Well, how about that?! Now we’ve all had a chance to catch our breath, I thought I would look more closely at the tactical minutiae that gave us our first league win at Old Trafford since 1981; something that I had a sneaky feeling we’d achieve before kick-off; even with the absence of Joe Rodon and Anton Stach through injury.
I even half-jokingly replied to a WhatsApp message in the ‘lads’ group when asked what the score would be, replying 3-0, before changing it to a more conservative 1-0 scoreline. Imagine my reaction when we went two up!
But, what a first half. What a game! From the first whistle to the last, we barely put a foot wrong and they just simply couldn’t cope with us. Our blistering pace, command of the ball, ideas, width, midfield energy, pressing from the front, runs into the box and strong defending.
For me, it was the complete performance against an in-form and rejuvenated Manchester United under interim boss Michael Carrick; almost as if the sensational penalty win over West Ham United in the FA Cup quarter-final spurred us on.
The international break actually probably couldn’t have come soon enough. Following our hard-working performance against the Hammers I think we essentially pressed the reset button; it was almost as if Daniel Farke sat the players down and told them the story of how Don Revie re-branded us with the all-white kit to resemble Real Madrid, which led to a Leeds United revolution back in the 1960s and 1970s.
Whatever he said, it worked. We were a step ahead of ‘that lot’ all game and, I think that has had a lot to do with, not just the physical side on the training pitch, but also the quick-thinking which has become a huge part of Farke’s philosophy.
It has seen us, when executed properly, be able to play almost telepathically; each player has known where the other will be in different zones of the pitch before playing a pass, understanding the runs teammates make in specific situations; a well-drilled squad and, that is down to Farke’s footballing intelligence. This showed the other night and what better occasion to demonstrate it than against our biggest foe.
The Noah Okafor Paradox: Managing The ‘Explosive Re-entry’
What a way to properly reintroduce yourself after an injury lay-off. One thing Farke has done brilliantly is manage the squad, almost forensically. Okafor’s time was now. And boy, what a way to show this, in your first appearance at one of the most iconic football stadiums in the world.
His first goal came just five minutes, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin having already gone very close three minutes earlier, as Jayden Bogle whipped in another cross, which went over the leap of our number nine, with Okafor positioning brilliantly to then apply an excellently composed side-footed finish into the bottom corner.
There were honestly times that I couldn’t believe what I was watching. Almost for all of the game we played like the home side; one competing for the Premier League title; we had them playing on the counter-attack and even managed to contain this very well.
First and second to everything, they just couldn’t cope with us and after pinning their defence in the penalty area, Okafor again demonstrated superb positioning, awareness and composure to strike the ball first time on the volley; while I’m sure it would have gone in anyway, it took a little deflection off Leny Yoro first. I couldn’t believe it, yet I could at the same time. But it also didn’t feel real.
Until this point, Okafor had certainly looked useful for us and when we signed him, he fell into that ‘big player’ category, though in Italy at AC Milan, he was never a clinical goal-scorer. I suspected Farke may be able to unleash him eventually though.
I think he finally demonstrated what he is capable of and on one of the biggest stages of all. Almost single-handed, he turned the ‘Theatre of Dreams’ a ‘Nightmare at the Stretford End’; at least for the home fans.
And, in the process, I reckon, added at least a £10 million ‘big game premium’ to his value at the same time.
The Defensive Anchor: Pascal Struijk’s Majestic Benchmarking
What a difference four seasons make. The last time Leeds’ Dutch centre-back was playing the top flight, I remember being in and out of a defence making a calamity of errors. After a couple of seasons back in the Championship, he has matured into one of the most assured centre-backs in the bottom half of the table.
Since Farke implemented a system with two wing-backs and three centre-backs, Struijk has come into his own. Under the Old Trafford lights he shone, registering eight ball recoveries and a goal-line block to keep out Casemiro; demonstrating just why he’s an irreplaceable capital asset.
The way in which he has adapted to this system and gone from strength-to-strength was on show at Old Trafford as he snuffed out chances and, in the absence of the injured Rodon, I thought, mirrored a centre-back who is finally starting to realise his potential and showing why clubs want him.
The Survival SCR: Why This Win De-risks The Summer Window
That win, I’m sure, was not expected by many fans and two games at home to Wolves and Burnley would no doubt have been targeted as being the six points needed to effectively cement our safety. However, we’re now on 36 points; six above the relegation zone and with three other clubs below with a three point gap.
Also, these are clubs that are struggling and our three points at Old Trafford and performance, I believe will have given us a reboot for the run-in. Having now opened up a six point gap, it has significantly reduced our relegation risk premium and borrowing costs, though the latter really was never in doubt.
I’m sure with this, it will push us on. As well as giving us a huge psychological boost, we look completely re-energised (although we are one of the fittest squads in the league) and if indeed, things have ‘clicked’, then there is no reason why we can’t play this type of football for the rest of the season. If we do, then climbing the table is a realistic possibility. We just don’t seem to fear anyone.
There are other implications to this victory as well and I’m looking at things from a different perspective here. Getting a first-of-the-era win at Old Trafford is a considerable global IP multiplier, especially for our US-based partners.
For such investors like Jordan Spieth and major private equity firms, beating arguably the biggest club in the world (who always up their game against us due to the fierce rivalry), at Old Trafford is the ultimate proof of concept.
In the US, Manchester United is regarded as the principal anchor for Premier League fascination. Having beaten them on their own turf, I believe we will have essentially taken over the sports news cycle in the world’s most lucrative sponsorship market.
I should also mention the social engagement multipliers that a win at Old Trafford does for our peak awareness inventory, especially in regards to key partners like Red Bull, with the impressions on social media likely to have spiked considerably after this; further enhancing our reputation as a growing brand.
All of this will be key factors when it comes to the summer window. Effectively our risk-levels have decreased and, we should, I think very soon guarantee our survival, meaning we can press ahead with summer recruitment plans and look at key targets. Maybe, just maybe, with a season in the Europa League to look forward to!
