Thomas Frank may have been vindicated. Sadly for him, he was beaten in the process. Under Frank, Bryan Mbeumo scored 20 Premier League goals for Brentford last season. When the Dane joined Tottenham, he hoped to lure Mbeumo across London with him.
Instead Mbeumo joined Manchester United, and with a certain inevitability, he, along with Bruno Fernandes, duly scored in their 2-0 victory over Spurs. He has struck home and away against Tottenham this season. Spurs also targeted Eberechi Eze, who went to Arsenal and got a hat-trick against them. That may be the story of Frank’s Tottenham, a tale of what might have been. A defeat shaped by the first-half red card of his captain, Cristian Romero, for a lunge at Casemiro, worsened his plight. Frank’s detractors may suggest he is hapless. He can certainly look luckless.
Meanwhile, Michael Carrick continues to look an inspired appointment. Ruben Amorim never won four consecutive matches as United manager. Four games into his reign, Carrick has. A perfect start continued and if it was rendered easier when Tottenham were down to 10 men, his United brimmed with a positivity the Portuguese’s side lacked all too often. “I think Michael could be a great manager and he’s just shown it,” said his captain, Fernandes. United lost four times to Tottenham last season. Under a former Spurs midfielder, they beat them.
Carrick nevertheless deflected suggestions he has arrived equipped with a Midas touch. Mbeumo’s goal stemmed from a well-worked corner routine; but, Carrick said, devised by club analyst Kaita Hasegawa and Jonny Evans: an unused substitute who was nevertheless booked as these clubs met in May’s Europa League final and now part of the backroom staff.
This time, the caution on the sidelines went to a frustrated Frank. The more severe punishment had come earlier when Romero was shown a straight red card for planting his studs into Casemiro’s ankle; Argentina on Brazil, or just his follow through? Referee Michael Oliver deemed the tackle was made with excessive force, endangered an opponent and reached for his pocket. “He clearly goes for the ball,” Frank said. “Unfortunately, the way the rules are, it becomes a red. He is sorry for the incident. He apologised to his teammates in the dressing room.”
One of Romero’s colleagues suffered immediately: winger Wilson Odobert was soon sacrificed for defender Radu Dragusin and with the winger went some of Spurs’ attacking verve. When they sought an equaliser, they looked short of numbers in attack.
It may be a footnote now but Frank had started by reverting to 4-2-3-1, putting Joao Palhinha in midfield and displaying some ambition. “The first 30 minutes were a good away performance,” Frank said. Then the game was transformed as Romero exited. United had begun with Carrickball: high-paced, creative, their attacking intent apparent as they eventually amassed 13 long-range shots.
And whereas Amorim’s United were clueless when Everton were reduced to 10 men in the first half at Old Trafford, Carrick’s side soon capitalised, courtesy in part of Evans.
Fernandes’ corner was a pass to Kobbie Mainoo, who laid it back to the Cameroonian to sidefoot in. It was his third goal in four games under Carrick. He had a familiar status but a different role. Carrick named an unchanged team but swapped Matheus Cunha for Mbeumo. The former Brentford man moved to the left wing, but posed an instant threat on the counter-attack with his pace. His first shot came inside 40 seconds. Mbeumo was relentless but Carrick alternated the duties on the left flank: Fernandes finished there and scored as an ersatz winger.
Indeed, and perhaps illustrating how fortune scarcely favours Frank, then no sooner had Spurs made a triple change than United scored a second goal, Fernandes prodding in a shot from Diogo Dalot’s deep cross. “Bruno is always around big moments and has his fingerprints on it,” said Carrick.
United could have doubled their lead much earlier, though they encountered resistance. “I am very proud of the players for their resilience,” said Frank. “It is so easy to crumble.” Spurs did not and Guglielmo Vicario made a series of saves: from Casemiro, Luke Shaw, Dalot, Amad Diallo and the substitute Benjamin Sesko. Carrick has given his side licence to shoot from distance, and it almost produced a dividend. Casemiro, their prompter in chief, was excellent.
For United, it all made for a contrast with the stultifying Europa League final, if scarcely compensation for it. These sides reconvened as fourth in the Premier League and fourth in the Champions League respectively. Increasingly, United are entitled to argue theirs is not a false position. Tottenham, though, could be 15th in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. They have no victories in seven top-flight meetings, only two in 16. “We can’t run away from [the fact] we haven’t won enough in the Premier League,” said Frank. “But there is no other alternative than keep going, which we will do, of course.”
