"That's the thing that the team have to get better at" – John O'Shea highlights Manchester United problem after Chelsea draw
Former Manchester United star John O'Shea has highlighted one Red Devils issue after their 1-1 Premier League home draw against Chelsea on Sunday (November 3).
The Red Devils, who parted ways with Erik ten Hag last week, registered their third league draw of the 2024-25 season earlier this weekend. Bruno Fernandes scored a penalty in the 70th minute before Moises Caicedo restored parity for his side just four minutes later.
After the end of the match at Old Trafford, O'Shea claimed that Manchester United should have hold on to the ball better after netting the opening goal. He told MUTV (h/t United In Focus):
"I think probably they look back at exactly that, straight after the goal United score, you're thinking: 'Can you just keep possession a bit better?' That's the thing that the team have to get better at, as well, keeping possession a bit better to kill the team off."
O'Shea, who played for United from 1999 to 2011, concluded:
"And also, frustrate them a little bit more, so they do take more chances and go out of shape. With the players you know you'll have, you're thinking, obviously Amad [Diallo] coming on, his freshness, I think he would have got more space to exploit."
Manchester United relished 46% possession and registered 11 shots compared to Chelsea's 12 during their recent Premier League encounter.
The Red Devils, who named Ruud van Nistelrooy as their interim boss past week, will next be in action on Thursday (November 7). They will host Greek outfit PAOK in an UEFA Europa League tie at Old Trafford.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca opines on his team's 1-1 league draw at Manchester United
Speaking to BBC Sport, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca shared his two cents on the Blues' performance during their trip to Manchester United. The Italian opined:
"We knew it was a difficult game for many reasons. We scored, we came back. After the goal, we tried to win. We are happy because we knew how difficult it would be. The [United] players want to prove they're good enough. A new manager with different ideas, so we had to prepare in a different way."
Chelsea moved up to fourth spot in the 2024-25 Premier League table after their 1-1 away stalemate. They are on 18 points from 10 games, while Manchester United are 13th with just 12 points from 10 matches.
Chelsea will next face Armenian team Noah in an UEFA Conference League game at Stamford Bridge on Thursday (November 7).