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 Martial’s yellow was rescinded and a penalty was given.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!

Champions League: VAR at the Center of A Controversial Defeat in Denmark

Manchester United traveled to Denmark last Wednesday for a Champions League group stage match against FC Copenhagen at Parken. This was a replay of the match a fortnight ago which United won 1-0 at Old Trafford. The Red Devils needed a victory to get out of 3rd place in the group and help secure progression to the knockout stages.

A full match summary would easily be close to 3000 words given it’s chaotic nature, so I am not going to fully summarize this one. United scored the first two goals via striker Rasmus Højlund, who continued his fine form in the Champions League this season. He hasn’t shown up in the domestic league yet, but he’s been on fire in the Champions League. The game changed however when forward Marcus Rashford was controversially sent off on 42 minutes. The Red Devils showed some signs of mental weakness yet again, and Copenhagen got two goals in quick succession before halftime. More on the decision to send off Rashford (and other suspect referee/VAR decisions) below.

Despite the lads collapsing a little bit at the end of the first half, United took the lead again on 69 minutes when midfielder Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty to give them a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately though, Copenhagen scored again in the 83rd minute to level the score, and then got a winner on 87 minutes. Playing with ten men for over a half probably got to the team towards the end, which may explain the collapse. It was a devastating blow to United’s hopes of moving on to the knockout rounds. They are bottom of Group A with a daunting trip to Turkey to play Galatasaray next, and then they host group leaders Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the final group game. Needless to say, I am not optimistic.

Now, a couple of things before I dive into the refereeing decisions – there’s no excuse for this team to concede two goals just before half time. Can’t have it. This team is still mentally fragile, and that is something manager Erik ten Hag must work on. The tactics weren’t terrible in this match and United were not aided by the officials, but the defending simply has to improve.

That said, VAR is making this sport unwatchable. It seems like in every match that’s played, there’s at least one controversial decision made by a VAR official that affects the outcome of the match. Rashford’s red card was – simply put – not a red card until the referee was alerted to review it by the VAR official. United’s penalty to give them the lead was also (candidly) not a penalty. And it’s not just United that are getting screwed by VAR, even though it seems like VAR has been overtly harsh on us this season. Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, managers of Arsenal and Liverpool respectively, have both been publicly critical of this particular instant replay system in recent weeks. Arsenal had a goal given against them against Newcastle that should not have been given due to a foul, which even the Premier League officiating council has since admitted was the wrong decision. There’s a just a laundry list of incidents that have caused a mountain of controversy this season, and the problem is present in all different competitions.

If the goal of VAR was to reduce the controversy of the game and ensure that correct decisions are made, then VAR and the application thereof has failed spectacularly. There’s no clarity in what the standard of proof is, and subjectivity is reigning supreme when subjectivity was supposed to be eliminated altogether. No one knows what a “clear error” is, and no one seems to know how far back VAR officials are looking when it comes to confirming or negating a given referee’s decision.

Perhaps the biggest issue with VAR however is that it has taken the excitement of scoring a goal out of the game. It used to be that as soon as the ball hit the back of the net you could wheel away and celebrate, but not anymore. VAR has made everyone stop and pause. VAR makes everyone wait. You can score, but then you have to wait for the VAR check to happen before you can really celebrate. The unsteady application of the review system has made everyone, particularly United fans, extremely cynical. When Bruno scored the winner last weekend against Fulham, I expected the VAR official to go and find some random rule or incident that would have disallowed the goal. Further, these reviews often take as long as 4 or 5 minutes, which totally kills the momentum and flow of a match. It’s much more difficult to enjoy football with the way VAR is currently done, and that’s going to lead to fewer spectators, which in turn will lead to less money coming in.

It behooves the Prem and other domestic leagues to review their VAR rules and when it is supposed to be applied. There also needs to be a clear standard of proof as to when a referee’s decision should be overturned or confirmed. This problem must be fixed in order to make the sport watchable again. Instant replay is a good idea in general, but of course the actual replays are not the issue. It’s the human application and interpretation of what the replays show. These inconsistencies must be fixed by the powers that be.

As far as United goes, I think they should throw in the towel on Europe this season. I don’t want us in the Europa League, as it will only detract from the remaining domestic campaign. Center back Jonny Evans was also injured at the end of the first half, which makes our back line even thinner than it already was. Well done to Højlund and left back Diogo Dalot for having good matches, but the collective mental collapse after Rashford’s red card was unacceptable. Bad decisions are going to happen with or without VAR, and professional players should be able to cope with that mentally.

