Pre-match newsletter: Manchester United vs Tottenham
A pre-match package put together by Stretty News editor Dale O'Donnell before Tottenham Hotspur travel to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Stretty News didn’t get where it is today by towing the club’s line and doing its dirty PR work. I have always encouraged writers to say it how it is, even if the masses won’t agree with a word of it. From David Moyes to Louis van Gaal, there has been situations with every manager in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era that divided the fanbase.
The football under Erik ten Hag continues to raise more questions rather than answer them. It should be coming together this season but we’ve started the campaign slowly and I’m already fretting about speculation ahead of mid-October international break.
I have been an avid supporter of Ten Hag, often blurting statements like ‘bald is best’ like a drunkin’ idiot, but the performance and result on Wednesday night left me scratching my head. This was against a side Ten Hag knows better than most. His boyhood club and one he previously managed. A second-rate Eredivisie outfit.
They came to Old Trafford with 3,500 noisy fans and left delighted with the result. United didn’t take their chances and failed to put Twente away before handing them an equaliser in the second half.
There is one thing I want you to do this weekend and it’s to remember you have a say in the future of Old Trafford. It is a pivotal time for not just the future of Old Trafford, but the future of our football club. Old Trafford is sacred and hallowed ground, watered with the tears of joy and despair from memories of generations.
Manchester United have launched a survey to ensure the views of its fans are at the heart of plans for the future of Old Trafford and the regeneration of the Trafford Wharfside area.
What’s inside:
Preview: Can Old Trafford become a fortress once again for Tottenham visit? 🏟️
Predicted XI: Settled back four & Hojlund up front 🔥💪🏼
How to watch Manchester United vs Tottenham in the Premier League on Sunday 📺
Strettycast 211: United stuck in a rut, can they get out? 🎙️
Can Old Trafford become a fortress once again?
“Tottenham have only won in two of their last 12 Premier League matches on the road while losing four of their last six.”
It’s exactly what Erik ten Hag needs after a slow start to the 2024/25 season, after his team made matters worse by drawing the Europa League opener against FC Twente on Wednesday night.
The result left egg on Ten Hag’s face because it was against his former side. A club he supports, therefore, watches regularly.
It also sets us up appallingly for Sunday’s game against Tottenham, who won their Europa League clash 3-0 against Qarabag.
United had a scoreless draw in the league last weekend on their travels to Selhurst Park. It was a game we should’ve won but Ten Hag’s men paid the price for not taking their chances.
It is not all doom and gloom at Old Trafford, though. We are not naïve to the fact there has been improvements in our style of play. Look at how we are finally keeping clean sheets and creating more chances.
While it is not something Ten Hag has a lot of, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before the chances we are creating become goals. Only Southampton have under-performed their Expected Goals (xG) total more than Ten Hag’s wasteful unit this season.
Indeed, United have found the net five times from an xG of 9.6 – the third-highest figure in the top flight. The manager will be keen on finding a way to get the best out of all his attacking players.
Tottenham have only won in two of their last 12 Premier League matches on the road while losing four of their last six. That said, they managed to steal a point from United in last season’s 2-2 draw, which extended their unbeaten record against us to three league matches.
Can Old Trafford become the fortress it once was?
Marcus Rashford record against Tottenham
In 16 meetings, Marcus Rashford has nine wins against Tottenham, three draws and four defeats. He can also boast a record of six goals and one assist in the process.
Rashford has only scored six goals against one of the Premier League’s top-six (Arsenal). His first goal against Tottenham came in the second half of the 2028-19 season, with his effort seeing Man United record a 1-0 victory in North London.
XI Prediction: Settled back four & Hojlund up front
“Manuel Ugarte needs to improve on his midweek display and is likely to be joined in midfield by Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes.”
The bulk of Manchester United’s injury woes are in defence as Ten Hag is still without Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw, Leny Yoro and Tyrell Malacia.
The Dutchman is expected to line up with the following back four, in front of Andre Onana: Noussair Mazaoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot.
Manuel Ugarte needs to improve on his midweek display and is likely to be joined in midfield by Kobbie Mainoo and Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese captain is another player who needs to improve his game after a string of poor performances.
The return of full fitness for Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund is great news and we fully expect him to lead the line against Tottenham. He will be joined on the flanks by Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford.
Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo, Fernandes; Garnacho, Hojlund, Rashford.
How to watch 📺
If you won’t be at Old Trafford, the game will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK, while we will have plenty of coverage on StrettyNews.com throughout the day.
New podcast 🎙️
We recorded episode 211 of the Strettycast with Brian and John on Wednesday night and we reviewed the draws against Crystal Palace and FC Twente.
We also answered a ton of listener questions and expressed our thoughts on Ten Hag.
Strettycast is available on all podcast platforms.