Read David Hytner’s match report from Wembley right here:
And that’s yer lot. Leicester trudge up the steps for the most pointless medals in football, while United will lift that big plate shortly.
Cheers for reading, we’ll see you soon.
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And so, Manchester United set themselves up for a successful season by winning the Community Shield!
— Ben McAleer (@BenMcAleer1) August 7, 2016
Entertaining full-time whistle there - Schmeichel was up in the United box again, and as the ball was cleared Ibrahimovic takes it clear and has a chance to score, but the referee blows up. There’s a brief moment of confusion before the United fans realise they’ve won. Bit weird, quite funny.
Full-time: Leicester City 1-2 Manchester United
PEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! United win the Community Shield!
90 mins + 5: Another colossal throw from Hernandez, it drops to Gray and Leicester claim his shot was charged down by an arm, but nothing doing there.
90 mins + 4: Schmeichel stays up for a long, long throw from Hernandez, which causes a degree of chaos in the box, but De Gea eventually claims. There’s a brief moment of disagreement between some of the United defenders and Schmeichel, but they’re all friends in the end.
90 mins + 3: Mata is the man going off for Mkhitaryan. Man, unless that’s an injury, Mourinho really hates Mata...
90 mins + 2: Corner, and Schmeichel’s up for it...but it sails over his head and Drinkwater’s shot is charged down.
90 mins: Four minutes added time. If he’s lucky, Henrikh Mkhitaryan might get a few minutes of running around.
89 mins: Another change for Leicester as they go for the equaliser - Leonardo Ulloa is on for Huth.
88 mins: Little hint of offside about the goal. Zlatan’s toe might have been off - which counts, obviously, but let’s let the lino off that one.
87 mins: Another sub for United - Rooney is replaced by Morgan Schneiderlin.
85 mins: Chance wasted for Leicester. A corner finds its way out to Schlupp, who drives into the box on the left and crosses to the back post. There’s Mahrez, who perhaps could have shot first time but instead controls, then dithers, and the chance is gone,
83 mins: He’s been quiet/ineffective for most of the game, but Ibrahimovic may well have scored the winner: Valencia gets down the right side of the box and clips a cross into the box, where Ibrahimovic gets above Morgan, directs a header back across goal and it just creeps inside the far post.
GOAL! Leicester City 1-2 Manchester United (Ibrahimovic 83)
And there he is.
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81 mins: Yeesh, Musa goes close. A long throw into the box is flicked on by Huth and Musa, falling backwards on the edge of the six-yard box, back-heads the ball just over the bar. Possibly should have done better.
80 mins: Another sub - this time it’s Jeffrey Schlupp on for Fuchs.
79 mins: Corner from the right, and the ball finds its way to Rooney, who knocks it back to Ibrahimovic, but his shot is underhit and doesn’t threaten the goal.
78 mins: A long ball down the right for United is chased by Valencia, the Leicester defence dithers rather but eventually Schmeichel races out and clears.
77 mins: Rashford is sparky straight away, and wins a corner which Rooney puts into the box. Bailly then zips around like a balloon that’s just been let go, loses his boot and barrels Gray over. Feisty stuff.
75 mins: Ooof - Vardy goes in on Mata with two feet, for which he’s booked: he complains at length, but he might be a little lucky the punishment wasn’t even more severe.
74 mins: Ibrahimovic tries a little flick over the top looking for Rooney, but doesn’t get it high enough. The Swedish ego hasn’t been especially effective so far.
71 mins: Bailly goes into the book, after shoving Vardy over fairly pointlessly - the Leicester striker was heading towards the touchline with not much support. The big silly. Drinkwater whips in the free-kick and it nearly eludes De Gea, but he manages to get there and make the save.
69 mins: Subs for United - Shaw gets a breather, and Marcos Rojo gets a go, while Marcus Rashford comes on for Martial. One of those arrivals is greeted with a little more enthusiasm from the stands than the other.
68 mins: Gray is R.A.P.I.D. He streaks through the middle at a ferocious pace, but just loses control of the ball as he approaches the area.
67 mins: Mendy and Fellaini clash, the former coming away with the ball. There’s a round of applause around the stadium for the England 1966 World Cup winners, some of whom are in the stands. Try to control your pedantry.
