Banana skin but Reds are foot-perfect

YOU wait two games for a Manchester United goal, then three come along at once.

Well, three in 16 minutes, which is how long it took for United to kill this FA Cup tie and any hope Tranmere had of an upset, adding another three for cosmetic purposes.

After successive 2-0 defeats, by Liverpool and Burnley, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer publicly backed his United players and reiterated his faith in them despite recent setbacks.

His predecessor, Jose Mourinho, would not have hesitated in chucking some of United’s under-performing players under the bus in the same situation, absolving himself of culpability.

But Solskjaer, despite a tough first full season in charge, clearly knows a thing or two about man-management and his handling of his players was vindicated with this emphatic win.

With all the ingredients for an upset, from the shocking pitch to the fervent home support inside Prenton Park, this was a huge test for United’s players, one they passed with ease.

No one epitomised United’s fighting spirit and tough mindset more than the much-maligned Phil Jones, whose kit was caked in mud after just five minutes of action on the quagmire pitch.

Jones has become an easy target, with many questioning the wisdom of handing him a new four-year deal a year ago given his injury history and propensity for highprofile defensive gaffes.

But when Solskjaer needed players he could rely on, Jones stepped up, shrugging off an early clattering to produce a fine defensive display. He capped his impressive performance with a goal just before the break, his first since 2014, as United ran amok in the first half, racing to an unassailable 5-0 lead.

Sterner tests lie ahead this week, before United’s two-week mid-season break, which cannot come soon enough for Solskjaer given the injuries that have stretched his squad. Wednesday sees the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final at Manchester City, United 3-1 down from the first leg, followed by Saturday’s visit of Wolves to Old Trafford in the league.

Those encounters will provide a truer gauge of where United are under Solskjaer, but this was a potential banana skin expertly avoided with a minimum of fuss.