Lionesses Demolish Norway at Euro 2022; Club Transfer News Roundup

I’ve been guilty of making a very large mistake – not paying a lot of attention to the England women’s team at Women’s Euro 2022. I’ve been checking scores once results are over, but that’s really about it. Not anymore though! The Lionesses are legit trophy challengers this tournament. Many of the pundits are regarding them as the most complete team, and they really showed that today against a Norwegian squad that’s ranked among the best in the world.

Many recall the USA hitting Thailand for 13 at the last Women’s World Cup, and while that was undoubtedly impressive, England’s 8 (eight!) to 0 (nil) victory today over Norway at Amex Stadium in Brighton, UK was arguably even more so. Along with France and England, the Norwegians were favorites to win this tournament and have one of the best players in the world in striker Ada Hegerberg. To beat a squad like this so thoroughly really shows the class England have at all 11 positions and on the bench.

England were all over them from start to finish. Pressing very effectively, and Norway could not figure out what to do about it. Forward Beth Mead earned her first hat trick of the tournament today, while stalwart forward Ellen White contributed two goals as well. It was 6-0 to England at half time! Things did kick off with a soft penalty awarded to England, but that does not excuse the Norwegians from allowing seven more goals after that. This was the biggest victory by any team – men or women – at the Euros ever.

Coupled with their 1-0 victory over Austria last week and their now massive goal difference, England have effectively won Group A and will move on to the knockout rounds. The formality of the final group match against minnows Northern Ireland remains, but England manager Sarina Wiegman now has the luxury of rotating her squad before the next match.

Come on England!!!

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On the men’s side of things, pre-season is about to kick off for Manchester United, who are currently on a tour of southeast Asia. It has been a spicy close season and transfer window indeed, most notably for who United have failed to sign. Due to our own inability to complete a transfer swiftly and the fact that United will not be in the Champions League next season, a lot of the top shelf talent has gone to our rival clubs. Manchester City have signed all-world striker Erling Haaland and midfielder Kalvin Phillips, Liverpool have signed striker Darwin Nunez, while Arsenal and Tottenham have strengthened their midfield and attacking options respectively as well.

United have so far lost more players than they have signed. Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, and Andreas Pereira have all signed elsewhere, will sign elsewhere, or have retired from the game. While we did need a clear out and to offload some bloated contracts, the other half of a competent transfer strategy is replacing those departing players while improving the squad. Not sure United has done that, yet.

The Red Devils have officially signed left back Tyrell Malacia from Dutch side Feyenoord, and they appear very close to announcing the signing of attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen from Brentford. United also appear to be in for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, but the process has taken so long and the rumors flying every which way has made this saga about as clear as mud. Barcelona and United are currently two of the most poorly-run clubs in the world. Indeed, United would arguably be the worst if not for the stunning incompetence of the Barcelona board of directors. There seems to be a contractual issue at the forefront, and it’s unclear whether De Jong even wants to play for United next season. I understand he may be important to new manager Erik ten Hag’s plans, but what’s the point in dragging out this whole process if he doesn’t want to be here?

What to do about Cristiano Ronaldo has also caused some head-scratching it seems around Carrington training ground. Ronaldo will be 38 by the end of next season, but the argument could easily be made that he was United’s best outfield player last season. He was leading scorer after all, and seemed to win matches on his own at times. But now he is supposedly not happy with the lack of transfers, and there are rumors that he has requested to leave Old Trafford. That could happen, but two major obstacles are in the way. For one, Ten Hag has explicitly stated that Ronaldo is in his plans for the upcoming season. Second, and this is potentially the bigger obstacle, are Ronaldo’s massive weekly wages. He is rumored to be on a whopping £510,000/week contract, and there are simply not many clubs that can afford to pay him that much. He probably won’t take a pay cut unless he really wants to leave. It is important to note that Ronaldo is not currently with the squad in southeast Asia, as the club has given him leave to address “family” issues. Whether he stays or not will be interesting. Chelsea are rumored to be the only destination that checks all the boxes, but would Ronaldo really leave United for a competitive rival? Is he that much of a mercenary? Many fans want to believe he isn’t, but as we all know, money talks.

United still need a true defensive midfielder in my opinion, but that’s been the case for about two years now. Ten Hag seems to have the lads training hard every day, but I have to question whether he feels supported by ownership and club officials. There’s a lot of pressure on him to succeed at United, but that will be near impossible if he is not given the support from ownership that he needs.

United Play Their Best Game in Months

Today was the final Premier League match of the season at Old Trafford, with Manchester United defeating Brentford 3-0. As alluded to in the title, this was the best performance from the Red Devils in terms of effort and energy expended in months. They were running more, putting in strong challenges, and generally had more energy in this match than any in recent memory. It’s amazing what they can do when they actually bloody try!