64 mins: Ibrahimovic tries a pass down the left channel for Rooney, but it was overhit and hugely optimistic about Rooney’s pace.
63 mins: And Juan Mata is on for Lingard.
62 mins: Couple of changes for Leicester now - Nampalys Mendy is on for King, while Luis Hernandez replaces Simpson, who’s been given a chasing for much of the game.
Meanwhile Lingard has taken his boot off and sat down on the pitch. He’ll be going off shortly.
61 mins: Subs ahoy - United first, as Ander Herrera comes on for Carrick.
60 mins: Fuchs is seemingly knocked over by Valencia, everyone half-stops on the assumption that a free-kick is imminent, but nothing doing.
58 mins: Ibrahimovic feeds Rooney on the right, who crosses from the corner of the area to the back post. Fellaini goes up with Simpson, by which I mean he climbs all over the right-back’s shoulders and is suitably penalised.
56 mins: Getting sparkier now. Leicester counter, and Gray tries a shot from outside the area, but it’s far too weak and De Gea gets the long barrier behind it and saves.
55 mins: King goes into the book for a foul on Lingard, for which he raked down the United man’s Achilles. He tries a nice variant on the ‘point at the ball to display I won it’ by picking up said ball and brandishing it in front of the ref. No dice.
54 mins: Rooney tries to get United back ahead with a shot from range and, hmmm, yes, well. We’ll just say it didn’t go in. Very didn’t go in. Massively didn’t go in.
52 mins: Oh boy, Fellaini. A fine run from Musa down the left and he stabs it infield, but Fellaini is there to collect it easily and poke it back to De Gea saf...oh, wait, no - he badly underhits the pass, Vardy nips in, takes it round the keeper and slips it home from a tight angle.
GOAL! Leicester City 1-1 Manchester United (Vardy 52)
And from nothing they’re level!
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51 mins: Shaw misses a header and Mahrez picks up the ball, but then a combination of dithering from Vardy and Musa gives up the chance. Drinkwater then tries a slide-rule pass through the defence that isn’t slidey or ruley enough.
49 mins: More smart work from Martial down the left, but he cuts his cross back behind the onrushing attackers. Ibrahimovic lays it back to Rooney on the edge of the area, but he hesitates enough that he can’t take a first time shot, and then when he does try to control it bounces five yards away. That traffic bollard touch of Rooney’s again.
48 mins: Musa tries to break through the middle and is stopped by a fine Bailly tackle. Aside from one premature lunge in the first-half, United’s new centre-back has looked pretty impressive so far.
46 mins: And we’re away. Drinkwater tries a ball down the line but his pass is overhit.
Couple of changes at half-time - Demarai Gray is coming on for Leicester, as is new man Ahmed Musa. Okazaki and Albrighton are the ones coming off.
United probably deserve the lead, although Leicester did have a pretty good spell of possession in the middle of the half there. Vardy’s had a few moments of danger and Okazaki went close twice in the space of a minute or so. But United have clearly been more threatening, particularly down the left where Martial continues to me a terror. Simpson is...having a bad afternoon.
Half-time: Leicester City 0-1 Manchester United
Peeeeeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins: Albrighton bawls out the linesman for not giving him a corner, Mourinho screams at his players to ‘PRESS THE BALL’. Calm down guys, where’s your sense of charit...erm, community?
44 mins: Mahrez has been quiet. He cuts in from the left and is eased away from the ball by Shaw, then Rooney - deep again - is there to nick the ball off his toes.
42 mins: Quiet spell. Albrighton tries to flick a header to Vardy but it doesn’t get there. At what point in this game do the players stop trying? They probably should do at some point...
39 mins: And the inevitable happens. Simpson goes into the book for the most blatant block on Rooney as the United skipper knocks it past him. When you’re not confident about beating Rooney in a foot race...
38 mins: Simpson is getting a chasing so far, largely from Martial. He then drags Ibrahimovic to the ground.
37 mins: Corner for Leicester, which is swung to the near post for King, who gets up for the header and sticks it comfortably wide.
36 mins: Some good pace from United. Shaw bombs forward from left-back and tries a cross, that is blocked, but the intent is encouraging from their perspective. One of their great problems has been a lack of speed, so if Shaw carries on like that they’ll be golden.
34 mins: Schmeichel was thoroughly displeased with how his team defended that Lingard run, and you can’t blame him.
