Ole wants reaction after FA Cup exit to secure top four
BOSS SAYS DEFEAT IS PART OF HIS TEAM’S DEVELOPMENT
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer insists he gave United ‘the best possible chance’ to reach the FA Cup final and prepare for the visit of West Ham on Wednesday with his team selection.
Solskjaer made five changes to the side that beat Crystal Palace on Thursday, withdrawing Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial among others, and switching to a back three with split strikers.
United used the formation in their two wins at Chelsea this season yet the reliance on the tactic backfired in a 3-1 defeat that will prolong United’s three-year trophy drought well into August.
Although United struggled in the system, the game was goalless until they had to switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation that was prompted by the removal of Eric Bailly after he clashed heads with teammate Harry Maguire.
“We picked a team today to give us the best possible opportunity to go through in the cup and be ready for Wednesday,” Solskjaer explained. “It didn’t work today.
“We almost came to half-time, but we had to change when Eric had to come off but that will stand us in good stead for Wednesday. I picked a team today to go through”.
United host West Ham in their penultimate Premier League match of the season on Wednesday after Leicester were humbled 3-0 by Tottenham. If United gain at least a point against West Ham they will go top outright and the margin of Leicester’s defeat in London means their goal difference is now the same as United’s.
“It’s between us, Chelsea and Leicester, those last two positions,” Solskjaer added. “The more help we get from others, the better, of course. But if we do our job on Wednesday we will be in a good position before we go into the Leicester game [on the final day]. If we can win that one we can qualify.
“We’ve just got to regroup and go again against West Ham on Wednesday. We have to learn, we’ve got loads of things to learn as a team and this team is developing and took a knock today, confidencewise. But let’s see the reaction on Wednesday.”
Bruno Fernandes - who tasted defeat for the first time ever in a United shirt in the Wembley semifinal - has urged his teammates to refocus.
“We were not the best before and we are not the worst now,” Fernandes said on Instagram. “We are really sad about the result and losing the chance to win the FA Cup, something we had hoped for! Now it is time to gather forces and fight for our goal in the Premier League.” United remain in the hunt for silverware in the Europa League as well as a top four finish.
But their 19-game unbeaten streak came crashing to a halt at Wembley.
If we do our job on Wednesday we will be in a good position Ole Gunnar Solskjaer