Premier League: An Impressive Victory at Everton

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

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

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

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

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 Martial’s yellow was rescinded and a penalty was given.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

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

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

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

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

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United: Victory Over Luton Town and Big Premier League News

Sorry for the delay in writing this match report. I started a new job this week and had to focus on that. Much to my chagrin, this blog does not pay the bills!

United defeated newly-promoted Luton Town 1-0 in a nervy win at Old Trafford on November 11th. The goal was from center back Victor Lindelof, who swept home with a high finish on 59 minutes after the Hatters failed to properly clear their lines. While the scoreline was a narrow one, United could have easily had 2 or 3 goals if not for some woeful finishing by winger Alejandro Garnacho and forward Marcus Rashford. However, the positive news is that they were consistently creating chances against a team defending in the low block. That is something that has not really happened this season, so it was good to see a bit more creativity. Yes, the finishing must improve, but there was a direction and purpose about the team in this match. Manager Erik ten Hag can hang his hat on that improvement. A win is a win of course, but more goals will need to be scored so as to improve on United’s pitiful goal differential.

United went into the November international break 6th in the Premier League table on 21 points, having won 4 of their last 5 matches in the domestic league. Given how crap they’ve been to start this season, things could be much worse. They are 7 points off Man City in first place, and 5 points off of Tottenham in fourth place. The team must continue to improve and get healthy, but things could be a lot worse. United will travel to Liverpool to play Everton on November 26th, after the international break ends. England play their final two Euro 2024 qualifiers this month, with one of them happening today against Malta at Wembley. I will do a separate post after the final qualifying match against North Macedonia on Monday, November 20th to recap all of the action.

Speaking of Everton though, there was some absolutely massive news announced today by the Football Association (FA) concerning them. It was announced today that Everton would be docked 10 points for violations of the rules surrounding Financial Fair Play (FFP). The FFP rules are often murky and difficult to understand even for the most diligent and learned of football fans, but what it boils down to in this case is that Everton have lost too much money in the past three seasons. English top-flight clubs are permitted to lose a maximum £105m over three years, and an independent commission supposedly found Everton’s losses through 2021-22 amounted to £124.5m. It is also rumored that Everton will be sued for hundreds of millions of pounds by other clubs that were relegated in the past two seasons. Everton is appealing the points deduction of course, but if it stands it will be a massive blow to their hopes of avoiding relegation this season. Everton were in 14th place and and 9 points clear of the drop before today, but now they find themselves in 19th place and 2 points away from safety. This is a huge, huge deal. I don’t recall the last time a team were given a points deduction from the FA in the middle of a season, and 10 points is the biggest deduction ever handed out to a club by the FA.

A couple of things on this, though. For one, FFP is a far from perfect set of rules and I think ten points is a harsh penalty to pay. If they were indeed in violation of the rules surrounding the clubs finances then fine, but how is this penalty supposed to help a cash-strapped club like Everton fix their finances? Relegation would be even more devastating to them financially. Is the FA trying to send a message to the club’s owners regarding spending? Perhaps, but taking away Premier League television revenue (should they be relegated) will not help Everton bring in more money to offset those losses. The punishment does not fit the crime, if you ask me.

Further, the application of FFP rules are not evenly applied to every club. Oil-rich Manchester City are also under investigation for (numerous!) violations of FFP, but the prospect of the reigning champions being given a points deduction seem rather slim. Why? Well, City are extremely well-funded and they have an army of lawyers working to slow down the adjudication of the charges they face. The source(s) of their funding have always been cloudy, though many suspect that the government of Kuwait funnels money into the club through sideways means. Football clubs under FFP are meant to be generally self-sustaining, but it seems that City is not really adhering to that policy. They make their own money to be sure, but the amount of money they bring in does not really match up with match day attendance revenue and sponsorship deals year after year. If the FA wants clubs to take FFP rules seriously, City need to face the same or worse punishment as Everton already has. If there is no such punishment forthcoming, clubs like City will continue to ignore FFP and their will be nothing “fair” about them. There’s no denying the rules must be tightened, but if they aren’t equitably applied then there’s no point in having them altogether.

Premier League: Victory Over Fulham and Final Day Round-Up

Manchester United played host to London side Fulham FC earlier today at Old Trafford in the final match of the 2022-2023 Premier League season. This was not really a high-stakes match as United had already solidified their top-4 spot, while Fulham were mathematically locked into 10th place and therefore unable to reach a European spot. Still, there was always pride on the line and the fairly strong team fielded by manager Erik ten Hag indicated that he wanted 3rd place locked up. If United earned an equal or better result than Newcastle, they would indeed finish 3rd. There was also a lot of drama at the bottom of the Prem table in the relegation battle, but let’s recap the Red Devils’ match first.

The match was fairly tepid to start out but United were on the front foot for the most part and creating the chances. Fulham somewhat unexpectedly forged themselves ahead on 19 minutes thanks to a header from right back Kenny Tete. Fulham had won a corner, which was swung in to the box by winger Willian. Tete lost his marker at the near post, and he nodded in from what was effectively point-blank range. Fulham going ahead was not on the cards, and United’s misery was almost doubled when the referee awarded Fulham a penalty on 25 minutes after midfielder Casemiro was adjudged to have committed a foul in the box. There weren’t too many protests from anyone in a red shirt, and replays showed a pretty clear foul. Cottagers striker Aleksandar Mitrović stepped up to the spot, but his low effort lacked power and placement. De Gea was able to get down to his left and paw away the shot! Great penalty save from De Gea, especially because De Gea isn’t known as a penalty stopper. The save galvanized the rest of the Red Devils though and they grew into the game quickly.

