According to The Guardian on September 7, while Manchester United's new attacking quartet possesses outstanding individual abilities, they currently lack understanding and continuity in their attacks. Cunha, playing as a False Nine, must adapt to Bruno Fernandes operating in his familiar territory. Mbeumo prefers to cut inside, and Rashford's penetration has not created consistent threats, leaving the team with plenty of possession but struggling to truly pressure opponents.

Here is The Guardian's analysis:

"Tunnel vision" gave Mbeumo moments of single-minded focus. He completely ignored teammates in red shirts around him, while Everton players in blue seemed to gather to protect him. In team sports, this might appear selfish, but sometimes the most satisfying thing is exactly this kind of "selfishness." When the ball hits the net, Manchester United is equally pleased with such commitment and unity.

This is Manchester United's new attacking quartet. Although Rashford played for Barcelona last season, since the others have played together for a year, they should have stronger understanding. Bruno Fernandes as the number 10 initiates attacks, while Matheus Cunha, Mbeumo, and Rashford attempt to create a complex "formula" that confuses defenses through individual skill, tactical freedom, and intuitive cooperation. However, this formula is far from perfect currently.

For this system to work, everyone must understand their own responsibilities and others'. When football is played at the high speed of the Premier League, any hesitation or delay can kill an attack before it starts. Instinct is part of every attacker's arsenal, but interestingly, this instinct must be cultivated through prolonged time playing together on the pitch. It doesn't appear automatically just because players are expensive.

Fluidity can be a potent weapon, leaving opponents bewildered: they must constantly think about who to mark, and even a moment's loss of focus can lead to sudden runs they're unprepared for. This is the concept Michael Carrick is employing with Cunha as a "False Nine," allowing the Brazilian player to move freely and find positions where he believes he can do the most damage.

During his time at Wolves, Cunha liked to drop deeper. He was particularly adept at curling shots into the corner from 20 yards after short passes. That was his natural style at Manchester United, but now Bruno Fernandes has entered Cunha's familiar territory, forcing Cunha to change his playing style. Simultaneously, Manchester United lacks a player who can consistently threaten the final third.

Mbeumo prefers to cut inside from the right wing. He's not particularly adept at taking the ball past the right-back on the outside, going to the byline, and finding teammates. In contrast, Rashford is more capable of taking on the right-back from both directions. In this match, he troubled right-back Meulensteen: the English forward exploded from a standstill, using powerful acceleration to burst past the opponent. But such moments were rare.

Although Manchester United had more possession and often pushed Everton back into their own half, Pickford was rarely genuinely threatened for long. Despite Bruno Fernandes being full of confidence in this match, he couldn't always produce sparks to change the game or deliver teammates into better positions, because teammates weren't always where he expected them to be, and sometimes they didn't understand the runs the captain wanted them to make. The problem of passes not reaching their intended target happened far too often—whether it was passing into empty space with no one to receive it or simply sending the ball out of play. Manchester United had similar problems. This wasn't a lesson in precision.

There were moments in the second half when everything clicked. Rashford sent the ball to the far post, Mbeumo flicked it across to Bruno Fernandes, who volleyed against the post—this was in the 88th minute, and it showed that the relationship between Manchester United's attacking players seems to be gradually forming. But such combinations were too few, and the overall attack lacked sufficient impact.

Given that Mbeumo scored in the 47th minute, this goal should have boosted confidence, but the expected improvement didn't materialize. They remained a quartet that worked in moments of brilliance rather than through sustained pressure and control. When Cunha played as a central striker and the team lacked a focal point in attack, Everton barely had anything to worry about for long—until Sesko came on as a substitute.

Sesko came on and became the focal point of attack the team had previously lacked. His goal came from a typical Bruno Fernandes through ball: the captain threaded the ball to a teammate charging down the wing, then opened it perfectly to the 6'5" Sesko, who headed it in. It was a simple, almost perfect combination, as if from another era, yet still effective today.

This attack was built on everyone knowing their responsibilities and executing them perfectly. Everyone also knew where others would be at that crucial moment. Bruno Fernandes could anticipate Luke Shaw bursting into the empty space on the wing, and Shaw didn't need to think about where Sesko would be waiting for his pass.

The positive from the second half is that it showed the team's versatility. Manchester United can change their playing style during the match to see if opponents can adapt in time. When opponents are tired of one approach, switching from speed and movement to physical strength isn't always easy. The established players employed complex attacking methods, while Patrick Doku and Sesko brought more direct approaches.

Bruno Fernandes, Mbeumo, Rashford, and Cunha are all top-level players. Their track records prove it, but outstanding individual ability doesn't mean they can always create harmony and unity. As they play more together, these four players will gradually understand each other's characteristics, and playing twice a week will also help them build rhythm.

If the team's organization and attacking continuity don't improve, Michael Carrick has every reason to revert to a more straightforward and "outdated" Plan B.

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