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!

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: Manchester is RED!

Manchester United played host to cross-town rivals Manchester City earlier today at Old Trafford, in a tie that is referred to by many as the Manchester Derby. This matchup is always fiercely contested and full of drama, with today being no exception. United and manager Erik ten Hag were looking for a bit of vengeance after City shellacked them 6-3 earlier this season. City, led by manager Pep Guardiola and all-world striker Erling Haaland, were looking to gain ground on league leaders Arsenal. Given City’s budget and resources, they are expected to challenge for the title every season. They were of course second in the Prem going into the match, while United were level on points with Newcastle in 3rd. As usual, this was a very high-stakes match for both sides.

The opening 45 minutes were fairly open in terms of chances created, and although neither team recorded a goal in the first half, United looked more likely to score. Attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes saw his shot from a tight angle go just wide of City keeper Ederson’s far post on 10 minutes. Striker Marcus Rashford was also causing problems for City down the left hand side of the wing, and he was through on goal around the half hour mark only to see his shot smothered by the onrushing Ederson. There were several other decent-to-good chances created by United, only for the City defense to clear the ball at the last second. City’s closest effort of the half came just before via halftime when a swerving, long-range effort from right back Kyle Walker flew just wide of keeper David De Gea’s post. While United did well to keep City from registering a shot on target in the first half, there was some concern about them finishing their own chances.

City looked to take advantage of United’s lack of finishing in the early part of the second half. Guardiola’s men were growing into the game and finally establishing some possession. Substitute winger/forward Jack Grealish was brought on around 57 minutes, and he made an immediate impact with the opening goal of the game right on the hour mark. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne took advantage of a gap in the defense and ran into the United penalty area. He reached the end line and squeezed an aerial cross in just before the ball went out. The United back line failed to pick up Grealish’s run towards the goal and he headed home the cross past De Gea from close range for 1-0. A good goal, but De Bruyne never should have been allowed to run into the box. You can’t let a dangerous player such as him get into that position, because he’ll either punish you himself or more likely he’ll find the perfect pass for a shooting chance. Poor defending, but City took advantage while United (up until that point) had not done so.

It wouldn’t be the Manchester Derby without a bit of controversy, and we got a more than generous portion of it on our plates when United equalized on 78 minutes via Bruno. United had responded well to going down by re-asserting themselves in the attacking third and establishing more possession, but this was their most dangerous move up to that point. The ball was played over the top of the defense by midfielder Casemiro towards Rashford. Rashford was in an offside position when the ball was played to him, but he cleverly did not touch the ball while running onto it. The City defense had largely stopped playing, assuming the linesman’s offside flag was going to go up. It did not however, and Rashford left the ball for Bruno who lifted it over Ederson and into the goal from about 20 yards out. A great finish from Bruno, but the offside flag had been raised once the ball went in. Bruno, Rashford, and roughly half the United team ran over to remonstrate with the linesman, and eventually referee Stuart Atwell went over and consulted with his linesman as well. After a discussion, the goal was awarded and United were level! More on this goal below.

City were clearly mentally shook by the goal, and the Red Devils smelled blood in the water. It took them only four minutes to get the second goal. United recovered the ball in their own half, with Bruno then playing a difficult reverse pass out to the left wing and into the feet of substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho ran forward and into the left side of the City penalty area. He attempted an aerial cross towards the goal, but it was blocked and bounced right back to him. He twisted around a bit and this time got in a lower cross with his left foot, which seemed to take the City defense by surprise. His low cross found Rashford in front of the goal, and he stabbed it home under Ederson from about 3 yards out. A big lapse in concentration from City’s center backs, there. Garnacho did well to lose his marker and get the cross in, but the marking from City was almost non-existent. Rashford is in the best form of his career right now, and he was never going to miss from there.

