Number 20 West Ham United

editorial

Good momentum and bad momentum

The matches are coming thick and fast right now and that seems to be suiting Ten Hag and his United side. There is a momentum building and a confidence growing. West Ham will be followed by the Europa League showdown with Real Sociedad, then two matches against Aston Villa before a visit to Craven Cottage to see how Andreas Pereira is getting on. Eckers talks about the importance of this run of matches in his column this week and it certainly will be an opportunity for United to go into the extended World Cup winter break breathing down the necks of the top four and positioned well for the boxing day league resumption.

Whether the Red Devils can go all the way without getting another striker in January is a big bone of contention. The club’s position seems to be that only if Ronaldo goes will money be found to strengthen, although this could be a bluff. As for whether Ronaldo does go, there doesn’t seem to be any change in the situation from the summer, with Jorge Mendes desperately looking for a new home for him and United just getting on with business as best they can while the story unfolds.

In the last two issues we’ve looked at some of the best strikers on the market for either a January or June deal, but what makes a great United striker? Those of us old enough to remember Garry Birtles will tell you that just being a proven prolific scorer in the top league doesn’t necessarily mean you can cut it at Old Trafford. There is a unique pressure when you put on that red shirt. In this week’s main feature article, Darragh Fox looks at some of the greatest strikers the club has known to look at which type would work best with this current team in a Ten Hag system.

The Ronaldo issue is also an ongoing one and tempers are getting heated over the Portuguese legend right now. Pundits are fighting, fans are fighting and writers and presenters are getting unprecedented reactions. Red Billy takes a look at this phenomenon in our second feature.

There was even a furore over a bit of showboating from Antony against Sheriff and in case you haven’t seen it, it’s there again in our Twitter Chatter section and also discussed in our hand selected videos.

Whether he’ll be doing his trademark spin against the Hammers remains to be seen. The important thing is that United get three points and keep this momentum going. And of course, it will be nice to see the look on old Moyesie’s face as well.

Latest united news

The top news stories about United this week, handpicked for you. Clicking on any headline will open the full story from The Peoples Person in a new window. See the dedicated transfers page for more transfer news.

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Glazers stoop to new levels of fan censorship

Ten Hag praises Garnacho after fantastic performance

antony's trademark spin causes meltdown

Erisken was unsung hero vs Sheriff

United must beat Sociedad by two to avoid European big guns

what qualities make the perfect united striker?

As United’s hunt for a striker intensifies, learning from the past can help avoid mistakes in the present

It takes a particular X-Factor to start up front for England’s biggest team. Cristiano Ronaldo had these qualities in abundance at one point; now his physical decline and difficult personality have made him an ex-factor in Ten Hag’s plans. Marcus Rashford can be electric when in full flight, but and doesn’t possess the requisite hold-up play or clinical finishing to thrive as a centre-forward. This leaves Anthony Martial, United’s current number nine, and the man evidently best suited to Ten Hag’s system. An inability to stay fit, however, is inhibiting the French forward, who has missed thirteen games already this season with three separate injuries. When he has played he’s made a goal contribution every 27 minutes. But it’s a rate of contribution that is ultimately moot if so much of the season is spent giving physios, rather than opposing centre-backs, cause for concern.

A new centre-forward, therefore, appears a priority. But high-quality strikers are a scarcity across Europe at the moment, and the money involved in securing one of the few options makes it a perilous decision. Just ask Liverpool fans how they feel about Darwin Nunez.

We thought it would be interesting to run a thought experiment based on which former United strikers would be the best option to slot into the current side. The blast from the past that would suit Erik Ten Hag’s demands the most can then help inform us as to which current player would fit the bill the best from the options available. Let’s take a trip down memory lane.

Robin van Persie

The Dutchman seems the most logical starting point, given the cultural and footballing overlap he shares with Ten Hag. Van Persie is currently the assistant coach to Arne Slot at Feyenoord, a manager who appears on a similar trajectory to Ten Hag. The fact that van Persie, who was always an intelligent player, is thriving in such an environment highlights his suitability to a Ten Hag dressing room.

