FA Cup: Victory at Wigan

Manchester United traveled 20 miles west to Wigan, England for an FA Cup 3rd round match with League One side Wigan Athletic at DW Stadium. This was the first FA Cup match of the season for United, and it is the sole competition left for them in which they can win a trophy. Manager Erik ten Hag is deeply aware that United supporters expect to win trophies, so he named a very strong side despite the lower league opposition.

Aside from a scary moment very early on, United were dominant in possession and chance creation the entirety of the first half. They had the lead going into halftime as well, thanks to a tidy finish from left back Diogo Dalot on 22 minutes from just outside the edge of the box. Striker Rasmus Højlund and winger/forward Marcus Rashford had both missed clear cut chances before the goal, so it was good to see one of the numerous chances actually go in. Rashford almost did have one go in after Wigan keeper Sam Tickle (wonderful name) spilled a save behind him, but he recovered the ball before it crossed the line. But United could not find another goal, and it was 1-0 at halftime. The Red Devils really should have been 3 or 4 goals ahead, and many supporters were worried that United had left the door open for Wigan to equalize.

United very much picked up where they left off as the match resumed in frigid conditions, but the weather was similar to that of United’s shooting: cold. Rashford continued to be wasteful, and he was playing indecisively when on the ball. His teammates weren’t much better, but the Wigan keeper Tickle was in fine form. He produced several top-class saves that kept the Latics in the match in both the first and second halves.

United sealed the victory on 73 minutes however when Bruno drew a foul in the box and United were awarded a penalty. Bruno was definitely clipped on his right foot by a Wigan defender, but he of course did a very good job of “selling” the penalty when he went down. He stepped up to the spot himself and sent Tickle the wrong way with a low finish for 2-0. United maintained possession and created a few more half-chances after that, but there were no more goals and the Red Devils secured progression to the 4th Round of the FA Cup at the final whistle.

First thoughts – a win is a win. It wasn’t the resounding beat down that United fans would have wanted against a team from two leagues below us, but the reality is that Wigan never consistently threatened us and we won by multiple goals. I’m very impressed with young defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, and winger Alejandro Garnacho had a very good match as well. The domination in possession and chance creation today is largely thanks to those two players.

Rashford did get an assist on the Dalot goal, but other than that he still looks rather lost at times when he runs forward. He slows the ball down far too much when making a decision, and then usually makes the wrong decision. He is at his best when he is direct and runs straight at defenders, and someone on the United coaching staff needs to remind him of that. Højlund didn’t bring his shooting boots today unfortunately, but he got a lot more service than he usually does. With enough chances, they will start going in for him soon enough. It’s still unclear to me what midfielder Scott McTominay’s role was in today’s tactics. He missed a chance or two in the box like everyone did, but other than that he was largely anonymous. I do think there is a place for McTominay in this team, although I am not sure where he fits best. ETH needs to help him figure that out.

So yes, overall, more positives than negatives, but negatives remain nonetheless. Looking ahead, United have been drawn against the winner of the Newport County FC vs. Eastleigh tie in the 4th Round. That match will be replayed after they drew 1-1 in their own 3rd Round match today. I honestly had never heard of either of these teams before today, but that is the magic of the FA Cup. Newport are in League Two, which is one league below Wigan. Eastleigh however are in the National League, which is the fifth tier of English football! It’s incredible that a club that small has a chance to play against a Premier League club. What’s even better for those teams is that whoever wins will get to host Manchester United, which will earn them a nice chunk of change in the form of match day revenue. The date of the tie has yet to be decided. United’s next match however is at Old Trafford in on January 14th, when they host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Before I sign off, a heartfelt farewell and Rest In Power to former German international and footballing legend Franz Beckenbauer, who died earlier today at the age of 78. He was a world-famous footballer in the 1960s and 70s, and he is widely considered to be one of the best players of all time. He started as a midfielder but made his name playing in central defense. He won the Balllon d’Or twice in 1972 and 1976, and was West Germany’s captain when they won the World Cup in 1974. He was also a prolifically successful manager when his playing career ended, managing West Germany to another World Cup win in 1990. He also won numerous titles with his club Bayern Munich, and helped turn that club into the titan that it is today. His name belongs among such others as Pele, Maradona, and Charlton. RIP.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

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!