Mega Blog – Manchester United Win the FA Cup, Season Review, and England Euro Preview

I can’t believe it’s been close to two months since I last wrote a blog post! Work and my other obligations were in the way, but moreover it was difficult to motivate myself to write about a very lackluster and average Manchester United team. Not to worry though, I am back and ready to thoroughly break down all the happenings of the past seven weeks or so in this mega (aka longer than normal) post!

United Win the FA Cup

The highlight of the season was easily United’s 2-1 victory over the blue bastards Manchester City to win the FA Cup at Wembley at the end of May. Goals were from winger Alejandro Garnacho and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo. United were heavy underdogs coming into the match, given their own poor form this season and the fact that City are the reigning Premier League champions and widely regarded as the best club team in the world. But our lads finally showed up and played their best game of the season when it mattered most. The first goal from Garnacho was more of a defensive error from City than anything, but some credit is due to Garnacho for being in the right position to capitalize on it. The second goal was truly a work of art in terms of passing and tactical awareness. It was a counter-attack goal, and it involved at least five United players before Mainoo slid it home from about eight yards out. The final pass from midfielder Bruno Fernandes to Mainoo in particular was pure football poetry.

It was nervy at the end of the match for sure, as City pulled one back through striker Jeremy Doku with about 20 minutes left to play. United keeper Andre Onana probably should have kept it out since it was a low shot from distance at his near post, but it slipped past his fingertips and City had a lifeline. However, some good center-forward play from Rasmus Højlund and solid defending saw the Red Devils hold on and claim their 13th FA Cup in club history!

Spot-on tactics and substitutions from manager Erik Ten Hag (more on him below) and fantastic effort from everyone who was on the pitch. When this United team is clicking, they can play with any team in the world. The fact that two teenagers from our youth academy took down the oil state-backed football machine that is City is the stuff dreams are made of. As mentioned above though, the rest of the season was much different.

Manchester United Season Review

The success in the FA Cup is important, but the rest of the season was poor by United standards. They crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage, were knocked out of the League Cup in the quarterfinals, and finish a very mediocre 8th in the Premier League. The FA Cup win qualified them for the Europa League next season, but had they not won that match, there would be no European football at Old Trafford next year. And to be honest, we wouldn’t have deserved it.

Consistency was again an issue, and it has been at this club for several seasons now. For whatever reason, the lads simply can’t string together good results consistently enough over the span of the season. There were a ton of players missing matches due to injuries, indeed more than the average amount, but that really only seems to be part of the problem. Frequently, I found myself questioning the desire and motivations of too many of these players. There were too many times in which they simply didn’t look like they could be bothered to play well. Our starting eleven and several of our bench players are all extremely talented, but talent means very little if they don’t put the hard work in that’s required to win at this level of football. They’re all millionaires, for crying out loud! Give the average man 20% of their salary and he will run himself into the ground, and do it happily. It’s very clear that several United players need to go in the summer, but who goes and who stays remains to be seen.

As has been stated many times on this blog, the overall structure of the club needs to change as well. The lack of investment in this team from the Glazers has never been more apparent than this season. Old Trafford has more leaks in it than the Titanic, and the water cascades down the steps and floods the place every time it rains. It’s needed a facelift (or perhaps even a rebuild) for a long time now. The attitude of salutary neglect from the owners trickles down just like the rainwater down the steps. If the owners don’t care and are only there to make money, why would anyone else who works for the club care about winning? Obviously yes there are people there who do love the club and want to see us win as much as possible, but the ones at the very top clearly don’t, and that is why this club continues to wade in the waters of mediocrity season after season for the past 11-12 years.

Fortunately, change does seem to be coming. Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his firm INEOS have brought in two new executives to start next season, and they have begun the process of regenerating Old Trafford. There is even the possibility of United moving to a new version of Old Trafford in the coming years. But fixing the stadium is only one of many issues. Ratcliffe has to work at changing the culture of this club. Everyone from the stewards to the players to the coaches to the owners needs to be on the same page and focused on the same goals. We need a coherent transfer policy, and there needs to be continued and sustained investment in the youth academy. We need to make players want to play here again, and we do that by re-establishing a culture of inclusion and support for anyone who puts on the red shirt for us. That’s hard to do in the era of social media, but I believe it can be done if the right people make the right decisions.

