Premier League
BEFORE CAVANI, AFTER RONALDO; OTHER PLAYERS WITH MAN UNITED’S NUMBER 7
BY ADAM ALADAY
New comer, Edinson Cavani has been confirmed as the latest custodian of shirt number 7 at Manchester United.
As 90min puts it, the number seven shirt at Manchester United has been donned by some true legends.
But since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo back in 2009, a number of players have tried and failed (some more miserably than others) to deal with the weight of expectation on their shoulders after donning that famous jersey.
Indeed, since the Portuguese forward left the club, the five players to have worn the jersey have scored a combined…14 league goals for the club.
Yep, that’s correct – a grand tally of 14. During Ronaldo’s final season at the club alone, he managed 18 league goals in 33 games.
Of course, goals aren’t everything and, more often than not, they don’t tell the complete story.
But since Ronaldo, player after player has failed to deliver with the number seven on their backs. However, the 2020/21 season will now see new signing Edinson Cavani try and break the ‘curse’ of the shirt.
Here, we take a look at the players to have worn the number seven shirt since Ronaldo left and how they have failed to live up to expectations.
1. Michael Owen
Sir Alex Ferguson lost both Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the summer of 2009 and, as a result, he was on the lookout for a new striker to add depth up front.
Ferguson turned to Michael Owen, with the former Liverpool striker joining on a free transfer after departing Newcastle. Considering the void left by Ronaldo, fans were desperate for a star player – perhaps in their peak years – to come in and take over the shirt.
But instead, Owen was a player who was still continuing to struggle with injuries, while he wasn’t exactly getting any younger either. In total, Owen scored 17 goals in 52 appearances for the club, although he did start just 18 games.
Despite him being nothing more than a squad player when fit, Owen did provide fans with a few moments that will long in the memory, notably his last-gap winner in the Manchester derby.
Oh, and the move benefited him as well as he was finally able to get his hands on a Premier League winners medal. Owen’s remarks after winning the title were blunt, but very true: “If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
2. Antonio Valencia
Antonio Valencia arrived at Old Trafford during the same summer as Owen, with Ferguson actually offering the player the seven shirt before turning to the Englishman. However, Valencia turned down the opportunity.
The former Wigan man wasn’t the most glamorous footballer, nor was he the most lethal in front of goal. But it was his work ethic that made him such a fan favourite. Valencia was Mr Consistent, the player Ferguson could always rely on in every game.
After an excellent 2011/12 season, Valencia was named the club’s player of the year before being handed the prestigious shirt. However, he would only hold onto it for one year before returning to number 25.
But rather than the added pressure that comes with the jersey, Valencia has since insisted that it was a matter of feeling more comfortable with 25 on his back. Indeed, this is the character and type of player Valencia was at Manchester United.
During his time wearing number seven, Valencia only managed one goal – although he did struggle with injuries.
In total, Valencia made 339 appearances for the Red Devils before departing in the summer of 2019, scoring 25 times and providing 62 assists during his ten-year stay.
3. Angel Di Maria
Angel Di Maria’s transfer to Man Utd is a prime example of where the club have failed since Ferguson retired. The Argentine never looked like he wanted to be there, looking unsettled and uninterested during his stay.
It was a case of wanting to make a ‘statement’ signing in order to show that the Red Devils still meant business. But the problem, however, was that the money was doing the talking – rather than the player’s eagerness to join or his desire to be part of the footballing project.
There was plenty of excitement as he shone in the first few weeks, but his form quickly dipped…drastically.
The signing of Di Maria paved the way for a number of high-profile, big money transfers for United – most of which resulted in failure.
Now with PSG, it has been made clear by his wife and his teammates just how much he now dislikes Man Utd.
At least, it appears as though lesson are finally being learned.
4. Memphis Depay
Perhaps it was a case of too much, too young for Memphis at Man Utd. Following the departure of Di Maria, the shirt was handed to Memphis – a player the club hoped would don the jersey for years to come.
With skill, pace, creativity and a real eye for goal, Memphis had all the attributes to succeed at United and it seemed as though they had made an excellent signing.
But whether it was a case of mental strength or the team’s overall inconsistency not allowing Depay with the chance to showcase his talents regularly, the Dutchman struggled to make much of an impact.
