Our reporter Michael Plant gives his verdict on Manchester United's win over Burnley at Turf Moor.
Category
đ„
SportsTranscript
00:00 Hello, it's Michael Plant coming to you from Turf Moor after tonight's Premier League game
00:05 between Burnley and Manchester United. It was one that the visitors ultimately won 1-0
00:09 thanks to an absolutely spectacular goal from Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes. I didn't
00:14 think it was a particularly vintage display from Manchester United, I'm just trying to
00:18 quickly fix my light a little bit, I think that's a bit better. Yeah, I didn't think
00:20 it was an absolutely vintage display from Manchester United but a very important one
00:23 nonetheless as they came away with three points. They obviously came into this game in such
00:26 a bad run of form recently but that Bruno Fernandes goal secured an important three
00:31 points. Now they came into this, hadn't won four, had lost four of the last five, had
00:35 lost all three of their away games this season so a vitally important point. Not as much
00:39 as well for the points in the Premier League table but for confidence and building momentum
00:42 in what has been, as you say, a really difficult run of games for the club. Now United didn't
00:48 think they started the game particularly well, had a couple of early chances from Mark Trashford
00:51 and Bruno Fernandes. Actually that was Burnley who probably if anything started the game
00:54 better. A couple of their attacking players, some quite young, talented, skilful players
01:01 and certainly quite nifty as well and quick on the ball. I thought they caused United
01:04 a couple of issues, cutting inside, creating a couple of chances. They actually hit the
01:07 post in the first half through Aaron Ramsey who's recently signed to Summer Window. I
01:14 thought he played quite well actually in the first half. United have never really been
01:18 under the cosh but I thought Burnley certainly kept the ball better, looked better in possession
01:21 and at half time I was going into the latter stages of the first half thinking this is
01:25 going to be another disappointing display from United but just at that moment Bruno
01:28 Fernandes provided an absolutely incredible moment. A superb long ball from Johnny Evans
01:33 who I'll come to in a bit. He picked out Bruno Fernandes with this spectacular cross-football.
01:38 Fernandes volleyed it first time into the far corner to give United the lead. Of course
01:43 the only goal of the game as well. Superb moment for him. I actually think probably
01:46 one of the goals of the season, perhaps the goal of the season. It was just so well taken
01:49 from Fernandes and the pass was brilliant as well. It was a really big moment as I mentioned
01:53 a couple of times before United in the game. I think in the second half, I got to 80 minutes
01:57 and I'd only written one chance of note really in the game. There wasn't a huge amount that
02:01 happened. United kept things relatively tight. Compact at the back didn't give much away.
02:06 I thought as a unit defended really well, the midfield and defence. Particularly Johnny
02:11 Evans at the back, I thought he was outstanding. The man of the match in my eyes, gave him
02:14 8 out of 10. He also had a goal disallowed in the first half which I probably should
02:17 have mentioned. He headed past James Trafford in the Burnley goal but the goal was disallowed
02:22 because Rasmus Hoyland was standing in an offside position when the ball came across.
02:27 I think rightly so as well. The goal was right to be disallowed but Evans was just brilliant.
02:30 Gave very little away at the back. I thought Lindelof was very good as well, defended well.
02:35 Seemed like ReguilĂłn, D'Alo particularly in the second half. Didn't he do brilliantly
02:38 defensively in the first half. Casemiro and McTominay who played in midfield seemed to
02:42 drop 5 yards deeper, limit the chances for Burnley and it really wasn't a huge amount
02:46 to write about in the second half. Listen, I don't think this was a vintage United display.
02:49 I don't think this was fantastic. I think there's certainly much more gears from an
02:53 offensive point of view that they could go to. Many areas they can improve on. I think
02:57 obviously you factor in the number of injuries at the moment. I've lost count of how many
03:02 players are actually missing at the moment but we did have Rafael Varane come back tonight.
03:05 We did have Safi and Amr back who came on in the latter stages as well and made his
03:08 debut. We also, yeah, got a couple of interesting selectors. I mentioned Johnny Evans, even
03:14 the fact that he was selected in the team was a big surprise ahead of the game. We also
03:17 had Hannibal, the Tunisian midfielder who played, again another shock, in the start
03:22 of the XI. But as I say, good from United, not great, but plenty to improve on and plenty
03:27 to get better at. I think one interesting thing as well to note is that actually near
03:32 the end of the game Sergio ReguilĂłn went off with what appeared to be a bit of a knock,
03:37 a bit of an injury, so obviously he took the thing down hard. I'm going to have to rush
03:41 in a minute because I think he's going to be down in the press conference any minute
03:44 now, but he'll probably give an update on that. But as I say, an important game, an
03:49 important result for United who next up are in Carabao Cup action against Crystal Palace.
03:54 They actually play Crystal Palace twice in the next two games and at home in the Premier
03:58 League. But I think for United it's just about building momentum at this stage, trying to
04:00 get as many players back from injury as possible as well. Harry Maguire was involved today,
04:04 Mason Mount was absent as well through injury. We also had Lissandra Martinez who I suppose
04:08 was the big team news line ahead of the game and the fact that he was missing. They're
04:12 not willing to discuss exactly why he was missing but we believe it's because of this
04:17 ongoing foot injury that he's got. He recently went away with Argentina, didn't play any
04:21 minutes for them over their World Cup qualifiers. So yeah, they just need to get these players
04:25 back in fit again. But as I say, a good night from United tonight and they'll have certainly
04:30 moved up a couple of places in the Premier League table.
04:32 I'll just give you a quick little pan around to show you a tight interloping at the moment.
04:35 I can see Eric Tenhight just below me. If you deal with Dallas speaking to NUTV you
04:39 probably can't make it out from all the way down there. But yeah, plenty for United fans
04:44 who have had a difficult start to the season, plenty for them to enjoy tonight at Turf Moor.
04:48 But for me, Michael Plant, thank you very much for watching.