City prevail on sobering night for Solskjaer's United

United were left reeling and gasping for air after a first half in which they were relentlessly punished and brow beaten by a clinical City side. Pep Guardiola's men had the smell of revenge in their nostrils and were in no mood for sympathy against their weakened neighbours.
Marcus Rashford grabbed what's surely only a consolation in the second half, but it's a long way back for the Reds in this League Cup semi final on a sobering Old Trafford night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have hoped that United could at least keep City at arm's length and close enough to render the second half more than simply a glorified friendly. Whilst United aren't quite completely dead and buried, it takes a huge leap of the imagination to see anything other than a third successive final for the men from across the city. United were mercilessly ripped to pieces in the first half as to surely strongly reignite fresh speculation about Solskjaer's ability to successfully oversee this latest state of flux at Old Trafford.

Injuries and recalls forced a number of changes to this ill-equipped, inadequate Manchester United side, but the vulnerability of this team was not Solskjaer's doing. Harry Maguire failed to make it, and joined Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba on the treatment table. Anthony Martial was not fit enough to start and only got ten minutes.

Under Solskjaer it can be said that we have put in a handful of performances to rival anything from the halycon days of yesteryear with Sir Alex in charge. But there have a been good few to rank as the worst, too. Certainly when it comes to big games against big opposition, where United have generally done well this season, this could be the nadir as the single worst. Even accounting for City's superiority, things got ugly and there were a smattering of boos at half time.

City overloaded with diminutive technicians in midfield, an unnecessary ensemble of their embarrassment of riches and depth of squad. Pep Guardiola deployed a false nine so it was frequently five vs two in the middle. Fred and Andreas Pereira are limited anyway but soon had no chance, swamped by a sea of sky blue.
Enough has been seen of United's two hapless centre-backs Victor Lindelof and Phil Jones for Guardiola to expose them by movement and fleet of foot. Time and time and time again City's little schemers brutally punished them.

United began with encouragement but in the 17th minute, makeshift striker Bernardo Silva was given the freedom of Stretford by Fred and Jones who could only watch from close - but not close enough - quarters as he thrashed the ball home.

From then on, it was a procession. Embarrassingly comfortable to a scale not yet witnessed even in the dire depths of these dystopian days for us United fans. Players low on confidence and rumoured to be heading for the exit made for a soft underbelly and there could be no complaints at a 0-3 half time scoreline.

For the second goal, Lindelof made two errors in the same passage of play, firstly giving the ball away with a misdirected clearance and then being caught napping by Riyad Mahrez. The Swede is desperately low on confidence and the time for change in that area cannot be far from Solskjaer's aforethought.

For long periods City played at testimonial pace - an embarrassing indictment of both the quality, or lack thereof, in this United side and their increasingly apparent discombobulated mindset. It's true that there was mitigation in the players he had available, but the balance is shifting, or has already done so, towards acknowledging Solskjaer's role in things. There were clearly some injury and illness problems, but it was also as obvious that there's better options to avoid what was a catastrophe in the first half. If Solskjaer continues to persist with players that will never be good enough, even after being in their care for a year, then he must face the appropriate questioning.

Similarly, it is leaving the club open to accusations of negligence by continuing to ignore the plethora of problems in the middle of the park. Solskjaer has spoken about avoiding the wrong type of player, or signing someone simply for the sake of it. But it needn't take 600 scout reviews to scout and sign player, even if only to make a difference in the short term.

In times of need, even the great man himself Sir Alex didn't sway from bringing in a short term signing - some good, like Henrik Larsson and others not so much, like Andy Goram and William Prunier to name but two. After all, some of the league's lesser lights have dominated us in midfield this season and City embarrassment of riches only further exposed the bleeding in painful fashion.

There was a little more about United in the second half, and certainly enough to suggest there's still some pride and some fight in there. Whether that came from the manager or from within, I'm not sure, but it was always damage limitation against a side content to sit on what they had.

Nemanja Matic replaced the invisible Jesse Lingard at half-time to get hold of midfield and tighten things up. Angel Gomes made a difference: the highly rated youngster has seemingly been on the periphery of the first team for three years but looks closer to the door marked exit. He showed a glimpse of his undoubted talent when he played a part in the goal, playing in Mason Greenwood to set up Rashford to score.

