A Statement of Intent.
Laying down the marker.
Setting the standard.
I wouldn't lie, I'm a lot more excited than I'm probably giving off. And with good reason too. This isn't the first time United has started the season on a winning note post SAF. Heck, even Ol' Moyesy started with a 1-4 victory against Swansea. We went 3 on the trot last season before coming unstuck when City visited. So why should I be somewhat optimistic about this opening day victory?
Well for one, while fans of a London club are undoubtedly singing the chorus of Kenny Roger's 'Lucille' to the man, Old Trafford has gotten itself a new hero. Hint: He's tall, left-footed and made his official debut against Real Madrid in the Super Cup. Oh...wait that could be any of our 3 new signings...further hint: He didn't cost £75m. That rules out the impressive Romelu Lukaku...Lindelof didn't play yesterday so....it has to be excellent Fans' Player Of The Year nominee, Nemanja Matic! God, I love the boy! Instant classic like Illmatic. If Herrera is an eraser, Matic is a vacuum cleaner. He made more passes, tackles and oles than any body else on the pitch while exuding class, maturity and intelligence the entire game. A complete midfield performance. It says a lot when the Man Of The Match award is given to a defensive midfielder rather than a club record signing striker who just scored 2 well-taken goals in a powerful debut.
Picture of Matic doing his thing above courtesy Football FanCast
I'll be he first to admit that his performance seems so novel for the simple reason we haven't seen anything like it at the Stretford End since Keano. When you are hungry, anything edible tastes good. Isn't this the same Chelsea Matic of the last 3 years barely given a mention, firmly (and to be fair, understandably) in the shadow of the illuminating Hazard and dangerous Costa? Even the unassuming new-boy and eventual PoTY, N'golo Kante, had a higher profile than him in the squad. I've watched Matic several times for his former club but I don't remember him looking this good...is this just me? Does this mean Chelsea has a much better squad than we have or is he just a better fit for United (admittedly only on the strength of 2 games)? One's meat and another's poison and all that?...Why did Roman sanction the sale of this man? Seemed Conte wasn't too pleased with it, was he? Is there anything else apart from the American Elections that Putin is allegedly tampering with? The transaction is as puzzling as David Silva's new hairstyle...
But...
Whatever, man.
Again, Thank you, Roman.
Moving on, the team was menacing from the 1st minute and there was a bit more urgency and zip in the game play compared to previous performances. There was raw pace, power and not little technical ability on show all through. Rashford, if you can pardon his poor finishing, ran old Zabaleta ragged for the better part of the game only for the equally pacy and tricky Martial to apply the coup de grace in an as effective-as-you-can-remember cameo. Man-o-man, I still believe that Martial is a more talented footballer than Rashford but what gives Marcus the advantage is his 100% dedication and effort while on the field and most times in team sport, that's fundamentally all you need. You can never accuse him of not trying. See that backtrack tackle he made on the aforementioned Zaba when he may have been granted some respite if he just kinda ignored it? Truth be told, Anthony wouldn't, or rather, doesn't put in that much effort.
Romelu Lukaku. A Brute. Big, fast and a fair-to-fine finisher. Also current vice-captain of my Premier League Fantasy Team. (I'm not exactly trying to give you million dollars worth of game for $9.99 but I'm sure you can take the hint...). The hulking Belgian has brought a new dimension to the United attack with his direct play and physicality which would always be a handful to opposing defenders. His goals were well-executed and served as a relaxant to the OT faithful. The less I say about his footwork though, the better. Basically, it's not likely there's a Strictly Come Dancing career after football.
Monsieur Pogba also scored a fine fourth after ensuring I had a lot to grieve about in spite of the generally impressive performance. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, never before has a player been cursed with the ability to complicate the simple things. The boy WILL go very far if he can cut that nasty habit out of his game but it's entirely up to him.
The defence was more than decent, the midfield purred and the attack was biting (Mkhi was another one with a brilliant display. 2 assists and always carried an air of danger. Keep it up!). On the balance of performance on the opening day fixtures, Manchester United has looked the most impressive team. Like the current NBA Champions, the coterie of players at the manager's disposal guarantees that there's a myriad of ways the team can hurt opponents. The team can go fast and zippy, play route-one big man sky-ball and even deliver a hybrid of both.
Even pending the Ivan Perisic (Did I hear an "Amen!"?), the team looks well equipped to successfully navigate the EPL waters. There are no absolutes of course but barring the absence of crucial injuries (like Chelsea enjoyed last season and Leicester the season before) and Mourinho keeping a head as good as Giroud's, there is maybe an...absolut. City started just as impressively last season and lost its way mid-way but this is THE Mystical Mourinho Second Season. We all know how these usually end up.
