Full time: Manchester United 4-1 Leicester City
Peep peep! An excellent day for Manchester United, who end their disgraceful run of two consecutive league defeats with an emphatic win. The absence of Wayne Rooney made for a faster first-half performance, even if a half-time scoreline of 4-0 was a big lie. Paul Pogba had a fine game; Juan Mata and Ander Herrera were good too. Leicester look like a team whose collective unconscious has placed every last egg in the basket marked ‘Champions League’. Thanks for your company and abuse; bye.
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90+1 min There will be three minutes of added time. “Your support is effing shit,” chant the Leicester fans, who invented cheering.
89 min Paul Pogba is Sky’s Man of the Match, and quite right too. He has given extremely good YouTube, especially in a scintillating five-minute period in the first half.
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88 min Another United substitution: Ashley Young on, Juan Mata off after one of his better days at Old Trafford.
87 min “On the bright side, Rob, every time we’ve lost 4-1 this season before a Champions League game we’ve won said CL game 3-0,” says John Allen. “Claudio has a plan.”
85 min Ibrahimovic, loitering on the left side of the box, whips a curler too close to Zieler.
84 min Here’s Raymond Reardon. “Whatever meal has been served up by the combined recruiting of Ferguson, Moyes, LVG and Mourinho it is at least more palatable than the 12-year slow roast that Wenger has been trying to cook.”
Eat my short-termism.
83 min Wayne Rooney replaces Marcus Rashford, and will play out on the left of the front three.
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82 min The cocky, impressive Gray runs at Blind and wins Leicester a corner. It’s cleared to Drinkwater, whose shot deflects behind for another corner. That is recycled to Gray, who beats Blind on the right and hits a beautiful ball right across the face of goal. He has been superb since coming on at half-time.
81 min: BREAKING NEWS: WAYNE ROONEY IS TAKING HIS TRACKY TOP OFF
80 min I’m afraid we’re having a few technical problems. In the last few minutes you’ve missed another fine effort by Gray that was superbly tipped round by the leaping De Gea, and the introduction of Michael Carrick for Jesse Lingard.
76 min Valencia’s vicious rising cross just evades Ibrahimovic, who attempted a high kick at the far post.
74 min Simpson is booked for tripping Rashford, whose blistering pace ensured he beat Simpson to a loose ball.
72 min Manchester United get a left-wing corner - and don’t score! It’s cleared to Herrera, who welts over from 25 yards.
70 min Despite his goal Rashford hasn’t had his best game today. He has tried a bit too hard, and his decision-making has been unusually poor. Has the bubble burst?
67 min After a fine run from Lingard on the right, Ibrahimovic’s precise, curling daisy-cutter from 20 yards is nicely tipped round by Zieler.
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68 min King should have made it 4-2! He was unmarked 15 yards out when he received Schlupp’s cutback, but hit a tame first-time shot straight at De Gea. He had lots of time there.
65 min “In other crisis news,” says Ian Copestake, “it seems Mama Sakho has not learned his lesson and has been busy burning the midnight oil, a practice banned by UEFA.”
64 min After a terrific one-touch move on the right involving Pogba, Valencia and Mata, Valencia’s cutback is rifled over by Lingard on the edge of the box.
63 min Simpson’s cross flashes across the area to Fuchs, whose low shot is blocked by Herrera. This is Leicester’s best spell since the first goal.
61 min Claudio Ranieri makes his final substitution: Jeff Schlupp replaces Marc Albrighton, who will presumably be starting against Porto on Tuesday.
GOAL! Manchester United 4-1 Leicester (Gray 59)
This is the goal of the day. Demarai Gray receives the ball on the left, runs infield past Lingard and hits an absolute screamer across De Gea and into the far corner from 25 yards. That was the dictionary definition of unsaveable.
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55 min Ibrahimovic overelaborates in the box, but Mata picks up the loose ball and hits a first-time shot that is blocked by Morgan.
54 min Huth does extremely well to clear Pogba’s hanging cross under considerable pressure from Zlatan. It feels a bit low-key at the moment, on a mezzanine level between friendly and competitive match.
53 min I missed this from earlier. Zlatan treating banter with the contempt it deserves.