United opened the scoring via Bruno Fernandes, who notched his 10th Premiership goal of the season and his first in several weeks via a good cross from Anthony Elanga. He ran hard down the right wing to get onto a through ball from right back Diogo Dalot, and his cross was inch-perfect. All Bruno had to do was re-direct the cross with his right foot, and Brentford keeper David Raya could do nothing about it.

United had more opportunities later in the first half as well, and had the ball in the back of the net just before halftime thanks to good work from Cristiano Ronaldo and Juan Mata, but VAR determined Ronaldo to be offside by maybe half an inch when the ball was played to him. That was the best chance of the rest of the half though. There were moments when Brentford would build some good possession and passes, but their final ball was usually lacking in quality. Brentford midfielder Christian Eriksen was causing problems with his runs and range of passing.

United got the second goal though, and this time there would be no denying Ronaldo. He ran onto a pass just outside the box and out-muscled his marker to win the ball. The Brentford defender then decided naively to plow into the back of Ronaldo while he was on the ball in the box. Ronaldo went down in a heap, and a penalty was given. Many penalty decisions are controversial, but this one was not. Stonewall, as they say in England. Ronaldo stepped up to the spot, and sent Raya the wrong way with a powerful low shot. At 2-0 you felt the match was mostly over unless Brentford got one back almost immediately.

Despite creating some more half chances and the occasional moments of worry, Brentford could not find their way through the United defense. United got the match-sealer on 72 minutes, shockingly from a corner. Our set pieces have been abysmal for most of the season, but they have improved a little bit in recent weeks. This one was about as straight-forward as it gets, as well. Left back Alex Telles played a high cross directly into a sea of bodies near the mouth of the goal, with center back Raphael Varane on hand to steer the cross home with an outstretched leg. Nothing fancy about it, but no one cares how you score as long as you do. This was also Varane’s first goal from the club since joining last summer, so well done to him for that.

On 73 minutes there was a planned fan protest against the club’s ownership, during which many fans in the stadium got up and walked out. While a few hundred did noticeably leave, the effectiveness of this protest was probably lessened by the fact that United were winning comfortably when it was due to happen. One victory against a club like Brentford does not undo 17 years of financial mismanagement and neglect of course, but it’s been so rare for United to be comfortably winning this season that many probably wanted to stay behind and just enjoy the moment. Still, Glazers out!

It was a bittersweet day as well, as it was probably the last time that Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata would be on the pitch at Old Trafford in United red. Matic has already stated he will be leaving in the summer, and while Mata has not publicly announced what he’s doing, he is 34 and out of a contract once this season ends. The both of them can still play well as evidenced by today’s match and a few previous ones, but neither of them really fit into new manager Erik ten Hag’s style of play. Also, Matic is 33 and Mata is 34. It is extremely difficult to keep up with the pace of the Premier League at that age. Matic is likely going to Italy, and I could see Mata returning to his native Spain if he were inclined to continue playing. Thank you both for your services! Old Trafford will not forget the positive contributions made by the both of them. My only regrets are that we didn’t get Matic sooner and that Mata was criminally underutilized in his time at the club. It’s also possible that this was the last match in United red for Ronaldo, but he does have another year left on his contract and there aren’t many other clubs in the world that can afford his wages. If he wants to play still, it will be in the red half of Manchester. Logic tends to suggest that Ronaldo comes back for one more year to help Ten Hag right the ship and get United back on track towards winning trophies.

There are only two matches left this season, and United have been all but eliminated from the top-4 race. Arsenal need only 1 point from their 4 remaining matches to eliminate United from Champions League play next season, which they are overwhelmingly likely to achieve without too much difficulty. This squad is going to change a lot over the summer, but today was a nice occasion to see the old guard play well one last time.

United are away to Brighton and Crystal Palace for their last two matches of the season. Time to finish professionally, get some youth players involved, and prepare for next season. As for this blog, there will be posts for the FA Cup final and Champions League final when it’s time, and I also want to try to cover Nottingham Forest a bit more. Their match away to AFC Bournemouth tomorrow is their most important fixture in over 30 years.

Well, At Least They Didn’t Lose

Manchester United hosted Chelsea today at Old Trafford in the Premier League. It was largely an affair to forget due to the lack of quality on display from both sides, particularly from the Red Devils. Chelsea dominated possession in the first half but couldn’t score due to some heroic saves from United keeper David De Gea but also some admittedly poor finishing from the west London club. United looked like they’d rather be anywhere else.

There was however a lot more energy in the match from both sides in the second half, and it was Chelsea who deservedly went ahead on the hour mark via left back Marcos Alonso. A cross from the right wing found him largely unmarked about 12 yards from the far post, and he slotted the ball home past De Gea into the opposite corner. United’s defending had been fairly poor the whole match and that was the case yet again for the goal. This time though De Gea couldn’t bail them out.

