Manchester United are actually playing some good football this October – no this isn’t a frightful Halloween prank. It’s reality.
Some Red Devils fans may have been spooked by their side’s enterprising and eminently watchable performances in recent weeks.
A rousing comeback 3-2 win against Newcastle (the second half at least), a valiant point at purported title contenders Chelsea (it really should have been three) and a flowing display littered with sweet, attacking goodness against the Toffees last weekend, as Everton were beaten 2-1.
This Saturday they travel to Bournemouth. Will it be trick or treat for United’s travelling support?
Here we look at some talking points ahead of the game.
KEEP THE FAITH
United fans have been clamouring for Jose Mourinho to dispense with his turgid tactics, and utilise the blistering pace he has at his disposal.
Lo and behold he did, and it actually worked too. United actually resembled a decent footballing side against Everton, with Marcus Rashford’s darting, intelligent runs behind and down the channels and Anthony Martial and Juan Mata’s guile combining to devastating effect.
Paul Pogba actually looked like an £89m player and Fred’s limitless energy allowed the Red Devils to kick-start attacks much quicker than usual.
Mourinho finally relented and now, following such a lively performance full of zest and zeal, he must deploy this more emboldened approach going forward.
United still appear very susceptible at the back – the regular pairing of Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof in recent weeks has appeared more solid though – but that is all the more reason to unleash your attacking firepower. After all, United have always possessed a ‘if you score three, we’ll score four’ type of mentality.
It’s hard for a manager whose built his whole career on defensive rigidity to release his sides from their shackles completely, but when your defence is a shadow of the United sides Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand commanded and you actually have players able to quench the thirst of fans brought up on swashbuckling, marauding football, you simply must adapt.
Are we beginning to see signs of Mourinho doing just that? United fans will hope so.
MATIC NEEDS A BREATHER
Apart from casting aside his own traditions of championing pragmatism over panache, the other thing Mourinho deserves credit for is taking the misfiring Romelu Lukaku out of the starting XI against Everton.
It would have been a tough choice to make, not only because the big Belgian is a manager’s favourite. Generally, unless he’s injured, he plays. But Lukaku’s goal drought had stretched to eight games (now nine following his cameo) before the visit of his former side.
And that is another reason why dropping him was a bold move by Mourinho. Even if he had been deliberating about whether to give him a rest and entrust Rashford or Martial with the central striking role, he would be forgiven for adjusting his thinking in the hope facing his old side might spark him out of his slump.
Now, the manager must take one of his other dependable generals out of the firing line.
Nemanja Matic has been generally superb for United since he was plucked from Chelsea last summer. But he has been below par for much of this season, which is hardly surprising given the amount of action he has seen since being desperately thrust into the Old Trafford trenches.
The Serb played in 49 of United’s 56 games last term, starting 46 (only matched by David De Gea). In the Premier League he played 3,119 minutes, 211 fewer than De Gea but 250 more than third highest Lukaku.
He also played for his country at the World Cup – albeit they were knocked out in the group stages. By anyone’s standards that’s a lot of football. For a 30-year-old who has run up some serious mileage in the heart of midfields at the elite level for the last eight years, it certainly takes its toll.
Fred’s encouraging performance last week should encourage Mourinho to give a clearly weary Matic a break.
JUAN HELL OF A TOUGH DECISION
Though still a divisive figure among the fanbase, Mourinho will be delighted at having the industrious and incisive Jesse Lingard back in the fold following injury.
And throwing him in and hoping he makes a splash at the Vitality Stadium must be in the mind of the manager ahead of this weekend’s trip to the seaside.
If Mourinho keeps faith with last weekend’s gameplan and utilises the pace and trickery of Martial and Rashford, how slick could United’s front three look if Lingard is added to the equation?
But the Portuguese might be loathe to withdraw Mata from his starting line-up on the south coast after a stellar showing in October.
The Spanish maestro was thrown on to devastating effect in the rousing 3-2 comeback win over Newcastle at Old Trafford at the beginning of the month – scoring a sumptuous free-kick to spark the fightback.
He subsequently started the following match at old club Chelsea – something many United fans would have castigated Mourinho for as he tends to start impact subs in the next game, a trait not often successful in Mata’s case – but he was rewarded with another brilliant display. The 30-year-old playing a pivotal role in the build-up to both of Martial’s goals.
He shone again against the Toffees – his sublime 97.1 pass accuracy surpassing every other player on the field. Only Martial (4) made more key passes than his two as the veteran technician dictated proceedings, linking the play neatly which allowed Martial, Rashford and Fred to buzz around the field and open up Everton.
He may be in the twilight of his Red Devils days with his contract expiring at the end of the campaign, but he remains a beautiful player to watch – and a useful tool for Mourinho.
