OLE’S ROCK OF AGES
Ronaldo and Cavani have a joint age of 70 but they are too potent for Solskjaer to ignore and are doing his job prospects no harm
MANAGER Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Manchester United’s Old Boys strike partnership could be here to stay.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani have a combined age of 70 and are not skinning anyone for pace these days.
But Solskjaer is a big believer in experience counting when you are in trouble and it was his golden oldies who dug him out of an almighty hole at Tottenham.
The Norwegian simply could not afford to lose in north London after United’s 5-0 hammering at home to Liverpool.
Solskjaer called that humiliation “the worst feeling ever” and there were some inside Old Trafford who wondered if he had reached the end of the road.
But Ronaldo (below) scored a wonder goal to set them on the way, and then set up Cavani for a brilliant second, before Marcus Rashford came on to add an insurance marker.
Both the first two goals were finishes so exquisite only a select few could have pulled them off – both into the one place Hugo Lloris could not get to.
And while it may not be good news for Jadon Sancho, Rashford, or Mason Greenwood, Solskjaer could be tempted to stick by his new-look strike partnership for a while.
The United boss, suddenly safe from the sack, said: “They’re fit lads and their experience shone through.
It’s something we might do in the next game. It worked here, that’s for sure.
“It was the oldest team I’ve picked for Manchester United and it was time for it. The old men led from the front. They play well together.
“They have loads of respect for each other. The work-rate and quality they put in is second to none.”
At 36 and 267 days, Ronaldo became the oldest player to score and assist in a Premier League game since Didier Drogba in 2014.
And though he is 34, Cavani was everywhere, closing people down, bamboozling defenders with his movement, doing the dirty work.
Ronaldo’s assist for Cavani was the first time two players over 34 had combined to score a league goal for United since Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs did it in 2010.
Solskjaer even had the luxury of taking off both men before the end to rest up ahead of tomorrow’s Champions League clash with Atalanta.
Has he found the answer? Ronaldo and Cavani surely cannot be expected to start every game together this season.
But for now it looks like the United boss will keep faith with the pair and rotate their supporting cast as needed.
The duo certainly got the best out of Bruno Fernandes, who looked to feed them at every opportunity and created the opener.
Solskjaer’s move to a back three also gave his team much more defensive solidity, but it was Scott McTominay who provided the grit.
The Scotland midfielder made four tackles, one interception, and two clearances, won 10 of his 17 duels, was successful with every long ball and dribble, and had a pass rate of 92 percent.
Ronaldo and Cavani showed the leadership
and used all their years
of experience. But McTominay was United’s beating heart.
And he looks just as indispensible right now as either of his bigger-name team-mates.
After Atalanta, United host City in the Manchester derby. And you can bet that, barring injury, all three of them will be in the starting line-up.