Tahith Chong was the surprise inclusion in Manchester United’s starting line up at Wolves.
The Dutch winger was making his first start for the club since his ill fated performance away at Astana. He missed an open goal in that one, before United conceded twice and lost the game.
Last night against Wolves in the 0-0 draw he had a better showing, even if he is a bit bruised this morning.
The 20-year-old was on the receiving end of a couple of tough challenges, including one which left him screaming in pain on the touchline late in the second half.
Positive effort
Chong worked hard on both sides of the ball, doing his duty chasing back and trying to offer an outlet in attack.
Going forward he struggled to make an incisive impact, but no United player did, in a match where we had 12 shots and none on target.
The biggest compliment to Chong is that he did not look out of place in comparison to his teammates. He was no worse than Juan Mata or Dan James, which is progress to some degree.
Earlier in the season in Europa League games he seemed out of his depth and below the standard of his teammates.
This game showed some improvement for him and demonstrated to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that he might want to give him more opportunities.
Chong touched the ball 38 times in 90 minutes, which wasn’t a lot. He did manage to create one chance, and completed 90 per cent of his passes.
He was tidy without being spectacular. For Chong, that was a small step forward.
After the Astana game, he responded by scoring and assisting for the academy in successive games. That showed character. He just hasn’t been able to translate that form to first team level.
It is still uncertain if he is capable of taking the next step, but this performance will have lifted his confidence.
His expiring contract adds mystery over his future. The more game time he gets, the more likely he is to want to sign.
Positive reaction
United fans were encouraged by Chong’s display, noting a small improvement. Here is a look at the reaction…
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- Forget Lewandowski, Man Utd can sign a younger alternative with big pedigree for free
- Five times David Beckham stole the show at the World Cup
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