In football, a single game is often too brief a sample of events to draw definitive conclusions from. Even the most formidable teams have their off days, appearing as mere spectators while relegation candidates play them off the park. On most days, though, one should be able to trace the contours of a team’s structure and style, maybe even some signs of their tenacity and their problem-solving prowess.
But, against Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday, Manchester United unfurled the entire range. Over 120 minutes, they first showed us technical ability and potential, then they showed us complacency, and once Mark Robins’ team started counterpunching, United showed us fear and fragility.
To borrow from a cliché, it was a game of two hours. The first hour of the game saw United in their element, playing with the confidence and purpose expected of a team of their stature against a lower division side. They were dominant on the ball, had enough pace to disorient opposition defenders, and didn’t seem to have too many holes defensively. A 2-0 lead at half-time soon became 3-0.
Yet, as Bournemouth, Chelsea, and Brentford have shown us, United are always there for the taking once the game goes deep. From a single shot in the first half, Coventry City had 17 between the start of the second half and the end of extra time—the same as United in that period.