Manchester United: It’s Been Bad, But Is There Light On the Horizon?

It’s been a while since I last wrote, but truthfully there hasn’t been a lot to write about aside from bad news. Since their victory over Chelsea at Old Trafford on December 6, Manchester United have lost to Bournemouth (bad), lost to Bayern Munich (almost as bad), drew with Liverpool away (not too shabby), then lost again to West Ham (bad). I have been calling for the Red Devils to play with consistency this whole season, and they have responded with consistency – consistently being bad. Be careful what you wish for, I guess.

The biggest change at United in recent weeks is the acquisition of 25% of the club’s ownership stake by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company Ineos. This sale has been pending for over a year and many were wondering if it would even happen, but the move was finally announced on Christmas Eve. More on this takeover below.

Things were heading down a losing path yet again today, when they hosted 3rd place Aston Villa at Old Trafford, one of the many fixtures on a busy Boxing Day. The Villans, coached by the ever-capable Frenchman Unai Emery, were up 2-0 by halftime. United looked rather listless as usual, and there was no pattern to their play. Many in the terraces and online were calling for manager Erik ten Hag to be sacked, mostly out of frustration rather than logic. The tactics were unclear, the defense was leaking goals, and there didn’t seem to be any fight in the team. It was shaping up to be another disappointing day, despite the presence of United legends Robin Van Persie and Edwin Van Der Sar in the stands.

But the second half of this match will be one for the memory banks of the United faithful. United were the better team from the resumption of play onward. Winger Alejandro Garnacho had a goal (dubiously) disallowed by VAR on 50 minutes for an alleged offside. He was undeterred by that setback though, and found himself scoring a goal that stood on 57 minutes. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes pressed at the right time and won the ball while Villa were trying to build possession, after which he played a brilliant pass up the left flank onto the run of winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford squared the ball along the ground, and it fell to the feet of the onrushing Garnacho for a relatively simple tap-in back across the face of Emiliano Martinez’s goal. Villa were still up, but the game was very much on! Much better tempo and directness from the Red Devils.

Garnacho wasn’t finished, either. He got United’s equalizer on 71 minutes, and it was the result of another quick-moving and incisive attack. The ball was won in the center circle by midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who then played it out wide to Garnacho on the right wing. Garnacho brought the ball forward a bit more and then played it even further out to the right to Bruno on an overlapping run. Garnacho then moved more towards the center of the pitch, and Bruno pinged in a cross that was deflected into the exact space Garnacho was running towards. He hit it first time from about 12 yards out, and it took a minor deflection off a Villa defender before hitting the back of Martinez’s net! 2-2!

There was still plenty of time for United to find a winner, and that’s precisely what they did on 82 minutes. They had won a corner, with Bruno swinging in the ball from the right wing in the air. The ball took two deflections off of Villa players before falling directly to the feet of striker Rasmus Højlund. Højlund instinctively swung at the ball with his left foot while it was still in the air, and it banged into the back of the net off the inside of the left hand post. A true striker’s goal – predatory in nature. He was in the right place at the right time, and while it wasn’t a pretty finish, he did exactly what he needed to do in the circumstance. Højlund has scored 5 goals in Europe for United this season, but he had yet to open his domestic account before today. What a time to get your first Premier League goal, too! A late winner in front of the Stretford End at Old Trafford. That’s the stuff dreams are made of! You could see how much it meant to Højlund emotionally, too. The young man was in tears while his teammates and the crowd celebrated all around him. It was a huge relief for him, and everyone was incredibly happy for the lad. After an agonizing final 20 minutes and an even more agonizing 9 (nine!) minutes of stoppage time, the whistle blew and United had their first win in close to 3 weeks.

Well done from the front three in the second half today. Rashford looked like the Rashford of last season, Garnacho turned in a Man of the Match performance on the right wing, and Højlund did well to bag his first Prem goal and the winner. Great game from Bruno as well. He didn’t get on the score sheet, but his tenacity and technique played a role in all three goals. Quick and incisive chance-creation is key to the tactics and style of play of ETH, and it was on full display in the second half. The main takeaway though is that the players upped their tempo and desire today. It’s truly amazing what this team can do when they actually try. We have all the talent and skill a manager could ask for, but desire, passion, and determination have been lacking this season. There’s no reason why United can’t win every game they play if they play with the level of energy and belief they had today in the second half. They need to remember that when they play hard, they usually get a favorable result.

It will be interesting to see what United’s new part-owners do going forward. It was a good start to their tenure today, but there’s still plenty to work on going forward. The challenges to be faced are numerous. While it’s unclear what specific tasks are to be handled by Ineos/Ratcliffe, it seems they will primarily be football-related and less finance-related. The squad needs further revamping, the youth academy needs investment, the medical staff are behind on the times, and Old Trafford is in dire need of repairs and improvements. It’s a daunting task ahead of them to get United back to the top of European club football, but they should be given every opportunity and be afforded patience by supporters. Ratcliffe has a history of doing well in sports business, and more importantly he was a Manchester United supporter as a child. That means he understands what this club what means to people at the local level. He sees it as more than just a money-making venture, something the much-hated Glazers seem to be unable to fathom.

Ratcliffe and his team have taken a good first step in writing an open letter to the Manchester United Supporters Trust (MUST), a prominent fan group that has been leading the vocal criticisms of the Glazer family. In that letter, they made it clear that the results from the past 10 years or so are not acceptable and that he is just as “ambitious” as the club’s supporters are. And while the contents of the letter are important, they are of secondary importance to the mere fact that Ineos/Ratcliffe has taken the time to directly address the supporters. Ratcliffe has been part owner for a grand total of 2 days, and he’s already done more to address the concerns of supporters than the Glazers have for the better part of 18 years. All he had to do was write a letter saying “we hear you, and we’re going to try to fix things”. Of course, being a better owner than the Glazers is a low bar to clear, but he is definitely as emotionally invested in the success of the team as he is financially invested. If the club’s fortunes turn around in the next year or two, one would hope that a full sale of the club would be next on the cards. Ratcliffe will likely help improve things,

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out! Happy Boxing Day!

