Amrabat spoke to the media after United’s 2-1 win against Chelsea. The Fiorentina loanee produced an impressive performance in the middle of the park that helped get his side over the line.

A double from Scott McTominay was enough to secure the win for the Red Devils against Mauricio Pochettino’s men at Old Trafford.

After United’s loss at the hands of Newcastle last week, reports started coming out that Ten Hag had lost a section of the dressing room with some players growing disillusioned with his tactics and methods.

The Dutchman was quick to refute such claims and this has now been backed by Amrabat.

The Moroccan spoke to beIN SPORTS and gave his verdict on the match vs. Chelsea including what he and his teammates truly think about Ten Hag.

He said about the manager, “He’s one of the best in the world. He’s a fantastic coach and we are all behind him.”

Amrabat praised McTominay for getting on the score sheet. “He played a very good game. He scored two goals. He didn’t want to score a hat-trick, just two, We won 2-1 and that is the most important thing.”

“We started very well. I think the whole game was good. We played very well and had a lot of confidence. We had a very good reaction.”

“I am very happy. We played attractive football, attacking football with a lot of pressing. The only negative is we need to score more goals but we won which is the most important thing.”

The 27-year-old opened up on his difficult start to life in the Premier League and admitted that this was occasioned by not having pre-season due to injury but he now feels stronger and is steadily adapting to the demands of English football.

He added, “I started [the season] with an injury and normally you need some time to adapt. But there was no time, the team needed me, so I had to jump in immediately and I’m a fighter, I will never say no when the manager needs me.”

"He's one of the best in the world. He's a fantastic coach and we are all behind him."

Moroccan international Sofyan Amrabat quashes the rumours at Old Trafford after Man Utd's 2-1 win over Chelsea.#beINPL #MUFC pic.twitter.com/1YgktAsQoy

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) December 6, 2023

Up next for United is yet another home game against Bournemouth on Saturday.

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Patrice Evra, the former Manchester United left back, was gushing over his former side’s attitude in their 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Wednesday night.

While talking to Amazon Prime Video Sport, the fan favourite also claimed that everybody on the team deserved credit for their effort on the night.

The Frenchman stated, “every player on the pitch today, they were determined. The players who were on the pitch, they killed themselves for the badge and played as a team. I think the star today was the team, it wasn’t just one player even if McTominay was man of the match today, but I saw players determined to win”

The Red Devils put in a much improved display versus the London side. On Saturday night, the team could only muster eight shots in total and one on target in the whole 90 minutes at St James’ Park.

Contrastingly, United roared back into form by attempting 28 shots with nine being on target. It was a much improved display in anyone’s book.

Evra commented on the disappointment of last weekend by stating, “they knew they had to do that after the disaster in Newcastle, and they did so, fair play to them”.

The United legend went on to make a controversial statement by asserting that the Scotsman reminds him “a little bit of Frank Lampard recently”.

McTominay has enjoyed a prolific goalscoring season, with six goals for the Old Trafford side. He has also scored two braces which have been match winning against both Brentford and Chelsea.

The comparison will probably make a bad night even worse for the Chelsea fans travelling back down to London.

The Scotsman has been in red-hot form this season and is the club’s top scorer in all competitions. However, one feels Evra’s comment was a little tongue-in-cheek.

The Frenchman also warned that it will be a challenge for two attackers left on the bench to find their way back into the side.

Evra stated, “I think it will be tough for Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial to come back into the starting eleven”.

Finally, the United legend, clearly in good spirits after the win, joked about the former Manchester City player and Chelsea goalscorer on the night, Cole Palmer. It is quite well known that Palmer is a United fan and Evra responded, “I think he let us down. I need to talk to his parents. I know he grew up as a United fan but he ended up playing for City and scoring against Manchester United. He must not be a real fan”.

Evra always brings entertainment, whether it be biting into raw chicken live on social media or eating the Old Trafford grass. There is another a dull moment with United’s former number three.

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A sensational Scott McTominay brace in either half was enough to ensure United got back to winning ways in the Premier League and relieve some of the pressure that was mounting on Erik ten Hag and his players.

