Manchester United in Disarray

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Glazers Out!

Premier League: Back-to-Back Defeats Leaves the Top 4 Race Hanging in the Balance

I was too upset and frustrated to write about Manchester United’s loss away to Brighton & Hove Albion last Thursday, so I thought I would wait until after the match away to West Ham United earlier today and do a double-post with the hope that the result today was better.

It wasn’t.

United have suffered back-to-back 1-0 defeats on the road against those aforementioned teams. They looked to achieve a respectable 0-0 against Brighton until center back Luke Shaw mysteriously stuck his hand in the air to meet the ball in the box in stoppage time, and midfielder Alexis Mac Alister converted a 97+ minute penalty to steal all three points for the Seagulls. Today, United were behind on 27 minutes after Hammers winger Saïd Benrahma’s speculative effort embarrassingly slipped through the gloves of United keeper David De Gea. United were unable to find the net as the match wore on. Truthfully, United could have easily lost by a 3-0 margin today in East London. The referee saved them from further goals awarded despite the Hammers finding the back of the net several times, and they likely should have been awarded a penalty for handball in first half stoppage time.

Usually I’m able to point to one specific problem that leads to a defeat, but in this case it appears there are several. Each problem by itself is probably not enough to cause these losses, but taken together it’s all a recipe for disaster.

For one, the Red Devils have been terrible away from Old Trafford this season. We have more defeats away than relegation-strugglers Everton, and it speaks to a problem with the team’s mentality and attitude. Manager Erik Ten Hag has shown he is capable of good man-management at times, but this team wilts like a flower in the July sun away from home and it must be changed going into next season. Whatever ETH did at the beginning of the year to get this team to buy in, he needs to do it again.

Another reason for these losses is the overall play of De Gea. His error today was terrible and probably one of the worst of his career. But his shot-stopping issue today is still not the biggest concern. Again, his distribution when playing the ball out from the back has been below standards in multiple matches this season. Part of that is the center back pairing in front him (and that is addressed below), but he has repeatedly shown he is not capable of effectively distributing the ball out from the back, which is crucial to the tactics and philosophy of ETH. De Gea gets it right every once in a while, but at this level he has to be much more consistent. The casual observer might think he’s had a good season given that he’s on pace to win the Golden Gloves (awarded to the keeper with the most Premier League clean sheets), but that is a misleading statistic for keepers. Keeping a clean sheet involves all 11 players, not just the keeper. ETH likes to use the keeper to start the build-up play and then for the team to move the ball up the pitch along the ground, but when the keeper is consistently making poor decisions with the initial pass, the build-up doesn’t work. ETH has resorted to letting De Gea play long balls at times, particularly against Brighton, but those haven’t been the most accurate either.

It does not help De Gea that center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane are battling long-term injuries. Martinez and Varane were first choice under ETH for a reason – both are very good on the ball and can usually withstand a high press from the opposition. Replacement center backs Victor Lindelof and Shaw have shown that they are capable defensively for the most part, but they are not as good on the ball and struggle to make the key passes into midfield when pressed. Shaw is normally very good on the wing when he plays his natural left back position, but as he has had to deputize at center back, the left wing has looked unproductive. It’s no coincidence that the scoring of forward Marcus Rashford slowed down once Shaw was required to move into central defense. Shaw and Rashford have good chemistry between them, and they scare teams with their movement and passing down the left wing. Deputy left back Tyrell Malacia had a good start to the season, but his form the last several matches covering for Shaw has left a lot to be desired in attack.

Of course, no one man or unit is responsible for the team losing. De Gea hasn’t been good, but this team is more than capable of getting results against teams like Brighton and West Ham. The rest of the outfield players have frankly been poor. Winger Antony dos Santos usually looks good for a half, then he disappears. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes is always running his tail off, but his passes haven’t been accurate recently. Midfielder Casemiro is being knocked off the ball too easily. Striker Anthony Martial hasn’t looked sharp since he returned from injury. Rashford’s goals have dried up. Striker Wout Weghorst can’t find the back of the net to save his life, and indeed no one’s finishing has been good. The list of players underperforming goes on and on. As hinted at above, this is a team that is collectively low on confidence, and it is on ETH to reignite the team’s confidence and get them firing again. It took them until the 90th minute today to really start playing with intensity, which is unacceptable. I imagine several of them will be out the door this summer while ETH continues to rebuild.

The top-4 is now in serious jeopardy for United, and failing to qualify would be borderline catastrophic for the club’s finances and moreover their ability to recruit players over the summer. They are just one point ahead of Liverpool in 5th, as these losses have seen their cushion evaporate. They still have a game in hand over Liverpool, and fortunately three of the last four matches will be at the fortress known as Old Trafford. But, all of Liverpool’s games seem very winnable for them as well. United still need 9 points to mathematically guarantee the top-4, and there are only 12 maximum points available. The Scousers and/or Tottenham Hotspur could still bottle it themselves of course, but you never want to leave qualification in the hands of the opposition.

United return to Old Trafford next Saturday to host Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves are safe from relegation and likely do not have much to play for, so hopefully United are able to get back on track with three points.

