Hits & misses: Can Amorim really ride this storm out at Man Utd?

Can Amorim really ride this out?

The scenes before kick-off that celebrated the life of Denis Law, the King of the Stretford End, were genuinely touching. When it comes to the past, there is no club in England with a more glorious one. The juxtaposition with what followed remains the concern.

Manchester United are a poor football team. The table tells you that much. Watching them play makes it obvious. But the big news from Old Trafford on Sunday is that Ruben Amorim agrees, describing this current team as maybe the worst in the club’s history.

It has become a theme of his short reign so far, heading off criticism with honesty, blunt and bleak. He has spoken of relegation. In this same post-match press conference, he talked of being a coach who loses more than the last one. And the last one was fired.

There are no plans to deviate course. Amorim admitted that he did not even play two strikers when chasing the game against Brighton because he was more concerned with sending the message to his players that the style of play never changes, no matter what.

His hope is that this helps the idea click quicker, but bereft of confidence after a fourth home defeat in five, there is the possibility that these results are killing belief in his plan rather than fostering it. Sort all this in the summer? Right now, that looks a long way off.
Adam Bate

Baleba and Ayari inspire Brighton victory

“We have learned, to win a game of football, it doesn’t have to be pretty to win a game,” said Lewis Dunk after Brighton beat Manchester United once again.

Ruben Amorim’s United were woeful but Brighton earned their victory. At the centre of it was the displays of young midfielders Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba.

Ayari was nearly sold by Brighton over the summer, Baleba was error-prone in his first Seagulls season last term. But both players are now among the first names on the teamsheet – their Old Trafford outing showcased that.

Baleba played the crucial ball over the top to unlock the game for the first goal, Ayari’s running and desire was pivotal in goals two and three.

“Our young players are mature and they know the things they have to do to win the game,” said Fabian Hurzeler at full-time. Perhaps it is not long until Baleba and Ayari get on the Brighton big-money conveyer belt.
Sam Blitz

Spurs hit new low but Ange must find solution, not excuses

Tottenham’s injury list is long and clearly a huge hinderance to them this season. But midfielder James Maddison was right to brand their first-half display at Everton as “unacceptable”.

Spurs fans may feel the same way about the first-half performance at Arsenal. Or the first 90 minutes of the cup game with Tamworth. If anything, the win over Liverpool in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg is proof Spurs still have enough talent in the group to play far better than they have in the past week.

That falls on the players and it falls on the manager. Ange Postecoglou admitted he got the back-three set-up wrong at Everton but he could still expect more from a frontline of his captain Heung-min Son, Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski – players who have each received plenty of plaudits in the past.

It is not as though Spurs’ problems are merely contained within this period of absences, either. In their past 50 Premier League games they have lost 24 times. It is not good enough for Spurs. Daniel Levy, watching on glumly at Goodison, will feel that too.

On paper, this was a winnable game for Tottenham. Their next four fall into that category before the all-important Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool too. There can be no excuses if Spurs slip deeper into the mire.
Peter Smith

Moyes rejuvenates Calvert-Lewin as ‘everything comes together for Everton’

It has not taken long for returning Everton manager David Moyes to rejuvenate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, judging by the striker’s player-of-the-match display in Sunday’s crucial 3-2 win over Tottenham.

Heading into the clash, questions were rightly being raised about the England international’s future at Goodison Park after a barren run in front of goal stretching back 16 Premier League games to September, when he found the net against Aston Villa.

Everton as a team had attacking problems of their own, their 15 goals before kick-off making them the division’s lowest scorers, but right from the off the hosts tore into their opponents.

So much so that the Toffees went in 3-0 up at half-time, the first time that had happened in a Premier League match at Goodison Park since February 2017, under Ronald Koeman.

“It’s been a tough patch for myself, so really delighted with how we went today,” Calvert-Lewin told Sky Sports after the game. “I think just for us, for the lads, the team and the club we needed a win and I’m glad I played my part.

“I think everything clicked today, you go through those periods sometimes when you’re not hitting the back of the net or getting the rub of the green, but I think everything came together for us today.”

And Moyes will now hope Calvert-Lewin – and Everton – can build on that impressive display between now and the end of the season as the Toffees look to pull away from the drop zone. Rich Morgan

‘Phil Foden’s on fire’

You’d be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss was about over Phil Foden if you had only started watching football since the summer. A poor European Championships when many expected him to rip it up somehow didn’t hold England back from the final. And since returning this season, he’s looked jaded, not scoring in his first 11 Premier League appearances.

But like many of the England players that went deep in the summer, his form has spiked in recent weeks. The same can be said for Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

There’s a smile on Foden’s face now as City’s attacking players are coming to the boil and providing chances from all angles again. It’s six goals in six games now for last year’s PFA Player of the Year. He’s reminding us all of his talents and it’s no coincidence City are moving up the table as a consequence.
Lewis Jones

Forest show both sides of their Champions League credentials

How quickly football games can change.

To scoring three goals from an expected goals value of just 0.28 xG, to holding on by the narrowest of margins in added time.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side showed both sides of their game today – and that is exactly why they now sit level on points with Arsenal in second.

Their attacking play speaks for itself, as displayed by the emphatic finishing in the first half, but they secured all three points thanks to their stoic defensive performance in the latter stages of the game.

With pressure mounting and Southampton looking dangerous with every attack, the squad banded together and dragged themselves over the line.

Forest are the real deal and they owe a lot of that to their commitment on the defensive end.
Patrick Rowe

Saints need to play for 90 minutes

Like they did against Manchester United, Southampton showed enough promise and threat in injury-time to walk away with a result today.

If they had played with the same intent throughout the entire 90 minutes, they would not be walking away empty-handed – as boss Ivan Juric correctly pointed out.

However, like relegation rivals Leicester, the Saints are failing to piece positive performances throughout the entire game, and ultimately it could end up being their downfall.

Juric will learn more about his squad as time goes on, but one thing is clear – they looked more threatening with the target man Paul Onuachu, who scored his first Premier League goal today, leading the line.

“He has this quality,” Juric said. “He is a fighter and very good with the head. He will be very good for us and very happy for him.”
Patrick Rowe