Well, that was not what we were expecting. Yes, we knew it probably would not be easy against Sheffield United, but we did not see a home defeat coming.
United were not at it from the first minute and Sheffield United deserved their victory.
It was a reality check we probably had coming. A huge response is now needed.
Here is a look at United’s three worst players against Sheffield United…
Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial scored a hat-trick against Sheffield last June. He has now netted just nine times in 36 games since.
He has only two Premier League goals this season, the same now as Harry Maguire.
It was quite incredible really that Martial lasted all 90 minutes. His display was frustrating to watch.
He was toothless in attack and a liability defensively, giving the ball away and not bothering to chase back.
His performances are getting really worrying now and United seem like a weaker team whenever he is on the pitch.
Marcus Rashford
For all the criticism of Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford was not much better.
Rashford scored twice in the away win against the Blades, but rarely looked like threatening last night.
He had just one shot on target, and while he completed five dribbles, it did not lead him anywhere.
We had expected United to rest him for this one, and looking back, we might as well have done, and given somebody else a chance.
Nemanja Matic
Matic’s physical presence makes him a useful player, sometimes, against teams like Sheffield United. But he had a poor game at Bramall Lane and again last night.
The Serbian was missing in action on a couple of occasions as Sheffield United created one-on-one chances.
For Sheffield United’s second goal he had a couple of chances to close his opponents down, and both times backed off, allowing them to pass inside to box.
Matic’s style of play was also part of the reason United struggled. The pace was just too slow.
There were other poor performers too. Axel Tuanzebe was lucky not to be on this list after another night on which he struggled to grab his opportunity.
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