Manchester United may be still a long way off the standards expected from them, but they sure seem to be on the right track. Last night, the Red Devils came from a goal down to beat Middlesbrough 2-1 at Old Trafford. Grant Leadbitter had handed the away side the lead in the 67th minute against the run of play, but goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba in the span of a few minutes ensured United ended the year with a win.
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They have now won 5 wins in the league on the bounce, and are level on points with Tottenham Hotspur, who have a game in hand. With the top 4 in sight now, the red half of Manchester will be confident going into 2017 given the manner in which they have racked up the points and also the fact that they seem to have finally found their identity under Jose Mourinho.
It was a fitting way to commemorate Sir Alex Ferguson's 75th birthday, who was in the stands watching the game and looked visibly elated after the final whistle. The Scotsman, who had made late comebacks his trademark during his 26-year reign, had been to Carrington recently and it seems his interaction with the players might have something to do with the character and grit displayed by them yesterday as well.
Here are the 5 things we learnt from the game:
#1 Michael Carrick is fundamental to this side
Carrick was left out of this game due to a minor injury that he received during training, and his absence in central midfield was felt every moment. His replacement on the night, Marouane Fellaini, didn’t do much wrong, but he simply lacks the intelligence and the composure the Englishman brings to the side.
Jose Mourinho will be relieved to have the midfielder back in the side for the game against West Ham United on Monday. United are yet to lose a game this season with him in the side, and it is easy to see why. Middlesbrough had flooded the midfield at times, and there was simply no one to hold or play the ball from the back.
Manchester United are yet to offer Carrick a new contract, but he is an extremely important part of the squad even at 35 years of age. With Morgan Schneiderlin reportedly set to leave Manchester United this month, one wonders what will happen if the former Spurs man were to miss a few games in the second half of the season.
#2 Ibrahimovic and Pogba show their class, once again
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba both have been criticised to varying extents this season, but of late, they have been United's best options going forward. Pogba's lobbed pass was flicked towards Martial by Ibrahimovic, while the Frenchman was the one who headed the ball home from a Mata cross the next minute.
United's number 6 and number 9 have combined to score or create 25 goals already, and their form will be crucial if the Red Devils want to grab an automatic Champions league qualifying spots for the next season.
#3 Boro flattered to deceive
Middlesbrough came to Old Trafford expecting to give a tough time to the home side, but they flattered to deceive. They did dominate at times in the centre of the park, and defended well, but were picked apart many times. If not for some poor refereeing decisions and rotten luck, United should have won the game by a 3 or 4 goal margin atleast.
Skipper Grant Leadbitter, who came in after missing a month due to hernia, put in a solid shift in midfield though, and it was he who put his side ahead courtesy of a sweet finish in the 2nd half, but apart from that there weren't really many notable performances. Aitor Karanka's side must pull up their socks if they are to make an impression in the business end of the season.
#4 Anthony Martial is back in form
When on song, Anthony Martial is easily one of the most exciting young players in the world. However, this season, he has been low on confidence and looked a shadow of the player who scored 17 goals in the last campaign. As such, Mourinho had consigned him to the bench and had questioned his temperament as well.
It seems that the Portuguese's tough love has finally worked, since the former Monaco striker returned to his good old self yesterday, as he ran at Boro's defence relentlessly and set up Ibrahimovic’s goal which was wrongly disallowed by referee Lee Mason.
The Frenchman ran at the opposition full-back, and also hit the crossbar with a thunderous long ranger. 5 minutes from full time, he finally got the goal he deserved which also turned out to be the equaliser for United. United fans will hope to see more of the same from him in 2017!
#5 Mourinho’s vision is finally working
Even two months ago, it would have been improbable to see Mourinho bring on a striker in place of a defender when his team are trailing, but that is exactly what the former Real Madrid manager did yesterday. Mourinho now has trust in his players, and his squad are returning his faith in them. The festive season is one of the most important periods of the English Premier League and United have racked up 6 points from 2 games.
To keep his first choice players fresh, the Portuguese manager introduced some fringe players yesterday, and all of them delivered well enough. It seems that his vision is finally working, and his team are playing a brand of football which is both attractive and efficient. If this continues, with a bit of luck on their hands, United can certainly aim for the title next season.