Premier League: An Impressive Victory at Everton

Manchester United traveled 30 miles west to Liverpool for a match against Everton FC at Goodison Park yesterday. This was the first match after the resumption of the international break, and the Red Devils were happy to have left back Luke Shaw back in the team after a long injury layoff. Manager Erik ten Hag handed a debut to 18 year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who started alongside midfielder Scott McTominay in the center of the pitch. Everton, their supporters, and manager Sean Dyche were definitely motivated to get a positive result in this match, having (wrongly, in my opinion) been docked 10 points by the Premier League for violations of the Financial Fair Play rules.

Despite the restless and raucous atmosphere inside Goodison, it was United who got off to a flying start just 3 minutes into the match when winger/forward Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring with an absolutely stunning overhead bicycle kick. I could describe it in detail, but Bill Shakespeare himself couldn’t put the words together to describe this beauty of a strike!

The goal went viral quickly, and if you haven’t seen it, give it a watch. It was good play from United to get it up the pitch quickly, but the cross from right back Diogo Dalot was a little bit behind Garnacho. All credit to the 19 year-old Argentine for his technique and the audacity to pull off something so grand. 1-0 to United!

Everton were unmoved, however. Despite being behind, they were mostly the better side for the rest of the first half. Keeper Andre Onana was on hand to make a double save around the half hour mark, after which the ball was cleared off the line by Mainoo. The United defense was holding up alright, but in attack they were again struggling to create chances for a second goal. Despite Everton’s dominance, they couldn’t capitalize and it remained 1-0 at halftime.

United got their second goal on 50 minutes, thanks to finally catching a break from VAR. Striker Anthony Martial looked to have been fouled in the box by Everton right back (and former United player) Ashley Young, but the referee did not give a penalty and also booked Martial for diving. VAR checked the incident though, and upon replays it was clear that Young stuck his leg out and tripped Martial in an effort to get to the ball. Martial’s yellow was rescinded and a penalty was given. Initially, midfielder Bruno Fernandes had his hands on the ball to take the kick, but then he walked over and handed the ball to winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Rashford stepped up and buried the penalty into the upper-left corner of the goal, with Toffees keeper Jordan Pickford unable to do anything about it. Rashford has been in poor goal-scoring form this season, so perhaps Bruno sensed he needed this penalty to raise his confidence a bit. Aside from this goal though, Rashford had another poor performance. His passing and awareness were bad for most of the game. He does not seem to be injured, but rather distracted. His head isn’t in the game, as it were. A very recent post of his on social media indicates he is mourning the death of a family member, which may be part of the reason for his absent-minded play. If that’s the case, I don’t blame him at all for playing poor today. I hope he takes care of his mental health first and foremost, and I think the penalty will help with his confidence. 2-0 to United!

United continued to run at the Everton back-4 in search of a third, and came close a few times before eventually getting that third goal from Martial on 75 minutes. The ball was won in midfield thanks to a good press, and there was an exchange of passes between Martial, Bruno, and substitute winger Facundo Pellistri near and beyond the center circle. Pellistri played a return pass to Bruno on the edge of the area, who found Martial on a run just ahead of him with a beautifully weighted pass. The Everton defense was all over the place, and Martial took a touch to knock it into space before deftly lifting the ball over the onrushing Pickford. 3-0 to United, and game over! Everton managed to hit the crossbar a few minutes after the third goal, but there was no major action after that.

For the first time this season, United looked convincing away from home. This is also the first time they’ve won by multiple goals on the road in close to a full season. All three forwards scored in this match, which is yet another positive that hasn’t happened often this year. The first goal will grab all the headlines, but for me the most important goal was the third one. The first goal was a piece of individual brilliance, and the second goal was the result of VAR actually working as it’s supposed to, but the third was the exact sort of goal ETH has been looking for all season. We pressed in midfield, won the ball back in the center of the park, and were quickly away down to the other end to create a chance. Press + passing = goal. That is the footballing philosophy that ETH wants this team to employ. We don’t need 70% possession. We don’t need 500 passes. We need to get the ball, pass the ball, and score a goal. It’s what this team is built to do, and it’s fantastic that they finally remembered how to do it. Brilliant from Martial, Bruno, and Pellistri. Also a quick shout-out to Mainoo, who had a very impressive debut. He’s only 18, but bossed the midfield like a man ten years older. His passing, positioning, awareness, and tackling were all excellent.

The challenge now is to go out and do it again in the next match. Consistency must be the next step in the process. It’s no coincidence that some good form has returned now that some key players have finally returned from injury. Everton are not the best team of course, but to win like this in a very hostile atmosphere is nothing to minimize. This was a big win, no two ways about it. As I have said many times though, winning like this means nothing if they can’t go out and replicate it.

United have won 5 out of their last 6 Premier League matches, and find themselves 6th in the table. They are just four points from fourth, and a scant six points off the top. They next play Galatasaray in Istanbul on Wednesday, which will make Goodison look like a tea party in terms of the atmosphere. Turkiye is an insanely difficult place for foreign clubs to play, and frankly I won’t be upset if the result is less than positive. The European campaign this season may already be doomed due to previous results, and I don’t want the club to have to play in the Europa League for the rest of the year should they fail to finish 2nd in the group. Let’s give it a good effort, but if we lose it’s not the end of the world. This team needs to focus on the Prem and the FA Cup the rest of the season.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Champions League: VAR at the Center of A Controversial Defeat in Denmark

Manchester United traveled to Denmark last Wednesday for a Champions League group stage match against FC Copenhagen at Parken. This was a replay of the match a fortnight ago which United won 1-0 at Old Trafford. The Red Devils needed a victory to get out of 3rd place in the group and help secure progression to the knockout stages.

A full match summary would easily be close to 3000 words given it’s chaotic nature, so I am not going to fully summarize this one. United scored the first two goals via striker Rasmus Højlund, who continued his fine form in the Champions League this season. He hasn’t shown up in the domestic league yet, but he’s been on fire in the Champions League. The game changed however when forward Marcus Rashford was controversially sent off on 42 minutes. The Red Devils showed some signs of mental weakness yet again, and Copenhagen got two goals in quick succession before halftime. More on the decision to send off Rashford (and other suspect referee/VAR decisions) below.

