A sluggish Manchester United side finally overcame Hull thanks to a late winner from youngster Marcus Rashford.
Manchester United beat Hull City 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a late, late winner from Marcus Rashford.
The victory ensured that Jose Mourinho’s side continued their 100% record this season by making it three wins from three games in the Premier League.
Here are five talking points from the encounter:
Root-and-branch reform cannot happen overnight
For three years, the football of Manchester United perhaps has best been described with one word – lethargic.
In Jose Mourinho’s first few matches, there have been encouraging signs of just how well the Red Devils could do in this year’s Premier League, but on occasions like today we see that old habits die hard – especially bad ones.
United fans have been saying that they are finally looking forward to watching their team play football again after three years in the aesthetic doldrums, but there will still be the odd reminder of former regimes in the early days. Today was such a reminder.
It will take time, and as long as United can keep on getting the results, it won’t matter too much to Mourinho, his players or the fans. Champions win ugly, and today was ugly.
Pogba say relax
Being the world’s most expensive football can understandably have an inhibitory effect on a player. In modern-day football, results are expected immediately as a pay-off for the investment.
Paul Pogba hasn’t quite settled into his new title yet. He has had flashes of good in his two matches for United this season – more against Southampton than against Hull – but he would do well to do one thing. Relax.
Pogba wants so desperately to prove he’s worth every penny that he’s just looking for the killer ball when it’s not quite there, or trying a bit too much by himself.
He’ll expect to be able to pull off the million-dollar play every time being a player of his immense ability, but if he releases the shackles of his own value then the silky footballer Jose Mourinho has brought back to Old Trafford will show what a talent he is.
Rashford has to start…but who else?
He may not have been selected for Sam Allardyce’s first England squad, but the 18-year-old showed it was just a blip as he came on for the last 20 minutes of the match and won it for his side.
Mkhitaryan also came on and increased the threat on offer from the United strike force, but the big question for Mourinho now is who starts up front.
Rashford surely has to be involved from the start, and as Mkhitaryan acclimatises to English football he will only improve.
With Rooney in possession of the captain’s armband, it looks like it may be Martial and Mata who will find themselves on the bench given the early-season form.
These are all good headaches for Mourinho to have.
Bailly + Blind = Top partnership
Chris Smalling’s early-season absence was a source of concern for United fans, but the partnership formed by Eric Bailly and Daley Blind has allayed any worries with a fit-again Smalling having to make do with a one-minute cameo off the bench.
Bailly and Blind looked calmness personified for the majority of the match (save for one or two shaky moments as Hull looked to steal the victory on the counter late on), and if United continue as they are, averaging only one goal conceded per three games, they will feature for honours at the end of the season.
Captain Fantastic when it matters
Wayne Rooney seems to be perennially coming in for stick among the Old Trafford faithful, but when he needed to make a contribution, he found that little something extra to glide past Ahmed Elmohamady in injury-time to find Rashford for the winning goal.
The skipper had looked a bit too static at times, halting the flow of an attack and seeking a sideways pass rather than firing forward, but the big players are there for the big moments, and Rooney showed that he is still a big player.
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