Yesterday saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer extend his run of unbeaten games away from home in the Premier League by beating Bruno Lage’s Wolves 1-0. This win takes that record to 29, now the longest run in Premier League history.
De Gea back as NUmber one
The performance from David de Gea against Wolves was stellar. He didn’t really put a foot wrong for the whole game. He made some match-winning saves. Most notably the double save following a Wolves set piece. Seeing de Gea like that reminded everyone just how good of a goalkeeper he can be. After a season of ups and downs for de Gea, it is great to see him somewhat back to his best. There was a time last season when it looked as though Dean Henderson had overtaken de Gea for the number one spot. However, with Henderson still out with long covid, de Gea has stepped up and had a great start to the season. Hopefully, this is something he can continue with even when Henderson returns.
Varane is what we needed
Anyone who thought to question whether Raphael Varane could handle the Premier League was given their answer yesterday as he made his debut for Manchester United. Varane didn’t set the world alight with his performance. But it was all round a very assured and comfortable Premier league debut. His pace and physicality came in useful against the likes of Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore. His decision making was excellent, knowing exactly when to play out from the back and when to go long. This was a very promising debut from Varane and is exactly what we have needed.
midfield mess
Fred again. Ole lined up with a double pivot of Fred and Pogba something we have seen that can work in the past. However it was a major problem against Wolves. We looked sloppy in possession. Giving passes away. Being dispossessed far too easily. Particularly in the first half, Wolves dominated in midfield. A large proportion of this has to be put at Fred’s door. In his defence he was doing the things he usually does quite well. His stamina and workrate, his relentlessness and his interceptions were on the whole quite good. But his passing really lets him down. As a result of that when United play out from the back, the centre-backs just skip him out. This is almost the opposite of what is needed from a central midfielder. United need someone who can effectively link the play from the defence to the attack. That is not Fred.
This also means that we see Paul Pogba playing a lot deeper. He drops back to try and link that play by spraying balls all over the place from deep. And whilst we saw that work a few times. Paul Pogba is best at effecting things in the final third when he doesn’t have to drop as deep just to get the ball.
Mason Greenwood on fire
Mason’s goal against Wolves saw him become the fourth youngest teenager to get 20 Premier League goals. He has been directly involved in 10 goals in his last 11 Premier League games. He has now scored in all three of United’s opening matches. There is no denying the output of Mason Greenwood right now. There were times in the match when his decision making could have been slightly better. And he did make one or two mistakes here and there. But ultimately, he’s still a teenager, of course he’s going to make mistakes and he’ll improve on them. But more importantly it was him that got the winning goal. Out of all of the talented forward players we’ve got, Mason is the one being effective in front of goal. He is the one providing United with the three points. And for that you can’t question his place in the starting lineup.
Cristiano takes us to the next level
Having completed his medical today, we are that one step closer to seeing Ronaldo back in a Manchester United shirt. With Edinson Cavani reportedly going to be missing large chunks of the season due to commitments to Uruguay. Ronaldo couldn’t be making his comeback at a better time. There is an energy around this team that feels exciting, and Cristiano takes that to beyond the next level. We all know what he is capable of on the pitch. His presence in the box will be lethal, he is guaranteed goals. We also have to appreciate what impact he is going to have off the pitch. We heard that when Cavani came in, Mason Greenwood was learning off him and Cavani almost took him under his wing. When Cristiano walks into Carrington, you can guarantee that players like Greenwood and Sancho and Rashford will be watching his every move. The influence that Ronaldo can have on these kinds of players is frightening. This two year spell could set up United with a devastating front line for years to come.