by DERBY DAZE
During the week as his team prepares for a derby against Manchester City, it is strange that Erik ten Hag seems to have spent more time focusing on Jamie Carragher and TikTok’s mistakes at Fulham than the best way to try to avoid the monster. almost everyone, including their own fans, is hoping they will get when they make the short trip to the Etihad Stadium. Ten Hags have faced a staggering 100 shots in their last five league games against Fulham, Luton, Aston Villa, West Ham and Wolves, around half the number they are likely to defend on Sunday evening. Fortunately for United, the man tasked with stopping them is speaking about his return to form after a gaffe-prone start to life at the club.
“It was a difficult time for me,” said goalkeeper André Onana, before a time that could be even more difficult for him. “I’m feeling a little better now. I already know the goalkeeper, but it took me six or seven months not to play well, but to feel good. When I moved from Amsterdam to Milan, that adaptation was quite easy but it took me seven, eight months here. It was just time to learn and go game by game.” Further up the pitch, United will be hoping Marcus Rashford can prove a capable replacement in the absence of the concussed Rasmus Højlund, and the striker is already taking aim at critics who think he should show half as much interest in playing if he does. team and he did when organizing a very bad night out with a hanging entourage in Northern Ireland.
Rashford was fully justified in suggesting that there is “a tone to him that you don’t get with every footballer” when discussing the criticism he launched in a column for the Players’ Tribune, but insists his commitment to United cannot be questioned as about. he played for them “since I was a boy” is unlikely to convince anyone who has seen some of his lackluster performances this season. While he will always have a place in the hearts of United fans, let alone everyone outside Old Trafford who isn’t involved with Tories, any recurrence of the conspicuous body language and lack of effort he has shown in so many games . The season is likely to infuriate those whose patience with his striker has already worn thin.
Pep Guardiola was in a relaxed mood on Friday as his champions white-hot favorites to win the derby, but he refused to be drawn into the matter of his opposite number’s playing philosophy. “I always expect the best from our opponents,” he announced in a tone that could strike more cynical readers as a tad condescending. “Always. I expect the best from Manchester United but I don’t talk about what they do. As an opponent I have a lot of respect for them and I don’t want my words to be misunderstood.” Maybe like the rest of us mere mortals, even a man with Pep’s incredible knowledge of tactics does not know exactly what the other number might want to do.
STATEMENT OF THE DAY
“My task is to create an international football identity, an aggressive mentality, a challenge that I love. Then there is the next challenge – I will not speak Swedish, because I want to understand … [It’s] a journey in which there will probably be ups and downs but a journey we must make together – a new era” – Jon Dahl Tomasson reads Sweden for a cultural refraction after the Dane took over as manager of the men’s national team.
DAILY FOOTBALL LETTERS
Looks like you missed the big news from Bóthar na Cuathrun Rua this week. Of course, Norwich City have had a remarkable season in the Championship. Given their resources and recent splash of millions of pounds, most of us were expecting something better this time around. Despite being completely underwhelming for large parts of this season, David Wagner seems to be on safe ground. However, Martin Herdman, manager of the women’s team, was the oblivious recipient of the trip through the fabled door marked Make One on Tuesday. His team’s record so far this season in Division One of the South East National League has been 13 games, 10 wins, three draws. Currently in second place, six points behind leaders AFC Wimbledon but with two games in hand. And I was thinking the better your record, the safer your position” – John Scent.
Neil Rose was right (if a little brave) to meet an away opponent who had just scored five goals (Football Daily letters passim). Teenagers are embarrassed by most things their parents do, but his son might think differently when he thinks about it in years to come. The best example I can remember of such a rare occurrence is when I went to see Bournemouth play at Gresty Road in 2007 and the home fans gave Max Gradel a generous ovation when he was substituted it towards the end of the 4-1 victory: when I was sad enough to check that my memory was not deceiving me I found this evidence” – Paul Sheppard.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. The winner of our letter today is … John Scent, who is holding our last copy of Pat Nevin: football and how to live it, published by Octopus Books.
