Boss is embracing Fergie tradition to win both battles
SIR Alex Ferguson had to win two games each matchday and the first was his pre-match press conference. “Never lose it,” he advised Mauricio Pochettino, as if grooming him for a future role in Manchester.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has embraced Ferguson’s presence and invited him to United’s training ground, a remarkable feat for a man who suffered a brain haemorrhage only a few months ago.
Ferguson is a Messianic figure and Solskjaer is an unashamed disciple.
Some fans have already mocked up Solskjaer being unmasked as Ferguson by Fred from Scooby-Doo and there are similarities on matchdays beyond the stylish football; Mike Phelan is delegated to stay in the technical area by the manager, a trait of Ferguson’s last five years as he took a more tactical vantage point for most of the 90 minutes. Solskjaer might inherit another characteristic following the weekend’s FA Cup win.
Scanning the starters against Reading, it is not disingenuous to wonder whether half the outfielders are vulnerable to the return of ruthlessness at United.
For all the mitigation surrounding the tie, Reading was not an aberration for certain starters. Phil Jones was vocal after he was culpable, Matteo Darmian was more liability than libero, Scott McTominay is the antithesis of Solskjaer’s risk rhetoric, Alexis Sanchez seemed as knackered as he did last year and Andreas Pereira is living proof of how misleading pre-season performances are.
Three of them (Jones, Pereira and Darmian) have technically entered the last six months of their United contracts, though with the option of an additional year. Ashley Young and Juan Mata have fewer than six months left on theirs and are free to negotiate with foreign clubs. Sergio Romero, signed in 2015, has not spent more than four years at a club in his senior career. But not all of them should be discarded, and nor will they.
Even if Solskjaer claims the relative achievement of fourth place and is retained permanently, he should not be lulled into a false sense of security by United performing just because the manager has opted for humility rather than hubris.
Already, he has identified the spine of an XI Mourinho could never settle on and of the 10 changes Solskjaer has made in the league, the only ones who have vindicated their recalls started his opener at Cardiff (Jones, Young, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial). Diogo Dalot, Fred, Eric Bailly, Juan Mata and Antonio Valencia squandered their opportunities.
Solskjaer’s 8.30am press conferences at Carrington hark back to Ferguson’s early starts and his mentor has supposedly advised him to adopt a certain tactic when awkward questions arise. The giveaway was his answer in response to the peripheral Valencia’s role.
“When you look at him, there are not many more better right-backs going forward with his ability,” Solskjaer said. Valencia was not in the squad again on Saturday.
Solskjaer’s winning both games.