Despite the lads collapsing a little bit at the end of the first half, United took the lead again on 69 minutes when midfielder Bruno Fernandes converted a penalty to give them a 3-2 lead. Unfortunately though, Copenhagen scored again in the 83rd minute to level the score, and then got a winner on 87 minutes. Playing with ten men for over a half probably got to the team towards the end, which may explain the collapse. It was a devastating blow to United’s hopes of moving on to the knockout rounds. They are bottom of Group A with a daunting trip to Turkey to play Galatasaray next, and then they host group leaders Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in the final group game. Needless to say, I am not optimistic.

Now, a couple of things before I dive into the refereeing decisions – there’s no excuse for this team to concede two goals just before half time. Can’t have it. This team is still mentally fragile, and that is something manager Erik ten Hag must work on. The tactics weren’t terrible in this match and United were not aided by the officials, but the defending simply has to improve.

That said, VAR is making this sport unwatchable. It seems like in every match that’s played, there’s at least one controversial decision made by a VAR official that affects the outcome of the match. Rashford’s red card was – simply put – not a red card until the referee was alerted to review it by the VAR official. United’s penalty to give them the lead was also (candidly) not a penalty. And it’s not just United that are getting screwed by VAR, even though it seems like VAR has been overtly harsh on us this season. Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, managers of Arsenal and Liverpool respectively, have both been publicly critical of this particular instant replay system in recent weeks. Arsenal had a goal given against them against Newcastle that should not have been given due to a foul, which even the Premier League officiating council has since admitted was the wrong decision. There’s a just a laundry list of incidents that have caused a mountain of controversy this season, and the problem is present in all different competitions.

If the goal of VAR was to reduce the controversy of the game and ensure that correct decisions are made, then VAR and the application thereof has failed spectacularly. There’s no clarity in what the standard of proof is, and subjectivity is reigning supreme when subjectivity was supposed to be eliminated altogether. No one knows what a “clear error” is, and no one seems to know how far back VAR officials are looking when it comes to confirming or negating a given referee’s decision.

Perhaps the biggest issue with VAR however is that it has taken the excitement of scoring a goal out of the game. It used to be that as soon as the ball hit the back of the net you could wheel away and celebrate, but not anymore. VAR has made everyone stop and pause. VAR makes everyone wait. You can score, but then you have to wait for the VAR check to happen before you can really celebrate. The unsteady application of the review system has made everyone, particularly United fans, extremely cynical. When Bruno scored the winner last weekend against Fulham, I expected the VAR official to go and find some random rule or incident that would have disallowed the goal. Further, these reviews often take as long as 4 or 5 minutes, which totally kills the momentum and flow of a match. It’s much more difficult to enjoy football with the way VAR is currently done, and that’s going to lead to fewer spectators, which in turn will lead to less money coming in.

It behooves the Prem and other domestic leagues to review their VAR rules and when it is supposed to be applied. There also needs to be a clear standard of proof as to when a referee’s decision should be overturned or confirmed. This problem must be fixed in order to make the sport watchable again. Instant replay is a good idea in general, but of course the actual replays are not the issue. It’s the human application and interpretation of what the replays show. These inconsistencies must be fixed by the powers that be.

As far as United goes, I think they should throw in the towel on Europe this season. I don’t want us in the Europa League, as it will only detract from the remaining domestic campaign. Center back Jonny Evans was also injured at the end of the first half, which makes our back line even thinner than it already was. Well done to Højlund and left back Diogo Dalot for having good matches, but the collective mental collapse after Rashford’s red card was unacceptable. Bad decisions are going to happen with or without VAR, and professional players should be able to cope with that mentally.

United play newly-promoted Luton Town at Old Trafford on Saturday in the Premier League. Last but not least – this is my 350th post on this blog. Thank you all so very much for reading! I hope I have been able to spur your interest in this fantastic sport.

Glazers Out!

Premier League – Man United Win Away in Honor of Sir Bobby Charlton

Earlier today, Manchester United traveled to the northeast of England for a Premier League match with Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. This was the first match for both clubs after the international break, with the Blades and manager Paul Heckingbottom (amazing last name) perhaps needing a positive result even more than United. They are currently bottom of the table, having taken only one point from their opening eight matches. United and manager Erik ten Hag meanwhile were looking for a bit of consistency. They won their last match against Brentford before the two week break, but have failed to string together consecutive victories so far this season. Perhaps a bit of extra motivation for the Red Devils would be to go and win one in memory of Sir Bobby Charlton, an England, United, and footballing legend who passed away from dementia just a few hours before kickoff. More on Charlton below.

The Blades were the better side for much of the opening half. Their finishing was poor, but they were moving the ball around well and creating a lot more than United. Keeper Andre Onana was forced into a few important saves as well, but it was United who opened the scoring on 28 minutes thanks to midfielder Scott McTominay. He found himself inside the box and on the receiving end of a sharp pass from fellow midfielder Bruno Fernandes. McTominay’s first touch with his chest sent the ball high into the air, but it fell right back down in front of him to hit on the volley first time. It wasn’t the cleanest of connections and it appeared to take a deflection off a Sheffield defender on it’s way to the net, but it rolled into the right hand side of the net with Blades keeper Wes Foderingham (another great last name) rooted to the spot. The goal was against the run of play to be sure, but that has been the story of Sheffield’s season so far. They create chances, but they don’t finish them and then get picked off at the other end. 1-0 to Manchester United!

Unfortunately, McTominay went from hero to villain just six minutes later when he was adjudged by referee Michael Oliver to have handled the ball in his own penalty area. Oliver pointed to the spot for a penalty straight away, and it was confirmed a few moments later by VAR. Now, this time, I don’t have too much of a problem with this one being given as a penalty. McTominay had his hand away from his body when it struck his lower arm, which under the current version of the handball rule should be a penalty every time. Alright, fine. My problem with this call is that even more egregious handball calls by opposing teams have not been called in previous matches, most notably when United played Arsenal and Tottenham earlier this season. There’s just no consistency in the application of this rule. None at all. It depends on the subjective decision of the referee and the VAR official, and subjectivity was the main thing the new handball rule was supposed to eliminate! It’s supremely annoying and threatens the integrity of the game when the rules are not applied equally across all matches. Blades striker Oli McBurnie stepped up to the spot and blasted the penalty past Onana for 1-1, giving him no chance to save it. The match remained 1-1 at halftime as well, with Bruno striking the crossbar from a free kick being the only other major action after the goals.