There were few brights on a chastening night that was more damning than the score suggested. Perhaps Aaron Wan - Bissaka, who stuck to his difficult job gamely in his personal duel with Raheem Sterling, was the only one who could really say he emerged with credit.
That more than anything epitomises this mess.

Some individuals who could hold their heads high, but so very rarely have we looked like a cohesive team. Against City at Old Trafford on Tuesday night, we looked as far away from that description as its possible to be. As far away as we have at any time for years.

United down but not quite out yet ahead of second leg

If United do go on to reach the Carabao Cup final for the second time in four years, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side will look back on the 70th minute of this one as the turning point. It would need a comeback for the ages, one that Lazarus would be proud of but you can never, ever write Manchester United off.

3-0 down by the break, all hope seemed lost. United had failed to lay a glove or even a fingerprint on Pep Guardiola's Manchester City slickers. The game, and the two legged tie was over even before the halfway point of this double header with the men from across the road. Then United finally put together a decent move, Mason Greenwood found Marcus Rashford and United - however slim - had the smallest glimmer of light. Something to cling to, a foothold on the rockface to start the climb to a distant, seemingly insurmountable summit. The tiniest light at the end of a very long tunnel.

We still need to go to the Etihad and win by two clear goals even to get this to extra-time and I simply can't see it, but cast your minds back to this time last year and Paris. Rashford. 95th minute. The Impossible dream made possible. We did it against PSG, so why not again? The fabric, the DNA and the very shirt of this great club has taught us to never give up and always believe.
If United make the League Cup final from this position, it would surely eclipse everything to have gone before. Rashford's well-taken 17th goal of the season will surely only prove to be a consolation. But it could also prove to be the seminal moment of this tie. It might be a moment to provide the launchpad for another epic, climb-off-the-canvas, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat turnaround. If we can grab the first goal at the Etihad, it's game on!

The side from across the city had been ripped apart and pulled from pillar to post by the Reds electric attacking play when these sides met at the Etihad in the league last month - but showed they had learned their lesson. Whereas they had no answer to our raw speed on the break in the league game, this time it was the visitors craft and creativity that did the damage time and time again.
United were the ones to be left punch drunk as Guardiola's rejigged and strikerless 4-4-2 system worked to a T.

He had surprised many observers with not only his personnel changes but the formation too - with Messrs Kevin de Bruyne, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez constantly swapping positions. Fluidly interchanging, the quartet were impossible to pick up and mark, frequently dropping deep to leave United outnumbered in midfield and render the efforts of Brazilian duo Fred and Andreas Pereira almost anonymous. Solskjaer left it until the break to bring on Nemanja Matic and assert a modicum of control in the engine room. Guardiola did not repeat his mistakes at the Etihad where his tactical shortcomings played straight into our hands.

Aside from the goal, there were not many positives on a night that only emphasised the gulf in class between the two sides, financially, managerially and in terms of pound for pound quality. Man City are better than us, we know that, and there's no disgrace in losing to the second best team in England and one of the best on the continent. But at least we didn't crumble completely and showed admirable fight and courage in the second half.
United are, somehow, still in the tie by their fingertips but this should be seen as a reminder of how urgently we need reinforcements, even if they will come at a hefty price that the hierarchy won't like.

Match report: Man Utd 1-3 Man City

Pep Guardiola's Blues seized a commanding if not quite unassailable advantage with victory at Old Trafford in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi final.

City raced into a 3-0 half time lead through Bernardo Silva, Riyad Mahrez and an Andreas Pereira own goal before Marcus Rashford gave United a glimmer of hope ahead of the second leg at the Etihad later this month.
Still smarting form defeat on home soil at the hands of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Reds, Guardiola threw a curveball with his team selection as he picked a strikerless 4-4-2 with Kevin de Bruyne and Bernardo Silva the furthest players forward.

