A trip to Old Trafford used to be something special. Those days have passed. The former theatre of dreams can still be a thrilling place, as it was at times in the second half; in the first half, it was a nice spot for a nap.
It would be wrong to suggest that Manchester United are not a huge football club; they are one of the biggest clubs in the world. But it would be equally wrong to suggest that their team reflects this fact. It has quality in the form of Eriksen and the snide Fernandes, a certain know-how from experienced campaigners like Casemiro and Maguire, and young talent Garnacho. Not starting today were Mainoo and Diallo, who are both players worth paying to watch. But that collection is hardly anything to write home about for a club of United’s stature.
They had Obi-Mikel and Heaven on the bench today, both recently poached from us, and the simple truth of the matter is that the pathway to the first team is much clearer at United than with us. Our first team is streets ahead of theirs and it was a frustration that we let them drag us down today. We conspired in a poor first half and then played a loose second that enabled them to get a result.
From our side, we were not particularly good. We lacked incision, and it was another performance where we could all see our recent deficiencies. We still looked decent in the first half when the home side offered little. We controlled the midfield, kept the ball and looked a level above them. They were disorganised and tried to funnel quick breaks to Garnacho as their main (only) source of threat, not that we took advantage of their lack of impetus.
After a first half low on quality and action, we contrived to go in at the break a goal down. Onana, whose distribution was erratic to say the least, clumped a ball upfield. Calafiori won the header before Trossard made a hash of his touch and then made the decision to bring Garnacho down in a dangerous position outside the box, earning a yellow card for his troubles. Fernandes stepped up and lifted his shot over the wall and down into the goal.
Frankly, it was a decent free kick, but we did not make it hard for him. It wasn’t right in the corner, just in the space that Raya left him and which he could not scramble across to. Not a huge error, but it looked so simple. I saw a graphic showing our wall was 11.2 yards away. If it had been at 10 yards, we might have made a block. Fine margins, but probably something to be looked at on video analysis.
At half-time, Heaven came on for Manure as Yoro came off injured. The young lad did well and looked capable at this level. Although he was lucky not to give away a penalty for handball after it was judged to hit his head before cannoning onto both hands. In Europe, that’s a guaranteed penalty. It would have been a nightmare for him on his debut, against his old club, and I didn’t grudge him the rub of the green on that one.
At the other end, Saliba and Gabriel made Zirkzee look like a competition winner until he sprang to life in the second half with a clever flick which nearly crept past Raya. Happily for us, he then went back to sleep. United had come out better after the break and, after a breakaway led to a Dalot chip and a Mazraoui shot, it was only an excellent Raya save kept us from going two down.
MLS came on with the returning Martinelli (thank God for that!) for Calafiori and the quiet Nwaneri. On seventy minutes MLS won a free kick in a similar position to where Fernandes scored from. When it was our turn, Ødegaard hit the wall.
We scored the equaliser a few minutes later. Rice, hovering on the edge of the box, swept in a pull back from Timber. It curled away from Onana and thumped in satisfyingly off the post. We need more of those from him. Now, could we go on and get the winner?
We had a host of corners but did little with them. I did appreciate Ødegaard and Rice trying to recreate that Beckham to Scholes classic, but our England midfielder couldn’t get his hip over the ball and a decent contact saw his volleyed effort fly high and wide.
I don’t really understand why sometimes referees blow the whistle to delay corners and sort out pushing in the box and other times they let it play out and officiate accordingly. Taylor stopped play as we took a corner and Hojlund wrestled MLS to the floor. On another day he doesn’t interfere and we get a penalty. Although I won’t hold my breath for that day anytime soon.
With less than ten minutes to go, Merino dropped deep, lost the ball to Casemiro in an awful position and Hojland was in, one on one against the keeper. He went to finish, but Declan Rice produced a world class tackle to wrap his foot around the ball and swipe it from under the Dane’s nose. We could easily have gone behind there and few would have been confident we would equalise again. We had most of the possession and territory, but United were much more threatening when they did step out and either team could have won it.
