Deviled Reds

Mark Critchley, writing for The Independent:

United have scored 40 goals after 19 games in all competitions this season, compared to 27 at the same stage last year. And they have 19 goals in the league after 11 games, six more than they did after the same number last season.

So why have just three of their 19 top-flight goals come at Old Trafford? Solskjaer had a convincing theory: that it is not only down to the quality of opposition they have faced, but also the conservative approach that those opponents have taken.

“I think bigger teams have set their stall out to defend against us and they're happy with a draw,” he claimed.

“If you look at Chelsea, they came with a back five and defended. They were happy with a point. Arsenal were happy with a point and got lucky with a penalty. Manchester City had more respect for us than we've had before.”

De Gea starts. Looks like it may be back to a diamond in midfield but I wonder whether Ole would go back to essentially a 4-5-1 with Bruno as the false 9.

Despite United’s Champions League elimination, we’re in a good place. It’s crucial to keep things in perspective. We’re 3 points off Chelsea, who are being discussed as title contenders, with a game in hand.

Yes, we’ve been eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, but from a group with last year’s finalists and semi-finalists.

Back to the point, De Gea isn’t undroppable. It’s just not the right time. The magnitude of United means that when we win a big game handidly, the good times are back, the ship is back on course, [insert your favorite cliche here]. And when we lose a game the punditry thinks we shouldn’t have, it’s over for Ole. He’s not up to it, his CV is awful, he’s too nice, etc. But if Ole drops De Gea now, he can’t unmake that decision. It’ll be an inflection point every pundit points out to say he shouldn’t have (conveniently forgetting they were asking him to drop De Gea in the first place) and that things got worse for United once he did. He can play De Gea again but it’ll be perceived as shutting the barn door after the horse has already bolted. And even if it goes well, the story will become about having a player of De Gea’s unquestionable quality and immense wages on the bench. Like Ozil at Arsenal.

Fernandes also revealed he has been taking inspiration from former United midfielder - now the club's first-team coach - Michael Carrick.

Carrick impressed the Portugal international with his passing accuracy after making up the numbers in training this week.

Do you believe you were never fully appreciated throughout your career? Some people claim that if you were Spanish or Italian, you’d have been revered even more?

I keep hearing that, but what does it even mean? I suppose it’s a throwaway comment, but I’m definitely not Spanish or Italian, so can’t you just appreciate me anyway? I’m not saying I should be, but then why do you have to be Italian or Spanish to be appreciated? I don’t mind, I didn’t play for praise. I did my job for my team-mates and manager.

On the accusations United players are not trying:

It has become accepted as truth that Mourinho has lost the dressing room. I'm less sure than others. Most people that I've seen saying he's lost the dressing room do not have behind the scenes information. They're going off the same poor performances we've all witnessed, Mourinho stripping Paul Pogba of vice-captain duties (and their disagreement on the training ground), and Mourinho's general demeanor publicly. It's possible they're right and he has lost the dressing room. It's also possible that poor results have put a strain on everyone in the club and that's what we're seeing.

In either case, it's clear something has to change and results must improve. Changing managers is often seen as the easiest option. But I don't think the easy option is going to fix things here. Starting over with a new manager means building a new team to the new manager's liking. But that doesn't really address the problems that have been clear since Louis Van Gaal was in charge (and even earlier when David Moyes did not really get support from the board).

Wayne Rooney recently said the players need to stand up:

[The club's form] is a bit of everything coming together but Jose is an easy target. Some of the players have to be better.

I said the same thing when Louis van Gaal was there.

He took a lot of stick but behind closed doors I said to the players, 'we have to be doing better'.

Personally, I think he set us up brilliantly but we didn't produce on the pitch so I am sure that is getting said behind the scenes.

But it's not just the players at fault either. Although the club has spent great sums of money on transfers, at times there has not seemed to be a rhyme or reason for various signings. No cohesive strategy. The club has paid over the odds for certain players and given up too soon on others. And, importantly, at different times, the board has failed to back the managers with signings they've requested. Most recently, this occurred with Mourinho's desire for new CBs in the summer. If the board wants to move to a director of football and head coach model as many other clubs have done, no problem. Find a good director of football and get to work. But while the current model is in place they must support the manager.

Assuming the rumors Mourinho wants to play 5 at the back are true and Matic and Valencia are fit in time, this is who I'd start against Spurs.

Bailley and Lindelof debuted their partnership in the Premier League at the back and looked brilliant. Bailley in particular seemed to cover nearly every mistake that put Leicester in a dangerous position.

Shaw played like he’s finally taken on what Mourinho has been asking of him and topped it off with a brilliant goal.

Pogba looked brilliant. If he can play like that the entire season (a big ask for anyone), United will be in with a chance of winning something.

Andreas Pereira looked composed and assured as well. Overall, I really liked the midfield three of Pogba, Pereira, and Fred together.