It was a tense final 12-13 minutes or so, but United held on and won 2-1! A huge, huge victory for us and a big message from ETH to the footballing world. His tactics and team selection were spot-on today, and he must be given all the credit in the world for the job he’s done in turning this club around. He has empowered his players to be at their best while still holding them accountable if they don’t play up to the standard he’s set for them. It’s insanely difficult to walk that fine line, but he’s done it masterfully. Fantastic matches from Bruno, Rashford, Casemiro, midfielder Fred, and center back Luke Shaw, but I also want to highlight the contributions of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. His poor form and low confidence last season led many to believe his United career would soon be ending, but he played exceptionally well today and in the past few matches. He’s always been known to be a good tackler of the ball, but it was his attacking contributions today that need extra praise. His mazy run on 66 minutes where he went around three City players galvanized the team and the fans in the stadium! Can’t understate the importance of his play today.

As for the first goal, a close examination and reading of Law 11 must be done. Law 11, which is one of the Football Association’s Laws of the Game, dictates the rules surrounding offsides. I won’t write the whole law out because it’s long and boring, but the argument here centers on whether or not Rashford “interfered” with a City player’s ability to play the ball when he ran onto Casemiro’s pass. Replays showed he did not touch the ball, but he was running right behind it for about 3-4 yards before he left it for Bruno to finish. The eye test suggests that Rashford was “interfering” with the ball by being so close to it, but the letter of the law seems to clash with what most would consider to be “interference”. Rashford did not touch the ball, did not block off any defenders, nor did he impede Ederson from running out to make a save. City’s defense had largely stopped on their own because they thought offside would be called, which is an unprofessional move. In every sport, you play until the whistle! Had they made a better attempt to get to the ball, offside against Rashford probably would have been called. The argument could be made that the law needs to be re-written to address the subjectiveness of what is “interfering” and what isn’t, but there was no offside with how the rule is currently written. Lastly, had City played better over the course of the match and scored more than one goal, this alleged offside is a non-issue.

United are now in sole possession of 3rd in the Premier League table, just one point behind City in 2nd. Don’t look now, but United are also just 5 points back of league leaders Arsenal. For the first time in a long time, I can confidently say that United are in the title race! It’s only January so there’s a ways to go still, but I am more than happy with where the club is competitively right now. They just took on the best striker in the world in Haaland and didn’t let him have a single sniff of the goal. We are playing with a confidence and desire not seen since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson. After several seasons of inconsistency, I am finding joy in being a United supporter again.

The lads should celebrate tonight, but as of tomorrow the focus needs to be back. Next match is a trip to London on Wednesday for another Premier League clash with Crystal Palace. Three points are needed (and expected) due to having to play league leaders Arsenal away in the next match.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

United Demolished by City in the Manchester Derby

That is a headline that always stings to write, but when you lose 6-3 there is no polite or mitigating way to put it. It must be said that Manchester City are arguably the best team in the world right now, given the rate at which they score goals and the ungodly form of Norwegian striker Erling Haaland. The man (alien?) had scored 11 goals in his first 7 matches for City, and he added three more today against United. Winger/forward Phil Foden also scored a hat trick, making it the first time since 1930 that United have allowed two hat tricks in a single match. City manager Pep Guardiola has needed a dominant center-forward to complete his well-oiled (get it? cuz City are owned by Kuwait!) football machine, and I am terrified to say that he has certainly found one. Haaland may look like a Disney movie villain, but for all City supporters (of which there are like 40) he is surely a hero.

This match was lost in the first half though. City came out in front of their home support at the Etihad with energy and determination, while United looked slow and significantly off the pace. City got four of their six goals in that first half, and it was effectively over after 45 minutes. United’s previously competent looked a shambles in terms of possession and passing, and the defense was nowhere to be found. It’s true that City are world-beaters right now, but United did not really do much to challenge them in the opening 45 minutes.

The second half was much improved, despite the score line suggesting the match was over. New signing Antony dos Santos got his first Manchester Derby goal with a nice curler on 56 minutes, with striker Anthony Martial bagging a late brace, with one goal coming from the penalty spot. Sadly, Haaland and Foden added another goal apiece in that same span of time, so the result was never really in doubt for them. I am proud of the fight back though, however too late it may have came. Last season this team would have just quit and stopped trying, but the goals scored today can give us something to build on for the next match and rest of the season. We didn’t lie down and surrender like the United of the past season or so. We kept at them, kept playing, and actually won the second half 3-2.