Winger Alejandro Garnacho went close to an equalizer when his shot from a tight angle struck the crossbar, but United continued to push. They were rewarded for their efforts on 39 minutes when winger Jadon Sancho bundled home a loose ball in the box. Midfielder Fred had taken a good touch to get the ball into the area, but he was met by a Fulham defender that didn’t fully clear the ball. Sancho took a touch and then slid the ball in low past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. There was a bit of luck about the goal given the good bounce to Sancho, but United had been the dominant side since the penalty save and were good value for their equalizer. The first half finished at 1-1. Newcastle were also level in their match against Chelsea, which meant United were a scant 45 minutes away from a 3rd place finish.

United did not have to wait too long for the go-ahead goal. They had continued their dominance from the latter part of the first half and found the back of the net again on 55 minutes. Fred played a truly sublime through-ball into the feet of fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes, whom had found a gap in the Fulham back-4 to run into. He latched onto the ball, took it around Leno through on goal, and finished into an empty with ease. A great run and finish from Bruno, but Fred needs all the credit for excellent vision and hitting an absolutely perfect ball. 2-1!

There were half-chances created by both sides in the final 35 minutes, with both keepers forced into fairly routine saves here and there. ETH made some key substitutions as well so as to provide rest and prevent injury to the big players before the FA Cup Final next Saturday. The rhythm of the game slowed down a bit, with the final 10 minutes plus stoppage time feeling more like a training session than a match. That happens on the final day sometimes when there is nothing to play for. The final whistle blew after United cleared a Fulham free kick and the lads locked up a 3rd place finish!

Given how bad this team was last season, a 3rd place finish on 75 points with the League Cup in hand and the opportunity to win another trophy should be regarded as a success. It is true that a club like United needs to be challenging for the league title, but we are clearly still in the early stages of the ETH rebuild. He brought in some absolutely massive players last summer, and some of our pre-existing players improved significantly this season too. We finally have a coherent style of football that the players have bought into. Biggest turning point of the season was early on though. We had lost our first two matches against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, after which ETH made the players run 14 KM (roughly 8.7 miles) during a training session. Vitally though, ETH ran all 14 KM with the players. That’s pretty good for a man in his mid-50s, and it clearly showed the players that he was fully invested in the squad. The job he’s done this season has been nothing short of brilliant, and he deserves a full backing from the club’s ownership (whoever that may be) during the transfer window. We need a striker, a second option at goalkeeper, and a ball-carrying midfielder. Time to open the check book!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

The Relegation Battle

Coming into today, the title had already been decided and the top-4 was also mostly solidified. Liverpool, Brighton, and Aston Villa ended up in the final European places – with the Scousers and Brighton qualifying for the Europa League while Villa will set up shop in the Europa Conference League next season. There was a lack of drama at the top of the table on the final day, but there was no such lack at the bottom.

Bottom-dwellers Southampton had already been relegated a week or so ago. That meant that there were two other spots open for teams to fall into, and the three teams in danger of doing so were Everton, Leicester City, and Leeds United. Leeds were absolutely walloped by Tottenham 4-1 today, and they were losing almost from the get-go. Their fate was sealed relatively early on. Leicester actually managed to beat West Ham 2-1 though, which meant that they were safe as long as Everton lost to AFC Bournemouth. However, Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré smashed the Toffees ahead from 20 yards out on 57 minutes, and it would be the goal that saved them from relegation. Everton and manager Sean Dyche escaped this year, but they have serious work to do in the summer to avoid another relegation battle next season. Thrilling stuff at the bottom of the table today, with millions of pounds at stake for each club!

Before the sign off, a quick congratulations to Burnley FC, Sheffield United FC, and Luton Town FC on their promotions to the Premier League! They will replace the relegated Southampton, Leicester, and Leeds. Burnley and Sheffield United have been in the Premier League before, but this will be the first top-flight adventure for Luton Town in their 138 year history! This is a club that re-defines the word “underdog”. I highly recommend a read-up on Luton Town for those interested because they are probably the best story in football right now.

We aren’t quite done with matches this club season just yet. Saturday June 3rd is the FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City at Wembley. Should be a Derby for the ages! There is also the not-small matter of the Champions League Final between Manchester City and Inter Milan on June 10th in Istanbul, Turkey.

Premier League: United Win to Close in on the Top 4, City Win the Title, Forest Safe

Manchester United travelled to the south coast of England earlier today for a Premier League match with AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. It was a warm and sunny occasion in which United were looking for three points in the final push for the top-4. Fortunately for United and manager Erik ten Hag, the Cherries and manager Gary O’Neil were already safe from relegation coming into the match, which meant they had little to play for.

The match itself was far from a classic, aside from a few major events. Midfielder Casemiro scored the one and only goal in this match just 9 minutes in, and what an acrobatic goal it was! Fellow midfielder Christian Eriksen played a high arcing ball over the top of the Bournemouth defense from about 25 yards out, with Casemiro running onto it. A Bournemouth defender got a touch to it first, but the bounce fell straight to Casemiro. He contorted his body to get his right foot to it, and he swept it home without the ball touching the ground. Cherries keeper Neto had no chance! It wasn’t quite an overhead kick, but it was very close to being one. The goal was important, but it was a very good game for Casemiro overall as well. Excellent passes, he kept possession well, and was on hand to break up attacks when needed.

