Man United vs Nottingham Forest: Premier League Preview
Man United vs Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Saturday is a game that could have implications for the battle for the European places. Crazy sentence.
With both teams succumbing to defeats in their midweek fixtures, they will be vying for a return to winning ways. Will Nuno Espirito Santo’s men persevere through their run of poor form, or will Ruben Amorim begin to reclaim Old Trafford’s notoriety for being a footballing fortress? This enthralling encounter will take place at Sir Matt Busby Way on Saturday.
Forest capitulated on Wednesday night as Manchester City trounced them 4-0 while Arsenal handed the Red Devils the first defeat of the Ruben Amorim era. Both teams will be eager to bounce back, and a win for Amorim’s men will see them surpass Forest in the league table.
For Forest, they will yearn for their utopian start to season to continue, led by the Maori man and talismanic goalscorer, Chris Wood. The Red Devils, on the other hand, will pine for the positivity surrounding the team to persevere, what could be dubbed the underachievers vs. the overachievers.
Man United: Reds Wishing to Return to Winning Ways
Wednesday’s fixture at the Emirates showed glimpses of what Ruben Amorim is trying to instill in his players. Patterns of press-resistant play, frustrating the Arsenal fans, and some actual depth on the bench meant that United fans were not subjected to a chaos-embroiled encounter, which they have become too accustomed to of late. Speaking on his first loss as United manager, Amorim said
“We have to manage expectations, and when you have a bad result, you have to keep calm. That is clear; in one week you have three games that can change the perception of the team and the table.”
Yes, the absence of Kobbie Mainoo and Lisandro Martinez was evidently missed, but this game served as a reality check for the United Faithful, reminding them that this is only the fourth game of the Amorim era, compared to Mikel Arteta’s fifth year.
Having drawn Arsenal in the FA Cup, the United coaching team will be all to aware of the coherent threat that Arsenal pose from set pieces. Both goals from Wednesday’s match were from sloppy corners and ultimately summed up the game for United, respectable in normal play but below standard in key moments.
The aforementioned Mainoo and Martinez are likely to return to the starting lineup on Saturday. Amad, who did not start at The Emirates, should also regain his starting position. A positive cameo from Leny Yoro also signified another option for Amorim in defence, but Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui are clearly Amorim’s preferred line-up at the heart of defence.
The physicality in the defense will be required to deal with the offense of the visiting side, with striker Chris Wood scoring nine times this season.
Alejandro Garnahco’s frustration was prudent throughout the game. The Argentinian appears to be lacking confidence, having miscontrolled the ball on several occasions as well as his reluctance to take on his man. With Dalot and Malacia occupying the wingback positions on Wednesday, could Amad appear in the number 10 role on Saturday?
Manuel Ugarte’s revelation at the heart of the midfield continues; his aggression in the challenge, albeit controlled, has been lacking in the United midfield, with striking similarities to former Red Ander Herrera.
Captain Bruno Fernandes has struggled in his two games playing the number six role. His creativity and flair are required further up the pitch to create chances for the striker. Strutting a frustrated figure at The Emirates, the Portuguese is yet to reach the heights of previous seasons.
Nottingham Forest: Espirito Santo Eyeing Europe
The surprise package of the season so far, Forest will be aiming to pick up some points in Manchester this week following their trouncing at The Etihad on Wednesday. Following their 17th-place finish last year, who would have envisaged them in sixth place after 14 games?
Despite the defeat, Espirito Santo spoke positively after the game:
“Internally, I think we come out proud of ourselves, because we tried and this will allow us to grow. They have quality all over the pitch and it’s difficult to control these players”
An attack formed through a combination of physicality and flair has contributed to their recent successes. Carrington graduate and winner of the prestigious Jimmy Murphy Award, Anthony Elanga, former Chelsea prospect Callum Hudson-Odoi, and dangerman Morgan Gibbs-White all offer attacking threats, spearheaded by Chris Wood.
Although Wood has stolen the headlines for his goalscoring antics, credit must also be given to the Nottingham Forest defence, who will be hoping to contain a United team that had scored eight goals in three games prior to Arsenal.
Goalkeeper Matz Sels has kept five clean sheets this season with help from consistent centre backs Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo. The pairing for 13 of the 14 league games this season will protect the Nottingham Forest goal at Old Trafford on Saturday
With their only win in the last four games coming against Ipswich, it may appear to the Old Trafford faithful that they are facing Espirito Santo’s men at the right time. Forest have not won at Old Trafford in 30 years, dating back to 1994, where they prevailed by two goals to one
Man United vs Nottingham Forest Prediction
Man United 1-1 Nottingham Forest
This game will prove difficult for both teams. Espirito Santo will look to outclass his Portuguese counterpart and remain in the hunt for European football. Following United’s defeat on Wednesday, a number of players appeared frustrated, with several players quarreling throughout the game.
This Forest team cannot be underestimated, only losing two games away from home this season, against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Amorim will be relying on the Old Trafford crowd to carry them over the line on Saturday. He has already warned the Stretford Enders that they will face a storm in his revival process, and Saturday’s fixture could prove him right. Who will emerge triumphant and set their wrongs right in Saturday’s battle?
Read more predictions from the Attacking Football team here!
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