In the first of four minutes injury time we fashioned a lovely chance, Ødegaard’s shot saved by Onana before Martinelli was thrilled to find he was offside after skying the rebound that he should have planted in the goal. A minute later and Raya produced an outstanding save to prevent a loss, first repelling a Fernandes effort after the ball rolled across our box and then jumping up to get first to the ball as it bounced up and span towards goal, palming it to safety as Hojlund charged in.
The match ended a draw and that seemed a fair result to me. We need to get enough points to stay in second place, which I expect us to do, and focus on seeing how far we can go in the Champions League. Without much more to play for in the league, I’m inclined to take what was a decent point on the day, learn a few lessons, and move on to the next one.
Until next time, ‘holics.
Bloody hell, another express report. I might still wait until tomorrow, but fair play GSD.
Alternatively, it might be the best way to get it out of the system and never read anything about this match again. Just like the previous few in the league….
Another excellent express report GSD . It describes the game well. I sense intense frustration from the Goonerverse which is borne out of realisation that we aren’t going to win the League for the third season in a row when it was within reach .
This year it hasn’t been in as close reach as previously . Unjust and needless red cards, injuries to key players , no striker, yada yada yada .
Today we were technically proficient but had no cutting edge. A draw was about right . We need greater penetration and Trossard in particular is nowhere near the level we need to challenge Liverpool. When you don’t score you are always vulnerable and today, free kick error notwithstanding Raya saved us .
We have two aims – finish in the top five ( ideally second ) and win the Champions League. Let’s be positive and start looking for flights to Munich !
Kudos for this very accurate report written so quickly after the match.
Cheers!
Spot on, Dino. Hard to argue with your report and analysis. One point about the tedious, odious, no doubt malodorous Neville trying to create narratives . Firstly he kept on making out that Garnacho had Calafiori’s number. This was purely wish fulfilment. Garnacho ran about a lot, to no particular end from what I saw. Also he tried to make out that MLS had “simulated”. Yes that’s right, the soon to be canonised, never cheated in his life Neville, tried to pin something that didn’t happen on a player on whom he has tried to create a narrative over the last months. Why is this oxygen thief still being paid?
Quicker and sharper than the team was today, GSD. Bravo.
Fernandes moved the ball back a metre from where Taylor spotted the free kick to give himself the extra distance to clear the wall and get the ball under the bar. The laws of the game say, ‘all free kicks are taken from the place where the offence occurred’. It is nit-picking to point out that that was not the case. Yet, would we have been within our rights to ask for the streak of foam our wall had to stand behind to be moved a metre forward? And should the advantage Fernandes created for himself have been the subject of a VAR review since it led to a goal?
Right, back to counting angels. Where did I put that pin…
Ned
Interesting point which did not occur to me.
A lot of top free kick takers prefer to be further from goal so they can get the ball up and down like a golf chip . Today I thought Raya gave him too big a target to aim at by moving so far to his left …and tv showed how Zirkzee and ? Casemiro edged Partey over in the wall thus blocking Raya’s view .
Thanks GSD, very quick and very fair. Nice to see Gabi M back.
A frustrating game really but take the point and on we go
Spot on with that report, GSD. We huffed and puffed to little effect, got suckered then kept trying and Rice’s goal was a cracker. Rice deserves plaudits also for his last-ditch goal-preventing tackle as does Raya for three great saves to preserve the point. We looked out on our feet as the game wound down and could well have lost it. The lack of a cutting edge is going to be a worry for the rest of this season and could well be a major problem. No criticism for the application. Everyone on the pitch put in a full shift. We just lack that final pass and execution. Can we turn Gabigoal into TH14 Mk 2 – at least for the rest of this season?
Top work, GSD – a match that did nothing to ease my personal pain and irritation at how bloody difficult everything is on crutches. The team looked as knackered as I felt – hopefully our situations will improve simultaneously.