Bournemouth did have their chances, most notably on 33 minutes when keeper David De Gea dove to his left to keep a shot from striker Dominic Solanke out. De Gea also did well to tip a powerful and rising shot from midfielder David Brooks over the bar on 47 minutes. That was the pattern of the game – a half chance every ten minutes or so. Solanke was the danger man for Bournemouth on the day, but he couldn’t convert any of the chances presented to him. United used the high press very effectively as the match wore on, and they forged some chances of their own just after the hour mark from striker Wout Weghorst and midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Neto was equal to all attempts on goal, though. Bournemouth striker Kieffer Moore forced another fine save from De Gea on 84 minutes, but that was the last good chance of the match from either side. After some solid defending in stoppage time, United were winners on the day 1-0!

The Red Devils will need to be more clinical with their finishing next season. They did enough to get the win today, but this was a match they should have won by 3 goals at least. Credit to De Gea for having a good day between the sticks, and his normally worrisome distribution was aided by a lack of pressing from the Cherries. He also won the Golden Gloves today, awarded to the keeper (and back four) that keeps the most clean sheets over the span of a Premier League season. The situation with De Gea’s contract will be an interesting one to watch over the summer.

Excellent matches from defenders Raphael Varane, Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka. They’ve been rock solid during this final stretch of the season, even though the goals have dried up a little. Sometimes a manager has to rely on his defense towards the end of these long and grueling seasons, and they’ve all stepped up exceptionally well. The return of center back Lisandro Martinez next season will only further bolster an exceptional position group.

United’s win, coupled with Liverpool’s draw at Aston Villa today, means that United only need one point from their final two matches to qualify for the Champions League next season. They are well and truly on the door step, and both of their remaining Prem matches are at the fortress of Old Trafford. If they can secure just a single solitary point against either Chelsea next Thursday or Fulham on the final day, the top-4 will be guaranteed. There is also still a chance they finish 3rd ahead of Newcastle, but that won’t be a disappointment if it doesn’t happen. The top-4 is essential, while 3rd would just be icing on the cake.

Some other major events happened today too! Nottingham Forest’s victory over Arsenal at the City Ground ensured that Forest will be staying up and remaining in the Prem next season. This is huge financially for a club like Forest, and it was the principal and primary goal for them to achieve. Well done to manager Steve Cooper and all of Forest’s players for giving the city of Nottingham something to cheer about!

Arsenal’s loss also unfortunately handed the Premier League title to Manchester City, who now cannot be caught mathematically. This is City’s third successive League title and their 7th overall. For many the title comes with an asterisk though, as City are currently being investigated for numerous violations of Financial Fair Play rules, but their supporters won’t care about that. City are the best team in England, and likely also the best team money can buy. Only United (FA Cup final) and Inter Milan (Champions League final) stand in their way for an historic Treble now, something only United has achieved in the past (1999). It is breathtaking to watch them play, but the feeling is soured knowing they’re funded entirely by an oil state who doesn’t care about playing by the rules!

Even though the title has been decided and the top-4 is almost decided, there is always the relegation battle at the bottom of the table to consider. Forest are safe, which means that Everton, Leeds United, and Leicester City are staring down the barrel of relegation. Everton are currently just barely outside the bottom three, but both Leeds and Leicester will know they can leapfrog the Toffees if they can scrap some points from their respective remaining matches. Bottom dwellers Southampton have already been relegated mathematically, which means that two of the three aforementioned clubs will also be going down. On an interesting aside, this season is the first once since 2017/18 in which all three promoted clubs from the previous season will be staying up. Well done Fulham, Bournemouth, and Forest!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: Victory Over Everton

Manchester United played host to Everton FC last Saturday at a sunny but cold Old Trafford in the Premier League. United and manager Erik ten Hag needed a victory to maintain the club’s push for the top-4, while Everton and new manager Sean Dyche were looking for any kind of positive result to help them escape the relegation zone. The two sides were at opposite ends of the table coming into this match, and the Toffees knew it would take something special to get a result today given the respective forms of both sides. There are no guarantees in football of course, but this was a match where United should dominate.

That is precisely what happened, particularly in the first 45 minutes. Put succinctly, this was the most dominant first half display seen by the Old Trafford faithful in years. Midfielder Marcel Sabitzer fired just wide of Everton and England keeper Jordan Pickford’s right hand post just 3 minutes in. United were constantly on the ball and making runs in behind the Everton back line. Striker Marcus Rashford was through on goal on 8 minutes, but was denied by Pickford. That was a theme of the first half – United’s pacey wingers and forwards getting in behind the back line, with midfielder Bruno Fernandes or one of the center backs pinging a long ball over the top for them to chase. And indeed, it was working well in every way but scoring. Right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka was guilty of a particularly bad miss on 12 minutes when a shot from winger Antony dos Santos rebounded off the post directly to him, only for him to turn it wide from 5 yards out with the goal open. It’s true he’s not a goal-scorer, but it was harder to miss than score from that position. It was the only poor grade on AWB’s report card though. Defensively he was fantastic, which is his primary job.