United only had 44% of the ball to Chelsea’s 56% possession.

Ten Hag’s men registered nine shots on target from their total 28 cracks at goal. In comparison, Chelsea had 13 total shots but only three of those required Andre Onana to swing into action.

United put together 388 passes with a success rate of 85%.

Chelsea strung 508 passes with a pass accuracy of 86%.

Crucial to the Red Devils’ success against the Blues was Sofyan Amrabat. He started as his side’s deepest-lying midfielder in a trio also consisting of McTominay and Bruno Fernandes.

Against Chelsea’s big-money midfield, Amrabat bossed the middle of the park and was vital in putting out whatever little threat Mauricio Pochettino’s stars posed.

During the 90 minutes he was on the pitch, the Moroccan had 61 touches of the ball to his name.

He successfully delivered 45 of the 49 passes he attempted, amassing a personal pass accuracy of 92%.

The Fiorentina loanee made one key pass. Amrabat embarked on two dribbles and came out on top in both instances.

He delved into seven ground duels and won five of them. The 27-year-old was not required to contest any challenges aerially.

Amrabat also had three tackles to his name.

(Stats obtained from Sofascore)

Certainly, Amrabat has put himself in contention to be included in the starting XI once more when United take on Bournemouth on Saturday.

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United beat Chelsea by two goals to one at Old Trafford.

McTominay, who is currently experiencing a rich vein of goalscoring form, grabbed a sensational brace.

The Scotland international spoke to Amazon Prime after the final whistle and gave his verdict on the match. He opened up about the change in training sanctioned by Ten Hag.

This season, United have had a crippling injury crisis, with up to 17 different players having been unavailable at various points of the campaign due to physical setbacks.

It was suggested that Ten Hag’s intense training sessions could be partly to blame for several United players picking up non-contact muscular injuries.

McTominay told Amazon, “The way that we approached the game [was vital to win against Chelsea]. A lot of light training sessions to keep energy, to keep fresh and go for the next game as they come thick and fast.”

“It is a night that we can be happy with and one that we should build on.”

McTominay is now United’s top goalscorer this term with six goals. He said about this, “I’ve always enjoyed getting in the box, and maybe on a different night, I could have had one or two more if I had calmed down on my last one for my hat trick, but that’s football.”

“I’m delighted to score two, but all the boys, Antony, Bruno [Fernandes], Harry Maguire; I could name a list of players who were world-class tonight.”

“But we have to show that consistently, which has not been the case of late.”

No doubt McTominay will be keen to add to his goal tally when United take on Bournemouth on Saturday.

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(A score of 6 is around average)

Andre Onana 7- Great, proactive save to deny Nicolas Jackson in the first half and some good passes in the buildup. Arguably could have gotten to Palmer’s tame shot but it was well-placed.

Diogo Dalot 7- Did an excellent job going forward and pushing Chelsea back with some quality crosses. A bit suspect defensively but Mudryk’s finishing let him off.

Victor Lindelof 6- Showed Palmer inside on his stronger foot from which he got the shot away. Worryingly subbed off at half-time.

Harry Maguire 6.5- A bit too eager to make a difference in the attacking box which left gaps in defence that was ultimately exploited by Palmer. Was good otherwise, especially cutting out Chelsea’s attack at the source by stepping up.

Luke Shaw 7.5- His importance to the team is remarkably clear with each game as he gets his form and fitness back. Makes other players look good with his progressive passing.

Scott McTominay 7.5- He did it again. Underwhelming for the whole game, came alive in the box at the right moment to score twice. The question is- Is the exchange for control in the middle for more goals worth it in the long run?

Sofyan Amrabat 7- Started shakily as he was hurried on the ball repeatedly leading to bad passes but grew into it as United bossed the proceedings.

Antony 7.5- His best game this season as he looked like a big upgrade over Rashford just by virtue of working hard. Fluffed some chances but good contributor to attacking moves. Won the penalty.

Alejandro Garnacho 8- The rise continued with another established performance as he gave Cucurella a torrid time. Things looked like happening every time he was on the ball.

