SOLSKJAER SURRENDERS
Gloomy Ole writes off United title hopes
HARRY MAGUIRE checked with referee Jon Moss for confirmation that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s lastsecond equaliser would stand, and there was indeed no more time left on the clock, before roaring an expletive into the cold night air. Manchester United kicked off again and Moss blew the final whistle.
Maguire’s sentiment will have been shared by everyone associated with United. This was a painful draw that felt like a defeat.
But was it a fatal blow to United’s hopes of winning the Premier League? Not yet. Curtains for a club that has fought so many title battles to the last? Hardly.
So it was odd to hear Ole Gunnar Solskjaer effectively write off his team’s chances shortly afterwards.
The United manager has been trying to manage expectations around Old Trafford for the last few weeks and that is perhaps understandable. But this was altogether more downbeat.
‘We’re not talking about winning titles,’ said Solskjaer. ‘We’ve come a long way this team and we shouldn’t have been considered as title contenders.’
Why not? Manchester City are the clear favourites but United are their closest challengers in this strangest of seasons that has opened up so many possibilities.
We are only in February and no one wins the title now, as Solskjaer has said. If United had held on for another few seconds, they would have gone joint top with City having played two more games.
The manager has been in charge for more than two years and named a matchday squad against Everton that cost nearly £600million. If United aren’t title contenders by now then perhaps they ought to be.
They are clearly making progress under Solskjaer and if there is still the slightest hope of challenging for the title a little earlier than he expected, why not take it? There are no guarantees City will be any weaker next season and Liverpool certainly won’t be. Roy Keane has already suggested his old club are ‘ frightened’ of mounting a title challenge, and
Sportsmail pundit Jamie Redknapp also thinks United should have more conviction.
‘You’re not going to have a better chance,’ said Redknapp. ‘This United team should be believing. This is the year anything’s possible. They’re not kids, are they? They’re full of experience. He should be telling this team: believe you can do it. City are by far and away the best team but they might have a blip still.’
United have an attack to match any in the Premier League and were excellent going forward on the 63rd anniversary of the Munich Air Disaster. Marcus Rashford provided a wonderful cross for Edinson Cavani to open the scoring and Bruno Fernandes delivered an even better shot to make it 2-0.
But they were woeful in defence and Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez struck twice in the space of four minutes after halftime. Scott McTominay headed United back in front but CalvertLewin equalised in the 95th minute. It came a from a free-kick conceded by United substitute Axel Tuanzebe, who revealed he has been subjected to racist abuse for the second time in recent weeks.
David de Gea was criticised for making a weak attempt to block Calvert- Lewin having pushed the ball straight to Doucoure for Everton’s first.
Dean Henderson is likely to be in goal for tomorrow night’s FA Cup tie against West Ham and, not for the first time, Solskjaer was asked about De Gea’s position, answering: ‘Every player has to earn his place. We’re a squad with competition and that applies to every single one in the team.’
Everton face Tottenham in the cup at Goodison Park on Wednesday and Carlo Ancelotti was delighted with another excellent result away from home. ‘Wow! What a game, unbelievable! Fantastic emotion,’ said the Italian, who got a bear hug from his jubilant assistant Duncan Ferguson after the dramatic late equaliser. MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 4; Wan-Bissaka 6, Lindelof 5, Maguire 4.5, Shaw 7; McTominay 6.5, Pogba 6.5 (Fred 39min, 5.5); Greenwood 7.5 (Tuanzebe 90+3), Fernandes 7, Rashford 7; Cavani 7. Subs not used: Henderson, Martial, James, Telles, Matic, Williams, Van de Beek. Scorers: Cavani 24, Fernandes 45, McTominay 70. Booked: Shaw, Tuanzebe. Manager: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 6. EVERTON (4-1-2-1-2): Olsen 5; Holgate 5, Keane 5.5, Godfrey 6, Digne 7; Davies 6.5 (Iwobi 75, 6); Doucoure 7 (King 81), Gomes 6.5; Rodriguez 7 (Sigurdsson 69, 6.5); Richarlison 6, CALVERT-LEWIN 8. Subs not used: Virginia, Delph, Mina, Nkounkou, Bernard, Coleman. Scorers: Doucoure 49, Rodriguez 52, Calvert-Lewin 90+5. Booked: Keane. Manager: Carlo Ancelotti 7. Referee: Jon Moss 7.