Manchester United have beaten West Ham 3-1 at Old Trafford to reach the FA Cup quarter-finals. Here is a look at five things we learned from the game…
Top stars required to jolt team after flat performance
Erik ten Hag rotated the team, sensibly using his squad amid a relentless fixture list and upcoming game at Liverpool this weekend. But he won’t have been thrilled with what he saw.
The first half was flat, with pundit Roy Keane insisting at half-time the mood was too celebratory, with awards being handed out shortly before kick-off.
Erik ten Hag had seen enough by half-time and called on Casemiro, substituting Scott McTominay. This was a missed opportunity for McTominay, in just his third start of 2023 and first since January.
He completed only 18 passes in 45 minutes and was booked, with Casemiro brought on to partner Marcel Sabitzer.
Before the hour mark, Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford were also brought on. Erik ten Hag had hoped not to need them, but a flat performance meant his top stars were all needed.
Refereeing error goes against United
Last season Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough after one of the most blatant handball decisions you will ever see, went unpunished for their goal.
This time around an error contributed to West Ham taking the lead. The ball appeared to clearly go out of play on the flank, and as United’s players appealed for it, the visitors took advantage.
Said Benrahma curled the ball into the corner, but the goal should not have counted. VAR checked it but did not overrule the decision. Replays showed this was the wrong call, with United bearing the brunt.
It wasn’t United’s night for decisions, with a 72nd minute header from Casemiro ruled out for offside. United had to get this won the hard way.
Own goal needed to help United’s attack
While opportunities were few and far between, the ones United did get were wasted, with 14 shots in the first 70 minutes.
Thankfully West Ham did United a favour, with Naif Aguerd heading a Bruno Fernandes corner into his own net.
Aguerd was under pressure from Wout Weghorst, who went yet another game without scoring himself. A clinical striker would make a big difference for United.
While he was not scoring, Weghorst played a key role. He had a hand in all three of United’s goals. If only he could add a few of his own, he would be perfect.
Garnacho wears Hammers down
Alejandro Garnacho started the game and grew more menacing as the match dragged on. His quick acceleration caused several problems for West Ham down the left hand side.
West Ham had to resort to fouling him on a couple of occasions, while Garnacho also had a penalty appeal which was not given.
Garnacho’s fitness levels are strong, and as West Ham weakened, he grew into he game more and more. The teenager’s game still requires some refinement, but he kept going, and got his reward at the end.
The Argentine scored the winner in the 90th minute, keeping his composure after the ball fell to him in the box, curling it coolly into the bottom corner. It wasn’t an easy strike, he just made it look that way.
Fred wrapped the game up in injury time after great work from Wout Weghorst to set it up.
Trophy hopes go on
With one trophy already wrapped up, Manchester United’s pursuit of more silverware continues. The team are now into the FA Cup quarter-finals, and the draw is really opening up.
This is also momentum for the team to take into the weekend game against Liverpool in the Premier League.
There is a chance United win more trophies to add to the Carabao Cup. The fixture congestion and distant dreams of a quadruple continue. We would settle for a double of course, of any combination.
This late show was just another magic moment in a magic first season for Erik ten Hag, with a home draw in the quarter-finals against Fulham awaiting.
Glazers’ demands set to delay Manchester United takeover
LONDON: Plans for a takeover of Manchester United could be delayed until May, with the current US-based owners the Glazer family said to be holding out for a better offer, according to British media reports.
The Daily Mail reported this week that the Glazers wanted a bid of at least £6 billion ($7.2 billion) after initial offers from Qatari’s Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe were lodged at a maximum of £4.5 billion.
The Mail said this might mean a sale of the club, which won its first trophy in six years by collecting the League Cup on Sunday, would not take place until May at the earliest.
In another report, the Guardian said there was indecision among the six Glazer siblings because each had their own view of any takeover but that the sale remained “under serious consideration by the family as a whole”.
Sheikh Jassim, 41, educated at Britain’s elite Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, claims to be a long-time United fan.
He was the first to submit a bid by the ‘soft deadline’ of February 17 and has promised a “completely debt free” takeover of United.
Boyhood United fan Ratcliffe, who was born in the Manchester area, is one of Britain’s wealthiest individuals, with an estimated net worth of £12.5 billion ($15 billion) following the success of INEOS, his global chemical company.
He is keen to expand a sporting portfolio that already includes French football club Nice and Swiss team FC Lausanne-Sport, as well as the cycling team Ineos Grenadiers, formerly Team Sky.
A price tag of around $6 billion would smash the record fee for a football club set when a consortium led by LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital purchased Chelsea last year.
Russ Mould, investment director at Manchester-headquartered stockbrokers AJ Bell, told AFP on Wednesday: “As bidders continue to circle one of the globe’s most valuable sports franchises, it seems no party has reached the £6 billion valuation put on the business by Manchester United’s current owners.”
United, one of the most successful clubs in English football history, have struggled to keep pace with bitter rivals Manchester City since the retirement of legendary manager Alex Ferguson in 2013.
But under disciplinarian Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, United appear to be on the rise and ended their long wait for silverware by beating Newcastle 2-0 in the League Cup final at Wembley.
They are also third in the Premier League, they beat Barcelona last week to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League and were facing West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday.
Mould said that with United’s prospects on the pitch looking rosier, the Glazers might think twice about ceding full control of the club.
“Speculation has been growing that should Erik ten Hag’s revolution in performance that has seen Manchester United go through an improved run of form and win their first trophy since 2017 continue, the family could be less willing to sell the club.”
If the Glazers do decide to hang on to all or part of the club, it would be deeply unpopular with United’s supporters, who have frequently demonstrated en masse against the American owners who they accuse of taking money out of the club over the years.
Source: unitedinfocus.com; thenews.com.pk