United did find an equalizer though just two minutes later via the ageless wonder Cristiano Ronaldo. United had pressed Chelsea up the pitch, with midfielder Nemanja Matic winding up on the ball in a forward area. He spotted Ronaldo on the shoulder of a Chelsea defender and played the ball over the top. Ronaldo got an exquisite first touch on the pass and rifled a shot into the roof of Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy’s net from a tight angle. Ronaldo has now scored 23 goals for United this season, and along with De Gea he is easily the club’s best player. Anyone who thinks that Ronaldo is somehow the problem with this team can take a long walk off a short pier. Interestingly, this is only the second goal he has scored against Chelsea in his illustrious career, with the other being in the 2008 Champions League final (which United eventually won, by the way).

There were some more chances for Chelsea after that and United created the occasional half chance as well, but the match kind of petered out after the madness of two goals in two minutes. Half chances for both sides, the better chances going to Chelsea. The match finished 1-1 and and somewhat concerningly, the best players on the pitch for United were the old guard of Ronaldo, Matic, and Juan Mata who came on as a sub. They played well in the 2nd half today, but you can’t bank on three players all in their mid-30s to play well in every match and it certainly isn’t sustainable looking ahead to the future. Maddeningly, Marcus Rashford seems to have forgotten how to play the game. Bruno Fernandes has no confidence in himself right now. Our fullbacks were frequently out of position, which Chelsea were only too happy to exploit. The first half was an appalling display of effort from everyone not named Ronaldo or De Gea. It is true the second half was better overall, but there still leaves a lot to be desired. Best of luck to new manager Erik ten Hag in sorting this lot out.

The match was also marred by United fan protests both outside and inside the stadium, once again towards the owners of the club. It was eerie to see so many empty seats at Old Trafford at kickoff in a Premier League match against Chelsea. As always, the author of this blog supports all protests against the Glazer family as owners of Manchester United. The reasons for which have been spelled out in numerous posts before this one. The Glazers need to sell the club and stop milking it for money! Glazers Out!

Ronaldo Scores, But United Lose to Arsenal

It was more of the same today. Not a lot of effort plus a lot of disinterest, and as a result no synchronicity in the team or the style of play. Once again, it’s inexcusable. Well done to Cristiano Ronaldo and Nemanja Matic for getting a goal, but the defending was once again shambolic. To rub salt in the wound, Bruno Fernandes missed a penalty and there were several poor decisions from the referee which VAR failed to correct. So another bad match, but at this point it doesn’t even sting anymore. You can’t have your expectations dashed if you don’t have any in the first place. The locker room is a mess and the players don’t seem to care about one another or about winning. This season just needs to end.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick has nevertheless elevated himself in the eyes of many supporters this week and post-match with his frank but correct statements about where the club is. He has stated that the problems in the squad are with certain players and are very obvious problems indeed. One does not need x-ray vision (or even reading glasses) to see what the issues are here, it seems. He has not named individual players, but I would be willing to wager he’s got a list of players that will be gone this summer should he be appointed to a sporting director’s position. That was the original plan when he was hired mid-season, and I do hope he sticks around to assist new manager Erik ten Hag. He’s compared the changes needed at the club to open heart surgery, and I feel he is the surgeon for the job. Ok sure his style of play didn’t fit our players and this season has been shit, but he needs to be treated as a long-term hire and he will be a more adept director/executive than manager.

United now sit in 6th after today’s loss. While not mathematically out of the top-4 race, it’s highly unlikely they qualify for the Champions League now. At this point it’s almost better to not have any European play next season! The cons of playing in the Europa League or Europa Conference League far outweigh the pros.

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A quick but earnest shoutout to Nottingham Forest for today’s win at relegation-bound Peterborough. In a season where United are utter dross, I am happy to at least get a bit of positivity from my second favorite club side. It was a grind-it-out 1-0 victory today that sees them move into 4th place in the Championship, with two games in hand over 3rd place Huddersfield. Forest are almost a lock for the promotion playoff but still could also qualify automatically if they can beat 2nd-place Bournemouth and 1st-place Fulham in their remaining matches. A tall order, but certainly achievable. I’d love to see Forest back in the Premier League next season, either via automatic promotion or the playoff!

Ronaldo Hat-Trick Papers Over the Cracks

Manchester United continued their Premier League campaign against Norwich City at a sun-soaked Old Trafford earlier today. The Red Devils were in some truly atrocious form coming in to this match, with the top-4 all but a lost cause. Norwich, colloquially known as the Canaries, typically have a rough time at Old Trafford but given that they were rock bottom of the table coming into the match they knew they would have to fight if they wanted to avoid relegation at the end of the season. It was a scenario where both teams needed to win and hope for other results to go their way. There was a fan-led protest against the Glazer family’s ownership outside the stadium before kickoff as well, with many supporters waiting 17 minutes to make their way inside to symbolize the 17 years of fraught ownership by the American businessmen. As has been stated before, this blog firmly supports such protests and the Glazers need to sell the club.