32 mins: Smashing goal from Jesse Lingard, picking up the ball in midfield and streaking through the heart of the Leicester defence. He beats one man, then sneaks past Morgan who committed too early to a strong challenge, then guides it into the net via a slight touch from Schmeichel. Terrific work.
GOAL! Leicester City 0-1 Manchester United (Lingard 32)
Against the run of play, that...
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30 mins: As Leicester have more of the ball, Rooney has dropped deeper and deeper. He tries to create something in the middle but leaves the ball behind. Wayne, you’re not a midfielder anymore...
28 mins: Leicester on top now. Fuchs tries to get a cross over but it’s blocked. It’s actually quite curious to see them dominate possession, given their preferred style last season.
27 mins: Bailly heads the corner away, doing well to beat Morgan to the ball, it drops to Fuchs but his volley slices well, well wide.
26 mins: Leicester playing well now. Drinkwater clips a ball over the top looking for Vardy, who brings it down, cuts into the area from the left but Bailly jumps in and robs him of the ball before he can get a shot away. Corner.
24 mins: Lingard tries to get down the left but is penalised for handball. Mourinho is cross. Mourinho is always cross.
23 mins: Scrappy couple of minutes. Neither side really controlling possession properly.
20 mins: From the corner, Okazaki of all people gets up for the header at the near post which he flicks towards goal, and it hits the bar! United have had the better of the play, but now Leicester have had the better chances.
19 mins: Vardy makes a rapid run from deep, he gets past Bailly who dives in with needless aggression and abandon, then slips it to Okazaki. He tries a curler to the far corner, but it just slides past the post, via a deflection.
18 mins: Lingard and Fuchs grapple down the United right, the ball squirts out, Lingard claims the decision, Fuchs gently jogs away. Leicester goal-kick.
16 mins: Ibrahimovic goes up for a header with Morgan - catching Simpson in the mush with his knee in the process - which he half-wins, the ball drops to Fellaini who tries to hit a half-volley on the spin, but doesn’t get hold of it properly and Schmeichel gets enough behind it to keep the ball out.
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15 mins: Martial looking like United’s biggest threat so far, and it looks like they’ve decided that him v Simpson is the way to attack this Leicester team. They’ve been much the better team thus far.
12 mins: Lingard spreads the ball out left to Shaw, who crosses from the flank to Rooney in the middle, who heads at goal from the edge of the box. It’s easily saved by Kasper Schmeichel, but there’s a bit of zest to United’s play already.
10 mins: Martial cuts in from the left, twists Simpson’s blood and shoots from a tight angle, but can only find the side-netting.
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9 mins: Fairly quiet start. Mahrez tries to speed through the middle but is pulled back by Fellaini. No free-kick. We are definitely back.
6 mins: Martial gets the ball on the left and cuts inside, his pace clearly fuelled by the absolute fury of having to give up the No.9 shirt. His pass doesn’t come off and the attack peters out.
5 mins: Vardy’s first powerful run of the game, slippin’ and slidin’ into the penalty area from the left, megging Eric Bailly but is halted by a beefy challenge from Daley Blind. The Dutchman briefly looks hurt, but rubs his shin and gets on with it.
3 mins: First Zlatan high-kick of the day, sticking a boot into Danny Simpson’s thigh. Free-kick.
2 mins: It briefly looked like Fellaini was going to start the season in classic style by ploughing through Danny Drinkwater, but he pulled out just in time and just took the ball clearly.
1 mins: We are away. The start of the season. Even though the season actually started on Friday.
Adam Hirst has made his mind up: “Fellaini starting? Seriously? Mourinho OUT!”
The big banner things have been rolled away, they’ve put the fire machines in the fire machine cupboard, the opera lady has sung the national anthem. And we are away.
Oh, you’ll probably have already seen this, but Manchester United are bringing an old friend home.
Oh, here they are. They didn’t forget.
Claudio Ranieri is having a very involved conversation with a man holding a clipboard in the tunnel, and there’s no sign yet of Manchester United. Maybe they’ve forgotten about the game.
“And regarding the number 32 player for The Owls,” writes Mark Turner, “it’s worth considering that the word “you” in Sheffield often sounds like “Ja”.
I don’t get it Mark, I don’t understand what you me...oh. Oh, Mark.