Next fixture is Swansea away on Saturday. Key-man, set-piece specialist and Old Trafford draw-enforcer, Gylfi Sigurdsson has won his right to properly explain to Wayne Rooney in the Everton dressing room why he converted that free kick consequent to the latter's late foul at Manchester last season. One less headache. A good performance and result will further 'lift the spirits' in more ways than one. Let's keep the gravy train rolling...
Signing Out,
B.L...
In Other News:
*El Clasico - The Prequel. Real Madrid and Zidane have created a problem for world football - It's going to be very hard to beat this team. The talent at their disposal is stacked and growing. More fascinatingly, the team doesn't ever park the bus. They just beat you with (much) superior fire-power. Without giving any significant attention (Oh, how he would hate that!) to man-child and prima donna Cristiano Ronaldo's antics, Madrid were as brilliant as Barcelona were Deulofeuestically poor. On paper, the addition of Paulinho does not significantly reduce the increasing gap between both teams. He may be 29 years old but he's no Matic. I kid, but except Valverde constructively varies the playing pattern, the Neymar exit is going to create a crater no £200m can ordinarily fix. I expect Madrid to finish the job on Wednesday. Back to Back to Back?
*Twat of the Week: In a performance that Hobbes' 'Leviathan' would describe as "...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short", the winner can be none other than the ridiculous Jonjo Shelvey, team captain of newly promoted Newcastle United. I can't even ask what he was thinking at this point. If the Mike Ashley-enforced lack of funds does not chase Rafa Benitez away, this man and his mental like in the team, will.
*Did anybody have a better week than the Lukaku brothers? Younger brother, Jordan had perhaps the more difficult task of dislodging perennial favourites and Italian colossus, Juventus from the Italian Super Cup and he did what very few have been able to achieve in that region: succeed. He provided the assist for the appropriately-named Murgia to steal the win at the last minute. 3-2, it ended. Lukaku Bros. 2 Pogba Bros. 1...
* I never had time to give Manchester United legend* and record goal-scorer, Wayne Rooney a proper send-off (or forth). The good, bad and ugly memories will never be forgotten. He is going to be on the Old Trafford walls for a mighty long time. I just wish his exit wasn't as forced and necessary as it became. He's still only 31. The simply truth is that what he and his agents were able to so ignominiously but smartly eke out of the (desperate) club as his wages and contract were clearly no longer commensurate with his real-time abilities. That's the part most fans can't tolerate. Don't let your mouth write a cheque that your bum can't cash. On his return debut for his boyhood club Everton over the weekend, he actually moved like a striker and scored the solitary winning goal with a fine header. Wowsers! A 7-1 defeat for his team on his return to Old Trafford with him scoring a last minute penalty to a standing ovation would be an adequate thank you. All the best, Wazza...
* Also bidding bye-bye is the greatest sprinter ever, the incomparable Usain 'Lightening' Bolt. Jamaica's 2nd best export after Bob Marley didn't also leave in a manner many will consider appropriate. He did what he hadn't done in a major competition in the last decade - he lost. A bronze medal in the 100m and DNF in the 4 x 100m. Still, there's absolutely no blot on this man's legacy. As charming as they come, his records don't speak They scream. He has also assured us that he's not doing an Ali or Wizards' Jordan. Good enough for me...
*Bye!
Moving on, the team was menacing from the 1st minute and there was a bit more urgency and zip in the game play compared to previous performances. There was raw pace, power and not little technical ability on show all through. Rashford, if you can pardon his poor finishing, ran old Zabaleta ragged for the better part of the game only for the equally pacy and tricky Martial to apply the coup de grace in an as effective-as-you-can-remember cameo. Man-o-man, I still believe that Martial is a more talented footballer than Rashford but what gives Marcus the advantage is his 100% dedication and effort while on the field and most times in team sport, that's fundamentally all you need. You can never accuse him of not trying. See that backtrack tackle he made on the aforementioned Zaba when he may have been granted some respite if he just kinda ignored it? Truth be told, Anthony wouldn't, or rather, doesn't put in that much effort.
Romelu Lukaku. A Brute. Big, fast and a fair-to-fine finisher. Also current vice-captain of my Premier League Fantasy Team. (I'm not exactly trying to give you million dollars worth of game for $9.99 but I'm sure you can take the hint...). The hulking Belgian has brought a new dimension to the United attack with his direct play and physicality which would always be a handful to opposing defenders. His goals were well-executed and served as a relaxant to the OT faithful. The less I say about his footwork though, the better. Basically, it's not likely there's a Strictly Come Dancing career after football.
