Boss must repay Cavani’s faith with Spurs start
IT seems Ole Gunnar Solskjaer no longer knows which players he can trust at United.
Liverpool were ruthlessly dominant at Old Trafford at the weekend and they didn’t leave second gear. The result was a revealing - yet not surprising indictment of where United actually find themselves under Solskjaer’s troubled leadership.
While it’s Solskjaer’s tactical failures that have pushed him to the brink, the Norwegian’s man-management skills have never been in question. Solskjaer has previously admitted that he views man-management as ‘an art or a science’ and it’s an area he excels in.
It is therefore incredibly worrying that noise has emerged from the United dressing room this week in the wake of Sunday’s debacle.
M.E.N. Sport revealed on Monday that certain members of the squad are becoming increasingly bemused by some of Solskjaer’s selections, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg regarding the dressing room noise. It seems he can’t stop the Titanic from sinking.
While it was United’s defensive fragility exacerbated by their tactical deficiencies that seemed the most pressing issue to solve from the Liverpool performance, there’s one particular player that Solskjaer could turn to in attack for this weekend’s trip to Spurs to reinvigorate his forward line.
Edinson Cavani was a resounding success at United last season after his arrival on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain. The 34-year-old emphatically quashed doubts over his ability to still perform at an elite level.
Cavani scored 17 goals last season was persuaded to extend his contract.
“From the very first moment that I arrived, I felt the confidence of the
manager,” he said. “As a player, this belief gives you the perfect opportunity to play your best football and I want to thank him for that.”
If Cavani felt that confidence of Solskjaer then, though, what must he feel now after only playing 170 minutes this season?
After Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival, Cavani has been limited to sporadic involvement.
Ronaldo’s record - he’s scored six goals in 10 games this season speaks for itself, however, Cavani has proven he can match those levels in front of goal while he can also offer United another dimension going forward which Ronaldo can’t.
United have looked pedestrian when attempting to orchestrate attacks this season and, against a Nuno Espirito Santo side which will defend with the low block, Cavani seems the clear and obvious choice over Ronaldo to break through the lines towards goal.
Cavani placed his faith in Solskjaer this season when signing a new deal. Solskjaer needs to repay that trust just at the time when he’s beginning to lose allies.