Two Manchester United players might have failed their auditions to start vs Athletic Club
The main talking points as Man Utd drew 1-1 with AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League.
Ruben Amorim was always likely to start a strong side against Bournemouth on Sunday as he looked to manage match sharpness ahead of their huge Europa League semi-final tie against Athletic Club. It meant there were five changes from the side that lost to Wolves, with wholesale changes expected in the away match versus Brentford this weekend.
A key decision was who would replace the injured Diogo Dalot at right wing-back. The Portuguese defender had been the most reliable player all season and has still only missed two of their 53 matches across all competitions. Amorim had a couple of options to deal with the injury setback, but opted to move Noussair Mazraoui to wing-back, rather than use Patrick Dorgu.
Mazraoui is another player trusted by Amorim and has arguably been their unsung hero of the season. Those performances have largely come as an auxiliary centre-back, but the defining ones look like they will be at wing-back.
A failed audition?
The headline team news was that Luke Shaw started for Manchester United for the first time in 343 days away at Luton. It is so long ago that Erik ten Hag was in the dugout and Rasmus Hojlund was scoring goals for fun. Shaw is at his best as a left centre-back, and with Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven both injured, there is a hope he could fill in that role for the remainder of the season.
It might be too big an ask. Shaw struggled with the intensity of the Premier League clash against Bournemouth while they had 11 men, just as he had done with the chaotic climate of their epic Europa League comeback win against Lyon. That is perhaps understandable given how little he has played, though it was also a worrying reminder of the risk it would be to play him against Athletic Club, even if he improved in the final stages
The Bournemouth performance will be forgiven if United play better on Thursday night, but for that match, Amorim has to pick his strongest side. It’s hard to argue Shaw should be in it.
Garnacho dilemma
It says a lot about the make-up of the Manchester United squad that the player who has played the most matches for them this season could still be sold this summer. Alejandro Garnacho has played in all but one of their 53 matches across all competitions, which was when he was dropped for the Manchester derby win over Man City.
He was in the starting line up again for the trip to face Bournemouth and posed an attacking threat with two good first-half efforts that should have found the back of the net. He deserves credit for his work rate and ethic, but at the same time, that is not enough to be a United forward. Garnacho’s struggles are not only a confidence issue but also one of fatigue. At his age, he should be a squad player, instead, there is huge pressure and scrutiny on him to perform every week. He is not in a healthy environment to develop and fulfil his clear potential.
It raises the debate on what to do next. Garnacho attracted genuine transfer interest in the summer, and as an academy product, any transfer fee would be recognised as pure profit. He would be a quick solution to their financial issues, but they would struggle to add another squad player like him. It would be hard to complain if he were dropped for Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount on Thursday night.
Hojlund grabs a goal
In the blink of an eye, Rasmus Hojlund went from an anonymous performance to an encouraging one. He only managed one shot during the match, but that was all he needed to find the back of the net. It is easy to criticise him when he isn’t scoring goals, but when he does, you have to overlook much of the criticism as well.
Sometimes it only takes one goal to drastically alter perception, and if a rejuvenated Hojlund finds the back of the net in a Europa League semi-final win, then all will be forgiven. What is clear is that he needs support, and if they can relieve some of the pressure on the striker this summer, then they would suddenly have a very compelling option on the bench.