Three thoughts from Manchester United's 3-1 win over Northampton Town in the EFL Cup.
Jose Mourinho can head home a relieved man after ending a three-game losing run in all competitions, but Manchester United made life unnecessarily hard for themselves in their 3-1 win at Northampton Town in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night. Although they had the second-half satisfaction of seeing Ander Herrera rifle the ball in before Marcus Rashford walked in one of his own to seal the victory, the score was level at 1-1 at half-time against a League One side and old wounds were reopened.
Again, United enjoyed plenty of possession without penetrating enough with it. Again, their defence shot themselves in the feet with individual errors, allowing Northampton to level despite struggling for much of the opening period.
United were also given a helping hand by opposition goalkeeper Adam Smith, who gifted them a free kick by picking up a back pass en route to the first goal. He produced a humiliating miskick that allowed Rashford to add the third as well.
United's problems were highlighted by the fact that they had to bring Rashford and Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the match early in the second half with the score still tied at 1-1 to win the game.
It should not have been such a slog considering how strong the team was, although key men like David De Gea and Paul Pogba were left at home. There was still plenty of experience on the pitch, notably in the shape of an unimpressive Wayne Rooney.
Mourinho's men began the game in the right way and they could have taken an early lead had Rooney been sharper. They eventually broke through following a slack mistake from Smith, who picked up a back pass from Matty Taylor, gifting a free kick 12 yards out.
The resulting free kick from Rooney was blocked by the wall but Michael Carrick, who had been the most impressive player on the night, was on hand to stroke the ball in. It had been comfortable for United up until that point, but the first half took a turn for the worse as the visiting team's intensity dropped.
United experienced their first scare in the 38th minute when Kenji Gorre, once a part of their youth system, caused problems for a disappointing Tim Fosu-Mensah by turning on the edge of the 18-yard box and sending a deflected strike against the bar.
United's defence soon alarmingly conceded a penalty. The blame could be spread around as Marcos Rojo failed to head clear, Fosu-Mensah sloppily hesitated and Daley Blind then felled Sam Hoskins, allowing Alex Revell to score from the spot. "You're getting sacked in the morning" was the chant directed at Mourinho.
Early in the second half, Northampton dished out some rough treatment, but United stepped up a gear as Herrera hit the far post with one shot and scored off another with a fine strike, showing his first-team credentials once again. Rashford was then gifted his third to seal the win, but it was far from impressive.
2. Carrick impressively stakes his claim
United's losing streak before this match meant that places in the team were very much up for grabs, and Carrick was a player that many observers were calling for even before this game. Having witnessed what he did against Northampton, those opinions will now be even stronger.
There is a school of thought that suggests Carrick should be the man to take Marouane Fellaini's place in the side in a 4-2-3-1 or slot into a central area if the shape is changed to 4-3-3. Against Northampton, he showed that he should be a serious candidate in whichever system the manager opts for against Leicester City on Saturday.
While Fellaini is destructive, Carrick adds another dimension to United's forward-thinking play with his control, technique and level-headedness, precisely what he did from deeper or more advanced positions on several occasions against Northampton.
Although he was facing relatively weak opposition, his instant assuredness was impressive, as he was playing for the first time since the Community Shield. Having once been known as a slow starter to seasons, this was a rapid statement of intent.
Carrick instantly showed great vision to pick out Memphis Depay in a move that led to an early shot for Rooney. He also produced a decent hit and made a useful clearance at the other end before scoring the game's opening goal.
It was a classy finish from 18 yards, one that bore little resemblance to a player who had not scored for United in 18 months. His last goal came against his former club Tottenham Hotspur in March 2015.
Although his second-half performance was not quite as influential, Carrick's claim for a starting place had already been firmly made. His leadership qualities could certainly be of use, especially with Mourinho having admitted that his players have been losing confidence.
3. Rooney does not help himself in striking role
Rooney's presence in the starting XI could have been viewed in one of two ways: either as an indication that he is being considered for omission against Leicester on Saturday, or as a chance to find some form and stay in the lineup.
That Rooney was playing in a striking role did little to suggest that he was being prepared for further Premier League action. In July, Mourinho stated that "maybe he is not a No. 9 anymore." Then again, the manager also said that the player was not being viewed as a midfielder, which is where he featured against Watford on Sunday.
Even in a striking role, though, Rooney could not rediscover anything approaching his better form. He struggled from the start, shooting straight at the goalkeeper and then mis-hitting a chance when he was eight yards out. There was more frustration when he was not quick enough to meet a cross from Rojo and he later had a header inside the six-yard box ruled offside.
Things got even worse when he sliced a cross out of play. It was an embarrassing sight, one that had also been seen in the Watford game.
Early in the second half, Ibrahimovic and Rashford were both brought on, but Mourinho still did not sacrifice Rooney. Rashford was the most influential of the forwards in taking the game away from Northampton, setting up the second and scoring the third. Rooney, meanwhile, was a let-down yet again.