His talent was clear for all to see, with fans witnessing his moments of supreme quality. But it was all far too irregular, with the forward also often disappearing for large parts of games.
Now with Lyon, Memphis has been putting in consistently impressive performances for a while and is showing why United paid so much to bring him to the club back in 2015.
5. Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sanchez at Manchester United:
– Cost the club around £28,800 for each touch of the ball he made at the club.
– His tally of three Premier League goals meant each strike was worth £19.8m.
– Cost more than £40m in wages.
Sanchez’s Manchester United nightmare is finally over.
Sanchez joined United in the peak of his powers, hence why the Red Devils fought so hard to land him.
But while he claimed rather unconvincingly that he had always ‘dreamt’ of playing at Old Trafford, he seemingly only joined after United came in with a mega contract offer to beat local rivals Manchester City to his signature.
Sure, you can look at the stats – five goals in 45 games – to see just how poor he was for United, but the problems were so much worse. He never fit in and never really looked part of the squad.
This had a major impact on the pitch as he gave the ball away time after time and struggled to gain any real understanding of his teammates’ games.
United had enough and offloaded him to Inter for the 2019/20 season, where he has managed to shine in parts. The Italian giants have since taken up the option to make the move permanent, with the Red Devils opting to pay him off in order to get him off their books.
Sanchez was a mistake United have paid for, so much so they didn’t care about a transfer fee anymore. Over to you, Edinson..
.-90Min
Manchester United cruised to a rare comfortable home Premier League victory as goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko secured a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.
With the pressure growing on manager Ruben Amorim after a disappointing start to the season, Mount calmed the nerves around the ground with a fine early finish to break the deadlock.
United continued to dominate, with a spectacular save from Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs preventing Bruno Fernandes from adding a sumptuous second before Sesko netted his first Old Trafford goal after 31 minutes.
Sunderland were awarded a penalty late in the first half, a decision that was overturned following a VAR intervention, but they never really threatened after the break as United eased to a third home league victory of the season.
The result put United in provisional eighth place with 10 points from seven games, two places below Sunderland on 11.
Wins, especially comfortable ones, have been in short supply for Portuguese Amorim since he took charge in November.
United supporters have slowly started to turn on the new manager as a result, with nothing short of victory over promoted Sunderland, despite the visitors’ impressive start to the season, enough to appease the disgruntled masses.
Mount’s superb control and finish was just what the beleaguered boss needed. The fine strike was the earliest United have scored in the Premier League since Marcus Rashford’s goal at Ipswich Town in Amorim’s first game in charge.
It was only a matter of time until the hosts scored again, such was their dominance. From a long throw, Sesko was alert to the flick-on before steering home his second in as many games.
United thought they had shot themselves in the foot as Sesko was penalised for a high boot in his own penalty area, only for VAR to deem it not to be a foul.
The hosts took their foot off the gas in the second half, but still should have added to their tally, with veteran Brazilian Casemiro blazing their best chance over the bar.
Sunderland did manufacture a late gilt-edged chance but Senne Lammens, making his debut in the United goal, stood tall to block, completing an assured performance from the keeper and his new teammates.
-Reuters
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Premier League champions Liverpool dropped points for the first time this season when they lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the eighth minute of added time as Manchester United and Chelsea suffered 3-1 defeats on Saturday.
United slumped at Brentford and 10-man Chelsea were beaten at home by Brighton & Hove Albion, who scored twice in stoppage time.
Manchester City thrashed Burnley 5-1 thanks to two own goals and a late brace from Erling Haaland while Leeds United were held to a 2-2 draw after Bournemouth equalised in added time through 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi.
There was also a late twist at Tottenham Hotspur when Joao Palhinha struck an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
LIVERPOOL SUFFER FIRST LOSS
Liverpool were on the back foot early on when Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through a set-piece when the ball fell to Ismaila Sarr who smashed it home.
Liverpool would have conceded more if not for goalkeeper Alisson while Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly made it 2-0 when he hit the post.
Although Liverpool equalised through Federico Chiesa in the 87th minute, fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah provided late drama when he scored the winner in the 97th minute, with Selhurst Park celebrating the goal twice after VAR confirmed he was not offside.
“The boys are in really good form and think we can win every game and today we showed that,” Nketiah told the BBC.
Palace ended the day in second place, three points behind leaders Liverpool although Arsenal can go second if they beat Newcastle United on Sunday.
