It’s never straightforward with this Manchester United side, is it?
Entertaining might be a stretch, but what an all-encompassing game of football that was, with the Red Devils hanging on to secure a vital 2-1 win over rivals Chelsea amid freakish conditions at Old Trafford.
The rain lashed down in a fashion similar to what was seen at Grimsby Town a few weeks ago, although visiting goalkeeper Robert Sanchez can’t exactly blame the surface for his errant decision-making in the early exchanges, having brought down Bryan Mbeumo on the edge of his own area.
With the Spaniard sent for an early bath, it looked set to be a rare, serene win for Ruben Amorim’s men as the experienced pairing of Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro converted against their ten-man opponents. And then.
Soft or brainless, take your pick, the typically rash Brazilian was then dismissed himself for a second yellow card just before the break, with a late Trevoh Chalobah header sparking a fraught, nervous finish for the home side.
Thankfully for Amorim, his struggling bunch rallied to claim all three points and surge up the Premier League table.
A positive result and a largely positive performance in parts, but there is a nagging sense that there are considerable problems still to be ironed out for the Red Devils.
Benjamin Sesko's display in numbers
With Casemiro hauling down compatriot Andrey Santos in needless fashion on the stroke of half-time, Amorim was forced to make a decision over how to plug that midfield void, with Manuel Ugarte ultimately selected as the man to enter the fray.
That switch saw marquee summer signing Benjamin Sesko withdrawn ahead of the second-half, with the Slovenian’s wait to get off the mark in Manchester continuing.
Six games, no goals, albeit with just three of those outings having come from the start, a fact that ensures that the ex-RB Leipzig man is the latest centre-forward addition to endure a stop-start beginning at the Theatre of Dreams.
GK – Bayindir
6/10
RCB – Matthijs de Ligt
8/10
CB – Harry Maguire
7/10
LCB – Luke Shaw
7/10
RWB – Noussair Mazraoui
6/10
CM – Bruno Fernandes
8/10
CM – Casemiro
4/10
LWB – Patrick Dorgu
5/10
RAM – Bryan Mbeumo
7/10
LAM – Amad
6/10
ST – Benjamin Sesko
5/10
Subs: Ugarte (6), Cunha (6), Yoro (6), Mount (5), Mainoo (n/a)
There were signs of life on Saturday evening, having played a neat one-two with Fernandes at one stage, only for the Portuguese to uncharacteristically overhit his pass, yet once again the £74m signing was unable to fire.
One moment, in particular, appeared to signpost his dwindling confidence, with the 22-year-old taking the ball down beautifully before driving at the Chelsea goal, only to then slide in Amad, rather than taking on a shot himself from range.
While it was Sesko’s flick on that led to the early red card, United’s leading man was restricted to just eight touches in total, having slipped into Rasmus Hojlund territory as a player his teammates simply can’t get the best out of.
The lack of impact from the one-time Red Bull Salzburg man is of concern – as is Casemiro’s continued questionable decision making, amid his fourth United red card – although Amorim perhaps has an even bigger issue to ponder at wing-back.
Why Patrick Dorgu remains the biggest problem to solve
Much of the debate following the end of the summer window has centred on the decision not to plump for a first-choice, ready-made goalkeeper, alongside the failure to bolster the midfield ranks.
That latter scenario will be even more exposed with Casemiro now suspended, although one area of the park that was perhaps overlooked is at wing-back, with Amorim still lacking genuine, proven options in those two roles.
In the form of Amad, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui, the Portuguese coach can make do on the right, although it is on the opposite side where a significant problem lies, with regard to young Patrick Dorgu.
The caveat, of course, is that the 20-year-old Dane is still a player for the future, having been at United for just over six months, following his January arrival from Lecce.
The plucky left-footer did also provide the assist for Fernandes’ opener, although that was the notable high point, having otherwise struggled with his decision-making down that left flank.
Indeed, he lost the ball on 18 occasions, as per Sofascore, with The Athletic’s Carl Anka noting that his “weight of pass needs work”.
Far too often did Dorgu seemingly make the wrong decision in the final third, with there a sense that Amorim’s system places far too much reliance on the youngster to provide a creative threat, having made more touches in the opposition box than any player during the Manchester derby (12).
The lack of genuine alternatives – with Luke Shaw now firmly fixed at left centre-back, and new man Diego Leon still an unknown quantity – has also ensured that there is too much of a reliance on Dorgu to feature week in, week out. Rarely is he even substituted due to the dearth of an obvious replacement.
Up against a dangerous figure in Reece James – whom he failed to track at one stage late on – United’s number 13 was up for the fight, albeit while winning just seven of his 16 duels, and failing to complete any of his three attempted dribbles.
Perhaps following a chaotic night, it is too harsh to judge any player, yet this is a theme that has dragged on ever since Dorgu’s arrival, having also been evident at the Etihad last week.
Sesko might catch fire, while there are replacements for Casemiro in both Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, but it is difficult to see any change in the situation at left wing-back. This is a problem without an obvious solution right now.
And so, while three points may have finally been claimed, Amorim still has plenty to ponder.