Our slow, fiddly build up negated Merino’s attributes up top. The way we pass our way backwards and forwards up to the edge of the opposition box almost seems to compress the opposition into the low blocks that we can’t break down. Amazing what can happen with a crisp pass from Timber and an early first time shot from Rice.
Raya’s positioning for their goal had me shouting at the telly as the shot was being lined up. Clearly way way too far over to his right. His second half saves made up for it though as we would have lost without them.
The injuries are really coming home to roost now though. With so few opportunities to rotate for such a long time the players look out on their feet.
Cheers for a super fast report. Nothing really to add other than the league doesn’t lie and we are miles off competing for the title this season. Slightly concerned about our 2nd place given the blue print everyone will use to guarantee themselves at least a point against us. Unless Saka can return firing straight away. And as Ttg has pointed out Trossard needs to depart. So inconsistent and disappointing.
Hopefully you will improve crutches mastery, Trev.
Different operation so I suspect different set of problems also on crutches, and I am actually moving less than at the start now everything is sorted (and should be able to put my foot on the floor soon gently), but definitely better than when I started, there are interesting uses to crutches, like pincers, arms extension, taxi hailing, etc.
Everything is obviousy slower and difficult and some tasks practically impossible, but top tip (but I suspect you might have found it already), a neck bag to carry things around even just between two close points inside home. In my case, I found an Arsenal shopping bag that perfecfly fitted the purpose.
Bon courage!
I found stairs the worst, especially while still needing both crutches. It’s all about practice though, Ollie/ Trev. For a while, post-op and largely bed-bound, I incorporated the use of a bell – one if those they used to have in shops in the okd days to attract the owners attention, or chefs at the pass. Strangely, after a while, the ding of the bell followed by a shout of “service!” when I fancied a cup of tea began to wear on the domestic staff and the wait times got longer.
Heh, CER. You bell. 😉
Thankfully I have a lift, so have had an extremely minimal number of steps to negotiate so far. In fact, I think the only steps I have had to navigate have been to go into and out of the hospital which entrance is weirdly not designed for easy access. A whole three steps!
The little overstep jumpt to reach my balcony on a couple of sunny afternoon still feels dangerous though.
Thankfully, the lifts at both mine and the hospital station (on my inital trip back from A&E) were working, and there is a ramp at the exit of my station too.
Sorry to hear about the knee issues. It seems the team is not the only Arsenal group prone to injuries . I’m having physio for my knee but I’m trying to avoid hospitals having had five stays in the past two years albeit some were very short . It will be good to have Trev back at THOF .
C100 was telling me last night there is likely to be a lot of empty seats for the dead rubber on Wednesday as many fans feel Arsenal should drop prices as there is no jeopardy on the game. Doing so would be a great gesture but is very unlikely. The club will plead that when prices were set it was a normal last 16 tie which would have been a guaranteed sell-out.
Meanwhile Sky are having another go at Arsenal . Not able to sustain a title challenge they are whipping up a suggestion that top four is in jeopardy . Strange that C130y who are apparently closing on us lost at the weekend to a side that didn’t land a blow on us recently. We have just taken points at two difficult away grounds and have only lost three games all season . But the Sky narrative always tries to whip up viewer interest irrespective of whether it bears any relation to the truth . Why else employ Roy Keane?
TTG @14. The BBC is doing similar, with its bought and paid for United/City apologist McNulty trying to describe second, twice to financial dopers when no one else got anywhere near, and this season to a side with no injuries and which appears to have been preordained champions by PGMOL, as failure.
The sound you can hear is more people stopping paying the BBC poll tax only to be insulted by lowlife like McNulty.
It is a shame to come second again after two transfer windows when we haven’t pushed on in key areas. It would be hard (impossible?) to argue we maximised our chances. But Liverpool have played well, have had some luck, and have in Salah a player who could finish the season with better figures than anyone has ever recorded before. No matter what we did, that would have been tough to beat.
