OLE’S MARTIAL ROAR
Solskjaer backs his ‘classy kid’ to silence trolls
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER says the attitude and class of under-fire striker Anthony Martial will silence the critics.
Martial, 25, has again found himself being questioned after United’s disappointing 2-2 draw against relegationthreatened West Brom.
The France striker was also subjected to racist abuse on Instagram after Sunday’s match.
But while Solskjaer admits the goals may have temporarily dried up, he said: “I am not concerned by his form.
“I know Anto is working hard to get back to where he was and he will score goals. His attitude is very good.
“Form is sometimes temporary but class is permanent and the kid’s got class.
“So when he works hard, we know it’s going to come out with the good performances in the end.”
Martial’s talent has never been in doubt particularly with the ball at his feet, but his application and his desire to defend from the front has been called into question.
Having scored 23 goals from 41 starts during the 2019-20 campaign, his current goal haul has paled in comparison with just seven from 22 starts in all competitions. Martial scored two of his seven goals in United’s unsuccessful Champions League group campaign.
The striker looks likely to be given the chance to add more on Thursday night against Real Sociedad when United target Europa League consolation in the first leg last-16 match switched to Turin because of travel restrictions.
United’s pursuit of a first Premier League title for eight years suffered a blow at The Hawthorns with Solskjaer’s men losing further ground to Manchester City. They trail by seven points having played a game more.
Victor Lindelof was another criticised for his part in the defeat after he was outmuscled by Baggies striker Mbaye Diagne for the opening goal.
Defensive partner Harry Maguire has come out fighting for his team-mate, insisting match officials are getting more decisions wrong than right to the detriment of United’s Premier League campaign.
“I know Vic will be disappointed in there, and I’m sure he’s probably getting criticism – he knows he can do better,” he said.
“But it’s a foul so we shouldn’t even be speaking about this. Diagne is a big striker who’s bigger than Vic and he’s wrestling him, he’s got his arms all about it, and he heads the ball in the back of the net.”
PLEASE do not adjust your sets – that really is West Ham above Liverpool in the Premier League table.
The Hammers’ first penalty of the season, stroked into the corner by Declan Rice, Issa Diop’s glancing header and substitute Ryan Fredericks condemned Sheffield United to their 19th defeat in 24 league games this season.
Although the Blades are not dead and buried, the fat lady is warming up.
But West Ham are on course for their highest league finish in 35 years – and they are not knocking on the doors of Europe by accident.
And it was on-loan midfielder Jesse Lingard who stole the show again.
The Blades we can deal with in short measure. After six wins in nine games – three of them cup ties – this was the night when hope expired.
Even when they were handed the unexpected bonus of Enda Stevens
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conceding a penalty for lunging in on Craig Dawson, and VAR official Michael Oliver intervened to overrule referee Simon Hooper, they were not good enough to cash in.
There was no need for the wise men in a bunker at Stockley Park to get on the walkie-talkie five minutes before the break as the Hammers’ spot luck finally turned.
They had to wait 220 days, after Michail Antonio’s bullseye in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford last July, for another one – but at least it was as clear as the bubbles floating into the Stratford sky.
Chris Basham wiped out Lingard, who had robbed Oliver Norwood, and although the discarded England man tried to gazump his captain for the privilege, Rice potted his first goal for seven months.
West Ham were twice indebted to goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for denying David Mcgoldrick, but after 58 minutes their crown as Premier League kings of the set-piece was reinforced.
From Aaron Cresswell’s corner, Diop muscled in front of Ethan Ampadu to direct his header into the far corner.
No team has scored more goals from corners this season than West Ham – and nobody has conceded more than Sheffield United.
All that remained was for two substitutes to renew a long-standing acquaintance – Mark Noble and Phil Jagielka first crossed paths in this fixture back in 2005 – and for defender Fredericks to compound the visitors’ misery with the last kick of the match.
WEST HAM (3-4-3): Fabianski 8; Diop 8, Dawson 8, Cresswell 7; Coufal 7, Soucek 7, Rice 6, Johnson 7 (Fredericks 90); Bowen 6, LINGARD 8 (Benrahma 82), Lanzini 6 (Noble 63, 6). Subs: Martin, Alves, Fornals, Odubeko, Coventry, Baptiste.
SHEFFIELD UNITED (3-5-2): Ramsdale 7; Basham 5, Egan 6 (Jagielka 85), Ampadu 5, Bogle 5, Lundstram 6, Norwood 5 (Mcburnie 62, 5), Osborn 6, Stevens 5; Mcgoldrick 6, Sharp 5. Subs: Foderingham, Baldock, Lowe, Burke, Brewster, Bryan, Maguire.
