United managed to overcome Norwich deep into extra time thanks to a Harry Maguire finish from close range, after a largely frustrating and uninspiring performance from United against ten-man Canaries. I will identify five lessons we can learn from the game, heading into Tuesday’s fixture away to Brighton.
Bruno’s Worst Performance Was Still Pretty Good
It was most definitely Bruno Fernandes’ worst performance since he arrived from Sporting Lisbon in January. He tried so much but struggled with his weight of pass and finishing, uncharacteristic of the displays he has shown us so far.
Yet, he still was arguably our most creative player, especially in the first half. You have to accept not everything will come off with a player who takes risks. You would rather that than ‘safety first’. And he did create the red card in the end, when he slipped Ighalo in and Klose brought the Nigerian down.
Ighalo is a Goalscorer
Many doubted Odion Ighalo’s signature when he joined, myself included, with several believing he was not of the quality befitting a Manchester United player. Whilst he is not the future, how wrong a lot of us were. He has had a fantastic goalscoring record when starting games. At Carrow Road on Saturday, he finished so smartly and made it look easy. All of his goals bar his LASK one, have been similar in nature. He is the type of goalscorer that United need in their squad. Plus you can’t help but love the guy!
Maguire’s Dominance
Maguire will get all the plaudits after staying in the box and scoring past Krul from close range to send United to Wembley. All throughout the game, he was showing a great display aerially and also made a crucial block when Onel Hernandez look set to score for the home side. He has had a lot of criticism, particularly for his mobility, but he showed a lot of football intelligence and leadership in Saturday’s victory. He also looked a big threat at corners, having a disallowed goal after a soft push on the Norwich defender. We will be hoping to see more of this Maguire in the remaining games.
Ole’s System Relies on Pace
It was clear throughout the first and some of the second half, that United were seriously missing someone making intelligent runs in behind. Everything was in front of Norwich and it was too easy for them to defend. It was also half of Bruno’s problem, as he had noone to find with his usual pinpoint through balls, splitting defenders in the process. It is why our signings long term need to be the more dynamic type, so our backup players still create opportunities for themselves through intelligent runs.
A Good End To The Season Is Still On
At the start of the season, if you were offered qualifying for the Champions League, winning the FA Cup and regaining the Europa League crown, you would have been delighted. Yet, it doesn’t look completely out of the question. Finishing in the top four does not look easy, seen as Chelsea are five clear and Leicester are six points clear. However, if City’s ban is upheld, 5th will be a spot too. Plus, Leicester are in seriously bad form and arguably more catchable than Chelsea. The cups are ofcourse difficult to win given the strength of opposition, but you would back an unbeaten United to have their tails up!
Norwich City 1-2 Manchester United: Five Things We Learnt
