UNITED’S 3-YEAR ITCH
The Old Trafford club demand silverware, so can Solskjaer emulate Sir Alex and start new era by winning FA Cup?
MANCHESTER UNITED have not gone longer than three years without a trophy since 1990, when Sir Alex Ferguson began his amazing medal haul with the FA Cup.
In terms of job security, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t need to win today’s FA Cup semi-final, or the Europa League, or finish in the Premier League top four.
Unlike David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, United chief executive Ed Woodward can see an overall progression under the Norwegian and he will get next season in charge no matter how this one ends.
But in terms of pride and prestige, today’s semi- final against Chelsea is a massively important game for a club which prides itself on being the biggest in the world and which calls its home stadium The Theatre of Dreams.
They need something in t he trophy cabinet fresher than the 2017 Europa League and Solskjaer, having played his entire United career and then started as a coach under Fergie, recognises t hat better than anyone.
‘It’s our duty and responsibility as Manchester United players and staff to go for trophies,’ he said ahead of his Wembley showdown with Frank Lampard. ‘I’ve never seen anyone celebrate a trophy more than our gaffer [Ferguson]. I remember him coming to watch my fi rst game as a reserve team manager in the Lancashire Senior Cup against Liverpool.
‘ He was knocking on my door at halftime because we were 1-0 down! He wanted, he needed to win that game. We turned it around in the end and seeing his smile after t hat was worth it. It was a big thing for our club and the players to get in the winning habit.
‘You need to win t r o p h i e s when you a r e Ma n United. That is what we have done over history. That is our aim.
‘We have come a long way in the last 18 months, starting with the football culture. I feel we have to back it up with trophies.
‘I have memories walking out at the old Wembley for the 1999 final against Newcastle. A fantastic experience. We want them again.’
The prognosis for Solskjaer didn’t look so bright in January after a 2-0 home defeat by Burnley. Since then, Bruno Fernandes has come in and inspired a 19-match unbeaten run. Paul Pogba is back on the pitch after injury and 18-year-old Mason Greenwood has been assimilated into the first team to record another success story for the academy.
United have beaten Chelsea twice this season, 4- 0 and 2- 0 — and knocked them out of the Carabao Cup 2-1 — but with only a point separating the clubs in the Premier League, this afternoon could be much closer. There are even signs of some needle reminiscent of a period when they were rivals at the top of the European game, most notably contesting the 2008 Champions League final. Lampard’s observation on Friday that Chelsea will have to be careful with their challenges on United players in the penalty area has opened up a can of worms. VAR has disallowed seven goals scored against United this season while Fernandes is in the spotlight for going to ground too easily. Other cl ubs and commentators are muttering darkl y about United receiving favouritism, something Solskjaer sharply retorted yesterday. ‘It looks like there is an agenda,’ said the Nor wegi a n . ‘ I wi l l defend my players 100 per cent. They are not divers, none of them try to con the referee at all. It l ooks l i ke people want to influence whoever’s making the decisions. I hear people talking about luck, but let’s talk about the red card (Oriol) Romeu should have had against us when he got Greenwood crippled against Southampton. Maybe that would have helped us.
‘ It’s the same when Mark Noble should have been sent off half a yard in front of me against West Ham earlier in t he season wh e n h e absolutely battered ( Aaron) WanBissaka.’
It would be neat symmetry if Solskjaer’s first prize at United should be the FA Cup, just like Ferguson 30 years ago.
The Scot was also chasing club ghosts at the time, in his case Sir Matt Busby, and had an almighty scare in his semi- final against Second Division Oldham at Maine
Road, winning the replay 2-1 with a Mark Robins goal deep into extratime, after the first tie was 3-3.
‘If they had claimed the winner instead of us, it would have been totally deserved,’ admitted Sir Alex in a book years later. ‘But I’ll be eternally grateful that they didn’t!’
The semi-finals that year were historic in other ways too. It was the first time the two games were split for television on Sunday rather than both played in the traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off slot.
The first sign of what was to come with Manchester United and the power of TV dominating football for the next quarter-of-a-century.
Ferguson’s pre-match interview was insightful, painfully aware that a club of United’s stature needed cups being held aloft.
‘I’m sorry to say the semi-final is the highlight of my career here,’ said Ferguson to the watching millions on television.
For all the progress Solskjaer has made at Old Trafford, he’ll feel the same. Beating Chelsea today has to be just the start.