United.

[toysoldier_00]

United Draw Liverpool in Next Round of EFL Cup

The storied rivalry will highlight the match ups of the fifth round

By Felix Short | September 23, 2021, 11:44 AM EST

Mo Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo will do battle in back-to-back games in late October. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

London, England – The draw for the fifth round of the EFL Cup was finalized this evening, and the juiciest match up will take place at Anfield, as Liverpool will host Manchester United.

The game will take place on Wednesday night, October 27th, 2021. Manchester United is slated to host Liverpool on Sunday, October 24th for their Premier League match up, so fans of United and Liverpool will be treated to back-to-back showdowns of some of the most storied teams in English football.

Liverpool defeated second-tier side Blackpool F.C. 2-0 in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Tuesday night, with Sadio Mané and Naby Keïta scoring in the first thirty minutes for Liverpool.

Manchester United trounced third-tier side Portsmouth F.C. at Old Trafford last night, getting goal contributions from Anthony Elanga, Jesse Lingard, Harry Maguire, Amad, Hannibal Mejbri and Donny van de Beek.


Share this Article

[toysoldier_00]

[toysoldier_00]

Villa Dominates United at Old Trafford

Supporters stunned to see United shutout by an underdog Aston Villa side

By Felix Short | September 25, 2021, 9:04 PM EST

John McGinn, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins all scored in the shutout victory against Man United. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Aston Villa arrived at Old Trafford this morning determined to make a statement, and they did exactly that, thumping Manchester United 3-0 in an early league game. United, who is coming off a tremendous streak of winning soccer, was thoroughly outplayed in the rain by the boys from Birmingham.

Aston Villa started the game off well, capitalizing early in the tenth minute. Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn fired a shot on goal, which was deflected by Victor Lindelöf, giving David De Gea no shot at the save. The stats indicate that the first half was fairly even, but by all observational estimation, Aston Villa seemed in control of the game. Fate added injury to insult in the later stages of the first half as Jesse Lingard was injured, forcing a questionable move to Juan Mata over the likes of Paul Pogba.

Aston Villa took their 1-0 lead into the half time. They doubled their lead early in the second half, after a terrible blunder by Luke Shaw put the ball at the feet of Danny Ings in front of goal. He didn’t miss and United found themselves trailing 2-0 in the 53rd minute. It was clear by the final twenty minutes that United had no intention of making a comeback, as Thomas Walker put the youngster Hannibal Mejbri in the game to close out the action. Aston Villa sub Ollie Watkins found a header from Phillippe Coutinho in the 80th minute to seal the deal as Villa began celebrating their three-nil win at Old Trafford.

“It was a tough game,” said Thomas Walker, who faced criticism after the game for his lineup selection, “We didn’t have it today and they did, and when that happens, at this level, the result won’t be pretty. There’s not much else to be said. We’re not even going to worry about licking our wounds. It’s just hats off to Villa and our focus turns to our upcoming game against Atalanta.”

Walker received criticism for a number of strange decisions in this game. After electing to start Jesse Lingard over Paul Pogba, Walker doubled down by using Juan Mata when Lingard had to leave the game with an injury in the second half. Walker also chose Mata over Donny van de Beek, who showed well against Portsmouth in the EFL Cup recently. Walker also received criticism for his decision to punt on this game, which was made obvious by the subbing on of Hannibal Mejbri for Bruno Fernandes in the 70th minute.

Mejbri has only made two appearances with the senior team before today. With that said, Mejbri did provide a bit of a spark offensively when he came on, similar to when he came on against Portsmouth.

Despite giving up three goals, David De Gea also had a good game, saving nine shots against an Aston Villa offense that seemed poised to attack all game. They got off nineteen shots, and David De Gea played a crucial role in the score line not being worse. He was only surpassed by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who earned man of the match honors for giving up zero goals on seventeen United shots.

United don’t have much time to lick their wounds as they host Atalanta in a big Champions League match up on Tuesday night. Perhaps that game was playing on the mind of Walker when he elected to sub off Bruno Fernandes early and left Paul Pogba on the bench.

