Manchester United vs Tottenham Match Review

 

My first take on the game on Sunday was that United were going to win no matter what, but the way they started the game was shocking and appalling. Sitting down and watching the game I could feel my skin crawling with disgust at such a performance, however I still believe that we could have performed better in the second half, but the red card to our best player basically canceled out any chance we had of a comeback.

Who Is To Blame Erik Or The Players

Hearing that Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag is facing the sack is definitely not new to any football fan out there, well it's another poor performance and the self-proclaimed social media jury is out on Ten Hag. United's last loss was against Liverpool who beat them three-nil at Old Trafford after that was a three nill dominant win over Southampton, a 7 nil thumping of Barnsley, and a game away at Crystal Palace which any reasonable individual will agree should have ended in the first half. The only game where United lifted their foot from the gas was the 1 all draw against FC Twente in the Europa League, during all of these games there was a lot of praise aimed at United for keeping possession, carrying out repeated patterns of play, creating a lot of chances and playing out from the back, but facing another big team in the Premier League, the United players forgot all of that discipline and were so bad they could not keep the ball for 5 seconds in the first half. Not surprisingly all fingers were pointed at the manager, "he should be sacked", United has no playing style" as if it was not the same United team we were all praising last week. I believe United's problem has strongly to do with mentality and consistency, against both Liverpool and Tottenham United seemed to play well after they had already lost both games, they played better than Liverpool in the second half and played better than Tottenham in the second despite being a man down and conceding two goals. I think Ten Hag needs to work on his players mentality and confidence, especially in such high-pressure games, because United can definitely not be this bad.

Bruno Fernandes Red Card

From a United point of view, we were as bad as we could possibly be in that first half, but I have seen United be this bad and still come out to play better in the second half, the game was against Tottenham not Liverpool or City, I was convinced we were going to stage a comeback in the second half. But that belief was snuffed out when Chris Kavanagh showed a red card to our skipper, I'm not going to talk about my own opinion for the sake of being just, but rather I would point out to two retired referees who gave out their opinion. Former football referee Cheif Kieth Hackett had this to say "This was a very unfortunate slip by Bruno Fernandes on a disastrous afternoon for Manchester United. I can see why the referee may have decided this was worthy of a red card, as Fernandes looked to challenge James Maddison with Tottenham on the breakaway. However, after multiple viewings, I lean towards a yellow card. I feel the referee Chris Kavanagh would have benefitted from being asked to look at the incident again on the pitch-side monitor. He was in an excellent position and the VAR would go with the referee's call- there was no way they would overturn this as they would say it is not a clear and obvious error- but giving him the benefit of multiple replays and angles could have resulted in a different decision." 

And these are the words of former referee and Sky Sports analyst Dermot Gallagher "Right, a lot of debate. Look, that's the referee's view, I don't think he can see it, that's my first point. I don't think the referee sees the challenge happen. The assistant flags it, he has a different view and angle. When you play it through, you can see it's a glancing blow, he doesn't catch him as he thinks. I can understand the referee not seeing it, he has to go off the assistant's view on that, he thinks it's high and caught him, but he hasn't. It's an optical illusion when you see it, a more palatable decision would've been a yellow card".

What Is Next For Man United 

The decision from the Man United dressing room after Sunday's game was to "reset" and go again at FC Porto on Thursday, I believe the players are still firmly behind Erik Ten Hag, and I expect to see more effort and motivation from them going forward, but I have seen this team bounce back from more horrible situations than this, so I strongly believe they would do so again.

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The Keyboard Warriors Call For A Sack But Old Trafford Faithful Remain Silent

 

A call for a Ten Hag sack would not come as a surprise to anyone, at the end of his first season, the United manager had won a trophy ( United's first in six years) and his team had returned to the Champions League however since from then it has been a storm at M16 and countless voices have called for the managers sack, despite winning another trophy last season an eight place from the biggest football club of English football was unacceptable and many think Ten Hag should pay for it. New owners Ineos chose to stick with Ten Hag last season despite looking at other options and they still reiterated their support for the United manager amid a poor start to the season. 

If you are one who only follows the happenings of social media then you would probably be very surprised that the Dutchman is still in office, the keyboard warriors and analyst have all made it clear that they want Ten Hag sacked, I'm also one of them however unlike them I still fully support the manager, I have seen writers like me praise the manager all through that very eventful first season however most of them have so quickly turned on the manager, one cannot blame them though as reporters we are suppose to write what we see however as a Man United supporter you should be obligated to use your voice as a source of inspiration to fans all over the world during this tough times.

