Four Things We Learned From United’s Comfortable Win Against The Blades

Manchester United coasted to a 3-0 home win against Sheffield United yesterday evening. The absence of a crowd certainly didn’t affect the players as they secured a comfortable victory.

The Red Devils were dominant throughout and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have been delighted by the link-up play in the final third of the pitch.

Fans watching from home would have been particularly excited by how the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes performed.

So what did we learn from the win against the Blades? Here are four talking points from the game.

Solskjaer May Well Have Found His Best Team

Finding the balance in any starting eleven can be tricky when you have a wealth of talent available to you, but Solskjaer may have stumbled upon his best team against the Blades.

With Nemanja Matic playing a disciplined role in midfield, sitting between the centre-backs at times, it allowed Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes to interchange and take turns in being the most advanced midfielder. The early signs are promising with an almost instant understanding between the duo.

Greenwood Needs To Stay In The Side

Although it may appear to be a very attacking line up with three strikers effectively upfront, Solskjaer’s decision to pick Mason Greenwood ahead of Dan James looked to be justified.

Having scored 12 goals in all competitions this season, the 18-year-old has been chomping at the bit for more regular starts in the league, and he certainly staked his claim, tracking back when required whilst also giving the Blades defence another threat to worry about.

Martial Is (Finally) Becoming A Number Nine

The Frenchman had never scored a hat-trick in his senior career before yesterday’s game. It sums up the forward’s lack of consistency during the early stages of his career, but there are signs he is developing into a more natural goalscorer.

Martial’s three goals last night means he now has 19 in all competitions; the most he has scored during any season of his professional career. Hopefully, the 24-year-old kicks on from here and ends the campaign with a flourish.

United’s Strength Continues To Be In Transition

The team’s strength continues to be on the counter-attack, with numerous chances against the Blades being created after mistakes from the opposition. The speed of the likes of Martial, Rashford and Greenwood also plays into this style.

It can come unstuck when teams sit very deep but, as United showed on the opening day of the season against Chelsea, it can also be devastating, and Solskjaer has employed the tactic on numerous occasions since then.

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