Manchester- Sheffield share points.
Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s reign summed up in 90 minutes
A questionable late goal by Oliver McBurnie saw Sheffield United snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat against a spirited Manchester United side. The second half of this incredible clash produced 5 goals which saw Manchester United mount an incredible comeback akin to their home game to Newcastle last season.
At halftime, the Red Devils seemed down and out. They had put in yet another uninspiring performance which would have made people wonder which team was the newly promoted one. United looked listless and their forward line seemed to be invisible.
That brief attacking burst by United cannot mask out the dismal half in which they could have heaped the pressure on a debuting opposition keeper at this level of the game and an aging Phil Jagielka who at 37 years of age became the Premier League’s oldest starter this campaign. The defense was there for the taking as was evident by that 7-minute spell of promise but United paid the price for being lackluster and inconsistent. This has been the case throughout Solksjaer’s reign as a permanent manager and the entire journey of Solksjaer as United boss can be summed up in 90 minutes of that match. The game had promise, lethargy, attacking impetus, the youth delivering and eventual negativity which ultimately cost them after they seemed to have mounted a spirited fightback to put the game to rest.
After they managed to turn the tables around the side’s inexperience and change of ideas showed. United sides of old would have looked to kill the game off with another goal but here a forward was taken off for a defender who was placed in the midfield.
Manchester United had the attacking impetus after that burst of 3 goals in 7 minutes and not going for the fourth against a wobbly defense shows negativity which would have been unseen in Manchester United teams of old.
When Manchester United took the lead, Sheffield would have to be on the attack and would have to commit large numbers forward leaving them vulnerable to the counter. With the defensive-minded substitution, it showed that United was content with sitting back and absorbing the pressure rather than employing the strategy of the best form of defense i.e. attack.
Such defensive-minded changes usually happen deep into injury time as a rhythm breaking and time-wasting tactic.
The 3–3 draw made it tough to say whether it was a point gained or two points lost for Manchester United. The United faithful remain frustrated at the frequent lackluster performances for on occasions the young team manages to come up with the quality that fans and their manager know they have. The draw saw United remain in 9th place sandwiched between the two north London clubs.
The project at Manchester United is a work in progress with emphasis being placed on the clubs own youth system and the recruitment of young players from all over.
Whilst the youth steps up to the plate on occasions which sees fans buy into Ole Gunnar Solksjaer’s long term plan, the experienced stars except for David de Gea have been phoning it in regularly.
Manchester United who started the game with 6 players aged 23 or under are in desperate need of experienced players to step in and calm things down when needed and guide the younger members of the squad. Solksjaer’s failure to recruit in defensive midfield after Ander Herrera’s departure cost his side dearly in this game where Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay, and Nemanja Matic were all out injured. Fred has been a hit and miss ever since his surprising big-money move from Shakhtar a couple of seasons ago and Andreas Pereira was guilty of losing the ball an astonishing 28 times in the first 73 minutes.
The signs are good here in giving youth a chance they are getting the opportunities to learn on the big stage. Detractors may say that the plan is backfiring massively with there being no stable backup due to the injury crisis that has struck Manchester United. A similar crisis had enveloped United’s forward line earlier this season with teenager Mason Greenwood being the team’s senior-most striker.
These ups and downs are bound to plague a work in progress in its first season but at Manchester United which after years of mediocrity (in comparison with its lofty standards) the alarm bells ring rather quickly. European football is of utmost importance to the clubs financial interests as well as its ability to recruit young talent in the transfer market all of whom yearn for Champions league football.
The ups and downs are like a roller coaster. While the ups are encouraging, the downs only see the calls for a new manager intensify and with long term target Mauricio Pochettino available anything can happen. I personally hope that there isn’t a switch in manager and Solksjaer is permitted to implement his long term plan.
Short term plans really aren’t the way forward. The commentators mentioned that this season was United’s worst ever points tally at this stage of the competition for 30 years. In that 1989 season, they finished eleventh under Sir Alex Ferguson. Imagine if he were sacked that season?
The United board can notice the effect of continuity from their opponents who have retained the core of their team from their time in League One campaign in 2016 and their promotion-winning 2nd place in last season’s Championship. Being 6th and challenging for European spots after thirteen games in their first season back in England’s top flight is a huge achievement.
Consistency is an issue that quickly needs to be addressed at Carrington to arrest this slide and ensure that their 2020 European ambitions aren’t dashed before the New Year.
What’s next
The fixtures to get tougher for United who face West Ham away next weekend before welcoming former boss Jose Mourinho’s resurgent Tottenham Hotspur side to Old Trafford in midweek before the Manchester Derby on the seventh of December.
Sheffield United will take on 5th place Wolverhampton Wanderers with just one point separating the duo.