United play newly-promoted Luton Town at Old Trafford on Saturday in the Premier League. Last but not least – this is my 350th post on this blog. Thank you all so very much for reading! I hope I have been able to spur your interest in this fantastic sport.

Glazers Out!

Premier League: United Squeak By Fulham in London

Manchester United traveled south to London for a fixture against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the Premier League earlier today. Fulham don’t have a good record against United in the past few seasons, but the Red Devils’ miserable current form would encourage any team that they could sneak a result.

This match was rather laborious, like some of the results pre-Manchester Derby. United would establish some possession, but it would be fairly harmless possession with Fulham dug in deep. It’s all on the tape for opposition managers, and Fulham’s manager Marco Silva had clearly watched his fair share of it. It’s obvious to everyone and anyone that United struggle to break down teams that sit in the low block. Silva put 9 to 10 men behind the ball, and United couldn’t do anything about it for long stretches of the match. Credit again to keeper Andre Onana for making some key saves on the rare occasions that Fulham ventured forward, but United were once again ineffective in attack.

The key substitution from manager Erik ten Hag was to bring on winger Facundo Pellistri on 63 minutes, with the match still being 0-0. Pellistri has generally impressed when he comes on as a substitute, as his quickness with the ball at his feet is a struggle for tired to defenders to keep up with. United still struggled to forge clear openings for a bit longer though. Then, something changed. It must have been some kind of signal from ETH, or perhaps a pre-planned tactic, but in the final 10-12 minutes or so United really poured on the pressure going forward. Our attackers and midfielders were doing everything they could to either win the ball high up the pitch or get the ball into dangerous areas and create chances.

United were rewarded for their pressure in stoppage time. Pellistri had managed to dribble and wriggle his way into the box with the ball, but it was eventually won and cleared by a Cottagers defender. His low clearance was poor however, and due to the press from Pellistri and having men forward, it fell straight to midfielder Bruno Fernandes on the edge of the box. Bruno tried to find Pellistri with a pass, but after some deflections in the area it came straight back to Bruno. He took a touch to get the ball onto his preferred right foot and let off a low shot that trickled through the entire defense and then rolled in past keeper Bernd Leno. The pressure forced a mistake and United capitalized. That is how ETH likes his teams to play, and the lads executed the plan perfectly. United won 1-0 and secured three points away!

There’s two different ways to look at this match, and each has a degree of validity. The optimist would correctly point out that United have won three straight away matches in the Prem for the first time since 2020. Another positive was the performances of Pellistri, Onana, center back Harry Maguire, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka (back from injury!). ETH is now also the joint-fastest United manager to secure 50 wins, and his substitutions were very good today. The final 10 minutes or so was very aggressive and direct football from United, and it was great to see the players endeavoring so hard to try and find a winner.

The pessimist would say that this was more of the same poor play that has plagued United all season. They looked lost in attack for good portions of the match. Yes they turned it on at the end, but a better team than Fulham would have scored at least 1 or 2 goals on us before we came alive and started playing better. Winger Antony dos Santos was yet again wasteful in possession and the team improved significantly when he was taken off. ETH seems to want to stick by him, but there’s going to need to come a point where he realizes that a temporary benching may do Antony some good. It’s true that forward Marcus Rashford was injured pre-match and didn’t play, although it’s unclear how much he would have helped today anyway given his continued poor form.

A victory is great, and I will never complain about a winner in stoppage time. But there’s no way to know if this win actually means something or not. We’ve seen many false dawns with this United team this season, so a narrow victory over mediocre opposition means very little if they go out and lay an egg in the next match. And that next match is a big one, as United will fly to Denmark to take on FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Wednesday. Three points are desperately needed, as United are third in the group and need all the help they can get to catch Galatasaray in 2nd.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glazers Out!

Champions League – A Narrow and Nervous Win Over Copenhagen

Manchester United played host to Danish champions FC Copenhagen earlier today at Old Trafford in the Champions League. This was a match between the bottom two teams in Group A, with Copenhagen in third on 1 point and United dead last with zero. The Champions League is the most prestigious club competition in world football, and United are a team that need to be consistently making deep runs in this tournament. That’s the goal, at least. Today, the Red Devils and manager Erik ten Hag just needed three points to pick themselves up off the mat and get back into contention in the group. Only the top two teams from each group advance to the knockout rounds, and United would have a monumental task of getting into those top two spots if they lost today. The same can be said for Copenhagen, who have only been marginally better than United so far in the group.