No need to dwell on this one, as much as it hurts losing to City. Today’s loss does not shake my confidence in manager Erik ten Hag in any way. We just need to be quicker out the gate next time. If we played in the second half like we did in the first half today, it’s a different result. City were just too far away by the time we were able to change things. I really hope Martial stays fit going forward, as he seems to be the perfect striker for ETH’s system.

Onwards and upwards. United travel to the small island nation of Cyprus on Thursday for a Europa League match with Omnia Nicosia. Improvement is expected, and I think improvement will be delivered.

A Disappointing Defeat on Derby Day

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ronaldo Rescues United – Again

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Lads, it’s Tottenham…”

The above quote was first uttered about 20-25 years ago by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and it was directed at his squad during a pre-game speech. United legend Roy Keane often tells the story of how the above quote was all Ferguson needed to say to let the players know what he expected them to do against Tottenham Hotspur. Yes they are/were well-organized and have lots of neat and tidy passing, but in the end the Red Devils knew they could go and get a result.

Tottenham hasn’t changed much over the past two decades either, which is why the above quote is so often repeated in online forums and on social media even today. They are a talented side no doubt, but their current tactical system under manager Nuno Espirito Santo leaves a lot to be desired. Players such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are not being utilized to their maximum potential, and Spurs appear to be a side unwilling to take major risks with the ball.

Of course, both United and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were under massive pressure today to deliver a positive result of their own, coming off the embarrassing home defeat to Liverpool last weekend. If OGS did not win today, he knew he likely would be sacked in the morning. Given this situation, OGS decided to switch up the team and tactics a bit. A tactical shake-up was indeed needed, with the normal 4-2-3-1 being scrapped in favor of the fairly-unused 3-4-3/5-2-3. United were happy to have center-back Raphael Varane back from injury, and he was the main central defender today in the back 3.

As soon as the match kicked off at Tottenham’s shiny new stadium, it was clear United were content to sit back and let Tottenham have the ball. I was immediately apprehensive about this strategy, because it’s the exact reason we lost to Liverpool and Leicester City before that. When we aren’t aggressive on the ball, talented teams have the ability to play it around us and create chances.

In the opening 30 minutes or so the match was very defensive though and it looked like Tottenham were struggling to break us down when in possession. Outside of the occasional set-piece, they were really struggling to create good chances. They had a goal correctly ruled out for offside, and before that Son should have done better from close range after the ball was worked around from a cleared free kick. United hadn’t really looked great going forward either, but the defense appeared to be much-improved from last week. Varane, plus the midfield duo of Fred and Scott McTominay in the 3-4-3, really helped with that.

Fred stung the palms of Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris from long range on 32 minutes, and at that point you could sense United growing into the game from an attacking perspective. The opener came on 38 minutes via a pass over the top from Bruno Fernandes in midfield, who found the run of Cristiano Ronaldo towards the right hand post of the goal. Ronaldo sublimely hit the ball on a one-touch volley back across Lloris low and with power, and the technique he used to hit it was simply stunning. For any other player its a career highlight, but for Ronaldo its just another amazingly athletic goal on a laundry list of many. Despite things looking a little tentative at times, United had the lead. Great vision and pass from Bruno, and a world-class finish from Ronaldo. United went into halftime 1-0 ahead and feeling much better than they did this time last week.

United continued to grow into the game as the second half got underway, and Ronaldo thought he had his 2nd on the day after a fine run and finish into the top corner. The linesman raised his flag though and the goal was ruled out for offside. It probably was the correct decision, but it was a shame to take such a strong finish off the books. The warning signs were there for Tottenham though – their back line had all kinds of problems tracking our runners in behind them. The movement of Ronaldo and fellow striker Edinson Cavani wreaked havoc on their marking.

And it was Bruno, Ronaldo, and Cavani that all combined for United’s second goal on 63 minutes. Bruno won the ball high up the pitch and played it into the path of Ronaldo. Ronaldo positioned himself like he was going to run at his defender, but instead he cut it back inside and played a smart pass onto a lurking Cavani to his left. Cavani took a touch on the ball to get it around the on-rushing Lloris, and he then chipped it over the Tottenham keeper for 2-0. A great pass and finish, but it was all started by Bruno knowing when to press and effectively doing it. Given Tottenham’s lack of creativity, the match was now very much in United’s hands.

