Manchester United are represented in the latest Premier League team of the week that has been selected by BBC pundit Garth Crooks following the clash with Liverpool.
Actually Garth is now down as a ‘Football Analyst’ these days, a posh term for a pundit then!
The performances by Ashley Young, Chris Smalling and Marcus Rashford in the two one victory over Liverpool at the weekend at Old Trafford was enough to earn them a place in the side alongside the other, in the opinion of the former Spurs striker anyway, most impressive performers in the topflight over the latest weekend.
I think we’ll already know ourselves, and not just based on the latest performance, why Crooks, we’ll also not argue with it, selected the trio as part of his team but explaining his choice he told the BBC.
Young:
‘The possibility of Ashley Young being selected for England’s World Cup squad in Russia still fills me with amazement but it is becoming a distinct possibility with every game. His performance against Liverpool was impressive. Quite apart from his naturally competitive nature and his desire to want the ball he never gave Mo Salah a kick. How interesting, that for all of Mourinho’s spending power, he still has to rely on Young and Valencia, two United veterans, to shore up his defence. Strange that.’
Smalling:
‘The times I’ve heard complete numbskulls suggest Chris Smalling is not good enough for Manchester United. Well, that particular prognosis was kicked into touch again against Liverpool. His interventions were immense and without him United would have suffered. This is a lad who was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson, played under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho and they can’t all be wrong.’
Rashford:
‘And about time! My comments in the ‘Crooks of the Matter’ (above link) go much further, but when is Mourinho going to stop treating Marcus Rashford like a child? In football terms he’s a grown up and Mourinho should start treating him like one. I would have been livid being taken off in such a fixture having scored two goals. How dare Mourinho deny the lad his hat-trick by taking him off!’
It’s always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to all three for their recognition, but the most important thing about the weekend was of course the win.
Full Team:
Petr Cech (Arsenal), Ashley Young (Manchester United), Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Matthew Lowton (Burnley), Kenedy (Newcastle United), Willian (Chelsea), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Arsenal), Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City), Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Jamie Vardy (Leicester City), Ashley Barnes (Burnley).
