Rio: Sanchez has already impressed team-mates
UNITED players have been ‘super impressed with what they have seen’ from Alexis Sanchez in just his second week at the club, according to Rio Ferdinand.
The Chilean looked destined for a move to City, but the Reds pulled off one of the signings of the season when they captured the marquee forward last month.
Sanchez was named man-ofthe-match on his debut against Yeovil Town, helping to create two goals in the 4-0 win, and was one of the few positives from United’s disappointing defeat to Tottenham on Wednesday night.
And Ferdinand has revealed that a number of his former team-mates have been just as captivated as the rest of us.
“They will be getting to know him and speaking to a few of the guys on the phone this week, they have been super impressed with what they have seen,” he told BT Sport.
“His movement, his intensity, his hunger to play football and his ability – that’s what’s stood out for these guys.” YOU could see it was getting heated between Jose Mourinho and Paul Pogba from the distant vantage point in the Wembley first tier. Phil Jones had just swept the ball into his own net and Mourinho had previously issued instructions to the dithering Pogba at 1-0. Now Mourinho summoned Pogba like a headmaster ordering a pupil.
The exchange between the duo, filmed by broadcasters, showed a tense Pogba covering his mouth. Mourinho used his hands to fuel his orders and the lip readers will be able to construct his sentences in time.
It made Pogba’s 63rd-minute withdrawal less of a surprise. It was the first time Pogba’s removal was unenforced with United in a losing position and Tottenham marked the Frenchman’s first Premier League loss since October 23, 2016, at Chelsea. United conceded within a minute that day, too.
The Reds have failed to win any of their eight fixtures at City, Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool under Mourinho, managing one goal. December’s dicey defeat of Arsenal was anomalous and Pogba’s positioning remains a recurring problem. So is Mourinho’s indecision in ‘big six’ fixtures.
Re-writes were required after Mourinho confirmed substitute Marouane Fellaini’s withdrawl was enforced. It was an understandable assumption, though. Marcus Rashford was preparing to come on and Mourinho hastily informed Ander Herrera he was needed after the livewire Son Heung-Min breached United again. Not for the first time, Mourinho was caught between two stools. United’s intentions in the ‘big six’ contests this term have been admirable, what with them using the attack-minded 4-2-3-1 and variants of 3-5-2. Peculiarly, Mourinho seems reluctant to consider a midfield trio and he repeated that mistake in the derby, as City played through the hesitant hosts, whose front four was so detached from the midfield duo the chasm was as open as the Grand Canyon.
Herrera may have regressed but he disrupts opponents and Nemanja Matic doesn’t. The Serb has become undroppable for the wrong reasons and he seemed to find the advertising hoardings more often than a red shirt at Wembley. Matic’s last acceptable performance was at Arsenal on December 3 and he went into that game on the back of a woeful Watford outing.
Matic was signed as the yard dog to let Pogba scamper forward and his inability to dispossess Spurs agitated Pogba. The Frenchman has little inclination to muck in as the team’s totem and that attitude isolated Matic against one of the most fluid forward threes in the league. Son, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli dovetailed seamlessly against a two-man midfield which was effectively reduced to one, and that lone midfielder being Matic. Pogba and Matic are fine together against the Premier League fodder but not against the elite. It was understandable Mourinho went with what was regarded as the ideal XI among United supporters against a Tottenham team which has settled on 4-2-3-1 in recent months and Pogba and Matic should not be intimidated by Mousa Dembele and Eric Dier. Dier was Mourinho’s main midfield target and United fans saw why on Wednesday night. He is five years Matic’s junior and his mobility is an underrated aspect of Mauricio Pochettino’s attack and defence. He shadowed Anthony Martial whenever Kieran Trippier foraged – a symptom of his central defensive stints – and Mourinho Samuel Luckhurst