The caretaker, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, came face to face with his real test as Manchester United played against a top four English Premier League opponent. The Norwegian coach was able to pass this test with flair after a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. In this blog post, I will be discussing the winning match of Manchester United, and try my best to analyze the way Solskjaer plans his games.
The first-half goal was scored by Marcus Rashford which gave Manchester United the confidence to carry on. Yet, David de Gea produced a man-of-the-match performance with 11 saves to secure United's sixth consecutive win.
After the match, De Gea told Sky Sports, "He's brought us happiness. This is the real Manchester United everyone is looking for. "
Solskjaer's experience as a coach with Manchester United has been fantastic. He has overseen his team win five successive games, netting 16 goals during the process. The five victories cam from Huddersfield, Cardiff, Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Championship Reading.
There was another imperative sub-plot to this match. Could Solskjaer overcome Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, who is widely regarded as a leading candidate to become the future United coach. Solskjaer was annoyed at these statements and rumors. He stated, "It should always be about the players, because it's not about me. It's not about him."
It is clear that the Norwegian has eradicated the sense of stiffness and instilled freedom in his players.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: The Way he Plays the Game
1. Formation / Team Shape
In terms of formation, the 4-3-3 that Jose Mourinho used will not suit the way Solskjaer plans his attacking and defensing. Instead, Solskjaer is highly likely to bring in the 4-2-3-1 atmosphere like he did at Molde FC. This formation allows the team to aggressively attack, bring up the defensive line, and forces the opponents to make simple mistakes.
In a 4-2-3-1, the full backs will definitely have a crucial role when going through the 'building up' process. The defenders need to constantly press to limit the chances for the opponents. This will be fulfilled by United's existing options, with the pairing of Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw. As for the center-backs, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof are capable of formulating the heart of Manchester's defense line.
Furthermore, the smooth style of playing will evolve around the two midfielders. There is no doubt that the pivotal role will be given to Paul Pogba, who didn't perform with all his efforts under Mourinho. It is nearly set in stone that the team will be built around Pogba - a fact that Ole stated before his debut match. The French midfielder will get immense attacking freedom with Solskjaer's style of playing. When the side goes full-attacking, Pogba is likely to be paired with a high-pressing midfielder like Ander Herrera or Fred.
The strikers are also exceptionally significant in order for Ole's plans to flow without flaws. From the squad, the starting striker will probably be either Marcus Rashford or Romelu Lukaku. Rashford is a quick and clever strike, which suits Solskajer's ideal striker. Nevertheless, Romelu Lukaku is highly likely to fit in with the team as well.
The 3 attacking midfielder sections is where Manchester United have a lot to choose from. To start with, it is nearly 100% guaranteed that Anthony Martial will become the left attacking winger, given his speed and shooting accuracy. Jesse Lingard's creativity and experience will definitely help him earn that left wing position. His ability to score goals, set up prosperous plans will be a plus point. Lastly, I firmly believe that Juan Mata will be able create the chances for Manchester United in the middle. This talented Spanish player has great chemistry with Pogba and will certainly score impressive goals as well.
2. What will happen to Paul Pogba?
Perhaps the most visible difference in Ole's attacking strategy with Manchester United is the re-emergence of Paul Pogba. From being benched under Jose Mourinho, the Frenchman is now at the heart of the team, and is proving to be the player that is capable of leading United to victory.
The obvious difference between Mourinho and Solskjaer is the placement of Pogba. With the caretaker's new strategies, Pogba is no longer held back to fulfill defensive duties alone. This has resulted in a significant change in the player, and the stats back it up. Paul Pogba has scored 4 goals, found 3 assists, and attempted 13 shots in the last three league games.
It is important the different role that Pogba has been allocated. The change in responsibility doesn't mean that Pogbaa ignores his defending duties. Instead, he started to press even higher and has shown his desire to earn the ball (6 tackles won and 4 interceptions under Ole). Paul Pogba is free on the pitch with Matic and Herrera taking hold of defense.
The win boosted United on to 41 points, though Solskjaer still has work to do in order to qualify for next season's Champions League.
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