The keyboard warriors might have turned on the manager but the one group that will always support the manager is the Old Trafford faithful, throughout his tenure as United manager there have never been calls for "Ten Hag Out" from the Old Trafford faithful and so it was for all the managers who have come and gone post-Fergie. The tradition had ended 35 years ago when a banner at Old Trafford read "3 years of Excuses and it's still crap... TA RA FERGIE" Thankfully United did not listen to the fans if not I wonder how different our history would have been. During his last speech as United manager on that noon of 2014, Fergie gave the Old Trafford faithful one message which was "to support the manager", ten years on they have seen their beloved club turn into something unrecognizable but still follow Fergie's instructions without relenting. Hopefully, Old Trafford will turn red one day in an emotional goodbye for Ten Hag from the Old Trafford faithful just like Fergie, of course not the one of 1989 but the one of 2014.

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Fernandes Red Card Another Example Among Many Of Premeir League Poor Refreeing

Against Tottenham, United were as awful as they could be, giving away a goal under three minutes and conceding countless chances to Tottenham. The talking point of the game apart from how bad United was will be the red card shown to captain Bruno Fernandes, it was his first in United colors and many will argue that it was undeserved, while going into a tackle, Fernandes slipped and caught the spurs midfielder on his shin pads, referee Chris Kavanagh immediately showed the red card to the United skipper, but replays showed that he would have benefited from a second look via the pitch side monitors but the VAR did nothing to intervene. 

Former Referee Keith Hackett Gives His Opinion

The red card will as usual bring a lot of controversy some believe that it was red and some believe it wasn't, however former PL referee Chief Keith Hackett has laid out his own view on the issue, and these were his words "This was a very unfortunate slip by Bruno Fernandes on a disastrous afternoon for Manchester United. I can see why the referee may have decided this was worthy of a red card, as Fernandes looked to challenge James Maddison with Tottenham on the breakaway. However, after multiple viewings, I lean towards a yellow card. I feel the referee Chris Kavanagh would have benefitted from being asked to look at the incident again on the pitch-side monitor. He was in an excellent position and the VAR would go with the referee's call- there was no way they would overturn this as they would say it is not a clear and obvious error- but giving him the benefit of multiple replays and angles could have resulted in a different decision."

Fernandes Reaction

The United skipper himself has bemoaned his luck, insisting his innocence following the incident, " I don't go in with the studs, I take him with my ankle, it's clear foul but never a red card" he told Sky Sports reporters. "Even Maddison when he gets up, he said it was a foul but never a red card. You can see it's never a red card and if it is, we have to look at many other incidents. I have many other incidents against me and I've never seen it come so quick as a red card. The contact is not that strong. If he wants to give me yellow because it's a counter-attack, I agree and I don't know why VAR doesn't call the referee to the screen."

United was poor throughout the first half and a red card to their best player and skipper snuffed out any chance of a comeback, United did not help themselves by conceding early in the second half, at that point the game was already gone.

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Jadon Sancho's Subtle reaction To United's Loss Against Tottenham

Supporters of almost every other English club have never failed to enjoy the misery United the biggest club in English football has been going through since Sir Alex retired back in 2014, United has only won 6 trophies in those ten years and has shown little to no sign of regaining the top position in English football which is now reserved for a Manchester Club only this one is in blue not the usual red. Jadon Sancho a player who was brought in by Solkjaer in the summer of 2021 has decided to join in the banter of United, though subtle but banter all the same.

When he came in Sancho was one of the best prospects in English and World football and there were high hopes for him at Old Trafford however throughout his 3 seasons in the club Sancho never managed to permanently reserve a starting spot for himself in the first eleven, his time at United seemed to reach it's end after he accused Ten Hag of lying about his performance in training. Rival fans would of course support Sancho in such cases and rival football clubs also seem to support the trend, one such club is Borrusia Dortmund where Sancho helped qualify for the Champions League final last season, they troll United with a post about how they never lost belief in Sancho, but that believe was most definitely not enough motivation to pay his release clause and Sancho returned to United after his season-long loan.

Now at Chelsea, Sancho has been doing well and his new club posted a picture of him smiling immediately after United's loss to Tottenham, the player himself reposted the picture in solidarity. It is fair to say Sancho has been doing well over the last few weeks at Chelsea, but as a fan who has watched Sancho in the last three years I can confidently say the player can't handle pressure and at Chelsea, the pressure is sure to come soon, thankfully this time United made sure Sancho doesn't come back again. 

