The scoreline does not tell the whole story as the hosts could have scored five or six on the night, while also could have conceded three.

Manager Erik ten Hag will be pleased with the intensity shown by his team after a lethargic display at the weekend which helped the side get all three points after all the pressure that had been heaped on him during the week by the British media.

An open, and entertaining contest, the game was ultimately decided by the United boss’ brave calls regarding team selection and with his impactful substitution.

ETH made the right selection calls

Forgoing the urge to keep playing Marcus Rashford who is currently looking like a shadow of the player that was top scorer last season, the manager was right to trust Antony on the right and play the in-form Alejandro Garnacho on the left, both of whom put in impressive displays.

The Brazilian has endured a tough time this season and he might not have contributed with a goal or assist, but he defended admirably when needed and was a constant menace while attacking.

He won a penalty which skipper Bruno Fernandes missed but he did not let his head drop after that and kept going, a sharp cry from what the boss saw from his forwards against Newcastle.

As for the Argentine, he was a constant thorn in the Blues’ side and he could have grabbed a couple of goals himself if not for some good saves from Robert Sanchez.

He keeps showing immense bravery and is not afraid to keep trying even when things are not coming off for him, a great trait to have as a winger.

The main difference between the duo on Wednesday and what Rashford and Anthony Martial produced on Saturday was the constant determination to keep pushing instead of blaming others and flailing their arms about.

Ten Hag’s substitutions have not always worked this season and they have often arrived too late but at half-time with the score reading 1-1, the manager would have been forgiven for not making too many changes considering the attacking display from his team.

Perfect sub to control the game even more

Instead, he opted to bring on Sergio Reguilon as left-back, thereby moving Luke Shaw to the heart of the defence and the move paid dividends.

The Spaniard might not be the best defensively, but he has boundless energy and loves to run forward and he ensured United kept attacking down the left in the second half.

The win means United are up to sixth and only three points behind defending champions Manchester City in fourth. A strange season indeed!

Up next are Bournemouth, who are in good form and the Reds will need to keep up the same level of intensity if they are to grab three points.

The post Erik ten Hag’s stance of dropping underperformers paid dividends against Chelsea appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

After the team’s calamitous loss at the hands of Newcastle last week, no doubt Erik ten Hag would have been keen to get maximum points and relieve some pressure that was mounting on him and his players.

The United boss started Andre Onana in goal.

In defence, Ten Hag gave the nod to Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw.

Sofyan Amrabat started as United’s deepest-lying midfielder, with Bruno Fernandes and Scott McTominay slightly ahead of him.

Rasmus Hojlund led the line with Antony and Alejandro Garnacho on the bench. There was no place in the starting XI for Marcus Rashford who was dropped to the bench.

Here are three things we learned from Manchester United’s 2-1 win against Chelsea.

Questions remain about McTominay’s continued selection despite his goals

United took the lead in the 20th minute courtesy of McTominay, who found himself at the right place inside the Chelsea box to fire the ball into the back of the net, past the reach of a diving Robert Sanchez.

McTominay grabbed a second goal of the game in the second half to complete his brace when he headed in from a superb Garnacho cross.

However, beyond the goals, it could be argued the Scotland international did not offer much else, especially out of possession.

In truth, that has become the norm when McTominay is on the pitch – somehow manage to score but then disappear and contribute very little both on the ball and off it. It just so happens that against Chelsea, he clinched two goals that were enough to win the game.

Far too often, Chelsea managed to easily cut through United’s midfield and were it not for the fact they lack quality up front, the Blues could have hurt United much more.

Indeed, Chelsea’s equalizing goal after McTominay’s opener came from Mauricio Pochettino’s men moving up the pitch into United territory almost unopposed before Cole Palmer beat Onana with a cheeky finish.

It’s highly likely that if Chelsea had more quality up front, the Red Devils would have been made to pay more dearly for just how open they were in the middle of the park.

On more than one occasion, Fernandes and McTominay bombed forward in search of goalscoring opportunities and left huge tracts of space behind them.

At times, Amrabat found himself isolated and with multiple rival players to cover alone.

United have found it very difficult to control games and assert dominance due to the imbalance in midfield. A section of fans have questioned whether McTominay’s goals justify the chaos his continued inclusion in the team brings.

Going forward, United might be better served by prioritizing midfielders that bring balance or properly structuring the team to accommodate McTominay in a way that does not leave the side open and susceptible to conceding easy chances. It’s clear Ten Hag values his goals, especially during a season in which the forwards are not really firing.

Slightly improved performance by Antony

Against Galatasaray, Antony was praised for producing one of his best performances since joining United.

