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Man Utd player ratings from the Europa League defeat to Real Sociedad.
Ayden Heaven made his first start for Manchester United as they defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 in the Europa League last 16 last night. The 18-year-old impressed against former side Arsenal last weekend and was one of three changes made to the starting line up by Ruben Amorim.
The United head coach said Hayden was rewarded with a start because he had ‘proved himself’ in both training in matches, and it was the utmost show of faith to start the teenager in what was United’s biggest match of the season. There were a few shaky moments from the youngster, but it was impressive to see him impose himself on the occasion and not go into hiding.
He was always asking for the ball from teammates, though his decision-making was questionable at times. This was a performance that indicated he has the right mentality for Amorim’s style of play and is not fazed by the pressure he is under at such a young age. A first start should be followed with a second against Leicester this weekend.
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A concerning record continues
United might have complaints about the penalty that led to Real Sociedad’s early opener, but they can’t have any complaints about the dire manner in which they started the match. It was always going to be a huge test of character to cope with the occasion as well as the opposition, something they struggled to do from the start.
Sociedad had already sent a couple of warning signs at the United goal before they eventually took the lead, a goal that extended a horrendous home record. United have now conceded first in 10 of their last 12 home games in all competitions and have gone 12 Old Trafford outings without keeping a clean sheet either.
It’s an issue they will need to solve by the time they host Lyon in the quarter-finals next month.
Captain fantastic
There was one key detail missing when Manchester United unveiled their bold new stadium plans earlier in the week: a monument to Bruno Fernandes. On what was their most important night of the season, he came through for his side again, with two well-taken penalties to turn the game on its head and keep their Champions League dream alive.
It was yet another example of the talent and leadership he possesses and a reminder of why co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe signalled him out for specific praise earlier in the week. The Portuguese playmaker will always have his lacklustre trophy haul used against him when he is compared with previous club greats, but few have carried a team so often as he has done during his five years at the club.
Fernandes has already been named the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year on three occasions, and he is the leading candidate to take the crown again at the end of this campaign. Even Ratcliffe knows that.
Duo provide perfect response to Sir Jim Ratcliffe comments
It was only three days previous Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated some United players are "not good enough" and some are "overpaid." He did not specifically name them, but five were namechecked by the co-owner as "inherited" players they would not necessarily have endorsed themselves.
Three of them started for United against Sociedad on Thursday night, two of them had their best games in a long time. Andre Onana enjoyed a relatively quiet night in goal, while Casemiro pulled the strings in midfield with another calm and composed performance. His upturn in form has been documented a lot over recent weeks, but this was the best one yet and reminiscent of his debut season.
His skills were amplified even more by the slower pace of the Europa League, while the softer rules of the competition also ensured both he and Rasmus Hojlund were not as physically overpowered as they often are in the domestic game. Hojlund will rue that he did not find the back of the net again, but it didn't matter as much on a night when they still scored four. Yes, United might have overpaid for a lot of their stars but they produced a timely response to questions of their worth. They might be good enough yet.
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