Manchester United’s Opening Defeat Throws Up More Questions Than Answers

Points nan full point?

A awesome entreaty of shot is nan myriad pub and parlour opinions immoderate crippled conjures. In nan aftermath of Manchester United’s 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on Sunday, societal media lit-up pinch differing takes from those of a United persuasion. The lawsuit for optimism featured United’s 22 shots to Arsenal’s 8 and nan beginnings of what whitethorn flower into an on-field bromance betwixt Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha. The lawsuit for pessimism: a situation astatine No 1, pinch Altay Bayindir’s timidness starring to Riccardo Calafiori’s victor and André Onana’s ongoing flakiness. Then location is nan bottommost line: United were defeated. As midfielder Casemiro said afterwards: “I’m not going to opportunity that losing is OK; we person to win. Manchester United ever has to win. I deliberation we person shown bully moments, and we person played overmuch better, but we person to look for nan victory.”

Everything but nan goal

Within a fewer seconds of nan crippled connected Sunday, Mbeumo charged down nan correct helping and past picked retired Cunha aft proceeding nan yells of his chap No 10. Here, then, was a glimpse of really nan caller boys whitethorn gel beyond nan weekend, which would person been heartening to spot for each United fans. Mbeumo’s skill-set features a slayer touch, a cut-throat moving ability, a calibrated walk radar and an oculus for a shot. Cunha has nan aforesaid abilities arsenic good arsenic an expertise to purr past opponents, arsenic he did successful 1 game-breaking tally during nan first half. And operating arsenic a No 9, nan Brazilian besides showed he tin beryllium a differing action successful that position to Benjamin Sesko. Yet neither Mbeumo aliases Cunha scored, spurning a slew of chances. This has to beryllium fixed.

Sesko needs accelerated start

Sesko arrived astatine Old Trafford connected a £73.7m summons of being a tall, awkward, skilful, accelerated No 9 and, successful a 25-minute debut connected Sunday aft coming connected arsenic a substitute, nan Slovenian offered glimpses of those traits. But, arsenic is nan lawsuit pinch Mbeumo and Cunha, nan power is connected nan 22-year-old to tear up defences and instrumentality nan shot successful nan net. United managed a paltry 44 Premier League goals past play and if Ruben Amorim cannot get much retired of his newly-established onslaught past nan caput coach will beryllium nan latest to person his profession sucked into an Old Trafford-shaped achromatic hole. Sesko needs to commencement astatine Fulham connected Sunday and beryllium allowed to show he has what it takes to lead nan statement for Amorim’s side.

Benjamin Sesko needs to deed nan crushed running. Photograph: Robbie Jay Barratt/AMA/Getty Images

Managing expectations

All No 1s are a fewer bad games distant from unit but successful nan fevered hothouse of United, scrutiny is simply a 24-7 occupation. Amorim has spent £200m-plus connected Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko, is successful nan marketplace for a caller No 6 and goalkeeper, and has had since early November to instrumentality his ideas. Oh, and location is nary European football, meaning much clip connected nan training ground. What, then, is simply a reasonable anticipation from nan Amorim’s United this season? No 1 should expect them to equine a top-four challenge, but a return to continental title seems a reasonable anticipation via an upturn successful capacity , meaning discernible patterns of charismatic and controlled front-foot play. The United results chart for past play publication 11 wins and 18 defeats for 42 points, and a extremity quality of -10 and a 15th-place finish. This has to beryllium reversed.

Six appeal

Amorim continuing to prime Casemiro up of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo is simply a reddish emblem regarding nan weakness of United’s midfield department. The player, himself, is content. “I americium very happy here,” he told manutd.com. “My family is happy here. I bask each time astatine Carrington [the training base] and astatine Old Trafford. If group talk from nan outside, that’s fine, it doesn’t liking me. I conscionable want to attraction connected winning.” To person a man pinch 5 Champions Leagues connected nan CV is simply a boon for Amorim arsenic he bids to propulsion disconnected what proved a Sisyphean task for David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erik 10 Hag: make United awesome again. And if a No 6 tin beryllium recruited earlier nan adjacent of nan transportation window, past Casemiro tin beryllium eased backmost to nan chair wherever his acquisition and professionalism tin proceed to power teammates.