Manchester United have been in a poor run of form of late, but the Red Devils managed to bounce back against Newcastle United on Saturday after coming back from two goals down to earn a hard-fought 3-2 win at Old Trafford. Alexis Sanchez came off the bench to score the winner in the dying embers of the contest which could potentially turn Jose Mourinho’s fortunes at Manchester.
The Portuguese head coach has been under a lot of pressure this season following a string of poor results across all competitions. However, with Sanchez scoring his first goal of the campaign last night, things might be looking up for the Mancunian giants as some of their first-team stars are slowly returning to form.
The likes of Juan Mata, Anthony Martial and Sanchez, linked up well to mount an unlikely comeback just when the United supporters were losing belief in their team.
Since his move from Arsenal at the start of this year, the Chilean international has flattered to deceive for the Red Devils after failing to live up to the high expectations surrounding his arrival at Old Trafford. It’s high time he started scoring some goals for United, especially considering that he is one of the highest earners at the club.
The 29-year-old has a lot of experience in English football and knows how to find the back of the net on a consistent basis as evidenced by his prolific record for the Gunners. His lack of form this season could be because he doesn’t suit Mourinho’s style of play at Old Trafford. If given the freedom and belief to express himself, Sanchez might still be one of the best players in European football as long as he can start scoring goals regularly for both his club and country.
The Chilean talent is an effective dribbler with the ball and has a lot of tricks up his sleeve to beat the opposing defenders when isolated. He is also an accomplished finisher in the attacking third and can be match-winner on his day.
There is no doubt that the Man United star still has a long way to go if he wants to prove his value at Old Trafford. However, the fact that Sanchez has broken his duck for the season will give him massive confidence going into the international break which could help him revive his career at Manchester.
It is time for Jose to show confidence in Sanchez and give him the leeway he got at Arsenal. Yes, he will sometimes lose the ball, but there is always the potential for something special when Sanchez is given a free hand. If Sanchez comes good at this phase of the campaign, United can very well go on a proper winning streak.