Lionel Messi described van Persie as the ‘complete player’ and with good reason. The Dutch forward could operate centrally or out wide, possessed good link-up play, brilliant timing and positioning, excellent technical abilities, and a ferocity of finishing that was only matched by how clinical it was. In short, he was everything a United fan could have dreamt when he made the upgrade from the Emirates to Old Trafford. 29 goals and 15 assists in his debut season corroborate Messi’s assessment of ‘complete.’ It was only Sir Alex’s retirement that prevented van Persie from continuing this dominant level.

Verdict: An early front runner given the complete nature of van Persie’s game and the fact that he would be a philosophical ally in the changes Ten Hag is seeking to implement at United.

Wayne Rooney

Wayne Rooney shares little cultural or footballing overlap with Ten Hag, yet he’s a player the Dutch manager would cherish. England and United’s top scorer was a complete centre-forward, capable of leading the line (as he did in in the 09/10 season scoring 34 goals in 44 games) or as a second striker, and sometimes even on the wing to accommodate others. Gary Neville described Rooney as the ‘best centre-forward I ever saw at Manchester United’ and this is some praise given the strikers Neville shared the pitch with.

The selflessness, and intensity, that Rooney lived the game of football was unmatched. This intensity, coupled with a relentless aggression and confidence, seems exactly what Ten Hag is seeking to cultivate at Old Trafford. Speaking after the 6-3 demolition at City, Ten Hag explained the poor performance as ‘…quite simple, it’s a lack of belief.’ Frank Lampard has previously offered this about Rooney:

‘His aggression is one of his big strengths. He has no fear at all…he has this knack of being able to go out there and not be scared of anyone no matter who he is up against.’

Ten Hag would love to be able to lean on Rooney’s fearlessness amidst a squad lacking it.

Rooney’s preference to drop deep would also offer a compatibility with Rashford and Fernandes; direct players who both like to play close to the opposition goal. Yet, would this tendency suit players like Sancho and Eriksen in the same way? Players who both like to operate in the half-spaces between the other team’s midfield and defence. Perhaps not.

Verdict: Rooney’s aggression and intensity would be exactly what this United team, and dressing room, needs. Coupled with his versatility and productivity, Ten Hag would immediately make Rooney his most important player. Choosing him over other historical forwards, however, may hinge on which players Ten Hag sees as his supporting cast. Will Rashford or Sancho be the starting left-winger next year? Will Bruno or Eriksen be the no.10? The answers to these choices may ultimately decide which forward we choose, as demonstrated by our next candidate…

Ruud van Nistelrooy

Sir Alex Ferguson was unequivocal in his assessment that van Nistelrooy was ‘without doubt the best finisher we have ever had at this club.’ Rio Ferdinand corroborates this, declaring the Dutchman to be the ‘most devastating finisher I have ever played with.’ The clinical nature of van Nistelrooy is, therefore, in a class of its own.

United sit in 8^th for xG this season. If we take the current number of goals scored, and extrapolate across the entire year, United would finish with 55 goals. A distinctly poor return. Ten Hag’s team are evidently not creating a wealth of chances. This would make the lethality of van Nistelrooy all the more important.

Van Persie – 58 goals in 105 United games = 0.55g/g
Rooney – 253 goals in 559 games = 0.45g/g.
Van Nistelrooy – 150 goals in only 219 games = 0.69g/g

When it comes to purely putting the ball in the net, there is only one choice.

Being a centre-forward is, however, much more than this skill. Van Nistelrooy lacks the complete nature of his legendary contemporaries, with Rooney in particular a far more varied player. Sancho and Eriksen would love playing with van Nistelrooy; Bruno and Rashford may not as much.

Verdict: The inability to be clinical has been a source of frustration for Ten Hag’s forwards this year. United have suffered draws which would’ve been wins with someone like van Nistelrooy up front. But does Ten Hag envision this scarcity of creativity remaining as he gets longer with his current team? He would surely expect United to improve in this regard over time, particularly as reinforcements are added elsewhere.

If this is the case, other centre-forward attributes may be elevated in priority accordingly. As such, the choice between van Nistelrooy and others may be adjusted accordingly as well.

Conclusion

I believe the choice around which former United great would offer the most to the current team comes down to which players Ten Hag sees as the undisputed starters moving forward. And this viewpoint is encapsulated by the battle between Rashford and Sancho. If Ten Hag favours Rashford, Rooney is the obvious choice. If he favours Sancho, then it’s van Nistelrooy. Van Persie may, therefore, offer the best balance of the two, with a well-balanced skillset comparable to Rooney while retaining the deadly finishing of his Dutch compatriot.

