Micah Richards lauds 3 Manchester United stars after their 4-2 win over Newport County in the FA Cup
Pundit Micah Richards heaped praise on Manchester United trio Bruno Fernandes, Luke Shaw, and Antony following their win over Newport County. The 4-2 victory at the Rodney Parade Stadium on January 28 saw the Red Devils advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
During the post-game show on the BBC, Richards said:
“Bruno Fernandes was brilliant today, as well as Luke Shaw. They were both instrumental in that third goal. Luke Shaw was brilliant and they've needed him back in this side as soon as possible. It's the quality in the final moments. Antony had a really good game today too.”
The trio all had their moments helping Manchester United best fourth-tier Newport County 4-2. Fernandes had a fantastic first half, opening the scoring in the seventh minute. He displayed some great passing through the game as well.
Luke Shaw also put in a decent shift at left-back. He was mostly solid in defense but didn't offer a lot going forward. However, his long-range effort eventually led to the side's winner.
Meanwhile, Antony bagged his first goal contributions of the season after over 20 appearances across competitions this season. The Brazilian winger has had a much-criticised season but he set up Fernandes' opener before scoring the side's third goal himself.
United looked comfortable with a 2-0 lead before squandering it to let the hosts come back into the game. However, Antony's goal followed by Rasmus Hojlund's late goal ensured there would be no upsets. The Red Devils will face Nottingham Forest or Bristol City in the fifth round scheduled in late February.
Journalist issues update on Manchester United target
Crystal Palace attacker and Manchester United target Michael Olise is likely to move in the summer but the destination is unclear as of now, according to Fabrizio Romano. Speaking to CaughtOffside, the transfer expert suggested that the decision has not been made yet.
He said:
“Also on Manchester United, despite reports that he would favour a move to Old Trafford there is still nothing decided for Michael Olise, at all.
“Nothing will be decided now, it’s way too early. He’s always in the rumours because there are good chances for him to leave Crystal Palace in the summer and I can definitely see Olise joining a top club. Still, the decision will come later, it’s too early now.”
The Red Devils are keen on adding Olise to their ranks. He could prove to be an upgrade over Antony, who has struggled to live up to his massive price tag (€100 million) since arriving from Ajax in 2022. He has registered just nine goals and four assists in 67 games for Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Olise has been in fine form for Palace, bagging five goals and one assist in nine appearances. He was close to joining Chelsea in the summer of 2023, but stayed with the Eagles and signed a contract extension.