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51 min “Mourinho’s term of endearment for Ranieri used to be ‘zero tituli’,” says Michael Garton. “What does he call him now?”
Uno titul i o? Claudio?
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50 min Huth is booked for Huthing Pogba.
48 min It’ll be interesting to see whether United press for a huge victory or settle for this. Most teams declare these days, and preserve energy for upcoming fixtures, but a 6-0 or 7-0 win wold do so much for United’s fragile confidence. I’d go for it; they can play a different team in the Europa League on Thursday.
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47 min “Did MU put something in the locker room water?” says Lorraine Berry. “Leicester’s defense looks drugged these past two corners.”
46 min Leicester begin the second half, kicking from left to right.
Leicester have made two half-time substitutions: Andy King and Demarai Gray replace Riyad Mahrez and Jamie Vardy. I assume he’s saving them for Porto on Tuesday.
“You’re wrong,” says Philip Brennan. “Utd have been that good. You just don’t know it.”
Cheers Einstein.
“Check me on this,” says Paul, “but I don’t recall United ever scoring from three corners in one half since shirts became sponsored. A first?”
They got two in the first few minutes against Leeds in 1995 but I can’t remember three, no.
Half-time teaser “The game has got slightly more interesting since I wondered this, but what’s the coat of arms that Mourinho has on his jacket?” asks Matt. “I’m really hoping it’s part of an Alan Partridge Tie and Blazer pocket set.”
I’m no fashion Einstein but it does look a bit like that.
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Some half-time reading
Paul Doyle, great as ever. Is there a better football writer in England at the moment? Not for mine, Des.
Half time: Manchester United 4-0 Leicester City
Wayne Rooney is dropped, and Manchester United lead the champions 4-0 at half-time. It makes for a great story, but the truth is United weren’t that good. They did play some nice stuff, Pogba in particular, and the pace of their play has been better. But three of the goals came from corners and Leicester have not defended well. Saint and Greavsie are nodding sagely. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min The start of Leicester’s title defence does resemble those of Blackburn 1995-96 and indeed Leeds 1992-93: still very good at home, but woeful away. They’ve conceded 10 goals in two and a half games.
44 min “Ranieri er... Out?” says Gary Naylor.
He’s taken Leicester as far as he can!
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43 min “Leicester in crisis! (you read it here first)” says David Wall. Mark Hughes is loosening his grip on the Premier League Crisis Baton as we speak.
GOAL! Manchester United 4-0 Leicester (Pogba 42)
Paul Pogba gets his first goal for Manchester United! It’s their third goal from a left-wing corner in this match. It was a nice outswinger from Blind to the near post, where Pogba outmuscled Fuchs and flicked a superb header into the far corner.
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41 min Let’s be clear: it hasn’t been a 3-0 match. Leicester were the better team at 0-0. But it is 3-0 and that isn’t good news for Leicester or Wayne Rooney.
GOAL! Manchester United 3-0 Leicester (Rashford 40)
The kid gets his usual goal. It was terrible defending from Amartey. Blind took a smart quick corner, passing to the weirdly unmarked Mata at the near post. He helped it first time across the six-yard box and Rashford slid it in from a few years. Mata was Amartey’s man, and his ears are currently full.
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GOAL! Manchester United 2-0 Leicester (Mata 37)
This is a fine goal from Juan Mata. He started the move on the right, pushing the ball into Pogba, who dinked it first time to Lingard on the edge of the box. Lingard had a defender at his back and stabbed it first time into the path of Mata’s run. He allowed the ball to run across him and then drove a fine half-volley from 15 yards that swerved away from Zieler and into the far corner.
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34 min Herrera plays a fine pass to Rashford, who runs menacingly at Huth before being robbed by the ever excellent Drinkwater.
31 min Another lovely first-time pass from Pogba frees Valencia on the right. Fuchs gets back well to block his cross.
30 min All of a sudden Pogba is playing like a lord. He hits a big, booming 30-yard shot towards the near post that Zieler can only beat behind for a corner.
29 min “You can see Mourinho has been drilling his team this week on both corners and free kicks,” says Sam Evans. “Defending is much improved & the goal was from a very well worked corner.”
