Tim Adams 
One of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most famous analogies took the form of a tale about geese. Whenever they flew above Carrington he pointed to the sky, stopped training, and said: “These geese fly 5000 miles from Canada to France. They fly in V-formation but the second ones don’t fly. They’re the subs for the first … Read more
David De Gea (6) Having lost his Premier League clean sheet record at Old Trafford last week, De Gea was in no mood to concede another. A quieter afternoon but will have to be on his game on Tuesday against Watford. Antonio Valencia (5) Poor decision making throughout the match in one of his worst … Read more
In the last seven months, Marcos Rojo must have wondered when he would eventually return to the Manchester United squad. Since rupturing his cruciate ligaments in April the Argentine international wouldn’t have believed he would hit the ground running in his first start this season, but even though Basel triumphed it was evident to see … Read more
The great basketball coach John Wooden once said that ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there. So if Manchester United are to challenge their runaway rivals City then personality injected into the foundations of the squad will be key. It’s why the return of Paul Pogba against … Read more
We all know Manchester United’s recent record at Stamford Bridge is catastrophically bad. In the last 15 years, the Red Devils have won once at the ground in the league, against nine men, while the other triumph in all competitions came in the 2011 UEFA Champions League quarter-final. With Jose Mourinho back at his old … Read more
At the age of 21, Anthony Martial is a better player than Thierry Henry. These are not the words of any odd football commentator or pundit but from the mouth of the Arsenal legend. It’s a bold claim to make, but the potential that the young Frenchman possesses is best seen by the man who … Read more
Manchester United had faced a moderately easy start to the season, facing six out of the bottom seven sides in their opening eight league games. Liverpool apart, the fixture list had provided a welcoming return to Premier League action for the Red Devils. Now the real test began against Tottenham Hotspur. Even without Harry Kane, … Read more
Last week picking Manchester United’s man of the match in their 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield became one of the most difficult decisions of 2017. Thank goodness last night’s choice was a lot easier, with two stunning goals, albeit different, from Jesse Lingard, vital in United’s 2-0 win against Swansea. Criticism of Lingard has become common … Read more
Oh boy. This is going to be difficult. Being blunt, no Manchester United player deserves this reward. Their performance in the 2-1 loss to newly promoted Huddersfield, the first in 65 years, was so lacklustre that even Jose Mourinho could not defend the team. There are times in life as a football coach, player, and … Read more
A few years ago many Manchester United fans would have been correct in describing their midfield as brittle when the going got tough away in Europe. Perhaps this was best demonstrated the last time United travelled to the Estádio da Luz when the Red Devils failed to pick up the three points, eventually crashing out … Read more