Norwich goalkeeper stopped spot-kicks from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, but the strikers were decisive in open playHas the Manchester United bus run over a black cat on a Europa League away trip? Has Jesse Lingard cracked a mirror from overuse? Maybe Ole Gunnar Solskjær was looking at the blue sky and not the pavement and walked under a tradesman’s ladder. Or maybe United just aren’t any good at penalties, that’s the other possibility.Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both missed spot kicks in this breeze of a victory at Carrow Road. That means, that of the six penalties they have been awarded so far this season (the highest total in the Premier League) Solskjær’s men have contrived to miss four...
Ole Gunnar Solskjær got so much right in Sunday’s draw at Old Trafford but even a lethargic Liverpool were good enough to deny him a much-needed victorySo close. So, so close. Manchester United came within five minutes of pulling off their best result since Paris in March. Had they done so, Ole Gunnar Solskjær would have been hailed for his tactical genius, for the boldness of the changes that forced Liverpool into their worst performance of the season, for the vision that found a plan from the most unpromising pieces. But results are the great validifiers, and the draw leaves United two points above the relegation zone. As Solskjær observed last week in what must have been for him a...
Ole Gunnar Solskjær, having leapt several steps of the managerial ladder, does not have a preferred style and it showsO n this weekend four years ago, Jürgen Klopp got off the bus at White Hart Lane before his first game as Liverpool manager to an extraordinary clamour. Fans packed the street outside the car park just to see him, and journalists packed the opposite pavement just to see them. The sense of excitement and expectation was palpable – and it has been justified. Liverpool have undergone a remarkable transformation since.Liverpool went into that fixture 10th in the Premier League table; they go into Sunday’s game at Old Trafford as league leaders and European champions. Of Klopp’s 18-man match-day squad four...
A crunch clash at Old Trafford, Palace tackle vulnerable champions and could West Ham do for Marco Silva?Top scorers: latest leaders in Europe’s top five leaguesThe last time Liverpool visited Old Trafford, they met a United side struggling with injuries – even before three players were forced off during the first half. But, though Liverpool were three points clear at the top, they played as though the goalless draw they eventually achieved was an acceptable result. In the event, Manchester City pipped them to the title by a point, and though that required a phenomenal run of 14 straight wins, had Liverpool embraced the pressure and played with their usual intensity in that game they would now be champions of...
United’s shortsighted approach has left Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side lacking character – especially compared with Klopp’s teamLiverpool go to Manchester United on Sunday top of the table, nearly eight months since they last dropped a league point, and knowing that another victory could leave United as low as 17th by the end of the weekend. Based on performances this season it is hard to see how this United team can hurt Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, but perhaps the worst thing about the failure they are experiencing is that I believe they have no choice but to just live with it, for now at least.By the end of his time in Manchester José Mourinho was making everybody miserable – his players, anyone...