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Once Again With United, What You See Is What You Get: Manchester United vs Spurs Match Preview

An Unpredictable United 

Last season gamblers most have surly avoided United, this season is starting to look identical to the last, after scoring 10 goals in two games it's surprising United has only managed one in their last two games, especially after dominating both games with a shot tally of  34 to the oppositions 16. United's performance this season has been miles off their performance last, with a possession average of 56% while also maintaining more possession than their opponents in all seven games this season,  including the 3 nill humbling by Liverpool at the M16, the passage of play has been fluent and lucid but United have only won three games, losing two and drawing two. The recent rise in performance has led pundits to suggest United will just manage to edge past Tottenham with Gary Neville predicting a 2-1 win for United, however, it could so easily go sideways and we would probably have to wait and see.

Erik Ten Hag Dismisses Pressure

Been the Man United manager, the seat is always hot and the United manager has been under extremely high levels of pressure in the last eighteen months, the number of times the sack of Ten Hag has been brought up in the media is probably countless by now. Once again the manager was asked about the pressure of managing United however he engaged in a humorous exchange with the reporter before answering, "First of all, respect the criticism. There are many, you can have an opinion about football. When you are in the job you have to deal with this. But I can't take every criticism into account, it's not even possible. I don't want even to know. I need to know some and some are very good advice."

Line-Ups and Changes

Erik's team has gone through a lot of changes in recent weeks, with Eriksen starting the last four games and Ugarte getting his first full 90 minutes last Tuesday, the front line also has all players available right now, even though United has had an abundance of players in the frontline goals have still been difficult to come by, however now that Rasmus Hojlund is back and has had game time it is high time he starts a game, after scoring a goal in this fixture last season he will have to bear the responsibility again for United. United have made it clear that Kobbie Mainoo will be given a lot of rest this season, Eriksen has proved to be a good substitute but his fragility was the main reason United could not beat one of the lowest-ranked Europa League teams, many will argue that it is high time we see a midfield three of Ugarte, Mainoo and Fernandes and it might just be.  

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Manchester United vs Twente Match Review

 

A Quick Downfall For Eriksen

Throughout the week there were talks of Manchester United reducing the workload of Kobbie Mainoo to protect the youngster from being burned out, therefore there wasn't much suprise when Ugarte started in his place against Twente, there was no grumbling also when Eriksen started, he has been a starter in United's last 3 games and contributed a total of 2 goals and 1 assist, it seemed to be going well for the veteran Erisen as he added another goal to his tally, smashing into the Twente net on 35 minutes. But for all their attacking threat, United could not add another which left the team from Holland with an opportunity to come back into the game. After squandering their only chance of the first half, the visitors who were mostly quiet for much of the evening suddenly bust into Life eight minutes after the hour mark, right-back Bart van Rooij cut through the United midfield, sliding past challenges and leaving Maguire on the ground, his charge was eventually halted by a sliding tackle from Ugarte, who then gave the ball to Eriksen and for a few seconds there the midfielder looked like he did not know what to do with the ball, unfortunately, this is professional football and no matter the quality of the opposition you can't be clueless when facing your own goal. The ball was eventually stolen by striker Sam Lammers who made a beeline for the United goal, one on-one with Onana, he deceived the United keeper by fainting a square pass but instead found the back of the net via the near post, for a moment there the Twente forward channeled his inner Kylian Mbappe and put his team level. Twente managed to hold on for the draw with goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall having to make an instinctual save from Harry Maguire in the very last minute, for Twente it felt like a win but for United, it was two points dropped.

Marcus Rashford Dazzle While Fernandes Regress

Marcus Rashford has been a player on an upward curve since his goal against Southampton a fortnight ago, he has since scored 2 more goals and added an assist. He was benched against Crystal Palace but returned to the line-ups last evening and was by far United's best player throughout the game, he weaved through the Twente defense but the highlight of the night was the combination of an Elastico and nutmeg through the legs of the Twente captain Ricky Van Wolfswinkel who in those few seconds definitely had no idea where the ball was, after dribbling pass the opposition, Rashford picked out Matinez free inside the box but his shot was to tame to cause real damage. Marcus Rashford was rightfully serenaded by the Old Trafford faithful and he has started reminding those who turned against him last season just how good he is at his best. 

However, a player who seemed to never experience a purple patch seemed to be going through one now, Bruno Fernandes has been by far United's best player in the last four seasons but after recording just one assist this season it is fair to say Fernades is not at his best, usually the standout feature of his game is the high-risk pass during a turnover or counter however these days the pass hardly reaches it's target, leaving his forwards frustrated. Recently United has played possession football, preferring to build up play from the back, this feature has reduced the chances Fernandes has of making such passes, and the re-introduction of Eriksen into the first team means that the veteran will now be in charge of set pieces and corners, therefore, it is easy these days to miss Fernandes in a game, however, he still remains our best creator and will definitely put this purple patch behind him sooner rather than later.

