THE OLE EFFECT
Another win, but now Solskjaer knows true size of job ahead
THEY have had the Chosen One, the Special One and whatever dubious moniker you wish to apply to Louis van Gaal.
The inauguration of a new leader at Old Trafford is beginning to resemble that old line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian: ‘He is the Messiah! And I should know! I’ve followed a few!’
They dutifully unveiled their huge Ole Gunnar Solskjaer banner across the Stretford End, proclaiming him a legend, which he will, of course always be, in these parts.
Yet, as almost everyone has observed since his appointment was confirmed last week, the real job starts now. That caretaker business was a joy, like a winning election campaign: exhilarating, accompanied by a catchy song and full of unlikely promise. After that comes the hard part of actual governing.
The good news for Solskjaer is that in the wake of those defeats by Arsenal and Wolves he has seemingly recovered his golden touch. The bad news is that his team were poor. They were second best for long periods, conceded 20 shots and managed only eight in return. Yet somehow they emerged as winners.
It’s hard to do justice to just how much on the back foot United were in the second half. When Watford finally scored in the 90th minute, Abdoulaye Doucoure exchanging a delightful one-two with Isaac Success before steering the ball past David de Gea, it was extraordinary only in the fact that it had taken 45 minutes to come.
Watford had s i mply dominated United and yet conceded, up to that point, the only goal of the half. That in itself cuts to the core of the Solskjaer revival.
Last week Van Gaal ungenerously described Solskjaer’s football as ‘parking the bus’ and compared it with Jose Mourinho’s.
There was but a grain of truth in that: many of Solskjaer’s best performances — Tottenham away, Arsenal in the FA Cup, Paris SaintGermain away — United have been essentially a counter-attacking team.
The difference is that they are now a very effective one. Certainly much better than the one Mourinho constructed and considerably more exhilarating that Van Gaal’s team.
They didn’t have many attacking phases of play here. Van Gaal would blanche at the possession stats. But when they had the ball, they used it to good effect. It’s what has got them this far and may take them all the way into the Champions League qualifying spots.
In the long term they will, of course, need much, much more. This wasn’t quite the brave new dawn the occasion required.
‘We, as a team, felt it was a new start after the disappointment of losing at Wolverhampton, everyone has been away,’ said the manager. ‘It was almost the first game of the League. We set ourselves targets for eight games in the League. We came away with a win, that is great, but I think everyone knows we can perform better. Three points, you can’t get more.
‘I have been here when we have won games with the quality of players in the last third at both ends a nd t o day t he t wo goal s were excellent.’
Even Solskjaer’s amiability can occasionally be shaken by what he considers a misdirected question, such as the inquiry as to why United could not dominate at home against a team like Watford. ‘What do mean against a side like Watford? They’re in the FA Cup semi, they were eighth in the League. I don’t think you’re giving them any true respect,’ he said.
Yet, the truth was, as he acknowledged later, that a 50-50 split of possession at home is not the kind of start the new era demanded.
‘It is difficult to explain,’ said Watford manager Javi Gracia. ‘We had more shots, more shots on target, more corner kicks — we dominated a lot of the time in the opposite half. We took risks, we tried to dominate, to play offensively, and we created chances. I know we have to make a step forward if we want to get points against these types of teams. I am sure we will.’
The tone was set when Doucoure shot just wide on six minutes, then De Gea had to stretch to tip away Troy Deeney’s shot on 11 minutes.
Solskjaer was right in that, in the first half at least, when they did attack, United did so with incision and pace. Usually the instigator would be Paul Pogba, as he was in the 10th
minute to release Marcus Rashford. Thereafter Pogba faded, with Solskjaer wondering whether the fact he plays deeper for France had inhibited him.
On 28 minutes it was Luke Shaw who did t he damage, robbing Deeney, striding forward and delivering a fine lofted pass. Initially the delivery looked slightly too heavy but that didn’t account for the speed of Rashford to catch it up and finish calmly past Ben Foster.
‘Rashy was fantastic, he gave us the energy others lacked,’ said Solskjaer later. He purred over Shaw as well. ‘He has so much in his locker. I can’t wait to see him blossom.’
Yet Watford started the second half much as they had the first: pinning United back. Doucoure dominated Pogba, Nemanja Matic and Ander Herrera in midfield. Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira were sent on to relieve the siege and after 72 minutes, United struck decisively.
Again it started with Shaw down the left, releasing Martial, who l i nked with both s ubstit ut es. Lingard drove on and crossed for Martial, who became entangled with Foster as both went for the ball, but somehow, while halfseated, recovered enough to turn and scoop the ball home. It was a bit of mess amid a jumbled tangle. Rather like the game, in fact.