It was the latter who put City ahead after 17 minutes as he collected the ball from Rodri and arrowed a superb strike beyond David de Gea and in from distance.
Two goals in five minutes just beyond the half hour mark then stretched City's advantage further. Mahrez rounded De Gea and rolled in after a slip from the unfortunate Victor Lindelof, and - with United chasing shadows - it was soon 3-0.
City turned the counter-attacking tables on the Reds as they sprung away from deep. De Bruyne twisted Phil Jones inside and out before he saw his shot saved by De Gea, only for the ball to ricochet in off Pereira.

United improved once Nemanja Matic replaced the hapless Jesse Lingard at the pause and Rashford's late goal at least restored a semblance of pride. For once careless in possession, City squandered the ball and allowed Mason Greenwood to feed his compatriot and Rashford ran through to score - his fourth goal in a Manchester derby.
It will give Solskjaer's side hope that a second leg comeback, however improbable, is not beyond the realms of possibility.
United never threatened to deny City a famous, well-deserved win however and United are left with a huge task if we are to prevent the neighbours from reaching a third successive final and a fourth in five years.

In truth, it could have been worse had De Gea not been at his to twice deny Raheem Sterling and then substitute Gabriel Jesus late on.
Fred went close from distance and substitute Angel Gomes flashed a shot wide, but otherwise City keeper Claudio Bravo was rarely troubled.

United started strongly but didn't test the City backline and the wind was sucked out of the proverbial sails when Bernardo let fly with a 25 yarder that left De Gea stranded and the Stretford End stunned into silence.

The Reds had ripped City to pieces in the opening half of the league encounter at the Etihad but, this time, it was our opponents who did so as their quality and invention shone through.
The second goal came after 33 minutes when Benjamin Mendy thumped the ball up field, Lindelof slipped as Bernardo threaded the ball through and Mahrez skipped around DDG for 2-0.

City were rampant and moved further ahead as despite Brandon Williams lung-busting efforts, the ball went to De Bruyne, his shot was saved by DDG and went in off Pereira.

Rashford was off target with a free-kick as, to our credit, United responded to City's first half blitzkrieg.
Solskjaer threw on Anthony Martial to try and give us more than a fighting chance but there was to be no further action, leaving us with a massive uphill struggle.

Overall team performance: 5/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Brandon Williams

Carabao Cup derby preview: Man Utd v Man City

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faces an injury crisis as his side welcome cross-town rivals Manchester City for the first leg of the League Cup semi final.

The Reds could be without Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire as well as Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba both of whom remain sidelined. United will leave it until the last minute for the quartet to prove their fitness in our first home game of the New Year.

Axel Tuanzebe, Eric Bailly, Timothy Fosu - Mensah and Marcos Rojo are also unavailable meaning that Phil Jones and Victor Lindelof are United's only two fully fit centre-backs. Both sides fielded understrength sides in the FA Cup at the weekend with Messrs Solskjaer and Guardiola set to field their strongest possible line ups at Old Trafford. Ederson, Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, Rodri and Fernandinho were all rested for their win over Port Vale and are set to be restored to the City team.

The visitors will have defender Nicolas Otamendi available again but is set to rest some of his key men as he bids for a third successive Carabao Cup title. The two Manchester clubs have won the EFL Cup in each of the last four seasons, with City also winning it in 2016 before United and Jose Mourinho went on to prevail the following season. The Carabao Cup remains our best chance of silverware but a depleted squad and an improved City side leaves the Reds facing an uphill battle.

United trail City by 13 points in the league but did win 2-1 at the Etihad last month in the best performance of Solskjaer's time as manager. Whilst United are clear underdogs for this tie, that victory will give the players the belief that City are beatable, and that you can come up with a plan to outgun them. That was fantastic but a two legged tie

These first legs are tough and often cagey affairs, but perhaps not in a Manchester derby where both sides have plenty of reasons to come out swinging. United need a trophy and City will be hellbent on revenge with the defence of their league title hanging by the thinnest of threads.

"In a derby its about adrenaline and atmosphere" said Solskjaer.
"Pep and City have raised the bar so much, its something to aim for. We beat them last time but they're back winning games and confident, although form goes out of the window in a derby game.
"It is a different era and a different time but that's what we and I are here for, to take on the challenges presented to us."

