THE OLE SPIRIT
Four games in and Solkskjaer keeps up his 100 per cent record
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER racked up his fourth consecutive win as manager to join Manchester United legend Sir Matt Busby.
Busby won his first four games in charge in 1946 – a feat not matched until the team’s remarkable revival under Solskjaer continued at St James’ Park last night.
Late goals from substitute Romelu Lukaku, and Marcus Rashford – teed up by Alexis Sanchez, who also started on the bench – clinched the points and condemned Newcastle to another nervy relegation battle.
The Reds now have Arsenal, and the top four, in their sights and that is likely to spark a debate about whether Solskjaer deserves to stay in charge beyond this season.
Having scored 12 times in their previous three games since Jose Mourinho’s departure, the visitors were shackled until the 64th minute, but then cut loose.
Lukaku smashed home his eighth of the season, reacting quickest to a fumble by Toon keeper Martin Dubravka.
The breakthrough was hard won, the visitors toiling against mass defensive ranks and little space.
But it was Solskjaer’s 63rdminute substitution which shook the game out of its stalemate, with Lukaku coming on along with
Sanchez.
Rashford lined up a free-kick from 30 yards and drove it down the middle of the goal and straight at Dubravka.
The Slovakia keeper was man of the match on his Premier League debut in this fixture last season, which the Geordies won 1-0.
He has been excellent ever since, hardly making a mistake with 10 clean sheets in 32 games, but he spilled Rashford’s effort and Lukaku pounced.
The second goal was wellcrafted on the break, with Rashford and Lukaku tearing up the right, freeing Sanchez.
He played a defencesplitting pass to Rashford, who slotted home to finish the game as a contest.
Toon’s former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez tries to grind out points against sides with vastly superior playing resources to his. It rarely works and makes for difficult watching.
This was one of those nights, as Newcastle banked up behind the ball, allowing the visitors 75 per cent possession for a long period – and firing off the occasional warning on the counter-attack.
They had some success springing Christian Atsu in behind the visitors’ defence three times from the left channel, but keeper David De Gea dealt with the danger.
It is doubtful whether Mourinho’s lacklustre version of United would have broken down Newcastle.
But Solksjaer’s version has a freshness and a zest which won through.
For Newcastle there will be more games like this in a month full of peril. They must play Chelsea, Manchester City, Tottenham and relegation rivals Cardiff.
Mix in the biannual tension caused by the club’s glacial manoeuvring in the transfer market that windsup Benitez, and it makes for a bleak winter on Tyneside.
Rashford was a bright spark, finding space and worrying Toon with his pace.
His cut-back from the byline ended in a shot over the bar as the Reds struggled to create clear cut chances.
But his moment would come, and Solskjaer’s men were comfortable winners in the end.