27 min Ibrahimovic almost scores a memorable goal! After some quick one-touch passing, Pogba shaped to shoot from 25 yards and then dinked a gorgeous pass over the top of the defence for Ibrahimovic. He took it beautifully on the chest while turning towards goal at the same time, but then belted his volley over the bar from 10 yards. The first bit was the hardest bit; he did that beautifully, but despite his taekwondo legs he just couldn’t get over the volley.
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26 min After a towering header from Pogba, Rashford tries an overhead kick from 15 yards that goes well over the bar.
25 min Rashford misses a great chance to make it 2-0! It was a scintillating counter-attack after a Leicester corner. Herrera played it down the left to Ibrahimovic, who flicked a great square pass to put Rashford clear on goal (think Cole for Giggs v Everton in 1995-96). Rashford’s first touch was imperfect, and his second blazed it high and wide on the half-volley.
24 min “Did Gary Neville literally say all that stuff about plates of food,” says Ian Copestake, “or were you just really, really hungry?”
To me the two are not mutually exclusive.
23 min That goal was very much against the run of play, though I doubt United will care. Smalling is captain today in the absence of Rooney.
GOAL! Manchester United 1-0 Leicester (Smalling 22)
The simplest of goals gives United the lead. Blind swung a deep corner from the left to the far post, where Smalling got free to head down and through the hands of Zieler from six yards.
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19 min Leicester are the better team at the moment and look threatening on the counter-attack. Drinkwater is playing excellently with and without the ball.
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16 min A mix-up between Bailly and Valencia gives Leicester a corner on the left. It’s beautifully worked between Albrighton, Mahrez and Fuchs, whose cut-back finds Drinkwater on the edge o the area. His fierce shot is blocked, Amartey’s follow-up is also blocked, and finally Huth blooters a bouncing ball into orbit from a tight angle just outside the six-yard box.
13 min Leicester are coming into game now. Drinkwater, Mahrez and Albrighton combine nicely before Bailly boots the clear in the United box.
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10 min A promising move from Leicester. Albrighton robs Valencia on the edge of the area and gets a return pass from Vardy, but crosses too close to De Gea with Slimani free at the far post.
9 min Pogba plays a one-two with Lingard and finds Ibrahimovic, who fractionally overhits his through pass to Rashford.
7 min Mata plays a nice short pass to Valencia, whose cross is deflected behind for a corner. This is a chance for Mike Dean. Mata swings it under the bar and Zieler, once of United, punches clear. It’s dumped back into the box and headed up in the air towards Ibrahimovic, who volleys well wide of the far post from 12 yards. It was a very awkward ball to deal with, even for him.
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6 min Referee Mike Dean penalises Simpson for an off-the ball block on the lively Rashford, who was running in behind him. Leicester have hardly had a kick so far, though they are one of the few teams in world football who are entirely comfortable without the oxygen of possession.
4 min Pogba plays a Hollywood pass to Valencia on the right. His cross is headed clear to Blind, who decides to try his luck from 25 yards. His luck was not in.
3 min It’s been a fast start from United, if not quite with the manic intensity we might have expected in the circumstances. No action of note.
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1 min Manchester United kick off from left to right. They are in red, Leicester in blue.
Wayne Rooney looks very happy as he chats to Michael Carrick on the bench. As Graeme Souness on Sky, on some level there is probably some relief.
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The players are in the tunnel. Daley Blind is again sporting the Johnny-Depp-in-Black-Mass look. This is a big game for both teams, and one of them could be reluctantly clutching the Premier League Crisis Baton™ by 3pm.
“Agree that Pogba has to be the furthest forward midfielder in a three - ideally with Carrick and Herrera behind,” says Kevin Wilson. “I suspect Mkhitaryan will be used like Mata and also Kagawa; out of position, wide on the right, not fully respected or appreciated by the manager.”
He’s the new Joe Cole!
“Rooney’s ‘deselection’,” says Phil Podolsky. “The second best piece of news for fans of truth and beauty in the last hour #topical.”
“You spend £500m and have a midfield of Mata, Pogba and Herrera?” says Stephen Lysaght. “That can’t be Rooney’s fault.”
Yes it is, and so is Brexit.
The thing with Pogba and Mkhitaryan is that Rob Smyth Understands (TM)* Pogba is at his best in a 4-3-3 and Mkhitaryan is best used as a No10 in a 4-2-3-1. So there has to be some kind of compromise. I suspect Mkhitaryan will eventually become a kind of false, floating, inverted 7.5 in a 4-3-3 formation.
