Erik ten Hag talked the talk then Sofyan Amrabat walked the walk on a night that could well give Manchester United’s season lift-off.
Yes, it was the Carabao Cup third round. Yes, it was a United side that made seven changes beating a Crystal Palace side that also made seven changes. But the positive signs should not be ignored.
And that all started when before kick-off United head coach Ten Hag explained his selection of Amrabat, who would go on to shine when making his full debut as an inverted left-back in the 3-0 win at Old Trafford.
“We need a full squad and also competition,” Ten Hag told MUTV. “We had to be able to make choices from a tactical perspective. Amrabat is a midfielder, but he’s previously played as a full-back a while ago.
“He was one of the best players at the World Cup in the position as a holding midfielder, but he can play there [left-back] and he’s a warrior, he’ll fight for the badge. He’s someone who will play where his manager needs him.”
At a time when Tag Hag and Jadon Sancho are mid stand-off – an impasse that will reportedly only be resolved if the player apologises, which he currently refuses to do – it is impossible to ignore the former’s pointed comments about Amrabat. The warrior. The desire to fight for the badge. The will to play anywhere.
Amrabat backed that up with an accomplished performance that suggests he could yet force his way into Ten Hag’s first-choice XI for Premier League and Champions League matches, and at the very least the Moroccan proved he is a versatile asset within this United squad.
“It’s a perfect night,” Amrabat would go on to tell Sky Sports, with Casemiro once again impressing and both Harry Maguire and Mason Mount getting valuable minutes.
“Since I was a child I worked for this, I worked very hard my whole life. It’s amazing to play here, it’s fantastic. I told the manager play me where you need me, goalkeeper, anywhere. Today it was left back but I had a free role to play in midfield. I like to touch and have the ball.
“It hasn’t been an easy time but it’s clear that this is a huge club and we need to win. The pressure is high but we want this. The manager says every day we need to win, that’s we want, we push very hard every day.”
Amrabat’s desire to get “stronger” and “better” is an ethos that could yet make him a leader in this dressing room, an attitude that can spread through a United squad who need to cling onto this confidence-boosting night after a difficult start to the season.
Defeats to Tottenham, Arsenal and Brighton in the Premier League have already put them on the back foot in the top-four race, but United may yet build some momentum in the coming weeks with three more home matches on the horizon.
First is a rematch with Palace, a Saturday 3pm offering where both sides should return to full strength, with Ten Hag potentially rewarding Amrabat by handing the 27-year-old his first league start this season.
Then to follow is a Champions League home match against Galatasaray before Brentford head to Old Trafford the following weekend.
No gimmes, of course, but with Sheffield United away to follow and another home encounter in Europe against FC Copenhagen, Ten Hag would be right in thinking five wins from five is possible – and realistic – before their next major test: Manchester City at Old Trafford on 29 October.
The gulps can be heard beyond Manchester, with City having got off to a flier, but previewing that can wait, for a week can feel like a season sometimes at United, so despite the upwards trajectory the Palace win has kept them on – building on the weekend win at Burnley – there will surely be some twists to come before City.
That, or five more wins and talk of a derby win suddenly seems possible. Let’s see.
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