Thursday, December 8, 2016

A lucky 32 for Mourinho’s United



Finally, a night to call yours, as one inspired and determined Henrikh Mkhitaryan came to play a one of a kind game that sealed his squad pass into the next round of 32 and the last spot available in Europa League.

Now the dream is on for the Red Devils of conquering Europe once again like the good old days.

Despite advancing as a second place in their group of play, the odds of this group staging a wondrous performance in this tourney, can be another challenge for their Manager Jose Mourinho who can make up to this club fan base by delivering another trophy.

I mean an important one as the Europa League, the EFL seeded in its semifinals, and playing a modest Hull City in their series of two, a treble of a campaign for the Manchester United Boys can be in their horizon.

Going to always difficult, Slavutych Arena in Luhansk, Ukraine to play a tough compromise that involved their pass into the next stages, with Turkish side and group foes Fenerbahce, United had the opportunity to seal the deal with a wondrous pass.

Still their compromise was not going to be an easy affair for Mourinho and his squad looking forward to start a new chapter in international play and moving on to the next stages of this contested and prestigious event, the Europa League.

Playing away and in what many considered icy tundra in Slavutych Arena, battling not only the local squad but also the cold elements and for the Red Devils Boss this considered a tough outing in its entirety for the English squad.

As they, state the show must go on and ninety minutes in the freezing weather for the Red Devils initial eleven was a feat to utilize by these and put on a show of force to get their all-around objective.

For Mou sending his trademark 4-2-3-1 formation and a sending in his initial eleven a combination of starters and nonstarters, a formula that proved to be an accurate one for the visiting English squad and delivered wonders for the Portuguese.

Manchester United is returning its old glory days like in the days of Fergie, still there is a lot of work to be done in this group and despite the wisdom of its current Manager, the only negative is his cold approach to any team he manages of using its academies.

As the end of the first half is coming to an end, and the winter market opening up, who know what players will this controversial chap will bring to Trafford to complete his cycle and aspire not this campaign but next to deliver the league shield.

Still the night belong to the visiting Manchester squad that not all evening long never ceased in their intentions of putting many goals in the posts defended by  Ihor Levchenko who wecans state had a stellar afternoon for the locals.

As the first half ending scoreless for both squads and after the visiting group could not define in its various attempts and dominating the first half,   the second half was to be a bit more generous for the Premiership squad.

 With an inspired and hungry United eleven seeking in every opportunity though Rooney or Ibra to put a ball behind Levchenko posts, it’s when one man took the opportunity to end his scoring drought in the 48th minute in newcomer Mkhitaryan.

In what seemed an amazing play that the former Dortmund player executed from the midfield and finish with an all-around style for the first goal of the match and this breaking a drought of 463 scoreless minutes.

 No later we saw the show of Ibramovic sealing the deal for his squad in the 88th minute with a nice shoot after multiple attempts, he finally deliver with a nice solitaire play and defeating the local keeper to assure the win.

At the end, it seems that Jose Mournho is not doing the job but his works is delivering in little amounts and so far the Portuguese has deliver a shield to the halls in Old Trafford and maybe more in this campaign.

Why not the league shield but the trek is a long and difficult one with other squads already competing for the coveted Barclay’s Shield, still United being near the EFL Cup a domestic competition and now suddenly surging as favorites in Europa League.

The last will be the first!


 Post Contents and Property of Fern Mc Costigan © Copyright All Rights Reserved

Photos Credit and Property of © Associated Newspapers LTD  2016


Photos Credit and Property of © BPI Michael Zemarek and Reuters 2016

 

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