Bruno Fernande 7- Missed a penalty to mark United’s great start to the game and that doesn’t happen often. That miss just summed up the season. Crucial in everything other phase, sometimes functioning as almost a one-man midfield.

Rasmus Hojlund 6- Largely anonymous as the wait for his first PL goal continues. Had an easy shot saved early on and couldn’t get on the end of other chances.

Substitutes:

Sergio Reguilon 7- Was a doubtful sub but added a lot of energy and thrust to United’s attacks after coming on. Perfect chaotic game for his skillset.

Marcus Rashford 6- Came on late but not much impact.

Jonny Evans 6- Not much impact. Came on to shore up the defence.

Erik ten Hag: The performance can’t be faulted, especially in an attacking sense as the forwards’ wastefulness prevented the scoreline from being comfortable. Midfield balance is still suspect.

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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.

The Scot came back from the wilderness to score a late double at Brentford and has since become a regular fixture in the first team.

However, he has mainly been used as a box-crasher instead of a conventional midfielder. It is a role where he has provided United with even more important goals.

Still, that has come at a huge cost to their possession balance which was most glaring in the limp loss against Newcastle.

While United finished the game with only 42% possession, McTominay touched the ball just 30 times across the match which finished in over 100 minutes. (Courtesy of sofascore)

For context and comparison, Bruno Fernandes, who plays further forward and rarely got a chance to get United’s attack going, had 64.

Kobbie Mainoo was subbed off 20 minutes before the final whistle when United started dominating the ball, and he still finished with 46 touches.

This confirms what was already known about McTominay. The Scot is a flawed and limited player who is in the team to serve a specific purpose which is to hide a bigger flaw of the team.

Because United have no ball-retainers and a discernible style of play they often score through individual brilliance or just by sheerly overloading the box with numbers.

Latter is where McTominay becomes crucial. He leaves the buildup regularly, doesn’t show for the ball, and instead runs into the box hoping for a blind ball played in the box hoping to find a United shirt.

He comes alive due to his positioning and anticipation to score a goal but in reality, he is not fixing United’s flaws, only masking them.

If United are not bossing possession, they might as well play with 10 men in the team, because McTominay has truly become the modern-day Marouane Fellaini.

He’s more refined, but in terms of serving a specific role, the similarities are uncanny.

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United played out a 3-3 draw to leave their hopes of advancing to the Round of 16 hanging in the balance.

Goals from Alejandro Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes and McTominay were not enough to secure the win at Rams Park.

Two massive howlers from Andre Onana gifted Hakim Ziyech a brace before Muhammed Aktürkoğlu drew the two teams level with 20 minutes of normal time left on the clock.

After the final whistle, McTominay spoke to MUTV (via Manchester Evening News) and had his say on the team’s result.

McTominay in particular took issue with the number of clear-cut goalscoring opportunities, especially towards the end, that were sent begging.

The Scotland international said, “We are so disappointed not to come away with more goals than three, to be honest.”

“If you had said that us that before tonight we would have been delighted with that, we would have hopefully gotten another clean sheet. Football is football.”

“There are mistakes and different things that can happen in the game. It is partly our fault at the other end of the pitch for not killing the game as well. We had control, we were playing some good stuff. That’s football, it can happen.”

McTominay added, “There are no individuals in this team; we all want to be a collective and push each other forward together. There is another game on Saturday that we are looking forward to, and we’ll learn from this one for sure.”

Up next for the Red Devils is an equally difficult Premier League away fixture – a trip to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle.

All attention for United shifts now shifts to that game.

The post Scott McTominay admits Man United’s poor finishing cost them dearly in draw vs. Galatasaray appeared first on Man United News And Transfer News | The Peoples Person.

United had a two-goal lead in the first half courtesy of Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes before Hakim Ziyech halved Galatasaray’s deficit just before the break.

Scott McTominay grabbed a third for United and all seemed well until an Andre Onana howler gifted Ziyech a brace. Galatasaray would go on to register a third equalizing goal in the 71st minute to ensure the spoils were shared.

United had four shots on target from their total 17 cracks at the Galatasaray goal.

In comparison, the Turkish Super Lig giants managed eight shots on target from their 16 shots in total.

