Manchester United reporter's notebook: Will Mauricio Pochettino's availability affect club?
Sky Sports News' North West Reporter James Cooper assesses Manchester United's return to Premier League action after the international break
Monday 2 December 2019 16:02, UK
After the last international break Manchester United flew out of the traps and went toe to toe with league leaders Liverpool, taking the only points dropped all season by Jurgen Klopp's men.
Sunday's trip to Sheffield United couldn't have been further from that game in October, the first 70 minutes instead marked by lethargy and timidity.
Time and again passes found a red and white shirt instead of a black one and with each faltering step the shadow of Mauricio Pochettino loomed larger.
As long as the Argentine remains out of work every stumble will be seized upon, and while I've been assured Pochettino's availability has no bearing on the situation at Old Trafford, such assurances won't stop the chatter.
But with Ed Woodward and Sir Alex Ferguson looking on, one couldn't be blamed for thinking perhaps a change was in the offing. Passionate words were exchanged between the pair reinforcing that view, but I'm assured they weren't rowing and both revelled in a fightback that almost stunned the hosts.
There's currently plenty of discussion about Manchester United's DNA, no one seems to be able to explain exactly what that is but it's mentioned a lot.
The ingredients of their second half revival were classic Manchester United though, three goalscorers schooled in the ways of the club since childhood, two of them scoring their first Premier League goal while the other, Marcus Rashford now has 10 goals from his last 11 games for club and country.
However, this is still a very fragile Manchester United squad in terms of confidence, but what will encourage Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the hunger and desire shown by the players, evidenced by David De Gea rushing to take a second-half throw-in as he tried to get his team-mates on the front foot.
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The major positive for Manchester United is that they were able to come back from two down, but the point they ended up with means they've only won at Carrow Road in the Premier League since a victory at Fulham in the second week of February. That's one win from the last 10 away from home.
Solskjaer has suffered with injuries to key personnel and although players are starting to return, the squad looks short of quality with the fear remaining that bolstering it in January won't be easy and may not be possible at all.
