Manchester United thumped West Ham United 4-0 in their first game of the season — and though many will say that this was “only West Ham,” this was precisely the point. This is the type of game of which United made such heavy weather during the last campaign, and this time they simply swept the Londoners aside. It is early days, but United look to have much more attacking chemistry than just a few months ago. An encouraging start indeed.
For so long last season Manchester United supporters sang that “Jose’s got us playing the way United should” when, frankly, that was not the case. But it was here. This was football with power and pace and purpose – and also a ‘pow’ as Romelu Lukaku, their new centre-forward, scored twice on his debut to knockout West Ham United. This was also the biggest win of the opening weekend in the Premier League and, perhaps more importantly, the biggest at the club under Jose Mourinho and the biggest by United in just under three years. Going even further back it felt like the Fergie times at Old Trafford with, on the hour, that 1960s Herman’s Hermit hit, with its adapted lyrics, again being belted out with some justification at last. Mourinho had said he felt he was “on fire” and his team were smoking.
There is a long way to go. United began this time last year with a Zlatan Ibrahimovic-inspired swagger and while they delivered two cups the football was functional, at times, and little more. Against a re-armed West Ham they were far more swashbuckling with Lukaku grabbing the headlines and his former Chelsea team-mate Nemanja Matic providing the control and energy to unleash United’s formidable attacking talents along with Paul Pogba. On this evidence they are indeed genuine contenders.
Mourinho has them playing and, yes, playing the way United should. So they have put down their marker. With fixtures, now, against Swansea City, Leicester City, Stoke City and Everton they also have the chance to gain some precious momentum and, as we all know, Mourinho usually wins the league in his second season at a club. So there is belief and there is renewed confidence also while, for Chelsea fans, the sight of Lukaku in this rampaging form and Matic so formidable behind him, was the stuff of nightmares especially after their opening-day disaster.