A few minutes later, Marcus Rashford was subbed on for Ronaldo so that he could begin his recovery and prepare for the Champions League match in midweek. United’s defense took over again at that point, and it became clear that Tottenham would not be scoring in this match. Attack after attack was cleared by the United back line, and Tottenham were shooting themselves in the foot a bit with poor finishing and even-poorer decision making. Cavani gave the ball away badly to Kane at one point, but Kane waffled on the ball and was unsure if to pass it or shoot it. The United defense capitalized on his indecision and cleared the ball quickly. It’s obvious that Kane is mentally a bit off right now, because on most days he makes the opposition pay in a situation like that.

United got a 3rd via Rashford next, and it was a fairly similar goal to the second one. United had the ball in midfield and fellow substitute Nemanja Matic played a ball through the Tottenham backline and on to the run of Rashford. The Spurs defenders couldn’t cope with the movement of Ronaldo and Cavani all day, so they had no chance at catching Rashford when he was fresh off the bench. Rashford pushed the ball straight at the left side of the goal before opening up his body and slotting it home past Lloris at the far post. A good pass and finish, but the Tottenham defense was fairly poor. Still, take nothing away from Rashford. Since his return from injury, he has scored 3 goals in 3 matches. After that it was job done and points sealed. United also managed to secure their first clean sheet in quite awhile, so credit to David De Gea for that achievement on what was a fairly lowkey day for him.

The biggest takeaway from today is that for the first time in several matches it looked like United had a cohesive plan and a clear vision of how they wanted to play this game. We sat back and let them have the ball, and when they couldn’t break us down we punished them with a quick counter-attack or by winning the ball off them high up the pitch. Against Liverpool it looked like we had no idea how to press, but against Tottenham we look like the best pressing team in the Premier League. Credit to OGS and his staff for getting the tactics right, while also making the correct substitutions.

It must be said that Tottenham were very poor today. They are certainly not playing to the level they are capable of, and Nuno will now begin to feel his own managerial seat warming up as well. They look like they don’t know how to score goals, and their back line was undone today by two forwards who are 36 and 34 years old respectively. They have some of their own soul-searching to do if they want to have some success this season. The transfer saga of Kane needs to be put to rest, for a start. Is he staying? Is he not? All that conjecture and speculation about a team’s best player can be a huge distraction for other players.

Three goals and a clean sheet in a Premier League match is always worth a celebration, but OGS’s job is still far from secure. The next two matches will likely decide his tenure – away to Atalanta in the Champions League in midweek and then the Manchester Derby next weekend. If we win both of those, I think OGS stays for the season. If we lose them both or put in some otherwise-lackluster performances, I think OGS will be on his way out. The rumor mill this past week has had a ton of managers linked to us, and it seems like Antonio Conte and Brendan Rodgers are the frontrunners. I’d much prefer Conte if that is indeed the scenario, but only time will tell what happens.

United now sit 5th in the Premier League, 8 points behind league leaders Chelsea. Man of the Match today is Bruno, but you could also argue for Ronaldo or Varane. Glory glory Man United!

Manchester is Red and City Can Naff Off

U.N.I.-T.E.D.

United are the team for me

With a knick knack paddy whack

Give a dog a bone

Why don’t City fuck off home?

Very big smiles today as United beat cross-town rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford 2-0 in the Manchester Derby. This was one of the most enjoyable games I have watched in recent memory thanks to two wonderful goals from Anthony Martial and Scott McTominay.

It was not a day for individual heroics though. This was a team victory in every single way. Virtually every player did their job wonderfully and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer schooled City manager Pep Guardiola tactically. Guardiola is a very good manager known for his complex tactics and passing play, but OGS’s 3-4-3 formation in attack with a switch to a 5-3-2 in defense left Guardiola completely at a loss. City simply could not break down the United back line for the entirety of the match.

The tactics weren’t a surprise though, from either side. City build attacks and create chances through possession and short but quick passes, while United are designed to absorb pressure from those attacks and then create their chances through quick counters of their own. That is exactly what happened today. City had 70%+ of the possession for most of the match, yet possession does not win you matches. Goals do, and City just couldn’t put one in the back of the net.