I don’t want to go overboard about this but Sheffield Wednesday’s squad numbers are an absolute disgrace. That’s the sub keeper as No.2, there.
Here's the Owls' line-up v @AVFCOfficial #swfcLIVE pic.twitter.com/mSRMZhtCnf
— Sheffield Wednesday (@swfc) August 7, 2016
Charles Antaki has been looking into the future, which he can see with crystal clear clarity. “If we’re into predictions, here’s mine: United will go behind in the first minute from an Ibrahimovic own goal, prompting him to storm off in a huff, thus maddening Mourinho to the point of kicking the fourth official and trying to gouge out the eyes of Ranieri, at which point he’s expelled from the ground, announces his retirement and becomes manager of the Russian team who are then disqualified from their own World Cup for doping offences. All right, it’s more a hope than a prediction; but if you can’t dream at the start of a campaign, when can you?”
How do you fancy reading about the last time Leicester were in this game - which they have, despite never winning the league or cup before - back in 1971? Well, look no further.
Team news
Leicester City
Schmeichel; Simpson, Huth, Morgan, Fuchs; Mahrez, King, Drinkwater, Albrighton; Okazaki, Vardy. Subs: Zieler, Hernandez, Musa, Schlupp, Gray, Ulloa, Mendy.
Manchester United
De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Blind, Shaw; Carrick, Fellaini; Lingard, Rooney, Martial; Ibrahimovic. Subs: Romero, Rojo, Schneiderlin, Herrera, Mata, Rashford, Mkhitaryan.
Referee: Mr C.Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Preamble
Claudio Ranieri is a nice man. He’s such a nice man that he probably didn’t even think of last season’s title win for Leicester, in the same campaign that Jose Mourinho was cleanly binned for being terrible with Chelsea, as at least in part a giant eff you to Manchester’s newest and most irritable provocateur. If most of us were in his position, we’d probably set up camp on Mourinho’s lawn, with a deckchair, big box of cigars, the Premier League trophy and a sound system blasting out Andrea Bocelli. But Ranieri is nicer than all of us, even going as far to write in the programme for today’s Community Shield that it’s good for English football that Mourinho is back in town.
Leicester City: Premier League champions. Still doesn’t sound real, does it? But here they are, and this is probably the last game in which they will be able to enjoy that bonkers fact, before the serious business of actually playing games that matter gets underway. They are at Wembley today because they won the title, and from tomorrow they begin the process of defending that title.
The good news is that, while them winning the whole thing again is, to say the least, heroically unlikely, Ranieri is still Ranieri. Here he is discussing a sports psychologist he worked with in years past:
Still, Ranieri reckons “it is difficult to find a [good] sports psychologist” and explained that in 2012-13, when he guided Monaco to promotion from France’s second division, he worked with a practitioner who saw fundamental psychological problems where Ranieri saw basic football ones. “Once I had a psychologist who told me that when we played at home, there was a big elephant in the dressing room. I said: ‘I never saw this big elephant.’ He said: ‘We have a problem at home but not away.’ I said: ‘But you can understand tactically that when we are at home the other team stays all together behind the lines and we have to find a way through?’ Then when we won the title, I said: ‘Where is the elephant?’”
And so to Manchester United. Mourinho preached some caution this week in terms of short-term expectations for his new team, asking for some time in implementing his methods. So does that mean nobody can get cross if they lose 5-0 today? Still, while he’s dampening expectations in some respects, he’s raising them in others:
It is not new in my career,” he said. “Everywhere I have been I have had to cope with that situation. It doesn’t matter where I am, everyone expects big things, it’s nothing new and to be honest I am comfortable with it. I like to create expectation at clubs, I like the players to feel it. Sometimes in my career I have created unrealistic targets, because by doing that you can push the team to new and unexpected levels. Winning the Champions League with Porto or Inter, for instance.
“Both were unexpected and very risky objectives to aim for and maybe winning the championship in the first season at Manchester United is a little bit of the same. But I like that. People can analyse it as arrogance if they choose, that’s not a problem for me. I think we should be setting difficult targets for ourselves.”
Will this be a good game? Probably not, and it’ll mean nothing too, but hey, it’s football. And we can all get behind that.
Kick-off: 16.00 BST
Nick will be along shortly. In the meantime, here is some recommended reading on José Mourinho’s ambitions for the season ahead:
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