Premier League – Another Away Defeat, This Time in Nottingham

Manchester United traveled to the East Midlands of England earlier today for a Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. United were looking to continue their winning momentum having beaten Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, while Forest were also looking to continue their winning form under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo. For a team like Forest in a relegation battle, every point they can scrape matters. The points mattered for United and manager Erik ten Hag as well, but for the visitors it was more about putting in a competent performance and playing with the consistency that has eluded them this season.

The atmosphere inside the City Ground was electric and high energy from the start, although the play on the pitch in the first half from both sides was decidedly dull. Forest were probably slightly better on the balance of things, mainly because United were absolutely anemic in attack. They put together some decent moves towards the end of the half, but the shots on goal were few and far between. Forest failed to score as well, but they looked much more cohesive when in possession. For the umpteenth time this season, United looked clueless in attack. A key substitution was made at halftime by ETH, with defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo being replaced by fellow midfielder Scott McTominay. More on this substitution below.

The second half was much more high-energy and uptempo from both sides. Forest grew into the game considerably well, likely buoyed by their home support. The opening goal came from midfielder Nicolas Dominguez, who slotted home past United keeper Andre Onana on the hour mark. Hard to say Forest didn’t deserve it, but the defending from United was very poor. As a defensive midfielder, McTominay was responsible for defending the edge of the box. For whatever reason though, he wasn’t there and Dominguez was given an opening from which to shoot. Onana maybe could have done better with his positioning, but McTominay has to be in position to make a clearance in situations like this one.

I was resigned to another away defeat for United given their lack of urgency going forward, but the Red Devils responded a bit (finally) after going down 1-0. Left back Diogo Dalot struck the post after a good move, and United got an equalizer on 78 minutes thanks to some good pressing from winger Alejandro Garnacho and a bad mistake by Forest keeper Matt Turner. Turner had been having issues playing the ball out from the back for most of the half, and Garnacho jumped on one of his many unconvincing passes. He won the ball about 20 yards out from goal, after which he found winger/forward Marcus Rashford to his left. The Forest defense was scrambling to get back, and Rashford was able to curve a shot along the ground past Turner for 1-1. The goal came about more because of the mistake from Turner than anything else, but of course it counted all the same. I would have been more than pleased with a 1-1 given how the match had gone, as well. Well done to Rashford for finishing clinically despite not being in good scoring form this season.

Unfortunately, United’s defense was undone again just four minutes later by attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. United were pushing for a winner, but were caught out on a swift counter-attack organized by winger (and former United player) Anthony Elanga. Elanga brought the ball forward before centering it along the ground for Gibbs-White, who curled a spectacular shot around center-back Jonny Evans that crept inside Onana’s left-hand post. Again, a fine move and finish from Forest, but where was the marking from United? Evans and fellow center back Raphael Varane weren’t communicating properly, and McTominay was again nowhere to be found when he was supposed to be covering the edge of the box. Gibbs-White is a talented player, and he was given far too much room to shoot. 2-1 to Forest.

United pushed again for another equalizer and were aided by a staggering 10 minutes of stoppage time, but the best they could muster was a deflected effort from midfielder Bruno Fernandes that was saved by Turner. A few more routine saves from the American keeper helped Forest out the rest of the match, and the Garibaldi Reds 2-1 winners on the day. It was their first ever victory over United at the City Ground, and it was a crucial three points towards their survival at the end of the season. All credit to Forest and Nuno, but United were bad yet again.

Frustratingly, there was again a lack of urgency and desire from the players until they were already down 1-0. I don’t know why they don’t start trying until they’re already losing. Another big factor was ETH’s initial tactics and substitutions. He insists on playing Garnacho on the left wing, with opposite winger Antony dos Santos occupying the right wing. This is a good idea if both are encouraged to cut inside and get shots away from distance, but teams have figured out that tactic and they know how to prevent it. Antony in particular was poor today. It’s not a coincidence that United improved when he was taken off and replaced by fellow winger Amad Diallo. Antony has scored just one goal in 33 matches in 2023, and he has not justified his £85 million price tag. I don’t know why ETH simply doesn’t swap Garnacho and Antony so they can ping crosses in with their preferred foot. The “cutting inside to shoot” tactic isn’t working and hasn’t worked, so why not try something different?

Further, taking off Mainoo for McTominay was utterly baffling from ETH. Mainoo has been one of our better midfielders since breaking into the first team earlier this season, and he was doing fairly well at helping to control the midfield. So why was he taken off? There was no injury or yellow card situation for him, but ETH still elected to take him off at halftime anyway. As has been discussed before on this blog, McTominay is not a defensive midfielder. He is simply not good at it and is much more suited to attacking than the defending. It could be argued that McTominay was at fault for both Forest goals due to being out of position both times. United may still have lost anyway, but I think Mainoo would have done much better at helping the defense than McTominay did.

This is the first match where I’ve really questioned what ETH is trying to do. He needs to stop trying to make the inverted winger tactic work, and he really needs to ensure that McTominay is not playing as a defensive midfielder. Is it stubbornness from the Dutchman? Lack of options? I know the injuries have been bad this season, but I think United could have nicked a draw today had Mainoo been on the pitch longer. ETH really needs to re-evaluate his tactics, and the team selection needs further scrutiny as well. Put Antony on the left, Garnacho on the right, and stick a center forward between the two of them with Bruno in behind. Let’s get a lot more players into the box and have the wingers play crosses in to them. And at the risk of sounding like a broken record, there needs to be a lot more desire and drive from a good portion of this United team.

United remain 7th in the Premier League table, but could fall as far as 9th once Brighton and Newcastle play their games in hand tomorrow. Next up, it’s a short trip to Wigan, England for a match in the FA Cup with Wigan Athletic. The FA Cup is our last chance at a trophy this season, and ETH really needs a victory there to restore some of the supporters’ faith in him. If they lose to a lower league side in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, the seat underneath ETH will become very hot indeed.

Glazers Out!

Premier League: United Come From Behind to Beat Forest

Manchester United hosted East Midlands club Nottingham Forest earlier today at a rainy Old Trafford in the Premier League. The Red Devils were looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat last weekend away at Tottenham, but they were hindered by the losses of left back Luke Shaw and midfielder Mason Mount through injury. Forest meanwhile were riding high after they beat Sheffield United last weekend, and they knew that they didn’t necessarily need a victory today. Forest and manager Steve Cooper are merely trying to stay up like they were last season, and anything on top of that would be icing on the cake. Earning a draw would be a more than satisfactory result for them. All of the pressure was on United manager Erik ten Hag and the rest of the squad to deliver a performance the supporters could feel good about.