He didn’t get the opportunity to build up on the positive display in Istanbul when United lost at St James’ Park just days later.

However, Ten Hag put faith in him vs. Chelsea and the Brazilian was good.

He won a penalty in the early stages of the match but it ultimately didn’t count for much as Fernandes missed from the spot-kick.

The 23-year-old was a constant pain in the backside for Levi Colwill and Thiago Silva all game. Antony’s passing was crisp and he was probably one of the few players from either team who seemed calm and composed enough to deliver the ball to its intended target.

The United forward had a few sights of goal and should have perhaps got on the score sheet in the second half when his left-foot shot flew just inches wide of Sanchez’s goal.

Antony also got United high up the pitch well and won some crucial fouls.

More significant is that he executed his defensive responsibilities well and helped out Dalot when required to do so.

Against Newcastle, Rashford came under intense criticism for a perceived lack of effort and disinterest in helping out defensively – certainly, no one can make such an accusation against Antony who did well vs. Chelsea.

He wasn’t as dangerous and threatening as Garnacho was, but Antony earned himself some plaudits.

Hopefully, Antony carries on in the same vein and starts showing why Ten Hag sanctioned a big-money move for him in the summer of 2022.

Reguilon’s introduction helped United get over the line

During the interval, Ten Hag took off an uninspiring Lindelof and replaced the Swede with Sergio Reguilon.

This meant that Shaw was moved to slot right next to Maguire at the heart of the United backline.

Reguilon was an extremely positive change.

Beyond the energy he injected, the Spaniard helped out a lot going forward. He participated in attacking phases much more than the reserved Lindelof.

Reguilon also combined well with Garnacho, and most of United’s chances came down their side.

The two put in some nice crosses. Regulion also constantly overlapped to either create space for Garnacho or drag the full-back wider to create gaps.

With Tyrell Malacia out, Ten Hag will be pleased that he can count on Reguilon to contribute when called up.

The post Three things we learned as Scott McTominay’s sensational brace secures 2-1 win for Man United vs. Chelsea appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Their next test against Newcastle United will be a great marker to understand where Erik ten Hag’s team currently lie. The last time the two sides met this season was in the Carabao Cup where Eddie Howe’s team emerged 3-0 victors.

United had lost at St James’ Park last season and their preparations for the game was far from ideal as the team’s flight to Newcastle upon Tyne was cancelled at the last moment.

Shaw as LCB

As per Manchester World, the Dutch manager is contemplating making a tactical change ahead of tonight’s encounter with Luke Shaw set to start as centre-back.

Since his return from injury, the Englishman has played in the Everton and Galatasaray matches in his familiar left-back position.

Ten Hag has utilised this ploy in the past, especially in the absence of Lisandro Martinez, who suffered a season-ending injury last term.

The Argentine is currently sidelined and United have played Victor Lindelof in that position and while the Swede does possess fantastic vision, a left-footed defender naturally has more angles to pass to.

Ten Hag’s preference for a left-footed defender is also partly responsible for Raphael Varane‘s reduction in game time with Ten Hag reluctant to pair the both of them.

Ploy worked wonders last season

Shaw’s passing ability is certainly underrated and he can effectively help the side play out from the back against a rampant Magpies at home. This will mean either Diogo Dalot or Sergio Reguilon plays as the left-back.

“Erik ten Hag is considering deploying Luke Shaw at centre-back for Saturday’s trip to Newcastle United, ManchesterWorld understands.

“With Martinez injured, Shaw is United’s only real left-footed option in that role and could line up alongside Maguire at the heart of defence against Newcastle, with Sergio Reguilon starting at left full-back.”

Last season, Shaw was excellent at the heart of defence and United fans will hope that the tactical shift ends up working as United prepare for the busy festive period.

The post Erik ten Hag to play Luke Shaw as centre-back against Newcastle United appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sergio Reguilón, along with Jonny Evans, was probably the most surprising addition to Manchester United’s squad during the summer of 2023. The defender joined on an emergency loan from Tottenham on deadline day.

The Spaniard’s Old Trafford career so far has mirrored the first team’s rollercoaster results this year.

The Madrid native was not linked to the club at all during the whole window. Why would he have been? United had two senior left backs at the club, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, who were both coming off a successful season in 2022-23. Another young Spaniard, Alvaro Fernandez was waiting in the wings after some impressive displays for the youth team and during pre-season.

Then disaster struck. It was announced that Malacia could not participate at the start of pre-season, and we have only found out recently the extent and severity of the young Dutch full-back’s injury.