Three strikers who could be available in the summer, that follow the skillsets laid out above are:

Victor Osimhen: A deadly finisher who ranks in the 96^th percentile for non-penalty xG, yet offers less off the ball and from a link-up perspective. Would thrive in a team centred around Sancho, but may be less compatible with Rashford.

Lautaro Martínez: A fellow Serie A striker who, while ranking in the 86^th percentile compared to Osimhen, ranks much higher in other areas. This confirms a player who offers as much with the ball as without, while retaining a very reasonable goal threat. Bruno and Rashford would thrive playing behind Martinez.

Harry Kane: One of the stand-out centre-forwards in the Premier League. Playing for a North London rival. 29 years of age. 1 year left on his deal in the summer. United have familiarity in a situation very reminiscent of van Persie’s controversial transfer from Arsenal. While Levy may prove much more difficult to negotiate with, Kane’s skillset and current form suggest a centre-forward who could be transformative for Erik Ten Hag next season. In much the way van Persie was.

Kane would therefore offer the most to Ten Hag next year. His availability, however, will be much more complicated in comparison to Osimhen and Martinez. The long-term vision for Ten Hag’s United team will, therefore, decide which style of striker he prioritises. Osimhen offers a direct lethality that contrasts nicely to the creativity of Eriksen and Sancho. Martinez offers a varied skillset that would provide a platform for Bruno and Rashford. Kane offers both, but negotiating with Levy will be like drawing blood from a stone.

Verdict: Lautaro Martínez offers the most complete, and available, option. Get him signed.

Darragh Fox

Meet the opposition: west ham

The Hammers are improving but still haven’t found last season’s sizzling form

Squad page - opponents' official site (opens in new tab)

Head-to-head record (OPENS IN NEW TAB)

match preview

All the latest information about the upcoming game.

Team News and Predicted XI

Erik ten Hag will want to continue his 7 match unbeaten run against the Hammers.

Yesterday’s convincing 3-0 win against Sheriff allowed the boss to rest some players for some or all of the game, including Diogo Dalot, Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho. Those absences suggest that each of these players will start against the Hammers, although in Sancho’s case, things are a little more complicated.

The England man’s form has taken a nose-dive of late and he was hauled off early against Chelsea after a particularly disappointing performance. It is therefore possible that he will not come back in and is being given a few games to try to regroup.

There are several options if that’s the case. The first is for Cristiano Ronaldo to continue at centre forward and for Marcus Rashford to revert to the left wing. The second option is to keep Alejandro Garnacho in the left wing slot after his impressive debut yesterday. Anthony Elanga represents another alternative.

Despite speaking highly of Ronaldo after the game, Ten Hag cannot have been 100% convinced that the 37 year old has returned to his best and so we think Rashford will be recalled to lead the line. Another issue about Ronaldo’s presence is that it seems to affect Bruno Fernandes, who is visibly less vocal and captain-like in his presence and tends to always try to find his compatriot with the ball rather than shoot or select a more obvious ball. Sancho therefore will perhaps be given another chance, with Garnacho ready to take over if the former Borussia Dortmund star does not deliver the goods in the first half.

With Raphael Varane out for the Reds until after the World Cup, either Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire will be selected to partner Martinez at centre back. Lindelof has not put a foot wrong in that regard so we expect him to continue. Tyrell Malacia did well yesterday but Luke Shaw’s fine form and greater experience should see him return.

Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are both playing superbly and will almost certainly form the holding midfield, with Antony and Bruno Fernandes also almost certain to start. Donny van de Beek has returned from injury and is another option. David de Gea in goal and Dalot at right back complete our predicted XI.

Tactical Analysis

David Moyes can sometimes opt for a defensively minded 5-4-1 / 3-4-2-1 formation, but he usually employs a rigid 4-2-3-1 system. He did try a 4-4-2 double pivot against Liverpool but it was not very fruitful so we think he will stick with his 4-2-3-1 here.

When defending, the formation often changes to become more 4-4-2 to 4-4-1-1 leaving an AM and the striker to counter.

