Solskjaer calls for unity amid anger
The goals rained in for Manchester United on the pitch as the anti-Glazer and Ed Woodward chants rained down from the stands. A restorative day for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players after Tuesday’s chastening Carabao Cup defeat by Manchester City, albeit against a feeble Norwich, ended with the United manager urging those supporters who vented their anger at the club’s owners and executive vicechairman to pull together.
Fan resentment towards the Glazers and Woodward is nothing new but, on an afternoon when United gave their fans plenty to cheer in the football stakes for once, a hard-core section of the home support took it as an opportunity to turn on the people they blame for the club’s woes.
The chants were foul-mouthed and sustained and, by the end, had left Solskjaer calling for unity as he launched a staunch defence of both Woodward and the Glazers, who are under pressure to deliver in the transfer market this month with the squad in pressing need of quality reinforcements.
“I’m not sure if the players will get it but I noticed, yeah,” the United manager said. “As a club, we’ve got to stick together, we’ve got to be united, we are a family. I can only say from when I’ve been here I’ve been backed by the owners, I’ve been backed by Ed and they’re supporting me, so for me, make sure they stick together.
“We are in all competitions. We are still in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, we’re fifth in the league, still challenging, we’ve improved the position from last season. We’ve got the Europa League, they’ve just got to believe me when I say I feel we are doing loads of good things behind the scenes, we are going in the right direction. See the group today – the attitude, the work-rate. That’s the core of the group that’s going to go forward.”
Whether this proves to be another of those occasions when United take a step forward, and then two back, remains to be seen. But with Wolverhampton
Wanderers to visit in an FA Cup third-round replay on Wednesday, before a trip to Anfield to face Premier League leadThere ers Liverpool four days later, the challenge this week is clear. And neither side are likely to be as accommodating as a Norwich team who, with one win in 17 league games to their name, are heading back to the Championship unless there is marked improvement.
Still, United brutally exploited their shortcomings. There were two more goals from Marcus Rashford on his 200th appearance for the club, just 72 days after his 22nd birthday. Make that 16 goals in his last 20 games for United now. Mason Greenwood, 18, again channelled his inner Robin van Persie to claim his ninth goal of an impressive campaign. Another hungry teenager, Brandon Williams, strengthened his grip on the left-back slot that Luke Shaw – who pulled out after complaining of a tight hamstring in the warm-up – may struggle to win back.
Juan Mata revelled in the freedom Norwich afforded him, while Anthony Martial impersonated Alan Shearer with a powerful centre-forward’s header for his goal.
was a big moment in the closing stages of the first half when David de Gea made a fine diving save to keep out a shot from Todd Cantwell. But, even had it gone in, Norwich may still have only delayed the inevitable.
Solskjaer’s side have mostly struggled against teams who sit deep but Norwich lacked the cohesion and quality to effectively implement that tactic – and ran into a United who sensed an opponent there for the taking.
Mata’s deft touch illuminated much of United’s play and it was from his clipped cross that Rashford put his side in front with a cushioned volley at the far post. United were rampant after the interval, two goals in as many minutes crushing Norwich, who were simply overrun.
Williams won the penalty from which Rashford scored his second, or rather Tim Krul foolishly conceded it by rushing needlessly off his line and throwing himself at both the ball and United left-back. With a busy week to come and Rashford playing with plenty of knocks and bruises, Solskjaer was relieved to be able to withdraw his talisman before the hour.
“What an achievement to get to 200 games at his age; 19 for the season,” Solskjaer said. “He’s top class to work with – wants to learn, improve, knows to keep his feet on the ground, and today he’s carrying a few knocks but there’s no chance he’s going to say to me before the game he doesn’t want to play.”
Two became three before Rashford left the field when Andreas Pereira played a short corner to Mata, who again delivered another delicious ball that Martial, dropping half a yard off Grant Hanley, rose to power home past Krul.
United sensed blood and it should have been 4-0 before Greenwood let fly from the edge of the D to find the bottom corner. Williams ballooned Pereira’s cross over the bar from just two yards out, but ask yourself this – would Shaw have been anywhere near getting on the end of that ball? It was a determined, lung-busting run from the all-action Williams that got him into that position in the first place.
With Shaw struggling and Ashley Young – omitted from the squad because Solskjaer said he “wasn’t fit enough” – eyeing a move to Inter Milan, the left-back position is there for the taking for Williams.
“He’s definitely a lesson to anyone who wants to be a professional footballer and it’ll be up to him, me and the club to keep him that hungry, but I don’t expect him to change,” Solskjaer said. “He’s got the heart for it and when you have it, you have it.”