The match got underway after the laying of a wreath in the center circle and moment’s silence in honor of Sir Bobby Charlton, and it was immaculately observed by both sets of fans. It’s always jarring when 75,000+ people previously being loud suddenly go completely quiet, but it’s the least that can be done for a man of Charlton’s stature. A classy move by the away fans as well to sing his name before the match started.

As has been the case many times this season, the opposition dominated the first half. They struck the left hand post of keeper Andre Onana’s goal around 15 minutes in or so, with the rebound fortunately going out of play. Copenhagen were simply the better side, and they were likely instructed by manager Jacob Neestrup to try and find the early goal. He would have known that United are a mentally fragile side, and that a goal in the opening 20 minutes or so would likely go a long way to getting a good result for his team. United were able to maintain some possession as the half wore on, but it was fairly harmless possession in the sense that we weren’t really doing anything with the ball aside from passing it along the back line. The attack was rather static, and I don’t recall too many real chances for the home side in the opening half. After 45 minutes it was 0-0, a score that suited Copenhagen perfectly well. United would need to find a winner though to keep qualification realistic.

Midfielder Christian Eriksen was brought on at halftime, and the play from United generally improved. Eriksen is very composed on the ball and always knows what pass to play in order to keep possession, which is precisely why he was brought on. United were creating more half-chances here and there, but the final pass or shot would always be just slightly off. Copenhagen weren’t as potent going forward generally speaking, but they still looked very lively when breaking on the counter-attack. The clock was on their side, as well. Every minute that ticked by was one minute closer to them getting a positive result away from home.

The opening goal in this match came on 72 minutes, and it was none other than the much-maligned center back Harry Maguire who delivered it. A cross into the box from a corner by midfielder Bruno Fernandes was only half-cleared by the Copenhagen defense, and the ball was recycled out to Eriksen on the right wing. He delivered a high and arcing cross of his own back into the box, and it found the head of Maguire. He had beaten his marker to get in behind the defense, and he stooped down low to get his head to the ball. The headerhit the ground first, but then bounced up and over Copenhagen keeper Kamil Grabara for 1-0. Maguire wheeled away in celebration, and got a rousing reception from the Stretford End. There was a quick VAR check for offside, but Maguire was deemed to be onside and the goal stood. What a huge goal, both for Maguire and United! He’s put some real shifts in this season, and today was his best. He finally used that massive head of his to it’s full potential. 1-0 to United!

The drama only escalated from there though. Copenhagen struggled to create clear chances in the final 15 minutes or so, but they were temporarily rescued by the referee when they were awarded a penalty in the dying seconds of stoppage time. Midfielder Scott McTominay attempted to clear a bouncing ball with a high boot, and the ref deemed it to be dangerous play. A little soft if you ask me, but I have seen penalties given for less. Forward Jordan Larsson (son of former United striker Henrik Larsson) stepped up to take the penalty. There was a little bit of gamesmanship on this penalty as well. Substitute United winger Alejandro Garnacho (who had missed a clear chance on a breakaway earlier in the match) was seen scuffing up the penalty spot with the bottom of his cleat while several other players were all crowded around the referee to argue the decision. This has become a fairly common practice in world football in recent years, but it can only be done if the referee is distracted and not paying attention.

Still, Larsson had a chance to ruin United’s evening and largely ruin their hopes for qualification if he could bury the penalty. He stepped up and struck it cleanly, only to see Onana beat away the shot with his trailing hand as he dived to the left. The ball bounced away out of play, and the referee blew his whistle immediately afterwards! He had done it! Onana saved the penalty, and United were victorious. Onana was mobbed by his teammates both on the field and on the bench, and it was a massive moment for him personally as well. He’s been guilty of some absolute howlers this season, so for him to make that save was nothing short of monumental. It will be great for his confidence going forward!

Speaking of going forward, the match today felt like the start of something for the club. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a massive three points and huge for the confidences of Maguire and Onana. The Red Devils must capitalize on this momentum, now. Everyone will be feeling very positive about today, and rightfully so. But it means nothing if they come out against Manchester City on Sunday and are flat and tepid again. The players need to believe in themselves. If Maguire and Onana can overcome their frankly poor starts to the season and play like they did today, anyone can.

