A New Season

chitraranjan gogoi
Aug 9, 2017 · 4 min read

We knew it before the kick-off, before the whistle went off and even before the pre-match conferences, that Manchester United are not there yet, with the Elites of Europe. But how far is this young, expensive team of Jose Mourinho from the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich?

Yesterday’s Super Cup was the perfect platform to test the team’s caliber, composure and tactics in the race to be the best again. And also to check where they stand now when compared with the very bests.

So here are some of the things I’ve realized while watching the game. Note that I’m not a pundit or an analyst, but just a mere spectator and a fan of this club and I am trying to be as unbiased as possible.

Still, a long way to go…

Sir Alex’s retirement, losing almost the entire midfield and key defenders, not replacing them with the right players and then the appointment of David Moyes and LVG was a free fall from the top.

But after last season Mourinho gave us a glimpse of hope, made us believe that we are on the path of resurgence. Brought some of the best players available, won some trophies, although finished 6th in the league still there was a feeling that the team is ready for this new season. If not to win but atleast to fight till the end.

We saw the fight yesterday. But also realized we have a long way to go before claiming a place in the Elite Squad. Madrid’s trio of Isco, Kroos, and Modric was bossing the midfield while United players were struggling. There were moments of brilliance by Pogba, Valencia and later Rashford but not enough.

These players need to work a lot harder and need to be more consistent as the season goes by and Champions League comes knocking, to stand against the best 3. But against the others, maybe we have a chance.

Ready for PL

The Premier League is a different ball game altogether. With the inclusion of Matic and Lukaku who are already proven in the league, the team looks ready to compete for the title. Also, the fact that the last time Real Madrid was beaten by a PL team was in 2006, by Liverpool states the upper hand these teams have against any English team.

So last night’s performance if at all said anything about United and their chances in the league is that the team is ready.

Matic settled in quickly

Matic and De Gea stood out from the rest last night. De Gea, already regarded as one of the best keepers in the world was expected. But it was interesting to see Matic settled down so quickly. He was solid against an un-defendable Madrid’s midfield, made some crucial tackles, some good forward runs, balls into the box and most importantly his shot that created the goal. No doubt he is going to be very crucial in United’s claim for the League title.

2 sides of Romelo

Romelo Lukaku, the blockbuster signing of the season, the one who is supposed to end the goal scoring woes of last season. He ran, held the ball at times, defended when required, won a header against Ramos and headed on-target but straight to Navas.

But there were precisely 2 key moments that’ll define his first competitive Man Utd debut. And in both occasion we see the 2 different sides of the player. The time when he missed a golden opportunity to score in front of an open goal and the time when he took the chance and slots one home with calmness and authority.

Fans will love to see the second Lukaku more often than the first one.

Rashford/Martial ahead of Lingard

Lingard is a good player, one from the academy. But to start him ahead of Martial and Rashford is a mistake, that too against an opposition like Real Madrid.

Jesse was invisible for the amount of time he was in the field. Rashford came in and brought life to the left wing. He took on defenders, made some good runs but then bolted a chance to equalize. Martial would’ve done the same and hopefully finish the chances when provided with one. And there’s no denying that these two are ahead of the race when compared to Lingard.

But that doesn’t mean Lingard shouldn’t start at all. Maybe against oppositions which are not as good or against someone in Wembley.

Fellaini, Jose’s warrior

Admit it we all are not very fond of this guy, since the moment, he signed for us. But he is Jose’s warrior, and you can’t deny the fact that the lad gives his heart and soul when called upon. Yesterday was no different. He makes mistakes but also poses a threat inside the opposition’s penalty area. And when nothing’s working he will be Jose’s go-to guy

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade