7 Ups & 5 Downs From Premier League 2019/20 Opening Weekend

4. Leadership At Old Trafford

The 4-0 score line against Chelsea may have slightly flattered Manchester United – the Red Devils by far the better team, just maybe not quite to the extent that a 4-0 score would reflect – but there was a definite sense of togetherness shining through Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

What really stood out about United during this opening weekend win was that there was some genuine leadership to the team.

In the closing stages of last season, it looked as if the Manchester side was a team of individuals who were more bothered about haircuts and Instagram videos. And while that could still be the case, the example of Scott McTominay and new signing Harry Maguire shows that there are now players in that starting XI who are solely focused on keeping the side aware of the job at hand.

Even at 3-0 and 4-0, McTominay and Maguire could be seen constantly reminding their teammates not to get carried away – which is all the more impressive considering the young age of McTominay and the fact that Maguire has only been a Manchester United player for barely a week.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.