At least the club had their first team regular and England star, Luke Shaw. Wrong. The Englishman was ruled out of action for weeks after only the second game of the season, ironically against Reguilón’s parent team, Tottenham Hotspur.

Alvaro Fernandez was deemed unready to deputise and was promptly sent out on loan to Granada towards the end of the summer. Therefore, the Red Devils started the pre-season with three left backs and suddenly found themselves with none. This led to a flurry of links to players like Marc Cucurella and Ryan Bertrand before the club finally signed a deal for Reguilón.

The former Real Madrid academy product had been linked to United before, most intensely during the 2020 September window, but ended up at Spurs. The Spanish left-back had played an instrumental role in Sevilla winning the Europa League in 2020, beating the Red Devils in the semi-final on their way to glory.

Unluckily for United fans, the 26 year-old has never really hit those heights in England. He had become a bit-part player for Spurs, being loaned out to Atletico Madrid last season. Also, the fact the North London based club were willing to loan him to a rival so close to the end of the window speaks volumes about how much of a threat they think he will be to their own ambitions of a top four finish. In fact, according to a report by The Manchester Evening News the defender was “nowhere near a starting spot” for Spurs and they were looking to offload him for “any decent offer”. Therefore, the left back will view his new temporary home as a lifeline to save his career in England.

So far, Reguilón has played only six times for the club with mixed results. The full-back impressed fans with an energetic display on his Champions League debut versus Bayern Munich in September. The man from Madrid was also praised for his display against Burnley, where Erik ten Hag praised his character and spirit in the 1-0 win.

Typically though, by the end of the month in which he had made his debut, he got injured. This is exactly what a new signing does not need. It meant that United had to negotiate some tough games with Sofyan Amrabat, Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof all deputising at left-back.

Luckily, the Spanish full back was back available again for selection for the third game of United’s Champions League group. However, the simple fact is Ten Hag doesn’t always play him. Being the only fit senior left-back, you would assume he always plays. He doesn’t. Diogo Dalot is often selected ahead of him and a problem for the Spanish international is Luke Shaw will most likely be back in first team action by the end of the month, with the game against Everton on the 26th November pencilled in as a return date. This will surely reduce the Spanish left-back’s game time further.

Reguilón did manage to get a start yesterday against Luton Town and the performance characterised his Old Trafford career so far. A quiet and ineffective first-half which was then followed-up by an energetic and much more productive second-half performance full of high-pressing and selfless runs down the wing. Then he was subbed off with a potential injury. Such is the unpredictable life of a Manchester United left-back.

The Spaniard will have to wait and see what happens once Shaw and Malacia return. According to the club’s official website, the loan deal runs until June 2024. It will be intriguing to see how Reguilon can force himself into Ten Hag’s plans as the season wears on.

The post Sergio Reguilón’s stop-start Manchester United career analysed appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Mainoo was United’s breakout star of pre-season but received a blow when he picked up an injury during a friendly game vs. Real Madrid.

He returned to training during the October international break. During his presser before the Sheffield United match, Ten Hag told reporters that the Englishman was not fit enough to feature at Bramall Lane, although he was nearing a return to action.

Manchester Evening News have provided an update on Mainoo and indicated that he could be available for selection to face FC Copenhagen.

“Mainoo’s return to the United line-up is on the horizon after the young midfielder featured in training. There had been hope he would feature against the Blades but he was not a member of the squad,” the outlet says.

Another player expected to be included in the starting XI is Sergio Reguilon.

Unlike Mainoo, the Spaniard was a surprise exclusion from the matchday squad that travelled to face Paul Heckingbottom’s men on Saturday.

MEN states on Reguilon, “The issue with the on-loan Tottenham Hotspur defender is not thought to be serious and he should be making a return to the line-up shortly after a good start at Old Trafford.”

Against the Blades, Jonny Evans formed a solid centre-back partnership with Harry Maguire in the absence of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane who was on the bench, seemingly not yet fully fit after a brief period on the sidelines.

There were concerns when Evans – who has started well at United during his second spell – went down and had to be replaced by Varane.

However, it’s understood that he was only substituted as a precaution and it was nothing serious.

The North Ireland international should be good to play in the Champions League this week as United look to get out of their group and proceed to the next round of the competition.

Ten Hag will not be able to count on the services of Casemiro who is still in Brazil recovering from a physical setback sustained during the international break.

In any case, the 31-year-old was suspended after being red-carded against Galatasaray.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw remain long-term absentees.

Wan-Bissaka who suffered a hamstring injury could return in November, with Shaw a little bit further away from making a comeback.