Moyes also likes to use an inverted winger system with the full backs overlapping to create the extra man on the overload. United will therefore need to be careful to protect against the counter-attack, which has been a massive Achilles heel for them in recent seasons.

Match officials

Referee: Chris Kavanagh. Assistants: Lee Betts, Ian Hussin. Fourth official: Jarred Gillett. VAR: Paul Tierney. Assistant VAR: Steve Meredith.

Video: Manager's Press conference (now available - opens MANUTD.COM in new tab)

Report: MANAGER'S PRESS CONFERENCE (now available - opens THEPEOPLESPERSON.COM in new tab)

celebrity zealots and the football fan

Has it become dangerous to criticise individual players?

Running a Manchester United news site feels more like running a Manchester United punditry news site. Virtually every other story that breaks is what Paul Scholes, or Roy Keane, or Ferdinand, Hargreaves, Savage, Neville and co have said and how people have reacted to it.

It’s not just what you see on the TV, either. Sports betting sites are constantly trying to get their links included in news reports, and for the news sites, this tends to not be a good idea because Google and co don’t like it and it affects your search rankings. So what do the bookies do? They pay former stars to be interviewed and encourage them to express newsworthy opinions, which the media outlet then feels should be covered. And of course then we have to include the link to the betting site on which the interview was published. These sorts of articles fill the back pages of the papers as a result. Paul Parker says, Dimitar Berbatov says, Mikael Silvestre says … and so on.

Cynically, you can say that all of these former players are encouraged to be controversial and that therefore, they’ll just say anything to get a reaction. But while that might be true in some senses (not mentioning any moustachioed Scottish former Liverpool midfielder here, but if the cap fits), on the other hand, isn’t it refreshing that we live in an age where these guys are allowed to speak their minds? It’s certainly a relief to those of us that used to have to listen to the tedious drivel of punditry back in the 1970’s and 80’s, when only the squeakiest of clean players were allowed anywhere near the TV studio – your Trevor Brookings, with 11 GCSEs, a man paid to be non-controversial and balanced, a pundit who made James Boring Milner* seem interesting by comparison.

In many ways, the modern-day pundits are very brave because in a world where social media is king, it is very easy for them to be on the receiving end of horrific abuse from people who just don’t happen to agree with them. The issues tend to arise when a particular star is singled out for criticism. In the self-promoting age of social media, players cultivate their own fan following and these armies of millions can be loyal to the point of being unable to entertain any kind of criticism of their god.

Influencers and observers of the game on fan channels also fall foul of these celebrity zealots. Again, while it is probably true that some of these influencers may be deliberately controversial just to get clicks (not mentioning any Nottingham Forest fans masquerading as United fans, but if the cap fits), the majority are true match-going lifelong fans who have a passion for the club and the beautiful game and are doing their best in a very difficult market to earn a living sharing their passion with others. They, too, are the subject of vile abuse at times just for daring to express an opinion about a particular player.

Sam Peoples of United Peoples TV says even though it’s something he has become used to, it’s nonetheless a difficult area to navigate.

“Having had some form of online presence for years now with the website and now the YouTube channel, I’ve got thick skin,” Peoples said.

“It’s genuinely impossible to exist in a public online environment without it, so a lot of it just falls away but there’s no denying that you have to really think about what you say before you say it more than ever.

“That isn’t necessarily a terrible thing but player fandom, not just supporting a club, is part of modern football culture and even if I don’t understand it I do try my best to.”

Celebrity zealots support the player, not the team, and whilst many if not all fans are loyal to both, it is a new and mushrooming phenomenon to find those who put the former before the latter. For most of us, the team always comes first. For most of us, it is OK to criticise some of our players when we think they’re not performing, or don’t have the right attitude, or are too injury prone, or whatever. But this new breed of supporter’s loyalty is to the player and woe betide anyone who speaks ill of him.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, but the yang to the yin of the hero worship is the also-mushrooming practice of booing individual stars, as some sections of the Old Trafford crowd did on Thursday evening. This is a horrible practice and another unpleasant phenomenon that is growing in modern football. As these celebrity zealots create their gods, so they also create their demons. It is no longer about football, it is a kind of childish Kleinian dualism.

