all the coaching changes at United, there is a glaring omission: a new fitness coach. United still have the same one who was promoted by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer five years ago, when United promised to have their fittest squad ever. Before the end of August, Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba were sidelined through injury.”
Of course that is hardly Arsenal’s fault as the article continues, “The flies have begun dropping quicker this season after the 66 cases recorded last season.” “The flies” is how they refer to Manchester United players – which seems a bit harsh.
Arsenal won, as I am sure you will know, and Manchester United continue at the top of the timeloss table published by the Athletic in which each injury that results in a player being unavailable for at least one game counts as one point, irrespective of however long the player is out.
Last season Manchester United won the “timeloss league” with 46 injuries. Second were Chelsea and third were Newcastle. The bottom four were Manchester City and Wolverhampton on 25 and then Arsenal and Fulham on 22. It is rather interesting that Arsenal and Man City were so close together on this – another thing Arteta seems to have picked up from Guardiola. (Incidentally, what is the betting that when Guardiola finally does leave Manchester C the media all come out with “The changing of the Guard (iolla)”?
By the 20th minute Manchester United (who surely need to have a new tactics coach and a new manager of fitness), had lost two players. After 14 minutes Rasmus Højlund went off and after 20 minutes Leny Yoro went off. That of course is their problem – our joy is that Martinelli came on as a substitute, looked not like the Martinelli of last season but the Martinelli of the season before – and scored.
Of course, this is pre-season in an alien time zone and an alien environment, but it was nevertheless a victory. It was another chance for the youngsters to mingle with the not-so-youngsters, and for every younger player on the tour to be reminded that if you are good enough, like Martinelli, you make it into the squad and then the team.
At the of the game there was what the Athletic calls a “pre-agreed penalty shootout” and that left me wondering what the difference is between “an agreed” penalty and a “pre-agreed” penalty. I am sure they know, but I don’t. Anyway Manchester U won that, whatever it was, so they might well be counting it as a victory.
But for Arsenal, it was a real victory, including the likes of 17 year old Ayden Heaven in the side, who could be left in no doubt that there is a bit of a gap between the sort of teams he’s been playing before, and even a club as disorganised and disjointed as Manchester U (who seemed to spend as much time wondering where the ball had got to as they did chasing after it, once they worked it out).
Certainly watching this display one can only fear for the Scottish team Rangers this season, who Manchester U beat 2-0 in a previous friendly. Rangers have won their league once in the last 13 seasons, while Celtic have won it 12 times meaning that Celtic have now won the league 54 times to Rangers 55. If you gamble (which I don’t) you might put some money on Celtic making it 55, this season
