ball. It just seemed like they couldn’t be bothered to be there. It’s unacceptable. Sure, manager Ralf Rangnick deserves some blame for failing to motivate them, but these are grown men – all of whom are millionaires. Where’s the professionalism? Where’s the willingness to show a bit of energy? These players shouldn’t need motivating from a manager to go out there and play well.

Rangnick brought on Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani at half time, and United did improve a little bit despite another scare from Saint-Maximin on 50 minutes. Granted, it would have been difficult to play worse in the 2nd half than they did in the first. Cavani missed kind of a sitter after a good cross from Diogo Dalot around the hour mark, but he then converted on 70 minutes from almost the same position. He was about 7-8 yards from goal and his finished was blocked by the Newcastle defense, only for the ball to bounce straight back to him. He made no mistake on his second effort, sending a low shot along the ground and into the bottom corner. It was the first real cause for any kind of celebration on the day.

United were then saved (and not for the first time in the match) by the heroics of De Gea. Countless times he has kept this ship from sinking, and he did the same thing again in this match. He’s a truly world-class player and without him United would be far worse off. His saves were just as valuable as Cavani’s goal, as Newcastle would have been 2-3 goals up before Cavani even got on the pitch had De Gea not been playing. It’s a sad state of affairs when the best player at the club is routinely the keeper, but that is the state of United right now.

Rangnick needs to light a fire under this bunch. I don’t know what that would require, but it has to happen. No amount of tactics or training will matter if the players aren’t properly motivated. Man-management is exceedingly difficult at the professional level, but something must be done by the manager or training staff to get this team playing hard again. The players also need to take an accounting of themselves and hold themselves responsible for their poor performance today. Play with some physicality! Get stuck in! I have a half a mind to advocate for fielding the youth team in the next match. I want a message sent to superstars that their talent and reputation alone will not guarantee them a starting spot. I don’t care how much talent a given player has; if they’re not willing to play hard for the badge on their kits, I don’t want them on the pitch. Hard work takes no talent at all, and we have youth team players who would chew their respective arms off to get some first-team action.

United return to Old Trafford on Thursday, Dec. 30th to play Burnley. An improvement is expected.