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GRAEME SOUNESS: Guy United have expended massive sums but Almost nothing has modified… Bruno Fernandes is nowhere in close proximity to captain product and Casemiro is a regular Eddie, although Jadon Sancho and Antony are just Normal

GRAEME SOUNESS: Guy United have expended massive sums but Almost nothing has modified… Bruno Fernandes is nowhere in close proximity to captain product and Casemiro is a regular Eddie, although Jadon Sancho and Antony are just Normal


We are only two online games into the Leading League year but the early indications are that not considerably has adjusted at Manchester United.

I never see them becoming any greater this yr than they were final 12 months. Based mostly on what we’ve observed so considerably, no United enthusiast will be imagining they can now acquire the Premier League or Champions League.

They defeat Wolves acquiring been out-footballed for 90 minutes and the referee failing to location an assault by their new goalkeeper. 

The gamers must have got back to the dressing place and believed ‘how did we earn that one particular?’ Then they bought overwhelmed by Spurs.

Erik ten Hag has used revenue. I am guaranteed he’d have preferred to have spent a whole lot additional but the ongoing saga more than the new possession nevertheless has not been sorted out so that is hindered them there.

Manchester United were well below par as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham

Manchester United were being properly down below par as they slumped to a 2- defeat to Tottenham

Erik ten Hag has spent large sums of money once again but United don't seem to move forward

Erik ten Hag has spent huge sums of cash after all over again but United do not appear to shift forward

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£47million went on Andre Onana. The obsession now is to have a keeper who’s pretty very good with the ball at his ft. He appears to be like to be that, but it truly is in no way been harder to be a keeper than it is in present day activity and I expect him to make faults.

Choice-making for goalkeepers utilised to be very simple: do I arrive for a cross, do I punch the cross, do I come out for a via ball on the edge of my box? 

Now they’re currently being asked to make these conclusions and also decide on the suitable go to just one of their group-mates, a good deal of the time inside of their have box. So the scope for mistake is now monumental.

And I even now think the vast the vast majority of centre backs – 90 per cent moreover – are hardly ever comfy getting the ball inside of their possess 18-garden box. 

They then have to decide on a pass to a person of their team-mates when they have got an fast push currently being set on them by the opposition. 

You can find incredibly handful of Virgil van Dijks around who are pleased to get the ball less than that pressure and who have the vary of passing that’s necessary.

Nevertheless, Onana is definitely better than David de Gea with the ball. But will he win them as quite a few details as De Gea did? 

The Spaniard on a regular basis produced unorthodox stops with his legs and toes. We will have to hold out and see if Onana can continue to keep the ball out of the internet like he did, but I question it.

New goalkeeper Andre Onana is comfortable on the ball - but that approach comes with risks

New goalkeeper Andre Onana is comfy on the ball – but that strategy arrives with risks

Onana was hugely fortunate not to concede a late penalty in United's opening win over Wolves

Onana was hugely fortuitous not to concede a late penalty in United’s opening gain more than Wolves

I am mystified by the decision to make Bruno Fernandes captain. 

I noticed him at Anfield past calendar year and he thoroughly gave up at the residence of their major rivals when it turned distinct United would get nothing from the recreation. 

He’s a talented boy, but there are significant concerns marks that come with him. He displays disrespect to his group-mates on a normal basis by shrugging his shoulders and pulling faces, holding his palms outwards to the sky when they fall short to decide him out with a pass. He is just not captain materials.

Very last calendar year I was criticised for declaring that Casemiro is a regular Eddie in midfield, but I stick by that. 

He’s a calendar year more mature and a yr wiser in conditions of English soccer so let us see if he’s superior this period. He will be the anchor in midfield but beyond that Ten Hag has a technically gifted team of midfield gamers – Fernandes, Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen, who all pretty good in possession. 

My worry is that out of possession in opposition to the better groups, that 4 will come across existence difficult.

It's mystifying that Bruno Fernandes has been given the captain's armband at United

It’s mystifying that Bruno Fernandes has been specified the captain’s armband at United

'Steady Eddie' Casemiro has looked woefully off the pace in United's two opening games

‘Steady Eddie’ Casemiro has appeared woefully off the tempo in United’s two opening games

Can they enjoy Mount, Fernandes and Eriksen in the exact same workforce with Casemiro as the keeping participant? Ten Hag has to come up with a mix that works.

On the wings, you glance at Jadon Sancho, Antony and Alejandro Garnacho. I don’t consider any of them are great enough to be United players long-time period and just take the club the place they want to go as a huge of globe soccer. They are standard.

In terms of recruitment, 10 Hag been heavily reliant on gamers he is familiar with.