United got things off on the front foot, securing the opening goal on just 7 minutes via striker Cristiano Ronaldo. Norwich were attempting to play the ball out from the back of their defense, but a Canaries defender was caught on the ball by striker Anthony Elanga on the left side edge of his own penalty box. Elanga won the ball remarkably cleanly and found himself in a good bit of space just inside Norwich’s penalty area. His angle on the goal was closed down by a Norwich defender and keeper Tim Krul, so he squared the ball to Ronaldo for a relatively simple finish. No one was really around Ronaldo, and it’s a rare scenario where he misses an easy one like that.

Norwich were struggling to keep possession and create chances, and as such it was United that appeared to be the better side. Jesse Lingard was unfortunate to see his close-range effort saved by Krul after a good United move down the right wing. But another goal did come shortly after that. United won a corner on 32 minutes, and the ball was swung in by United left back Alex Telles. His cross was a fairly simple one – high and direct, straight towards the sea of bodies clamoring for position in the penalty area. It was Ronaldo though who was able to get position on his marker and flick the ball with his head past Krul after a run towards the near post. A classic center-forward goal, and United were up 2-0.

A positive opening half was soured however when Norwich got a goal back right on the stroke of halftime. United’s back four were opened up via some short and quick passes on the left wing, with Norwich exploiting the space between right back Diogo Dalot and center back Harry Maguire. The ball was fed to Finnish striker Teemu Pukki in the box just to the left of the goal, and he provided a rather simple cross over the top toward midfielder Kieran Dowell, who was arriving unmarked at the back post. Dowell lowered his head and pushed the ball back across the face of the goal and into the net, with keeper David De Gea unable to do much about it. The stroke of half time is always a good time to score, but a terrible time to concede. Some of the energy inside Old Trafford dissipated as a result of it. It was a very good half for United up until that point. The fault lies entirely with the back four though. Dalot was beaten too easily on the left wing, Maguire was pulled out of position to cover, and Telles was completely oblivious to Dowell arriving at the back post. Very poor defending indeed.

United’s problems were compounded on 51 minutes, when Norwich found their equalizer. It was Pukki and Dowell involved again, although their roles were reversed this time. Dowell was given a little bit of space on the ball in a forward position, and he was able to find Pukki off to his right who had (just barely) stayed onside. Pukki was largely unmarked however due to Telles being out of position, so much so that Pukki was practically through on goal on his own. He dribbled into the box and finessed a shot past De Gea, who again probably could not do much about the goal. Dowell was not closed down in midfield quickly enough, Telles was out of position, center back Victor Lindelof couldn’t get over in time, and all of a sudden it was a level match at 2-2. Fair play to Dowell for finding the right pass at the right time, but again this is not a goal that occurred due to overt brilliance from the Canaries. United’s back line is just…bad. The fact that De Gea had to rescue them again just a few minutes later with a fine save low to his right is further evidence of that, as if any was needed.

Things calmed down for about 20 minutes or so after the second Norwich goal, with the game getting a little bogged down in midfield. United were given a lifeline though on 75 minutes when Elanga was fouled by a Norwich defender in a strong attacking position about 25 yards from goal. Everyone in the stadium knew what that meant – Ronaldo time. He stepped up and struck the resulting free kick sweetly, with the ball on a diagonal aerial path towards the opposite corner. Krul did get both hands to the ball, but was unable to keep it out due to the power behind the shot. The ball deflected off his hands and into the net, and Old Trafford erupted in joy. A Ronaldo hat-trick is always something to be treasured. He’s done it a staggering 60 times for club and country, and more importantly he put United back into the lead. A description of the goal doesn’t do it justice though. Ronaldo is a master of this sort of thing, and we should all be grateful we get to watch him do this still. Enjoy!

But the match wasn’t over at that point, and you could tell the crowd was nervous given how poorly United’s defense had played in the second half. Norwich continued pressing for an equalizer, and they came a little too close for comfort to that third goal a few times. The defense held on and did just enough though, and United walked away 3-2 winners.

So Ronaldo to the rescue again – for what seems like the umpteenth time this season. Yes United won today and that is always good, but they conceded two goals to the worst team in the Prem and were heading towards a draw before the Ronaldo magic. It’s still unacceptable that a team with this much money and prestige behind it is fielding players that look like they don’t give a shit. United’s entire back line was mostly poor throughout the match, particularly the second half. Marcus Rashford looked lost yet again, and Bruno Fernandes was largely anonymous.