With the win, Aston Villa moves up to seventh with nine points. Manchester United fall to fifth with ten points in the early going of the season.


Aston Villa: 3
Goal Scorers: John McGinn (10'), Danny Ings (53'), Ollie Watkins (80'); Assists: Phillippe Coutinho

Manchester United: 0
Goal Scorers: n/a; Assists: n/a

[toysoldier_00]

Rumour: Details of Daniel Hanssen Signing Emerge

The £4.2 Million Signing of 16-year-old Daniel Hanssen has gone under the radar so far

By Logan Plant / @plantlounited / September 26, 2021, 7:30 AM EST

16-year-old Norwegian Daniel Hanssen made the decision to move to United with his older brother Ove in July (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Rumor – Details have emerged regarding July’s signing of 16-year-old Daniel Hanssen from Lillestrøm SK’s Youth Academy. Hanssen made the announcement that he would be joining United on his twitter account just hours after Thomas Walker was announced as the next manager. Walker was officially introduced as United’s manager on July 1st, and the team announced the signing of Hanssen in a press note just hours later. So, while much of the energy that Hanssen’s move would have normally garnered was lost in the energy and excitement of Thomas Walker’s big day, much of the detail is now beginning to leak out.

Sources have confirmed with RedDevilUnited.com that Manchester United are set to send £4.2 million to Lillestrøm SK for Hanssen. United will also pay £800k for Daniel’s older brother Ove, who is a 17-year-old midfielder. This means that the United board will send £5 million to the Norwegian side in exchange for one of the brightest young prospects in Norwegian football. The addition of Daniel’s brother Ove adds intrigue to the purchase, as little was known about the diminutive Ove before he arrived at United’s Academy.

The fact that Hanssen made this decision immediately after Thomas Walker was announced as the next United coach does point to one of the most underappreciated aspects of the Walker hire. Walker is and wanted to be intimately connected to the Youth Development and Recruitment program at United. Walker has proven to be incredibly personable and has shown a special talent for recruiting young players to join his team, as evidenced by his track record at Lille. It’s clear that Walker was targeting this youngster to bring to Lille when the decision was made to appoint Walker as United’s next head man. Walker phoned Hanssen with the news and convinced the promising young attacker to move to Northwest England instead of Northern France.

It should not be as surprising that Hanssen would follow Walker to Manchester, as that United would spend such a hefty fee on the word of a coach who had not even arrived yet. It doesn’t appear that Manchester United’s scouting team had identified or pursued Hanssen prior to the appointment of Walker. Perhaps it was a welcome gift to Walker, as United has made it clear they would make no additional big money signings during the summer transfer window.

Or perhaps this is the United way now. In recent seasons the team has spent £19 million to bring in Amad from Atalanta, £9 million to bring in Facundo Pellistri from Peñarol, £5 million to bring in Hannibal Mejbri from AS Monaco, and £1 million to bring in Bruno Schmitt from VfB Stuttgart. Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Barcelona have all engaged in the practice of signing talented youngsters before they are ready to make an impact with the senior squad, and it appears that Manchester United is ready to join that group.


MORE FROM RED DEVIL UNITED
Confirmed: Mejbri, Shoretire and Hardley to temporarily train with first team
Rumor: United Looking Closely at Wolfsburg's Lacroix
What I'm Hearing: Hahn, Hanssen, Mejbri
Rumor: United Interested in Signing Rüdiger
Thoughts: Will Any Lille Stars Follow Walker to United?

[toysoldier_00]

United Coach and Faithful Impressed by Mejbri

Hannibal Mejbri was given an opportunity with the first team over the past week, and did not disappoint

By Felix Short | September 27, 2021, 7:41 AM EST

Hannibal Mejbri impressed in an EFL Cup game, which earned him minutes against Aston Villa. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Last week Manchester United coach Thomas Walker announced that he would be calling 18-year-olds Hannibal Mejbri and Björn Hardley to train with the senior team. Walker anticipated an opportunity to get the youngsters some playing time in last week’s EFL Cup game against third-tier Portsmouth, and both youngsters did see the field. This was presented as a reward for the excellent performances that the youngsters were putting in for the Under-23 side.