Prediction: United have blown hot and cold this season but are at our best against side that dominate possession. Man City usually do that so it should be a tight one. That said, we think United's injury list might take its toll and Guardiola's men to eke out a narrow, slender first leg advantage.
United 1-2 City

Form guide: Man Utd W L W W L D Man City W W L W W W
Match odds: Man Utd 15/4 Draw 17/5 Man City 8/13
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Predicted United XI: Romero; Wan - Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Williams; Fred, Matic; James, Pereira, Rashford; Greenwood.

Match report: Wolverhampton 0-0 Man Utd

Wolves and Manchester United will do it all again at Old Trafford after a largely disappointing stalement failed to separate the sides at Molineux.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side had suffered FA Cup KO at the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo's Old Gold in the quarter finals last term, but - this time - at least ensured our name will be in the hat for the fourth round.

The replay means that United's only solitary spare week in January has been filled amid a manic run of 22 games in 60 days. 

With the defeat at Arsenal still fresh in the memory, and a League Cup tie with Manchester City in three days time, there was an unfamiliar look to the United side as Solskjaer opted for a mix of youth and experience. Brandon Williams, Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood all started whilst Ashley Young, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Andreas Pereira also featured. 

In a repeat of last year's quarter final, clear cut chances were at a premium, substitutes Marcus Rashford and Raul Jimenez both struck the woodwork after half time.

Rashford came close shortly after coming on in the 70th minute when his deflected effort looped off Connor Cody and against the bar.

Jimenez set himself up as he chased his own header, burst clear and wriggled through before he clipped the crossbar from a tight angle.

Wolves carved out the best chance of the first half when a Pedro Neto corner was flicked on by Leander Dendoncker to Matt Doherty, and his instinctive header was kept out by a brilliant reflex stop from Sergio Romero. 

United's Argentine keeper was called into action again soon afterwards when Neto collected the ball from the lively Adama Traore, only for Romero to block with his feet.

Solskjaer's men had a penalty appeal waved away when the impressive Brandon Williams went down under the attentions of Dendoncker, but VAR showed that Williams was going down anyway and had kicked the leg of his opponent.

Mata put a free-kick narrowly wide and Rashford then hit the bar before Wolves thought they'd taken the lead. 

Substitute Joao Moutinho did well down the left and picked out Doherty, he headed in but replays - and VAR - confirmed the wing-back had nodded the ball onto his arm before scoring so the goal was correctly ruled out. 

Romero saved well again to repel Jonny's low effort, and Harry Maguire then put in a thunderous challenge on Traore. The ball found its way to Pereira via Fred but rather than drive forward he opted to turn square with a slow pass and the chance was gone. It rather summed United's solid if unspectacular display. 

The replay will be at Old Trafford between the next two rounds of league fixtures and comes after both clubs - still in the Europa League - have busted a gut over Christmas and New Year. Neither side really wanted another game but at least we're still in the cup.

Overall team performance: 6/10

United Faithful Man of the Match: Brandon Williams

Jesse Lingard has become Manchester United's invisible man

Jesse Lingard's 2019 statistics make for reading just as grim as our first half performance last night. A man tasked with such a key role as the number 10 - the string pulling heartbeat of any attack - mustered precisely no goals and no assists in the Premier League across the last calendar year.
In such a crucial position as creator-in-chief, he offers nothing and has been MIA for far too long. He was hardly involved and I only realised he was on the pitch when his number went up just shy of the hour mark. A number ten has to set the tempo, controlling the team's attacking moves, and should be involved in creating chances through movement, passing, vision and link play. It's the single most pivotal position in the way Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to try and play, yet his key man is simply not good enough.


New year new hope? It would appear that's not the case as far as Lingard is concerned. The new decade started exactly as the old one had ended, with United effectively down to ten men as soon as his name appeared on the team sheet. Granted, United don't exactly have an embarrassment of riches in that position, but Andreas Pereira did more in half an hour than his colleague has managed in over a year.

