Manchester United rise above the storm in throwback Premier League battle with Leeds - Independent 20/2/22
Leeds United 2-4 Manchester United: Amid the madness of a Leeds comeback and difficult conditions at Elland Road, Ralf Rangnick’s side kept their heads to claim a crucial three points
Vithushan Ehantharajah
Ralf Rangnick and Marcelo Bielsa no doubt had carefully laid
plans coming into this fixture. But as they embraced at the end of a madcap 90
minutes, glasses cloudy and drenched to the bone, they might wonder why they
bothered.
Everyone has a progressive tactical system until they get
gale force winds in the face. And for all the fine-tuning done in the week
ahead of this meeting between one side looking up and the other looking down,
Manchester United’s triumph by four goals to Leeds United’s two was down to
being able to keep their feet above the water. Along with the bruises and
knocks to assess, it wouldn’t be a surprise if those who took part are checked
for trench foot.
Conditions at Elland Road were akin to what the rest of the
country has experienced over the last 48 hours. Indeed this game felt like a
series of tumbling trees, clattering road signs and both teams flying about the
turf like greenhouses threatening to cascade into their own houses. As Leeds
came back from 2-0 down at half-time and the home crowd were at their raucous
best, this felt like a return to the 90s, when every game between these two
carried grudges all over the pitch.
That Manchester United ultimately came through was down to a
superior quality that was not necessarily going to shine through in this
weather. And the key proponents were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho – two wheelie
bins flying majestically above it all.
For most of Sunday afternoon, Pogba seemed impervious to the
driving rains and the sodden conditions underfoot. First touches were often
followed by crunching challenges, every pass just short followed by one too
long. Bearings had to be recalibrated with each passing minute, and yet Pogba
was the only one making amendments ahead of time, like the only man who checked
the forecast before leaving home.
Bielsa’s decision to pick Adam Forshaw over Raphinha spoke
much of wanting functionality over flair, but the former merely served as the
control experiment. The starkest comparison for Forshaw came when his
one-on-one duel with Pogba was taken wide to the left. Pogba brought play to a
standstill before an un-telegraphed twitch of his right foot took him beyond
the 30-year-old and to the edge of the box.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s botched finish robbed Pogba of an assist
to go with the four he managed in Manchester United’s opening day 5-1 against
these opponents.
His languid legs trapped and won the ball off almost every
player in white who wanted to battle. No player came close to his influence in
the first half. And even his removal on 67 minutes, after strikes from Rodrigo
and Raphinha 59 seconds apart to get Leeds back level, felt like an error of judgement
from Rangnick. Nevertheless, whether playing for a summer exit or a new deal,
this was one of Pogba’s most influential showings this season.
Sancho, meanwhile, lasted the course, gliding throughout and
turning into the odd skid like a Formula One car on slick tyres. You could
argue his performance was a little bit more emphatic than Pogba’s given the
influence on the final scoreline.
His chipped cross for Bruno Fernandes’s header came after a
neat one-two to encourage Victor Lindelof’s driving run before receiving an
extra “one” from the defender for his assist. Similar awareness came for Fred’s
winning strike when he set the Brazilian through on goal from the edge of the
box. And beyond the on-ball quality was an unerring responsibility to work just
as hard towards his own goal.
Indeed that last part underpins why and how Manchester
United were able to successfully navigate the literal and metaphorical storm.
The second half was the kind of battle that would seem beyond a group of
players who have been indulged in their own civil wars since Rangnick came in
for his interim spell. The latest episode has included an apparent tussle for
leadership in the dressing room which has been momentarily been put to rest
with Harry Maguire – armband on his sleeve – heading in the opening goal.
Indeed the only fighting evident on Sunday was with their
opponents. Fernandes’s relentless niggle to now go with six goals in this
fixture has no doubt elevated him to villain status from a Leeds perspective.
Was this a show of Manchester United’s mentality? It’s hard
not to answer in the affirmative given the resilience on show. They put in the
most robust tackles – “winning” the foul count 19 to 13 – and the heated
stand-offs. All in keeping with what was at stake on the day and for the rest
of the season. With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur winning on Saturday, and with
three games in hand, establishing a four-point cushion in fourth ahead of West
Ham was a necessity.
The club remains a long way off from where they need to be.
But at a time when they are lamented for being far from what they were, this
display in a blood and guts throwback meeting with a bitter rival could be a
nod to brighter times ahead.