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An Emotional Ten Hag, In Need Of A Merciless United Team: Man United vs Twente Match Preview

 

An Emotional Ten Hag, In Need Of A Merciless United Team

Twente is the club after Ten Hag's heart, a club he played and also served as an assistant manager along with former United coach McClaren, who was head coach. The duo won Twente's only Eredivisie title back in 2009, McClaren conceded that when he arrived at Twente, he noticed Erik's stamps all over the club, from the youth teams all the way to the senior squad, 13yrs later, the duo combined again for another stellar season, only this time they were at English Football's biggest club and the roles of Manager and Assistant had switched. Ten Hag admitted to watching FC Twente not as an analyst but as a fan, "I would have preferred to play against somebody else. It's not nice to hurt something you Love." As emotional as Ten Hag might be, he still needs to ensure his team is as ruthless as they were one week ago at Old Trafford against Barnsley, United have the most big chances missed in the Premier League this season with 17, after scoring 7 without reply against Barnsley, one would not be questioned for suspecting the goal droughts to be over. But after the first half at Selhurst Park last weekend, one would also be right if he suspected United was jinxed, four big chances were wasted and former keeper Dean Henderson was beaten twice in two seconds, only his bar was not and the score remained 0-0. The only reason Ten Hag is still Manager at United is the fact that he has won two trophies, the Europa League will be an excellent addition to the trophy cabinet, therefore his players cannot be as emotional as he is later today.

Line-ups And Injuries

The talking point of the last game was Marcus Rashford not starting, Ten Hag insisted he just rotating his team and there was no special reason for the decision, he then proceeded to call some Pundits specifically Jamie Redknapp "crazy" for suggesting otherwise, however many will expect Rashford to start today. Ten Hag has confirmed that the squad this evening will be the same as that of the weekend, however, the manager has been known to make rotations so we should expect some today.

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A Different United But Not The One We Wanted To See

A Different United

 During his customary press conference before each game, Ten Hag said we were going to see a different United team at Selhurst Park and throughout the first half one might have quite easily mistaken the red side of Manchester for their blue-fitting counterparts. By the 20th minute former goalkeeper Henderson had made 4 good saves, with the clearest chances falling to Garnacho and De Ligt, the former was brought in at the expense of Rashford, and contrary to speculations, Ten Hag stressed it was mainly for tactical reasons and he got so agitated in his explanation that he called Pundit Jamie Redknapp "crazy" for suggesting otherwise, De Ligt had another excellent game at the back and going forward, his efforts showed that United are not going to be blunt and clueless anymore at corners and set pieces. United continued the game in the same manner, playing out excellently from the back, carving out the Palace midfield, and creating chances galore, Zirkzee was inches away, and Garnacho and Fernandes struck the bar within seconds of each other, the only difference between the first-half at Palace and the one at Old Trafford on Tuesday against Barnsley was that the scoreline read 0-0 instead of 3-0, it might have gotten worse for United had Eze managed to shoot at either side of Onana instead of straight at him after Mitchell managed to run behind a sleeping Amad to cut back for the Palace talisman who aimed a tamed effort straight at Onana, it was their only shot of the half.

The Resurgence Of Christian Eriksen

A lot of people thought the only change in formations would be a first start in the Premier League for new signing Ugarte but Ten Hag has always been a coach who believed in form therefore Eriksen kept his place, the United midfield that was a major problem last season looks so different to the extent that Ten Hag can chose two different sets of midfield three. The resurgence of Mount who is back from yet another injury and the signing of Ugarte might have resulted in less playing time for Eriksen, but just like how Mctominay took the signing of Casemiro personally two years ago, Eriksen seems to have taken the signing of Ugarte personal, the midfielder who was close to leaving during the summer break has started United's last three games and has been United best midfielder ever since, scoring two goals, assisting one and serving expertly as the link between defense and attack. As mentioned above, many might have thought that Ugarte would be able to casually work into the United first team but just like Casemiro he will have to wait.

United Paying For Missed Chances

An afternoon that seemed like a wonderful one ended up being frustrating for United, they played arguably their best bit of football in the first half but Palace learned their lesson and were more compact in the second half, eventually the game that was so one-sided suddenly looked like it had no clear winner, Onana had to make to excellent double saves in two seconds which I strongly believe where better than that of Raya during the week. Hopefully, the habit of missing chances will be forgotten story now that Rasmus Hojlund is back, but for what it's worth, the game at Palace was indeed different and it showed a clear direction of where the team was heading. 

