Ole’s revolution has a chance... thanks to Captain Maguire and his midfield general Fernandes
OF the many troughs experienced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in his Manchester United managerial career, the defeat at Goodison Park last season was a particular low.
In the loss in late April, his team managed one shot on target and were four down not long after the hour mark.
It was the only time Everton scored that many at home in the Premier League last season and they have not repeated the trick in this campaign.
According to Solskjaer, some of the ‘boys’ on that day ‘gave up’.
Looking at the line-up, you assume he meant Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling, although both stayed on the field for the full 90 minutes.
Paul Pogba also played the entire match. Well, sauntered through it, if memory serves me.
Smalling is now doing well at Roma, Lukaku is scoring goals with Inter and injured Pogba is making some cool social media videos.
When Solskjaer said some players jacked it in at Goodison Park last season, he was probably a little off beam… some players had probably never bought into Solskjaer to start with.
But if there is one thing that can be taken from United’s promising recent spell, it is that the boys – as Ole likes to call them – are all buying into the manager.
The standard of opposition during a sevenmatch unbeaten run has been mixed. Extremely good in Manchester City, good in Chelsea and Wolves, average in Watford
and Bruges and poor in Tranmere. Still, to keep clean sheets in six of those games is reflective of, among other things, how Harry Maguire is becoming the defensive leader you would expect for £80million.
United look like they have a skipper for a generation. There has been improvement all over the pitch, but the most obvious lift has come from the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, a player who looks able to control the flow of a game.
The intelligence of his passing, his appetite for driving into scoring positions, his desire to be on the ball as much as possible, all hallmarks of a very modern midfielder.
And while it is not exactly a major deal – you would surely think it is the norm, in fact – his insistence on staying out to watch his teammates finish the job against Bruges after he had been invited to go and get warm in the changing rooms showed a good approach.
A very modern midfielder with an old school attitude, he has made a noticeable difference.
It is way too early to say that the long-term vision claimed by Ed Woodward and Solskjaer is becoming apparent.
This good run has come across three competitions and sustained excellence in the Premier League has been elusive.
But with Maguire and Fernandes leading the way, there should be positivity amongst United fans at Goodison today.
At the very least, they should know their men will not be quitting.