Manchester United are up 1-0 at halftime of their FA Cup clash with Wigan Athletic. United have owned possession 65.6% to 34.4%, shots on goal 7-1, and total shots 17-7. It’s the final match (ahead of the required replays) of the FA Cup third round. Let’s take a look at some news and notes from the first half, starting with defender Diogo Dalot.
The Portugese fullback opened the scoring today with this fantastic finish! Take a look:
GOAL!! Brilliant finish from Dalot
Wigan 0-1 Man Unitedpic.twitter.com/plOhA8kg0L
— Manchester United Die Hard Fans (@DieHardUtdFans) January 8, 2024
What a sublime scoring strike by Dalot! The first team that manager Erik ten Hag selected today was surprisingly strong for some reason. Can’t say I understand this, as Wigan is in League One, the third tier of the English football pyramid.
You can see the team sheet tweeted out below, and I agree with the user who posted it- this is a UEFA Champions League group stage match quality of team.
By not giving their second choice GK game time in cup games, United are hurting themselves. What will happen the day Onana is suspended/injured?
This a UCL team for Wigan! pic.twitter.com/Jq2aCwv2L8— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) January 8, 2024
The most questionable decision here is obvious- why leave Altay Bayindir on the bench, and start Andre Onana instead?
Yes, it is true that Onana did stay back with the club, and thus delay joining up with Cameroon, at the Africa Cup of Nations. However, when are you going to give your No. 2 goalkeeper some playing time?
By not giving their second choice GK game time in cup games, United are hurting themselves. What will happen the day Onana is suspended/injured?
This a UCL team for Wigan! pic.twitter.com/Jq2aCwv2L8— Eric Njiru (@EricNjiiru) January 8, 2024
Your reserve keeper should see major minutes in the cup competitions! If he doesn’t start those matches, then when will he actually play?
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now, while writing for the International Baseball Writers Association of America. You can follow the website on Twitter.