Self-belief and confidence are important, but so are tactics. I was again unimpressed with the first half display from the team, as I have been many times this season. I know there are a lot of injuries right now, but that does not excuse the poor play from attackers like Bruno, Marcus Rashford, Antony dos Santos, and others. There’s just no creativity on the ball going forward. No one moves around, no one makes runs, and the finishing has been very bad even when they do get the ball into a good position. ETH needs to re-think whatever it is he is telling the players to do, because it isn’t working. We were again saved by moments of individual brilliance today, and that is an unsustainable plan. It’s mind-boggling, because ETH’s tactics and substitutions were so brilliant last season. Have opposing teams figured us out? Is it an issue with effort on the part of the players? Is the plan not being effectively communicated to the team? One can only wonder. I still like ETH’s subs and adjustments for the most part, but the tactical plan at the outset of many matches this season, including this one, leaves a lot to be desired.

United are now third in Group A, just one point off second-place Galatasaray. The matches do not get any easier from here on out for United, though. They have to play away in Denmark and Türkiye still, with the final match of the group having them play host to Bayern Munich. The next two matches in this group will be vital to United qualifying for the second round. Meanwhile, as mentioned above, United have the daunting task of playing City at Old Trafford next Sunday in the Manchester Derby. Any positive result from that match would be welcomed. City are not as good as they were last year, but they still have more than enough firepower to cause United problems.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League – Man United Win Away in Honor of Sir Bobby Charlton

Earlier today, Manchester United traveled to the northeast of England for a Premier League match with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. This was the first match for both clubs after the international break, with the Blades and manager Paul Heckingbottom (amazing last name) perhaps needing a positive result even more than United. They are currently bottom of the table, having taken only one point from their opening eight matches. United and manager Erik ten Hag meanwhile were looking for a bit of consistency. They won their last match against Brentford before the two week break, but have failed to string together consecutive victories so far this season. Perhaps a bit of extra motivation for the Red Devils would be to go and win one in memory of Sir Bobby Charlton, an England, United, and footballing legend who passed away from dementia just a few hours before kickoff. More on Charlton below.

The Blades were the better side for much of the opening half. Their finishing was poor, but they were moving the ball around well and creating a lot more than United. Keeper Andre Onana was forced into a few important saves as well, but it was United who opened the scoring on 28 minutes thanks to midfielder Scott McTominay. He found himself inside the box and on the receiving end of a sharp pass from fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes. McTominay’s first touch with his chest sent the ball high into the air, but it fell right back down in front of him to hit on the volley first time. It wasn’t the cleanest of connections and it appeared to take a deflection off a Sheffield defender on it’s way to the net, but it rolled into the right hand side of the net with Blades keeper Wes Foderingham (another great last name) rooted to the spot. The goal was against the run of play to be sure, but that has been the story of Sheffield’s season so far. They create chances, but they don’t finish them and then get picked off at the other end. 1-0 to Manchester United!

Unfortunately, McTominay went from hero to villain just six minutes later when he was adjudged by referee Michael Oliver to have handled the ball in his own penalty area. Oliver pointed to the spot for a penalty straight away, and it was confirmed a few moments later by VAR. Now, this time, I don’t have too much of a problem with this one being given as a penalty. McTominay had his hand away from his body when it struck his lower arm, which under the current version of the handball rule should be a penalty every time. Alright, fine. My problem with this call is that even more egregious handball calls by opposing teams have not been called in previous matches, most notably when United played Arsenal and Tottenham earlier this season. There’s just no consistency in the application of this rule. None at all. It depends on the subjective decision of the referee and the VAR official, and subjectivity was the main thing the new handball rule was supposed to eliminate! It’s supremely annoying and threatens the integrity of the game when the rules are not applied equally across all matches. Blades striker Oli McBurnie stepped up to the spot and blasted the penalty past Onana for 1-1, giving him no chance to save it. The match remained 1-1 at halftime as well, with Bruno striking the crossbar from a free kick being the only other major action after the goals.