United improved in the second half, at least in terms of possessing the ball and creating chances. They still looked fairly uninspired, though. They seemed content to try and play the long ball over the top from midfield towards the forwards, but Sheffield were aware of this and set themselves up in a low block defensively. United have struggled monumentally to break down teams in the low block this season, and those struggles continued for most of this game. Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat struck the woodwork from distance, but most United attacks were breaking down in the final third.

United got their winner however thanks to a moment of individual brilliance from right back Diogo Dalot. United had the ball forward, and Dalot collected a pass in the center of the pitch from deputizing left back Victor Lindelof about 30 yards from goal. After taking a touch and composing himself, he unleashed a divine curling effort that Foderingham was late getting over to. The Blades keeper got a hand to the shot, but he could not keep the effort out and it settled into the top corner for 2-1. It was a massive sigh of relief for the United players and fans, and it came from a fairly unlikely source. Dalot has only scored 4 goals in total over the span of his United career, but he produced some real quality with this finish. It was a goal that Charlton himself would have been proud of! An effort from distance that curled into the top corner. 2-1 to United on 77 minutes.

The final 13 minutes plus stoppage time were not the pressure cooker United have seen at times this season. Sheffield forged some half chances from set pieces, but United looked more likely to grab a 3rd than Sheffield did to get a 2nd. Substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was a terror down their left hand side in the closing stages, and had his finishing been better he would have had a third for United. The ref’s whistle finally blew and United secured three points on the road, which was a fitting tribute to Charlton.

Positives and negatives on this one. The makeshift back four mostly played well, marshaled by an excellent match from center back Harry Maguire. He was a rock at the back today, always on hand to make a clearance or win a header in the air. The injuries to the United defense have led to him seeing more playing time, and he has given ETH a selection headache with his good play. Also solid games from Lindelof, Onana, and Amrabat. The attack still looks very disjointed, however. They were better going forward as the match went on, but they are not relying on good tactics or build-up play to score goals. We are still continuing to rely on moments of individual brilliance to score and thusly to win matches. It worked today thanks to Dalot and lower quality opposition, but it will not work consistently. I know that the return of key midfield and defensive starters will fix things somewhat, but ETH clearly still has more work to do to get this team firing on all cylinders.

Today was all about Sir Bobby, though. United needed a win on the day of his death to honor his legacy appropriately, as the man did nothing but win during his career. This is a man who was arguably the best-ever player for both England and United. He is one of only 9 men EVER to win the World Cup, Champions League (then called the European Cup), and the Ballon d’Or. He was a menace in the midfield to deal with, and he held goal scoring records for both England and United until relatively recently. He also was a survivor the Munich Air Disaster, the awful plane crash that almost led to United shutting it’s doors in 1958. Put simply, without Sir Bobby, United is not the club it is today. England would not have a World Cup trophy to it’s name, either. He was a regular at Old Trafford well into his 80s, and the place will feel significantly different without his presence in the stands. Tributes have been pouring out from fans, players, managers, pundits, and clubs; and they will continue to do so throughout the week. Sir Bobby was 86 years old.

United next play in midweek in the Champions League, at home to FC Copenhagen. Three points are desperately needed if United want to make it out of their group. After that is the not-small matter of the Manchester Derby next Sunday at Old Trafford. The club’s form needs to improve if we want to win either of the upcoming matches.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

International Break – England Qualify for Euro 2024!

The recent international break saw England play two matches, both of which were at Wembley Stadium in London. The first match was a friendly played against Australia that was largely not entertaining. The Three Lions won 1-0 thanks to a fairly routine finish from Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins, who slid the ball home from close range after a low cross from Tottenham midfielder James Maddison. Always good to win of course, but no one really cared about this match. It was only a friendly, and England never play Australia outside of major tournaments. Everyone’s eyes were on the second match, a qualifier against Italy.

Italy and England have developed a little bit of a rivalry in recent years, largely thanks to the tense and bitter Euro 2020(1) final between the two nations a few years ago. England’s traditional rivals have always been Germany, France, and Argentina; yet Italy might be working their way into that conversation as well. Of course, Italy has historically dominated this matchup. It wasn’t even until earlier this year that England beat the Azzuri in Rome for the first time in 50+ years. This match carried extra importance as well. If England won (or earned a draw pending other results in the group), they would qualify for Euro 2024 next summer in Germany. It would be extra sweet to qualify by doing the double over Italy for England and manager Gareth Southgate. For the Italians and manager Luciano Spalletti, the alarm bells were beginning to sound. Despite winning Euro 2020(1), they have been fairly shambolic since. They failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, and are in real danger of not automatically qualifying for the Euros next summer unless they won this match.

And to their credit, for the opening 20 minutes or so, Italy were the better side. They took the lead on 15 minutes thanks to a high and powerful finish from West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacca from about 10 yards out. Italy has needed a strong no. 9 for a few years now, and they seem to have found one in Scamacca. England needed a response, and they got one with a bit of luck from VAR. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham was brought down in the box, and England were awarded a penalty on the half hour mark. After a lengthy VAR review, the call for a penalty stood despite it appearing that the defender got the ball before clipping Bellingham. But given how terrible VAR has been this year so far though, I will happily take VAR review going England’s way. Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane stepped up to the spot and sent Paris St. Germain and Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way with a finish into the right hand side of the net. It was Kane’s 60th goal in an England shirt, which of course continues to be the most for any England player ever. The sides went into the locker room at 1-1 after 45 minutes, with the home side in the ascendancy.

England continued their dominance into the early parts of the second half, and they were rewarded with a second goal on 57 minutes from Manchester United winger/forward Marcus Rashford. Bellingham was at the center of things again, playing the ball out wide to Rashford under pressure before running forward to join the attack. Rashford cut inside onto his right foot and skipped passed a challenge before finishing low into the right corner of the goal, with Donnarumma rooted to the spot. Rashford hasn’t gotten off to the best start at United this season, but he showed no signs of poor form with this goal. The Italian defense gave him space, and he punished them for it. Well done to Bellingham to beat the pressure he faced to provide the assist, as well. 2-1 to England, with Italy reeling.

