Well, what a game yesterday. United went into half-time lucky to be a goal down and ended up getting a great result on the road.
There can be no doubt there will be a few West Ham players regretting not finishing United off when they had the chance.
Despite the excitement of the win it’s clear United need some settlement to try and generate some consistency in their performances. Bringing on players to change the game can only work in certain situations and they were lucky yesterday that West Ham missed so many good chances.
Anthony Martial had another poor game. He’s yet to score in the league this season and he’s not even a streak striker, so it’s not a case that one goal will propel him into some sort of form. Can United afford to carry players when the going is bad? Can Ole afford not to play his best team? Look at the difference that was made when the substitutes came on.
I love United. But it has started to feel as if some of the stardust has gone. It is beginning to feel like just another club that just happens to have this incredible name. Sometimes I look at the team when it is named and think – deary me, is that the best we can put out there? And still you want to be convinced but even performances like yesterday make you realise that the problems that are there have been there for years and look to be no closer to being solved.
Ole is back to trying a new system, mostly to try and accommodate the new signings. But accommodation is a funny word – what a luxury. How long do we have to wait? There are players, like Martial, like Pogba, who have been at the club for years and we’re being told the best is to come. It’s not good enough I’m afraid. It’s an excuse for when things go wrong, but the excuse is only valid for a certain period of time.
Like Donny Van De Beek – it’s a difficult settling in period for him. These are his first few months. But come the second half of the season, he is going to need to find some consistent form. Cavani on the other hand has settled, and he plays in a old-school fashion – a player who makes great runs for his team mates and has an uncomplicated way of going about his business. Those were the qualities on show in the comeback at Southampton and I feel sure that he would have been a better bet to help than Martial would have been in the second half yesterday. Goals make the game exciting – deliberating and trying to walk the ball into the net is not, and further to the point, it hasn’t worked at United, so the time has come to be more direct with the players we have.
When things are as erratic at this you look at the historical values of United and hope you can find some comfort there. It was always the case that no matter how bad things were, the vibrancy of the young players and the personality they brought to the team was the breath of fresh air and positivity they gave. So you hope that yesterday’s goal brings a smile back to Mason Greenwood’s face because the lad who has been such a bright spot for the club does not look as though as he’s been enjoying his football.
I wonder if at times like this – particularly at times like this – it’s worth taking the positives out of what you have. The virus has been a tremendously tough time for everyone but footballers have had the opportunity to train in the fresh air and work out in the gym. These are not options available for everyone.
It’s great to see some clubs get supporters back in the ground – without them, the game has been completely different for me, and I have to say I have not enjoyed it. They make a massive difference and I can say that a strong and vocal Old Trafford crowd is one of the most inspiring things in the game – its value cannot be underestimated.
That said, it can’t be used as an excuse for underperformance, particularly when we’ve seen enough when grounds were full to let us know some players are just the same as they were then.