Forest were the first to score though, and they did so within two minutes of kickoff. United had actually won a corner, but the cross into the box was cleared away and back out towards the halfway line. Unfortunately, United striker Marcus Rashford (who was covering defensively for some reason) was caught flat-footed, and he was beaten to the bouncing ball by Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi. Rashford is normally not a defender, and Awoniyi was at least a yard ahead of the rest of the United defense as they had committed so many men forward. Awoniyi carried the ball into the box with United keeper Andre Onana retreating, and he finally got a shot away under a challenge from Rashford. The shot fooled Onana and rolled into the goal despite not having a ton of power on it. Onana maybe could have done better to go out and challenge Awoniyi, and Rashford has to be quicker to the ball if he is going to be tasked with defensive cover on corner kicks. Regardless, it was 1-0 Forest and those who had travelled north from Trentside were in celebration mode.

United’s misery was further compounded just two minutes later, when Forest got a second goal. Winger Brennan Johnson won a foul on the right wing after being brought down by deputizing left back Diogo Dalot. Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White stepped up to take the free kick, and he whipped in a sublime ball to the center of the box. Forest center back Willy Boly was standing in the area, and he simply re-directed the ball down and to Onana’s left with his head. It rolled over the line and the rapturous celebration from the away fans’ section that hadn’t really died down from the first goal was re-ignited anew. Very poor set-piece marking from United on this one. Boly didn’t even have to jump to get to the cross. A good ball from Gibbs-White and a controlled header from Boly to be sure, but someone in red needed to get in the way of that one. It was the fastest United had ever gone down 2-0 at Old Trafford, and it took just 3 minutes and 47 seconds.

It was the worst possible opening four minutes for United, but it would be unfair to say that United did not improve after that. They took some time to re-establish possession and start creating chances, and they got their opening goal on 17 minutes from midfielder Christian Eriksen. Fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes had launched a long-range shot towards goal that Forest keeper Matt Turner could only palm away, and it fell to the feet of striker Anthony Martial off to the left of the goal. Martial played it backwards towards Rashford on the left side of the box, and Rashford beat his marker (Forest right back Serge Aurier) to the end line and played the ball along the ground. Eriksen had made a run towards goal, and he deflected the cross home with the outside of his right foot. It was the deftest of touches, but Turner couldn’t keep it out and United had a lifeline at 2-1.

Midfielder Casemiro really should have made it 2-2 on 25 minutes when he missed an open goal with his headed attempt. Turner and the Forest defense all missed the cross in from the corner completely and it fell straight to him. It’s possible the rain had made the ball slicker than usual which caused it to skid on the surface of the pitch a little, but Casemiro will be wondering for ages how he missed given that he was all alone in front of an open net. The pitch was only getting more and more damp, but the chances conversely dried up for a bit. At half time it was 2-1, with Forest definitely the happier of the two locker rooms.

United got an equalizer on 51 minutes, and this time it was the result of a set piece. Casemiro made amends for his earlier miss when he volleyed home a headed cross from Bruno. Bruno had also taken the initial free kick, playing it diagonally backwards to Rashford about 25 yards from goal. Bruno then darted into the box diagonally, leaving his marker in the dust. He headed the wondrous ball from Rashford back across goal, and Casemiro was all by himself yet again. This time he managed to take the ball on his knee then hit it home from about 3 yards out on the volley. No doubts about that one. A great set-piece goal from United, but the Forest back line were definitely guilty of ball-watching. 2-2, and United smelled blood.

Winger Antony dos Santos nearly got a third as the clock struck 54 minutes, but his wicked curler of a shot was pushed wide by Turner. Things got worse for Forest on 67 minutes when center back Joe Worrall was shown a straight red card by the referee for bringing down Bruno after Bruno had sprinted past him. The challenge itself wasn’t super aggressive or physical, but Worrall definitely grabbed Bruno’s shirt/shorts while pulling him back. Bruno went down as a result, and the referee was well-positioned to come in and deliver the red. Worrall was just too slow to react, and it cost him and his team.

The comeback for United was completed on 76 minutes, when Bruno converted from the penalty spot. Rashford once again got the better of his marker on the left wing, and as he darted into the box he was clipped by the knee of Forest midfielder Danilo. He went to ground, and the referee pointed to the spot immediately. Rashford had been dangerous on the left wing all match, and despite not scoring today he played his best game so far this season. Turner did well to guess the correct direction of the penalty, but the placement and power on the shot from Bruno left him no chance. 3-2 to United!

Interestingly, it was Forest in the ascendancy for much of the remaining time despite being down to 10 men. They created several decent to good chances, and they were worthy of an equalizer. Onana had to be alert to deny yet another effort from Boly, and Forest striker Chris Wood really should have got contact on a peach of a cross from winger (and former United player) Anthony Elanga. After an agonizingly long 13 minutes of stoppage time, the ref finally blew his whistle and United were winners on the day.

Another victory is always good, and no one can rightly say this match wasn’t entertaining. United made it hard on themselves again, though. They conceded 2 goals in the opening 4 minutes, but then kicked into gear and scored the next 3. It’s very clear that Rashford needs to play on the left wing. Whether ETH likes it or not, Rashford is not a center forward. He caused so many problems for Forest down the left hand side today. Bruno was Man of the Match, and indeed this was probably one of his best performances in a United shirt. He is the catalyst for us. His creativity and drive in attacking midfield is essential to everything ETH wants to do tactically. He must continue to play as the number 10 in behind a striker, and not be shuffled out to right wing where he is half as effective. Good games also from Casemiro, Eriksen, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka,

I also want to give recognition to the United supporters who staged a sit-in at Old Trafford after the final whistle. Thousands of Red Devils supporters congregated in the opposite ends of the stadium to demonstrate their collective disdain for the Glazer family, owners of Manchester United. The familiar chant “We Want Glazers Out” rang out around the stadium for at least 30-45 minutes after the match had ended, with the intent being that the Glazers once and for all sell the club to another owner. There were rumblings of their intent to sell back in the summer, but it doesn’t appear that any actual progress has been made on a sale. It’s not even clear if they want to sell anymore, and hopefully this protest reminds them that they need to go. For all the reasons I’ve listed over the years writing this blog, Glazers Out!

United face a difficult test next Sunday, Sept. 3rd when they travel to London for a Premier League match with title-contenders Arsenal. United’s away form against big clubs simply must improve. If you want to win the trophy, you have to win consistently on the road. It’s one thing to win at home against a (no disrespect) bottom-half side like Forest, but it is another to go on the road and win at Arsenal. There is hope however that there will be a debut for new signing and striker Rasmus Højlund.

Glory Glory Man United!