England got a third to seal three points and Euro qualification on 77 minutes via the right boot of Kane. This was one of his more impressive England goals, as he showed how he has developed his game and evolved into a more complete striker as he has gotten older. He won a 50/50 ball on the halfway line against one of the Italian center backs, with the ball breaking kindly for him. As the Italians were playing with a high line while searching for their equalizer, Kane found himself through on goal after a nifty touch about 40 yards out. He is not known for his speed, but he used his strength and positioning skills to shield off challenges from behind him while he brought the ball forward. Donnarumma rushed out to try and narrow the angle, but Kane coolly finished over his left shoulder and made it look easy doing so. 61 goals for Kane, but more importantly, he sealed the win for England and sent the crowd inside Wembley into ecstasy.

The match ended 3-1, and there are many plaudits to be handed out. Well done to all the lads for showing composure after going down early and providing the response needed to book our tickets to Germany next summer. Italy now need serious help to qualify, as they find themselves in 3rd place in the group. It feels extremely satisfying to do the double over Italy this year and potentially send them into a tricky playoff in the process.

I could justifiably give Man of the Match to Kane for his two goals, but in this case it belongs to Bellingham. He had a hand in two of the three goals scored today and was a presence in midfield for most of the match. Jude Bellingham, Jude Bellingham, Jude Bellingham. I can’t say this young man’s name enough. He is only 20, but he is arguably the most naturally talented English player I have ever seen. This is a player who can truly do it all – dribble, pass, press, tackle, position play, and finishing. He’s been Real Madrid’s best player so far this season, and he continued his sensational form in an England shirt against Italy. Never seen a lad his size with such balance and composure. He also seems to be a bit more mature than his age would suggest, as most of his teammates for club and country describe how they love to play alongside him. The sky is the limit for Bellingham, and it’s arguable that he is (on form) the best player in the world even right now. I am so, so happy he plays for England. We have another 12 to13 years to look forward to of Jude Bellingham playing for us.

England have qualified with two matches to spare, which means that Southgate can treat the next two matches as friendlies if he wants to. This is a chance for him to experiment with line-ups and tactics, so as to be as prepared as possible for next summer’s Euros. He has hinted this will be his last tournament with England, and if it is, I hope he goes out on top. Of course, historically, qualifying for major tournaments has not been England’s problem. The disaster of 2008 notwithstanding, England usually qualify. The question remains though – can we win one? Can we win a trophy? This team looks insanely good on paper, and we have even more depth on the bench than we did last November at the World Cup. Bellingham and Kane are on fire, Rashford is coming on, and superstar Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka didn’t even play in this match. We are loaded at every position, and we need to win a trophy with this generation of players. Southgate has all the tools he needs to win, but can they finally get over the line for a nation dying of thirst for a trophy? We will see next summer!

Three Lions On the Shirts!

Manchester United – Showing Signs of Life, Or Is This A False Dawn?

The past two matches have been better for the Red Devils, even if the results are decidedly mixed. They lost 4-3 against Bayern Munich in the Champions League, but have followed that up with a much-needed away win against Burnley in the Premier League.

Losing to Bayern in Germany is usually nothing to be ashamed of, although it was a little embarrassing to be down 3-1 at halftime. Keeper Andre Onana had an absolute howler, which clearly affected his confidence. It would have been only 2-1 though if not for a dubious (at best) penalty awarded to the German side, which striker Harry Kane buried with ease. United were much better in the second half though, and had a legitimate shout at a 3-3 draw thanks to late goals from midfielder Casemiro. Munich perhaps took their foot off the gas pedal a little, but again I felt a 3-3 draw was the result that best reflected this game. It’s never fun to lose, but there was improvement from the lads, and that was a slim silver lining.

But improvement means nothing if you don’t win, and I think the players took that to heart in this match against newly-promoted Burnley at Turf Moor. They won 1-0 today against the Clarets, thanks to a stunning volley from midfielder and club captain Bruno Fernandes on the stroke of halftime. 35 year-old center back Jonny Evans (making his first start for United since 2014) played an excellent aerial ball over the top to Bruno, who had drifted into the box in space. There was a Burnley defender close to him, but his first-time strike of the ball was extremely clean. Burnley keeper James Trafford (what a name!) could do nothing about it as it flew past him and into the far corner of the goal. Evans also had a headed goal disallowed by VAR before setting up Bruno for a goal that would end up being the winner. What a match from the Northern Irishman!

The back four was extremely shaky today, and it was only due to some poor finishing from Burnley that United weren’t down earlier in the half. Again, the second half from United was much better than the first. They defended well, and Burnley looked completely out of ideas for long spells of the second half. Burnley have struggled scoring goals so far this season, which means that United should be keeping them out, and they did. Three points and a clean sheet away from Old Trafford was just the medicine that United needed to begin treating the sickness that’s been ailing the club in recent weeks. A good match also from midfielder Hannibal Mejbri, who needs to be starting for this team due to his work rate and willingness to make strong challenges on the ball. Forward Marcus Rashford and striker Rasmus Højlund showed some signs of chemistry, but they still clearly need more playing time together before they fully click. A clean sheet was good for the confidence of Onana as well.

So while there are signs of improvement, this team is still not playing as well as it could be. The injury issues are still a problem, and they were compounded today by a hamstring injury to new signing Serge Reguilon. That’s three left backs all injured now, in the opening 7 weeks of the season. I would call it rotten luck, but questions need to be asked of United’s medical staff given how often muscle injuries are a problem for us. Fortunately, center back Raphael Varane appears to be on his way back to full fitness, and midfielder Sofyan Amrabat can play as an emergency left back when needed. The attitude and fighting spirit was better from everyone today, but these injuries continue to be a problem. If United can keep grinding out results while the best players recover, they may be alright this season. Here’s to hoping that our squad players step up to the best of their abilities.