Have your opinion of Ronaldo, or Harry Maguire, or David de Gea. But when they are on that pitch playing for your team, support them and encourage them to do well. That is about supporting the team as a unit no matter what, and that is what being a football fan is all about.

Red Billy

*A spoof twitter account.

transfer rumours

What’s hot, what’s real and what’s not

In this section we look at some of the most active transfer stories of the week about United, both comings and goings. We give each story a fire rating (how hot the story is, out of five) and a star rating (how reliable the story is, out of five).

🔥🔥

Rated 1 out of 5

jonathan david (LOSC Lille)

It’s almost a mathematical equation linking the exciting youngster with a move to United. The Reds desperately need a striker, the player desperately wants to play for a big club and Lille are desperate for the money. The Mirror claims there’s a “come-and-get-me” plea and the 22 year old is in hot form. The outlet also claims he’s under consideration by United but ultimately this will depend on the transfer kitty for January and whether Ten Hag feels he is the kind of player he needs.

🔥🔥🔥

Rated 2 out of 5

Diogo Costa (FC Porto)

Latest reports from Portugal claim that United have “reserved” Costa and have asked to be notified if any other team makes an enquiry.

If putting yourself in the shop window was an Olympic Sport, Costa would surely have won the gold medal. He has now saved three penalties in Porto’s Champions League group – four if you include the one that was ordered to be retaken – and also got a brilliant assist. His heroics have helped Porto to qualify with a game to spare. Most leading outlets agree he is at r near the top of United’s shortlist and his buyout clause of €60 million could be negotiated.

Portugal’s number 1 and still only 23 years of age, Costa would be a worthy replacement should United decide to do without David de Gea, and the savings on the Spaniard’s weekly wages will help compensate for the transfer fee.

🔥🔥

Rated 2 out of 5

david de gea (to La Liga)

Reports claim that “Intermediaries” have been offering De Gea to a number of “leading” Spanish clubs as his United contract enters its last 8 months. He will be allowed to start talking to clubs when it is six months from expiry. Erik ten Hag said no decision has been made yet about his future, suggesting there is no offer on the table from United. According to The Athletic, De Gea has expressed his willingness to take a salary cut to stay at Old Trafford.

🔥🔥

Rated 4 out of 5

jeremie frimpong (Bayer leverkusen)

It’s not often in this section that the star rating of reliability is higher than the flame rating of how hot the story is, but frimpong is a good example. Very reliable sources claim United are very interested and florian Plettenburg even said “main priority is to transfer a right-back in the winter. Frimpong is one of the candidates as reported.’ Fabrizio Romano claims United have scouted him at least three times. Most fans would imagine a striker is a higher priority than a right back, but it is hard to doubt the pedigree of these reporters.

Photo of the week: restored

Getty Images

The devil's advocate

“United should continue to try to sign Frenkie de Jong”

The case for ...

Manchester United are in a pretty good place at the minute. Their form’s picked up under new manager Erik ten Hag who has overseen some of the best displays of football in recent times. The players’ performances have grown and dominating matches doesn’t seem to be as much of a distant reality as it was before. The Dutchman has been shrewd, calculating, and devastatingly good at his decision-making.

His signings have all paid off or shown signs of promise and reason for why they were brought in in the first place. It’s clear he’s got a nose for talent. Which made it all the more strange when the Frenkie De Jong transfer saga ended so anti-climatically. Whatever the cause for the failure, it’s clear if Ten Hag still wants the young midfielder then the club should support him.

The midfield is certainly massively upgraded this season in Christian Eriksen and Casemiro, but the quality quickly drops off beyond the starting XI. De Jong would also add certain attributes that are still missing in the current midfield. Eriksen might be the playmaker and Casemiro the destroyer but the Barcelona star is of a different profile, one that’s central to Ten Hag’s plans. He’s a ball carrier, a deep-lying playmaker, and superb in beating his man. Packaged in one player, it makes him unique and frees up the rest of the team to focus on their tasks.

Signing Frenkie might not be the priority with perhaps a striker more the focus, or a goalkeeper, but he certainly would elevate the team to a new level, and that’s worth signing him alone. Suddenly Bruno Fernandes could push higher up, the wingers can stop dropping deep to receive, and the striker can focus on beating his marker in his duels. The two players in midfield wouldn’t need to carry such a heavy load as well, with both equally tasked at being capable of doing it all. Instead, there’s an element of specialism, and that will be priceless.

