Solskjaer now banking on Europa to end trophy drought
Having been part of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United trophy-winning machine, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows exactly what is expected from the man in the Old Trafford managerial hot seat.
Battling for the Premier League runners-up spot and reaching the latter stages of cups does not really cut the mustard. Which is why United’s feeble FA Cup quarterfinal defeat at Leicester City on Sunday was so surprising.
There were mitigating circumstances in Solskjaer’s team selection, chiefly a tough Europa League last-16 assignment three days earlier in Milan which they successfully navigated, but it still felt like a massive opportunity wasted.
Solskjaer left the likes of talisman Bruno Fernandes, inform Luke Shaw and the reliable Scott McTominay out of his starting line-up and his side were outplayed in a 3-1 loss.
Had Solskjaer already gathered some silverware since taking charge on a fulltime basis two years ago, or had a chance of catching runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City, he could perhaps be excused for gambling at Leicester.
But the defeat means United are gaining an unwanted reputation as a team that fails to deliver.
Last season they lost in the semifinals of the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, while the season before they went out in the Champions League quarterfinals.
While Solskjaer can rightly point to signs of progression, the fact the trophy cabinet is gathering dust does not sit well with the fans and presumably the hierarchy who last celebrated a trophy when Jose Mourinho landed the Europa League in 2017.
“I am demoralised a little bit as a Manchester United fan as I thought (the FA Cup) was a really good one to go for,” Solskjaer’s former United teammate Gary Neville told Sky Sports.
Victory would have set up a semifinal against a woefully outof-form Southampton side and a chance to go head-to-head with either Chelsea or Manchester City in the final – the sort of high-profile game United crave.
Instead, all their eggs are now in the Europa League basket. They face Granada in the last eight but could then come up against either Ajax Amsterdam or AS Roma in the semis, so there are no guarantees of success. -