* I don’t watch much of that foreign muck so there’s every chance I’m wrong.
The future's yours but the past was mine
This is possibly the greatest goal ever scored in this fixture. If it was Suarez and Messi rather than Heskey than Claridge, it would be legendary.
“More than Rooney being dropped, I was surprised to see Carrick left out,” says Kari Tulinius. “You’d think against a team like Leicester Mourinho would want someone at the back of midfield who can control the game and rarely if ever gives the ball away. One of the best decisions Ferguson ever made was to build the last great team he put together around Carrick and Scholes. Maybe Carrick just doesn’t have the stamina anymore to start two fixtures in a row.”
Yes, me too. He is 35 now, but then he’s always been quite an economical footballer. I expected a 4-3-3 today, with Carrick instead of Lingard and Mata on the right.
Now that the deRooneyisation of Manchester United has begun, here’s the next question: how do you get Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the same team in a satisfactory manner?
If you have Sky Sports, put it on: Graeme Souness and Gary Neville in particular are in magnificent form, currently discussing how mollycoddled footballers have become. It’s belting television. “Their agents tell them how great they are all day. They don’t tell them the truth.”
The match won’t be as good as this.
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An email! “There’s no point in even doing this minute by minute now,” says David Flynn, “not until we work out which players are which meals.”
If he mentioned a dog’s dinner it might have narrowed it down.
Gary Neville is in majestic form this morning
“The last 10 transfer windows have been overseen by four different managers, so what you’ve got is four different managers’ players. You’ve got a plate with bolognese, a chicken tikka masala, a roast dinner and loads of curry and gravy thrown over the top - individually they’re quite nice but together... Jose Mourinho’s got to find which bits of that plate he doesn’t like. That’ll take time. It’s ridiculous to criticise him after five or six games.”
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More from Gary Neville
“Can this team win the league? The distraction of Wayne Rooney has gone today. The excuses are over. Let’s look at the rest and see whether they’re good enough to win the league, because that’s the big issue here, not Wayne Rooney.”
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Gary Neville on Rooney
“In some ways, it’s become a distraction and that’s not good. It’s the right decision to leave him out today. He’s entering a period of his career where he needs to be managed towards the end of his career - it happened at this club with Robson, Giggs, Scholes. He can have the same end to his career where he plays 25/30 games a season and still contribute. He can play in a Europa League game and Zlatan can play on a Sunday. He has to accept that.
“I’m not saying that moment is now but it is coming, it happens to every player, and he should be relaxed about it. He’s played 800 football matches. It’s impossible for him to think he’s the same player he was 10 years ago. It’s the right thing for Wayne Rooney: he has looked mentally and physically shot in the last two weks. Have a rest and come back stronger. I think he can still contribute here.”
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Mourinho on dropping Rooney
“I knew the question would come, but I think the question should be that we have two young English players in the starting line-up. Lingard and Rashford are quick, the game is going to be intense and fast; we need fast players around Zlatan today. The last thing I want to do as a manager is hurt players or create negative situations - in a normal country with a normal media I would say, ‘23 players, lost of matches to play, fresh people, we have another match on Thursday’. It is just a normal decision.”
Team news: Wayne Rooney is omitted
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Blind; Herrera, Pogba; Lingard, Mata, Rashford, Ibrahimovic.
Substitutes: Romero, Rojo, Fosu-Mensah, Carrick, Fellaini, Young, Rooney.
Leicester City (4-4-2) Zieler; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Amartey, Albrighton; Slimani, Vardy.
Substitutes: Hernández, King, Hamer, Schlupp, Okazaki, Gray, Ulloa.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to exclusively live coverage of the champions’ visit to Old Trafford. Nobody has really talked about Leicester this season, such has been the focus of the teams holding the Premier League Crisis Baton. Leicester sit in 11th, having lost both away games, United are in seventh after consecutive defeats, and the whole word is waiting to find out whether Wayne Rooney has been dropped. Team news should arrive at 11.30am.
(And if you’re one of those old-fashioned types who is into actual football rather than news and speculation, kick-off is at 12.30pm.)
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