Premier League: Defeat at Tottenham

Manchester United travelled south to London earlier today for match #2 of their Premier League schedule against Tottenham Hotspur at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They would be looking to improve on their opening day performance last Monday, a match which they won but looked far from convincing in doing so. Tottenham and new manager Ange Postecoglu were looking for their first 3 points of the season, having drawn their opening match last weekend. United manager Erik ten Hag named an unchanged lineup from the last game, which raised some eyebrows among the pundits pre-match. Everyone at the club knows that our away form against the bigger sides needs to improve, as it was abysmal last season and the main reason why we didn’t challenge for the title. This was Spurs’ first home match since the departure of talismanic striker Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, with many wondering how they are going to replace his goal production.

The first half started strongly for Tottenham, but United settled in a little and began establishing possession after the first 10 minutes or so. Half chances and narrowly missed opportunities were the theme of the first 35 minutes. Tottenham were struggling to play the ball out from the back, but United were again (like the previous match) disjointed in attack and not really clicking with one another. United had a penalty shout when the ball struck the hand of Spurs center back Cristian Romero in the box, but VAR confirmed referee Michael Oliver’s decision to not award a spot kick. Romero’s hand was up, but it was deemed to be close enough to his body to not be in an “unnatural” position, whatever that means this week.

Midfielder Bruno Fernandes should have put United ahead 1-0 right around 36 minutes or so, when a pass over the top found him all alone about 6-7 yards in front of the Tottenham goal. He tried to re-direct the pass into the far corner, but his header was far too powerful and it went over the bar. It was an embarrassing miss given how much time and space he had to put it away. Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario was relieved to see it go over, because Bruno is normally ruthless from that close.

Tottenham had the next best chances of the half, with right back Pedro Porro striking the crossbar of the United goal with keeper Andre Onana beaten. Tottenham then struck the woodwork again just a few seconds later, although this time it was via a deflected cross off Red Devils center back Lisandro Martinez. It was only down to fortune that the ball did not go in. At halftime it was 0-0, and while United were probably slightly better than the first half of the match last week, they still had nothing to show for it. Postecoglu was undoubtedly the happier manager going into the locker rooms.

Tottenham raised their urgency a bit in the early part of the second half and were rewarded for their efforts on 49 minutes with the opening goal from defensive midfielder Pape Matar Sarr. Spurs winger Dejan Kulusevski ran down the right wing with the ball virtually unchallenged before getting to the end line and playing an aerial cross back across the face of the goal. The ball took an unlucky deflection off Martinez before falling straight to the feet of Sarr, who buried a shot into the roof of Onana’s net. Spurs got a bit lucky to be sure, but what on earth was United left back Luke Shaw doing in the build-up? He was 20 yards off Kulusevski, and he didn’t bother to come over and make a challenge until the Swedish winger was already in the box! Very poor defending from a player who is usually sturdy at the back. Most of the blame for this goal lies at his feet.

I was looking for a sharp and positive response from United after going down, but none was forthcoming. It was dismal, really. Tottenham, led by captain and superstar winger Son Heung-min, were dominating United down their attacking left wing. It seemed like they had an extra man on that side every time they brought it forward. When United did break up an attack and get on the ball, they resulted to playing hopeful long passes instead of playing it through midfield. They couldn’t maintain any possession and were giving the ball away needlessly. Winger Antony dos Santos did manage to strike Vicario’s post just after the Spurs goal, but beyond that they looked completely toothless.

Some befuddling decisions from ETH did not help the situation. A triple change was made on 63 minutes, where he brought on winger Jadon Sancho, midfielder Christian Eriksen, and right back Diogo Dalot. Marcus Rashford, ineffective on the day, was kept as the central striker. Bruno was pushed out on to the right wing as well. Whatever the manager’s idea was, it did not work. Sancho had one or two flashes of good play, but beyond him everyone looked rather lost and disinterested in trying to get back into the game.

To add insult to injury, Tottenham got a second goal on 83 minutes, and this was a comically bad goal to concede. No luck for Tottenham this time, just more miscommunication and bad defending from United. A low and diagonal pass was played in to the United box from the left channel, with left back Ben Davies the intended recipient. Davies mishit the ball completely, but it took yet another deflection off Martinez and rolled into the goal with Onana wrong-footed. Just a terrible own-goal to concede in every way. There was no pressure on the ball in the left channel, and the back four were once again asleep at the wheel. United did not offer much of a response to this goal, either. They had more possession as the clock ticked towards 90 minutes, but aside from a few long-range efforts that did not trouble Vicario, they offered nothing. Spurs won 2-0.

Alright, damage report time. ETH deserves most of the criticism for this result. He named a starting 11 that did very little against Wolves. It’s clear after today that winger Alejandro Garnacho is not ready to start, yet. Antony was more wasteful than useful. Rashford was anonymous in the striker role for the second match in a row. Bruno missed a sitter, and then was shoved out to the right wing in the second half, which is not his preferred position. Midfielder Casemiro looked slow and off the pace yet again. Shaw went to sleep at the worst possible moment. Midfielder Mason Mount’s tactical role in the team is totally unclear. Why Sancho and fellow winger Facundo Pellistri are not starting is a complete mystery.

ETH really needs to get his tactics sorted out for the next match, and the team overall needs to play with a lot more urgency and desire. What’s worrying is that passion for the game is difficult to coach – either a player has it on the day or he doesn’t. ETH, club captain Bruno, and the other locker room leaders need to be giving each other a proper bollicking over this dismal match. Along with starts for Sancho and Pellistri, Rashford needs to be moved out to the left wing, where he feels most comfortable. Bruno needs to stay in the middle as an attacking midfielder too. It feels like ETH is trying to force a tactical plan that is not suited to the talents of our attacking players. We can’t win on the wings, we can’t play the ball through the middle, and we are still shit at set pieces. I trust ETH to make some positive changes, but they need to happen soon. Starting Anthony Martial at center forward next week will help, as will the addition of striker Rasmus Højlund once he is fully fit and ready to play. Supporters can’t rely on just Højlund to fix everything though. ETH needs to adjust his lineups and overall tactical plan.

There is still time for additional signings before the transfer window closes, but for various financial reasons, United need to clear out some current players before more can be signed. Center back Harry Maguire’s transfer to West Ham has fallen apart though, while ETH still seems to be trying to be rid of midfielder Scott McTominay. Again though, the overall tactical plan needs to be adjusted. He was exceptional at implementing a plan last season that the players bought into, and now he must do that again. One loss is not the end of the world, but these losses will multiply without changes being made.

