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#3 Home comforts returning for Manchester United?
Before the narrow 1-0 success against West Brom at the weekend, Manchester United had been winless at home in the Premier League, which is unfamiliar territory for a side that had prided itself on their excellent record at home over the years.
In fact, Manchester United’s only success at Old Trafford this season had come in the Champions League: a resounding 5-0 win over RB Leipzig earlier on in the competition.
The absence of fans had been touted as one of the explanations for Manchester United’s poor home form, with the Red Devils guilty of blowing hot and cold in successive matches and, sometimes, even in the same match.
However, with two successive wins at Old Trafford now, Manchester United will no doubt be feeling much better about their upcoming home fixtures in all competitions.
#4 Telles adds a new dimension to Manchester United’s attack
From Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson at Liverpool to Reece James and Ben Chilwell at Chelsea, the positive effect that an attacking pair of full-backs can have on a football team is there for all to see.
At Manchester United, however, the duo of Luke Shaw and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, though competent defenders and unafraid to get forward, have failed to match the attacking threat that their Premier League counterparts have shown in recent times.
Despite Manchester United spending large parts of their games on the front foot, both Shaw and Wan-Bissaka have been guilty of not delivering inviting crosses into the box for their forwards to attack. This, in turn, piles more pressure on the likes of Bruno Fernandes to create chances, in addition to making Manchester United’s forays forward more predictable.
However, with the summer signing of Alex Telles, the Red Devils now have in their ranks a full-back with an excellent passing range as well as a sense of timing that gives their attacks a significant boost.
In his short career at Manchester United, Telles has shown himself willing to get forward at every opportunity while also showcasing his excellent delivery, both from open play and from set-pieces.
He displayed those qualities against Istanbul Basaksehir as well, with Manchester United’s second goal resulting from one of his probing crosses that the goalkeeper dropped into the path of a lurking Fernandes.
As such, it seems like this is something Wan-Bissaka can learn from his new teammate in order to become an even better full-back. Meanwhile, Shaw seems to have a real task on his hands if he is to regain his place in Manchester United’s starting lineup.
#5 Questions still remain over Manchester United defense
Despite having had an uncertain start to the season, goalscoring has not been Manchester United’s issue, with Bruno Fernandes and co. finding the net with some regularity.
Rather, the problem seems to lie at the other end of the pitch, with the Red Devils’ defense having put in several nervy performances that have seen them concede much more frequently than a team of their quality should be.
The cracks in the Manchester United backline first appeared in the 3-1 defeat at home against Crystal Palace in their first Premier League fixture, but were blown wide open in the 6-1 humbling at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.
In fact, the reverse fixture against Istanbul Basaksehir had been marked by Manchester United’s calamitous defending as they conceded two easily avoidable goals in a disappointing defeat.
In this fixture, Manchester United seemed to be cruising to a win after scoring three first-half goals, and the second half seemed a mere formality as the home side were expected to see the game off easily.
Instead, Manchester United retreated far into their shell and invited pressure on themselves, conceding via an excellent free-kick and then surviving several nervy moments by the skin of their teeth.
Had Edin Visca’s long-range effort just after the goal dipped below the bar instead of striking it on the full, the Turkish side could have found themselves back in the game in a big way, with the Manchester United defense looking all at sea after conceding.
Although the home side were able to restore their three-goal cushion late on, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would do well to address the fragility and complacency that seems to creep into his side’s defense at times as it could cost them dearly later on the season.
