Will the Reds Go Marching On?

Fuck. What next?

Well.. that sucked. After Manchester United limped out of the Champions League after a 2–1 loss at Old Trafford, it’s time to look at what United got wrong, what United got right, who deserves blame, and where we go from here.

Romelu Lukaku

Let’s start with the positive(s). Romelu Lukaku is a fucking monster in the making. On a night where it seemed that United expected their opposition to simply lay down for them, Lukaku was the only one who showed passion, desire, and a hunger to win this game on his own if need be.

Lukaku was his usual dominant self in the aerial game, but what impressed me was his link-up play and channel running. Due to United’s set up, Rom often finds himself isolated up top. This game, he attempted to drop deeper to help build play since our midfielders decided that passing forward was banned. He was taking on defenders, utilizing his much improved touch, and scored a hell of a goal. Rom is quickly turning into one of United’s most consistent performers this season. And he had bars for some of the non performers.

Jose Mourinho

Onto the bad.. For those who follow me on Twitter, it’s hard to not notice that on the spectrum of United fans, I’m firmly entrenched in the pro-Mourinho camp. However, he got the entire tie completely wrong. By not attempting to apply any pressure away at Sevilla, everything was on the line at Old Trafford. Even though our record is impeccable at home, it actually puts us at a disadvantage because a single Sevilla goal would force us to need to score two goals due to the away goal rule.

After beating Chelsea, coming back in exceptional fashion against Palace, and beating a high-flying Liverpool, United were high on confidence. Mourinho changed the team that handled Liverpool superbly, for reasons unknown. Benching Mata and Scotty Mac for Lingard and Fellaini proved to be a poor decision. Lingard played decently but was unable to really effect the way the way he has earlier this season. Fellaini was a non factor — sluggish in taking players on, passing the ball slowly and with limited range. He looked like a man just recovering from a serious knee injury, but yet Jose trusted him in the biggest game of the season.

Jose made some subs (we’ll get to one later) that completely destroyed the balance of the team and United concede two goals quickly and before you know it, they’re on the couch. To add insult to injury, Jose’s post match comments didn’t endear him to any United fan. Losing this way in the CL to that team IS a big deal, no matter how you try to flip it. By belittling the club, Jose managed to piss off those who want him gone even more and put doubt in the minds of his supporters.

Paul Pogba & Alexis Sanchez

And finally.. the worst. This is a bit harsh of me, but for the man who came back to lead United to glory and the world class forward recruited to provide experience to a young front line, I can’t help but be disappointed. We will start with Pogba.

Paul Pogba has not had a great few weeks at United. Once the first name on the teamsheet, he’s been dropped and disciplined for his lack of defensive focus. Many players have gotten the Jose Mourinho cold shoulder treatment and ended up a better player because of it, but Paul has not seemed to have adjusted as desired. He has removed the flair from his game, but still hasn’t added to the defensive side of his game. Pogba came on for Fellaini and United immediately lost their balance. Ben Yedder started charging through midfield and Pogba was jogging back as Yedder ran through where he should have been in the first place. Not a positive showing from the Frenchman. Hopefully, some time away with the French team will give him a fresh perspective.

Alexis Sanchez is still finding his feet at United, so it may be harsh to put the blame solely on him, but as the most experienced attacker, he has to step up. I was disappointed in how deep he dropped and how little he challenged Sevilla’s fullbacks and centerbacks going forward. I expect a lot out of Alexis becaus he has immense talent. He has had a very long year and doesn’t seem to have the same sharpness in his legs as he had over the previous season. The jury is still out on Alexis but with this summer off, hopefully the Alexis of old is not far away.