And so a new era approaches, with Manchester United having confirmed the appointment of Portuguese coach, Ruben Amorim, as the permanent successor to Erik ten Hag.
The Sporting CP boss – who has won two league titles during his time in Lisbon – is set to officially take charge during the upcoming international break, providing interim coach, Ruud van Nistelrooy, with three more games as the main man in the dugout.
Quite why Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co did not act during the previous international break is rather curious, with the club now faced with a brief delay before Amorim can properly get going at Old Trafford.
Date
Competition
Opponent
03 Nov
Premier League
Chelsea (H)
07 Nov
Europa League
PAOK (H)
10 Nov
Premier League
Leicester (H)
24 Nov
Premier League
Ipswich (A)
28 Nov
Europa League
Bodo/Glimt (H)
01 Dec
Premier League
Everton (H)
04 Dec
Premier League
Arsenal (A)
The whole debacle ensures yet more scrutiny must be focused on the new INEOS regime, having dallied over whether to dismiss Ten Hag in the summer; publicly undermined the Dutchman by sounding out other managers; decided to extend his contract, before ultimately opting to sack the 54-year-old just nine games into the new Premier League season.
Parting ways with the former Ajax boss was, in the end, inevitable, however, with United having looked refreshed and revitalised during the 5-2 thrashing of Leicester City on Wednesday night.
That thumping win in the League Cup is set to be followed by the visit of Chelsea to the Theatre of Dreams later today, with Van Nistelrooy having a key decision to make with regard to who should start against the Blues.
The Man Utd star who must be dropped vs Chelsea
Ten Hag must have, metaphorically, been tearing his hair out had he kept a close eye on proceedings in Manchester in midweek from afar, with the Red Devils showcasing a ruthless and clinical nature in front of goal that had been distinctly lacking in the early knockings of the season.
Yes, the opposition – like with the 7-0 win over League One side Barnsley – must be factored into the equation, but it was almost comical how the hosts when front from missing chance after chance at the London Stadium, to Casemiro then curling one in off the crossbar in pinpoint fashion against the Foxes.
The Reds were in rampant mood after surging into a 4-2 lead at the break, although one man who was largely a bystander to proceedings was Joshua Zirkzee, with the £36.5m summer signing still waiting to add his debut goal against Fulham.
Described as looking “nowhere near United level” by ESPN’s Mark Ogden, the 23-year-old did provide assists against both Fenerbahce and West Ham, although neither was particularly spectacular in truth.
It is still early days, but the striker’s seemingly casual style appears at odds with the rigours of the Premier League, while against Leicester, he failed to win a single duel and lost the ball 13 times from just 34 touches.
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Again, perhaps patience is required, but if you can’t get up for it when backed up by a Dutch striking legend like Van Nistelrooy, what hope do you have?
With that in mind, it could be time to return Rasmus Hojlund to the starting lineup today.
How Rasmus Hojlund can terrorise Chelsea
The Danish marksman was a late substitute in midweek, having endured a quiet display of his own away to the Hammers at the weekend as he was largely starved of service on the day, restricted to just two shots on goal.
As was seen against Brentford, however – where the 21-year-old delightfully dinked the ball over the onrushing Mark Flekken – he can be ruthless in front of goal if given the opportunity, having ended last season as the club’s top scorer.
Injury has played its part in a return of only two goals this time around, but the former Atalanta man has looked impressive with regard to his improved hold-up play and physicality, with pundit Jamie Carragher suggesting that he is now “starting to look a player”.
Standing at 6 foot 4, and with pace and power to boot, Hojlund is seemingly the perfect centre-forward for Amorim’s 3-4-3 system, with the hope that he can replicate the work of fellow Scandinavian star, Viktor Gyokeres, who has scored 63 goals in just 66 games under the Portuguese coach at Sporting.
The 6 foot 2 Swede possesses that knack for tearing away from defences, prior to demonstrating real composure in front of goal – as shown below – with the hope being that Amorim can turn Hojlund into a similar sort of goalscoring “monster”, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
In the short term, however, all eyes will be on Chelsea, with the youngster – who has been hailed as “so quick” by former boss Gian Piero Gasperini – able to utilise his explosive pace to terrorise the Blues’ backline.
The Stamford Bridge side boast frightening firepower with the likes of Cole Palmer, Pedro Neto and Nicolas Jackson et al, but defensively, they do appear to be lacking, with William Gallas describing their defensive line as “completely amateur”, following the 2-1 defeat at Anfield.
As indicated in the clash with Liverpool – in which Tosin escaped a red card for dragging down Diogo Jota – there is space in behind Enzo Maresca’s backline for a speedy striker to exploit, something that could play right into the hands of Hojlund.
Of course, it will be Van Nistelrooy calling the shots for the next week or so, but make no mistake, Amorim will surely be watching.
Hojlund, like the rest of his teammates, are no doubt now playing for their futures – a big performance is needed against an in-form Chelsea side…
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