Gutless and completely lost, Fred and Andreas Pereira were the epitome of a largely woeful Manchester United performance at Bramall Lane
* Manchester United were outclassed for large portions against Sheffield United
* Fred and Andreas Pereira in particular struggled in the centre of the park
* Scott McTominay's stock went up on Sunday, and that's without even playing
Without even playing, Scott McTominay’s rising stock just went up again. A man who would have relished coming here. The rescue act might not have been required had he been available.
Credit to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who recognised the need to correct his midfield at half-time, but Sunday was further proof of how woefully short Manchester United are in that area.
For much of this, they were gutless in the middle of the park. ‘Forged in steel,’ is proudly printed everywhere inside Bramall Lane. United, by contrast, appeared to be forced together with playdough as Andreas Pereira and Fred toiled as a partnership.
Manchester United's Fred looks on despondently after Sheffield United open the scoring
Fred and midfield partner Andreas Pereira, who was taken off in the second-half, struggled
Sheffield United flood midfield and their visitors looked like drowning. Solskjaer rightly points towards injuries in that area – Paul Pogba watched this defeat on a mobile stream of ESPN in Miami, Nemanja Matic still is not fit – but was initially let down by those he picked.
Pereira and Fred were completely lost, wondering what had hit them, as if they had not paid any attention to the Premier League with Sheffield United in it this season. McTominay, meanwhile, can mix the physicality that games like these pose with invention in possession.
Fred struggled both with and without the ball as Sheffield Utd bypassed Man Utd's midfield
United surrendered any authority on proceedings they might have owned with Solskjaer’s team selection. He admitted his mistake when one down at the break, introducing Jesse Lingard. They gained more control as a result and the three goals in seven minutes were devastating, only to then concede an equaliser in stoppage time.
That is the least the hosts deserved after sussing United out in the opening 10 minutes, sitting in and allowing them possession. Once both Pereira and Fred failed to execute simple passes through the lines, gifting cheap ball away, they knew this was there for the taking.
Time and again you looked at United’s midfield and wondered quite how it had come to this – Pereira the guilty party on countless occasions.
If he was not merely mirroring the ball’s path for the first goal – eventually seen skipping on the edge of his box – then he was having his pocket picked by John Fleck. At one point he somehow managed to simultaneously jump and cower from an aerial ball.
Pereira was also culpable for the second, minutes into the second half, when his heavy touch allowed Lys Mousset to gallivant forward and eventually whip beyond David De Gea.
McTominay’s ankle problem is likely to keep him out for another couple of weeks yet and a reunion with his great champion Jose Mourinho when Tottenham arrive at Old Trafford on December 4 seems unlikely. Solskjaer must be dreading that already and counting down the days until January.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-7720609/Gutless-completely-lost-Fred-Pereira-epitome-woeful-Man-United-display.html
kehilangan Tominay karena cedera membuat lini tengah jadi limbung, Fred kehilangan tandemnya