McTominay nets winner as United get one over old foe Gerrard
Scott McTominay celebrates scoring Manchester United's goal during the Emirates FA Cup third round match against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. Picture: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United enjoyed a victory over the old enemy Steven Gerrard and booked a fourth round FA Cup tie against Middlesbrough in the process, thanks to Scott McTominay’s early winner.
But such is the dysfunction at Old Trafford currently that it will take more than this nervous victory to convince supporters that caretaker manager Ralf Rangnick is on the right path to end a wait for silverware that will extend to five years if United do not win a trophy this season.
Gerrard was greeted with a predictable barrage of boos and uncomplimentary songs as he took his place in the Villa dug-out before kick-off, grinning and staring at the Stretford End as he went.
“It’s about the game; not about me,” he had claimed pre-kick-off but old habits die hard and Gerrard’s status as a legendary former Liverpool captain also guarantees him a lifelong position as a pubic enemy number one at Old Trafford.
And, after falling behind to McTominay’s early goal, Gerrard’s Villa set about trying to make their manager even more unpopular in United eyes.
McTominay headed United in front with an excellent finish after just eight minutes after Mason Greenwood played the ball back to Fred and his missile-like left-foot cross was met by the Scottish midfielder eight yards out.
The defending may have been poor but, after all the abuse the Fred-McTominay midfield pairing has endured this season, the pair could revel in a moment of top-class attacking play.
Sadly, for the home supporters at least, many of the other problems that Rangnick has been battling to counter in recent weeks were very quickly prominent once more as Gerrard must have wondered how his side was not level, if not indeed in front, before even the 20-minute mark.
Moments after the goal, a Douglas Luiz corner was flicked on and Oliie Watkins missed an open goal at the far post, having been put off slightly by a deflection off Victor Lindelof.
Emiliano Buendia then wormed his way into the United area, skipping past Fred and Luke Shaw as he went, before rolling a shot inches past the post of the diving David de Gea.
United were rocking at the back and allowed John McGinn way too much space as they permitted him the chance to shoot from 20 yards, with de Gea diving well to smother the ball.
And, still, Rangnick’s defence was far too lackadaisical just after the half-hour when Lindelof made a huge error in trying to control a long, high ball, allowed in Watkins who checked past him easily and thundered a shot against the underside of the bar before United could scramble away the danger.
For an away team, Villa were compiling an astonishing catalogue of chances and Jaco Ramsey was next, popping up at the end of a well-worked Villa move to side foot a precise shot that was deflected inches wide of the United goal.
In response, there was little from a United side that adopted a more familiar 4-2-3-1 approach after Rangnick apparently abandoned his unusual 4-2-2-2 formation from his first half-dozen games.
An early 25-yard shot from McTominay offered Martinez no trouble and Marcus Rashford unleashed a dangerous 14th minute shot which failed to even reach the keeper as it struck Edinson Cavani in the head.
Cavani, with a deflected effort, and Shaw, from well outside the box, at least forced Martinez into impressive saves, as did McTominay, with a long-range 45th minute strike.
But the second half began in worryingly familiar fashion for United who failed to defend a 50th minute McGinn free-kick and, after Danny Ings had scrambled the ball in, only a lengthy VAR review rescued them, ruling it out for a foul.
Nine minutes later, the ball was in the United goal again, from an Ings shot turned in by Watkins, although this time it was met with a far quicker and less contentious offside call.
The tie was warming considerably, a thundering but fair McGinn tackle on Fred leaving the Brazilian writhing on the ground and players half-heartedly pushing and jockeying with each other.
Even Villa defenders Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash maintained the pressure with powerful shots that de Gea saved well and United were being pushed so deep that the keeper was in danger of having to take his place in the safe standing section behind his net.
When United made a rare counter, through Greenwood, his shot was blocked by Martinez and Rashford inexplicably failed to move for the loose ball, a moment that exasperated home fans and summed up an unconvincing night for the Reds.
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