Good morning, Reds.
Another matchday is upon us but Man City have gone top of the table after hammering West Brom last night. I didn’t see the game but every pundit and his dog raved about City last night with them winning 5-0 away from home.
The test at hand for United isn’t a steep one. We take on Sheffield United at home — they’re at the bottom of the table with 5 points, with only an FA Cup run to hope for this season with their Premier League dreams coming to an abrupt end.
It doesn’t help that MUFC are expected to win comfortably, with John Eagan suspended for the Blades and other players doubtful for the trip.
Anyhow, less about them and more about us.
Manchester United are in flying form at the moment and I can’t see that being disrupted by a Sheffield United side thrown together.
Another bonus we can expect tonight — should United get over the line quickly — is a debut for Amad Diallo, the Ivorian winger who recently joined from Atalanta. He scored in training during the week and it seems like Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is waiting for the right time to put him in.
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That was never going to be Liverpool away or in the FA Cup.
Solskjaer will be asked again about resting players for this one, with United facing a hectic schedule as a side looking to win silverware this season. I think Marcus Rashford could do with one tonight after sustaining a knock against Liverpool in the cup, which would allow Solskjaer to give Mason Greenwood more minutes.
Anthony Martial is another who needs to start scoring goals, so many he will take the responsibility without Rashford being on the pitch?
Predicted XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Bailly, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Pogba, Fernandes, Greenwood, Cavani, Martial.
Solskjaer needs to start giving Cavani more minutes because even when he doesn’t contribute goals, his presence is usually enough to cause havoc in the other team’s defence. Greenwood and Martial can keep the full-backs busy while Rashford gets a much needed rest after playing through knocks throughout the campaign.
The manager at long last has choice in the middle. He can play either Fred or McTominay, both or even throw Nemanja Matic into the mix. I think he will start McTominay tonight along with Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes got his rest against Liverpool last weekend but still managed to come on as a substitute to score a match winning free-kick.
I’m predicting a 2-0 win for the Red Devils.
Goodbye Ighalo
With Odion Ighalo’s time at Manchester United coming to an end, I wanted to share some words on the Nigerian and how he fulfilled his purpose to the squad.
United faced an injury crisis and Solskjaer needed a striker up front to rotate for cup matches. Ighalo did that with 5 goals in his first 4 starts.
He wasn’t needed once Rashford returned to fitness, but Ighalo got his dream move to United and made the most of it. It’s a bit of business I will look back at positively because he helped us when we needed it.
It’s was a pleasure. Once a Red, always a Red🔴🔴🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/uXVqIXxsAf
— Odion Jude Ighalo (@ighalojude) January 26, 2021
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