What hasn't really been mentioned is Old actually using his squad.
He has a settled team yet isn't afraid to trust the lesser used players, like Matic, and thrust then in.
Ole gets high marks here as much for who he didn't put on the field as for who he did. Pogba would have been put out of commission by these thugs. For all the criticism Matic gets, he's a good player and this game suited him; he just doesn't fit what we're trying to do most of the time. Measured use of Greenwood when his abilities will suit; this wasn't one of those games. AWB has put in some great shifts and needs a break.
Fred was my MOTM, but only a hair's width behind was Williams. Fred keeps this whole unit moving. McTominay is slightly more replaceable than Fred right now, as we have no choice but to witness for the next month. Williams' development is a fine thing to see and Ole seems to be using him just enough.
Dan James - Just a tad behind Fred and Brandon for me, but got an assist drew two yellows (that second should have been a red) doing what he does best... I'll be shocked if he plays on Wednesday, hoping he's back next weekend.
Martial and Rashford - Solid performances from both.
Pereira - Some people keep asking why he keeps getting put on the field. Three answers - Effort, occasional effect, and consistently healthy. Outside of Fred, which MUFC midfielder gives all three things? His effort levels are cast from exactly the mold Ole is looking for, and he's getting better each week.
Matic - This game suited him and he made good on the opportunity. Unfortunately, out of 19 league opponents, this works against six or eight. Maybe. But today was one of those.
The back line - Much better cohesion, I think because Young pretty much only defended on the right, where AWB gets a bit too high (by design, it should be noted), and Williams is much faster on the left than Shaw or Young, so he could get back by the slower Burnley attack. Maguire and Lindelof didn't fold to the physicality of Burnley.
DeGea - Dave Saves - when he needs to - which wasn't often. I thought his distribution was markedly better than usual.
Lingard - Why Lingard? Well... he's healthy, and he puts in a shift. From where I sit, Ole has one job for Jesse - run at the defenders when they've gotten the ball back and force a bad pass. Every once in a while he does something offensively (not this game) but he is a threat that has to be accounted for.
Shaw - Got some worthwhile time in to solidify the defense in the last minutes.
My only criticism of the game was that one episode right in front of the Burnley goal where we had about three good opportunities for clear shots and only played hot potato until they lost it... I can only imagine Ole was screaming, "SHOOT! JUST SHOOT THE F***ING BALL!"
I love this current team. They may be extremely shite at times but theres something very endearing about the current crop
Agreed! This team definitely has personality and they are fun to watch.