So yes, improvement – but the results must be sustained before the pressure begins to really let off. United have back-to-back fixtures against Crystal Palace up next. Both are at Old Trafford luckily, with the first match being in the League Cup and the second in the Prem. I am not super bothered about the League Cup this year since we won it last year, so hopefully it’s a chance to rest the star players. The Prem match, for me, needs to be given a lot more importance by manager Erik ten Hag.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Premier League: Frustrating Defeat at Arsenal

Manchester United travelled south to London earlier today for their fourth match of the Premier League season against Arsenal. The rivalry with Arsenal dates back to the 1990s and hasn’t really cooled off over the years. Both of these clubs have title aspirations and top-4 aspirations, so even though this fixture was early in the season, it carried a lot of significance. United manager Erik ten Hag knew that the Red Devils’ away form against the top teams needed to improve, and this match was a great chance to do so. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had his side off a good start, but he knew United would be a very tough test even at home.

The first half was fairly even, in a way. Arsenal were the better team going forward. They were creating chances, but their attacks were being consistently repelled by a dogged United defense. Left back Diogo Dalot and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka were doing well at shutting down Arsenal’s talented wingers. United had more of the possession in the first 45, but their possession was usually in their own half. Keeper Andre Onana was doing very well with playing the ball out from the back, which is the precise reason he was brought in. Interestingly, United scored with their first shot on target on 27 minutes.

Midfielder Christian Eriksen picked up a loose ball in his own half and brought it forward into space before finding striker Marcus Rashford ahead of him on the left wing. Rashford was given space by the Arsenal back four to cut inside the box onto his right foot, and he unleashed a vicious shot that Gunners keeper Aaron Ramsey could only parry onto the inside of the post and into the goal. Emirates Stadium was stunned, given that goal was very much against the run of play. Happy to see Rashford finally off the mark for the season. He was our leading scorer last season and he needs to get back to that form. 1-0 United!

The celebrations in the away fans’ section were short-lived though, as Arsenal were level just 35 seconds after the restart. Arsenal captain and midfielder Martin Ødegaard was given too much space on the edge of the box by the United defense after being found by winger Gabriel Martinelli. He let a long-range shot go that was hit with power and placement, and Onana couldn’t get to it in time. Two goals in roughly a minute electrified a match that had been somewhat dull up to that point. Oddly though, those were the two most notable moments of the first half. Two moments of madness in a sea of drudgery. It was 1-1 at halftime with all to play for.

The second half was similarly slow-paced for the first 25-30 minutes or so. United were creating more chances, but Arsenal were holding them off effectively and creating the odd chance or two of their own. Arsenal wanted a penalty when striker Kai Havertz tumbled in the box under a challenge from AWB, and referee Anthony Taylor pointed to the spot. After a VAR check though, the penalty call was rescinded. There wasn’t a lot of contact, if any, on Havertz before he went down, and Taylor deemed it a non-penalty. More on Taylor below. Arsenal then went close when winger Bukayo Saka got on the end of a cross at close range, but his shot was straight at Onana.

A troubling issue for United were the injuries sustained by center backs Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof as the second half wore on. They were already without center back Raphael Varane and left back Luke Shaw due to injury, so options were extremely thin. It was eventually the out-of-favor Harry Maguire and 35-year-old Jonny Evans in central defense for United towards the end. The injuries affected this result, no doubt.

The Red Devils thought they had a winner however on 88 minutes when substitute winger Alejandro Garnacho was put through on goal. He carried through the attacking third, after which he slotted home past Ramsey to the ecstasy of United supporters in the away end. However, Taylor and VAR needed to have their say again. Somehow, mystifyingly, the replay official deemed Garnacho to have been offside when he received the ball, despite him appearing to be level or even slightly behind the last Arsenal defender. The goal was ruled out and we continued at 1-1.

Arsenal earned a corner in the 5th minute of stoppage time, and the ball was swung into the box towards the back post. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice was there, and he bundled home a deflected finish past Onana to give Arsenal a lead they wouldn’t surrender. It was a heartbreaker for the Red Devils, but they didn’t give up. They threw men forward for an equalizer, and were likely denied a penalty when substitute striker (and United debutante) Rasmus Højlund was wrestled to the ground in the box. Curiously, no replay was shown on TV feeds of this incident. A VAR check was supposedly conducted, but no penalty was given.

Arsenal got a third in the 11th minute of stoppage time when striker Gabriel Jesus caught United on the break. There weren’t enough men back to stop him, and he faked out his marker rather thoroughly before slotting past Onana from close range. It was insult to injury, really. Arsenal won 3-1.

The referee was not helpful today, but United were really hindered by the injuries to the center backs. This was heading towards a respectable 1-1 before the defense finally cracked under the Arsenal pressure. Rice was completely alone at the back post for the winner. Who was supposed to be marking him? United conceded far too many corners and there was finally one too many. The third goal wouldn’t have happened if it stayed 1-1, as United would have had more men back to defend. But the bigger issue is the fact that for long periods of time in this match the build-up play was slow and labored. United have fast and technically gifted attacking players, and they play best when they play fast.

Whoever the VAR official was in this match, he completely lost the plot with the offside call against Garnacho. Terrible. Awful. Total miss. Garnacho was onside. It seems the offside rule is written in pencil, as it changes week to week. Even under the new rule, this was an extremely harsh call that affected the outcome of the match. We went from having a potential 2-1 lead on 88 minutes to losing the match 3-1. Can’t believe we can’t figure out the offside rule in 2023.

The outcome remains the same of course, no matter how much the referee blew it. United’s struggles on the road against top sides continue. Only 6 points from the first four matches this season as well. Injuries are piling up. New signings Serge Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat are waiting in the wings, and hopefully we can get some defenders healthy during the upcoming international break. I was impressed with Højlund today. He’s a bigger lad than I thought he was, and technically gifted for his size. He had a key role in the build-up to The Goal That Wasn’t for Garnacho.

The non-injured players will now join up with their national teams for the next two weeks. England have away matches against Ukraine and Scotland in the qualifiers for Euro 2024. England have a 100% record so far in qualifying, and they are more than capable of continuing that in the next two matches. ETH will be wise to use this time to evaluate his tactical plans and incorporate the new signings more into the team. United must improve away from Old Trafford to have any hope of maintaining pace with Arsenal and league leaders Manchester City.