Future of Erik Ten Hag

Speaking of the right people, it was announced today that ETH will be keeping his job as United manager next season, meaning he will likely be signing a contract extension as well. It’s difficult to succinctly describe his tenure so far. Last season was objectively pretty good, having won the League Cup and finished 3rd in the Prem, with an FA Cup Final appearance. This season was decidedly not as good, and ETH is partially at fault for that. Winger Antony dos Santos, a player brought on the insistence of ETH for a staggering £80 million, has failed to improve in his second season and actually gotten worse.

His tactics were often questionable as well. United faced more shots on target than any other team this season, and we relied heavily on the counter-attack to create opportunities to score. This worked against lesser opposition fairly well, but United struggled frequently against any team with a semi-competent attack. Their inability to keep possession left them tired at the end of matches, and they frequently conceded late to lose points. I understand ETH was severely hampered by injuries and issues above his rank this season, but at some point I would have hoped for more adjustments from him to somehow get us playing more competent football.

However, as stated above, it has been decided that he is staying for next season. It seems the FA Cup, the League Cup last season, and his general trust in youth academy players has earned him at least one more year at the helm. It was unclear if he was staying or not, and the lack of a decision over the past 2-3 weeks was frustrating to many, but of course it was a big decision that needed to be carefully made. Admittedly, the FA Cup Final did it for me as well. I saw how we played that day and it showed what this team can do when they aren’t injured and properly motivated. It was a fantastic display of tactics from ETH in the biggest game of the season. This transfer window will be interesting to see who the manager and Ratcliffe bring in for next year.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

England Euro 2024 Preview

Before I dive down into the depths of this topic, a quick shout-out to Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and Borussia Dortmund/Man United winger Jadon Sancho. Those two England teammates played against each other in the Champions League final on June 1, with Bellingham’s Madridistas victorious. Well done to them both, and a special well done to Bellingham for winning his first European Cup at the tender age of 20.

Bellingham and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane will be key to England’s success at Euro 2024, which starts on June 14. Bellingham was Player of the Season in Spain this past year, and Kane had 30+ goals in the Bundesliga. Man City winger/forward Phil Foden, Player of the Season in England, will also have a vital role to play for the Three Lions. We have some bloody amazing players, but can they finally put it together? Can they finally bring home a trophy for the first time in 58 years?

England are in Group B, along with Slovenia, Denmark, and Serbia. Denmark are a decent side thanks to players like Højlund and midfielder Christian Eriksen, but England are heavy favorites to top the group. England’s first match is against Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on June 16 at noon PDT, and I am very excited to watch it. This team has disappointed me over and over again in the past, but like a fool I always get optimistic before the start of a major tournament. We’re spoiled for riches in attack and very solid in midfield, but the defense is a little bit of a question mark. England are especially thin at left back and also to a degree at center back, with manager Gareth Southgate relying on the very good but also very injury prone Luke Shaw and John Stones. I have concerns about them standing up to the likes of France and Portugal if need be. England can score for sure, but can they keep teams out?

There are a number of younger players in the squad as well, including Mainoo and Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton. I like that approach, given the experience of players like Kane, Stones, and right back Kyle Walker. There is a good balance of youth and experience here, and that is often key to winning tournaments. I think the superstars will need to be at their best though. I’m talking about Kane, Bellingham, and Foden. They are the best players at their positions in the world, and they need to play like it. I do think England will likely win the group given the level of opposition, but the likes of France, Portugal, Italy, and possibly Germany will not be easy to beat. We have the talent to win this tournament, but as has been the case recently, it will likely come down to the decisions of Southgate.

I have a feeling that unless England win the whole thing, Southgate will either call it quits or be sacked. He has done phenomenally well compared to every other England manager not named Sir Alf Ramsey. He has taken us to the semifinals of the World Cup in 2018, the final of Euro 2020(1), and the quarterfinals of World Cup 2022. His conservative but consistent style of play has brought us more success and happiness in recent years than almost any of his predecessors. But that same style has come back to haunt him when it comes time to take a gamble in a big match. There will come a moment in a knockout game when he has to make a big decision, and his job will likely ride on whether he makes the right one. He has been a very good England manager, but this will likely be his last chance to become a great England manager.

Three Lions On the Shirts! It’s Coming Home!

