The performances this season have been completely unacceptable and there’s very few who’ll argue otherwise. I’ve been the most vocal advocate for progression under Solskjær but I’ll not support obvious regression. That being said, if you’re unable to celebrate today’s result/performance, I suggest an alternative hobby.
Admittedly, Spurs were uninspiring in their endeavours today. A disgruntled chorus of boo’s reverberated throughout their modern Colosseum. To attribute this in its entirety, to the final scoreline, would be a spit in the face to United’s under-pressure manager.
United’s new-look formation allowed continuity on the field. Compact in position, fluid in transition and a swift ability to retrieve the ball when out of possession. Here are my key takeaways from today’s 3-0 victory:
- Varane is worth his weight in gold. The Frenchman has missed several games through injury and his absence has been felt tremendously. His ability to marshal the backline and add some much-needed calmness to the defence is paramount to any form of continued positivity.
- With the transition to a back three, United’s full-backs were given the opportunity to advance with a bit more intent. Wan-Bissaka grabbed this opportunity with both hands and put in a very positive shift. His continued forward progression was a pain in the Spurs defence and he was extremely impressive today.
- There’s much talk of the midfield pairing of Fred and McTominay. On this day, both deserve much applause. Fred was tidy on the ball, progressed matters on most occasions and tested Lloris with a wonderful 35-yard drive.
- McTominay’s performance was singled out for special mention by the manager. He was near faultless today and his ability to carry the ball from defence to midfield was key. His ball distribution was near perfection – completing 95% of his passes, and he remained perfect with his midfield duels. A man-of-the-match performance from our Scot.
- Lastly, the interchange and understanding of our front three was a joy to watch. Experience is always unbeatable on a football field and our strike partnership oozes that. The work rate and intensity in penetrating attacks were like night and day from our previous outing. Two sublime goals from our veteran attackers were extremely welcome. The third, a typically composed side-foot from Rashford, was the icing on the cake.
This one performance does not negate the season to date and our Norwegian is still very much in the spotlight. He’s brought his vulnerable squad to a dangerous London side and managed a performance that restricted Spurs to zero shots on target. He’ll sleep a lot easier tonight and I know I will too. UTFR