REFEREE: Simon Hooper 7
SPOT ON: Rice celebrates after netting his penalty
THOMAS TUCHEL is pulling rabbits out of hats for Chelsea and for his latest trick he has transformed Timo Werner back into a goalscorer.
One of the reasons Tuchel got the Blues job was to get more out of Werner, who has spent months looking like he couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo.
Well, Werner scored his first league goal in over three months at Stamford Bridge last night to help give Tuchel a fifth straight win in his sixth unbeaten game in charge.
And the Germany international also helped to create Olivier Giroud’s opener as Newcastle struggled to cope with the home side.
Werner was signed from Leipzig to much fanfare, with Chelsea hoping he could make a run at the Golden Boot and push them into the Champions League.
But his confidence looked like it had hit rock bottom during a 14-game scoreless run in the top flight lasting 1,000 minutes.
You could almost see the relief as he finally hit the target and the weight was lifted from his shoulders.
But it was just more proof that whatever magic Tuchel has, it is working – and at this rate a top-four finish no longer looks so far-fetched.
Chelsea have stopped conceding goals. They are winning matches again and even Werner is scoring. If Tuchel can get Kai Havertz performing too they might as well give him a wand, robes and an honorary diploma from Hogwarts.
The first half was all Chelsea, with recalled goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga mostly a spectator. Newcastle striker Dwight Gayle nodded a goalbound Cesar Azpilicueta header off his own line and Werner fired a stretching volley just wide.
Chelsea suffered a blow when Tammy Abraham limped off with a twisted ankle after a crunching recovery tackle from Jamaal Lascelles.
He actually should have scored but he delayed just long enough to allow Lascelles to slide in and while he got the ball first he also took Abraham’s trailing leg.
Fortunately for the Blues, his replacement Giroud bagged the opener soon afterwards, volleying home after Karl Darlow parried a Werner cross.
Giroud caused more problems for the Blues’ second as well with the ball eventually bouncing off Lascelles for Werner to scoop in falling backwards.
Kepa saved a Jonjo Shelvey free-kick at the start of the second half but Mateo Kovacic then curled one wide at the other end.
Callum Hudson-odoi, back in the “Victor Moses role” as a converted wing-back, then flashed a cross-shot across the face of goal.
Joe Willock did force Kepa into one flying save but these are worrying times for Newcastle with Fulham beginning to put them under pressure at the bottom.
IT IS a slump that is not just shocking, but as champions, almost unprecedented.
Since mid November, Liverpool won only seven of 20 matches.
If the reasons have been obvious – 16 different central defensive pairings tells a compelling story of luckless injuries – then the focus on Jurgen Klopp has been no less intense.
The Reds boss even had to deny rumours that he was ready to leave Anfield.
He remains defiant of course, ready for the challenge presented by RB Leipzig in the last 16 of the Champions League, which now becomes a watershed moment in the club’s season – the last chance of a trophy in a campaign turned upside down in a matter of weeks.
Klopp doesn’t stand alone though. While he protects his players by almost obsessively shouldering the burden of blame, they know the truth, according to skipper Jordan Henderson.
“The manager is really good in situations like this, through adversity he is the one we listen to,” the captain said.
“But deep down we know we take full responsibility and it is down to us to go out on the pitch and change this tough period.
“It is down to us to change the situation we are in. It is down to us to go out there and keep fighting.”
Henderson has been through these times before.
His own career at Liverpool almost stalled with a move to Fulham proposed, but he fought back to lead the team to a golden new era.
And he knows who he wants at his side.
He said: “The manager, there are no questions over how he reacts after games. He probably reacts the total opposite to how people think!
“He handles situations like this really well and that is why we just want to go out there and put a performance on for the team – and for him as well.”
Leipzig couldn’t be a sterner test. Semifinalists last season and challenging Bayern Munich at the summit of the Bundesliga.
Yet Henderson, as the leader on the pitch, expects a reaction in the Champions League.
“It is a new opportunity, a new challenge, that is what a new game brings. We have got to go out there against a very good side and be at 100 per cent,” he said. have
“To set standards for a long period then lose a few games is not normal for us, so it is something we need to adapt to. But I feel once we do come out of it, we will be a lot stronger.
“Right now, winning and results is the most important thing.
“For large parts against Leicester our performance was at a high level. But in a very short time, a few mistakes. The game got out of our control.
“So we have to give that performance – take the mistakes away – if we can do that then I am confident we can get a result.”
Divock Origi and new signing
Ben Davies return to the squad after injury kept them out at the weekend, while Klopp is unlikely to risk Fabinho or James Milner.
The manager has also left Naby Keita and Diogo Jota behind as they step up training from long injury spells.
Klopp stars stick together through the tough times