Solskjaer’s turned Man Utd’s season around with wins against big boys, now he has to prove he can beat ‘smaller’ teams
IT’S all about momentum for United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer from here, because a win against Everton later today will put them two points outside of the top four.
Top four you say? Indeed, and that looked like a miracle earlier this month; in fact, it’s incredible to think that ten days ago, some people had marked the game against the Merseysiders later, as potentially Mauricio Pochettino’s first game in the home dugout as United manager.
We now know that won’t be happening this side of Christmas.
But to Solskjaer’s credit, victories at home to Tottenham Hotspur and away at Manchester City have changed the look of the Premier League table, and more importantly altered what looked to be a dwindling belief in the squad, and on the terraces.
Actually, United could win three successive Premier League games for the first time since January, and they’re unbeaten in their last 10 matches at Old Trafford in all competitions, winning six and drawing four.
Duncan Ferguson got off to a fine start in temporary charge of Everton last week, with a 3-1 win against Chelsea, and he’ll also know that United could set a club Premier League record of 11 consecutive games without a clean sheet too.
While there has been an upturn in form for United, they do have a habit of leaking goals against teams.
The main criticism of Solskjaer has not been his ability to mastermind a performance against the top teams, but his inability to come up with a way of defeating the so called “lesser” teams, and Everton certainly fall into that bracket this season.
In the absence of Paul Pogba, when sides come to Old Trafford to sit back and defend, United aren’t given the space to exploit the gaps in behind the full-backs.
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It’s why you can understand the links to players such as Jack Grealish and James Maddison, both of which are capable of creating something or providing a bit of magic from central positions.
So that’s the challenge for Solskjaer today. If Ferguson brings his team to attack United’s leaky defence, United will fancy their chances of outscoring them. If they sit back, then we could be in for another painful afternoon.
What Solskjaer will oversee today though is one of the most remarkable landmarks in modern football history. The game will see the 4,000th consecutive senior game in which United will field a matchday squad that includes at least one home-grown academy player, a mark that pre-dates the Second World War.
From a personal point of view, it’s a statistic that stands alongside the many awards and trophies the club has won. To enjoy such success with so many youngsters that have been nurtured and developed from within is quite the achievement, and long may that continue throughout the Norwegian’s reign.
Twitter: @theunitedend
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