Casemiro (left) and Hojlund getting the ball over the line in their midweek win. They’ll be seeking more of the same tomorrow. — Reuters
MANCHESTER United and Chelsea, two of England’s richest clubs, have had contrasting seasons so far.
Despite having spent a large sum of money on transfers, the Red Devils are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, in 14th spot with 11 points, and just this week sacked their Dutch manager Erik ten Hag.
The Blues, on the other hand, are nine places above them, albeit with just a six-point difference.
Ten Hag’s era as Man United boss came to an end this week and it was far from the fairytale ending he had envisioned.
The axe had been hanging over his head for quite some time, and the defeat to West Ham last weekend was the last straw.
His counterpart Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, continues to shine with the sleek and calculated way his team is performing.
With reports indicating that Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is almost certain to succeed ten Hag, the hierarchy at United and their fans will be hoping to have their “new” Portuguese manager at the club for when they host Chelsea at Old Trafford tomorrow.
At the time of writing, Amorim had yet to sign for United, but it was wildly believed that he would have done so before the Chelsea clash.
It would be a surprise and gamble to have Amorim thrust straight into the huge match with the Blues.
That he would not have time to settle in, get to know his squad, introduce his own strategies, would mean little.
Interim boss and Red Devils legend Dutchman Ruud van Nistelrooy would seem the logical choice to manage the team tomorrow, more so after overseeing a 5-2 victory over Leicester City in the last-16 of the Carabao Cup in midweek.
Amorim uses a 3-4-2-1 formation, and deployed it at Sporting with good success, compared to ten Hag’s four-man defence.
There are some concerns as to how the current batch of centre backs could fit into the new system. There’s no doubt good players adapt to new formations without too much hassle.
However, under ten Hag and for more than two years, United performed poorly at the back.
They also now have some injury concerns, especially in defence with Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Luke Shaw and Leny Yoro all unavailable.
Diogo Dalot, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Noussair Mazraoui should be available, though, after all were involved against the Foxes.
The Manchester club’s injury concerns also extend to midfield, where Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Antony are expected to be sidelined tomorrow.
Against Chelsea, there should not be much of a change to the line-up because of the injuries, especially in attack, with Rasmus Hojlund, Bruno Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford all expected to be in the starting XI.
With two more spots in midfield, it could be a toss up between Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and summer-signing Manuel Ugarte who played under Amorim at Sporting.
There would certainly be hope that Amorim could bring out the best in the Uruguayan.
As for Chelsea, Maresca has proven a lot of people wrong – this writer included – with how well his young team is doing.
After an underwhelming last season, many believed that they would continue to struggle, but that has been far from the case.
Maresca, in a recent press conference, said their target this season was to build a unit for the next four to five years, and they already look like a team to be aware of.
The Blues were narrowly beaten by Liverpool two weeks ago, when many supporters felt that the defeat was just, and Chelsea have certainly shown what they are capable of.
Their defence might still be culpable for some of the goals conceded but there is no question about their attack.
Cole Palmer, with seven league goals and five assists, continues to impress, along with Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
All three will definitely be involved against United – barring injury – and they will be the ones to be wary of.
Unlike United, Maresca has no major injury concerns.
Most of the Blues’ First XI were rested during their 2-0 defeat to Newcastle in the Carabao League Cup in midweek and should be raring to face United.
Regardless of who will manage the Red Devils this weekend, Chelsea should still prove to be a mountain for them to overcome.
So enjoy the win over Leicester City, Man United fans, as another beating could be on the horizon.