As always, Glazers Out!

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 Earn Narrow Victory in League Opener

Manchester United’s 2023/2024 season officially kicked off earlier today at rainy Old Trafford against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Red Devils were expected to kick things off this season with a win, and an entertaining one at that. Wolves were decidedly average last season, and their new manager Gary O’Neill had been in charge for all of five days before today’s kickoff. United manager Erik ten Hag handed full debuts to new signings Mason Mount in midfield and Andre Onana in goal. Both have impressed in pre-season, but the level of intensity of in the pre-season does not compare to a meaningful Premier League match.

The first half was slow in tempo from both sides, perhaps due to the slickness of the pitch and a lack of urgency from United. Indeed, Wolves seemed very happy to be on the ball and passing it around themselves while United pressed them high up the pitch. The counter-press is a standard tactic of ETH, and United did win the ball high up the pitch several times in the first half. The problem however was a severe lack of cohesion in midfield and attack. No one was on the same page, and Wolves were easily able to break up attacks using the low-block in the defensive third. They were even having some success getting the ball up the pitch and creating some dangerous chances, but their finishing was woeful. There was only one shot on target in the first half, a rather tame effort from Marcus Rashford who likely should have done better. It was 0-0 at halftime, and the dark clouds in the sky were beginning to become dark clouds among the supporters.

The second half was more of the same, although it must be said that Wolves improved while United generally did not. They were getting the ball out to their wingers Pedro Neto and Hwang Hee-chan very effectively, and United were being overrun in midfield. ETH introduced winger Jadon Sancho and midfielder Christian Eriksen to try and produce a goal. United did get better after the substitutions, and they began to dominate possession in the way many expected them to do the entire match. Wolves shrunk further down into their defensive block, so much so the back line was practically on top of Wolves keeper José Sá.

The single and solitary goal in this match came on 76 minutes, and it was really the first time United created any kind of opening in the Wolves back line all match. Midfielder Bruno Fernandes played a ball over the top to right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who had run into a gap on the right hand side of the box. AWB beat a defender to the ball and hit a high cross towards the middle on the bounce. Sá had come to try and stop AWB, so he was completely out of position. Center back Raphael Varane was on hand to head home the cross into the empty net, and Old Trafford exploded both in rapturous celebration and relief. It was a tap-in for Varane, but credit to AWB and Bruno for finally finding a way to unlock the Wolves’ defense.

With 14 minutes to go though, the match was not over. Wolves continued to create chances, but they were denied by last-ditch tackles or a save from Onana. Substitute forward Fabio Silva saw his shot from a great position fired straight into the body of Onana. Late on in stoppage time, there was a VAR review for a potential penalty when Onana missed a cross and collided with a Wolves player. However, no penalty was given. Onana missed the ball and he definitely hit the Wolves player in the air, but his saving grace was that the ball had already flown past the Wolves attackers when he made contact. I’ve seen fouls like that given as penalties anyway though, but this time United were lucky.

The final whistle blew after a grueling ten minutes of stoppage time. United won and secured three points, but it was a nail-biter and not the sort of victory that provides optimism for the supporters. We won thanks to being slightly more clinical than Wolves, but they edged us out in basically every other meaningful statistic. Credit to O’Neil, his staff, and the Wolves players for doing so well after just five days at the helm. Somehow, his players seemed significantly more aware of his overall tactical plan than United’s players did of their own!

No one really played well today, aside from maybe AWB and Onana. United’s midfield was slow, the attack was disjointed, and the defense was bailed out several times by the opposition’s poor finishing. The substitutes helped, but there’s no denying that this was a poor match in every way but the score line. ETH will correctly point out that United lost their first match last season, so to win this one is an improvement. He deserves a fair share of the blame for the team performance though. Yes they won, but this team has had over a month to get their chemistry right and to figure out each other’s tendencies, and they acted at times today as if they’ve never played with one another before. What have they been doing in training for the past five weeks? The manager is responsible for getting the team ready to play, and today they did not look ready for the most part.

Still, a win is a win. Three points is three points. United are one of only seven teams to win their opening match. There is plenty of room for this team to get better as the season progresses. No one can accuse us of peaking too soon, as it were.

Next up is a decidedly much tougher test, away to Tottenham Hotspur on August 19th for Premier League match number two. Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

Euro Qualifier: England Earn a Massive Result in Italy

The Three Lions of England kicked off their qualifying campaign for Euro 2024 earlier today when they travelled to Naples, Italy for a match with the reigning European Champions at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium. These two nations are easily the two best ones in Group C, so this match was a massive one as the winner would firmly be in the driver’s seat to win the group. England manager Gareth Southgate selected a similar team from England’s last match at World Cup 2022, which raised some eyebrows from the pundits. It could be argued that Italy and manager Roberto Mancini were under more pressure to get a good result today, given that they were at home and (rather hilariously) failed to qualify for last fall’s World Cup.

While Italy created the first two half-chances from set pieces in the opening minutes, it was England who were in the ascendancy for the majority of the first half. Midfielder Jude Bellingham tested Italy keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from distance after an excellent run, but the big keeper was able to palm the shot over his crossbar. England won a corner a few minutes later though, and they found themselves ahead thanks to a scrambled finish from midfielder Declan Rice on 13 minutes. Winger/forward Bukayo Saka played a high and looping cross towards the back post, which was controlled well by striker Harry Kane. Kane got a shot away, but it was blocked by the Italian defense only for it to rebound straight to Rice. Rice took a touch to steady the ball, but then showed good instincts to knock it into the goal from about 6-7 yards out. Well done to England for converting a set piece, but Italy were at sixes and sevens. They had three men covering England center back Harry Maguire, and as a result their defenders were out of position when the rebound fell to Rice. Maguire is a big threat in the air, but it’s farcical to use three men to mark him when Kane is also in the box. Poor marking, but England were nevertheless up 1-0 and good value for their lead.

As noted, England had a ton of possession in the first half, and they could have had a second goal if not for a poor decision made by England midfielder Kalvin Phillips. Italy gave the ball away in a bad position straight to Phillips, but Phillips elected to shoot from distance. The shot was powerful but it went wide, and he probably should have opted to play in Kane on a run just ahead of him. If he played the ball in to Kane, Kane likely scores.

