Premier League hits and misses: Manchester United’s striker woes show they need Harry Kane | Football News

Man Utd’s striker woes show they need Kane

He skipped past challenge after challenge to lay two crucial crosses on for Heung-Min Son.

Harry Kane had Manchester United defenders tumbling around him everywhere as he took a topsy-turvy game by the scruff of its neck.

One cross wasn’t put in by Son, the other was perfect enough that the South Korean couldn’t miss even if he had tried.

Kane’s brilliant second half display came as United’s forward line looked jumbled. Yes, Marcus Rashford looked dangerous in the No 9 role and got his first half goal on the break in style.

But Rashford’s hold-up play was questionable as Eric Dier saw several opportunities to nip the ball away from his toes. Then Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst – the only other recognised No 9s United have – failed to make an impact off the bench.

Thursday night strengthens the case for United to move for Kane in the summer. Heaven and earth should be moved to get him, like Kane did to get Tottenham back into the game against United.
Sam Blitz

Spurs give Mason something to build on

Realistically, Tottenham needed to win this game to keep their faint hopes of Champions League qualification alive. But the draw does at least give new interim boss Ryan Mason something to build on.

Such a result felt beyond them in the first half, when only four days on from the five-goal blitz inflicted on them by Newcastle, they conceded early again, Marcus Rashford able to feed Jadon Sancho, who had space to find the far corner.

The poor defending was a continuation of what happened at St James’ Park and Manchester United tore through them again shortly before the interval, when Rashford’s clinically-taken strike, following a rapid breakaway, put the visitors in control.

A mood of resignation appeared to have set in at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium at that point, with some fans directing their ire at chairman Daniel Levy. A response was needed and Mason got it.

“Big character, big personality, stuck together, kept believing, acted as a team throughout the game,” he said in his press conference. “That pleases me after what happened at the weekend.”

The only frustration was that they did not win it. Pedro Porro’s goal was brilliantly taken and the leveller, converted by Son at close-range, well-worked. But there were other opportunities, with Son and Dier failing to capitalise.

Still, though, the hard-fought draw showed the qualities they lacked at St James’ Park.

“Off the back of how the first half went, in terms of the scoreline, to go out and stick together, fight for each other and really get the fans involved, is pleasing,” said Mason. “It proves a lot to me that I already thought about this group.”

They will need to do it again at Anfield on Sunday
Nick Wright

Dismal away form shows Man Utd are a long way from the top

Six games, zero wins.

Manchester United have failed to win any of their matches away at the top seven this season. In fact, they have only won one of their away games against the teams currently in the top 12.

It shows Erik ten Hag’s side still have a lot to learn – no matter how much of a corner they have turned from last season.

You could put a dwindling second half display at Spurs down to the fatigue after playing 120 minutes against Brighton at the weekend.

But the above record shows there have been regular signs this season that United have buckled when put in the tough atmospheres.

Six goals shipped at Manchester City, seven at Liverpool, dismal displays at Newcastle and Aston Villa as well as late goals conceded at Arsenal, Chelsea – and now Tottenham.

Many people have used Antonio Conte’s rant quotes about “not wanting to play under pressure” at Southampton as a stick to repeatedly bash Tottenham with. You can tap a little less hard on United too.
Sam Blitz

Newcastle prey on Everton’s flimsy confidence

It is hard to see where Everton go from here. Newcastle made the task of escaping relegation all the more difficult. By full-time, there were vast swathes of blue seats vacated by demoralised souls.

Sean Dyche says his players have to park this result, but there were plenty of encouraging signs in the opening half as Dwight McNeil, Alex Iwobi, Abdoulaye Doucure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin pressed well from the front.

“We were as strong as we’ve been,” Dyche admitted. “It wasn’t long ago that Newcastle were being booed by their fans but now they’re as free as a bird. That has to be earned, and we have to earn it pretty quickly.”

It has not been this perilous since the last time the club were relegated in 1951. On Thursday, they started a matchday in the bottom two having played at least 32 league games for the first time since April of that year.

It is a time for togetherness and for the team to be galvanised, as it was 12 months ago, when these supporters dragged their side over the line. Ticker tape and flares went up outside the ground as the team bus arrived at 6pm to a cacophony of sound and fury. A sea of blue from the top of Spellow Lane by the Park End and down Goodison Road.