FA Cup: Manchester United Shock Liverpool in Quarterfinal Classic

There’s no denying that this hasn’t been a good season by the illustrious standards of Manchester United. They won’t be winning the Premier League, the top-4 seems like it will take a borderline miracle to attain, they lost their League Cup crown earlier in the season, and they are out of all European competitions. They’ve been incredibly inconsistent all year, with injuries playing a massive role in their sputtering form. The Red Devils’ last realistic chance at any trophy this season is in the illustrious FA Cup – the oldest single-elimination football tournament in the world. United squeaked by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground 1-0 in the 5th round, which set up an incredibly juicy quarterfinals tie with their hated rivals Liverpool earlier today at Old Trafford. While these two sides have their own rich histories and traditions of winning, title-contenders Liverpool were the heavy favorites to move on to the semifinals at Wembley Stadium.

But under-fire United manager Erik ten Hag and the squad had other plans. United were the dominant team for the first 10 minutes or so, and cashed in on their dominance thanks a rebound finish from midfielder Scott McTominay. They couldn’t add another one in the first half though, and Liverpool struck back twice at the end of the first half via midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and winger/forward Mohamed Salah. United scored via winger Antony dos Santos (playing at left back today) on 87 minutes though, which forced extra time at 2-2. Liverpool then went ahead again on 105 minutes via attacking midfielder Harvey Elliot, only for United to continue to fight back and get a 3rd from winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Finally, in the dying seconds of stoppage time and after a breathless 120 minutes of football, United winger Amad Diallo found the opposite corner with a low finish after a breakaway. Old Trafford erupted in joy as the ball rolled past Scousers keeper Caoimhin Kelleher for 4-3. Diallo ended up being sent off on a second yellow card for removing his shirt during the goal celebration, but it was an absolutely legendary 30ish minute cameo from the Ivorian winger.

I blitzed through the goals and major incidents recap mostly because there are so many other talking points to discuss. For one, ETH may have saved his job next season with this performance. I have long been a defender of ETH because I generally believe his footballing philosophy is one that can win matches, but it was becoming more and more difficult to defend him with each head-scratching lineup or substitution. But today, he got it 100% right. It was extremely unorthodox at times, with numerous players playing out of position and we didn’t seem to have a midfield late on in the match, but it somehow worked. I could have sworn I saw us in a 4-1-5 formation at some point! I also saw Antony at left back, Bruno Fernandes in central defense, and Harry Maguire was effectively a striker! It was ludicrous, but again, it worked. Bringing on Diallo and Antony ended up being brilliant moves as well. It was chaos ball, but maybe some chaos is just what was needed to make the Scousers uncomfortable.

But moreover, I think the big headline from today is not about ETH, nor is it about United beating their biggest rival in a classic football match. The biggest takeaway from today from the perspective of the supporters is that the Red Devils finally showed some fight. They kept trying to win the match and never stopped, and it paid off big time. Far too often this season and last, this has looked like a team that lacked a competitive spirit. Every once in a while they show some spine, but more often than not United have repeatedly shown a lack of backbone in bigger matches once they get punched in the face. Even with a lead, if they concede a cheap goal or a call from the referee doesn’t go their way, they have often just capitulated and lacked a desire to carry on fighting. That did not happen today, however. Indeed, it was just the opposite. They got a somewhat surprising lead, but conceded two very cheap goals just before halftime. It was sadly expected by many (including me) that they would yet again surrender and not really try in the second half. But they came out with dogged determination, Liverpool were a bit sloppy with some of their chances, and they got an equalizer late on to force extra time. They could have easily capitulated again when Liverpool went ahead 3-2 on 105 minutes, but they just kept running forward and getting the ball ahead to the attacking players. Again, it paid off when Rashford made it 3-3. That put them in a position to go and win it, and they took advantage of some questionable tactics by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp to go and win the match.

Brilliant match today. Absolutely brilliant. Likely the best one during the ETH regime. To beat our biggest rival in the FA Cup quarterfinals as underdogs in the dying seconds of extra time is the stuff dreams are made of. Excellent matches from Rashford, Bruno, McTominay, Maguire, Diallo, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony. Some special recognition to right back (left back?) Diogo Dalot as well, who did not put a foot wrong for 120 minutes. When this team believes in themselves, they have the ability to beat some of the best teams in Europe. Well done to the home supporters at Old Trafford too, who were raucous from start to finish.