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Man United vs Crystal Palace Match Preview

 

Selhurst Park A Nightmare For Erik Ten Hag

Selhurst Park was the first Premier League venue Erik Ten Hag visited, he sat in the stands in a white-piece suit and watched his new team lose 1 nill, subsequent visits to the stadium have brought undesirable results with the 4-0 nill trashing at the top of the list. The game at Selhurst Park last season marked the second time Ten Hag's Man United team have lost a match 4 nill, but unlike the game away at Brentford, many agreed it would take a miracle for Ten Hag to keep his job in the dugout, but he did. The game at Palace tomorrow will determine whether the recent surge in form and confidence for the Manager and team is here to stay, "It was a 4-0, totally deserved, but Saturday will be different. I don't compare (situations). From February onwards we had to find 11 players to construct a team. Now it is 18 and we can pick one".

                                       Injuries And Returned Dates

Just like last season, this season began with a couple of injuries to important squad members, but luckily the injury situation is not as bad as it was last season and the addition of five players to the squad has proved to be very important to the team, four players have been playing and contributing to the team with the only exception Leny Yoro who is out until November. "Careful and top football, you always go to boundaries. It's not avoidable but when you have a full squad available then it's easier to manage the load when you are in circumstances like last season and there is a need to play, we have to overload them".  On Mason and Rasmus "We have so many games in this block to cover, so very very happy. We have to make the final call, they did a couple of training, we have to see how they recover and tomorrow they will make the final call".

                                                    Line-Ups and Form

Before the game at Southampton, there were calls for Ten Hag to drop Marcus Rashford for Garnacho, however since then Rashford has scored three goals and assisted one, many will be looking at the front line to see what changes will be made however based on how Ten Hag has managed Garnacho's playing time he (Garnacho) will probably be on the bench. Ten Hag's management of Garnacho has brought massive rewards with the winger scoring four goals and assisting two, compared to last season where he started 38 games, the youngster is getting a much-needed and effective rest. In midfield latest signing Ugarte took his chance against Barnsley to show United fans exactly why United chased him throughout the transfer season. Ten Hag said we are going to see a different Man United at Selhurst Park tomorrow, from the line-ups to the playing style I think that change is assured.

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Man United vs Barnsley Match Review: A Turning Point For Erik Ten Hags Team

 

A three nill win away at Southampton and a confident Marcus Rashford equals a horrible evening at Old Trafford for League One side Barnsley and it was. After a sloppy start in the first ten minutes, Rashford received a switch of play from Garnacho, weaved through two defenders, and thumped the ball into the back of the net, from the moment the ball reached his feet, the Barnsley defense had no chance whatsoever. After the first goal, United never looked back, Antony a player who faces pressure and criticism constantly scored the second from the spot, the penalty was handed to him by another estranged Brazillian Casemiro who captained the team. Many have questioned Erik Ten Hag's use of Garnacho, but the game against Barnsley proved Erik Ten Hag was right in using Garnacho sparingly, starting in his favorite left-wing, he was a menace all game and scored two goals of his own while assisting Marcus Rashford for his second, by half time all three forwards have scored and United had already qualified for the third round the question was how many will they add.

 The second half was definitely the best under Erik Ten Hag, Garnacho and Rashford added one each and Eriksen opened his tally for the season with one assist and two goals, Ten Hag was so merciless that he brought in Amad, Mazraoui, and Fernandes while being five nill up. The United captain created six chances and assisted Eriksen for both of his goals, United started the season with the biggest chances missed in the Premier League but a tally of ten goals without reply in their last two games means a great improvement has been made, many will point out the quality of the opposition, but knowing United especially a United team that has not played with its first choice center forward all season, this is a great improvement. However, the jury will come down against Erik Ten Hag and his team when they travel to Selhurst Park, a venue that brings bitter memories to United fans and most especially the United manager. 

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Caraboa Cup: Man United vs Barnsley Match Preview

United returned to winning ways away at Southampton with a comfortable three nill win after Onana's heroics against Archer from the spot, De Ligt, Rashford, and Garnacho were on the scoresheet, and the win eased the pressure on manager Erik Ten Hag. The team will return to action later today against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup, the EFL trophy was the first of two trophies won by Erik Ten Hag back in 2022 ending a six-year wait for a trophy at Old Trafford. Below are the words from the United Manager.

Importance Of The Caraboa Cup

"FA Cup, Carabao Cup, it's significant. We all want the same. It's very important in football to win trophies. You have five opportunities, and our aim is always to win all the games, so win all the trophies if possible."