Interestingly, it was the old guard of Ronaldo, Nemanja Matic, and Juan Mata that were the best players on the pitch in red today. While I am happy to have those players today, relying on them going forward will not be a reliable strategy. Matic has recently announced he will be leaving in the summer, Ronaldo will be 38 next season, and Mata will be 34 in a fortnight. Make no mistake – this is a team that still relies on individual brilliance to win matches. Still no style of play, and the squad is populated with too many players who don’t care. New manager Erik Ten Hag will have a mountain of work to do to get this team on track, once he is officially appointed.

Fortunately, both Tottenham and Arsenal lost today in games they probably should have won, which results in United finding themselves (somehow) in 5th place, just three points off Tottenham in 4th. Despite all the inconsistency this season, United still find themselves with a chance at the top-4. It would be a strong testament to Ralf Rangnick’s managerial skills if he got this squad to finish 4th. Not quite a miracle, but pretty damn close. Arsenal still have a game in hand over United though, so unless they continue to choke (which they just might!), it’s Arsenal’s spot to lose.

Supporters shouldn’t hold their breath though, as United face the perilous task of facing Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday. Liverpool are in sensational form right now and on a title challenge. If our back-4 plays against the Scousers like they did today against Norwich, it will be very difficult for United to take away anything from the match. Still though, I don’t want to see Liverpool winning the title, and any kind of positive result for United puts a serious dent in Liverpool’s chances to win it. Let’s go and spoil their day, shall we?

Glory Glory Man United!

United Crash Out of Champions League

Manchester United played host to Spanish side Atletico Madrid earlier today at Old Trafford, in the 2nd leg of their Round of 16 tie in the Champions League. United were in with a decent shout to win this tie thanks to Anthony Elanga’s late equalizer in Spain three weeks ago in the first leg, but it truly was finely poised. Atletico are an experienced side in the CL, and their tactics are a reflection of their colorful manager, Diego Simeone. In previous seasons, United would have had a larger advantage coming into this tie. The previously-observed away goals rule would have given United the edge thanks to their goal in Spain, and they could have played for a 0-0 draw with Atletico forced to attack. This season however, UEFA (in its infinite wisdom) has done away with the away goals rule. Their goal seems to be to force more extra time and possibly penalty scenarios, probably because it will allow UEFA to squeeze even more ad money out of their cash cow.

Anyway, the match started brightly for United. They looked to be full of energy and confidence on the ball, and Atletico seemed to be a little unsure of themselves. The first half hour for United was by far their best spell of the game. Brazilian midfielder Fred was playing extremely well, causing all kinds of problems for Atletico with all his flicks and tricks in advanced positions. United were denied one of their best chances all match when Elanga attempted to tap-in a fast cross from point blank range, only to be unluckily denied by the face of Atletico keeper Jan Oblak. Nine times out of ten, Elanga scores on this chance. Oblak’s head was just in the right place at the right time, and his face kept the ball out. Ouch for Oblak, but they were lucky to not be behind early on.

Atletico grew into the match after the half hour mark though, and they started seeing a lot more of the ball. A warning shot was fired at United when Atletico had the ball in the net via forward Joao Felix, but it was correctly called back for offside. United’s back four were torn apart fairly easily though, and there was much more tension around the ground all of a sudden. Atletico did find the all-important first goal on 41 minutes, when a cross over the top from striker Antoine Griezmann found left back Renan Lodi unmarked at the back post. He had a free header, and he buried it past United keeper David De Gea. Atletico players all ran around to celebrate, but the United players were arguing with Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic that the goal should be ruled out for fouls in the buildup. The replays did appear to show fouls on both Elanga and Fred in the build-up to their goal, but curiously the goal was allowed to stand. United’s back four were ripped apart too easily though, with center back Harry Maguire at the center of the action for the wrong reasons yet again. Atletico went into the halftime break with a lead, and you could tell the United players were feeling deflated.

The second half did not bring much improvement for United. Atletico are a side that are well-drilled defensively, and soaking up pressure while clearing crosses is their favorite thing to do. Atletico are also well-versed in the art of shithousery, and it was on full display today. They start time wasting during free kicks, throw ins, and corners. They pretend to be injured for longer than is necessary. They start talking shit and messing with the heads of the opposition. All of these tactics might come across as gamesmanship or outright cheating, but it’s an art form perfected by Simeone when he was a player (ask David Beckham) and he has instilled it into his players.

Shithousery tactics are incredibly effective when the referee allows a team to get away with all of that, as Vincic did today. My regular readers know that I am not normally one to blame the referee in a losing effort. At the professional level, a team can always overcome poor officiating in most situations by simply playing better than they had been playing. But today this referee was absolutely horrific. Atrocious, terrible, and downright bad. His decision making and frankly up odd behavior got worse as the match went on. Blatant foul after blatant foul wasn’t called, and it allowed Atletico to do what they do best – frustrate and annoy the opposition into submission. When a foul was called, he failed to administer yellow cards when needed. There was even a moment where he appeared to be simply watching the match instead of officiating it – when the ball went out of play behind United’s goal and he didn’t call it. He also oddly booked United’s technical director Darren Fletcher shortly after missing the ball going out of play, and sprinted 40 yards across the field to deliver the booking to the United coach. Why? Unclear.