Next match is at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest on August 26th in the Premier League. The Red Devils need to bounce back, and they need to bounce back with passion. As always, Glazers Out!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: A Comfortable Win Over Forest

Manchester United travelled to the East Midlands of England earlier today for a Premier League match with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. This was a match of great significance at both ends of the table. United could secure sole possession of 3rd place with a win or a draw, while Forest could help themselves get out of the relegation zone with a win or draw. Forest may have fancied themselves to nick a result going into the match, as United were without several star players due to injury. Further, United’s back line was a makeshift one. The center back pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof is a familiar one to supporters, but they have not played together much this season. Injuries to regular left backs Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia also meant that Diogo Dalot (normally a right back) was required to play on the left hand side of defense. Forest and manager Steve Cooper were also without several important players.

United were the better team almost straight away. Winger Jadon Sancho was denied by Forest keeper Keylor Navas just south of two minutes into the game. The midfield was playing extremely well, particularly Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes. Even though there are injuries in defense and attack, the midfield three of Bruno, Eriksen, and Casemiro is an absolute joy to watch. All three of them are very calm in possession and are never rushed when making passes. They always seem to know what to do and when to do it. Bruno and Eriksen were both making forward runs from the middle of the park, and Bruno was pinging passes all over the pitch. Forest had a half chance or two from set pieces, but nothing clear-cut. Winger Antony dos Santos was also in fine form for United, and it was he who got the visiting side’s opening goal on 32 minutes.

Navas had also produced a series of fine saves up until that point, but there was nothing he could do about this one. Striker Anthony Martial stole the ball off a Forest player high up the pitch after they dawdled on it, and the loose ball rolled straight to Bruno. Martial had intelligently made a run towards the goal, and Bruno hit it straight back to him. Martial got a powerful shot off with his left foot about 10 yards from goal, but Navas did well to parry it away. Unfortunately for Forest though, the rebound fell directly into the path of Antony who poked home from close range. As any football fan would say, it’s always dangerous to give the ball away in your own defensive third. United were very quick to punish that transgression, despite the big save from Navas. 1-0 to United!

Forest were then presented with a decent chance about 10 minutes later when a heavy touch/attempted clearance from Dalot allowed Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi to get a shot away from just inside the box, but he blazed it over the top of keeper David De Gea’s goal. Bruno saw his header from a good position go wide in stoppage time, but the first half ended at 1-0. A dominant half from United, but there were one or two worries in defense.

Bruno was at it again in the second half. A short corner was played back to him, and he decided to take a shot at goal from an unforgiving angle. The shot was whipped in with pace from the left side of the box, only for Navas to get a hand to it and deflect the ball onto the crossbar. It bounced away harmlessly. Such was the power on the shot that it left the crossbar rattling, so credit to Navas for doing enough to keep it out. Antony then went wide again from the resulting corner. Navas then had to get down to his right to keep a shot from Bruno out on the 60 minute mark. Eriksen forced Navas into an easier but nonetheless important save on 63 minutes as well. It was just wave after wave of United attacks, but Navas was single-handedly (pardon the pun) keeping Forest in the match. The best chance for the Garibaldi Reds was on 73 minutes when a corner taken by midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White was met at De Gea’s near post by center back Felipe, but his header went over the bar from close range. A let-off, most assuredly.

United sealed all three points on 76 minutes however, and the goal came from the unlikely source of Dalot. A neat passing move through the middle saw the ball fall to Antony on the right wing, and he used his immense dribbling skill to run with the ball towards the middle of the box. The Forest center backs came out to challenge him, which allowed Antony to spot the run of Dalot from his left back position in behind them and through the middle. Antony fed him a sublime ball, and Dalot took a touch to dig the ball out from under his feet before firing past an onrushing Navas for 2-0! Dalot hasn’t scored in any competition for United in 5 years, and this was his first goal in the Premier League. He celebrated wildly, and the travelling support for United was right there with him. Dalot did well with his run and finish, but credit also needs to go to Antony for his run and pass, along with the tactics of manager Erik ten Hag. ETH has used the fullbacks in the center of pitch in attack several times this season, and it’s very difficult for teams to defend when the players are so adept at executing it. Normally full backs are out wide or back defending, but having them run through the middle into the box provides an extra man in that area, and defenders can sometimes be unclear as to who they are supposed to mark. That’s exactly what happened here! The run of Antony pulled the defenders out of position and Dalot was in the perfect spot to punish them for it.

The match ended without too much further drama. Forest knew they were beaten once the second goal went in, and United played possession for the final 20 minutes or so. The whistle blew at full time and United won 2-0! While there is no such thing as a routine win in the Prem, this was about as close it gets. The Red Devils were dominant in almost every aspect of the game, and if not for Navas it could have been 4 or 5 goals for them today. United moved into sole possession of third place in the Prem, three points clear of Newcastle and six points clear of Tottenham with a game in hand. There are still 8 matches and 24 points up for grabs, but United look very strong to finish in the top-4. ETH will be happy with his side’s clinical display after the collapse in mid-week versus Sevilla. Fantastic matches from Bruno, Martial, Antony, and Dalot. De Gea is now in the lead for the Golden Gloves too, awarded to the keeper who registers the most clean sheets each season.

It gives me no pleasure or joy to state this as Forest are my second team, but they are in trouble. They still have a decent chance at avoiding relegation due to the poor form of the teams around them in the table, but today was a good opportunity to get a result given United’s injuries. But it just simply didn’t happen. The club’s owner Evangelos Marinakis has spent quite a lot of money in the hopes his team stays up, but they’ve gone through 3 different sporting directors already this season. I firmly believe that turbulence in the offices leads to turbulence on the pitch. They’ve brought in a ton of seemingly-quality players, but all of these new faces means that they need time to adjust to one another. The chemistry isn’t there in attack. There’s also a question of complacency among the players at times, so Cooper needs to rally his men for the final push. They showed signs of life at times in this match, but in the end United’s talent in midfield won the day. Realistically, if Forest can beat bottom-dwellers Southampton on May 8 and then scrape a win from one of the other matches, they just might stay up. It’s going to be a nervy run-in, but all is not lost despite the bleak outlook.

United next travel to Spain on Thursday for the return leg of their Europa League quarterfinal with Sevilla. After that they return to England, but they will head south to Wembley for their FA Cup Semifinal against Brighton & Hove Albion next Sunday. It’s the business end of the season, so let’s hope they get some business done!

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Europa League: A Frustrating, Maddening, and Downright Annoying Draw

Manchester United played hosts to Spanish side Sevilla CF earlier today in the Europa League quarterfinals at Old Trafford. This was the first leg of a two-leg tie, with the return leg in Andalucia next Thursday. Although United were without leading scorer Marcus Rashford due to injury, the Red Devils were still favored to progress in this tie. Sevilla have been in bad form for a good chunk of the season in La Liga, and they are on their 3rd manager (Jose Luis Mendilibar) of the season as well. United manager Erik ten Hag was expecting intensity from his players in both attack and defense, and he would have wanted United to kill off this tie early if possible. They were boosted by the return of defensive midfielder Casemiro, who had been unavailable due to suspension for roughly the past month.

