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Rashford’s role
Marcus Rashford has been waiting a while to start back-to-back matches on the left but after having impressed in that role against Real Sociedad he turned left against Newcastle and again showed why this is clearly his best role.
Rashford had the beating of Emil Krafth every time he managed to isolate him, the only shame for Manchester United was that they did not work that position often enough.
He had already left Krafth holding on to the air a couple of times before beating him twice for his goal, first getting the ball through the right-back’s legs and reaching the end, before slicing in and shooting Karl Darlow. .
That brings Rashford to 18 goals for the season and he is clearly on track to improve on last season’s tally of 22. It has been difficult for United forwards at times this season, and Solskjaer mentioned the need for Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood get better. on its completion before this match.
Rashford seized his chance when he arrived and this was further proof that United lose something when they don’t put them in their favorite position.
A terrifying tactic
United’s defense in the early stages can only be described as a clown and they were probably lucky that there was no crowd inside Old Trafford. You can only imagine how they would have reacted to Fred and Maguire hitting the ball with each other and the comical attempts to play from the back.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and David de Gea tried to work a position while playing on the right, but each pass put them more in trouble and no one had a cool head or the ability to pass to break Newcastle’s pressure. When De Gea then tried to change his game to the left, he only managed to pass the ball directly to Miguel Almirón, who could not take advantage.
Watching that game passage was similar to watching a horror movie – when you know horror is coming but don’t know when, it makes it even scarier. The longer it lasted, the more you wanted to hide behind the couch.
Not that it put United off. They kept trying to play from behind and figure out how to play through Newcastle, but they rarely did it with much precision.
United should be commended for trying to play that way, there are very few successful teams that don’t play through their defense now, but for that tactic to be a success, they need a lot of training field work or at least a change of staff in the rear. De Gea, Lindelof and Maguire don’t inspire confidence with the ball at their feet.
A reminder from Martial
There was a moment in the second half that provided a brief glimpse of why Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not lose faith in Martial just yet.
Having been anonymous for most of the game, with Solskjaer imploring him to show more movement a few minutes earlier, Martial suddenly came to life on the right touchline.
He showed strength to pick up the ball under pressure from Isaac Hayden and keep his balance to get away from the defensive midfielder. Then came the skill and gall to dodge Ciaran Clark like he wasn’t there, before Karl Darlow parried a strong shot with his right hand.
It was a good reminder of what Martial has to offer, but unfortunately it was an isolated incident on a disappointing night for United’s No. 9.
Martial’s evening was probably best summed up when Nemanja Matic’s simple pass slipped under his cleats and was knocked out in the final stages of the first half.
That’s now seven goals in 32 games this season and even with Edinson Cavani injured, Martial was lucky to start ahead of Greenwood and even luckier to stay for 70 minutes.
That moment when he came to life was a reminder of the talent he possesses, but it needs to come more consistently if Martial is to earn a place on Solskjaer’s better side.
Defending crosses
United cannot say they were not warned about Newcastle’s approach from the corners. By the time Allan Saint-Maximin scored in a little corner routine from the right, nine minutes before the break, United had no longer managed to defend two similar set pieces.
The first two saw De Gea save Joelinton and Saint-Maximin after failing to clear their lines properly, but they wouldn’t get away with it a third time. This time De Gea was partly to blame, his inability to dominate his six-yard area left Maguire with a difficult defensive header, which made a mess, giving Saint-Maximin a much easier chance this time.
United have now conceded from crosses to the box against Sheffield United, Everton, West Brom and Newcastle and, while each goal was subtly different in delivery and execution, the end result was the same every time: the ball in the United’s network background. .
Teams are beginning to pray for this weakness, just as Newcastle did at Old Trafford. They knew they could drive crosses into the six-yard area and United would be deep, with De Gea unlikely to come off their line and the defense reluctant to push up as a result.
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Changes to the dugout
Lee Grant was named on United’s roster as the third goalkeeper against Real Sociedad on Thursday night, and UEFA rules allow for 12 substitutes, allowing teams to play it safe when it comes to their resources. in the most exclusive position in the field.
However, Grant knows his role at United and was only a substitute once in the Premier League this season, but he did make the roster against Newcastle.
United’s statement that some of the first team coaches were isolating themselves early Sunday gave no clues as to the identity of the individuals, but the roster did. None of Mike Phelan, Michael Carrick or Kieran McKenna made the list, as they usually are, while none of Richard Hartis or Craig Pawson’s senior goalkeeping coaches were named. Instead, it was Grant who featured as goalkeeping coach and brought David de Gea and Dean Henderson to their pre-game warm-ups.
Solskjaer said before the game that he would still be getting good advice, having worked with Dempsey at Molde and Cardiff before joining United, but the presence in the technical area was noted to be reduced. Usually Phelan, Carrick or McKenna would come out giving instructions, but that was a role that only Solskjaer filled against Newcastle and their forays to the touchline were rare.
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