If our current team had TH14 in his pomp as a striker, I reckon we’d win the league. But TH14 in his pomp still didn’t hit the numbers Salah is on course for. He’s been the difference, and I think all the extra analysis is secondary to that fact. He’s been too good. In a way, I’m quite glad. If we’d missed out on the title by 2 points after playing half a season with Merino up top it would be much more annoying than watching Pool sail off into the sunset.
Yeah, someone elsewhere mentioned how unbearable Liverpool winning the league by 20 points would be, but for me, it would be a lot less annoying than losing it by a couple of points given everything else.
Thanks Dino for a worldly view match report. The performance and result were fully expected unfortunately – we simply do not have the tools to beat a low block. Disappointment for me is not falling further behind in the title quest – that race is already lost – but more failing to beat an abysmal United team and put them to the sword, yes that 8-2 still rankles after all these years.
No doubt Pool deserve the title albeit blessed with few injuries, compliant PGMOL and Salah playing at wordly level. The task now is to stay in second place and qualify for the champions league next season.
Uply, the task now and into the summer is to get our long term injured fit, prepared and kept fit, given the selection of notoriously difficult injuries they have suffered.
It’s going to be interesting – and crucial – to see exactly what recruiting is decided on and what assumptions can be made about those we already have. And that’s just in attack.
The midfield will be another vital area with Jorginho set to leave – and possibly Partey and Zinchenko to go too. That could be relatively straightforward if Zubimendi arrives, Merino moves back to his usual position, Rice and Odegaard remain and MLS moves up to his usual position too.
I’ve started a bigger discussion than intended here so before I get into thinking about full backs it’s probably better to leave such things to another day. Just as well we’ve already got our new Director of Football in – he’s going to be a busy boy.
Trev. The new Sporting Director will bring fresh eyes, and I wonder what he’ll bring to the discussion about who we go after and how best to allocate our resources. Should be interesting behind the scenes and hopefully it all translates to decisive actions buying and selling in the summer.
Yes it will be interesting to see the names being mentioned after the new SD gets his feet under the table as there is no guarantee Zubimendi Sesko and Williams are heading our way. A lot of head turning can happen.
GSD@16: Everything you say about Liverpool is spot on. I would prefer to be closer in the points count if for no other reason than it would put more space between us and third.
It is notable that Slot hasn’t brought in any players who have been key to his team this season. The acquisitions for the midfield rebuild (Soboszlai, Gravenberch and Mac Allister) were made during Klopp’s last season, which is a testament to ‘Pool’s recruitment policy.
Both of players and coach, I should add.
Substitute significant injuries to Saka, Havertz, Jesus and Martinelli for Salah, Nunez, Jota and Diaz. How good do Liverpool look now? I can’t help but think that the inevitable media fawning over Liverpool skews perceptions.
If you swapped Salah’s output with our best attacker (Havertz?) we’d be winning the league. I do wonder how far down the table you could go before you found a team who wouldn’t be ahead of Liverpool if you swapped their leading attacker’s goals and assists for Salah’s total. He’s the difference. He’s been devastating.
Add your that the dubious refereeing and its looking more like the season Leicester won it. With all sorts of odd decisions going their way and a penalty every time Vardy attracted a foul.
Sorry but I just can’t get in board the Carragher Express……
I didn’t particularly notice (or pay attention, fair enough at the time), but I think that even with all the help in the world and everyone staying fit, Leicester were still not supposed to win the league. Thank fuck though, as despite our belatedly getting second, perhaps the outcome could have been a lot worse.
So I think I get what you mean, but I think there’s essentially very little to compare.
CER@24: They’d still have Gakpo and Chiesa upfront, which are a better options than any of a makeshift converted midfielder, an old lag long gone in the fetlock and a couple of lads the manager won’t let any nearer the pitch than the bench.
