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Manchester United remains a big question mark under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Ragged and unreliable. But if there is something you have really been able to count on, it is that they have known how to find the way to a good result just when you need it most. That didn’t really happen this week.
However, the derby against Manchester City was boring enough that no one bothers to analyze it until the next round. It’s not that this match was blocked because no one wanted to lose, the feeling is that it was because no one cared enough to win.
And it is likely that, in the end, this also benefited Solskjaer.
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United had a difficult exit from the Champions League behind when they entered the Manchester derby on Saturday. The City, on the other hand, won their group without major worries and have also found a kind of rhythm in the league game in recent weeks that reminds them of the team they usually are. Therefore, it was thought that they knew exactly what this match would look like. Manchester City with the ball and initiative, Manchester United on the counterattack.
But Solskjaer spoke of catching the game from the beginning and not being too passive, and something like that had to happen. Ball possession was even, and only after 25 minutes did City have their first scoring opportunity, then United had two. Among other things, when Scott McTominay ran into the far corner and missed the ball by inches.
Then it seemed that the visiting team at Old Trafford had plans to give people the game that people expected. They seize possession of the ball for a while, hitting four million passes, the ball goes from Gabriel Jesus to Kevin De Bruyne, through a tunnel to Riyad Mahrez. Almost goal.
City have two positions to score, Harry Maguire has a wink that lands in goal, but still never really burns out.
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What Manchester United do well is that they are stable on defense, they are hesitant in a way that they probably do it intelligently given the form and potential of the opposition on offense. When they attack in the second half, it is simple, direct and no frills. They reach the goal but do nothing. Manchester City, on the other hand, have a hard time loosening up and the second half looks set to last four hours.
As much as they expected City to own this match, they expected United to win because that’s how they did it with Solskjaer. And even if you think the Norwegian has struggled to get United to perform, you have to say that it is an achievement in itself to be constantly one match away from the kick but never achieve it.
After this game, it is not a good result that focuses on his team still not going anywhere with him as coach, it is that everyone fell asleep for 40 minutes and then they did not care anymore. In the end, it was not even interesting that Paul Pogba, with the statements of the agents from last week and the turbulence in the back, began. Virtually nothing happened for 90 minutes.
With ten minutes to go, Harry Maguire received a yellow card. With five to play, Fernandinho scored one. Final.
