Man United vs West Ham: 3 Things We Learned
Manchester United thumped London club West Ham United by a lone goal and they have now moved to fourth place on the log, 9 points adrift Chelsea in third place and 1 point ahead of the Hammers in fifth place. A goal from Marcus Rashford separated the sides who had both struggled in the front of the goal until the 92nd minute when the aforementioned England sensation found the back of the net.
The Red Devils now have their chances for a Champions League spot boosted and they’d be hoping to maintain the same form when they take on Burnley in their next League game. While the fan base of United are reveling in the ambiance of this win, check out three things we learned from the game.
Marcus Rashford Will Bounce Back
Rashford has been widely criticized for his shambolic form in the last 24 months. The penalty miss against Italy in the Euros game greatly affected his confidence and it was also believed that the shoulder injury which necessitated a surgery that kept him out of action for 3 months played a negative part in his form as well. Before the West Ham clash, he had managed to hit the back of the net just 3 times in 15 games, a poor return for a player of his stature. However, he looked very involved in the game where he took advantage of Edison Cavani’s assist for a tap-in. Still only 25, Rashford is yet to hit the peak of his career, and if he finds his confidence back, he’d be banging goals as expected of him.
Much Ado About Greenwood and Ronaldo Relationship
Ronaldo is known for his uncanny desire to be fielded in all games. Even though his reaction was petulant when he was substituted for their Wednesday game against Brentford, he still retained his place in the starting eleven against the Hammers. While there are rife claims that Ronaldo and Ragnick already have a severe relationship, there are also rumours of a rift between him and Greenwood.
There was an incident 10 mins into the game in which Ronaldo played a free-kick into the wall of West Ham, and Greenwood fired a shot on goal from the rebound – this led to Ronaldo complaining as he expected the youngster to pass the ball instead of attempting to score. There was also a second incident, and this time Greenwood tried to make a spectacular pass instead of placing it at the feet of the Portuguese star, and without hesitation, the former Balon D’or winner laid bare his reservation to the left-footer. It is not official that the players are unhappy with each other but you can deduce so much out of their on-pitch relationship.
Ralf Rangfick has found a better formation
The United boss has tweaked his formation on several occasions without much success. He was known for playing a 4-2-2-2 system that didn’t yield positive results. But now, the former RB Leipzig manager has stuck with a 4-3-3 system that sees him play with two offensive midfielders.
Ahead of the game against the Hammers, he said: “Instead of playing with two holding No.6s and one No.10, we are now playing with one holding no.6 with Scotty [McTominay], and two No.8s.”
The Odds
The Red Devils can still finish the season in Champions League spot as posited by real money casinos in usa who have the best odds for a lighter bet.