Arsenal 2:1 Manchester United
It’s a game of 2 halves as usual for Manchester United that showed glimpses of some good football Manchester United could be capable of in the season but something is clear from the game, Ten Hag’s style is heavily dependent on certain kind of players.
Let’s look at the conclusions.
1. Injuries not coaching can still decide Manchester United’s season: The style of play is clear and depends on executing incisive one or two touch passing in the midfield in transition and building out from the back. It happens that this will need highly technical defenders and midfielders. Wingers that can keep posession and tuck into midfield is important too. We had that in the first half but not so much in the second. With injuries to Hojlund forcing United to play without a striker for the first half and Lenny Yoro forced off around the 30th minute. Everything beautiful around Man United game collapsed.
2. Amad impressed again: He is showing consistency now and made good use of his limited opportunities in field. He is crucial in Manchester United’s build up as he has shown to be very capable of dropping deep to make smart combinations. Had an incisive pass to Mount saved and had his own shot saved too. Good player.
3. Mount can kick on and bring energy into the team: Mason Mount looked like a new signing with the way he buzzed about the pitch, instigating counters, connecting midfield to attack and even riding pressures from Arsenal Midfield.
4. Man UTD B Team is the ghost from last season: The team B that started the second half looked like they were coached by a different manager and was unsure of what they were doing. Players ran into each other, passes were misread, link up play was terrible and the team was too stationary atimes. If we played like we did in the second half for the entire season, we will finish eight again.
5. Antony is really poor, isn’t he: We have a conundrum on our hands. What do we do with an £80m investment that doesn’t quite understand how to play football for United. At this point, it is much more mental than physical. His passes were awry, his shots were hurried and he really does need more dimension to his game than cutting in on his left foot and shooting. Ten Hag should be talking to him right now and finding out if he really needs help.
6. Sancho’s game was forgettable: If he fails at Man United and you still think it is because of a coach, then you are the problem. I want to see him improve but it may be a long walk. Don’t get me wrong, he is a good player. He just doesn’t show it enough.
7. Toby Collyer and Amass needs that promotion: Toby Collyer did himself proud and so did Amass. Granted, Amass needs a bit more work in his defending but if we have Malacia and Shaw earning on our books, Amass is all we need and we are sorted for the season. Same too if we still have Casemiro and Amrabat still on our books, then we shouldn’t be signing Ugarte. Collyer can step in.
8. Rashford still yet to get going: His pass to release Hojlund for the first goal was amazing and he released that same kind of pass to Garnacho in the build up to our second. Yet, three games into our pre-season friendly and I am beginning to fear that we all had imagined the 30 goal a season, electrifying Rashford.
9. Harry Maguire may yet again become crucial for us: He seems to be the only defender that can stand on his feet for us and it is sad.
10. Refereeing was atrocious: This game could have been played without the officials and nothing would have changed. They made no impact . Arsenal’s first goal was an offside from Gabriel but Arsenal had a couple of decent breaks that were wrongly flagged.