United improved in the second half, at least in terms of possessing the ball and creating chances. They still looked fairly uninspired, though. They seemed content to try and play the long ball over the top from midfield towards the forwards, but Sheffield were aware of this and set themselves up in a low block defensively. United have struggled monumentally to break down teams in the low block this season, and those struggles continued for most of this game. Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat struck the woodwork from distance, but most United attacks were breaking down in the final third.

United got their winner however thanks to a moment of individual brilliance from right back Diogo Dalot. United had the ball forward, and Dalot collected a pass in the center of the pitch from deputizing left back Victor Lindelof about 30 yards from goal. After taking a touch and composing himself, he unleashed a divine curling effort that Foderingham was late getting over to. The Blades keeper got a hand to the shot, but he could not keep the effort out and it settled into the top corner for 2-1. It was a massive sigh of relief for the United players and fans, and it came from a fairly unlikely source. Dalot has only scored 4 goals in total over the span of his United career, but he produced some real quality with this finish. It was a goal that Charlton himself would have been proud of! An effort from distance that curled into the top corner. 2-1 to United on 77 minutes.

The final 13 minutes plus stoppage time were not the pressure cooker United have seen at times this season. Sheffield forged some half chances from set pieces, but United looked more likely to grab a 3rd than Sheffield did to get a 2nd. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was a terror down their left hand side in the closing stages, and had his finishing been better he would have had a third for United. The ref’s whistle finally blew and United secured three points on the road, which was a fitting tribute to Charlton.

Positives and negatives on this one. The makeshift back four mostly played well, marshaled by an excellent match from center back Harry Maguire. He was a rock at the back today, always on hand to make a clearance or win a header in the air. The injuries to the United defense have led to him seeing more playing time, and he has given ETH a selection headache with his good play. Also solid games from Lindelof, Onana, and Amrabat. The attack still looks very disjointed, however. They were better going forward as the match went on, but they are not relying on good tactics or build-up play to score goals. We are still continuing to rely on moments of individual brilliance to score and thusly to win matches. It worked today thanks to Dalot and lower quality opposition, but it will not work consistently. I know that the return of key midfield and defensive starters will fix things somewhat, but ETH clearly still has more work to do to get this team firing on all cylinders.

Today was all about Sir Bobby, though. United needed a win on the day of his death to honor his legacy appropriately, as the man did nothing but win during his career. This is a man who was arguably the best-ever player for both England and United. He is one of only 9 men EVER to win the World Cup, Champions League (then called the European Cup), and the Ballon d’Or. He was a menace in the midfield to deal with, and he held goal scoring records for both England and United until relatively recently. He also was a survivor the Munich Air Disaster, the awful plane crash that almost led to United shutting it’s doors in 1958. Put simply, without Sir Bobby, United is not the club it is today. England would not have a World Cup trophy to it’s name, either. He was a regular at Old Trafford well into his 80s, and the place will feel significantly different without his presence in the stands. Tributes have been pouring out from fans, players, managers, pundits, and clubs; and they will continue to do so throughout the week. Sir Bobby was 86 years old.

United next play in midweek in the Champions League, at home to FC Copenhagen. Three points are desperately needed if United want to make it out of their group. After that is the not-small matter of the Manchester Derby next Sunday at Old Trafford. The club’s form needs to improve if we want to win either of the upcoming matches.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United – This One Is For Cathy Ferguson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United – Showing Signs of Life, Or Is This A False Dawn?

The past two matches have been better for the Red Devils, even if the results are decidedly mixed. They lost 4-3 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but have followed that up with a much-needed away win against Burnley in the Premier League.

Losing to Bayern in Germany is usually nothing to be ashamed of, although it was a little embarrassing to be down 3-1 at halftime. Keeper Andre Onana had an absolute howler, which clearly affected his confidence. It would have been only 2-1 though if not for a dubious (at best) penalty awarded to the German side, which striker Harry Kane buried with ease. United were much better in the second half though, and had a legitimate shout at a 3-3 draw thanks to late goals from midfielder Casemiro. Munich perhaps took their foot off the gas pedal a little, but again I felt a 3-3 draw was the result that best reflected this game. It’s never fun to lose, but there was improvement from the lads, and that was a slim silver lining.