Things could not have gone much better for United in the first 20+ minutes. They had the ball in the back of the net just 27 seconds in to the match thanks to a crisp run and pass from winger Antony dos Santos and a finish from fellow winger Jadon Sancho, but the offside flag went up and the goal was ruled out. United kept at it however, and were rewarded with a goal on 14 minutes from midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. A slick passing move down the left hand side of the pitch saw the ball at the feet of midfielder Bruno Fernandes, who spotted Sabitzer ahead of him standing on the shoulder of the last Sevilla defender. Bruno played the ball along the ground, and Sabitzer used a magnificent first touch to create space between himself and his marker. He unleashed a shot towards goal, and it took the slightest of deflections off the leg of the Sevilla defender. That deflection put the ball in the air, and Sevilla keeper Bono (no, not that Bono) couldn’t get to it. 1-0 to United! Interesting positioning by ETH and the midfielders for this goal. You would normally expect Sabitzer to be playing the ball in to Bruno given their usual positions in the team selection, but credit to Sabitzer for being forward enough to take the shot. Sabitzer is not an attacking midfielder, but ETH deployed him there today and the results paid off.

The big Austrian wasn’t done either. He got his and United’s second goal on 21 minutes thanks to a great counter-attack primarily orchestrated by striker Anthony Martial. Sevilla had the ball forward, but the cross in to the box was cleared by Casemiro. The clearance was made in the direction of Martial, and he did well to get to the ball and win it from the Sevilla player closing down on him. After a nifty first touch, he brought the ball forward expediently with Sabitzer, Antony, and Sancho joining him. He spotted the run of Sabitzer directly ahead of him, and played a perfect pass into his path. Sabitzer was through on-goal by himself, and he shot the ball with his left foot around the onrushing Bono. He buried it from about 12 yards out for 2-0! A great counter-attacking goal and a brace for Sabitzer! Martial is not only a great finisher (when healthy), but his link-up play and passing are vital to ETH’s tactics. He must stay fit if United are to continue playing well.

At 2-0 most thought it would merely be a question of how many United scored, but there were no more goals in the first half from either side. United probably should have had more though, but too often they were undone by indecision at key moments. Sancho was the main culprit guilty of this. He had the ball in a promising attacking position at least twice in the first half, only for him to take too long to make a decision. The chance would then evaporate, and Sevilla would be let off the hook. Sevilla forward Erik Lamela was lucky to escape a red card for a challenge on Casemiro on 37 minutes, and then Bruno was harshly yellow-carded for a handball just outside the area on 41 minutes. That meant he would miss the return fixture in Spain next week due to yellow card accumulation. Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitić put the resulting free kick from a promising position over keeper David De Gea’s bar. The visitor’s best chance of the half came deep into stoppage time when a header from a corner was parried into the air by De Gea and then cleared out from under the crossbar by the massive frame of United center back Raphael Varane. It was 2-0 at halftime, but worryingly Varane had to come off due to injury. He was replaced by fellow center back and club captain Harry Maguire.

Sevilla improved after the break, particularly in the middle of the pitch. They had a lot more energy all of a sudden and United were struggling to get onto the ball. The addition of the pacey and experienced winger Jesus Navas was likely a big part of the reason for that. Sevilla were not creating too many dangerous chances in attack, but they were winning possession more frequently and completing more passes. Antony remained the most dangerous player for United. His pace was causing problems for Sevilla’s left back, and he was trying to pull off one of his trademark left-footed goals where he cuts inside his marker from the right wing. He almost got United to 3-0 around 61 minutes when one of those very moves resulted in his shot hitting the inside of Bono’s far post and bouncing away. Bruno and Martial were replaced shortly after that by midfielder Christian Eriksen and striker Wout Weghorst. Sancho was replaced by winger Anthony Elanga, and Antony was also later taken off on 81 minutes, replaced by fellow winger Facundo Pellistri. Things seemed to be in hand for the Red Devils.

But the final 6 minutes plus stoppage time of this match was one of the most bizarre and unlucky passages of play Old Trafford has ever seen. To start off, Sevilla managed to pull a goal back on 84 minutes thanks to a bad mistake from United left back Tyrell Malacia. Malacia had been having a below-average game generally speaking, but he really let the side down when he failed to clear a cross towards Navas at De Gea’s back post. The ball had a lot of pace on it and Navas’s effort back across was hopefully at best, but it took a wicked deflection back off Malacia and into De Gea’s net from close range. 2-1 United, and Sevilla had life again. To make matters worse, center back Lisandro Martinez went down unchallenged on 86 minutes, appearing to injure his ankle or heel. Non-contact injuries are usually the scariest ones, especially this time as Martinez had to be carried off the pitch.

Sevilla continued their domination, with winger Lucas Ocampo in particularly fiery form. He was creating everything for them in the final few minutes. They registered more shots on target in the final two minutes plus stoppage time than they did in the whole match previous. The bad luck continued to flow for United into stoppage time, when they conceded the equalizer. A cross came in from Ocampo on the right wing, with substitute striker Youssef En-Nesyri rising high to head it back across goal. The ball hit Maguire straight against his massive head and deflected backwards, with De Gea not able to react in time to it. 2-2, with United guilty of conceding two own-goals. Incredibly frustrating. Maguire knew nothing about it, either. It just bonked him on the head from close range.

Sevilla had one or two more half chances to get a winner, but the final whistle blew and the match ended in a draw that never should have been. United were in cruise control for 80 minutes, and were half an inch away from being 3-0 up and the tie effectively over. It must be said that United’s substitutes let them down today. ETH’s hand was forced into making changes by injuries and yellow cards, and the players who came on simply were not good enough. Our goal threat dried up as soon as Bruno and Martial went off. Meanwhile, Mendilibar’s subs worked like a charm, and his side were galvanized by United failing to score more than two. Navas and En-Nesyri really shined under the bright lights. It’s possible that ETH maybe got his tactical changes wrong once the subs came on too, but bad luck was a huge factor in the result as well. It’s so damn annoying to concede two goals in such a fashion. The first one was mostly on Malacia, but the second one was simply an unlucky bounce. Sevilla would argue they deserved a bit of luck of course, and maybe they did given their dominance in the final minutes.