Kane did get the opportunity to write his name in the history books when England were awarded a penalty on 44 minutes. Another corner from Saka hit an Italian defender’s arm as it was played towards the back post. Initially the referee only gave a corner, but VAR was consulted and Serbian referee Srđan Jovanović pointed to the spot. After a slight delay, Kane stepped up and calmly put the ball into the right side of the goal. This goal was historic because it meant that Kane is now England’s all-time leading scorer, having surpassed former England forward Wayne Rooney. More on Kane below, but England were 2-0 up and looked to be in cruise control. They really should have had 3 just before halftime though, when Kane found winger Jack Grealish with a low cross. Grealish was only about 5 yards out and in acres of space to shoot with Donnarumma out of position, but he shanked the ball wide of the far post. He really should have scored! But if you told me England would be 2-0 up against the Italians in Italy at half time, I would have happily taken it.

The second half was much different though. I am not sure what Mancini said to his men in the locker room, but clearly it had great effect as the Italians were suddenly filled with energy. While England had been bossing the midfield and winning all the second balls in the first half, that very much switched to the Azzuri in the second. While England defended fairly well for the first 10 minutes or so of the second half, the Italians pulled them apart on 56 minutes to tally a response. Italy had the ball in the final third and it was at the feet of midfielder Nicolò Barella. Maguire stepped up to challenge Barella, but his tackle was poorly timed and Barella was able to get a pass to attacking midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini just outside the box. Striker (and debutante) Mateo Retegui had slipped himself in behind Maguire in space, and Pellegrini found him with a sublime reverse pass through the legs of Rice. Retegui took a touch to steady the ball and fired home with a splendid shot high into the opposite corner from 12 yards out. The whole goal was the result of Maguire being out of position and England losing the ball in midfield as well. Rice could have done better to intercept the pass as well, but credit to the Italians for taking advantage of England’s sloppy passage of play.

The final 30 minutes and stoppage time of this match were nervy ones for both sets of supporters in the stadium. The Italians continued their dominance, with England struggling to get out of their own half. Every time England cleared the ball up the pitch, it came right back at them. Southgate needed to change things, but he seemed content to leave his original 11 on while Mancini was rolling the dice with subs like he was at a craps table. Italian substitute winger Wilfried Gnoto was a particularly troublesome threat for England. His bouncing cross into the area on 77 minutes was inches away from meeting the head of a fellow attacker, and he was constantly making runs at England right back Kyle Walker.

Things really kicked off just moments after that though, when it appeared that an Italian defender handled the ball in his own box while under pressure from Kane. This time there wasn’t even a stoppage or a VAR review though, so Italy got the ball back up the pitch quickly. They were in a very promising position in their attacking third when England left back Luke Shaw delivered a challenge on Retegui. Jovanović stopped play to award a foul, and was immediately surrounded by both sets of players. Jovanović had been having trouble maintaining control of the match in the second half, with several questionable calls against England (and probably against Italy too). England were furious that VAR hadn’t stopped play to check the handball, while the Italians were screaming for Shaw to be booked and thus sent off. Shaw had been booked just minutes earlier for time wasting, but that was one of the aforementioned questionable decisions by Jovanović. After a what was almost 30 seconds of indecision, Jovanović did indeed show Shaw a second yellow and sent him off. England would have to play the final 10 minutes and stoppage time with ten men. Southgate sent on left back Kieran Trippier to replace show, replacing winger Phil Foden who had just come on about five minutes before that.

England defended the ensuing free kick well, and Southgate quickly sent on further defensive reinforcements with the introductions of right back Reece James and midfielder Conor Gallagher. It must be said that even though they were down to ten men, England somehow improved in the final moments of the match. They were getting blocks and tackles in, and Kane had started winning the ball high up the pitch again. They didn’t create any scoring chances, but they didn’t need to. They just needed to win throw-ins and fouls as often as possible, because each one would take precious time off the clock. After a less-than-expected five minutes of stoppage time, the final whistle went and England were victorious on Italian soil for the first time since 1961!

So while it was a game of two halves in which England nearly choked it away, the most important thing is that they held on to win. England under Southgate have a history of scoring first in big games, only to choke away a victory later on. They did that against these very same Italians in the summer of 2021 at Wembley when they lost in the Euros final. But that was vitally not what happened today. Despite going down to ten men after some chaotic and one-sided refereeing, they held their effing nerve and didn’t concede again! This team can score goals and they play some beautiful football at times, but they need to learn to be ruthless at the end of big matches. The players showed real grit and determination today, and that is refreshing in a big match such as this one. Interestingly, it could be argued that England should have had this match put away at halftime. If Grealish scores his big chance, it’s 3-0 to England the second half is very different. Credit to the players, and credit to Southgate for making the right subs.

Special commendations to one Mr. Harry Kane. As mentioned above, the 29 year-old Tottenham Hotspur striker became England’s all-time leading goal scorer with his spot-kick goal today! He now has 54 England goals to his name, and he is far from being done. While it’s true that his trophy cabinet is a little on the empty side, there is no questioning his dominance as a center forward. The statistics speak for themselves – Kane is the best pure goal-scorer to ever put on an England shirt. Not only does he have the record for most goals scored, he also has the record for most goals scored in competitive matches. He scores important goals. He came close to breaking the record last fall against France in that now-infamous quarterfinal, but he missed his penalty over the bar. Finessing it past Donnarumma today was a bit of redemption, though. A big penalty scored with relative ease in a very important match. He will look to extend his record over this qualifying campaign and help England qualify for Germany in 2024.

England will fly home after this match and prepare for their next qualifier against Ukraine at Wembley Stadium on Sunday. This was a fantastic start to the 2024 qualifying campaign, and Ukraine will provide another tough test. They are probably the 3rd-best team in Group C talent-wise, and the players will want to give their war-torn home nation something to be happy about. Shaw will be unavailable for selection due to a red card suspension, but that’s actually fine by me. Shaw has played for Manchester United a lot this season, and he needs some mandated rest.

Three Lions on the Shirts!