Currently placed tenth in the Premier League table, Manchester United seem to have been on the road to significant improvement lately. It is becoming more and more apparent that Solskjaer is finally well-versed and comfortable in grabbing the reigns and steering the Red Devils to success. We can see proof of this when he selected his team to face West Bromwich Albion. Although it was a gamble, fortunately, it paid off.
Solskjaer was quite confident in his selection for the match against West Bromwich Albion, but it created quite the uproar on social media. Many criticized and doubted his decision of choosing Fred and Nemanja Matic as a midfield two. In fact, even former Red Devils midfielder took to Twitter to question this seemingly peculiar decision and tweeted: “Why do we play both Fred and Matic????”
However, it was not abnormal for many to question this line-up as United’s scarce victories only emphasized the strange strategy. To justify this, it became clear well into the game that Solskjaer wanted as many fresh players in as possible. By selecting players like Matic, and fellow veteran Juan Mata, who had also rested over the international break, Solskjaer cleverly manoeuvred his squad. All in all, their hard work paid off and, United moved three points up even though Solskjaer marks it as a “well-below par” performance.
Ready for tomorrow 💪#MUFC #UCL pic.twitter.com/gd07ja1m3a
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 23, 2020
Many will consider this to be a smart and strategic decision since it is crucial to conserve players’ energy wherever it is possible. Now, there is a higher chance for success in Manchester United’s upcoming games against Basaksehir and Southampton, which will take place on the weekend.
Paul Pogba was, once again, unable to make an appearance in the recent match even after a good, long international break. Solskjaer explained Pogba was not feeling up to mark, and it is unlikely that he will be a part of the Basaksehir match in the Champions League this week. However, Solskjaer’s new signings may bridge the gap for when Pogba leaves, which is becoming more and more possible every day. Facundo Pellistri, who played his second under-23 game in a week on Sunday against Tottenham, showed exactly why Manchester United signed him.
Also Read – Facundo Pellistri registers first assist for Manchester United agianst Spurs
He whipped in a flawlessly judged cross for Shola Shoretire to score a header and put the team 1-0. What made Pellistri’s cross so great was the work before the delivery. For now, Pellistri is adapting to English football and has work to do before he gets considered for the first team. This gives him ample time to further improve on his obvious talents and skills and, United have lacked players like this in recent years. The youngster showed he is able to cross, and that is an essential quality for a winger.
Solskjaer is also anticipating signing French defender, Raphael Varane, the radar of the club before joining Real Madrid. Experienced defenders like Varane seldom get sold by clubs but, fortunately for the Red Devils, Varane is becoming more error-prone than Real Madrid would like. With hardly two goals to his name in last month’s stats, there is a high chance for the player to be sold. However, despite the constant mistakes, Varane is still one of the top centre-backs in the world, and there are no doubts about it. Manchester United need him as he can be the perfect complement to Harry Maguire. He is mobile enough to cover for the Maguire’s insufficiencies and can form a good partnership with him.
For their upcoming match against Southampton, Solskjaer hopes Mason Greenwood can revitalise their attack and help them achieve a more solid win, unlike in their last game. Although the Red Devils did move 3 points up, it required a re-taken Bruno Fernandes penalty to overcome winless West Bromwich Albion. Manchester United fans can only hope for the Red Devils to freshen their attack and turn the season around with a brilliant comeback like in Sir Alex Ferguson’s days.
Taking a trip down memory lane, we recall, in September 2001, the ultimate ‘game of two halves’ saw hosts Tottenham take a 3-goal lead into the half-time interval before Manchester United took them apart in the second half. Alex Ferguson’s side drew level with three-headed goals before sublime finishes from Juan Sebastian Veron and, David Beckham ensured that they left North London with maximum points.
The Red Devils won 5-3 and, this was considered one of the greatest Premier League comebacks since the competition started in 1992. Solskjaer aims to get back to that former glory and hopes the 19-year-old will reinvigorate his front line upon his return.
“We are looking forward to having Mason back, fit again and well, so hopefully we can hit some form like we did toward the end of last season.”
“And, it is about sticking together, sticking to the way we want to play the game and improve every time.
“Defensively, we are getting there definitely. Working hard, closing down, not conceding many chances. We created enough chances to win this comfortably, but we need to be more clinical.”
