United 2 – 0 Sunderland
United needed this
After that 3–1 hammering last week, which honestly could’ve been worse, this felt like a must-win. Every game right now feels like a must-win for Amorim and this United side. Sunderland weren’t pushovers either. Six games, three wins, two draws, one loss 11 points on the board. Nobody expected a newly promoted team to be sitting in the top half, but they’ve earned it. Their signings made sense, and they play with belief. So going into this, I wasn’t sure we’d win.
Lammens debut and a risky setup
The good news: Lammens finally started. His first Premier League game. With the bar set so low by Onana and Bayindir, he only needed to do the basics right to win fans over. I didn’t want to see Luke Shaw start again, and Bruno in a midfield two with Casemiro still makes me nervous. It might work against weaker midfields, but long-term, it’s not sustainable. Bruno isn’t defensively disciplined, and Casemiro doesn’t have the legs anymore.
Mount starting ahead of Cunha was interesting. Amorim clearly rates him highly, but I didn’t expect him to drop Cunha. The setup was Mount left 10, Mbeumo right 10, and Sesko up top. Amad at right wing-back was so advanced at times he was higher than Mbeumo, which says a lot. People call this system “defensive” because it’s a back three, but it really isn’t. At times, we have six attacking players pushing up. The issue isn’t the shape, it’s who’s playing in it.
My main frustration was Dalot at left wing-back. Amorim, why? His stubbornness can be tiring. Dorgu has been one of our best players; physical, direct, and left-footed. It makes no sense to bench him. And then there’s Bruno. I like him, but play him higher up. Don’t force him into a role that doesn’t suit him. Start Mainoo and Ugarte, give them a run together. But Amorim sticks with Casemiro and Bruno. He’ll die on that hill, I guess.
Mount silences critics, Lammens impresses
Still, the first half was solid. Sesko linked well with Mount and Mbeumo, and we looked sharp. In the eighth minute, Mbeumo whipped in a perfect cross. Mount controlled it, then hit a half-volley with his second touch into the bottom corner. 1–0 United. Great goal, and a nice way for him to quiet the doubters for a bit.
Right after that, we created multiple chances. Mbeumo and Bruno both tested the keeper. Bruno’s shot towards the top corner was especially good, but Sunderland’s keeper pulled off a top save. He made three great stops in about ten minutes.
Lammens had a calm first half. Two saves, one from a long-range rocket by Xhaka that reminded everyone what the Premier League had been missing. He also claimed a few crosses cleanly, which almost brought United fans to tears. It’s been a while since a keeper here looked that composed.
Yoro was excellent, makes you wonder why he was benched before. De Ligt was solid too. Shaw, not so much. At the 31st minute, Sesko scored again. Two goals in two games. Dalot’s long throw was headed away by Mukiele, but it fell straight to Sesko, who buried it. His movement was smart all game.
I remember when I made that Sesko comp that blew up on Twitter;
over 400k views. People who didn’t watch him much said he had clunky link-up play. But if you’ve seen him properly, you know he does much more. He’s tall but moves like someone half his size. And he’s getting sharper every week.
Holding steady and closing it out
Second half was quiet. We brought on Cunha, Dorgu, and later Ugarte, Mainoo, and Maguire. The team stayed compact. Lammens made one crucial leg save from a 1v1, preventing a clear goal. He ended with 0.94 xG prevented and two high claims a man-of-the-match performance for me. De Ligt and Yoro stayed strong. Amad was bright again.
Some fans complained about the lack of midfield buildup and how we relied on Lammens’ long balls. They’re right in parts; we do skip the midfield too often. That’s exactly why Mainoo should be playing more. The Anfield game last year showed what a proper midfield looks like. Mainoo and Ugarte were excellent together then. The ball moved cleanly through the middle.
But now, Amorim has too many options at 10 Mbeumo, Cunha, Mount, and Bruno, so I doubt he’ll change it soon. I just hope we see something different against Liverpool. We tend to lock in against big teams, and I’d love a Sesko screamer at Anfield.
Final thoughts
It was a deserved win. A calm, composed performance that we needed after a tough week. Lammens’ debut was promising, the backline looked organised, and the attack worked well early on. But the midfield setup remains the main issue. Amorim has to find balance there.
Till next time.
Yanited, Yanited.
UNITED SCRIPTED. 
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