FA Cup: United Through to the FA Cup Final on Penalties

Manchester United travelled to London earlier today for an FA Cup Semifinal matchup with Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium. This match was full of intrigue for a variety of reasons. Brighton and manager Roberto De Zerbi are probably having the best season in their history, and they’ve been extremely successful with their scouting and recruiting of players who fit De Zerbi’s system. He also knows how to get the best out of his players. They play a possession-oriented style that you don’t often see from a mid-table club, and they are anchored in the center of the park by a World Cup winner in Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. United and manager Erik ten Hag were looking to right the ship after the woeful 3-0 loss to Sevilla in the Europa League. The back line was shuffled once again, with left back Luke Shaw moving into the center of defense alongside center back Victor Lindelof. The FA Cup is United’s last realistic chance of winning another trophy this season.

The first half was decidedly even. Both teams were cancelling each other out tactically, and the defenses were playing extremely well. Brighton forced an early save from keeper David De Gea on 7 minutes from a Mac Alister free kick, after which midfielder Bruno Fernandes forced a save from Seagulls keeper Robert Sanchez with a shot from just outside the box on 14 minutes. There were half chances created as the first 45 minutes wore on, but there was also a litany of fouls and injuries that really stopped the match from getting into a rhythm or flow. Neither side had a great half in terms of finishing. The final touch or shot was seemingly always just off. Winger Antony dos Santos forced a kicked save from Sanchez in stoppage time, but it was a fairly routine one at that. At halftime it was 0-0, and it was hard to give an edge to either side.

The second half was a bit more dynamic. For the first 15 minutes or so, it was all Brighton. They were dominant in possession and were winning free kicks left and right. De Gea was forced into a big reflex save on 55 minutes from Brighton forward Julio Enciso after the Red Devils failed to effectively clear a corner. United did well to weather the storm though, and they became the more dominant team as the second half carried on. The problems with finishing for both teams carried on, however. Each time someone got the ball into a promising position, it was inevitably followed by a bad touch or last-ditch challenge that ended the danger. The usual second half substitutions from both sides also slowed things down. Seagulls winger Solly March forced a low but again routine save from De Gea on 83 minutes, but that was the only goal mouth action in the latter stages of the half. As the minutes ticked down, it became clear that extra time and maybe even penalties would be needed.

The 30 minutes of extra time that ensued followed the same pattern as the previous 90. A half chance for Brighton, then a half chance for United, then Brighton, et cetera. Some very solid defensive play from both teams, coupled with more poor finishing. The best chance for United was a deflected shot from striker Marcus Rashford that sent Sanchez diving, but he got a hand to it and palmed it away. Rashford came very close again on 112 minutes after a fine pass from midfielder Casemiro found him on a run, but his curling effort from 16-17 yards went wide of Sanchez’s far post. After 120 minutes of football and stoppage time it was still 0-0, and the ominous aura of penalties loomed large.

The weather seemed to understand the importance of the moment too, as what was previously a sunny day in west London suddenly became a downpour just before the shootout began. Water on the pitch is not what a penalty taker wants, but both De Gea and Sanchez would have been pleased to see it. Mac Alister went first for Brighton and dispatched his penalty expertly, as did Casemiro for United after him. Seagulls defender Pascal Groß then converted his penalty, after which United full back Diogo Dalot dispatched his as well. That’s how it went for the first five penalties for each side – clinical finishing. Sanchez did get a hand to midfielder Marcel Sabitzer’s sixth penalty, but he couldn’t keep it out. The big break for United came when March skied penalty number 7 over the crossbar, which allowed Lindelof to step up to the spot and send Sanchez the wrong way! United won 7-6 on penalties and advanced to the FA Cup Final!

Tons of talking points from this one but I want to highlight United’s makeshift back four of Shaw, Lindelof, Dalot, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. All four of them were immense today, as was De Gea with some key saves. Lindelof in particular was impressive. It’s true he’s fallen down the pecking order this season due to the play of center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, but he has proven himself to be a reliable option when those two have not been available. Having Shaw next to him was a risky but ultimately correct decision as well. He doesn’t usually play centrally, but the two of them work very well together. Lindelof’s cool and steely approach to taking what was ultimately the winning spot kick is part of the reason why he’s called Iceman. I hope ETH sticks with those four players at the back until Varane is fit to return.

All of the penalties taken in this shootout though – aside from March’s – were excellent. Credit to Rashford and winger Jadon Sancho in particular. The last time those two took part in a shootout was the disastrous England match against Italy at Euro 2021 where they both badly missed, but you never would have known that judging by their confidence today. Sancho buried his penalty high and in the opposite corner, which is unstoppable if it’s executed correctly. There was a confidence about the penalties that I haven’t seen from United in a long time. March was unlucky to miss his, but sometimes that’s how these things go. Penalty shootouts are always a roll of the dice, and for Brighton today they came up snake eyes. They will rue their poor finishing today, just like United would have done had they lost. Some real nerve on display from the lads today, which was a nice contrast to the previous match where they looked like they couldn’t be bothered.

United will play in the first ever Manchester Derby FA Cup Final against fierce rivals Manchester City on June 3, 2023 at Wembley. Between now and then though are the final 8 matches of the Premier League campaign, with the first one being yet another trip to London to play Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. United are temporarily in 4th place due to Newcastle’s victory over Tottenham today, but United have a game in hand. This match against Spurs is a big one in the race for the top-4. Win, and United will be a virtual lock for the Champions League next season.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!