The Red Devils had a 42% share of the ball to Galatasaray’s 58% possession.

Erik ten Hag’s men put together 310 passes with a pass accuracy of 75% Galatasaray on the other hand strung 422 passes with a success rate of 79%.

McTominay started in a midfield three also consisting of Bruno Fernandes and Morocco international Sofyan Amrabat. Amrabat would eventually be replaced by young Kobbie Mainoo.

Apart from getting on the score sheet, McTominay wasn’t really noticeable in the game.

During the time he was on the pitch, the Scotland international managed a 95% pass accuracy – he successfully delivered 19 of the 20 passes he attempted.

He was slightly better defensively. McTominay won four ground duels. In the air, he won three of the challenges he contested against rival players.

The Carrington academy graduate also won two of the tackles he put in.

McTominay of course crowned his display with the goal.

Scott McTominay’s game by numbers vs. Galatasaray:

95% pass accuracy
37 touches
19/20 passes completed
4 ground duels won
3 aerial duels won
2 tackles won
1 goal

Worked hard in midfield. pic.twitter.com/iJcraR7lKo

— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 29, 2023

United’s chances of advancing to the knockout stages of the Champions League are now all but over. The club will need to beat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford and hope results elsewhere go their way.

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As the dust has settled on Manchester United’s 3-0 victory versus Everton on Sunday afternoon, it is pertinent to highlight that three of United’s successful 2022 Youth Cup team were in the matchday squad.

Two of said players made massive contributions to the result and look to be two of the most promising stories of the season to follow from a Man United fan’s perspective.

Alejandro Garnacho scored “the best overhead kick ever” according to some, which crucially broke the deadlock in the third minute.

Another player from the starting line-up of the victorious Youth Cup side, Kobbie Mainoo, had pundits waxing lyrical over the 18 year olds afternoon’s work. Ian Wright claimed he just thought “wow” and the notoriously hard to impress, Roy Keane, even effused that it was challenging not to get excited about the midfielder’s full debut.

The third was striker Joe Hugill, who made the bench due to an injury to Rasmus Hojlund. The youngster didn’t get the chance to make an impression on the pitch, but after scoring in United’s pre-season tour, the attacker will hope to be get more opportunities in the first team.

Manchester United’s youth team won the coveted Youth Cup final in May 2022 at Old Trafford versus Nottingham Forest. Rhys Bennett and a double from Alejandro Garnacho saw the Red Devils win 3-1 on the night and claim the silverware. It would be a record extending 11th time the club has won the trophy and the first time since a Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard inspired triumph in 2011.

The Old Trafford outfit has a proud history of blooding youngsters and the academy has educated some of the finest players to play the game. United’s commitment to youth can be seen in their unmatched record of naming an academy graduate in every squad since the 30th of October 1937.

In fact, four academy-grown players started the game, including Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. Another, Hannibal Mejbri was on the bench, hence six in total to add to the names of Garnacho, Mainoo and Hugill, were in the squad.

Additionally, four more players in the matchday 18 may not have been part of the Man United youth system but were signed for the first team as teenagers. They are Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Facundo Pellistri.

In fact, to highlight the production power of the youth system at the club, two of Everton’s starters and one bench option also came through the ranks at United. James Garner, Dwight McNeil and former Youth Cup winner, Michael Keane.

There has been criticism of late of the team and their movement away from using the academy. Erik ten Hag has splashed the cash since his arrival in May 2022. The Dutch coach has spent £407m on new signings and has been critiqued here for abandoning players like James Garner far too early to fund moves for lesser players from other team’s academies.

Nonetheless, Sunday’s game provided a road map forward. The roles of Mainoo and Garnacho demonstrate that the youth system at United is still working and if used, can still be a vital characteristic of the side. Whilst, splurging on talent is necessary to reach the top, opportunities should still be given to the very best of the academy. It is in the club’s DNA.

Finally, with the under 18 team in scintillating form and huge talents like 16 year old Shea Lacey at the club, there is much to be excited about. If not left to rot, the youth system will continue to flourish and produce talents for the first team, like it always has since 1937.

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