Solskjaer: It was so bad I can’t describe it
EVERTON ..... 4 MAN UTD ..... 0 THE OLE FAIL
EVERTON exposed something rotten at the heart of Old Trafford.
Something rancid, as Gary Neville put it afterwards.
It is five years ago today since David Moyes was sacked after a shambles of a performance at Goodison exposed the lack of direction at the club – and screamed that something had to be done to stop the rot.
Yet this was much worse, one of the most disgraceful displays from a United team in almost three decades.
Everton outran their opponents by more than 8km. They had eight shots on target to United’s one and 10 corners to two.
They dominated in every area of the game. Physically, technically, mentally.
And Neville, part of United’s glory days under Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “If you’ve got weeds in the garden you’ve got to get rid of them. But there’s some Japanese knotweed in that club and it’s attacking the foundations of the house.
“I’m furious. That performance was rancid.”
So what on earth has happened in those five years since Moyes, the successor to Sir Alex, was axed? They have gone backwards.
And the blame can not be pinned on managers alone any more, whether Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho or now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The stench stinking Old Trafford out is rotten stewardship at executive level.
There is no evidence of a coherent plan. Why are United still buying aging has-beens for ridiculous money when all their rivals have had a strict profile of younger players for years?
Why did Solskjaer get the job for three years just as his limitations as a top-class coach were being exposed?
Because make no mistake, Marco Silva exposed him tactically and technically. In conceding four goals, United now have their worst defensive record in the league since 1978-79 when they conceded 63.
They have already conceded 48 goals this season and, with Manchester City to come next, you wouldn’t bet against them being even worse than in ’79.
That’s how bad the United defence is. And they have scored one goal from open play in April.
Most depressing of all for every United fan is the fact that Everton simply wanted this more. When Dominic Calvert-Lewin flicked on a long throw, it was inevitable a blue shirt would get on the end of it. And a spectacular effort from Richarlison opened the scoring.
Even then, Solskjaer’s side looked beaten. Their first shot on target came in 86 minutes. By then, it was 4-0.
The second goal came on 28 minutes when Gylfi Sigurdsson fired home from distance with David De Gea reacting slowly.
The keeper could do nothing when Lucas Digne volleyed in then Theo Walcott threaded past him after a Sigurdsson nutmeg on Scott McTominay.
The biggest surprise is there were no more. United will need to replace half their squad on this evidence. Any more performances like this and Solskjaer could also be gone in the summer. BY DAVID MADDOCK GUTTED Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted Manchester United’s Goodison horror show was so bad that it left him lost for words.
United’s top-four hopes suffered a blow as they crashed 4-0 at Everton.
It’s their sixth loss in eight games in all competitions and the Old Trafford boss insisted they had let the fans down with an unacceptable display.
Solskjaer said: “That performance is difficult to describe because it is so bad. We have to apologise to the fans because that performance is not good enough for a United team.
“All the way from me to the players, we know that we let the fans and the club down.
“We were beaten on all the ingredients you need, added to the talent. There is no place you can hide on the pitch.”
Asked if his players were hurting after a heavy loss which keeps them sixth in the Premier League, Solskjaer responded: “I don’t know.
“You have to ask them. I have asked them, you’re not going to get the answer from me.”
Having landed the job on a permanent basis, Solskjaer will now try to weed out the stars who aren’t putting the effort in.
He said: “If you want to play at this club it has to mean more.
“I want my United to be the hardest-working team in the league, that is what we were under Sir Alex Ferguson when I played.
“No matter how much talent you have, you run more than anyone.”
BY DAVID MADDOCK