One of them, Hannibal Mejbri, really caught the attention of both Walker and the United fanbase. After coming on in the 57th minute against Portsmouth, Mejbri seemed to further jolt a flourishing offense to a new level. Rarely does any player impact the tempo and flow of a game as much as Mejbri did in his season debut. He was rewarded only a few minutes later with a goal to put his name in the record book as United defeated Portsmouth 7-1.

“He was really fun to watch,” said Thomas Walker after the game, “we really felt that Hannibal came in and changed the game. I think it was obvious for the fans too, but clearly from the coaching staff’s perspective he was electric.”

That performance earned him a seat on the bench in United’s embarrassing performance against Aston Villa, which ironically earned him some game time in a Premier League game. Coming in for the final fifteen minutes in order to give Bruno Fernandes a rest on a day in which he didn’t have his best stuff, Mejbri again sparked the team. United had waved the white flag in that game, but Mejbri came in and fought and made a few things happen. He earned significant applause from the fan base for his level of intensity on a rainy day that would see United lose 3-0 at home.

“I’m just so happy that I got to be here,” said Mejbri after the game. Mejbri was bought from AS Monaco in 2019 when he was a 16-year-old for £5 million. He’s a graduate of the legendary Clairefontaine Academy in France and has been rumored to be getting a call up to the Tunisian national team during the upcoming international window.

Thomas Walker did put a wet towel on the excitement after United’s loss to Everton, announcing that Mejbri, along with Björn Hardley and 17-year-old Shola Shoretire would return to working with the youth team. Still, United fans should not be surprised to see Mejbri back with the senior team at some point this season.


Share this Article

[toysoldier_00]

[toysoldier_00]

United Earn 3-1 Win over Atalanta

Manchester United earned their second win in Champions League competition on Tuesday night

By Felix Short | September 28, 2021, 11:54 PM EST

John McGinn, Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins all scored in the shutout victory against Man United. (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

Manchester, England – Manchester United won their second Champions League game on night, and Cristiano Ronaldo added to his scoring pace, defeating Atalanta 3-1 in a game that kept United fans on the edge of their seats for most of the game.

This back-and-forth game went scoreless into the half, after Atalanta striker Duván Zapata twice found himself open for a shot, that required acrobatic heroics from David De Gea to keep out of the net. Zapata found paydirt in the early second half though, as he took a pass from Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, stepped to his right and hit a screamer from outside the box into the top right corner of the net. As good as David De Gea had been, he was not going to be saving that.

After bringing on Marcus Rashford following that goal, United was able to turn the game over and regain momentum. Rashford’s speed disorganized the Atalanta defense, which gave the opening United needed to tie the game. This came as Pogba put a through ball past the Atalanta defense to Ronaldo’s feet, who found himself with a one-v-one with the keeper and nailed the inside post in the 73rd minute. Pogba and Ronaldo would hit pay dirt again in the 81st minute when Anthony Martial hit a through ball to a streaking Paul Pogba, who hit a beautiful cross to Cristiano Ronaldo for the tap in. United put the game away in the 88th minute after a corner kick found the right foot of Anthony Martial who pounded it in to seal a 3-1 win, and three points in the Champions’ League Group Stage.

“I love how we fought,” said United manager after the game, “I think we really left it all out on the field. We struggled at times, but our mentality never crumbled and eventually it broke through. That’s all I can ask for from the lads. They’ve really put themselves in a good position moving forward.”

Cristiano Ronaldo won man of the match honors for his two goals. Ronaldo now has six Champions’ League goals in two games and looks poised to send Manchester United on another deep run through the tournament. Ronaldo has twelve goals through United’s first nine games of the season.

“We really showed our heart,” Ronaldo said after the game. “I believe this team can win the whole tournament.”

Raphaël Varane, Fred, Eric Bailly, Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all also showed out well for United in the win.

Atalanta find themselves in trouble of not qualifying for the knockout stages after getting upset by Young Boys on Match Day One. They now enter their third match with Villarreal with zero points and in last place. Young Boys and Villarreal are tied with three points after Villarreal defeated Young Boys tonight. United top the group with six points and a plus-five goal differential.