By far the biggest concern for United though is the health of Martinez, and Varane to a lesser extent. They are the best center-back pairing United have, with Martinez in particular being of crucial importance to the back line. He has been a bulldog back there all season, and his presence will be sorely missed. It is unclear just how long he will be out, but the biggest hope is that he hasn’t damaged his Achilles tendon. If he has, he faces more than a year out in recovery, and it’s possible that he’s not the same player when he gets back. ETH dismissed an Achilles injury in his post-match comments, but obviously more will be known in the coming days. He certainly will not be available for the next match. The grueling fixture list really caught up to United today. They are now without Varane, Martinez, Rashford, midfielder Scott McTominay, and possibly left back Luke Shaw for the match on Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, United will travel to the East Midlands of England for a Premier League match with Nottingham Forest. Forest are in a relegation battle and desperately need points, and they will be inwardly buoyed by United’s poor ending to this match and the growing injury list. United need three points to continue pushing for the top-4, and Forest need anything positive to improve their chances of staying up. That match will be a battle for sure. United then travel to Spain for the reverse fixture in this tie on Thursday, April 20th. At 2-2, it’s now anyone’s tie.

League Cup: Solid Victory at the City Ground – One Foot in the Final

Manchester United travelled to the East Midlands of England today for the first leg of a semifinal matchup in the League Cup with Nottingham Forest at the historic City Ground. I am not sure why the League/Carabao/EFL/Whatever The Hell It’s Called Now Cup has a two-legged semifinal, aside from the obvious financial windfall. In any event, the winner will be whichever side scores more aggregate goals over the two fixtures. This was United’s first time travelling to Nottingham in 24 years, having beaten them in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Boxing Day. The managers of both clubs – Steve Cooper and Erik ten Hag – knew that the League Cup was their best chance at a trophy this season, having made it so far already. Both managers fielded strong teams as a result.

United were off and running almost straight away, with in-form striker Marcus Rashford notching the opening goal just six minutes into the match. United were playing the ball out from the back after a throw-in, with midfielder Casemiro finding Rashford in space on the left wing about 15 yards inside his own half. Rashford picked up the ball and immediately ran forward with it. He was unchallenged until the edge of the penalty area, when he cut inside two Forest defenders with a nifty move. He then took a touch to steady himself before firing a low shot past Forest keeper Wayne Hennessey (deputizing for United loanee Dean Henderson) at his near post. It was a truly amazing run from Rashford, although he faced little to no resistance from the Forest defense. Take nothing away from his run though – he is simply unstoppable right now and looks like he’s going to score in every game!

Forest steadied themselves a bit after that thanks to a change in formation, which brought an end to United’s dominance on the ball. The Garibaldi Reds were very quick to break out of their defensive shape once they were on the ball, and they almost punished United when striker Sam Surridge had the ball in the back of keeper David De Gea’s net about halfway through the first half. It was an excellent move from Forest that had the Red Devils center backs reeling, but a VAR check showed that Surridge was inches offside when the ball was passed to him. It was a very close call, and in the days before VAR it would probably would have stood. A tough break for Forest and a wake-up call for United.

Forest continued to play well, with players such as striker Gustavo Scarpa and winger/forward Brennan Johnson causing problems for the United back line. Center back Victor Lindelof played rather precariously at times today as a result of their efforts. United landed a massive body blow however on the stroke of half time, and it was thanks to our new signing, striker Wout Weghorst. The ball was played up the pitch quickly by United from a goal kick, and it was eventually played to winger Antony dos Santos. Santos took a touch that popped the ball into the air and he hit towards goal on the volley, but it was saved by Hennessey. Unlucky for him though, the rebound fell straight to Weghorst who made no mistake with his powerful poacher-like finish over Hennessey and into the goal. Weghorst has done well defensively for United so far since his arrival, but we signed him to score goals, and he did that today. Great positioning, great awareness, great finish. A truly predatory goal from the lanky Dutchman that opened his United scoring account. 2-0 at halftime!

Many would have thought that 2-0 would be a good enough result for United even though we were only at halftime, but I wanted another goal to really seal the result and give United breathing room in the return fixture next week. Forest at the City Ground are never going to give up on a match just because they are losing. The second half was decidedly less tense and energetic than the first though, and on the balance of play you would have picked United to get a third over Forest getting their first. ETH was also making substitutions as the half wore on, including taking off Rashford, Antony, and midfielder Christian Eriksen. Eriksen did manage to hit the crossbar with an impressive long-range shot before coming off, though.

United sealed the result and maybe the tie on 89 minutes. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes played a ball straight forward ahead of him into the path of substitute winger Facundo Pellestri, but the Forest defense won it off of him inside the penalty area. They couldn’t clear it though, and it fell to fellow substitute winger Anthony Elanga. Elanga was not in a position to shoot due to the wall of bodies around him, but he had the vision to find Bruno on his follow up run with a lofted pass. The ball fell just as Bruno arrived, and he powered home a low and skidding shot past Hennessey and into the left hand side of the net from about 16 yards or so. Well done to Elanga for keeping the play alive after the initial chance had gone, and well done to Bruno for his run and finish. 3-0, and the result was in the bag!

Forest now face an Everest-caliber mountain to climb in the return leg at Old Trafford next Wednesday. Not only do they have to score three goals against a stingy United defense, they cannot let United score either. I do feel they can achieve either a clean sheet or scoring three, but I do not feel they can do both simultaneously. United now have the luxury of perhaps rotating and resting some players in midweek next week, given that all they really need is a 0-0 draw. In the end the score line was a little flattering on United given the struggles in the first half, but Weghorst’s goal right on halftime was a backbreaker for Forest. Well done to him, Rashford, Bruno, and center back Lisandro Martinez for their excellent games today. United are within touching distance of a Wembley final for the first time since 2017!

United return to Old Trafford at the weekend for a 4th Round FA Cup tie against Reading on Saturday. Anything can happen in the FA Cup, but a victory is expected.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: United Defeat Forest at Old Trafford

The English domestic leagues all resumed yesterday on Boxing Day, but United’s first league fixture post-World Cup was today at Old Trafford against Nottingham Forest. Forest, newly promoted from the Championship last season, visited Old Trafford for the first time 24 years (almost exactly) today. As United were heavy favorites, Forest would have been more than happy with an away draw. Given the severe wind and rain falling on Manchester before and during the match, a draw could have very much been on the table.

A brief personal aside before the recap – no matter the outcome of this match, I wasn’t going to be too disappointed. The Red Devils are my team of course and I always want them to win, but I definitely have a soft spot for Forest. I know having a second team is sometimes frowned upon giving the tribalism of club football, but I have close personal connections to the club through my grandparents. I was also fortunate enough to take a tour of the City Ground in 2007, and I have a lot of respect for the prestigious history of the East Midlands club.

