Cole ‘concerned’ by United’s style under current manager

Competition shrouded in uncertainty 100 days before kickoff

FORMER Manchester United striker Andy Cole has expressed his frustration at his old side’s style of play under ex-teammate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The attacking pair played together at the Old Trafford club between 1996 and 2001, and Cole has said that Solskjaer’s United lack a key quality that was instilled in him and the Norwegian by manager Sir Alex Ferguson during that period.

“Manchester United can’t play like that,” Cole told the Mirror after the Red Devils’ goalless Premier League draw at Chelsea last weekend.

“It has to be a concern. If you think you can genuinely win the title or challenge for it, you have to score goals.

“Playing under Sir Alex Ferguson, the only thing he used to say to us was: ‘Go out and enjoy yourselves and entertain.’

“That’s what United are supposed to do, you’re supposed to entertain. You have to show your opponents respect, but you can’t fear them.

“Everyone wants to be tight, of course. You don’t want to concede goals, goalkeepers buzz off that and so do defenders. But if you concede a goal and you’re scoring goals yourself, I don’t think anyone’s that fussed, because you’re playing the way United should play.

“If you look back, United’s history is about playing good football, trying to win games playing a certain way, not being tight at the back and trying to nick a 1-0 win. United cannot play like that, and when they’ve tried to, they’ve come unstuck.

“Let’s get this straight – if you’re ever going to win the League, you have to knock over the big teams as well. Draws aren’t going to do it.” – The Independent

TODAY marks 100 days until the scheduled start of Euro 2020 but there remains much uncertainty about exactly how and where a competition that was postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic will take place.

The opening match between Turkey and Italy is due to be played in Rome on June 11, while seven matches are set to go ahead at Wembley in London, including both semifinals and the final.

The decision by European football’s governing body UEFA to stage the competition for the first time all across the continent, in 12 different cities, was a logistical challenge even before international travel was restricted by the spread of Covid-19.

Elite-level football has managed to keep going thanks to rigorous testing protocols but has been played in soulless, empty stadiums with supporters still shut out in most of the countries due to host matches.

Underlining the logistical challenges, a number of UEFA Champions League and Europa League games in recent weeks have been moved to neutral venues as a result of travel restrictions aimed at preventing the spread of new strains of the virus.

UEFA has so far stuck to its original plan for London and Glasgow, as well as Dublin, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, SaintPetersburg, Bilbao, Munich, Budapest, Baku, Rome and Bucharest to host matches.

However, European football’s governing body has given all host cities until early April to say if they will be in a position to accommodate spectators inside stadiums and at what percentage of capacity.

“Fans are such a big part of what makes football special,” said UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin in his most recent public address on the matter in January.

“We must allow ourselves the maximum space to allow their return to the stadiums.”

The travel logistics, as well as the economic consequences of playing an international tournament behind closed doors, have forced UEFA to consider contingency plans.

That has led to rumours that the whole event could be moved to one country if it meant selling more tickets.

With the United Kingdom’s vaccination programme outstripping that of the other host nations, and with multiple large Premier League stadiums available to accommodate potentially thousands of fans, reports have emerged that England could step in to stage the entire tournament.

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismissed those reports last week as “just speculation”.

“How the tournament will be hosted is a matter for UEFA,” he told reporters. “They remain committed to the current format of the tournament.

“We are focused on the matches we are scheduled to host in the UK, including seven at Wembley and matches also being hosted at Hampden Park in Glasgow.”

Under the British government’s roadmap out of lockdown, crowds of up to 10,000 could be allowed from May 17.

A return to full crowds would be permitted at the earliest by June 21.

The semifinals and final take place on July 6, 7 and 11, but the first game scheduled for London is on June 13.

Should all go to plan, full crowds would be able to return for the final group game and last-16 match at Wembley.

The Scottish government has been more cautious, meaning the situation for Glasgow is less clear.

Nevertheless, after nearly a year of football behind closed doors, UEFA will be wary that interest among some fans could be on the wane. Conditions for supporters wishing to travel to follow their teams may not be particularly comfortable either.

But the prospect of crowds being allowed, at least in some countries offers hope that enthusiasm for the tournament will grow again.

That is what UEFA is banking on, but tough decisions lie ahead as to who gets to play host. – AFP