Creativity wasn’t the problem for us, says Solskjear
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer disputed suggestions United struggled for creativity in their 2-0 defeat at Arsenal.
The Reds have failed to score in five of their six Premier League losses this season and Jesse Lingard, recalled to the playmaker role at the expense of Andreas Pereira, was substituted before the hour mark.
Daniel James was also substituted at the same time as Lingard, who wasted a one-on-one in his previous start at Watford by dinking the ball over the crossbar with the game goalless.
Solskjaer has failed to settle on a regular No. 10, with the role alternated between Lingard and Pereira.
Juan Mata has only started five times in the league and United are interested in Leicester City playmaker James Maddison.
“I thought that in the second-half we pegged them back,” Solskjaer said when it was suggested United have a ‘creativity problem’.
“I’m not sure if the creativity was the problem. It was the finish, the desire to get in there to finish. And you always want your best players on the pitch and they’ve all got different attributes.”
Maddison, a scorer in Leicester’s 3-0 stroll at Newcastle on New Year’s Day, has tallied six goals and three assists in 20 league games and United have earmarked him as the ideal option to play off centre forward Anthony Martial.
The Reds are optimistic of signing Maddison as part of their ongoing squad rebuild.
They want a minimum of four signings across the winter and summer transfer windows this year and their interest in Maddison emerged in June.
United are further emboldened by the fact Maddison is a boyhood Reds fan and close with former club colleague Harry Maguire.
Arsenal’s win ensured United’s run without three consecutive league wins will extend beyond a year.
The Reds could have bridged the gap on fourth-placed Chelsea to two points after their draw at Brighton and Tottenham’s reverse at Southampton, but dropped more points at a bottom-half side.
“When you get one win, you want two or three and we always want to build,” Solskjaer added.
“We had a very good December, had nine games, quite a few. January 1 and we’re going again.
“But I can’t fault the effort, the drive or anything from the boys.
“All of you that sit there - I’ve been part of it [as a player] - but it’s a hard period and sometimes you get these little things that decide the game.
“We’ve been on a good run but we didn’t have enough (against Arsenal).”