It’s true this season has not gone well. It’s true that inconsistency and injuries have plagued the Red Devils all year. It’s true that we are still at the beginning of a massive overhaul that will continue for several more seasons. Today made all of that much easier to digest, though. I believe this will show both the Glazers and new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe that ETH is the man to guide us through this rebuild and get us back the promised land. All of the problems surrounding the club can be temporarily forgotten, because today we knocked the Scousers out of the FA Cup. Hope the lads get some good celebrating in tonight.

United have been drawn against Championship side Coventry City in the semifinals of the FA Cup, to be played in about a month’s time at Wembley. They have some difficult matches to be played in the Premier League between now and then, but all eyes are now on the weekend of April 20/21. The top 4 would still be a great achievement given how this season has gone, but honestly, if I had to choose, I’d want us to go and win the FA Cup. Let’s turn this crap season into something positive by finishing strongly with a trophy. Manchester City take on Chelsea in the other half of the semifinal.

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.

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 Final: Manchester City Outlast Inter Milan to Win the European Cup and the Treble

The biggest match in club football each season was played earlier today at Ataturk Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey, and it featured English champions Manchester City versus Italian giants Internazionale Milan. All of the intrigue pre-match was focused on manager Pep Guardiola and City, as they had an opportunity to do something done only once before in English football – winning the Treble (Premier League, FA Cup, and CL/European Cup). City have come agonizingly close to winning Europe’s biggest competition in previous seasons, only to fall short in the final or semifinals. Inter and manager Simone Inzaghi for their part were looking to play spoiler and bring home their first European Cup since 2010. City were heavy favorites coming into the match given how well they have played this season, but there was a bit of a head-scratcher pre-match when Guardiola elected to tinker with his line-up and switch to a back-3 in defense instead of the usual back-4. Guardiola has a reputation for trying to out-think his opponents in final matches, and it has bitten him in the behind before.

It was warm and humid in Istanbul at kick off, and the teams spent the first few minutes feeling each other out. City winger Bernardo Silva had a good chance 8 minutes in when he dribbled into space in the box and lashed a shot wide of the far post. Inter’s defense solidified a bit after that, and City found it hard to create good chances. They didn’t get their next real opportunity until just past the 30 minute mark, when all-world striker Erling Haaland turned his defender and got a shot on goal. The angle was tight however, and Inter keeper André Onana was able to parry it away with his leg. Inter were getting the ball forward decently well themselves, but there was a lack of sharpness from them on the final pass. Too often they were shooting from distance instead of passing.

City were dealt a blow on 36 minutes when star midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was forced off through injury, and a lot of the action stopped too due to his substitution. It was unfortunate for him and a big loss for City, as there are times when de Bruyne is unplayable in the middle of the park. Was this their curse rearing it’s ugly head again? De Bruyne was replaced by midfielder/winger Phil Foden without further tactical adjustment from Guardiola. There weren’t many goal-mouth chances after that though, and it was 0-0 at halftime. Inzaghi was likely the happier of the two managers at the break, as his back-3 defenders Matteo Darmian, Francesco Acerbi, and Alessandro Bastoni had all done very well.

The second half started similar to the first – lots of possession in midfield for both sides but few chances created. Inter striker Lautaro Martinez was put through on goal by a wayward City back-pass, but City keeper Ederson was able to cover and clear the danger. City began another push for a goal shortly after that error though, and they were rewarded for their endeavors on 68 minutes. Center back Manuel Akanji brought the ball towards the edge of the box before slipping a pass through to Silva, although the angle of the ball took him wide to the right of the goal. He hit a cut-back cross towards the middle, but it hit an Inter defender and bounced into space inside the box. City’s defensive midfielder Rodri was on hand to pounce on it, and he side-footed a shot through the bodies in front of him. It was hit low and with a bit of power, and it settled neatly into the corner of the Inter net. Onana had no chance, and City celebrated wildly. The big Spaniard Rodri is not a goal-scorer normally, but he showed great technique with his finish from about 16 yards out.