Perhaps most frustrating however was when United had the ball in a good attacking area, only for Vincic to stop play due to an ankle injury on an Atletico player. He is not required to stop play at all there, and most referees will let play go on in that scenario. More egregiously, United right back Diogo Dalot went down after a clear blow to the head from an Atletico player, and Vincic failed to 1) call a foul and 2) stop the match for treatment. Dalot was on the ground, holding his head. The ref is required by player safety rules to stop play for head injuries, and it was obvious Dalot had suffered one. What on earth was this referee doing officiating in the knockout rounds of the CL? The occasion looked way too big for him and his odd calls/behavior are indicative of that.

Center back Raphael Varane had United’s best chance of the half, when his header from an Alex Telles free kick was saved by Oblak. Varane got good contact with the ball and the shot was on target, but Oblak got a strong left hand up and palmed it away. Rangnick tried bringing on the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Nemanja Matic, and Juan Mata to try and find an equalizer, but no one was really able to contribute. Rashford in particular was once again poor. It gives me no pleasure to slag off England players like Rashford and Maguire, but a spade must be called a spade. Rashford lost possession numerous times, and his crosses into the box were easily blocked by his marker on most occasions. I don’t know what’s wrong with the both of them, to be honest. They were both great last season, had a good Euros tournament and a good start to this season, but somewhere along the way they both seem to have lost confidence in their game. Confidence is so important at this level. The opposition can smell self-doubt from a mile away. You have to believe in yourself, or no one else will. It should be noted that star forward Cristiano Ronaldo was largely missing from the proceedings today as well. I don’t recall a single instance where he was on the ball in a forward/attacking position.

Anyway, United are out of the CL cuz of a lack of creativity, Atletico shithousery, and an absolutely shambolic display of refereeing. United were knocked out of the League Cup early, they are out of the FA Cup, they have no chance of winning the Premier League (and face a stern challenge to finish top-4), and now the CL is gone. It’s going to be another trophy-less season in the red half of Manchester, and that is a dour thought indeed. The players we have don’t try consistently, the manager’s tactics are coming into question along with his lack of adaptability, and we seem to be in need of yet another clearing out/rebuild. Whoever United bring in as permanent manager, he will have a mountain of work to do.

Cristiano Ronaldo Hat Trick Rescues United

Manchester United played host to Tottenham Hotspur today at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Both sides needed a win to boost their top 4 qualification hopes. Tottenham came into the match as the very definition of inconsistency, having alternated wins and losses for the last seven matches. United were coming off what was arguably their worst loss of the season against Manchester City last weekend, so both sides were hoping for three points today to get back on track.

Somewhat surprisingly, it was the Red Devils in front first on 12 minutes thanks to an absolutely spectacular shot from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese had been under a microscope all week due to his absence in the Manchester Derby, and the media speculation about his future has been rampant. However, Ronaldo was all business today and he showed that at 37 he is still one of the best goal-scorers of all time. Brazilian midfielder Fred was on the ball in an advanced position, a few yards from the Tottenham penalty area. With his back to the goal, he deftly flicked the ball to his right and found Ronaldo in a bit of a space. He took two touches toward the goal before unleashing a powerful shot with his right foot. The velocity and placement of the shot was perfect, and Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris could not get over in time to cover the shot. Ronaldo wheeled away to celebrate with his trademarked “SIUUUUUUU” yell. It was the best goal he’s scored all season for us, in terms of difficulty.

This match was not going to be an easy victory lap for Ronaldo though. Despite United being given a confidence boost by the goal, it was Tottenham who got an equalizer. They were very adept at getting men forward quickly, thanks to the playmaking abilities of striker Harry Kane and pacey forward Son Heung-Min. Tactically, United erred by not pressuring the man in the middle when the ball was brought forward. Too many times, Kane was given space to turn and find a pass. That’s a recipe for disaster. Tottenham played a cross into the box that was adjudged by referee John Moss to have been handled by United left back Alex Telles, and they were awarded a penalty. Telles probably did have his arms extended away from his body a bit, but for the umpteenth time this season there was a lack of consistency in the application of the handball rule from Moss. Before the Ronaldo opener, there was a shout for United to have a penalty for the same reason – a handball in the penalty area by Tottenham’s Eric Dier. He had his arms extended behind him when the ball hit his hand, while Telles had his arm out in front of him. If Telles’s handball was a penalty then ok – but if that’s the case then Dier’s handball was a penalty too!