Team Selection

The Carabao Cup will provide Ten Hag with a chance to rotate his squad, new signing Ugarte could make his Old Trafford debut and Antony may get an opportunity to show himself, "I hope I have headaches (in terms of players competing for the starting XI), because, last year, I also had headaches but there were no players available! So I hope have many players available and we can make a selection from game to game. Definitely, we have to rotate because we have to cover so many games and so it's not only about a starting XI. That is a nice headache

Injuries and Returned Dates

The injury situation at United does not seem to be as acute as last season, but injuries to key players like Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw have had a significant negative impact on the team's performance, "Luke Shaw is progressing, but not yet ready to be selected. Of course, we have a plan in our head when he can be ready, but you always depend on how the progress will go and you think, you can't make a suggestion because there are so many factors why a plan can accelerate or slow down". On Rasmus Hojlund and Victor Lindelof, Ten Hag said "They are not ready for tomorrow. We will see how the progress will continue".   

 

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Man United vs Southampton Match Review: Andre Onana Breaks Murphy's Law

Andre Onana Breaks Murphy's Law

The first 25 minutes against Southampton were familiar to United fans, a slow start and strings of mistakes that led to shots at goal, the Saints had few chances in the first 25 minutes which they should have used to move ahead including a penalty that was so tamely taken by striker Cameron Archer it might be easily mistaken for a back pass to Andre Onana. Seizing the opportunity Andre Onana stood up for his team and became the inspiration United needed to get going again, 2 minutes after his penalty save United scored and added another, within 8 minutes, United suddenly moved from almost being behind to two goals up. From the penalty save to the end of the game, the Saints did not manage to have another shot at Onana's post again with United shipping in 16 unanswered strikes at the other end. As far as United is involved Murphy's Law "In any field of endeavor anything that could go wrong will go wrong" seemed to be a curse that haunted them frequently, losing in the closing stages against Brighton and conceding three goals against arch-rivals Liverpool at home with all goals given away by a failing midfield. At the South Coast, it seemed like the curse was back but Onana came to the rescue, and from then on it was a different and perfect United performance.

                                  

Redemption For Casemiro, De Ligt And Rashford

Matthijs de Ligt and Marcus Rashford are among two of  United's players going through a tough time, de Ligt made two mistakes leading to goals in the two internationals played by the Netherlands, though his team won the games, questions would have been asked of the United defender if he made similar mistakes against Southampton but he ended up with a goal-line clearance, a goal to get his team going and a man of the match award. Rashford has been one of United's most loyal players since coming through the academy and establishing himself in the first team, been one of United's best attackers in the team the eyes and attention of fans have always been on him, 4 games into the season without a goal or assist pressure was mounting for manager Erik Ten Hag to drop him for Alejandro Garnacho, Rashford repaid his manager by finally scoring his first goal of the season. Casemiro's error against Liverpool will not be forgiven so easily but he still needs to be appreciated for United's third goal, a defense-splitting pass from Casemiro allowed an unmarked Dalot entry into the Southampton penalty area with all the time in the world to pick out a team-mate in the box, he did so expertly and Garnacho finally fired the third goal into the roof of the net. 

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Manchester United vs Southampton Match Preview

 Ten Hag Responds To Ronaldo And Provides Injury Update

Erik Ten Hag held a press conference yesterday afternoon where he addressed a few issues, including the biggest story of the week which was Ronaldo's comments on Rio Ferdinand's Present podcast criticizing the ambitions of the club, Ten Hag responded by saying "He said that Manchester United can't win the Premier League. He said this if you read the article very well. He's far away in Saudi, far away from Manchester. Everyone can have an opinion. It's okay."  This marks the second installment of the feud between Ten Hag and Ronaldo which started when Ronaldo's contract with Man United was terminated back in 2022 after the Al Nassr forward said he had "no respect" for the Man United manager. Ten Hag also provided an update on the status of Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw, there were expectations among United fans that both players might feature in tomorrow's game at the coast "Rasmus Hojlund and Luke Shaw are progressing very well but not ready".

Lineups And Predictions

United's Premier League campaign went downhill after the first game against Fulham, they lost after conceding in the 93rd minute against Brighton and were humiliated by arch-rivals Liverpool at home a game that once again brought up questions about Casemiro's ability to play in the Premier League after the midfielder made two errors leading to goal against Liverpool and was hooked at half-time. In two of the games Ten Hag favored a 4-4-2 formation but after the injury to Mason Mount, Zirkzee was brought in and Ten Hag went back to the usual 4-2-3-1, the biggest problem at United still remains the midfield and all United fans will be eager to see the line-ups tomorrow morning in hopes of seeing the new midfielder Manuel Ugarte, the United manager said he might take a week to be ready but Ugarte played twice for Uruguay during the international break and started both games. He arrived at Carrington yesterday and trained with the squad "Manuel Ugarte, you will have seen he played for Uruguay, he returned this afternoon (Thursday), he was the only player who returned today, the rest yesterday, so he is available for this game." If he does play we hope he ends up being the revelation at midfield we have been praying for.  

