GREEN DAY
Man Utd 1 Astana 0: Mason Greenwood becomes Utd’s youngest ever goalscorer in Europe… beating George Best by 170 days
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OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER said he was one of the best finishers he had ever seen.
Last night Mason Greenwood showed us why.
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The 17-year-old scored his first competitive goal in a Manchester United shirt and what a goal it was in the 73rd minute.
He is properly two footed this striker.
So shifting it between his left and right he was able to leave his marker spinning before he fired a low shot from a tight angle through the goalkeepers legs and in.
It was not disimilair to the winner he scored against Inter Milan on this summers pre-season tour when he confirmed that he was ready for regular first team action.
It might have been the Europa League, it might have been against a side most people had not heard of before the draw was made – but Greenwood will not forget it.
It was a night when United were showcasing the best of their academy.
Giving fans a glimpse of the future.
Greenwood, Axel Tuanzebe, 21, Tahith Chong, 19 and Angel Gomes, 19, had just five starts between them.
Throw Marcus Rashford into the mix and five players from the club’s famed Academy were starting.
They are proud of things like that here.
But you can really only do such things against opposition like last night’s.
Even then it is not a given it is going to work.
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Indeed while United might have had all the play and all the chances, they did not have anything to show for it until Greenwood struck.
Still there was plenty of attacking intent and a little bit of flair thrown in to.
Fred, remember him, had the bar shaking after just three minutes with a long range effort.
Then from a corner Rashford had the first of a number of chances.
The ball deflected to him at the near post but his shot was well saved by the legs of Nenad Eric.
A clever Rashford back heel then gave Greenwood his first sight of goal as he curled a shot just over the far top corner,something he would do again later in the half.
Rashford had another good chance when he was found by a deep searching ball from Marcus Rojo but his first time voley with an outstretched right leg was saved again.
Elsewhere amongst the youngsters Gomes playing in a number ten role was full of tricks, Chong was full of running while Tuanzebe had nothing to do at centre back.
That narrative was the same in the second period.
One brilliant Cruyff turn from Gomes on the top of the box set up a chance as he released Rojo to fire the ball across the six yard box but neither Chong or Greenwood could reach it.
Greenwood then had a shot deflected, Rashford curled a free kick into the side netting while Fred saw one well saved.
Keep on knocking at that door and its bound to open soon.
But with time ticking on and the scores still level Solskjaer decided to replace youth with experience as in the 68th minute Juan Mata came on for Gomes and Jesse Lingard for Chong.
The pressure was maintained on the Astana goal and then the breakthrough came through Greenwood.
A marvellous moment for him, one of many it is hoped at Old Trafford.
Yet despite the positive of young players being trusted, and delivering in Greenwood’s case particularly, this was still another sobering occasion for the club.
In a week when the Champions League returned United were in the Europa League before a two-thirds full Old Trafford playing against the current third best team in Kazakhstan.
The Europa League is not where this club really should be.
It was not that long ago they were contesting finals of the Champions League, three in four years from 2008-2011.
Yet since that last final at Wembley with Barcelona the furthest they have gone is the last 16, once.
Four times they have found themselves in the Europa League, once in 2015-16 after dropping out the Champions League at the group stage.
The only memorable evening from all those forays into the second tier of European Competition was when they actually won it against Ajax under Jose Mourinho in 2017.
Then he was using the competition as a means to an end to get Manchester United back into the Champions League.
He gambled late in the season that it would be easier to do that than get into the top four of the Premier League.
Despite their current fourth position in the Premier League that could be the case again given their indifferent form.
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The reality of where United are right now will literally bite in the return leg of this group fixture in Kazakhstan on November 28.
The stadium might be covered and heated outside the wind chill factor will make it feel like minus 20 degrees.
That is one wait for a hot dog I’ll not be having.
Man Utd fans avoid Astana clash with thousands of empty seats at Old Trafford for Europa League clash
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