That said, this was a match dominated by United from almost start to finish. They were on the ball more, had better chances, and ran the press very effectively today. Striker Marcus Rashford opened the scoring on 19 minutes, and it was a rare set-piece goal for United! Before midfielder Christian Eriksen played the ball in, about 4-5 United players all went and stood near the back post. Forest’s defenders naturally went with them, and that created a lot of space in front of the right side of the goal. Eriksen played a neat pass towards the center of the area, which Rashford ran onto with no one around him. He hit the ball first time with a deft touch that re-directed the ball across the goal and over Forest keeper Wayne Hennessey’s head. A rehearsed and executed set piece is always great to see, and it was doubly good given that United haven’t scored many from set pieces in recent seasons.

Forest’s damp misery was compounded just three minutes later, when a classic United counter-attack down the left hand side saw striker Anthony Martial net his 3rd goal of the season. The ball was won by midfielder Casemiro just outside United’s own penalty area, and it was very quickly played up the left wing. Rashford got on the end of an aerial ball over the top of the defense down the left, and danced about with it for a second or two on the edge of the area. He found Martial in a central position with space, so he played a simple ball along the ground to him. Martial nutmegged a Forest defender with his shot, and while it was close to Hennessey the nutmeg seemed to wrong-foot him somehow. He completely misjudged the path of the shot, and could only get a weak right hand to it before the ball went in. A bad error on his part. Hennessey is not a bad keeper, but it was clear that Forest were missing their normal starter Dean Henderson. Interestingly, the only reason Henderson couldn’t play today was due to the rules surrounding the loaning of players. Henderson is on loan to Forest from United this season, which renders him ineligible to play against his parent club.

Forest grew into the game a bit and won themselves a set piece about thirty minutes in, and midfielder Ryan Yates thought he had notched one back for his side when his header from a set piece. He did well to lose his marker Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and he appeared push the ball home with his leg past United keeper David De Gea. There was a lengthy VAR check however, and unluckily for Forest the goal was ruled out for offside. Yates was onside, but after his first touch replays showed that the ball actually came off the leg of striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who was indeed in an offside position after Yates’s first touch. Unlucky for Forest and for neutrals, but the right call nevertheless. Neither side created many more chances before halftime and the teams went in to towel themselves off with the score 2-0 to United.

The second half continued much in the same fashion. United were dominant in possession and passing, and they were creating the better chances. Hennessey had steadied himself a bit though, and he produced some fine saves from United winger Antony dos Santos and midfielder Bruno Fernandes to keep his side in the match. Forest were still rather woeful going forward, but they kept United at bay for large portions of the second half. They did fashion the occasional corner, but De Gea and the United back line were never seriously concerned.

United got their third and the game-sealer on 87 minutes. Forest were attempting to break out from the back, and the ball was given away just outside their own area. It’s never good to give the ball away and it’s borderline suicidal against a team in good form like United is. The ball was recovered by Casemiro, who took some neat touches around Forest defenders before finding substitute midfielder Fred with a low ball across the face of goal. Fred was largely unmarked, and while he isn’t known for finishing he did well with this one – firing a shot back across goal into the right hand side of the net that Hennessey had no chance at. A good finish from Fred who was in the right place at the right time. After 5 minutes of stoppage time in which no more major chances were created, the final whistle blew and it finished 3-0.

From United manager Erik ten Hag’s point of view, this was a very good match. Three goals, three points, and clean sheet are never to be complained about. Maybe they should have finished one or two more chances, but that is nitpicking at best. Rashford and Casemiro are on form, our counter-press was run extremely well, and we finished the chances we created. Good run outs for players like Donny Van de Beek and Alejandro Garnacho in the second half as well. In short, this was a match United needed to win comfortably, and they did. Casemiro might be the best defensive midfielder in the world! We’ve needed a player like him for so long and it’s great to see him clicking with Eriksen and Bruno. United remain 5th in the Prem, but are a scant 1 point behind Tottenham in 4th with a game in hand.

While a loss is obviously disappointing for Forest, it’s not the end of the world. Their sole and singular goal this season is to survive relegation, and they have already done some good things to prevent that from happening. They will not be relegated just because they lost this match today. They need to focus on beating the other teams in the lower half of the table. If they can consistently get good results against the bottom six or so clubs, they will stay up this season. They are not a bad team, they just played a much better one today. I certainly hope they stay up, and I think they have enough quality to do so.

United next travel to Wolverhampton for a Premier League match against the Wanderers on New Years Eve. Wolves will provide a tougher test than Forest, but three points is still expected.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

We’re Back! Manchester United Defeat Burnley in the League Cup

The World Cup has ended and there’s barely any time to catch our breath because the Red Devils resumed their domestic season today with a 2-0 win over Championship-side Burnley in the League Cup Round of 16. A number of players for United were not quite available yet due to recovering from the World Cup, so there was quite a bit of rotation for manager Erik ten Hag. Meanwhile, Burnley manager Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany was looking for his team to continue their good form before the break and pull a shock upset of United at Old Trafford.

This match was fairly open throughout, and it was obvious that United were missing some key pieces in midfield and defense. However, this is the League Cup. It simply does not have the gravitas and importance as the other trophies United will play for this season, so it’s probably a good thing that players like Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Harry Maguire did not play. This did lead to a shortage at center back for ETH though, so defensive midfielder Casemiro was deployed next to Victor Lindelof in central defense. Reserve keeper Martin Dubravka also found himself starting over usual keeper David De Gea.

There was a good tempo to the game, and Burnley had the first chance in the opening minutes. United steadied themselves though and eventually were in the lead on 27 minutes when midfielder Bruno Fernandes found the run of right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka towards the end line. AWB did very well to get on the end of the aerial pass and hit it back across goal with one touch, where the ball found the run of midfielder Christian Eriksen. Eriksen side-footed a shot into the roof of the Burnley net, with keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell (what a name!) having no chance at saving it. A very fine goal by the lads in red indeed! No rust or lack of chemistry there. Three touches and it was in the back of the net! Well done to AWB in particular for timing his run and getting on the end of the pass from Bruno.

United had created some good chances up until that point, but Burnley were doing fairly well themselves. They put together some more fine attacking moves in response to the goal, but they couldn’t quite finish them off. Dubravka was contributing to Burnley’s positive response, unfortunately. He was caught on the ball on more than one occasion, and that led to some very nervy moments indeed. Burnley’s finishing was questionable, but so was Dubravka’s keeping. Still though, at halftime it was 1-0 and all was there to play for.

The second half continued to be very open, with both sides pushing men forward when the opportunity presented itself. However, it was United who would strike for the second time on 57 minutes via winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford, fresh off his World Cup campaign where he scored three goals for England, picked up the ball just inside his own half after being fed by Scott McTominay. Rashford saw space ahead of him so he took off running with the ball at his feet, and none of the Burnley defenders could get near him without conceding a foul. He used his lightning quick pace to dribble into the right side of the area, before darting between two defenders and lashing a low shot towards goal. He was aiming for the far corner, and his shot dipped in for 2-0 even with The Peacock diving for it. A goal of a different sort than the first one, but it still counts all the same. Rashford showed he will have no problems getting back to business for United, despite the break.

