Paul Pogba Dominant as Manchester United Win 3-1 over Huddersfield Town
Manchester United won for the second match in a row under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after beating Huddersfield Town 3-1 in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Paul Pogba scored twice after Nemanja Matic has put the hosts in front, before Mathias Jorgensen got one back late on. It means United have kept up Solskjaer's 100 per cent start since taking over after Jose Mourinho was sacked before Christmas.
United Defence Still Too Vulnerable for Top Four
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United are struggling for goals since Solskjaer took over, but ample firepower won't be enough to compensate for a suspect defence still too vulnerable for a top-four finish, after Jorgensen's goal made it 31 conceded in 19 league matches.
Despite playing two of the division's most goal-shy teams in back-to-back matches, United have conceded twice and continue to surrender an alarming number of big chances. What's most alarming is how little possession opponents need to still create excellent scoring opportunities.
Cardiff only had 25 per cent possession yet still scored via a Victor Camarasa penalty, and the Bluebirds forced David De Gea into three smart saves. Huddersfield chased the ball for most of Boxing Day but should have been in front after just 12 minutes when Terence Kongolo sliced over with the goal at his mercy.
It was an extraordinary chance to pass up and one that reinforced the ongoing issues at the back blighting United.
Huddersfield kept the pressure on and produced two excellent chances moments after the restart. Elias Kachunga wasted the best of them when he blazed over from a glorious position in the 51st minute.
The Terriers finished with a little over 35 per cent possession, per Sky Sports, but still created enough for De Gea to again be needed to spare United's blushes. He tipped over Laurent Depoitre's goal-bound flicked header two minutes after the hour mark.
Pogba scoring two minutes later made the result safe, but it also spoke to United's biggest worry. This team needs its match-winners in the final third in prolific form every game to ensure a leaky back line doesn't cause yet more setbacks.
Marcus Rashford Must Keep Romelu Lukaku Out
Romelu Lukaku cost United an initial £75 million when Mourinho signed him in 2017. Yet the Belgium international shouldn't get his starting place back from a player who didn't cost the Red Devils a penny.
Academy graduate Marcus Rashford doesn't finish as often as Lukaku, nor does he offer the latter's power, either in the air or on the deck.
What Rashford does offer United is greater pace and fluidity up top. His more perceptive movement and better understanding of space allows the Reds to change the picture up front quickly and several times over.
Rashford loves peeling on to the flanks, as he proved when he teed up Diogo Dalot in the first half after a terrific turn and run on the left. The 19-year-old right-back couldn't hit the target from close range, but Rashford's willingness to move out of the middle, along with his eye for a pass, had created an excellent chance for a runner in behind.
Pogba went one better than Dalot when Rashford started a move on the right four minutes after the hour mark. Rashford released Mata after another inspired run, and the Spaniard found Herrera who passed to Pogba for a simple finish.
In general, there was a buoyancy about the way Rashford led the line:
Having a striker who knows when to drop off the front and when to roam wide allows United to get more runners from midfield and fill central areas with players defenders aren't expecting to see.
It makes United a more free-flowing and dynamic force in the final third, especially in contrast to when static target man Lukaku plays through the middle.
If Rashford can add a touch more composure to his finishing, he'll be the perfect striker for a more enterprising United team.
What's Next?
Huddersfield will be in a true relegation six-pointer away to Fulham on Saturday, while United host Bournemouth a day later.