Everton had their best (and maybe only) chance of the half on 19 minutes when striker Ellis Simms found himself in space in the box, only to drag his shot wide of keeper David De Gea’s far post. United were still the dominant side, but despite registering 21 shots on target in the first half, the only goal came on 36 minutes from midfielder Scott McTominay. United had the ball on the right hand side of the box, and McTominay made a late run in from midfield towards the right hand post of the goal. Winger Jadon Sancho found him with a sublime pass through the defense, and McTominay’s marker was too far away to challenge him. McTominay let loose a powerful shot from close range with his right foot, and it beat Pickford at his near post. Pickford was angry with himself after conceding the goal as most keepers are annoyed when they concede at their near post, but he was probably extra angry because up until then he was the reason that Everton weren’t behind. His one and only mistake in the half cost him. That’s the game sometimes, and United were good value for their lead. 1-0! There were a few more chances for United before half time, including Antony forcing Pickford into another sprawling save, but no more goals were scored in the opening 45 minutes.

The Toffees improved after the break, although it must be said that it would have been difficult for them to have played worse than they did in the first half. They created a few half-chances from set pieces, but United slowly and surely resumed their dominance. Bruno forced another fine save from Pickford with his header after a good United passing move on 67 minutes. The resulting corner concluded in another shot from AWB that Pickford again saved. United then got their second goal that sealed the points just four minutes later. A(nother) long ball over the top from center back Lisandro Martinez was badly misjudged by Everton right back and captain Seamus Coleman, and his resulting poor touch on the ball gave Rashford the opportunity to pounce on it. He dribbled the ball into the box quickly before playing it across the middle to fellow striker Anthony Martial, who took a touch and re-directed the ball low along the ground past Pickford for 2-0. A bad mistake from the normally steady veteran Coleman, but well done to Rashford and Martial for capitalizing in emphatic fashion. Martial getting back on the score sheet is important for his confidence and recovery after his injury issues earlier in the season. More importantly, it was all three points sealed.

The final few minutes were only noteworthy for injury-related reasons. On the positive, United midfielder Christian Eriksen returned to the pitch after a few months’ recovery. His presence in midfield was key to United’s unbeaten run earlier in the season and it’s fantastic that he’s back for the final push at the end of the season. On a sour note though, Rashford went off with a nasty-looking right leg injury towards the end of the match. The final whistle eventually blew without too many further events of note.

ETH was very critical of the fixture congestion this season in his post-match interviews, claiming that Rashford’s injury is largely the result of having to play 60+ games this season. The conversation needs to be had about how to fix this problem, so that the super stars of this league are less likely to miss playing time. Unfortunately, there is no easy solution. There won’t be a World Cup in the middle of next season which will help, but there’s so many matches these days that it’s almost impossible to fit them all into a 9-month season and still give the players time to rest and recover. If Rashford misses time, United will be reliant on the injury-prone Martial and the less-than-clinical Wout Weghorst for attacking options.

Anyway, well done to the Red Devils for dominating the match, particularly in the first half. The lack of finishing is of some concern given that this match should have been won by 4 or 5 goals, but Pickford is an excellent keeper of course and he can keep a team in the game by himself on his best days. United remain in 4th place with this win. They are level on points (56) with Newcastle, but the Yorkshire side have a superior goal difference. United are three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in 5th, and they have a game in hand. The push for the top-4 remains a tight one, but United are currently in a good position to return to the Champions League next season.

United next play on Thursday, April 13th when they host Spanish side Sevilla at Old Trafford in the Europa League quarterfinals. Here’s to hoping they do most of the heavy lifting in the first leg of this tie, as it is always difficult to play away in Spain.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: A Tough Win Over Brentford

Manchester United played hosts to west London side Brentford FC earlier today at a rain-drenched Old Trafford in the Premier League. This was a re-match of the 4-0 drubbing given out by Brentford in London back in August, and there was revenge on the mind of manager Erik ten Hag and his players. Brentford manager Thomas Frank has his side in good form given their lack of financial resources, and coming into today they were in the top half of the table. The Bees are a side that play very much like their insectile namesake – they are constantly swarming the opposition with their press and have the talent to score goals going forward, primarily thanks to England striker Ivan Toney. Frank will have seen the success Newcastle had in pressing United at the weekend and likely thought his side had a good chance to get a result today.

United were the team on the front foot right away though, having won a corner just two minutes into the match. Nothing came of it, but it was an indication of how most of the first half would go. Brentford really struggled to get on the ball, while Red Devils dominated possession in midfield and created all of the chances going forward. United were having trouble with the final ball and shooting chances from close range, but they were very effective at preventing Brentford from getting anything going themselves. Play was stopped on 25 minutes by the referee so that Muslim players on both teams could break their fast observed during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. That hasn’t always happened in previous years, but given that football is (supposed to be) an inclusive sport and the large number of Muslim players in the league, a temporary stoppage makes sense. The English FA is not known as a socially progressive entity, so the effort to be respectful of other religions should be applauded.

A breakthrough came on 27 minutes, and it was United’s leading scorer on the season who put them ahead yet again. United won a corner and it was played in over the top by left back Luke Shaw. It was headed back out by the Brentford defense, but it fell straight to winger Antony dos Santos. Many thought Antony would shoot from distance, but instead he played a lofted ball back into the middle of the box. It was headed down by midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and straight into the path of striker Marcus Rashford, who fired the ball into the roof of the net from 5 yards out with Bees keeper David Raya powerless to stop it. This was Rashford’s 28th goal of the season and 15th in the Premier League. He needs help up front because United can’t become overly reliant on him to score, but this season Rashford has proven that he can carry United when they need to be carried. 1-0!

