THE VERDICT: UNITED 3 HUDDERSFIELD 1
IN a game where United were poised to be judged on how they would win, rather than if, the manner of their opening goal was an ode to their caretaker coach’s greatest moment.
An inswinging corner, a near post header and a far post finish. It did not have the perfection of Beckham into Sheringham and Solskjaer.
Nevertheless, Nemanja Matic’s tap-in from Victor Lindelof’s blocked connection delighted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who hugged Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna and hurtled down the steps to embrace Mick Phelan. The quartet celebrated with the unbridled joy that suggested a training ground routine had come off. How appropriate the matchday playlist featured Prince.
United supporters are a way off from partying like it’s 1999. The assumption this would be a question of how many United would win by was almost dispelled by the dogged Terriers and United were indebted to captain David de Gea’s awesome agility as anxiety crept in at 1-0. Some things never change.
Some things do. Paul Pogba is scoring, assisting and passing properly again now Jose Mourinho is not managing him.
United’s results are weighted in Pogba’s favour but he was indulged by Mourinho and could not string passes at the relegation fodder of Southampton at the start of the month. Pogba has got his way and has got going. So have United. In a game they could easily not have won they won easily, eventually. That is now eight goals in two league matches, admittedly against teams struggling to emerge from the relegation quagmire. That mitigation will not matter a jot to the United supporters singing away while City were also losing in Leicester. Pogba eased the edginess with his first Premier League goal from open play of the campaign in the 64th minute and thousands serenaded him to The Stone Roses’ Waterfall, the most obvious backing the midfielder has received during what has been a tumultuous year of club football. Pogba was last off the pitch and was raucously cheered as he handed his shirt to a fan. Players are back onside with the supporters, ‘united’ is the buzzword and Pogba is back in talismanic mode. Unity has brought Pogba and supporters together, in that they are both getting what they wanted – routine wins and captivating football. Solskjaer has effectively publicised his team talks, be it urging players to express themselves, take risks and interchange, and they were all patent on Boxing Day. There was even some tactical ingenuity from Solskjaer, who noticed Juan Mata’s struggles on the right and Matic (28), Pogba (64, 78) Jorgensen (88) 65% 35% 26 12 5 3 74,523 Fred Kachunga Jonathan Moss resolved to fleetingly use him as a centre forward. That derived some scintillating wing play from Marcus Rashford on the left that lifted supporters off their seats.
Of course, Jose Mourinho plumped for strikerless teams at Bournemouth and Turin last month and United won in both. It should come as little surprise that ‘Ole Gunnar’s Red Army’ - as the Stretford Enders dubbed them - made a more serene transition from fixed to free roles, even if Huddersfield’s resistance was laudable.
Wayne Rooney was back at Old Trafford as a fan and Ryan Giggs stood in the directors’ box to applaud his old team-mate’s homecoming. Giggs knows exactly how Solskjaer would have felt as he emerged from the Stretford End in his Paul Smith club suit, the stadium adorned with a banner in honour to his service, knowing it could all end in May.
The honeymoon period was almost interrupted by Terence Kongolo inside