A brief look at Manchester United’s most recent results and what our staff is thinking about heading into the international break.
Colin – The other side of an undroppable player
Manchester United needs Casemiro.
It’s been the case since the legendary Brazilian signed from Real Madrid, and is still the case now for him at age 34, anchoring a two-man midfield in a league full of three-man midfields. He is one of the players who has grown into Amorim’s setup and its demands, fulfilling an important role
in possession retention as well as his defensive duties.
Even in a match where United generated a pathetic five shots all game, Casemiro was an important player in keeping Spurs in the same state of misery going forward. He and Harry Maguire both were key players in clearing the ball, and both players going off the pitch at the same time was not ideal.
Suwaid – Fighting Spirit Has Its Limits
United have shown a lot of spirit in their last three away games, scoring late goals in each. The opponents have been no slouches either, but performances will have to improve. In all these games, United have had long periods where they’ve looked ordinary.
This isn’t to say that better teams will punish United since these are some of the better teams in the league, but it’ll leave United with a lot to do at home. United aren’t at the stage in their development where they can claim Old Trafford is a fortress yet, despite the encouraging signs in home games.
There’s a free-flowing nature to the attack in home games, which, unsurprisingly, is completely lacking in the away games. Most of the away goals have come from set-pieces, which is fine, but United, with the profile of players at their disposal, should be more capable of building frequent counterattacks at the very least.
Vince – Match theme, Inconsistent
For United, this result underscores a glaring inconsistency. On one hand, the ability to stay alive in the game a team with resilience; on the other, allowing a match they once controlled to slip away highlights continuing defensive and tactical weakness.
Amorim admitting United “have a lot of problems” pretty much sums up his tenure at United.
