It was certainly a shock to see Manchester United lose to Crystal Palace at the weekend. You really have to feel sorry for Andreas Pereira too, who was left on the bench.
Pereira was our pick to start the game in place of Jesse Lingard, who looks like he needs a spell out of the team.
The 23-year-old provided the assist for Anthony Martial’s goal against Chelsea on the opening day of the season.
This followed up assists against Leeds and Tottenham in pre-season.
The faith in Lingard is puzzling, as he had no assists in pre-season, and has not managed one in the whole of 2019.
Pereira’s season last year was undermined because neither Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave him a proper run in the team.
It looked like that might be set to change this season. It still could, but the way he was overlooked at the weekend and against Wolves was disappointing.
Pereira is not just a threat from open play, he is a danger from set pieces too.
He is a far more dangerous free-kick taker than Marcus Rashford, who has barely got near the target with his recent efforts, and his corner delivery is sharper than anything United have offered over the last two games.
Dan James on the right hasn’t worked so far. Against Wolves he had six crosses, and found an opponent with every one. His goal against Palace came when he switched to the left.
Pereira has said he is willing to play out on the right, and it was from there where he provided Martial’s goal.
One step forward…
This weekend United travel to Southampton, the team Pereira scored his memorable long range goal against last season at Old Trafford.
Pereira is not perfect, he is still developing his game, but he can’t do that from the bench or the stands.
After his goal against Southampton last season and away win at PSG, Pereira found himself on the sidelines.
The same has happened again after his superb cross for Martial in the opening game. Solskjaer is not showing enough faith in him, not giving him the chance to build on the positive contributions he makes.
United don’t have many creative players. Pereira is one, who did deliver in his one chance.
He might just be United’s unluckiest player so far this season, the only star of the win over Chelsea to be dropped.
With United crying out for creativity, its time to change that up again, and he shouldn’t be judged just on his next match.
Give him a run of games in a creative role, in the centre, even out on the right wing, and let him show what he is capable of.
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