But improvement means nothing if you don’t win, and I think the players took that to heart in this match against newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor. They won 1-0 today against the Clarets, thanks to a stunning volley from midfielder and club captain Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of halftime. 35 year-old center back Jonny Evans (making his first start for United since 2014) played an excellent aerial ball over the top to Bruno, who had drifted into the box in space. There was a Burnley defender close to him, but his first-time strike of the ball was extremely clean. Burnley keeper James Trafford (what a name!) could do nothing about it as it flew past him and into the far corner of the goal. Evans also had a headed goal disallowed by VAR before setting up Bruno for a goal that would end up being the winner. What a match from the Northern Irishman!

The back four was extremely shaky today, and it was only due to some poor finishing from Burnley that United weren’t down earlier in the half. Again, the second half from United was much better than the first. They defended well, and Burnley looked completely out of ideas for long spells of the second half. Burnley have struggled scoring goals so far this season, which means that United should be keeping them out, and they did. Three points and a clean sheet away from Old Trafford was just the medicine that United needed to begin treating the sickness that’s been ailing the club in recent weeks. A good match also from midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, who needs to be starting for this team due to his work rate and willingness to make strong challenges on the ball. Forward Marcus Rashford and striker Rasmus Højlund showed some signs of chemistry, but they still clearly need more playing time together before they fully click. A clean sheet was good for the confidence of Onana as well.

So while there are signs of improvement, this team is still not playing as well as it could be. The injury issues are still a problem, and they were compounded today by a hamstring injury to new signing Serge Reguilon. That’s three left backs all injured now, in the opening 7 weeks of the season. I would call it rotten luck, but questions need to be asked of United’s medical staff given how often muscle injuries are a problem for us. Fortunately, center back Raphael Varane appears to be on his way back to full fitness, and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat can play as an emergency left back when needed. The attitude and fighting spirit was better from everyone today, but these injuries continue to be a problem. If United can keep grinding out results while the best players recover, they may be alright this season. Here’s to hoping that our squad players step up to the best of their abilities.

So yes, improvement – but the results must be sustained before the pressure begins to really let off. United have back-to-back fixtures against Crystal Palace up next. Both are at Old Trafford luckily, with the first match being in the League Cup and the second in the Prem. I am not super bothered about the League Cup this year since we won it last year, so hopefully it’s a chance to rest the star players. The Prem match, for me, needs to be given a lot more importance by manager Erik ten Hag.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Manchester United in Disarray

The Red Devils lost to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday at Old Trafford, with the final score being 3-1. Midfielder Hannibal Mejbri got an impressive consolation goal, but the match had already been lost by that point. United were out-passed, out-possessed, and generally outplayed by a talented Brighton side. There was a goal disallowed for striker Rasmus Højlund that probably should have been allowed to stand, but there were a ton of problems for United that had nothing to do with the referee. Seagulls manager Roberto De Zerbi deserves praise and credit for building a team that consistently overperforms and exceeds their budgetary limitations.

Conversely, this has been statistically the poorest start to a United season since the 1970s. They have only won 2 of their first 5 opening matches, and have looked lackluster in all of them. A lot of things are going wrong at this club right now, some of which is bad luck, but a lot of it is avoidable. It seems like every day, even when there is no match to be played, more and more negative headlines keep rolling in.

The bad luck is mainly coming in the form of injuries, although at some point one has to question why injuries are always a concern for this club season after season. Nevertheless, we have a starting 11 of injured players in the training room right now, and that is a big part of the reason why the results are so poor. You need your most talented players to win games, but moreover you need those talented players playing alongside one another consistently to develop an understanding and chemistry. If that’s not happening due to injuries or other reasons, the team will simply not play as well.

But the injuries are just one aspect of United’s problems right now. A much bigger issue, and one that is completely within the players’ control, is EFFORT. If I had a dollar for every time a star player was caught being lazy and not giving a full effort this season, I could pay off my considerable student loan debt in full. I am sick and tired of seeing grown men who make six figures EVERY WEEK not giving a shit about playing hard. Playing football is the ONLY THING they have to do, and for whatever reason they are not playing their best. Out of the 13-14 players who touched the pitch on Saturday, maybe 4 or 5 of them truly gave their best efforts. It’s unacceptable. Manager Erik ten Hag needs to start dropping the big names from the starting line-ups to send a message that no one’s spot in this team is safe. A starting spot is earned, not given. It might be worth fielding a team of academy players for a match just to send a message to the rest of the squad. Right now, the culture of this team is awful and it is on ETH to remedy the issue.

