At Old Trafford they don’t like to win in any way. Historically led by their number 7 (Best, Cantona or Cristiano as the greatest exponents), daring, offensive football with many goals is what turned the Mancunian stadium into the Theater of Dreams. This football has historically been played by generations of young people who ended up breaking into the first team: from the Busby Babes, one of the best generations marked by the plane crash in Munich, to the Fergie Boys with Beckham as a star, Giggs, the Neville brothers , Scholes and Nicky Butt. Everyone, from the academy to being stars, for years and even decades, of the first team.
Although since the departure of the Scottish coach, United have been on a journey through the desert, the club is still a factory of top-level talent: Rashford is already a leader of the club and the national team, Greenwood is pointing the same ways and Lingard, from another past generation (already 29 years old), is also proving to be a top-level talent, although he never ends up fitting into the club of his dreams. In goal, Dean Henderson has resigned himself until De Gea gives up the witness, although he is already internationallily Scott McTominay is already the quarterback Mourinho expected when he spotted his talent in Carrington. The next candidate on this list is Anthony Elanga, just 19 years old.
The Swedish winger is on his way to throwing down the door of Manchester United’s powerful attack. That although it is showing that the names do not play by themselves and the past in football is of little use, it should be noted that with The little-opened coming of age already surpasses renowned attackers in the elite and enjoys good minutes in a club of such size. And more, in such a difficult moment.
The first to prove his talent in the elite was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. In May he gave him two opportunities to debut in the Premier League. 66 minutes against Leicester and 90 against Wolves in the 1-2 that closed the league. Elanga caught a cross from Daniel James and debuted his locker as a professional with a remarkable header.
The atmosphere was very different. United finished in second place, secured their classification in the Champions League after playing in the Premier and would play a European final in three days. Villarreal deprived him of the title on penalties. Now, the situation is radically different and the context, much less favorable to start a career in an entire United.
United does not finish working and its poor results weigh it down to barely aspire to grab some Champions League places. Everything, in the midst of an atmosphere of tension that existed in Solskjaer’s last days and does not seem to end with Rangnick. There, Elanga has broken into one of the most competitive attacks in the world. Cristiano Ronaldo occupies a fixed place and Rangnick tries to find the best partners for the Portuguese. After trying almost all the combinations without much success, the German has recovered Ole’s bet for the Swedish under-21 international and has folded it.
Rangnick greets his player after the game against Brentford.
IAN WALTON (REUTERS)
After trying 14 minutes counting the Palace at the beginning of December, the new year appeared as a real change opportunity for Elanga.. Rangnick gave him a few minutes in the Cup against Villa and in the Premier against Wolves. Taken advantage of by the Swede, he was convinced. In the second confrontation, this time in the Premier, against Gerrard’s team, Elanga appeared as the starter. Names like Lingard, Van de Beek, Sancho or Juan Mata remained on the bench. With Cristiano and Rashford out, he would accompany Bruno, Greenwood and Cavani up front. The 2-2 was not the best result, but the coach was convinced. This Wednesday, against Brentford, Elanga was once again a starter and no one took him out of the green. “Anthony Elanga followed up on the performance he showed at Villa Park,” Rangnick said at the subsequent press conference. He followed it up and even got better. The Swedish winger took advantage of the disappointment caused by Cristiano Ronaldo, who came out of the shooting zone to ask for it at the foot, and launched an unmarking into the heart of the area. Fred detected the movement and put a ball at his foot that almost escaped him. Elanga made a bad control so high, that he had to define with his head. The goal was not any. This opened the scoring for a needy Man. U. that ended up winning 1-3 with the other goals scored by Greenwood and Marcus Rashford. Three homegrown players with similar profiles gave United the victory. Like old times.
Although Cristiano did not finish the game at all happy, the new partner that Rangnick has placed for him was delighted to share the pitch with United’s 7, who opened the gap for the goal. “It is a pleasure to play with Greenwood and an honor to do so with a player as great as Cristiano Ronaldo,” he said. From His performance and Rangnick’s decision depends on whether that honor becomes customary.
Son of a legend in Sweden and outstanding under-21
The surname Elanga begins to resonate in Manchester, but it is a surname that is most popular in Malmö, Sweden. Born in the vicinity of the Scandinavian city, Anthony is the son of a former Malmö footballer, Joseph Elanga. The Cameroonian center-back arrived at Paok in Thessaloniki in 1998, made a career in Greece and arrived at Malmö free. With the light blue and white elastic, he accumulated more than 100 games in two stages (2000-2005 and 2010). He then went through Brondby, Horsens and played his last ten games for the Swedish team until retiring. His son stood out in the academy of his former team, who also went through the Elfsborg academy until moving to Carrington, Manchester, at the age of 12.
There he broke through enough to draw the attention of the Swedish youth ranks. The winger has been wearing the yellow shirt since the under-17s and has recorded some amazing stats with the under-21s with seven goals in eight games since making his debut last June. Although he has developed the beginning of his international career in Sweden, as the debut in the absolute is pending, he could still change to Cameroon, the team with which his father was international and played the World Cup in France in 1998.