Harshal Patel 
As our regular Mourinho impersonator Rodney McCain is off enjoying a well-deserved Thanksgiving holiday, I’m stepping into the breach for this week’s clash against Brighton at Old Trafford. United’s free-flowing form from earlier in the season looked to have returned with the win over Newcastle last weekend, but the midweek defeat at Basel has once … Read more
Manchester United fell to a late goal against Basel, after dominating the first half of the game. The result means that United now need a point in the game at home against CSKA Moscow to ensure their qualification as group winners. Here are the major talking points from last night’s game: Profligacy costs United After … Read more
Manchester United needed a response after the limp defeat to Chelsea last time out, and delivered with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Newcastle United at Old Trafford. Dwight Gayle gave the Magpies a shock early lead, but goals from Anthony Martial, Chris Smalling, the returning Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku ensured the Red Devils kept … Read more
Lineups: Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Valencia, Lindelof, Smalling, Young; Pogba, Matic;Rashford, Mata, Martial; Lukaku Newcastle United (4-4-2): Elliot; Yedlin, Lejeune, Clark, Manquillo; Murphy, Shelvey, Hayden, Ritchie; Gayle, Joselu Jose Mourinho welcomed Paul Pogba back to the side after two months out, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the bench. This meant that Ander Herrera dropped out, … Read more
The football media loves nothing more than a comparison. Young and up-coming players are routinely described as the “next so-and-so” without a hint of responsibility or care. It’s almost as if the ability to judge a player’s ability or potential is impossible without a frame of reference, and an impossible one at that. Witness the … Read more
Name: Harshal Patel Year of Birth: 1993 Home town & country: Kolkata, India How long have you supported United, and how did you first get interested? United have been the only club I’ve ever supported, apart from a brief flirtation with Real Madrid (more on that below!). I have a very vague memory of an … Read more
So it’s that time of the year again. No, I’m not talking about Halloween or Christmas; those are rather more joyous occasions. It’s the time of the dreaded international break; two weeks when club football comes to a shuddering halt, leaving football fans struggling like a smoker who’s been told he just had his last … Read more
First of all, let’s establish perhaps one of the most astonishing stats of this season so far: Ashley Young has started United’s last seven games in all competitions. Not surprising enough? Well, how about this: he’s done so primarily at left-back or left wing-back. Still not shocked? Here’s one for size: Ashley Young has been … Read more
Lineups: Chelsea (3-5-1-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Fabregas, Kante, Bakayoko, Alonso; Hazard; Morata Manchester United (3-4-1-2): De Gea; Bailly, Smalling, Jones; Valencia, Herrera, Matic, Young; Mkhitaryan; Lukaku, Rashford The biggest surprise of the evening was that David Luiz was dropped from the squad entirely by Antonio Conte, amid rumours of dressing-room unrest. Andreas Christensen … Read more
Jose Mourinho’s dismal away record against top-six sides continued, as Manchester United slumped to a 1-0 defeat away at Chelsea. United played the same team and system that beat Spurs at Old Trafford a week earlier, but were barely a threat, and Alvaro Morata scored a superb header in the second half to take Chelsea … Read more