Fergie Time has become Jesse Time recently. Jesse Lingard has become the guarantee of late drama in Manchester United games, coming off the bench to inject quality and chaos.
He scored a fine fourth goal against Newcastle and an even better winner at West Ham. Sandwiched by his strikes came the disastrous injury-time back-pass to gift Young Boys of Bern victory against United.
If Lingard’s response five days later was a triumph of character, the same may be said of his 2021, from his transformative, potent loan spell to West Ham to his return to form and favour with England and United alike. He has been finisher in United’s recent games.
He should be the starter in another reunion with the Hammers on Wednesday. “He’ll play, of course, because we will make a few changes,” Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said. “It was quite clear that he wants to fight for his place and want to be a part of a United team he feels is going places. For me, but he is really contributing.”
It would be Lingard’s first United start since January’s FA Cup win over Watford. He has not begun a Premier League game for them since Bruno Fernandes joined in January 2020. And yet if Cristiano Ronaldo’s return threatened to demote him further down the pecking order, Lingard feels a surprise winner of United’s season so far.
As Solskjaer can testify, United can benefit from a resident super-sub. Given the galaxy of attacking talent they possess and considering that Ronaldo and Fernandes look undroppable when it matters most, Lingard could be confined to cameos.
And yet a moments player, capable of supplying the spectacular on occasion, should suit Solskjaer’s United, a side shorn of a defining style of play but placing great weight on individual inspiration.
Go back to 2016 and his brilliant winner in the FA Cup final came as a substitute. That a disproportionate share of his United goals came in major matches is a sign he can be a big-game player.
For Solskjaer, who gave Lingard his debut in United’s reserves, he was a first-game player, the scorer of a brace in the Norwegian’s managerial bow. If he fitted Solskjaer’s ethos, an attacker from the academy, he lost that spark amid problems in his personal life.
West Ham 1 Manchester United 2: player ratings
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WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukasz Fabianski - 8: Saved well from Fernandes, Wan-Bissaka and Ronaldo in opening half – but will be kicking himself he spilled Portuguese’s shot ahead of first goal. Denied Ronaldo again straight after break with another good stop. Reuters -
Vladimir Coufal - 6: Left for dead by Ronaldo in first half and needed a rescuing tackle from Zouma. Vital interception on the hour with Portuguese lurking although must have been relieved no penalty was given when same player went down under his challenge in the box. Getty -
Kurt Zouma - 8: Had been a very impressive league debut for the Hammers until he gave Lingard too much space to fire home the second goal – and also should have conceded late penalty for foul on Ronaldo. Before then, the former Chelsea man had looked unbeatable on the ground and in the air. Getty -
Angelo Ogbonna - 7: New partnership at the back with Zouma is a promising one and the pair dealt well with United’s multiple attacking threats. Some well-timed and important challenges from the Italian. Getty -
Aaron Cresswell - 5: Lost Ronaldo ahead of the Portuguese’s first-half goal but nearly made amends with perfect ball into middle for Vlasic that Croat couldn’t finish later in half. Another mistake at start of second half forced Ogbonna into conceding corner after break. Not one of the left-back's better games. AP -
Thomas Soucek - 7: Urged to shoot by home fans from edge of area in first 20 minutes but could only trundle a weak effort wide. Fired another shot over a few minutes later after De Gea saved from Bowen. One superb cross-field ball out to Coufal in second half. AFP -
Declan Rice - 8: England midfielder has been linked with move to opponents – and it’s easy to see why. Becoming a master at breaking up opposition and setting West Ham off on attacks. Some lung-bursting runs forward with ball in second half. Getty -
Said Benrahma - 7: Caught Maguire in possession to set up early chance for Bowen then nearly found the same player again after lovely turn and run 23 minutes in. Opened the scoring for Hammers after his shot took huge deflection. Reuters -
Pablo Fornals - 6: One lovely flick in one sweeping West Ham attacking move in first half and sprayed the ball around well. Ambitious first-time flick wide of target just after break when more regulation finish was needed. Lashed chance wide with 10 minutes to go. AP -
Nikola Vlasic - 6: Croat’s first home start since moving from CSKA Moscow and clipped superb chance over bar just before half-time from Cresswell cross. Didn’t see much of ball so was no surprise when the hook came in second half. PA -
Jarrod Bowen - 7: Looked set to score after 15 minutes but had shot blocked by Verane. Side-footed strike soon after but De Gea saved weak effort with his leg. Provided assist for Benrahma goal. Never stopped buzzing around but West Ham missed Michail Antonio’s physical presence up front. Getty -