Manchester United will host Everton this Saturday.


Atalanta: 1
Goal Scorers: Duván Zapata (58'); Assists: Teun Koopmeiners

Manchester United: 3
Goal Scorers: Cristiano Ronaldo (73'), Cristiano Ronaldo (81'), Anthony Martial (88'); Assists: Paul Pogba, Paul Pogba

[toysoldier_00]

What I'm Hearing: Schmitt, Shoretire, Hanssen

There is a lot of excitement about the crop of youngsters that make up the Under-23 squad

By Logan Plant / @plantlounited / September 30, 2021, 7:30 AM EST

Ove Hanssen has turned heads after arriving unheralded from Lillestrøm SK (Michael Bradley/Manchester Guardian)

What I’m Hearing – Manchester United has one of the most celebrated youth academies in world soccer, having produced some of the legends of the game including the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Sir Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville. Today, the youth academy is still an integral part of the lifeblood of United’s identity. With that in mind, here are some things I’m hearing about the youngsters.

Bruno Schmitt – Bruno Schmitt came into the season as the consensus top prospect in the Manchester United Youth System but has struggled to adapt to the U-23 level. The 6’7” giant was excellent last season with the U-18 squad, but he has failed to carry that momentum over to the youth team. United bought Schmitt when he turned 16 last summer from VfB Stuttgart, as a potential goalkeeper of the future. David De Gea is now 31, and it doesn’t appear that United sees Dean Henderson as the future, so the opportunity and excitement was there for Schmitt. Schmitt has been underwhelming so far however and appears unlikely to reach the lofty ceiling that United has envisioned for him a few months ago. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a high-quality player, but United will want to see him improve. Some believed he may be ready for a loan to a team that would offer him first team football during the Winter transfer window, but that seems increasingly unlikely after his play this season.

Shola Shoretire – Manchester United’s youth team always seems to be filled with attacking talent. Despite bigger names like Daniel Hanssen and Hannibal Mejbri looking for more snaps, I’m told that 17-year-old Shola Shoretire has been the leading scorer for United’s Under-23 squad so far. He was particularly special in a two-goal performance against Blackburn Rovers U-23 squad in late-September. He followed that up with a goal against Everton U-23 a week later. Those performances earned him some training time with the first team squad earlier this month. Shoretire featured on the bench for United’s 7-1 win over Portsmouth in the EFL Cup but did not see the field. Still, Shoretire looks like a kid poised to make the jump to first team football in 2022 and does not seem long for the youth game.

Ove Hanssen – There’s an old entertainer’s trick to save the best for last, and that’s what I’ve done here. Ove Hanssen arrived at Manchester’s Youth Academy this summer as an afterthought. He was the less heralded older brother of the much-hyped Daniel. United bought Ove in somewhat of a package deal for £800k, in what many felt was just an excuse to pay more for his younger brother. That doesn’t appear to be the case. Ove has come on stunningly well for a newcomer. United started him with the Under-18’s before watching him dominate for 180 minutes. He quickly earned promotion to the Under-23 team, where he’s spent the last month as arguably the team’s best player. When Hannibal Mejbri joined the first team, Ove was the undisputed best player on the squad. As an attacking midfielder, he showed no drop off from the level that Hannibal Mejbri displayed in the early parts of the season. It is easy to see why Ove was overlooked. He is small, maybe 5-foot-5, and isn’t particularly athletic. This is in sharp contrast to his 6-foot older brother who has a significantly better athletic profile. But Ove is a gamer, and while his upside may not be as high due to his size, he seems like he may actually impact Manchester United’s first team after all. From afterthought to potential first team call up, Ove has had an incredibly start to his time in England.

MORE FROM RED DEVIL UNITED
Rumor: Details of Daniel Hanssen Signing Emerge
Confirmed: Mejbri, Shoretire and Hardley to temporarily train with first team
Rumor: United Looking Closely at Wolfsburg's Lacroix
What I'm Hearing: Hahn, Hanssen, Mejbri
Rumor: United Interested in Signing Rüdiger