Last year he signed Antony and Lisandro Martinez and now he is signed Onana. They all performed for him at Ajax, and have now obtained to transform up for him. 

It can be a quantum leap taking part in for Ajax in the Eredivisie then coming to the most important club in England and actively playing a cup ultimate each and every weekend – and that’s what he’s questioned these fellas to do. 

I am not certain if any of them are up to the conventional needed to make Manchester United the most effective group in this state once again.

Jadon Sancho often looks ordinary and isn't good enough to be a player at a club like United

Jadon Sancho usually looks regular and is just not great enough to be a participant at a club like United

Antony is a favourite of Ten Hag but has also often failed to make a great deal of impact

Antony is a favorite of 10 Hag but has also often unsuccessful to make a excellent deal of influence

To incorporate to his complications, Ten Hag now has a different headache with a person of the very first names on the group-sheet, Luke Shaw, out for at least a several weeks with a muscle personal injury- which is often a danger early in the period.

As I say, we’re only two online games in but ideal now United really don’t look any distinct to past yr: inconsistent. 10 Hag will be hoping Marcus Rashford has an additional 30-target year and there will be a hell of a lot of strain on Rasmus Hojlund to show he is United’s response to Erling Haaland, when he’s healthy to play.

He is arriving without the need of an extremely spectacular goalscoring report, acquiring performed just one year in a huge league, Serie A, and scoring 10 objectives in his 34 game titles for Atalanta.

They invested £72m on him and that appears to be the heading amount simply just for probable these days. That’s all they’re receiving with him. It is a hell of a gamble.

A youthful gentleman, with a terrific value tag but not a great goalscoring document, coming to arguably the greatest football club in the globe. 

Leading goalscorers wallpaper about the cracks if you happen to be not a incredibly great group as they get online games one-handedly. So United will be praying they’ve obtained the authentic offer with him.

There will be pressure on £72million striker Rasmus Hojlund to hit the ground running

There will be stress on £72million striker Rasmus Hojlund to strike the ground running

Top rated REFEREES JUST Don’t Understand THE GAME 

Just as I see not a great deal has transformed at Manchester United, it is the very same with Premier League referees. They just you should not recognize the game and two game titles in we have presently seen some dreadful conclusions.

Alexis Mac Allister’s sending-off from Bournemouth was never ever a crimson card. Equally yellow cards for Takehiro Tomiyasu at Crystal Palace had been absurd.

Just before that, United keeper Andre Onana will come out and smashes into an opponent and they have taken 3 or four minutes to make your mind up it really is not a penalty. If that obstacle happens on the midway line it is a red card!

We’ve obtained a new head of refereeing in Howard Webb but we have continue to received the exact same weak referees in cost of our most significant online games. 

They know the rule reserve from the quite first line to the very final, but really don’t understand the change involving intent and an accidental coming alongside one another.

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has had his red card against Bournemouth overturned

Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister has had his pink card towards Bournemouth overturned 

He was shown a straight red for a mistimed but not reckless challenge on Ryan Christie

He was demonstrated a straight purple for a mistimed but not reckless challenge on Ryan Christie

I’m an advocate for VAR but all it is is performing is embarrassing these referees, exhibiting their absence of comprehension of certain scenarios. 

I might like to see ex-players associated in VAR. I am not suggesting that each 1 of them could do the task but the men in demand now are building way too a lot of errors on a frequent foundation.

Getting them out of the firing line for one weekend – as they have carried out with the officers who unsuccessful to punish Onana and despatched off Mac Allister – is just window dressing. It really is like expressing ‘go and stand on the naughty stage, you are not doing the job this weekend’. But they’ll be again the next 7 days building the very same blunders.

Superstar FODEN IS ONLY JUST COMING TO THE BOIL

Phil Foden is destined to come to be a celebrity.

Pep Guardiola has been mindful with him so far and there was a bit of an outcry when he wasn’t playing every 7 days. 

But at 23 he’s just coming to the boil and as long as he would not commence listening to the completely wrong people I see him starting to be a star player for Manchester City.

Phil Foden will become a superstar for Pep Guardiola's Man City - but it requires patience

Phil Foden will turn into a celebrity for Pep Guardiola’s Gentleman City – but it needs endurance

When everybody is match and you glance at the first names on the Metropolis staff-sheet, you see De Bruyne, Ederson and Haaland. If he turns up every single day wanting to learn some thing new, it will not likely be lengthy prior to Foden is joining that record and generating himself a person of their go-to adult men.

De Bruyne’s been the very best midfield player in this place for the very last five several years, so any group would skip him even though he’s hurt. Action up, youthful Phil.

It can be ALL KICKING OFF! 

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