The importance of the play of Brandon Williams at left wing back and Aaron Wan-Bisska over at right wing back cannot be understated. Wan-Bissaka had dangerous city forward Raheem Sterling in his back pocket the whole match, and Williams did a fantastic job of getting forward to provide width in attack. Brazilian midfielder Fred is also miles ahead of where he was when we first signed him, and he was a key link up between our attack and defense.

Bruno Fernandes was once again key in the attacking midfield role, despite having a sort of withdrawn performance later on in the match as United were forced to defend more. His intelligence for where the forward pass needs to be played is second to none, even in open play. From the dead ball though he showed today he can be equally as incisive. An…interesting…foul was given against City on the left side near the edge of the box. Bruno played a sneaky little chipped ball over the top of the defense which Martial ran onto and the ball fell in front of him over his shoulder, and he poked the ball past City keeper Edison first-time for 1-0 right at the half-hour mark. Ederson probably should have done better to cover his near post, but it was a very well-worked set piece. We’ve been dismal from set pieces this season, but since the addition of Bruno we’ve improved dramatically. Better planning, practicing, and a more talented player delivering the ball has worked wonders.

United’s defense then took over, and each time the ball came forward towards the back line, it was cleared by a United defender. City only really created 1-2 honestly good chances were I was concerned they could potentially score. Haven’t seen such a masterful defensive performance from this team against quality opposition in ages. If ever there was space for City’s attacking players like Sergio Aguero, Sterling, or Phil Foden, there was a United defender there to shut it down. Aguero actually did manage to have the ball in the net at one point, but was correctly called back for offside.

Some very questionable referee decisions in this match by Mike Dean (as hinted at above), but VAR confirmed that Aguero’s shoulder was just off when the ball was played to him. United also should have had a penalty in the first half after Fred was tripped in the box, but despite clear contact on Fred’s ankle, Dean decided to yellow-card Fred for diving. Terrible call and I was concerned that United might be screwed over by the ref like we were against Everton a week ago.

It stayed 1-0 for the majority of the match, despite Guardiola bringing on attackers Gabriel Jesus and Riyad Mahrez in the 2nd half. Jesus forced a half decent save from David De Gea, and Mahrez was was causing Williams all kinds of problems defensively. OGS then brought on center back Eric Bailly and McTominay to shore things up defensively, and United shifted to a back-4 for the rest of the match. Odion Ighalo also came on to provide a bit of physicality up front and an outlet to relieve pressure.

The 2nd goal wrapped up the points as it was well into stoppage time, and it was due to a much bigger error from Ederson this time. Lindelof won the ball back after a City attack, and played the ball to Fred in the left channel. He found Ighalo with a pass who shielded off his defender, then gave it back to Fred. Fred played in Daniel James but the ball was a little to heavy and Ederson collected it with his hands. His distribution was very poor though, and his pass only found McTominay in open space. McTominay was about 35-40 yards out, but Ederson was severely out of position and McTominay did well to lob the ball into the net before Ederson could back to cover. Ederson had almost conceded a 2nd goal earlier in the half after Martial caught him napping in possession, and he truly had a nightmare of a match. Bad tactics from Guardiola and a shit performance from Ederson sealed City’s doom.

Old Trafford was in ecstasy after McTominay’s goal. He doesn’t score often but he is a product of the United academy, and you could see the passion and joy he felt from the goal. To seal three points in the rain of Old Trafford against City is a level of happiness I can only dream of achieving!

OGS now has done a Premier League double over both Chelsea and Manchester City. The man knows how to play against the big clubs, undoubtedly. Everyone online and in the press who has questioned his managing credentials has been made to look like a complete idiot. Now with the support of Bruno and the surging form of Fred and McTominay, United are finally finding consistent form. We are unbeaten in 10 matches and are still a scant 3 points off of Chelsea in 4th place. Imagine this team with a fully fit Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford…

We play Austrian side LASK next, away in Linz, Austria on Thursday. After that we have Tottenham away at the weekend. Given the form we are in, I say bring them both on.

MANCHESTER IS RED!!!!