A HALLOSolskjaer’s men go ghoul-crazy but Nuno spooked
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer was breathing just a little easier after this muchneeded triumph – and performance.
The under-fire Manchester United boss swerved a potentially fatal Halloween bullet at Tottenham courtesy of superb strikes by Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani and Marcus Rashford.
Actions speak louder than words – and Solskjaer knew that saying sorry all week in the wake of the 5-0 crushing by Liverpool would be a hollow apology without a proper response in North London.
His job was on the line but his players reacted as he demanded – and they had promised – by putting Spurs to the sword.
So Solskjaer’s managerial coffin lid is not yet slammed shut – though if he really had three games to save his neck before this trip, this result is a reprieve only.
Next up in that on-going trial is a midweek trip to Italy to face Atalanta in the Champions League. Then it’s the English champions and neighbours Manchester City on Saturday.
As it is, United are now fifth in the table on 17 points and within touching distance of the top four.
And if talk of a crisis has been snuffed out for the time being at Old Trafford, it has been transferred to N17.
Reaching the Carabao Cup quarter-final for a third time in four years, where they will face West Ham, had brightened the mood in midweek.
Yet only temporarily, because a fifth league defeat in 10 for Nuno Espirito Santo makes it the worst start by a
Spurs manager since Christian Gross.
The boos when he subbed Lucas Moura and also when Rashford fired in United’s third were ominously loud. Still, to call this showdown ‘El Sackio’ seemed unfair on the Portuguese coach (right).
If Solskjaer has had almost three years failing to resolve United’s mess, his Spurs counterpart has had only three months to sort out the one he inherited.
Indeed, given Harry Kane’s poor league form of one league goal in 10 games, it was pretty remarkable the hosts were near the top four before kick off – let alone hoping to be inside it at the final whistle. Solskjaer (left) resisted ringing the changes, sticking with nine of those flops wiped off the park by Liverpool.
A strange show of faith yet, even weirder, was three at the back – though fitagain Raphael Varane gave it stability.
The Reds’ rearguard had to be alert as Spurs began well. Heung-Min Son was the pick in the opening skirmishes and his long-range effort had David de Gea scrambling.
That drew the visitors out and Cavani, preferred to Rashford, served note of his threat twice in quick succession.
Firstly, the Uruguayan went close with a flashing header before a low drive was blocked by Eric Dier.
Thereafter, an intriguing battle unraveled with both teams wary of conceding the all-important opener.
Son wasted a glorious chance created by Moura before Cavani sent another header even nearer.
On 29 minutes the North Londoners did find the net but Cristian Romero’s far-post strike was ruled offside by VAR.
Then much-maligned United midfielder Fred, rarely an attacking force, ripped up that rule book with a thunderbolt that Hugo Lloris tipped away.
There was no stopping Ronaldo, though, in the 39th minute following a brilliant exchange involving Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes’ cross was inch-perfect, evading Ben Davies, and was met by an equally stunning first-time Ronaldo volley – his eighth goal of the campaign.
With only one clean sheet in 21 games, United required a second to be safe.
Ronaldo was denied his double after another offside flag before sending in Cavani for the killer 64th-minute goal, which he executed with fabulous finesse.