Games are won and lost in midfield so it makes sense to have your best players there. If Eriksen or Casemiro face an injury, United are suddenly far worse off for it.

Given Ten Hag’s possession based style, it’s all the more reason to ensure such technical players are signed. We can also see he’s a man of conviction, so he wouldn’t have chased Frenkie all summer long for no reason. It was a message about how important he is in the way Ten Hag wants to play. If there were any equally skilled players who had a similar profile to Frenkie available, Ten Hag certainly would’ve signed them, but he’s quite a unique player.

Yes other priorities might need to be attended to first, but if Ten Hag eventually gets his man, everyone will see why it was an absolutely necessary and crucial signing.

Red Moon

The case against...

Part of the reason it’s easy for me to argue that United shouldn’t go back in for De Jong is that I never really understood why he was so important to Ten Hag in the first place. Of course, he has the ability to collect the ball from deep and spray it around the pitch, but Christian Eriksen is doing a pretty good job of that and with a bit of luck, Zidane Iqbal is not far away from being able to contribute in that department, too.

I’m not denying De Jong’s ability and would he improve the squad? Of course he would. But I don’t get the “build the team around him” idea. He is certainly a Ten Hag player in terms of playing style but what about in personality? He’s hardly the glowering, growling warrior that Lisandro, Antony and Malacia are. I watched Barcelona crumble out of the Champions League at the hands of Bayern on Wednesday and Frenkie was one of the chief crumblers, he didn’t take their most important game of the season by the scruff of the neck, he basically just floated about the midfield with his pretty boy hair flopping in the breeze, looking affronted and dejected.

It doesn’t help that the player has clearly nailed his colours to the mast in terms of where he wants to play. It was pretty humiliating as a United fan to spend the summer being rejected for Barcelona like we were some sad loser continually asking someone out, only for them to say “Please leave me alone, I’m very happily married.” But that rejection alone wouldn’t stop me from going back in for him. Does it endear me to him? No. But this is business. If we can acquire a world class asset, we should put aside our pride.

However, doing business with Barcelona is something United should seriously think about. They are flouting every FFP rule in the book – not to mention La Liga rules – and yet keep getting away with it. Their behaviour in trying to push the player out in the summer was utterly disgraceful (likewise with Memphis Depay and to some extent Aubameyang). They went ahead and bought or (re-)contracted Lewandowski, Raphinha, Marcos Alonso, Koundé, Kessie, Christensen, Bellerin and Dembelé despite being squillions in debt and despite not selling anyone except Coutinho and Auba. You just can’t behave like that as a football club and get away with it. And now they have failed to qualify for the knockout phase of the UCL, they’re already back in the quagmire. Frankly, it serves them right and buying Frenkie de Jong now would help to bail them out of trouble they thoroughly deserve. United should rather wait and pick him up on a free in a year’s time when they’ve gone into the inevitable bankruptcy they are heading for.

One final argument I’ve heard for going back in for the Dutchman is to stop Chelsea or Liverpool from taking him, but buying a player to stop a competitor getting him usually ends in tears. Some might argue we should have learned that lesson from snatching a certain CR7 from under City’s noses. So all things said, it’s a no from me, Frenkie.

Red Billy

newton heath

Classic United matches from yesteryear

Upton Park, 2nd April 2011: West Ham United 2 Manchester United 4

It was top against bottom as United travelled south, a familiar trip to East London and West Ham’s Boleyn Ground. It was a bright and sunny April lunchtime, and United were looking to exact revenge upon Avram Grant’s Hammers, after being dumped out of the League Cup 4-0 earlier in the season.A nd with the Premier Leagues top scorer, Dimitar Berbatov, starting on the bench, United looked toothless and clueless in a first half to forget.

It took West Ham just 11 minutes to score the opening goal, Mark Noble securing a lead with a calm penalty, sending Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way after Patrice Evra had handled the ball inside the box. United didn’t settle after that and as Carlton Cole dribbled into the box, Nemanja Vidic stuck out a leg and tripped the striker, Noble again scoring from the spot, this time smashing the ball into the top right of Kuszczak’s net on 25.