Hanging from above the famous Hot Wot were draped two banners; one charting the nine league titles, five FA Cup and a Cup Winners’ Cup. Nil Satis Nisi Optimium and perhaps the modern take on that Latin phrase on the second: Everton The Gear. But Newcastle came, fronted up and disrobed their inferior opponents.

Two Geordie supporters filmed tumbling down a hill as they caught their coach to Merseyside went viral during the day, but it has been a far smoother journey for Eddie Howe’s side throughout this campaign.

Monday’s trip to Leicester, immediately above Everton in 18th, now becomes a must-win game as with Manchester City one of their two remaining home fixtures, Dyche’s side cannot rely on the power of Goodison to get them over the line to extend a 69-year stay in the top flight.

But Newcastle, having experienced their own period in the doldrums of the Championship, have no such worries as an appearance in Europe’s elite competition proper for the first time since 2003 edges ever closer having scored 10 goals in their last two matches.
Ben Grounds

Nobody catching Newcastle in this form

Newcastle’s bid for Champions League football continues to strengthen. The away fans loved every minute of the second half at Goodison Park.

This was a perfect away display. An aggregate scoreline of 10-2 for Eddie Howe’s side in four days. It’s their most goals in consecutive matches in the competition since September 1999.

Howe was asked about the number of points required for Champions League qualification, and said: “I’d say it’s a waste of time getting your calculators out, but if you want to do it then that’s fine.”

Newcastle frustrated the life out of Everton in the first half, and then unleashed the pace and power on them in the second 45.

Alex Isak came on and outdid Joe Willock on the assist stakes with a stunning set up for Jacob Murphy to cap another fine win on the road.

Anthony Gordon came on late on but half the Everton fans had left by that point. The substitutions seemed to make the team stronger and Champions League qualification is now three points closer.

I really fear for Everton and their survival hopes. They’re seriously lacking in quality and this could be a damaging defeat.

But nobody is catching Newcastle in this form.
Keith Downie

Selles failing to make his case with unambitious Saints

Ruben Selles made no attempts to hide his ambitions of taking on the Southampton job on a full-time basis after replacing the sacked Nathan Jones in February, and he backed up his words with a victory at Chelsea in his first game as the interim boss.

But any uplift brought about by the former assistant manager was short-lived, with the home victory over Leicester last month the only one of the last 11 games Saints have won under the Spaniard.

Chief among Selles’ issues is he has been unable to resolve Southampton’s lack of purpose in the first halves of games, with his side failing to score a first-half goal in 24 of their 33 Premier League games this season – the most in the top flight.

They again allowed the opening 45 minutes against Bournemouth to drift, failing to capitalise on their marginal superiority during the opening exchanges.

That was perhaps caused by a lack of confidence playing in front of their own supporters, and Southampton never really looked like improving on their dreadful home form, particularly with Selles persisting with a defensive set up in a game they had to win.

Saints have now lost 11 games at St Mary’s this season – their most in a single league season – and Selles will have to engineer a miracle during a tough final five games to fulfil his ambitions of remaining in the dugout.
Joe Shread

Solanke and Tavernier leading the charge under O’Neil

Bournemouth effectively securing their Premier League status with multiple games left to play looked like a highly unlikely prospect back in August, when Scott Parker was sacked as manager after branding his squad as not good enough to compete in the top flight following a 9-0 humiliation at Liverpool.

Gary O’Neil’s appointment – initially on an interim basis – failed to spark too much excitement, but he did enough to earn the job permanently and is now within touching distance of keeping Bournemouth up, with something left to spare.

Key to O’Neil’s success have been Dominic Solanke and Marcus Tavernier, with the former setting up the latter for the game’s only goal at Southampton.

Solanke may not be troubling the top of the Premier League goal-scoring charts, but his 12 goal involvements this season are five more than he managed in three previous top-flight seasons in the combined – a sign of the progress he has made under O’Neil.

As for Tavernier, the versatile 24-year-old has eight goal involvements in his last seven starts in the Premier League, with his latest strike at St Mary’s coming from right wing-back.

O’Neil’s ability to make the most of what he’s got in his Cherries squad has made a mockery of Parker’s early-season predictions and made the decision to promote him from his role as assistant look shrewd.
Joe Shread