United find way to thrill as Pogba is left out again
Twenty-four hours after Jose Mourinho’s agent, Jorge Mendes, released a statement claiming, somewhat unconvincingly, that Manchester United were “very happy” with their embattled manager, his side finally produced something genuinely worthy of a slap on the back.
It has felt like an awfully long time coming, and United have lost so much ground over recent weeks that the top four remains a tall order, but if they play like this consistently over the remainder of the campaign then anything is possible.
“We need these performances more often,” Juan Mata said after his side’s biggest win of the season. “That is the Manchester United we want to see.”
Yes, Fulham were largely pitiful, their brief hope of a comeback when Aboubakar Kamara scored a penalty to make it 3-1 extinguished when AndreFrank Zambo Anguissa was sent off for a second booking a minute later.
But on an afternoon when Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford claimed their first goals at Old Trafford this term after Ashley Young and Mata had fired them into a rare, commanding 2-0 lead, it was telling that Mourinho’s side again looked far more enterprising going forward without Paul Pogba.
Pogba was not even summoned from the bench, and you have to wonder what the future holds for the mercurial France midfielder, omitted for the third time in four matches.
No one would be surprised now if he is left out at Liverpool next Sunday, even if Mourinho confirmed Pogba would start against Valencia on Wednesday, and it was clear who the manager was referring to when he said: “The players have shown they can be a better team than they are. When there is solidarity in the team, everyone giving their maximum, you attract more positive things.”
So what does Pogba need to do to get back in the side? “He has to play with the same mentality as the team is play- ing,” Mourinho said. “Paul can be a fantastic player – he has the potential to be a fantastic player.”
You certainly had to wonder what Pogba made of United’s second and third goals, minor classics both. In both instances, United looked so much sharper minus their record £89 million signing, moving through the gears with the kind of quick, slick interplay neutralised of late by his tendency to overcomplicate. Mata and Jesse Lingard, in particular, offered plenty of running and cunning. Young and Diogo Dalot worked up and down the flanks brilliantly and Rashford’s sheer work ethic deserved a cathartic goal when he smashed one in late on.
Fulham face a struggle to stay up. “First half I told them is to get relegated, on the second half we can survive,” manager Claudio Ranieri said.
The quality of the goals was high. Young must have thought his top-corner bullet from just inside the penalty area would not have been bettered but it was trumped by sumptuous moves for the two that followed before long. For the third, Mata collected a short corner and fed Lingard. The return from Lingard was a sublime pass that zipped between five Fulham players and into the path of Mata to pull back for Lukaku to stab home his first goal at Old Trafford since March. Mourinho celebrated by high-fiving his bench.
The second was fashioned by Lukaku and Rashford down the left. Rashford’s pullback was pinpoint and Mata rolled a delicious, first-time finish into the bottom corner.
Fulham’s best period saw them score when Ander Herrera brought down Kamara and the Fulham substitute converted the penalty. But Ranieri’s side shot themselves in the foot within 60 seconds when Zambo Anguissa – already on a yellow for a foul on Lingard – was given a second booking for appearing to catch Rashford. Rashford then capped a memorable day late on.
For once, United had plenty to smile about.