Manchester United’s win over Atalanta was made up of magnificent moments but this was a gruelling watch for home fansWith nine minutes to play on a thrilling, increasingly wild night at Old Trafford Cristiano Ronaldo made one of those half-runs, the run that isn’t quite the run, then stretched his stride as he picked up the flight of the ball from Luke Shaw’s boot on the left flank.This is one of the things Ronaldo does so well, the algebra of flight, speed, timing, gravity, contact, the millions of equations and muscle‑mnemonics that go into making these moments work. Continue reading...
Not for the first time this season, Manchester United’s tactical shortcomings were ruthlessly exposed by LeicesterIt was an afternoon to stir the soul, a thrilling game of three outstanding goals and a Leicester performance that suggested their injury problems may be behind them and their season may be about to begin.Even in the context of recent successes, this was a game that will take an exalted place in the collective memory of the King Power. But beyond that excitement, this was another glum day for Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjær. How long can this drift be allowed to go on? How long can nostalgia insulate against the recognition of mediocrity? How long can the same problems be allowed to...
The Norwegian rarely reprimands his players in public but could they do with a dressing-down every now and then?Ole Gunnar Solskjær is the touchline Mr Nice Guy whose breezy demeanour may be counterproductive. To find a sighting of the manager scolding a Manchester United player is akin to a search for Lord Lucan: it could take some time.Why does it matter? Because players, even subconsciously, can ease off, or just blithely fail to heed orders. There is, of course, little point in mindless venting with no material aim. But for a No 1 to be able to show who the No 1 is via a mid-game shock-and-awe lecture to stop aberrations is vital or performances will dip. Continue reading...
Bruce potentially set for his final game at Newcastle, Ranieri begins tough spell at Watford and Guardiola has Sterling decision It feels trivial discussing mere football matters when set against the ethical concerns arising from Newcastle’s Saudi takeover, but it feels as if whatever happens on the pitch against Tottenham will accelerate Steve Bruce’s departure. He is unlikely to get much credit if his side record a first league win of the season; instead it will only heighten the sense of “new broom” momentum that would require a bigger-name manager as soon as possible, while defeat would only serve to demonstrate the immediate need for change. It helps Bruce that Newcastle’s first opponents of the new era are a side...
Owners’ style has long been to make the past fund the present but for all the spending on players oddities are creeping in“It’s a write-off.”“A write-off of what?” Continue reading...