Burnley’s best chance came late on when striker Ashley Barnes flashed the ball wide of Dubravka’s post after a bad giveaway by Casemiro. It was a mistake by United, but Burnley again failed to capitalize. Dubravka also had some more questionable decisions in the second half and was almost caught out again more than once. United defenders even had to clear the ball off the goal-line at one point. It was good covering in the end, but Dubravka had easily the shakiest clean sheet I have seen in some time today. He kept the ball out and at the end of the day that’s all he has to do, but it was nervy indeed.

The final whistle blew and United qualified for the quarterfinals of the League Cup, with ETH able to make subs late on with the intent of re-acclimating the players to club football. A very good game from Rashford, AWB, Alejandro Garnacho, Anthony Martial, and Bruno. A very questionable game from Dubravka and even McTominay, who struggled to consistently stay in the game despite his assist to Rashford. Casemiro was mostly dominant while deputizing at center back, but he did make the error that almost led to Burnley scoring. Getting more players back as the month of December closes out will be important. Very happy to see Martial play in a match and not get injured during it, but another striker is still needed in January to finish off the chances we create. No more Cristiano Ronaldo, after all.

The Premier League resumes for United next Tuesday, when they play newly-promoted Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on December 27th.

Glory Glory Man United!

A Football Miracle – Nottingham Forest Promoted to the Premier League

Today was the final match of the club season for 2021-2022, and it featured two teams from the Championship pitted against one another at a packed Wembley Stadium for a chance to be promoted to the Premier League. Not only does the Prem bring prestige for a club should they win and be promoted, it also brings the financial reward of at least £170 million via TV revenue. Fulham and Bournemouth had already been promoted, leaving Nottingham Forest, Huddersfield Town, Sheffield United, and Luton Town to fight it out in the Championship playoffs for the final spot. Forest and Huddersfield dispatched Sheffield and Luton respectively about two weeks ago, leaving them to play for the final spot.

Forest were the stronger team for most of the first half. They kept possession well and were the ones asking questions of Huddersfield early on. It was clear that Forest wanted to work the ball down the right hand side, through their talented right wing players like Djed Spence and Brennan Johnson. They created a few good chances and forced a few saves from the Huddersfield keeper, but seemed to be frustrated by the back-5 employed by the Terriers.

A breakthrough came on 43 minutes though, with Forest finally capitalizing on their possession. A ball was clipped into the box high up from the left hand side by midfielder (and Manchester United loanee) James Garner, with the intended target being his fellow midfielder Ryan Yates. Yates took a swing at the ball and appeared to miss, only for it to come off the knee of Huddersfield defender Levi Colwill who was closely marking him. The ball took a wicked deflection and flew into the net, sending the 40,000 or so Forest supporters in attendance into ecstasy. It’s true that there was a bit of luck to the goal, but any footballer will tell you that it doesn’t matter how the ball goes in – as long as it does. Forest scoring just before halftime when Huddersfield had defended well up until that point was probably mentally debilitating as well, especially because it was an own goal. Colwill in particular was probably beside himself, and understandably so.

The second half saw Huddersfield grow into the game more, and they started creating some of their own chances as well. Forest are a well-organized side defensively though, and there always seemed to be a defender on cue to clear the ball just when things started to look dangerous. The second half was most notable however for two controversial penalty decisions from referee John Moss and VAR. For me, the first incident, where Forest defender Jack Colback made contact on the ankle of Huddersfield left back Harry Toffolo in the box, was not a penalty at all. Yes there was contact, but the Tofollo was already heading to the ground of his own volition when the contact was made. It was a dive into contact, and thusly it was correct that no penalty was given. VAR confirmed Moss’s no-call.

The second one was much closer in terms of it being an actual penalty. I don’t remember the names of the players involved, but fairly late on in the match a Huddersfield player went down in the box after a clumsy challenge from a Forest defender, who slid in slightly from behind and made contact with the attacking player’s leg. Again though, Moss was unmoved by the penalty appeals. There was again an indication that the Terriers forward was already going down before contact was made, but I have seen penalties given in this situation. For whatever reason though, Moss did not indicate for a penalty and VAR was not consulted. Much like the goal, it was a lucky break for Forest. Sometimes in big finals like this one though, a bit of luck is needed.

After what felt like an agonizingly long final 20 minutes or so, Forest held on through a whopping six minutes of stoppage time. Huddersfield only really had one good chance in that time, a scuffed shot wide on 93 minutes. I have to question the lack of urgency that Huddersfield showed today. They were down 1-0 for over 45 minutes but played like it was a level score line for some reason. I didn’t see much consistent tenacity from them today, and I have to wonder why given what was at stake.

But the final whistle eventually rang out around Wembley, and Forest were exuberant. The players collapsed on the pitch in celebration, the fans roared in approval, and manager Steve Cooper looked to be beside himself. 23 years of pain from wallowing in the Championship and League One have come to an end for Nottingham Forest.

Speaking of Cooper, the job he’s done this season for Forest is nothing short of miraculous – hence the title of this post. To put in perspective, Forest were bottom of the Championship after 8 matches played, with a measly 1 point earned. Former manager Chris Houghton was sacked, and Cooper was appointed on September 21, 2021. Since then, Forest have accumulated more points than anyone else in the Championship, and the City Ground became a veritable fortress for the Reds. Cooper helped the Reds gain a phenomenal 79 points over their remaining matches, and they were on the door step of automatic promotion before finishing 4th in the table and qualifying for the playoffs. To get them from the basement and going nowhere to now being promoted borders on the supernatural. Teams that start off that poorly typically do not end up being promoted; not even close.

Not only does the club earn at least £170m thank to promotion, this will be a big economic boost to the city of Nottingham as well. The East Midlands is in desperate need of a financial injection to get their economy going again thanks to the pandemic, and this will help with that. Travelling supporters will be flocking to Nottingham for matches next season, and they will bring with them plenty of spending money. Promotion to the top flight is huge for the pubs, shops, restaurants, and tax revenue generated for the city.

Well done, Forest. Truly well done. But now the hard work begins. The chairman and board of directors need to invest the funds earned today wisely. Who is coming and who is staying will be key topics of discussion over the summer. The goal for next season must be to stay up, at all costs. And frankly, Forest will have to improve to survive the rigors of the Prem. Today though and the coming weeks are for celebration and relaxation. I imagine there will be some supporters who end up in the River Trent tonight!