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| Martial and Shaw were impressive for United |
Manchester
United were looking to bounce back from two back to back defeats when they
visited Prenton Park to face Tranmere Rovers in the FA Cup 4th round
tie. If United’s 2-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool last weekend had dampened
the mood at the club, their midweek debacle against Burnley at home threatened
to destroy their hopes of a top 4 finish in the Premier League.
Ole Gunnar
Solskjaer has been extremely unlucky with injuries this season, however, that
still did not justify United’s performance in midweek. As such, the Norwegian
was looking for a response from his team against Tranmere, hoping to regain
some confidence before two tough games against Manchester City and
Wolverhampton Wanderers in the next couple of games.
A frantic
month of January, sans any reinforcements, had left the United squad tired and
stretched, and Solskjaer made 6 changes to the first team ahead of the game.
Manchester United
Starting XI: Sergio Romero; Diogo Dalot, Victor
Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw; Nemanja Matic, Andreas Pereira;
Jesse Lingard, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood
The home
team started the game well, but it was United who took the lead through Maguire
in the 10th minute. Dalot made it 2-0 3 minutes later and in the 16th
minute, Lingard scored the third goal of the game. Jones scored United’s 4th
of the night in the 41st minute before Martial scored just before
the break to give United a 5-0 advantage.
In the
second half, Tahith Chong, coming on for Martial, won a penalty, which was
converted by Greenwood. United ultimately went on to win the game 6-0 and
Solskjaer
will be delighted with the response from his entire team and here are the 5
players who were brilliant for the Red Devils.
#5 Jesse Lingard
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| Jesse Lingard |
The Englishman
had a point to prove after facing a lot of criticism in recent times due to his
lack of goals. Lingard had looked lively at times under Solskjaer, but his
precision and decision making in the final third left a lot more to be desired.
The Englishman
had dropped out of the first team due to lack of form, but Solskjaer’s desire
to shuffle his team ahead of the crucial Carabao Cup second leg meant that
Lingard got back into the first eleven. And he made good use of the opportunity
that had come his way.
Lingard was
a part of the fast and fluid United front line that hit the home side with blistering
pace and unsettled them right from kick-off. The Englishman combined well with
Martial and Greenwood ahead of him and even dropped down at times to help out
Pereira and Matic in the middle of the time. However, his moment of the game
arrived in the 16th minute.
Picking up
a pass from Maguire, Lingard curled the ball into the far corner to give United
clear breathing space in the game. The Englishman did have a few more chances
to score in the game, but could not add to his tally.
#4 Nemanja Matic
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| Nemanja Matic |
Devoid of
midfield options in his squad, Solskjaer opted to put Matic alongside a more
adventurous Pereira in the middle of the park. Even though there was the
security of a back three behind him, it was a move that had an inherent risk
associated with it. However, credit to the Serbian, he took the game by the
scruff of the neck and stayed in total control for the entire first half.
Matic
dropped back to cover for the marauding Maguire at times and kept things simple
in the middle of the park. He moved the ball around well, worked out spaces in
the midfield and allowed his forward players to play their natural game. The
Serbian’s passing range and experience were on full display on the pitch, and
he ensured that United had a pretty comfortable time on the pitch.
The Serbian
even went on overlapping runs at times and switched play very well, helping
United enjoy a sustained period of dominance on the pitch. He was ultimately
replaced by Fred at the start of the second half, but by then, Matic had
successfully helped United all but confirm passage to the 5th round.
#3 Luke Shaw
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| Luke Shaw |
The
Englishman’s position in the team had come under threat in recent times, with
the emergence of young Brandon Williams. Shaw has lacked hunger and desire on
the pitch at times, which, coupled with his injuries, had hurt his chances this
season. However, the Englishman had worked himself back into the team of late
and against Tranmere, he certainly showed his manager that he still had stomach
for a fight.
Shaw excelled
in the wingback role and looked a threat every time he went forward. He quickly
forged an understanding with Maguire and ensured that most of United’s threat
arrived from the left side.
The Englishman combined well with Martial and
Lingard and stretched the opposition backline with his penetrating runs. Shaw
showed great adventure and burst forward at every opportunity, often running
the length of the pitch with the ball at his feet. By the end of the half, he
had set up Martial to score United’s 5th of the night.
The
Englishman was also defensively aware, religiously tracking back to ensure that
United were not shorthanded in defense. In the second half, when Solskjaer shifted
to a back four, Shaw effortlessly slotted into a left-back position and rarely
looked troubled.
#2 Harry Maguire
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| Harry Maguire |
The
Manchester United skipper was another player who had a point to prove on
Sunday. Maguire had been poor against Burnley and his defending for both goals
had been questionable. Manchester United had paid big money for the Englishman in
the summer, hoping to solve their defensive issues.
However, United still
looked vulnerable at set plays and had struggled to register clean sheets this
season. The F.A. Cup game, as such, was a stage for Maguire to show his
leadership skill as well as his defensive abilities and he did not let his team
down.
Starting at
the left center-back position in a back three, Maguire was clearly one of the
best players on the pitch, abet against far lesser opposition. The Englishman
was afforded the freedom to take the ball out of the defense, and it turned out
to Tranmere’s downfall.
Maguire often operated as an auxiliary central
midfielder, stationed alongside or even higher than Matic and from here, he
threaded long balls that unsettled the home team. And in the 10th
minute, he gave his team the perfect start to the game.
Taking the
ball from Lindelof, Maguire powered into the final third and unleashed a fierce
30-yard strike that rocketed into the back of the net, via a slight deflection.
It was a goal that turned the tide in United’s favor and kick-started a
frenzied 6 minutes where United scored thrice.
#1 Anthony Martial
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| Anthony Martial |
With United
missing Marcus Rashford due to back injury, the onus was on Martial to take up
the goalscoring responsibilities for the team. Unfortunately, the Frenchman struggled
to make a mark in the last two games and left a lot to be desired with his
performances on the pitch. Against Tranmere, Martial had an opportunity to
regain his form and the Frenchman took the opportunity with both hands.
Right from
the start of the game, Martial’s trickery and movement proved to be a handful
for the home defense. The Frenchman picked up clever spaces in the final third
and his build-up play around the box was very good. He was clearly on the mood,
bringing the wingbacks into the game, laying off balls for Lingard and
Greenwood and twisting and turning inside the box to carve out chances for his
team.
He sent Dalot free in the 13th minute to score United’s second
goal of the night after some good combination play with the Portuguese in the
final third. And just before the break, he got his name on the score sheet.
This time,
it was the Frenchman’s understanding with Shaw that helped him open up space at
the edge of the area. Martial then unleashed a curling shot that took a
deflection and nestled into the far corner.
United went into the break with a
5-0 lead and Solskjaer hauled off his star player before the second half,
knowing very well that United would need Martial in all his elements in order
to get the better of City in midweek.
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