Substitutes have scored all of Manchester United's last five goals, so manager Erik ten Hag is using his bench well.
Anthony Martial has scored or provided an assist every 90 minutes this season, so Ten Hag was right not to bin him in the summer, as many fans and experts would have done. But there are huge question marks after a week in which United conceded eight goals, six of them in the Manchester derby, where they played like startled rabbits in the headlights.
Unless my eyes were deceiving me, it looked like the referee ran past several United players when Omonia Nicosia scored one of their goals in the Europa League on Thursday night – which is unacceptable.
When you talk about playing with intensity and desire, that should never happen at any level. At Macclesfield, we conceded a 94th-minute winner against Bootle last Saturday from our own corner – we put the ball into the box, they broke upfield and scored, which means our set-up was wrong.
There were some harsh words in the analysis room on Monday morning, and yet 72 hours later I'm watching United labour to a 3-2 win against their Europa League group minnows in Cyprus and the same thing happened. You can forgive part-time players if their game management is not quite spot-on, but to see elite superstars committing more or less the same mistake is worrying.
I'm not sure Ten Hag has found the right combination to anchor United's midfield. Why have they spent £65 million on 30-year-old Casemiro if he's not going to start big games like the derby?
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England need to value Trent
Just because he whipped a free-kick into the top corner against Rangers, it doesn't mean Trent Alexander-Arnold is back – he's been doing that for years. Any debate about TAA going to the World Cup is based on his defensive shortcomings for Liverpool. Alexander-Arnold's value as an attacking full-back who gives them an extra dimension going forward has never been in question. He's a fantastic talent, and England should beware of sidelining gifted players because of what they can't do – how about celebrating what they do well?
With Kyle Walker's fitness for Qatar in doubt after his groin operation, Reece James is slightly ahead of Alexander-Arnold in the England pecking order because he can play as an orthodox right-back, on the right side of three centre halves or as a wing-back. But don't push Trent into the margins based on perceived weaknesses in his positioning or awareness at the back post. How about thinking what he can bring to the party?
James Maddison, meanwhile, has to go to the World Cup – not in England's starting XI but as a potential game-changer. In a Leicester team who had been struggling for results until the 4-0 rout of Nottingham Forest, Maddison has been outstanding. If England want to win the World Cup, coach Gareth Southgate needs to be brave and pick players who can turn games in their favour. Maddison offers creativity, set-piece delivery, an eye for the 'killer' pass and an eye for goal.
When people talk about making a difference where the tempo has dropped or the games has become stifled in midfield, that's what he does. In a 26-man squad, Southgate has enough scope to include a couple of picks who will go into the tournament surfing a wave of good form. It would be a waste of talent if Maddison missed the plane to Qatar.
