Man Utd are aiming to secure their fourth straight victory when they travel to Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United look like they have turned a welcome corner.(Image: Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)
Manchester United looked like a club on its knees last month when Brentford sealed a 3-1 victory.
Any positive momentum that was built up from the victory over Chelsea seemed to disappear in an instant and suddenly the scrutiny on Ruben Amorim was harsher than ever. The win against Sunderland was needed to keep the critics at bay during October’s international break.
But once United returned to action, the mood surrounding the club changed entirely. From Amorim’s pre-Liverpool press conference to today, it was like a light switch had been flicked on.
This United team now is playing some of the best football they have managed for a long time. On Saturday against Brighton, the Reds were the intelligent team knowing when to press their opposition into a mistake.
Three of the four goals came from working hard as a unit and it will have been a pleasure to watch for supporters. However, there is always concern that any improvements are being over-exaggerated after years of mediocrity, or worse.
But the reason you can tell that United are changing for the better is that other clubs are starting to notice the difference. “It is the best [United] side we have faced in a while,” Danny Welbeck explained on Saturday evening.
“They were really organised and structure, they always have incredible players and today they really punished our mistakes.” This sentiment was in turn echoed by Morgan Gibbs-White in midweek ahead of his Nottingham Forest side taking on United.
“Yeah it has been incredible to see,” the 25-year-old said to Stan Sport – when asked about United’s turnaround. “Obviously they have been going through a tough time, the past couple of years but they have stuck with the gaffer and the past four or five games you’re really starting to see how Manchester United should be playing – that grit and that determination to play for the badge. I think it has been incredible to see.”
It has been too long since United received actual praise from other clubs. Of course, we are used to the same cliches regarding the Reds.
“This will be a tough game,” and “Old Trafford is a tricky trip,” have been repeated on a loop so many times before United actually proved the opposite was the case. But now the Reds are being spoken about in positive terms by opposing players which shows the tide truly is changing at the Theatre of Dreams.
Here at The Manchester Evening News, we are dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And, finally, if you would rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms – including Spotify and Apple Podcasts – and you can also watch along on YouTube.