Man United have discovered a unique quality that Casemiro was not expected to add to the squad. After Scott McTominay decided to drag Armando Broja to the turf with just a handful of minutes left in Manchester United’s trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Saturday evening, most United fans were acceptant of the fact they were most probably going to leave London empty handed.
It was nothing more than what United had deserved for their performance. They had been the better side for much of the game, particularly in the first half, and it would have been a travesty had they left Stamford Bridge without anything to show for their efforts. Inspired by the new degree of belief that has been injected into them by Ten Hag, United refused to throw the towel in, battling right until the very end in pursuit of getting at least a point. The United manager, unlike on his last visit to the capital for the 4-0 defeat to Brentford, nailed his tactical approach, outdoing Graham Potter, forcing him into a substitution before half time.
Ten Hag, although it seemed harsh ahead of kick-off, made the decision to take Fred out of the team, just days after an outstanding performance in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, and bring Christian Eriksen back into the fold. Eriksen was brought into the team with the idea of United controlling possession, but in such a way that would not see them attack Chelsea at 100 miles per hour and risk losing the ball.