Manchester United’s route to the Europa League at least next season looks done after Fulham knocked them out on penalties.
It was a game of few chances early on but picked up pace as players grew tired and started making it an end-to-end affair.
Bruno Fernandes’ goal canceled out Calvin Bassey’s opener and despite huffing and puffing in injury time, Victor Lindelof and Joshua Zirkzee’s missed penalties confirmed defeat.
Most of that “huffing and puffing” in extra-time was done by 17-year-old Chido Obi, who was given the ultimate striker’s compliment by Wayne Rooney despite the loss.
Wayne Rooney on Chido Obi vs Fulham
The bar for Chido Obi wasn’t set very high because Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles continued vs Fulham despite the Dane starting brightly.
When Hojlund came off for Chido Obi, there was a palpable sense of excitement for the sheer variety, the fanbase tired of seeing Hojlund trying to get out of a rut.
Obi, however, blew past those low expectations with a proper’s striker’s display that was only missing a goal but provided a lot of hope for the future.
Wayne Rooney, who knows a thing or two about good strikers, was seriously impressed by one attribute that sets him apart from his rivals for the first-team striker spot.
Rooney said: “What I’ve really liked about him is he’s put himself in some really good positions — I’ve been really impressed by him. He looked like the one who could go on and nick it.”
Chido Obi’s main skill is transferable to Man Utd first-team
Having the “smell of the goal”, as poachers call it, is something United haven’t had since Cristiano Ronaldo was at Old Trafford.
It is not something that can be mastered with pure training because it’s a natural instinct. Some are born with it and hone it to become world-class, while there’s a ceiling on others.
The way Obi gave trouble to Bassey and Andersen in his extended cameo was in stark contrast to Hojlund either making the wrong runs or getting bullied by the defenders.
As Rooney said, he was constantly getting into right positions and made a mockery of the argument in Hojlund’s favour that he doesn’t get service.
Obi was given an inch but he took a mile, fashioning chances through hold-up play or sheer running and intelligent movement.
A teenage Rooney rocked the Old Trafford and Sir Alex Ferguson showed if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.
It’s time for Ruben Amorim to repeat that trick with Chido Obi.
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