As per MEN, there is a real possibility that Martinez has played his last game of the year, with January 2024 looking like a realistic return period for the World Cup winner.

With respect to Amad Diallo, “The young winger has been posting updates on his social media channels documenting his progress. He has been training which suggests a return may not be far off but a time frame has not been revealed yet.”

The post Kobbie Mainoo’s return to Man United line-up “on the horizon” ahead of FC Copenhagen clash appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United are bottom of the group with zero points after losing to Bayern Munich in Germany and Galatasaray in Manchester last time out.

Anything less than three points against the Danish side will almost certainly lead to elimination from the competition at the group stage.

Andre Onana will be hoping to build on his solid performance against Sheffield United on Saturday as he retains his place in goal.

Harry Maguire was voted man of the match in that game and with Sergio Reguilon expected to return to the left back position, Ten Hag will also have Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane vying for centre back roles. Jonny Evans may also be in the mix although he may have tweaked his hamstring on Saturday and was replaced by Varane late on.

Despite Maguire’s improvement, we think Ten Hag will keep his faith in Varane and Lindelof, with Diogo Dalot occupying the right back berth.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez all remain unavailable due to injury.

In midfield, one player who will definitely miss the game is Casemiro as he serves a one-match ban for his sending off against Gala. Donny van de Beek was not registered to play in the competition so he, too, is sure to miss out.

Kobbie Mainoo is pushing for a return to action after an injury layoff but he is not likely to start. This leaves the options of Sofyan Amrabat, Scott McTominay, Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes.

United looked a lot more balanced against the Blades when Eriksen was introduced and we think he might win a start alongside Amrabat and Fernandes.

Up front, Antony was very disappointing at the weekend and Alejandro Garnacho looked lively coming off the bench. Switching Marcus Rashford to the right flank again would allow the Argentinian to start the game, giving the Brazilian a rest. Rasmus Hojlund is expected to lead the line again with Anthony Martial likely to feature from the bench only.

Jadon Sancho remains unavailable due to disciplinary reasons.

With all that in mind, here is our predicted XI for tomorrow’s game:

The post Predicted Man United XI vs FC Copenhagen: Sergio Reguilon and Alejandro Garnacho to start appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Sergio Reguilon and Raphael Varane should return to the starting XI to shore up the defence after a makeshift backline played against Brentford.

Amidst the leaking goals, Andre Onana has been backed by the manager and he will keep his place for this game. However, Ten Hag has warned him that he needs to sort himself out soon.

Ahead of him, Varane will come into the team at the expense of Harry Maguire. Victor Lindelof should partner him.

Reguilon’s return will also enable Diogo Dalot to shift to his preferred right-back spot, making a back four of Dalot, Varane, Lindelof, and Reguilon.

There is a headache in the midfield with Casemiro ruled out due to injury.

However, Kobbie Mainoo is a wild card to be in the squad after “looking sharp” in an appearance for the first team against Barnsley during the international break.

Undisputed starters in midfield are Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, and Sofyan Amrabat in the Brazilian’s absence. Mainoo might come off the bench.

Christian Eriksen might have to contend with a bench role again as Amrabat offers more physicality, running, grit and defensive nous than the Dane.

The attack picks itself after Antony’s return to the club. He will take his place on the right wing.

Alongside him will be two heroes of the international break.

Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford flourished for Denmark and England respectively and will be relied upon to provide the goals that put the Blades away in this tricky away fixture.

With all that in mind, here is our predicted XI for tomorrow’s game:

The post Sheffield United vs Man United predicted XI: Sergio Reguilon and Raphael Varane to shore up the defence appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Quite a few players are sidelined long-term while a few are nearing fitness but remain in need of match practice. There are other fringe players who also could do with some much-needed game time.

As has become the norm under Erik ten Hag, the club conducted yet another behind-closed-doors friendly, this time against League One opposition Barnsley.

Another behind-closed-doors friendly for United

The Peoples Person had reported yesterday about the friendly encounter and the fact that academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo will not be part of the contest.

Mainoo, who suffered an unfortunate injury during pre-season, had been training with the first team for some time now but it seems a return remains some way off.

Sergio Reguilon narrowly missed out on the chance to be part of the Brentford matchday squad and was scheduled to take part in the game.

As per The Manchester Evening News, Antony and Donny van de Beek started the game as they looked to build match fitness.

The Brazilian was missing for almost a month after allegations of domestic abuse emerged with United stating the winger would only return once investigations were over.

Donny, Antony start for United

He has since come back and made a couple of substitute appearances and the game was a perfect chance to build some match fitness as Ten Hag is desperate for a right winger.

