A glimmer of hope for United fans when a 1-0 victory in the third round of the FA Cup put the momentum siding with Manchester side heading into their important following fixture against Liverpool; well, up until the point that Marcus Rashford was brought off the bench, he, unfortunately, went limping off in the same game against Wolverhampton.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been under scrutiny for his decision to bring Rashford on before he was 100% fit. Former Arsenal striker and football pundit Ian Wright said on BBC Radio 5, “Somebody has to be held accountable”. Further explaining that Ole made a selfish move by not putting the player’s health first.
Whether you believe this or not, Rashford is now expected to sit on the sidelines for at least 6 weeks, which is the worst news the club, and fans alike could receive! Rashford has scored 19 goals in 30 appearances for United across all competitions and in his absence, who’s going to be the key goal scorer in some of the most crucial months ahead?
January Transfer Window
The most likely and the most rumoured transfer news around Old Trafford have been the hopes of United signing Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon. This isn’t a new rumour and by now, I think fans are sick of hearing about this signing with nothing coming of it. If Fernandes doesn’t sign with United within the next four weeks, I think it’s safe to say we won’t see the Portuguese star at all this season. United was also tipped in a surprise signing with former United striker and current Derby County forward Wayne Rooney.
Ole has promised a replacement for Rashford, even if the club is to loan a striker until the end of the season. But should we take his words with a pinch of salt? In the previous four transfer windows, United have spent an accumulated 30 million pounds. The stubbornness with the price tag of Fernandes seems to be showing cracks in the club they might be hiding. In my opinion, I don’t think the club is releasing enough money for Ole to spend. If the money was available, United would’ve already picked up Fernandes considering they were so quick to spend 50 million on Fred.
With everything taken into account, I do believe United will sign Fernandes. He’s an admirer of the club and could put his name on the map with an impressive season in the Premier League.
Liverpool Embarrassment
Celebrating a loss is not something Manchester United proud themselves on, but Ole Gunnar seemed to believe a 2-0 loss to Liverpool was a hard-fought outing? Let’s be honest here, the first 45 minutes of the game could’ve seen United down 3 or 4 goals, VAR and the linesmen came to the rescue but United’s on-pitch performance was abysmal.
Parking the bus and playing safe against Liverpool was never going to achieve a result for United, the summertime lies spread about transfers are now biting United in the backside.
Liverpool wasn’t at their best and was still able to walk away with three points, the set-piece danger that United could’ve put on Liverpool was present. Unfortunately, the physical presence is no-where to be seen… Harry Maguire? No? ok! Somehow, United was able to weather the storm and only concede 2 goals in a 90-minute game that could’ve been a serious hammering for the reds.
What Remains?
United are currently 5th place in the Premier League standings, just four points shy of Chelsea who is currently protecting that automatic qualification into the Champions League. So, besides attempting to pull themselves further up the table, where will United’s season take them?
The FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Europa League are all creeping up in the schedule of Ole and the boys, losing Rashford couldn’t have come at a worse time. Their most prolific goal scorer is now out of action for possibly, United’s most important month of the season.
Can Ole and the board secure Fernandes? Could Wayne Rooney realistically make an emergency return? Will Edson Cavani from Paris Saint Germain remain an option? Only time will tell, but first up, let’s deal with Burnley mid-week.