Monsieur Pogba also scored a fine fourth after ensuring I had a lot to grieve about in spite of the generally impressive performance. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, never before has a player been cursed with the ability to complicate the simple things. The boy WILL go very far if he can cut that nasty habit out of his game but it's entirely up to him.
The defence was more than decent, the midfield purred and the attack was biting (Mkhi was another one with a brilliant display. 2 assists and always carried an air of danger. Keep it up!). On the balance of performance on the opening day fixtures, Manchester United has looked the most impressive team. Like the current NBA Champions, the coterie of players at the manager's disposal guarantees that there's a myriad of ways the team can hurt opponents. The team can go fast and zippy, play route-one big man sky-ball and even deliver a hybrid of both.
Even pending the Ivan Perisic (Did I hear an "Amen!"?), the team looks well equipped to successfully navigate the EPL waters. There are no absolutes of course but barring the absence of crucial injuries (like Chelsea enjoyed last season and Leicester the season before) and Mourinho keeping a head as good as Giroud's, there is maybe an...absolut. City started just as impressively last season and lost its way mid-way but this is THE Mystical Mourinho Second Season. We all know how these usually end up.
Next fixture is Swansea away on Saturday. Key-man, set-piece specialist and Old Trafford draw-enforcer, Gylfi Sigurdsson has won his right to properly explain to Wayne Rooney in the Everton dressing room why he converted that free kick consequent to the latter's late foul at Manchester last season. One less headache. A good performance and result will further 'lift the spirits' in more ways than one. Let's keep the gravy train rolling...
Signing Out,
B.L...
In Other News:
*El Clasico - The Prequel. Real Madrid and Zidane have created a problem for world football - It's going to be very hard to beat this team. The talent at their disposal is stacked and growing. More fascinatingly, the team doesn't ever park the bus. They just beat you with (much) superior fire-power. Without giving any significant attention (Oh, how he would hate that!) to man-child and prima donna Cristiano Ronaldo's antics, Madrid were as brilliant as Barcelona were Deulofeuestically poor. On paper, the addition of Paulinho does not significantly reduce the increasing gap between both teams. He may be 29 years old but he's no Matic. I kid, but except Valverde constructively varies the playing pattern, the Neymar exit is going to create a crater no £200m can ordinarily fix. I expect Madrid to finish the job on Wednesday. Back to Back to Back?
*Twat of the Week: In a performance that Hobbes' 'Leviathan' would describe as "...solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short", the winner can be none other than the ridiculous Jonjo Shelvey, team captain of newly promoted Newcastle United. I can't even ask what he was thinking at this point. If the Mike Ashley-enforced lack of funds does not chase Rafa Benitez away, this man and his mental like in the team, will.
*Did anybody have a better week than the Lukaku brothers? Younger brother, Jordan had perhaps the more difficult task of dislodging perennial favourites and Italian colossus, Juventus from the Italian Super Cup and he did what very few have been able to achieve in that region: succeed. He provided the assist for the appropriately-named Murgia to steal the win at the last minute. 3-2, it ended. Lukaku Bros. 2 Pogba Bros. 1...
* I never had time to give Manchester United legend* and record goal-scorer, Wayne Rooney a proper send-off (or forth). The good, bad and ugly memories will never be forgotten. He is going to be on the Old Trafford walls for a mighty long time. I just wish his exit wasn't as forced and necessary as it became. He's still only 31. The simply truth is that what he and his agents were able to so ignominiously but smartly eke out of the (desperate) club as his wages and contract were clearly no longer commensurate with his real-time abilities. That's the part most fans can't tolerate. Don't let your mouth write a cheque that your bum can't cash. On his return debut for his boyhood club Everton over the weekend, he actually moved like a striker and scored the solitary winning goal with a fine header. Wowsers! A 7-1 defeat for his team on his return to Old Trafford with him scoring a last minute penalty to a standing ovation would be an adequate thank you. All the best, Wazza...
* Also bidding bye-bye is the greatest sprinter ever, the incomparable Usain 'Lightening' Bolt. Jamaica's 2nd best export after Bob Marley didn't also leave in a manner many will consider appropriate. He did what he hadn't done in a major competition in the last decade - he lost. A bronze medal in the 100m and DNF in the 4 x 100m. Still, there's absolutely no blot on this man's legacy. As charming as they come, his records don't speak They scream. He has also assured us that he's not doing an Ali or Wizards' Jordan. Good enough for me...
*Bye!