Of course, there's no guarantee that we'd have got a result without Lingard at the Emirates, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a rod for his own back by selecting him when there was no logical rationale, no clear justification in doing so. It may be true that Pereira played three quarters of the match only 72 hours before at Burnley, but he was my man of the match and another start shouldn't have been too much to ask. I don't particularly rate Pereira, I think he's very limited in what he brings but he offers more than Lingard with his distribution and dead ball delivery. We looked a lot better at Arsenal when he came on, he's got two assists in as many games and was an 8/10 at Turf Moor. It looks a major selection error from Solskjaer. Our front three of Dan James, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford were dead men walking waiting for service that never came. It's not his fault, but Lingard has become Manchester United's invisible man - not literally, but merely because of his contribution, or - more pertinently - his lack of it. He continues to get a free pass despite earning an extraordinary £100k a week as a liability.

Lingard was brave enough to open up about his family issues. He has had to take over parenting duties of his younger siblings - both aged 14 and 11 - due to his mother's serious illness and his grandad's struggles with cancer. I was very sorry to hear that news and fully empathise with Lingard. That's tough for anyone to deal with, it has clearly affected him and I wish him well. I hope things improve soon. He's only human, I'm sure he's a good lad at heart and no one should have to go through those problems. But the club have to take some responsibility here. If he's struggling as much as he said, then give him a break. Allow him to take a month or six weeks off to get his head together and to forget about football. Quite literally, give him a break - don't keep picking him and asking him to do a job that's beyond him. Where's the strong man management? In times like this, he needs a comforting arm around him, not the cold shoulder.
 It seems ironic that a player accused by so many of being irresponsible and not taking life seriously enough has actually been suffering on the pitch because of having too much responsibility off it.

Something has to be done. If we keep playing Lingard on a regular basis, then we have to expect more results and performances like Wednesday's.

Match report: Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd

United started 2020 on a losing note as Arsenal comprehensively and deservedly prevailed to give Mikel Arteta his first win as manager.
The north London side had showed steady signs of improvement since the arrival of former player Arteta, and could count themselves unfortunate not to get at least a point against Chelsea last time out. There can be no arguments that this was a result they fully warranted,
The result never really looked in doubt from the moment Nicolas Pepe put the hosts ahead and, to their credit, the Gunners were worthy winners. United struggled and badly missed the impetus and creativity of injured midfield pair Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba. It only served notice of our dire need for at least one more player in the engine room ahead of this month's transfer window.

United began strongly as Marcus Rashford called Bernd Leno into early action, but the turning point came in only the eighth minute when the rejuvenated Pepe steered home his fifth of the season from a Sead Kolasinac cross.
That paved the way for a first half in which Arsenal seized an element of control they were never to relinquish. Pepe fired off a post, David de Gea saved well from Alexandre Lacazette and strike partner Pierre - Emerick Aubameyang flashed an effort narrowly wide.

Solskjaer's side came into the tie with one defeat in nine and having won back-to-back games over the festive period but this was characteristic of our stop-start season. United are yet to win three league games in a row with fixtures against Wolves, Man City and Liverpool on the horizon.

Lacazette screwed wastefully wide after he spun Harry Maguire, and the dominant Lucas Torreira went close after another Pepe set-up as Arsenal threatened to run riot.
United were hanging on and fell further behind three minutes before the break with a blow that proved decisive. Pepe was involved again as he picked out Lacazette and his flicked header was clawed away by De Gea. The ball struck the back of Victor Lindelof and dropped to Greek defender Sokratis who thumped in from close range.
Maguire's header was saved by Leno on the cusp of the interval and United did lift their game in the second half. Once the invisible man Jesse Lingard was replaced by the more dynamic Andreas Pereira, the Reds enjoyed their best spell of the game. Pereira almost made an instant impact when he fired into the side netting having put through by Nemanja Matic.
Rashford fired over the bar and Leno saved well low down from another sub, Mason Greenwood.

Solskjaer's men were unable to find a way through as Arsenal's defence, marshalled superbly if unexpectedly by the impressive David Luiz, stood strong.
Fred's wild free-kick summed up United's evening late on as attentions now turn to Saturday's tricky FA Cup tie with in-form Wolves at Molineux.

Overall team performance: 5/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Anthony Martial. Got little service but worked his socks off and probably the only man to emerge with credit