United remained the dominant team for most of the first half, but there was a setback when Shaw appeared to injure his hamstring and was replaced by fellow left back Tyrell Malacia on 37 minutes. Despite only scoring one goal and a nearly calamitous clearance by keeper David De Gea that almost rebounded into his own net, this was United’s best half of football in weeks in terms of controlling the tempo of the match and making sure Brentford weren’t able to sustain possession or get forward quickly. The first half ended 1-0 with ETH definitely being the happier of the two managers.

Brentford improved in the second half, as was expected. Frank clearly said something to them at halftime that had an effect, because their energy and motivation was much higher as the second half got underway. They were still struggling to create clear-cut chances, but it was apparent that this would not be an easy 45 minutes for United to get through. Brentford’s best chance came on 65 minutes when substitute striker Kevin Schade was put through on goal, with center back Raphael Varane unable to catch him. De Gea came off his line to try and close down the angle for Schade, and Schade’s eventual shot was smothered by him. The angle didn’t favor Schade, but De Gea did well to come off his line and clear away the danger. He needed some treatment due to a collision with Schade on the follow-through, but he carried on after play resumed.

The second half ebbed and flowed after that, with both teams creating half-chances here and there. Numerous substitutions by both managers slowed the tempo of the game as well, but a 1-0 lead is a nervous one. A team with Brentford’s quality can conjure up a goal from nothing, but the theme of “good build-up coming to nothing” continued for them. Every time they’d get into a promising position, United would either clear the danger or Brentford would give the ball away. Midfielder Scott McTominay made amends for his disappearance against Newcastle at the weekend by being a thorough annoyance to Brentford every time they were in possession today. McTominay is not the best distributor of the ball, but his work rate and ability to win the ball were key to the game plan. After four minutes of stoppage time in which Brentford failed to keep the ball forward, the final whistle blew and United won 1-0.

So yes, today was much better than the previous match. That is always a good thing. United were much better in possession, the work rate was much higher, and they created more chances. Sometimes a side has to grind out a win, and there was a maturity about United today that was missing last weekend. There is still room for improvement in terms of scoring goals, as even just one more today would have sealed things much sooner. A center forward is likely needed in the summer to accompany Rashford up front. Striker Wout Weghorst was supposed to be the man to do that, but he has struggled to score goals this season and has been primarily used by ETH as an attacking midfielder or forward destroyer. United need a dyed-in-the-wool no. 9; a true goal scorer to not only pounce on loose balls in the box, but one who can also open things up for the likes of Rashford, Antony, winger Jadon Sancho, and winger Alejandro Garnacho. Speaking of Antony, he struggled to get things going in attack today, but his defensive work rate was phenomenal. Flashy wingers like him sometimes get criticized for not tracking back and working hard defensively, but that cannot be reasonably said about Antony.

This victory sees United move into 4th place in the table, level on points with 3rd place Newcastle but with an inferior goal difference. They have a three point lead on 5th-placed Tottenham, and they have a game in hand over them. Given that there’s still 10 remaining matches in the Prem this season it is still too hard to predict who will finish in the top-4, but every victory gets United closer and closer to that important milestone. They will look to build on this win on Saturday April 8th, when they host Everton at Old Trafford.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

FA Cup: A Scrappy Victory Over Everton

Manchester United hosted Everton at Old Trafford today in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup. This was the first match in football’s oldest single elimination tournament for both sides this season, but their respective forms coming in to the match couldn’t be more different. Manager Erik ten Hag has United flying high having won six in a row in all competitions, while Everton manager (and former England international) Frank Lampard knew he was very much on the hot seat after Everton’s rather dismal run of form. Both managers fielded fairly strong teams for this match, which isn’t always the case in the early rounds of these tournaments. Almost all pre-match pundits and online “experts” were picking the Red Devils to win comfortably.

Things did indeed get off to a flying start for United when they found themselves ahead just 4 minutes into the match when winger/forward Antony dos Santos tapped home a cross from forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford brought the ball forward down the left wing and hit his cross along the ground which rolled past two Everton defenders. Antony slid in at the last second and nudged the ball in from close range at the far post with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford stranded. Good job by the Red Devils to get the ball forward quickly and well done to Rashford for putting the ball in a dangerous area, but it must be said this goal was largely the result of poor defending by Everton. Rashford’s low cross really should have been cleared by either of the Everton defenders it rolled past. A goal emblematic of Everton’s problems this season – a lack of confidence and self-belief.

Those doubts were eased somewhat for the Toffees when they got an unexpected equalizer just ten minutes later. A cross was played in from the right side of the United penalty area low and directly at keeper David De Gea, who mysteriously couldn’t quite get the ball cleared away from in front of the goal. It looked like De Gea was trying to kick the ball away first time, but his control was poor and the deflection fell straight to Everton center back Connor Coady who provided the simplest of tap-ins. An absolute howler from De Gea, it must be said. Left back Tyrell Malacia maybe could have done better to prevent the cross from coming in, but De Gea should be clearing that cross every time. Very poor decision from him to use feet like that. De Gea is a player that is reliant on confidence to play well. In the past, he has let his mistakes get the better of him mentally, and they can compound as a result. He’s made some very fine saves in the past few matches and he is still the undisputed No. 1 keeper at United, but he cannot let this mistake go to his head in the coming matches.