Another issue is tactics, which is related to the injury crisis. Despite all the spending in the summer, we still somehow do not have the players to play in the style ETH demands. He wants us to control possession in the middle of the park, while also running a counter-press when out of possession. That can be an effective style of play with the proper players who are properly motivated, but as I have said before on this blog, tactics don’t matter if your players don’t care to play hard. There have also been some questionable substitutions made by ETH in recent games, which again is on him to fix. He did well tactically last season, so the regression so far this year is extremely concerning.

There are also problems off the pitch. Winger/forward Mason Greenwood was finally sold to Spanish side Getafe, and I thought we had done well to excise that particular tumor from the locker room. However, winger Antony dos Santos has also found himself at the center of a domestic violence scandal in recent weeks, with numerous allegations being made by his former girlfriend. Antony denies all allegations, but he has stepped away from the team and isn’t playing right now until the club determines the best way to proceed. Lastly, winger Jadon Sancho has not been selected to play recently, supposedly due to a locker room spat with ETH over punctuality at training. There has been a lot of back and forth in the media between Sancho and the manager, and that kind of distraction is always bad for team chemistry. I do like that ETH is holding players accountable and making everyone adhere to the same standards, but he needs to figure out a way to motivate Sancho and get the best out of him. Right now, that isn’t happening with any of the players.

And of course, there is always the bigger picture to consider as well. Any time there is a problem with a business, the owner ultimately carries all responsibility for it. The Glazers are no exception. I realize they were not on the pitch on Saturday and they do not set the team’s lineups and tactics, but their greasy fingerprints are all over the negative climate at the club. They do not invest their own money in the club or it’s facilities, and indeed they actively take money out of it. It is probable that the injury issues year after year are related to no investment from ownership in the medical staff and training room. They did spend (the club’s) money a little bit in the summer to bring in new players, but it is rumored that many of ETH’s first-choice targets were overlooked due to cost. Their biggest sin though is their laissez-faire approach that has left this club in a state of salutary neglect. They don’t care if the team wins too much, as long as they keep making money. This attitude of “we don’t really care” trickles down to everyone at the club, from the players to the training staff to the kit people to the janitors that clean the stadium after matches. If the owners don’t care about winning consistently, why should the players?

So yes, it’s a mess right now. This team needs to respond to the adversity, and it has to happen soon. The title is already gone, and the top-4 is in serious jeopardy if the team keeps playing in an unmotivated fashion. ETH’s seat will also become incredibly hot if the results do not improve, as will the seat of Director of Football John Murtough. Of course though, nothing will fundamentally change at this club for the better until the Glazers sell the team and get out of town.

It doesn’t get any easier for the Red Devils in the next match either, as they must travel to Germany for a Champions League group stage match against German champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Needless to say, I don’t have high expectations.

Glazers Out!

Premier League: Frustrating Defeat at Arsenal

Manchester United travelled south to London earlier today for their fourth match of the Premier League season against Arsenal. The rivalry with Arsenal dates back to the 1990s and hasn’t really cooled off over the years. Both of these clubs have title aspirations and top-4 aspirations, so even though this fixture was early in the season, it carried a lot of significance. United manager Erik ten Hag knew that the Red Devils’ away form against the top teams needed to improve, and this match was a great chance to do so. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had his side off a good start, but he knew United would be a very tough test even at home.

The first half was fairly even, in a way. Arsenal were the better team going forward. They were creating chances, but their attacks were being consistently repelled by a dogged United defense. Left back Diogo Dalot and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka were doing well at shutting down Arsenal’s talented wingers. United had more of the possession in the first 45, but their possession was usually in their own half. Keeper Andre Onana was doing very well with playing the ball out from the back, which is the precise reason he was brought in. Interestingly, United scored with their first shot on target on 27 minutes.

Midfielder Christian Eriksen picked up a loose ball in his own half and brought it forward into space before finding striker Marcus Rashford ahead of him on the left wing. Rashford was given space by the Arsenal back four to cut inside the box onto his right foot, and he unleashed a vicious shot that Gunners keeper Aaron Ramsey could only parry onto the inside of the post and into the goal. Emirates Stadium was stunned, given that goal was very much against the run of play. Happy to see Rashford finally off the mark for the season. He was our leading scorer last season and he needs to get back to that form. 1-0 United!