Kane stepped up and smashed the penalty low and into the corner, with no chance for United keeper David De Gea to save it. Kane is a goal scoring machine himself, and it must be said that Spurs probably deserved a goal anyway with all the pressure they were putting on. Yes the penalty was somewhat dubious, but you felt a goal was coming from them one way or another.

Ronaldo then decided to get involved again, and United were ahead 2-1 just three minutes later. A long ball was played over the top by midfielder Nemanja Matic onto the run of Jadon Sancho down the left wing. Sancho’s run allowed him to get in behind the Tottenham back line, with Ronaldo streaking through the middle. Sancho centered the ball along the ground with his first touch, straight into Ronaldo’s path. Ronaldo also hit the ball first time, just to the left of Lloris from almost point-blank range and into the net. A tap-in thanks to the work from Sancho, and this one is what we call a poacher’s goal. A poacher knows where to be at the exact right time, and Ronaldo showed that those instincts have not dulled with age. There was a question of offside in the buildup, but VAR replays showed that Sancho was just onside when the ball was hit over the top. A very quick response to the Kane penalty, and United were up 2-1 at halftime.

I thought the goal fest would continue into the second half, but it must be said there was a noticeable drop in quality from both sides after the break. Tottenham were probably just a little bit better, but neither side covered themselves in glory in the final third. Lots of misplaced passes from promising positions. Tottenham did get another equalizer though on 72 minutes thanks to a calamitous error by United center back Harry Maguire. Tottenham passed the ball around the edge of the area very well, with Son eventually finding left back Sergio Reguilon. Reguilon played a low and powerful pass around the corner towards midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, only for the ball to hit Maguire’s outstretched leg first. The ball flew past De Gea and Maguire could only hold his head in shame. Maguire had been having a decent match up until that point, but it was definitely a massive error. To make matters worse, there’s a strong chance Betancur would have been called offside had the ball reached him. While that particular effort at covering was poor from Maguire, the goal had once again been coming. United collectively kept inviting Tottenham to attack, and they were happy to do so.

But Tottenham were again undone 9 minutes later, and it was That Boy Ronaldo who worked his magic again. United won a corner on 81 minutes, with Telles playing in an absolute peach of a cross into a dangerous area in a sea of bodies. Ronaldo outmuscled his marker Christian Romero and got across him, making contact with his head. The ball flew into the upper right corner of the goal, with Lloris rooted to the spot. Old Trafford erupted in ecstasy as they sang Ronaldo’s name at full volume. Never count him out. He was promptly subbed off for more defensive stability, and the fans gave him the ovation he rightly deserved today. United then held on for the final 15 or minutes, repelling attack after attack from Tottenham. Spurs never really created another good chance after that though, and United walked away with all three points at the final whistle.

Ronaldo was easily the Man of the Match, and with his goals today he is undisputedly the greatest goal scorer in football history. FIFA, football’s governing body, has given him an official tally of 807 goals scored for club and country in his 20 year professional career, the most all-time. The man breaks records every time he steps on the pitch. Yes he is 37 and its clear his best days are behind him, but there’s no doubt that he still plays at an incredibly high level and you’d be a fool to not take his game seriously. He scored three very different goals today too; a long range worldie, a tap-in, and a strong header. Just a testament to his all-around abilities. Questions remain as to whether or not Ronaldo truly fits into manager Ralf Rangnick’s system, but its clear that his pros outweighs his cons. When you have a world class player and footballing legend, figure out a way to get him into the team!

Also a very good match from Fred, Sancho, and Telles. Fred arguably had his best match in a United shirt, and would be MOTM himself if not for Ronaldo. It seems that he plays best when he has a true defensive midfielder in behind him. It allows him to get forward and provide key link-up passes when United are trapped in their own half. He played us out of many tight spaces today and deserves recognition for his work rate on and off the ball.

Perhaps Ronaldo was in special form today because there was another GOAT in attendance at Old Trafford today – recently retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Brady seems to be a fan of both Kane and Ronaldo, and he was part of the standing ovation Ronaldo received after his third goal. Photos of those two meeting up on the pitch after the match made for some great social media content! Really enjoyed the Buccaneers/United crossover today. GOAT recognize GOAT!

United now turn their attention to Tuesday night at Old Trafford, when they play the second leg of their Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid. United are in a good position to get a result. If Ronaldo is feeling his game like he was today, Atletico will be very concerned indeed. United temporarily move into 4th place again with this win, but Arsenal has a whopping 4 games in hand on us. The top-4 is more open than it was last week, but United are still probably on the outside looking in.

Glory Glory Man United! Viva Ronaldo!