Everton were rejuvenated by their goal, and kept running at United for the rest of the half. When United were on the ball, they seemed to lack ideas in the final third and really struggled to break a down suddenly much-more-awake Everton back line. It was 1-1 at halftime.

United came out in the second half on the front foot again though, and were soon rewarded for their attacking intent when Rashford caused Coady to turn the ball into his own net on 52 minutes. The in-form Rashford did well to take the ball to the end line and get in a cross from the left hand side of the box. Coady probably had time to take a touch and clear it, but he wasn’t aware of the space he was in and took a wild swipe at the ball. All he ended up doing though was lifting it over Pickford, who again had little chance to remedy the situation. Rashford won’t be credited for the goal, but he created it virtually on his own. Sometimes you get lucky when you play with attacking intent!

The next 20 minutes or so were filled with more disjointed attacks and solid defending from both sides. Everton had the ball in the back of the net via substitute striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin around the 75 minute mark, and at first it appeared to be a good counter-attacking goal from Everton. After a VAR check though it was determined they were offside in the build-up, and the goal was disallowed. United escaped with a bit of luck on that one. There was definitely an offside in the build-up on the right wing, but it was the second time United failed to clear the ball after a cross from near the end-line. Credit to the big man Calvert-Lewin for stealing across the face of his marker to turn the ball in. It was still 2-1 to United though.

The final major action of this match came deep in stoppage time when substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was brought down from behind in the Everton penalty area. Garnacho had beaten his marker and was close to providing a cross when the Everton defender effectively jumped on his back. Stonewall penalty. No doubt about it. Rashford stepped up to the spot and beat his England teammate Pickford with a low shot for 3-1. The final whistle went shortly after that and United were through to the 4th Round!

So yes, a victory. Always nice to keep winning. Rashford was excellent, midfielder Casemiro was excellent, and fellow midfielder Fred put in a very tidy shift off the bench. All praise and plaudits to them. However, this match again underlined United’s need for a big/hulking center forward. We need not only a deadly finisher, but a strong player on the ball who can hold up play with his back to goal. A striker of any sort would improve the team, but a big physical specimen would be ideal. Rashford is playing out of his skin so far this season, but if he is unavailable for any length of time, the attack is going to suffer. Striker Anthony Martial, winger Jadon Sancho, and Antony all need to be scoring/assisting more. It is also clear that there is a significant drop off in the play of our midfield once Casemiro is subbed off. I have been beating the drum for a defensive midfielder for ages, and now that we finally have one we seem intent on riding him into the ground. Casemiro is a truly exceptional player, but we need to be developing his replacement now. He won’t be able to play in every match, and the midfield can’t rely solely on him to function.

United will look to improve in their next match, when they host League One side Charlton Athletic at Old Trafford in the League Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, January 10th.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

United Edge Past Everton at Goodison Park

The Red Devils traveled to the blue half of Liverpool earlier today for a Premier League match with Everton FC at the storied Goodison Park. While Everton are not the main Liverpudlian rival of United, they always seem to play us extremely tough and even if United win, it’s never easy for them to do so. The Toffees are also managed by former England midfielder Frank Lampard, who is still looking to prove himself at the managerial level after an up-and-down start to his career. United and manager Erik ten Hag, fresh off the win in Europe at midweek, were looking to get back on track in the domestic league and continue their slow but steady march up the table.

United had a small amount of possession to begin the match, but Everton were on the front foot just 5 minutes in thanks to defensive midfielder Alex Iwobi. England keeper Jordan Pickford cleared the ball long and into United’s half, where United recovered it and the ball was eventually played to United’s own defensive midfielder Casemiro. Casemiro is normally very reliable in possession of the ball, but he lost it under a stiff challenge from an Everton player and it broke into the path of Everton striker Demarai Gray. Gray brought the ball forward and spotted Iwobi off to his right, and played a pass to him before running into a wall of United defenders. Iwobi was mostly by himself though just outside the “D” on the edge of the United penalty area. It was a curling, looping shot that flew just past the inside of the post, just barely past the reach of the diving David De Gea. It was a poor goal to concede from United’s point of view given that it was largely due to their own making. But that is what can happen in the Prem! If you lose possession in a dangerous area, there’s a good chance you’ll get punished for it.

But United were not on the back foot for long, as just nine minutes later they were able to find an equalizer from Brazilian winger Antony dos Santos. Bruno Fernandes won the ball inside the center circle, and quickly played a pass onto the run of striker Anthony Martial. Martial spotted Antony to his right in space, and played a diagonal pass to him along the ground. Antony met the ball just outside the Everton penalty box, took a touch, and then clipped the ball with his left foot into the far corner of the goal with Pickford beaten. It was a lightning-quick goal and a direct result of Everton making their own error in a dangerous area. Then it was just great vision and passing from Martial, with a sublime touch and finish for Antony.

The match slowed down a little after that, with the next bit of action happening at 36 minutes. Bruno had managed to put the ball in the back of the net after some neat work down the left from fullback Luke Shaw, but the goal was disallowed for an offside in the buildup. A negative development however was Martial sustaining what appeared to be a groin injury and needing to come off, with striker Cristiano Ronaldo replacing him. Despite Ronaldo’s less-than-stellar form this season, it’s never bad to have that kind of depth off the bench.