The celebrations in the away fans’ section were short-lived though, as Arsenal were level just 35 seconds after the restart. Arsenal captain and midfielder Martin Ødegaard was given too much space on the edge of the box by the United defense after being found by winger Gabriel Martinelli. He let a long-range shot go that was hit with power and placement, and Onana couldn’t get to it in time. Two goals in roughly a minute electrified a match that had been somewhat dull up to that point. Oddly though, those were the two most notable moments of the first half. Two moments of madness in a sea of drudgery. It was 1-1 at halftime with all to play for.

The second half was similarly slow-paced for the first 25-30 minutes or so. United were creating more chances, but Arsenal were holding them off effectively and creating the odd chance or two of their own. Arsenal wanted a penalty when striker Kai Havertz tumbled in the box under a challenge from AWB, and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot. After a VAR check though, the penalty call was rescinded. There wasn’t a lot of contact, if any, on Havertz before he went down, and Taylor deemed it a non-penalty. More on Taylor below. Arsenal then went close when winger Bukayo Saka got on the end of a cross at close range, but his shot was straight at Onana.

A troubling issue for United were the injuries sustained by center backs Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof as the second half wore on. They were already without center back Raphael Varane and left back Luke Shaw due to injury, so options were extremely thin. It was eventually the out-of-favor Harry Maguire and 35-year-old Jonny Evans in central defense for United towards the end. The injuries affected this result, no doubt.

The Red Devils thought they had a winner however on 88 minutes when substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was put through on goal. He carried through the attacking third, after which he slotted home past Ramsey to the ecstasy of United supporters in the away end. However, Taylor and VAR needed to have their say again. Somehow, mystifyingly, the replay official deemed Garnacho to have been offside when he received the ball, despite him appearing to be level or even slightly behind the last Arsenal defender. The goal was ruled out and we continued at 1-1.

Arsenal earned a corner in the 5th minute of stoppage time, and the ball was swung into the box towards the back post. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was there, and he bundled home a deflected finish past Onana to give Arsenal a lead they wouldn’t surrender. It was a heartbreaker for the Red Devils, but they didn’t give up. They threw men forward for an equalizer, and were likely denied a penalty when substitute striker (and United debutante) Rasmus Højlund was wrestled to the ground in the box. Curiously, no replay was shown on TV feeds of this incident. A VAR check was supposedly conducted, but no penalty was given.

Arsenal got a third in the 11th minute of stoppage time when striker Gabriel Jesus caught United on the break. There weren’t enough men back to stop him, and he faked out his marker rather thoroughly before slotting past Onana from close range. It was insult to injury, really. Arsenal won 3-1.

The referee was not helpful today, but United were really hindered by the injuries to the center backs. This was heading towards a respectable 1-1 before the defense finally cracked under the Arsenal pressure. Rice was completely alone at the back post for the winner. Who was supposed to be marking him? United conceded far too many corners and there was finally one too many. The third goal wouldn’t have happened if it stayed 1-1, as United would have had more men back to defend. But the bigger issue is the fact that for long periods of time in this match the build-up play was slow and labored. United have fast and technically gifted attacking players, and they play best when they play fast.

Whoever the VAR official was in this match, he completely lost the plot with the offside call against Garnacho. Terrible. Awful. Total miss. Garnacho was onside. It seems the offside rule is written in pencil, as it changes week to week. Even under the new rule, this was an extremely harsh call that affected the outcome of the match. We went from having a potential 2-1 lead on 88 minutes to losing the match 3-1. Can’t believe we can’t figure out the offside rule in 2023.

The outcome remains the same of course, no matter how much the referee blew it. United’s struggles on the road against top sides continue. Only 6 points from the first four matches this season as well. Injuries are piling up. New signings Serge Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat are waiting in the wings, and hopefully we can get some defenders healthy during the upcoming international break. I was impressed with Højlund today. He’s a bigger lad than I thought he was, and technically gifted for his size. He had a key role in the build-up to The Goal That Wasn’t for Garnacho.

The non-injured players will now join up with their national teams for the next two weeks. England have away matches against Ukraine and Scotland in the qualifiers for Euro 2024. England have a 100% record so far in qualifying, and they are more than capable of continuing that in the next two matches. ETH will be wise to use this time to evaluate his tactical plans and incorporate the new signings more into the team. United must improve away from Old Trafford to have any hope of maintaining pace with Arsenal and league leaders Manchester City.

As always, Glazers Out!