Wolves Defeat Man United at Old Trafford

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United Improve, Finish 2021 With Three Points

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Red Devils Held to a Draw in Final Champions League Group Match

The sixth and final Champions League matches took place today and yesterday, and while that can be a vital fixture in some seasons, today it was not. Indeed, it was what is referred to in sports as a dead rubber match, meaning a match in the season that is of no competitive consequence to a team due to results from earlier matches in the competition. Manchester United knew going in they had already won Group F and would face the runner up from another group in the Round of 16 in February. As such, manager Ralf Rangnick rotated his squad completely, making 11 changes from the side that beat Crystal Palace last weekend. The opponent, Swiss side BSC Young Boys, knew that only a victory could help them continue European play this season. They needed a victory at Old Trafford and Atalanta to lose to Villarreal to capture a Europa League spot.

The match kicked off in very wet and wintery conditions, with a youthful United side on the front foot from the start. They were on the ball and running at the Young Boys’ back line almost immediately, and they were pressing very effectively when off the ball. They were rewarded for their efforts with an early goal as well, via future superstar Mason Greenwood on 9 minutes. The ball was worked up through the left channel, with touches from Nemanja Matic (in central defense, interestingly), midfielder Jesse Lingard, and winger Amad Diallo. Diallo played a ball to Luke Shaw on an overlapping run, and he was in behind the defense by the time he got to the ball. Shaw played a cross at about waist-height into the box, where it was met by Greenwood who hit it first time with an incredibly athletic kick. He hit it with his left foot seemingly around a Young Boys defender, and buried it into the bottom corner. Young Boys keeper Guillaume Faivre had no chance. Greenwood’s technique and instincts are absolutely insane for someone who is only 20 years old. He’s a future world-beater if he keeps developing and growing his game.

United had several good chances in the next 20 minutes or so and probably should have been ahead by more goals but for some excellent saves by Faivre. And unfortunately, it was Young Boys who got the equalizer on 43 minutes. The ball was given away cheaply by United midfielder Donny Van de Beek after a bad pass from Matic, and Young Boys forward Fabian Rieder was the first to pounce on it, beating out Aaron Wan-Bissaka to the ball. He unleashed a wicked curler of a shot from just outside the 18 yard box, and United keeper Dean Henderson had no chance to stop it. It was disappointing to concede after a very good opening 40 minutes or so, but credit to the Swiss side for cashing in on the gift given to them. If you give the ball away that cheaply in the Champions League, you can expect to be punished.

The match was 1-1 at halftime and it continued down the road towards a draw as the second half played out. Young Boys seemed to be galvanized by their goal and were definitely the better side in the second half, despite United forward Anthony Elanga having his shot from close range saved by Faivre after a classic United counter-attack. It could be argued as well that Young Boys could have had a winner when defender Quentin Maceiras missed wide from about 12 yards out. Rangnick also handed out debuts to academy products Zidane Iqbal and Charlie Savage, both of whom made a bit of history in their own right. Iqbal is the first British-Asian to make an appearance for the club, and Savage is the son of former player and current match commentator Robbie Savage. There was a nice moment when the play-by-play commentator let the senior Savage take over to introduce the younger Savage as he came on for United. You could tell it meant a lot to both of them, given how hard it is to become a professional footballer for Manchester United and the level of dedication it takes just to get to the level of coming on as a sub in a dead rubber match for a scant three minutes. The match ended 1-1 and United finished their campaign as group winners on 11 points. Young Boys are eliminated from further European play this season.

There are positives and negatives to be taken from this match, and Rangnick will have been given plenty of food for thought. He will need to work to reduce the number of times United give the ball away cheaply, that much is clear. It’s also clear that Greenwood needs to be given as much match time as possible. He has to compete for a place with Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, but from a team perspective that is a good problem to have. It was also good that so many youth players got a run-out, as it could be argued that Rangnick’s main objective today was to see what he has to work with. Credit to the new manager as well for using so many academy players. United’s footballing philosophy as a club has always been to develop our own talent as much as we can, and we got away from that a few years ago. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reinstated the policy, and I am happy it is being continued by Rangnick. It must be said that the experiment of Matic as a center back largely did not work, and Wan-Bissaka had a bit of a shocker. It’s hard to see him maintaining his spot in the lineup when fellow right back Diogo Dalot is hitting a good vein of form.

The draw for the Round of 16 will be held tomorrow. The Villarreal/Atalanta match was actually postponed to tomorrow due to excessive snow in Italy, so the final spot will not be decided until then. However, United can potentially draw Atletico Madrid, Paris St. Germain, Inter Milan, Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, or Red Bull Salzburg. I personally would like us to get one of the last three I listed. Atletico and PSG are giants and Inter has a glittering history in Europe. United will have the advantage (against whoever we get) of playing the 2nd leg at Old Trafford due to winning their group.

The Red Devils resume Premier League action next Saturday, away to Norwich City. More of the usual starters should be back playing, and 3 points will be the main item on the agenda. United need to keep building momentum in the domestic campaign so as to continue climbing the table.

Glory glory Man United!