United played with a smile against Cardiff, and whatever happens dull football is unlikely to be the Norwegian’s undoingOle Gunnar Solskjær looked natty in club suit and tie as he posed for pre-game photographs, then he sat on the bench and had to wait precisely three minutes and three seconds to see the opening goal of his Manchester United tenure. The Norwegian pumped both fists after Cardiff’s wall could do nothing to stop Marcus Rashford’s swerving effort from flying past Neil Etheridge in the home goal, then hugged his No 2, Mike Phelan, as Michael Carrick watched alongside them. Television pictures cut to Ed Woodward, the executive vice‑chairman, grinning in the posh seats. If Solskjær’s brief is to return thrills-and-spills...
A dissatisfied José Mourinho clashing with a disenchanted Paul Pogba shows how much the club misses Sir Alex FergusonA new dimension to the José Mourinho-Paul Pogba saga has been provided by Dimitar Berbatov, rapidly making a name for himself in a Sybil Fawlty specialist-subject-the bleedin’-obvious kind of way as a spokesman for a gambling company. “Football should be about what happens on the pitch, not who has the biggest dick,” the former Manchester United striker said. “I’m fed up of seeing these headlines, you are all grown-ups and this sort of thing really needs to be kept in-house.” Related: No love left as José Mourinho’s scowl sums up Manchester United mood | Daniel Taylor Continue reading...
The bond the manager once was able to forge with players appears to have gone completely at Old Trafford, even if fans may still back him against a petulant Paul PogbaThe most startling thing, looking at José Mourinho, close-up, as he tried to pretend everything was still OK, were the dark rings beneath his eyes. His stare was wild, the eyes rheumier than we have seen them before. He looked, frankly, as if he needed a good night’s sleep. Sam Allardyce once noted how David Moyes had aged 10 years at Manchester United and it is starting to seem as if the same could be said of the current manager.OK, it’s a football game, not a fashion parade, but if...
Manchester United midfielder recovered from a shaky start against Tottenham to showcase his silky creative gifts in the FA Cup semi-final’s pivotal momentsIt seems safe to say Paul Pogba will never please everyone. Not least when so many of those watching seem so eager to be displeased: to rail at every moment of struggle, those times where Manchester United’s most intermittently captivating midfielder refuses to do all of the many things that have been expected of him since his return to English football.United and Pogba have both sputtered and sparked this season. At times they have seemed a perfect fit in the most unwanted way, a team and a star player who are both prone to fades, moments of drift,...
Striker was poor in United’s defeat of City in Manchester derby but time may prove he is no ‘flat-track bully’, as it has with many a player – even Cristiano RonaldoIt was a shot heard around the world. First Cristiano Ronaldo leapt, twisted and arched his back, as if performing the Fosbury flop. Then came the crack of boot on ball, lace on leather, delirium and endless dissection.But while Ronaldo’s stunning bicycle kick against Juventus took the breath away, watching him deliver in the Champions League – and again in the Madrid derby on Sunday – came as no surprise. Nowadays he follows the line from Ecclesiastes to the letter: What has been done before will be done again. Related:...