Cue the hairdryer. Sir Alex Ferguson made early second half changes, taking off Evra and Ji-Sung Park and throwing on two more attackers.With 20-goal striker Berbatov now alongside Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez, United finally began to look threatening. And as Michael Carrick was tripped on the edge West Ham’s box, up stepped Wayne Rooney to curl in the resulting free kick from 20 yards, 65 minutes played and finally The Reds had showed up.

United were soon on level terms too, just 8 minutes later as Rooneys quick turn and shot nestled into the bottom corner, levelling the match and notching up the England man’s 100th Premier League goal for the club.

With 10 minutes to go, United were searching for a winner, as Fabio da Silva showed pace and skill down the right, his cross was adjudged to have been handled and a third penalty of the match was awarded. And who else but Rooney to complete his hat-trick from the spot, come back complete, just as Fergie’s men had done so many times before.

With super sub Chicharito running salt into the wounds with a fourth goal on 84 minutes, the three points were coming home to Old Trafford and would add nicely to the 80 points United would go on to win the league by. West Ham would finish the season rock bottom, with a paltry 33 points, and sacked manager Grant just a few weeks later. Manchester United however, were champions again, for the 12th time in the Premiership era, beating the previous year’s winners Chelsea to the title by 9 points.

United lineup: Tomasz Kuszczak, Fabio da Silva, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra (Javier Hernandez), Antonio Valencia, Darron Gibson, Michael Carrick, Ryan Giggs, Ji-Sung Park (Dimitar Berbatov), Wayne Rooney (Nani).

Paul Speller

eckers

The next few games are a different test of whether Ten Hag’s United have really changed

The club calendar grinding to a halt couldn’t have come at a worse time for Erik ten Hag. Not only has his Manchester United side picked up notable victories against the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs but performance levels have risen to impressive new heights. No longer relying on individual brilliance, the entire team has displayed the kind of sustained balance and control that has been largely absent since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

It’s been a tough run of games that has brought the very best out of the squad, pushing them to the cusp of the top 4. Having negotiated this tricky spell with conviction, Ten Hag can now look forward to a short run of games that, on paper at least, looks very winnable. However, recent history suggests there’s no such thing as an easy ride, especially for a group as mentally brittle as this one has been in the past.

Putting the likes of West Ham, Aston Villa and Fulham to the sword would, therefore, be the clearest indication yet that United are quickly turning into an elite outfit. One of the main attributes of the very best sides is their ability to make light work of easier games, thereby preserving valuable energy for more testing opponents. In reality, titles are often decided not by overcoming the top 6, but by calmly dispatching everyone else.

Last season, the Reds looked a million miles away from title contention, especially in those embarrassing head-to-heads with Liverpool and City. While getting battered in local derbies was a humbling illustration of the gulf in class, better results against the Premier League’s strugglers would probably have been enough to secure a place in the Champions League. Ultimately though, a team that picks up 1 point against relegated Watford doesn’t deserve a seat at the biggest table.

And there’s the rub. Being able to raise your game is all well and good but maintaining those levels when the stakes don’t seem as high is a priceless skill in itself. United can’t afford to stutter and stumble right now – they need to keep the pedal pressed to the metal if they’re going to fulfill the potential of the past few weeks and leave themselves looking upwards when the season recommences in December.

Fortunately, there are clear indications that the upswing in patterns of play is being complimented by a change in mentality and focus. This is a much more likeable group than last season, built around gritty grafters like Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Antony. Yes, there’s obvious quality but, equally, the manager seems intent on creating a winning culture. His refusal to make allowances for someone like Cristiano Ronaldo shows that the team is paramount and everything else is secondary.

There’s no doubt that progress has been made so far this season. Individuals have finally shown personal growth and results have followed suit. For the first time in a long time, fans have cause to believe that an excellent side is emerging from the toxic dust cloud that enveloped the previous campaign. If Ten Hag’s new-look army can maintain recent standards over the next few weeks, a foundational season could turn into a trophy-laden one.

Starting with West Ham, the Dutchman needs to show that recent form is no flash in the pan. The next step is for winning to become a habit that transcends opposition and becomes the norm. It’s a mark of the great sides and represents the next staging post in the club’s development. One way or another, the next month will show just how far the club has come since the dog days of summer.

Scott Eckersley

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