OLE’S GROWING LIST OF WINNERS
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer believes United’s list of matchwinners is growing after Mason Greenwood netted his fifth Premier League goal of the season at Brighton.
Greenwood opened the scoring in United’s second successive 3-0 league win six days after they dismissed Sheffield United, and United have overtaken Wolves to go fifth again in the table.
The United attacking trident of Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial has plundered more goals than Liverpool’s titlewinning triumvirate of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino – and January arrival Bruno Fernandes has already claimed six goals in 13 appearances.
Fernandes is fourth in United’s list of top scorers this term and Solskjaer feels he has a long list of matchwinners in his squad.
“I think it’s very important that you have players who chip in. Of course, Marcus and Anthony have had the majority of the goals – 19 each this year.
“Bruno’s come in and done fantastic, Mason’s always chipping in with goals, we know Paul’s always going to get goals. I thought Scotty [McTominay] went close today, Dan [James] was close, Odion [Ighalo]’s come in and done well.
“It’s important. We’ve never had one... or we have, to be fair – we had Ruud! He scored 50 or 60 goals. And Cristiano. But we’ve had players who can win a game for you.”
Greenwood now has 13 goals this term and three of his strikes have earned United seven points in the league. Ighalo has plundered five in four starts in the FA Cup and League Cup while McTominay is on five and James has struck four goals.
Pogba has not scored from open play since February of last year but has been reduced to eight starts this term.
Meanwhile, Odion Ighalo can achieve a feat no United player has managed before – if he scores in his next start for the club.
The Nigerian’s improvised strike against Norwich City on Saturday was his fifth United goal in just four starts, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s decision to sign the forward continues to look like a masterstroke. Ighalo had previously netted after being named in the starting lineups against Club Brugge, Derby and LASK Linz – although he’s yet to score (or start) in the Premier League. The goals in four consecutive starts match an achievement by Jimmy Hanson, the former United man who did so in 1924 and 1925, scoring versus Hull City, Blackpool, Derby and Aston Villa. Ighalo was asked by United’s official website about getting the chance to break the record whenever he next appears in a starting 11.
“Well, I’m grateful to God for that,” he said. “I’m very happy because it’s a great achievement for me. I think my name is being in the book in United’s history and I’m very happy for that. “Especially as, in the game on Saturday, we won and got to the [FA Cup] semi-final. That was the most important thing as it was a difficult game, so scoring and winning the game makes it even greater for me.”
I think it’s very important you have players who chip in
Ole Gunnar Solskjkaer