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Ronaldo's Scathing Comment About Ten Hag And United

 

Ronaldo Aims Dig At Ten Hag

The famous feud between Ronaldo and Ten Hag seemed to have another chapter as the former United forward and club legend recently questioned the coach's mindset during an appearance on Rio Ferdinand's Presents podcast. Back in 2022, Ronaldo departed United after an interview with Piers Morgan where he criticized the club's infrastructure and said he had "no respect" for the manager, their famous fallout started after Ten Hag punished Ronaldo for refusing to come on at a home fixture against Tottenham. But the estranged forward has said he still wishes success for United but points out the team and manager need to dream bigger even if they don't have the potential, "To prove that I'm right or wrong, this is not my issue anymore. I say what I have to say and it's done. But to be honest with you, what I wish for Manchester, it's what I wish for me. The best they can make, again the best they can be and I love that club, you know, I'm not that kind of guy that forgot the past. But as I told you, Manchester, need to rebuild everything, in my opinion. The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the League and Champions League. Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you're not going to win the League or Champions League. You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don't have that potential, but I cannot say that. We're going to try, you have to try.

Ronaldo also applauded the new direction the club is heading after INEOS recent takeover and he feels positive about the club's future, "This club needs time to rebuild because it's still one best clubs in the world, but they need to change," he said. They understand that this is the only way this is why they show, they start to change again, the structure of the club, the President, the infrastructure, and everything. The owners of the club. They're investing in the training ground. So I'm happy because things are changing I'm not happy the way it all happened, but in the same way, we cannot control some points of our life sometimes, but it's done, already done."

"I believe that the future will be bright. I believe, but they don't depend only on talents. It's more than that. It's all club, all, not only players, club everything as a unit, united. You know? they have to rebuild from the bottom. If not, they cannot compete. It will be impossible. They can do good things, yes, they can win Caraboa, yeah, but I mean, Champions League or Europa League or Premier League, difficult, in my opinion. And I wish that I'm wrong, I wish, but will be difficult."       

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Hojlund, Shaw and Lindelof Return Dates and A Wayne Rooney Free kick: A Look At The Headlines From United Over The Week

Hojlund, Shaw and Yoro Injuries and Return Dates

A slow start in the Premeir League this season for United stands side by side with host of chances missed, over the three games played before the international break, United have the highest number of big chances missed with 9. This record coincides with the injury to first-choice attacker Rasmus Hojlund, Hojlund hit the ground running when he returned for preseason, scoring within 20 minutes against Arsenal, some few minutes later he hit the ground literally with a hamstring injury that kept him out for six weeks. Over the last few weeks he has steped up his recovery and Ten Hag refused to rule out a return against Southhampton in five days time, " We have to see horw it develops, how he can progress during the (international) break, to get match fit. He returned on training pitch but it will take a while before he is up."

Luke Shaw and Victor Lindelof are no strangers to the treatment room at United, Shaw last played for United back in February, but after taking part in the latter stages of Euro 2024, there was optimism that he would be fit in time for the season opener at Fulham, however just three days before the game the club confirmed he will miss the start of the season with a calf injury, if his recovery has gone according to plan then he should be in the matchday squad against his former club. Victor Lindelof, a player United will have preferred to sell over the summer managed to stay put due to a toe injury, unfortunately he also missed the first three games of the season but should be in the squad at St Mary''s stadium.

Wazza Back To Scoring Free Kicks At Old Trafford

Former United striker and club legend Wayne Rooney scored in a legends charity match against Celtic at Old Trafford on Saturday. The United team led by former captain and club legend Bryan Robson fielded a side with players like Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes, Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov, the game set off with a wonderfull Wayne Rooney freekick that had the Celtic goalkeeper ball watching, United fans watching that goal will remember the famous 8-2 annihilation of  Arsenal at Old Trafford in 2011 when Rooney scored two free kicks. United where held to a 1-1 draw before the side representing the Scottish Premiership champions won 5-4 in a penalty shootout.

Fernandes, Zirkzee And Hojlund Shine During International Break

15 United squad members left to represent their Countries during the break and as usual some of them made their mark. Joshua Zirkzee scored and assisted for Nethelands at their home fixture against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fernandes also set up teammate Dalot in their 2-1 win over Croatia, the right-back also unfortunately scored an own-goal but former teammate and club legend Christiano Ronaldo saved his blushes with a second half strike. Fernandes turned goalscorer against Scotland a few days later canceling out a 7 minute header from another former teammate Scott Mctominay who recenlty left for Napoli, back in South America, Alejandro Garnacho registered an assist for Paulo Dybala in Argentina's world cup qualifier against Chile.

