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MANCHESTER, England – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is saying all the right things about pushing Manchester City to the limit, but you’d be forgiven if you don’t even believe it. Manchester United return to second place in the Premier League table after a 3-1 win over Newcastle on Sunday, but with City notching 18 straight wins at Arsenal early Sunday, the odds give the team of Solskjaer less than one percent chance. to win the title.
To put it in context, experts believe there is an equal chance that they will be relegated.
– Report: Man United defeat Newcastle and reclaim second place
United have a lot to play for this season and a trophy in the FA Cup or Europa League would put a shine on a campaign during which Solskjaer can now confidently aim for progress. But Solskjaer’s task during the summer is how to approach City; Between now and then, his players will play for their place in the squad, which the Norwegian hopes will be the next step forward.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are going the other direction and an eighth loss in their last 10 games left them just three points above relegation places, piling up more pressure on Steve Bruce. For Solskjaer, it was a positive ending to a day that began with the announcement that Nicky Butt and Mark Dempsey would be required at the bank after several members of their staff were forced to self-isolate in accordance with COVID-19 protocols.
“We have a good staff elsewhere,” Solskjaer said afterward. “Of course, it was a different preparation for the guys, but that’s the situation we’re in. We have to be prepared.
“In the first half, even though we had most of the possession, we didn’t create enough. We had to step up and we did it in the second half.
“I will never say [the title race] it’s done until it’s done, you’ve seen so many examples of teams just hang on, keep working, do their own job and something could happen. It’s not something we think about, we think about our own performances and our own games, that’s the only thing we can control. We have a lot to play and improve “.
Solskjaer will back his core of young players, namely Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Scott McTominay and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, to get better and better, aided by his established veteran players such as Bruno Fernandes and Captain Harry Maguire. But talks have already been held between Solskjaer and his recruiting team about a plan for the summer transfer window, and the players already here have three months to show that their positions don’t need improvement.
Club bosses have not tried to hide the fact that the coronavirus pandemic, which has prevented fans from attending games at Old Trafford for nearly a year, has affected finances, but Executive Vice President Ed Woodward and the Glazers they will still make money available for transfers. . The question now is how Solskjaer uses it. There won’t be a major overhaul because he prefers a gradual player turnover, but as he approaches his second anniversary as a permanent manager, the focus has to be on how the wait for a title ends.
Ask United fans what the team needs and you will find several willing arguments that everywhere from center back to center forward should be the priority, showing the scale of the task, and it will be Solskjaer’s job to decide. on the most important positions. need for new faces.
Looking at Sunday, Solskjaer will not have been happy to see his team concede a speculative center to the area that allowed Allan Saint-Maximin to briefly make it 1-1. It was the 32nd goal in the league they have sent this season, as did Fulham at 18th. At the other end, Anthony Martial’s struggles as a first-choice forward continued until he was replaced with 20 minutes remaining. After scoring 17 league goals last season, the Frenchman has managed just four this season, two of which came in a 9-0 win over Southampton.
There’s no question about Rashford’s place in Solskjaer’s plans, but the England forward had a much more productive night, scoring the first goal with a great run and a forceful finish before his close touch and quick feet earned a penalty. for Fernandes to score his 22nd goal of the season. In the middle, Dan James scored his sixth goal in his last nine appearances for the club and the national team and his third in as many games for United.
James, the 23-year-old winger, has had to be patient this season but is vindicating Solskjaer’s decision to turn down loan offers from Leeds United last summer and in January. Back on the team, James took the opportunity to show that he deserves to stay for a long time. Others may not be so lucky.
“Dan is working hard, he’s a great kid in and around the place,” said Solskjaer, who also delivered a debut to 17-year-old academy graduate Shola Shoretire. “He knows he’s been really close a few times. When you score the amount of goals he has right now, confidence should be through the roof.
“Dan with the energy he has, the X factor and the pace, he gives us something that must be difficult to play against if you are a defender. It has been a very good week for him.”