OWN GOALS, HAALAND GIVE MAN CITY WIN
Burnley’s Maxime Esteve became only the sixth player to score two own goals in a Premier League game as City climbed up to fourth.
Esteve scored the first when he tried to deny Phil Foden but Jaidon Anthony made it 1-1 with a shot that deflected off Ruben Dias.
Matheus Nunes restored City’s lead with a close-range effort before Esteve’s second own goal came when he looked to stop Oscar Bobb from finding the net.
Haaland struck twice in the dying minutes to hand Burnley their biggest loss of the season.
MANCHESTER UNITED LOSE AT BRENTFORD
Bryan Mbeumo received a warm welcome from the Brentford fans as he returned to his former club for the first time since his move to Manchester United but the reception paled in comparison to the roars when the home side went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Igor Thiago capitalised on United’s high line for the opener when Jordan Henderson sent him through on goal in the eighth minute, before the Brazilian forward grabbed his second when United keeper Altay Bayindir spilled a save right into his path.
United pulled one back when Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club but Bruno Fernandes had a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher before Mathias Jensen put the game out of reach in added time with a rocket from outside the box.
“We didn’t control the game, we played the game of Brentford. We were really confused (on) second balls, first balls, set pieces,” United manager Ruben Amorim said.
“The crucial moments, they were against us. Tough to lose again.”
CHELSEA SEE RED AGAIN
Chelsea had a player sent off for a second time in as many league games when Trevoh Chalobah saw red for denying Brighton a goal-scoring opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez had given Chelsea a 1-0 lead with a close-range header but Chalobah’s red card in the 53rd minute reduced the home side to 10 men and Brighton made it count when Danny Welbeck opened his account for the season with the equaliser.
Brighton capitalised again in the 92nd minute when Maxim De Cuyper powered home a header and the visitors sealed all three points when Welbeck scored in the 10th minute of added time.
Bournemouth took the lead at Leeds when Antoine Semenyo scored from a free kick but the home side made it 2-1 when Joe Rodon and Sean Longstaff netted either side of halftime.
With Leeds close to taking three points, Kroupi volleyed home from inside the box in the 93rd minute to lift Bournemouth into a group of three clubs on 11 points.
Sunderland moved to 11 points and fourth place by beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground to leave Forest’s new manager Ange Postecoglou winless after five games in charge.
Omar Alderete’s first-half goal was the difference between the two sides with Sunderland mounting a staunch rearguard action as Forest laid siege to their goal.
Wolves were seconds away from earning their first win of the season after losing their opening five games in their worst ever start to a league campaign.
They led through Santiago Bueno’s scrappy goal early in the second half but Palhinha guided in a superb finish to send Tottenham to third place on goal difference.
-Reuters
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said his side must match the level of urgency they showed against Chelsea on Saturday if they are to keep on winning.
Having tasted victory just once this season going into the game, on the back of their lowest top-flight league finish last term since they were relegated in 1973-74, the pressure was on Amorim ahead of Chelsea’s visit in the Premier League.
The early dismissal of Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez gave United the platform to earn a vital win with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro but the performance, from the off, reached levels of intensity that had been lacking in recent struggles.
“Sometimes we have some moments that we feel an urgency to have a result,” Amorim said. “Today we won, it’s nice to win, but let’s not forget that return to that urgency in our game.
“We need to win the next game. That is the most important thing. In this big club it’s not a feeling that today is a really good game, let’s relax a little bit. Let’s keep that urgency. That is the most important feeling we have to take for the next week.”
In true United fashion, the hosts still made things difficult for themselves from a seemingly unassailable position, 2-0 in front with a numerical advantage in the driving Manchester rain.
Casemiro’s sending-off late in the first half gave the visitors a lifeline, with Trevoh Chalobah’s header ensuring a nervy finish at an expectant Old Trafford.
“We showed that when everything is going well, we arrange something to make it difficult,” Amorim said. “But we suffered together in the end. That was a good thing, if you look at the game we deserved to win.
“We were trying to do things a little bit too much, making a tackle that maybe we shouldn’t. It’s hard to say, because that is the pressure. I feel more pressure in some young guys sometimes.
“Maybe it’s because Casemiro cares. We score one and he has that tackle. Sometimes it’s not the pressure, they wanted too much in that moment.”
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