Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EUROPA LEAGUE UNITED END AWAY DAZE
Martial law grabs Reds’ first win on the road in Solskjaer’s reign as full-time boss
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer would not have believed on an exhilarating Champions League night in Paris in March he would have to wait 232 days for the feeling to return.
But in a deafening atmosphere in Belgrade, a penalty from Anthony Martial brought him a first away victory in 12 attempts since he was appointed permanently.
Victory over Partizan Belgrade in a low quality affair took United top of Group L.
Yet like so many of United’s recent efforts it was another to file as something to build on rather than the finished article.
Positives were few and far between with the biggest that there was no evidence of racist or discriminatory chanting – proof that stadium bans can have the desired effect.
Positives on the pitch were harder to find, although a man-of-the-match performance from Brandon Williams, on only his second start, was something to cling to.
United had commemorated the Busby Babes earlier in the day with Bryan Robson and Mickey Thomas laying a wreath (right) at a ground which staged their last game before the fateful journey back home ended in tragedy in Munich in 1958.
Solskjaer made his own nod to both past and future, giving James Garner a first start and Williams a second.
They stepped into a ferocious atmosphere, too, created by a home support watching their first European football following a two-match stadium ban for racist chanting in a qualifier in August.
United might have taken the lead from open play, Scott Mctominay heading a Juan Mata free-kick into the side-netting and Jesse Lingard striking a post with a side-footed effort.
But Partizan’s Seydouba Soumah rattled Sergio Romero’s woodwork with a powerful shot from distance.
It was marginally against the run of play that United were able to edge ahead after Williams charged in to the penalty area from the left flank and was clipped by Nemanja Miletic.
Martial, who had contributed next to nothing on his first start since August, slotted home calmly.
Partizan started the second half brighter with Soumah and Sadiq Umar causing panic in United’s back rank at times, Soumah forcing a good stop.
Solskjaer acknowledged as much on the hour calling on Daniel James and Marcus Rashford to press the opposition back – a tactic that saw them switch to 4-3-3.
It improved things marginally but United rode their luck.
Phil Jones had his heart in his mouth after nicking the ball off Soumah and upending him.
Williams also appeared to stop a header from Miletic with his arm. Romero reacted well to block a Takuma Asano header.
It was a clean sheet and a victory and another building block in the foundations for all that it is taking time for the edifice to rise.