Strange United lack old arrogance

TEN minutes into the second half at Huddersfield, BT’s pundits were criticising Alexis Sanchez for failing to provide defensive cover down Manchester United’s left side. Seconds later, Sanchez was creating a decisive second goal for his team, finished off nicely by Romelu Lukaku. To me this sums up this current United side. They can look terribly ordinary and lacking in spark but at the same time they are, on the whole, reasonably and predictably effective. Jose Mourinho’s team are currently lying second in the Premier League, are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup — with a kind draw at home to Brighton — and the last 16 of the Champions League. Mourinho, it seems, is doing something right, at least. Yet this is, I must say, one of the strangest United teams I have ever seen. They are short on dominating characters and players who can run a game of football. They are short of personality and short of a bit of arrogance. But they do find a way to get results. It was strange to watch a United team dominated in possession and territory by Huddersfield, but at the same time there was never any doubt in my mind that they would win the game. United will not be Premier League champions this season and I do not think they will finish second if Liverpool continue to improve. But they go to Sevilla in the Champions League this week and I think Europe may hold something for them this time round. Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham have scored 11 away goals between them in their knockout ties. I would not expect Mourinho’s men to add greatly to that tally. But this is a United team that can be effective in their own puzzling, prosaic, resolute way. In the Champions League, that can get you a long way.