The lineup has been announced for Manchester United's FA Cup fixture against Middlesbrough. With the return of Paul Pogba, there is a lot of excitement from the fanbase, especially as it seems he is playing a midfield three alongside Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes.
But something else for United fans to get excited about is the front three of Marcus Rashford, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, which is the attacking line many had asked for after the transfer window had closed.
The added creativity to the side of Sancho alongside Pogba may allow Ronaldo to focus on attacking the box instead of being a massive part of the buildup, which has limited his impact since Ralf Rangnick joined as interim manager. Still, he will act as the focal point for the attack in this setup.
Sancho is finally getting a start on the right-wing, where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and United bought him to play in the summer. Still, since then, he has seen limited minutes in that position, but hopefully, he will form a partnership with Diogo Dalot down the right-hand side and finally make the team a threat from more than one side of the pitch.
Rashford has seemingly refound his form, scoring in United's last two games after struggling to make an impact for United after his initial return. He has replaced Anthony Elanga on the left-wing. With the return of Luke Shaw, the team will have the left-hand side, which was so effective for the club last season.
Shaw works well with Rashford as he knows when to overlap and when to drive with the ball and draw defenders off the English winger. He also provides an effective passing option to create different angles to whip the ball into the box.
Overall, United fans have wanted a dynamic forward three all season where the wingers have the support of their full-backs and a creative midfielder behind them to provide them with chances.
However, despite the optimism and excitement of seeing these players on the pitch together, there is still some room for doubts to creep in.
This formation and tactics have failed for United before. Still, hopefully, under the guidance of Rangnick, he can solve the issues that Solskjaer became undone with and finally get the most out of this talented group of players while remaining defensively secure.
What is your prediction for Manchester United's FA Cup fixture? Follow our United On My Mind writer Casey Evans on Twitter and get involved in the discussion in the comment section below.
