Warning: explicit content
Hello? Yes, I’d like to order two taxis please. Both from Old Trafford, Manchester to Bournemouth town centre. Names? Nathan Ake and Diego Rico.
That’s what should have happened after Paul Pogba opened the scoring for Manchester United this afternoon. While he finished the move off, it all started with two sublime pieces of instinctive skill from Marcus Rashford – another player who looks rejuvenated after José Mourinho’s departure.
Faced one vs one out wide with Ake, Bournemouth’s centre-back, Rashford somehow managed to put the ball one side of the defender and run round him on the other, before beating Diego Rico with a beautiful ‘elastico’ – or a flip-flap if you prefer.
He then topped it all off with a delightful cross that Pogba met with perfect timing, poking it home into an empty net. Asmir Begović was helpless.
This should come with an explicit warning. Unreal. https://t.co/BXsxdHdhrc
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) December 30, 2018
This was just four minutes into the game, which United dominated right up until the half-time whistle.
Pogba doubled United’s lead shortly after the half hour mark with a towering header from an Ander Herrera cross.
https://twitter.com/SkySportsPL/status/1079424076626739200
He celebrated appropriately.
But Nathan Ake got one back on the stroke of half-time to give the Cherries hope of a comeback.
The return of free flowing attacking football has been a huge relief to United fans who have put up with the dour, defensive dross that Mourinho enforced on them for two and a half years.
Rejoice, Red Devils, for you are free.