While injuries are to mind, I thought Ayden Heaven gave a decent account of himself when he came on Sunday. He looked like a PL-quality CB, although not one who would displace Saliba or Gabriel. Man U’s defensive injuries have given him an unexpected chance. Had Obi-Martin stayed with us rather than gone north, he might have had a similar break. For all the talk of youngsters needing hard work, ambition, feet on the ground, etcetera, luck matters a bunch, too.
Bed,
Chiesa is an Italian Sterling. There’s a reason he is not playing in Italy. Gakpo is bog average.
GSD@25: I did a little theoretical exercise to see what difference Salah might have made to the worst team in the PL, Southampton. If he scored or assisted for Liverpool, I gave Southampton a goal in their fixture in the corresponding match week and looked at the difference that would have made to their result (I deducted a goal in the games Soton’s leading goal scorer — Aribo with three — scored or assisted to account for your swapping out criterion). Not a perfect methodology, I know, but I doubt there is one. Nonetheless, on that basis, Salah would have earned Southampton additional points in 15 games for a total of 26 more points than the nine they now have. That would have put them in 13th, ahead of the neighbours and the Red Mancs. That is impact in anyone’s book.
CER@29: I will bow to your superior judgement on those two, but still say they are better options than what we have to turn to.
Jonathan Norcroft wrote a piece in the Sunday Times which I didn’t attach because a lot of articles were flying around. He claimed one of his friends- an Arsenal ST holder – complained about ‘ horseshoe football’ where Arsenal passed the ball all around the area without penetrating . There was quite a lot of that on Sunday and I think our problems are slightly more complicated than just getting a great finisher .
Having said that the same players tore PSV apart and I don’t think there’s much difference between United and PSV defensively except that the PSV goalkeeper was poor . Our great creatives – Brady , Cazorla , Ozil, Bergkamp, Pires , and Wilshere at his short-lived best were able to create chances out of nothing that I think only Saka , of the current crop could match . But our great strikers of recent years – Baker, Mcdonald , RVP, Wright, Bergkamp again, Henry and 2020 Aubameyang were able to turn games with individual brilliance and looking at the league currently I think only Salah can create those incredible moments . Any of the Arsenal strikers I named could take this team to the title
This Arsenal team are more effective away from home and we will have to find a more sustained threat across the frontline next season especially at home
I’d add prime Alexis Sanchez to that list, TTG.
An interesting piece on LJW in the Guardian including a pic of an 8 year old Nwaneri signing up for the Gunners. One for the archives.
UTA.
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/10/jack-wilshere-arteta-was-the-one-id-never-seen-someone-coach-that-way
NG @34, thanks for that link. Great read. Great to see LJW back on the road to success.
No argument there Ollie
Early Alexis was a terrific player and I think we could have generated serious funds if we’d sold him at the right time
If anyone fancies going to a game, and has deep pockets, there are, literally, thousands of seats available on ticket exchange for the game against PSV tomorrow.
Ned @30.
Fantastic work from the monks, and very interesting. Thanks very much!
Salah has been different class.
NG@34: That Grauniad link nows yields the message: “This article was removed on 11 March 2025 as it breached an embargo. It will be reinstated at the correct time.”
Manchester United to build new stadium
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/11/manchester-united-new-stadium-next-to-old-trafford-norman-foster?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Here’s an article about Woj that is available to read:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/11/szczesnys-human-touch-lends-higher-meaning-to-barcelonas-title-charge
It makes one wonder if Raya would be our keeper today if Szczesny and Wenger had not fallen out.
C100@40: Any word on how the club that is at risk of going broke by Christmas intends to pay for a new stadium?
It is a wonder, isn’t it, Ned?
The latest GHF Predictathon leaderboard and form guide has been posted. You know where to find it…
Ollie@43: The won’t be another stadium in the Championship to rival it. 🙂
Good point, Ned @ 45 : the Etihad won’t even come close. 😉
Ollie@46: 👍
>>>>>>>