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Andre Onana Player Profile- Manchester United Statistics

Andre Onana Player Profile

Andre Onana (born 2 April 1996) is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premeir League club Manchester United and the Cameroon national team. Onana joined Barcelona's youth system in 2010. He signed for Ajax in 2015, where he made 214 appearance and and won three Eredivisie titles. Onana joined Inter Milan on a free transfer in July 2022, winning a Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana title in his sole season at the club, also reaching the Champions League final. Manchester United then signed Onana for an initial 43.8 million Euros in 2023.

Andre Onana Statistics For Manchester United

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Diogo Dalot Player Profile: Manchester United Statistics

 Diogo Dalot Player Profile

Jose Diogo Dalot Teixeira (born 18 March 1999) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a full-back for Premeir League club Manchester United and Portugal national team. Dalot is a product of the youth system at FC Porto and made his professional debut for the club's B team in January 2017. He made his first team debut in a Taca de Portugal game in October 2017. After making eight appearances for Porto, he joined Manchester United in June 2018 for a reported fee of 22 million Euros. From October 2020 to June 2021, Dalot was loaned to italian Seria A club AC Milan.

Diogo Dalot Statistics For Manchester United

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Marcus Rashford Player Profile: Manchester United Statistics

 

Marcus Rashford MBE

Marcus Rashford MBE (born 31 October 1997) is an Englishprofessional footballer who plays as a forward for Premeir League club Manchester United and the England National team. A product of Manchester United's youth system, joining the club at the age of seven, Rashford scored two goals on both his team European debut against Midtjylland in the UEFA Europa League and his Premeir League debut against Arsenal three days later. He also score in his first Manchester Derby, as well as his EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League debuts. With United Rasford has won two FA Cups, two EFL Cups, the FA Community Shield and the UEFA Europa League. Rashford has been praised for using his plartform to be a political activist and philanthropist to drive societal change. He is a campaigner against racism, homelessness and child hunger in the United Kingdom. He has been recognised for his efforts by organisations both within and outside of sport, and was subject of a mural painted by street artist Akse in Withington.

Seasonal Statistics For Manchester United

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Bruno Fernandes Player Profile: Manchester United Statistics

Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Premeir League club Manchester United where he serves as team captain, he also plays for the Portuguese national team with 71 caps to his name. Regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, known for his work-rate, creativity, playmaking, shooting, and penalty taking: Below is his player profile consisting a list of his clubs, leagues, appearances, assist and goals.

Player Profile 

Country-                        Portugal

Date Of Birth-                08-September-1994

Place Of Birth-               Maia

Height-                            1.79m

Weight-                            69kg

Seasonal Statistics For Manchester United

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A Painful Loss Against Liverpool But No Reason For Panic Yet: United VS Liverpool Match Review

 

United lost their last game at Brighton, but there wasn't much panic entering into the biggest fixture in English Football. Ten Hag predictably went back to a 4-2-3-1 formation after the injury to Mason Mount, they started the game with Rashford earning United a corner within the first 3 minutes, for over 20 minutes there were on top and by the 20 minute mark, the possesion stats read United 67% and Liverpool 33% but the ease at which the visitors cut through United's midfield for Arnold's goal that was ruled out should have been a warning of things to come, he kissed the camera in solidarity to club legend Gerrard but a few seconds later kissed his first goal against United at Old Trafford goodbye. The match moved at a slow pace and many expected the first half to end in a draw, but 15 minutes from the break, Casemiro gave the ball away and Liverpool scored, the visitors have smelled blood, 7 minutes later the added another following the same sequence of a Casemiro mistake, a Salah assist and a Luiz Diaz., the third was identical only this time Mainoo was at fault and Salah turned goalscorer. Ten Hag cannot be blamed for Ugarte been registered late therfore not qualified for the game, his contingency plan to cover a poor setup in midfield was to press high with Mount leading the charge but the demons of a season ago seem to still haunt United, 3 games into the season Mount went of injured after the first half against Brighton, an injury that was as invisible as Casemiro was in midfield today.

The game was not as bad as United's last against Liverpool at the theatre, a match they were loosing 4 nil at half time, Liverpool had three shots on the target in this fixture and scored from all three, United had the same three but Zirkzee scorer of United's first goal this season could not convert 2 well measured crosses from Rashford, the first a header that was too close to Alisson and second a shot turn clearance which Van Dijk will definitely be grateful for. The last time Liverpool won at Old Trafford, Fred another Brazillian midfielder had his work made alot harder due to a red card to former player Paul Pogba, that was the last time Pogba played for United againts Liverpool, this might be Casemiro's last as well. 

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