DOUBLE FOR POGBA AS SOLSKJAER SEALS SECOND WIN IN ROW FOOTBALL
▶ Feel-good factor returns to United as new manager watches his side outclass struggling Huddersfield Town
Three goals, three points and a second successive win against a struggling team.
Manchester United fans need to start with the small mercies they once took for granted.
This United team have already lost to two sides in the bottom half of the table this season and failed to beat two others.
United picked up six points in Jose Mourinho’s last six games as manager; they’ve earned six in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first two after United beat Huddersfield Town 3-1, with two goals from Paul Pogba and one from Nemanja Matic.
The Terriers late consolation came from Mathias Jorgensen. Less than a week after he first took training, Solskjaer and his coaching staff have put stabilisers onto a bike which was wobbling throughout 2018 with an uncertain rider at the wheel.
“You need momentum,” said Solksjaer. “This is Manchester United. When you score a first, you want a second. When you score a second, you want a third. We wanted a clean sheet. Every team is built on that foundation.
“We’ve conceded from two set-pieces so far. We’ll make sure we get a clean sheet soon.
“Next week we’ll have [Alexis] Sanchez, [Romelu] Lukaku and [Anthony] Martial back.
“Not a bad front three to come in and knock on the door. It will be great to get them back. Maybe we’ll change the front three.” United fans are still on a high after his appointment. Further songs followed about the new manager’s exploits as a player.
Fans even sang his name after Paul Pogba’s two goals, partly because the Frenchman does not have a song and partly because he’s one of several United players who needs to win favour again among the Old Trafford crowd after an indifferent season.
Making three changes since Saturday’s 5-1 win against Cardiff City, one of them enforced with the illness of Martial, United dominated possession, but that was expected.
Bottom of the league, Huddersfield were missing their best player, the injured Aaron Mooy. They are also missing a goalscorer.
No Huddersfield striker has scored more than a single league goal nor more than two goals for the league’s lowest scorers this season, who had managed only 11 goals in 18 games. That should have been 12 when Terence Kongolo had a chance after 10 minutes but it was skied into the Stretford End.
Solskjaer has been fortunate with his first opponents as United boss. Cardiff City, Huddersfield Town beaten, with Bournemouth and Newcastle United next up.
That is as good as a manager could hope for, but wins are wins and the confidence of under-performing United players needed picking up off the floor.
There were flickers of brilliance too: Pogba’s two goals gave United the space to prevent another nervy end to the game.
His first came after he swept the ball in from the edge of the box. Pogba danced around and celebrated in front of the Solskjaer flag. His second was from 30 yards out. He stood
This is Manchester United. When you score a first, you want a second. You get a second, you want a third. We wanted a clean sheet OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER
static to celebrate that one and soaked up the applause after 77 minutes.
Other highlights included Marcus Rashford nutmegging Jorgensen to cross superbly to Dalot – the full-back who had been encouraged to get wide and forward by assistant coach Mike Phelan. David de Gea chipped in as well with a superb save at the other end from Laurent Depoitre.
They gave United a comfort they had seldom had in games this season and if you can’t bring an 18-year-old on when you’re 3-0 up at home – as Solskjaer did with attacking midfielder Angel Gomes – when can you?
“We got beaten by world class players as Paul [Pogba] has shown in these two goals and De Gea showed with his save from Depoitre,” said Huddersfield boss David Wagner.
As for United under their new manager? “They play with freedom and penetrate the opponents,” said Wagner. “We came under tremendous pressure and they also have worldclass players.”
United are up to sixth, a position they occupied for most of the 2016-17 season. They are likely to stay sixth for some time, but as their Norwegian manager said after his first game, this club gets stronger in the second half of the season.
The final word goes to the new man in the dugout. “I’ve not got used to it yet. It’s humbling knowing I’m leading this team out, “Solskjaer said.
“Let’s see if I get used to it. I captained a couple of games but this was very different.”