As for Van de Beek, he was excluded from the Champions League squad and the club tried desperately to offload him in the summer but to no avail.

He has garnered a grand total of 21 minutes for United this season across two substitute appearances and he will be trying to prove his worth to his former Ajax coach.

The versatile midfielder did score a goal with United emerging comfortable 3-0 winners with the team having plenty of U21 players, just as Barnsley.

Whether the goal does anything for his prospects this season remains to be seen. There is also a lack of clarity about whether any other first-team star took part in the contest.

The post Donny van de Beek, Antony start for Man United in behind-closed-doors win against Barnsley appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Injuries have severely hampered United’s displays this season with manager Erik ten Hag hardly ever having the luxury of picking his first-choice XI.

The manager is without a left-back at present with loan signing Sergio Reguilon, who came in after Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia‘s long-term injuries, also sidelined.

Behind-closed-doors friendly

The Spaniard was close to making the matchday squad for the Brentford game, indicating he is close to reaching full fitness. There are others like Kobbie Mainoo who have also begun training in a bid to rejoin the first team.

According to The Daily Mail, United have arranged for a behind-closed-doors friendly match against League One side Barnsley on Tuesday.

This will allow a few players who are nearing fitness to get some much-needed game time while a few academy graduates are also in need of match practice.

Whether Raphael Varane will make the game is a doubt but Reguilon is expected to play a part. However, Mainoo is still not ready as per Chris Wheeler.

“United have arranged a behind-closed-doors game against Barnsley on Tuesday as several of their injured stars near a return to action.

“Sergio Reguilon is on his way back after missing the last four games, and Kobbie Mainoo was also due to play against the League One club.

“However, that now seems unlikely after it was decided that the run-out may have come a little too soon for him.”

Mainoo will miss the game

Mainoo suffered an unfortunate injury in pre-season against Real Madrid and it was a big blow as the manager had tipped him for a major role this season.

It seems he is still not fit enough but he has been spotted training with his teammates so a return cannot be too far. Ten Hag can surely do with his dynamic presence in midfield.

The rest of the players in the game are set to be composed of academy stars who were given the chance to utilize first-team facilities with the major stars having departed for international duty.

Quite a few first-team stars, who are not playing regularly and are not part of international duty could also take part and further clarity will emerge on the day of the game.

The post Kobbie Mainoo to miss Manchester United’s behind-closed doors friendly against Barnsley appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

Injuries have not helped the manager, with the defence suffering the most. The Dutchman has never managed to field his first-choice back-four this season due to injury.

One of the areas most badly affected is at left-back with all three players currently sidelined. Tyrell Malacia was the first to suffer an injury, which has seen him miss the entire pre-season and all games so far.

United’s injury problems at LB

Luke Shaw, the first-choice left-back, is yet to play since the Tottenham Hotspur game and these two long-term injuries forced the club to dip into the market towards the closing stages of the summer transfer window.

A lot of candidates were scrutinised, but in the end, it was Spurs star Sergio Reguilon who arrived on deadline day but after a couple of promising displays, he suffered a hamstring injury as well.

He is not expected to be back before the international break, with right-back Diogo Dalot filling in at one point while currently, midfield Sofyan Amrabat has been forced to play there.

The club have suffered because of the Moroccan’s inability to play there, which was meant to happen against the big teams and the manager must be ruing his luck.

Interestingly, Ten Hag had the option of playing academy graduate Alvaro Fernandez in that position but he chose to send him out on loan to Granada, thinking he was not quite ready for the step-up.

Maybe a break clause in his contract would have allowed the Spaniard to return to Old Trafford during such an emergency. But United never included such a clause. The earliest United can recall him is in January.

“The Manchester Evening News revealed at the time that United’s ongoing defensive crisis was not going to alter their plans to loan him out given they were confident of securing a replacement on loan.

Alvaro Fernandez can be recalled, but not more January

“It is also understood United do not have an option to cut Fernandez’s spell in Spain short at this moment of time, though there is a break clause in the deal to recall him in January if required,” The Manchester Evening News reported.

Given Reguilon’s injury record, Ten Hag will either be hoping to see either of Malacia or Shaw regain full fitness and form, or he may be forced to recall the 20-year-old in January when the mid-season break clause becomes active.

Fernandez has enjoyed a decent spell in La Liga so far, featuring in three of the five league matches he has been eligible for since joining.

The 26-year-old Reguilon had missed 29 games for Atletico Madrid last season during his loan there and United should have realised the injury worries associated with Reguilon before signing him.

The post Alvaro Fernandez’s break clause only becomes active in January, major missed opportunity for Erik ten Hag appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.