SUBS: Andriy Yarmolenko – (On for Vlasic 68’) 6: One or two nice touches without offering the extra attacking threat West Ham would have been hoping for. Getty -
Manuel Lanzini – (On for Benrahma 88’) N/A. Mark Noble – (On for Bowen 90+4’) N/A: That really has to be the end of bringing outfield players on specifically to take penalties. In similar fashion to England in the Euro 2020 final, Noble came on cold and saw his spot-kick saved by De Gea. Getty -
MAN UNITED RATINGS: David De Gea - 8: Early saves from Bowen, then done by a deflection off Varane. No issues with the Spaniard today – especially when he saved a 93rd minute penalty after guessing Mark Noble’s effort right. Top stuff from the man who is now doing more media – as a senior player should. Reuters -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 7: Drove a shot in just after half-hour mark and got forward a lot in a first half where United impressed after going behind. Fortune on his side when he won a free-kick with 20 minutes left as West Ham fans shouted for a penalty, yet the penalty shouts from the visitors were more valid. PA -
Raphael Varane - 6: Blocked a shot after an early Maguire mistake, then tried to do the same only for the ball to deflect into the net. Pushed forward towards the end and tried to assist late attacks. More touches than any player on the pitch. Getty -
Harry Maguire - 6: Gave ball away to allow West Ham a first shot on goal. Blocked one effort. Not up to his usual standard. Getty -
Luke Shaw - 7: Offered an outlet on left as he got forward and drove a shot at goal after 27 minutes. Made more key passes (five) than any player on the pitch. Handball led to West Ham penalty in 93. He was gutted, but could smile when it was saved. Reuters -
Fred - 5: He’s becoming a scapegoat among fans – and not always without reason. It can be costly when he loses possession and the scrutiny is not going to go away. Getty -
Scott McTominay - 5: Scrambling for ball before West Ham’s first attempt on goal after 20 minutes. Clever ball through the lines set Ronaldo up later in half. Needlessly gave ball away to Rice in last 20 minutes. Excellent tackle in last minute to stop a West Ham attack. . AFP -
Paul Pogba - 6: Decent first half with neat crossfield balls. Like the rest of his team, level dropped in second half. By the time it picked up again, he’d been substituted. Furious with referee after a foul was given against him. Reuters -
Mason Greenwood - 7: Creative runs with the ball and he was right on form in the first half. Beautiful to watch. Quieter in second and first to be substituted. Getty -
Bruno Fernandes - 7: A cross into dangerous area after 26 minutes – a minute before his shot was pushed onto the post by Fabianski. Set up Ronaldo for the equaliser. Their partnership and interchanges could be so important to United this season. Getty -
Cristiano Ronaldo - 7: Through just after half hour but let down by his touch, then equalised on the rebound a minute later after Fabianksi saved his first effort to make it four goals in three games. Denied by keeper just beofre and after half-time. Three times he was furious that a penalty wasn’t given for a challenge on him - and not without reason. Getty -
SUBS: Jesse Lingard – (On for Pogba 73’) 8: Applauded by West Ham fans after his stellar loan spell last season, but had little impact on game … until an incredible curling winner after 88. Fabulous. Scored in second successive league game. AFP -
Jadon Sancho – (On for Greenwood 73’) 6: Changed little. Barely noticed so far since his transfer from Dortmund. His time will come. Nemanja Matic – (On for Fred 88’) N/A. Reuters
Lingard’s renaissance began at West Ham and there was a cruelty when he offered them a reminder of his catalytic prowess on Sunday. A second meeting with David Moyes’ side offers a comparison with Nikola Vlasic, the player the Hammers eventually signed to fill the Lingard void.
The Croatian was named the Russian Premier League’s player of the year last season but felt West Ham’s second choice; rather than seeking a summer transfer to a club where he excelled on loan, Lingard backed himself to succeed at Old Trafford.
That was in a pre-Ronaldo environment. Thus far, he, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba have shown rather better form than Anthony Martial or Jadon Sancho. The competition for places will extend to Marcus Rashford, when he is fit again, while Edinson Cavani could make his first appearance of the season tonight.
It has largely escaped notice that Juan Mata, who Moyes made United’s record signing in 2014, is yet to play a minute this season, despite being on the bench for all six games.
Mata’s deal expires next summer. So does Lingard’s but despite the possibility of a lucrative free transfer, his departure feels less of a formality. “He’s a red, through and through,” Solskjaer argued last week. With the bounce back in his stride, with his irrepressible streak apparent again, Lingard is staking a case to remain one.