Inter almost got an immediate response on 71 minutes when wingback Federico Dimarco saw his header hit the cross bar. It bounced right back to him after that, but his second attempt at a header was accidently blocked by substitute Inter striker Romelu Lukaku. Incredibly bad luck for the two of them there. Foden then almost sealed the trophy a few minutes after that with a lovely turn on the edge of the area that put him through on goal. His shot was a little rushed though and he didn’t get power or placement on it, and Onana was able to make a cat-like save down low. Milan then got another brilliant chance for an equalizer, only for the headed effort from Lukaku to be miraculously saved by Ederson from a scant five yards out. Replays showed that this was again nothing but dumb luck for City. Ederson completely missed the ball with his hands, but his left leg just so happened to be in the way and the ball went out for a corner. How it didn’t go in for Lukaku, I will never know.

Ederson was required to make one final save from a header after a corner deep into stoppage time, but that was the final action of the match. The whistle blew after 5+ minutes of stoppage time and City won their first European Cup in their history. They were probably the better team on the day, so from a pure footballing standpoint no one claim that they stole it or got outplayed. Congratulations to the individual players, particularly their English ones (Foden, winger Jack Grealish, and center back John Stones). The fact that they can lose a player like de Bruyne in the first half and not really miss him shows just how loaded with talent this team is.

But how did they accumulate all this talent? How did City assemble such a dominant roster? Well they have a ton of money for one, as they are owned by the government of Kuwait, a small but oil-rich nation in the Middle East. They have spent billions of pounds on this team, and the European Cup is the biggest reward possible for that investment. Many big clubs in England and across Europe have a ton of money though, so it’s not really their financial value I take issue with.

For me, there will always be an asterisk next to this trophy and every other trophy won by this current iteration of Manchester City. They are currently under investigation by the English FA and UEFA for 115 separate violations of the Financial Fair Play laws, meaning that it’s possible (even likely) they broke numerous rules on buying and paying their various players. No one dressed in sky blue will care about that today, but it is something worth considering for the neutral. The Premier League must punish City for these violations, otherwise it sends the message that whoever has the most money is going to win the big trophies. That might be fine for other sports, but such blatant rule violations from a nation-state backed club are an affront to the traditions of the game. However, City are just as good in the legal department as they are on the pitch. They have an army of lawyers that will fight these charges and allegations, and it’s possible that they may get away with committing these violations unpenalized. The various governing bodies of European football really need to look at their Financial Fair Play rules and actually enforce them with points deductions and the taking away of trophies if they want to prevent this sort of thing from happening. They can’t just fine a club and expect behavior to change. Issuing a fine to a club like City is laughable. They’ll just pay it and then carry on doing what they were doing!

So not a classic match in terms of drama, but still a decent game of football to end the season on. Inter fought until the bitter end. Credit to Guardiola and his players, but that is where the credit stops. And no matter how many Trebles City win, Manchester United will always be the first one to do it. We also did it without the backing of an oil state, and mostly with academy players!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the last time this club season: GLAZERS OUT!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: 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: A Tough Loss at Arsenal

Manchester United travelled to north London earlier today for a high-stakes matchup with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. United had already beaten Arsenal 2-1 this season, in what is the Gunners only loss. The league leaders are in scintillating form under manager Mikel Arteta, and they had revenge on their minds going into this match. They also knew that they needed a victory to maintain their 5 point lead over Manchester City in the Premier League table. United were handicapped in this match by the absence of superstar defensive midfielder Casemiro, who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. In attendance at this match was England manager Gareth Southgate, undoubtedly on hand to scout the wealth of English talent on display for both teams.

This match was a wild one almost from the opening whistle. United struck first on 17 minutes thanks to forward Marcus Rashford, who lashed home a low and powerful shot from about 22 yards out into the left hand corner of Arsenal keeper Aaron Ramsdale’s goal. Rashford has now scored in 10 of the last 11 games, and this one may be the best one he’s hit all season. He was in good position running centrally towards goal after beating a man on the dribble, and the Arsenal defense gave him far too much room just outside the edge of the area. His shot was hit with a swerve on it and fit into an insanely small window! The goal was somewhat against the run of play, but Arsenal gave the ball away cheaply and it was 1-0 United nevertheless!

United’s lead was short-lived however, as Arsenal were level just 4 minutes later thanks to a well-taken header by England striker Eddie Nketiah. Arsenal cycled the ball around the left side of the box well, before it was finally played out to midfielder Granit Xhaka on the left wing. He pinged a dangerous aerial cross into the box where Nketiah was able to head home largely unmarked. United’s defense let them down on that one. They either needed to stop Xhaka from getting the cross in or pick up the run of Nketiah at the back post. They did neither, and Arsenal were level at 1-1. They were good value for their goal was well, given their possession. The rest of the half was rather tame in comparison to the opening 25 minutes or so, with only some long range efforts from both sides that did not trouble either keeper. Interestingly, Arteta was yellow-carded for leaving his technical area! You don’t see a manager getting carded every day and it was actually pretty funny. 1-1 at halftime though with all to play for.

