Strong Response From The Red Devils

Manchester United responded from a humiliating smacking by Tottenham Hotspur and the ensuing witch-hunt with an impressive 4-1 win over in-form Newcastle United.  

Starting Line-Up

Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic were dropped from the starting line-up in place for Scott McTominay and Fred. For the umpteen time, Donny van de Beek was on the bench. Like me, many United fans expressed their annoyance at van de Beek’s presence on the bench. What does he need to do to be included in the first eleven? Harry Maguire started despite being in the line of fire since that defeat to Tottenham. I wasn’t sure on what he will produce on the pitch but I trust Solksjaer had assessed his mental and physical condition before deciding to field him. Marcus Rashford started as the centre forward in the absence of Anthony Martial and Edison Cavani. I am not too convinced about Rashford’s ability to play as a centre-forward so that was another doubt in my mind.

Nightmare Start

We got off to a horrible start. Within the first two minutes of the game, Luke Shaw inadvertently deflected a cross past David De Gea. It was the worse possible start we could have made. In the build-up to that goal, Victor Lindelof got easily out-muscled by Callum Wilson who easily turned him and played the ball on for Jonjo Shelvey on the way to the goal.

Mentally and emotionally, the team was fragile so this was a huge blow. It was a test of character for us, we either crumble and wallow in self-pity or keep our chin up and dictate the game.

The Mata-Fernandes Show

United showed great character and resilience to dominate the game after conceding the first goal. Juan Mata made his first league start and combined very well, floating in from the right with Bruno Fernandes. Fernandes had a goal chalked off for offside. We were awarded a soft penalty which Fernandes missed after he abandoned his hop and skip approach. Rashford did well to run the forward line, going wide to receive the ball and looking to stretch the Newcastle defence. Daniel James made a rare start and didn’t disappoint this time. He looked closer to his best form, his decision-making still needs to be worked on. The team played not only with flair but with a quiet steely determination exemplified by the skipper, Maguire. Maguire got us level in the game but had a subdued response to scoring, showing the mental and emotional effects of heavy criticism. He produced a solid performance to answer his critics. But he will need more of the same to permanently silence them. Pogba and van de Beek made appearances off the bench and they both played a big part in United taking the lead and sealing it emphatically. It was such a good day for us that even Aaron Wan-Bissaka got on the scoresheet to score his first-ever career goal.

Great Response

The team surprised their critics and United fans alike by producing a top-quality response. There was a lot of doom and gloom heading into this match. Nobody knew what to expect. In the past under Sir Alex Ferguson, we can expect a strong response after a defeat. This response was akin to those days. But can the club carry this forward for the matches to come? Consistency is badly lacking in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson teams. I hope we can finally find that consistency. Things can change very quickly in football one way or the other.