Ronaldo had a tame effort on goal saved by Pickford on 40 minutes, but he finally opened his Premier League scoring account for the season on 44 minutes after a good run and finish. Casemiro gave away possession again to Iwobi inside his own half, but won it back promptly and spotted his former Real Madrid teammate on a run down the left wing. Casemiro astutely played it to him, and Ronaldo ran with the ball into the box before slotting it low and just past Pickford for 2-1. United finished the half strong and were good value for their 2-1 lead. Credit to Casemiro for atoning for his errors and getting himself an assist.

Unfortunately for the neutrals, the second half was much more tame than the chaotic first one. It took roughly 20 minutes for anything of note to happen for either side. Shaw was called into action to clear away a header in the box at one end, and then at the opposite end Everton right back Séamus Coleman made a last-ditch clearance of a cross from winger/forward Marcus Rashford towards Ronaldo.

It appeared that United had sealed the points on 80 minutes via a goal from Rashford, who collected the second ball from a long header, rode the challenge of an Everton defender, took it past Pickford, and then slotted it home. However, VAR checked the goal and it was adjudged that the ball bounced off Rashford’s arm during the attempted tackle from the Everton defender, and the goal was disallowed. Dubious at best, for me. The ball ricocheted off of Rashford’s upper arm completely randomly and from close range after the challenge. It’s unclear what else Rashford is supposed to do there. Goal should have stood!

It was a nervous final ten minutes plus stoppage time due to the disallowed goal. Everton had a lot of possession around the United penalty area, but they couldn’t fashion many clear chances. The towering midfielder Amadou Onana should have done better with his free header in the box on 90 minutes, but he couldn’t manage to get clean contact despite being mostly unchallenged by anyone in red. United academy product and recent Everton signing James Garner then challenged De Gea from distance, forcing the Spaniard into a diving save that also kept the ball off the head of Onana. United then had to fend off a series of corners from Everton, with Pickford coming forward for the last of them and almost getting a touch on the cross into the box. After one last clearance, the ref blew his whistle and United were victorious.

A good win, if a tad closer than it needed to be. As has sometimes been the case this season, United were guilty of not capitalizing on the chances they created, particularly in the first half. While it’s true that the VAR decision on Rashford’s goal was controversial, this match should have been over well before the 80th minute. Everton are tough to play at home, but United certainly could have played better. Congratulations to Ronaldo on scoring his 700th club goal! Absolutely staggering. The official Man of the Match was Casemiro I believe but for me it was actually Luke Shaw. He was a real nuisance for Everton going forward today and also contributed heavily on the back end, making some clearances in the dying seconds. When Shaw has competition for his place (Tyrell Malacia), he suddenly transforms into the best left back in the world, and the team really benefits from it.

With today’s win United now move up to 5th in the Premier League table, one point off Chelsea in 4th place. They are nine points off league leaders Arsenal, but they have a game in hand as well. Next up is Omonia Nicosia again in the Europa League on Thursday, but this time the match is at Old Trafford.

Glory Glory Man United!

United Squeak By Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus

The Red Devils resumed play in the Europa League on Thursday evening when they took the long flight from Manchester to Cyprus to play Omonia Nicosia at the GSP Stadium. Although Omonia play in a small league, they are managed by the experienced former Celtic manager Neil Lennon, and Manchester United coming to their stadium was probably the biggest match of their entire season. “David vs. Goliath” was probably the mentality going into this one for Omonia, while United manager Erik ten Hag would be looking to get back on a winning track against a lesser opponent after the fiasco that was the Manchester Derby at the weekend.

United dominated the possession and chances created in the opening half hour. To be frank, it was difficult to count the amount of chances created. Every time the final pass or shot was needed though, things just seemed a little bit off. A pass would be just behind the final attacker, or the effort on goal would be tame. Still though, I was encouraged by the dominance in possession and passing. Keeper David de Gea didn’t even touch the ball for about 20 minutes in there.

It was the Cypriot side that got the opening goal though, very much against the run of play. However, they displayed the importance of being clinical when presented with a chance. United won a corner and poured men forward to get an opener, which left us exposed to a long ball over the top which was run onto by the Omonia attacking players. Iranian forward Karim Ansarifard was the final man on the ball, and he slotted home past De Gea for 1-0. His celebrations were muted, but the rest of the stadium erupted in joy. I thought this spelled some doom for United too, as Omonia could now play out it’s tactics of defending well and hitting us on the break when they could. It was still disappointing from a United perspective given the dominance everywhere except the score line. Neither side really got another good chance after that first half goal, and it was 1-0 at halftime. The Omonia fans were beside themselves.

ETH made changes at half time in response to going down, bringing on Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw. Rashford had an immediate impact, eventually winning possession on the edge of the box after a long diagonal ball forward from midfielder Bruno Fernandes. Rashford did well to bring it down and the Omonia defender got a touch on the ball, but Rashford recovered and hit a fine curler into the opposite corner of the goal with Omonia keeper Fabiano Freitas unable to do anything about it. I was very pleased that we got an equalizer so quickly into the half (52 minutes) and I suspected that we might go on to win it now.

Anthony Martial was brought on a few minutes after the Rashford equalizer, and he made an almost immediate impact as well with the go-ahead goal on 63 minutes. Center back Lisandro Martinez played the ball forward along the ground, which was met by Rashford just outside the box. He laid the ball off with one backheel touch directly into the path of Martial, who took a touch to cut inside his marker and power a low finish past Fabiano at the near post. It was a beautiful goal to watch. We were now finishing the chances we didn’t finish in the first half, and I thought the route might be on now.