An already-simmering match came to a boil in the second half. Arsenal were dominant in the opening, pressing United well and creating chances via wingers Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli. United were having a tough time getting on the ball, and bad things tend to happen when the opposition is constantly in your half of the pitch. Saka made United pay on 53 minutes with a world class goal of his own when he cut inside from the right wing about 25 yards from goal. Midfielder Christian Eriksen was attempting to mark him, but Saka was too quick and he unleashed a spectacular curling effort that beat United keeper David De Gea at his far post. A wonder strike that really put an exclamation point on Arsenal’s spell of possession. Eriksen has to be quicker to close him down there, but the shot from Saka was sublime. 2-1 Arsenal.

But United were not done fighting. They pulled themselves up off the mat and landed a gut punch of their own on 59 minutes thanks to center back Lisandro Martinez. United’s World Cup-winning center back was on hand to stoop low and steer home a floating header after Arsenal failed to clear a United corner. Ramsdale collided with his own man attempting to clear the ball, and it fell straight to the diminutive Argentine. An Arsenal defender attempted to head the shot clear, but couldn’t keep the ball out. 2-2, and a great time for The Butcher to open his United scoring account. His bandaged head and black eye were perfect metaphors for his fighting spirit.

The final 20 minutes of this match were agonizing to watch, as the Red Devils were being completely overwhelmed by Arsenal’s passing and pressure. Saka hit the left post with another sublime shot on 70 minutes, and De Gea was forced into a diving reflex save from Nketiah on 84 minutes after United failed to clear a free kick. Frustratingly and annoyingly, Arsenal got their winner on 90 minutes from Nketiah. He steered home a pass/shot from attacking midfielder Martin Ødegaard after United failed to stop a cross in from the left side by fullback Oleksandr Zinchenko. Zinchenko’s cross was hit towards goal by Ødegaard, and he managed to awkwardly poke it home for 3-2 as the clock hit 90 minutes. There was more than a hint of offside about the goal, but VAR confirmed the decision by referee Anthony Taylor and the goal stood. Arsenal held on well through stoppage time as United’s players looked utterly spent, and the league leaders won 3-2.

It’s never fun to lose to a late goal, and this one stings because I felt that United were going to hold on and earn a point. 2-2 felt like a fair result, but Arsenal’s dominance in the final 20 minutes paid off for them. More worryingly, this is the second match in a row where United have conceded a late goal. Our players look tired towards the end of matches. I know that if Casemiro was playing then this result is probably different, but the thinness of our squad in midfield is starting to show. Without Casemiro, this team can get played off the pitch by a talented midfield. Arsenal proved that today. Good games from Rashford and Martinez, poor games from Eriksen and midfielder Scott McTominay.

There is a silver lining for England fans here. Rashford, Saka, and Nketiah were all in sensational form today and have been for good portions of the season. Ramsdale, left back Luke Shaw, Arsenal right back Ben White, and United right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka were all heavily involved today too. The English lads are playing in big matches at a very high level. That is good news for Southgate, and I imagine a call-up to the senior England squad is in the very near future for Nketiah. I was highly impressed with his positioning and finishing today, even if it was against my club.

Arsenal maintain their five point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table, while United drop down to fourth. They are level on points with Newcastle in 3rd, but have an inferior goal difference. At this point, the title is Arsenal’s to lose. They will need to beat City at least once, but they are in good position right now with just over half the season played. United still look strong to finish in the top four, as there is a six point gap between them and 5th-placed Tottenham. I was perhaps a tad premature with my “title race” proclamation two posts ago, but that’s fine. I am not expecting us to win the title this year. We need to finish top 4 and win a trophy if we can, then load up on more players in the summer.

United next travel to the East Midlands where they will take on Nottingham Forest on Wednesday in the League/Carabao/EFL Cup semifinals. United are in prime position to win a trophy for the first time since 2017, so manager Erik ten Hag is expected to field a strong side. This will be the first of a two-leg fixture, with the eventual winner going on to Wembley to play for the League Cup.