Rashford got his second goal and United’s third on the night thanks to yet another quick attacking move, except this time it was striker Cristiano Ronaldo providing the assist. Ronaldo had been looking for a goal all night and was visibly frustrated with his own finishing, and I have to wonder whether he actually meant to pass it Rashford from his position on the left side of the box. It almost looked like he was shooting, but the shot was a bad one and looked to be going wide of the post. Rashford was streaking in however and tapped in the for the 3rd goal after beating his defender to the cross/shot. At 3-1 on 84 minutes, I thought it was over.

The final 5 minutes plus stoppage time were more tense than they needed to be though, as Omonia got their second goal of the evening just a minute after United’s third. Omonia brought the ball forward quickly on a counter-attack, and again they showed clinical finishing ability via striker (and native Cypriot) Andronikis Kakoullis. Again it was a simple counter-attacking goal and fairly standard finish, which is worrying for United defensively. The Red Devils had a real issue with getting back on defense today after losing the ball in a forward area, and Omonia punished them twice for it. Omonia never got another sniff of a chance though, and really it was United that should have had another goal via Ronaldo at the other end. He hit the post from a close distance and then Rashford missed him with a pass when he was unmarked in the box. The final whistle went without further drama, and United won 3-2.

Despite the victory, there are a lot questions surrounding the quality of the play in this match. The back line was missing usual starter Raphael Varane so the defensive fragility potentially has an explanation, but the finishing from Ronaldo in particular this match was awful. Jadon Sancho had a poor game too, but if almost any other striker was out there today, United win this match handily. Ronaldo has only scored one goal this season, and it was from the penalty spot. He has yet to score from open play, and we are now two months into the season. If Ronaldo was experiencing this bad a form at 28 we would all just write it off as a slump. But at 38, you have to question whether or not Ronaldo is finally past it. His main contribution to this team last season was scoring goals. He was not very good at anything else, but he was at least scoring. This season he’s not even scoring and his overall play hasn’t improved much. Yes today was a little better in terms positioning and passing, but Prime Ronaldo would have scored at least a hat-trick today. I’m sure he will find his form eventually, but it must be said that when he is not scoring, he is more of a hindrance than a help.

All credit to ETH for making the substitutions and not being afraid to change things. Rashford and Martial were absolute game-changers today, and they seem to thrive in ETH’s system. Martial had a good goal but Rashford got himself two goals and an assist off the bench, which makes him Man of the Match. United now sit second in Europa League Group E with three matches left to play.

United next travel to the blue half of Liverpool for a match with Everton in the Premier League on Sunday. Glory Glory Man United!

It’s Just Embarrassing At This Point

Manchester United took on Premier League strugglers Everton at Old Trafford yesterday and it’s up there with some of the worst performances I have ever seen from the Red Devils. No disrespect to Everton but they are having one of their worst ever seasons in their history, and were ripe for a scalping. On paper, United should be winning a match like this one 3 or 4 to nil. Everton can’t score consistently, and they’re even worse at defending.

But did that happen? No, of course not. Not with this United side. They simply didn’t care. Never seen anything like it in almost 25 years of watching this sport. Never seen a side full of multi-millionaire professional footballers look so thoroughly nonplussed and disinterested. United lost 1-0 thanks to a first half goal from Everton’s Anthony Gordon. His shot from the edge of the box took a nasty deflection of center back Harry Maguire and wrong footed David De Gea. An unlucky goal to concede, but United had put together their most dominant spell for about 20 minutes prior to the goal and probably should have taken advantage of that possession.

But after Everton scored the drive was gone. The initiative and hustle evaporated like a puddle of rainwater on a hot summer’s day. There is no fight in this team. No fight in these players – not enough, at least. Every once in awhile an individual would contribute a helpful tackle or key forward pass, but it always came to nothing. Every single one of the players who put on the shirt yesterday should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. It’s fine to lose, but to lose to a crap team like Everton due to effectively rolling over and quitting is unacceptable.

Manager Ralf Rangnick doesn’t believe this side deserve European play next season, and frankly I agree with him. I applauded his appointment when he took over for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but there is only so much he can achieve given his interim status as manager. I think a lot of players are already looking to the summer, with an eye towards the exit door. To be clear, I think Rangnick is a problem, but he is not the problem. The problem is the lack of overall stewardship at this club. Every decision that’s been made so far in an attempt to improve the results on the pitch has backfired spectacularly. Our squad’s wage bill is heavily overinflated and they consistently underperform. The mentality of the team could not be any worse. Win, lose, or draw – they don’t care because they’re still going to get paid either way. Where’s the competitiveness? Where’s the drive? Where’s the desire to be better?

At this point it’s preferable to sell these talented but non-committed players and start completely fresh under a new manager. But any manager with half a brain would look at this club and go, “Why on Earth would I want to manage that dumpster fire?” The owners only care about making money, there is no clear vision for how to move the club forward, the transfer policy is a mess, and the current players don’t play for each other or the badge. If I’m Erik Ten Hag or any other potential managerial candidate, I’m very cautious about agreeing to manage this club.

To make matters worse, our main geographic rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are the two best teams in the Prem. One of them is going to win the title, and they both still have a good shot at Champions League glory as well. It is not a good time to be a United supporter, and things will not improve until ownership stops being greedy money-grubbers that leave the club in a state of salutary neglect.

Glazers Out!