It’s not over ’til it’s over: The case for Manchester United
By Harvey Cruz
No Paul Pogba, no problem? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United will have to go for it to produce a memorable comeback in Paris.
Since losing 2-0 at home in the first leg of their round of 16 Champions League tie against PSG, Manchester United are unbeaten in four games in all competitions, including a win against Chelsea in the FA Cup and a draw against Liverpool despite being forced into three substitutions before halftime. That run has seen them climb back into the top four as they prepare for the second leg in Paris.
It’s also a testament to Solskjaer’s brilliant start as interim boss. With each passing week, he continues to demonstrate his credentials as to why he’s the man to take the club forward. The 3-2 back-and-forth win against Southampton on Saturday showcased the fight the club has lacked in recent times. So far, that 2-0 first leg loss stands as the only blemish on the Norwegian manager’s record.
But now comes his biggest test to date, as United travel to Paris with several first-team players missing through injury, including Jesse Lingard, Nemaja Matic, Ander Herrera, Alexis Sanchez and Anthony Martial.
So far, the fringe players at the club are holding their own. Luke Shaw has emerged as one of the best players at the club, if not one of the best left-backs in the Premier League. Scott McTominay is solid in the middle of the park and is a player for the future. He, along with Andreas Pereira, who scored his first goal with the club against Southampton, will be crucial in covering for Paul Pogba, who is banned from the return leg after being sent off in Old Trafford.
None of those players, however, will be as crucial to Solskjaer as Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian has caught fire of late, bagging four goals in his last two games. Lukaku has struggled for form up to this point, but is the team’s biggest offensive weapon given the slew of injuries. He’ll need a big performance in Paris if United are to have any chance.
Solskjaer knows the enormity of task awaiting his team. “We know it is going to be difficult, we played them here and they are a good team, and we have got loads of injuries, there’s a few boys here that will want to be part of it,” Solskjaer said. “We have got to go for it. We have a mountain to climb. We have quality players. Let’s see how many we have got, though. That maybe is the biggest thing.”
The Norwegian has been part of many famous comebacks for the Red Devils in his time there as a player. He recalls the famous 3-2 comeback in Turin in 1999 that eventually secured the treble for Manchester United.
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“It was 1-1 at home and they scored two to go 2-0 up in the 10 minutes and suddenly you think you are out,” he said. “But as soon as you get that one goal away from home we were in the ascendancy, and then when we got to 2-2 suddenly we were through and they had to panic, so that’s it for us.”
The team has nothing to lose. The first 15 minutes will be particularly important. As Solskjaer says, an early goal could have a big impact: “We have to get goals in that game. If we get an early one, then suddenly we are in with a shout.”
It’s going to be a seismic task, but United have passed every test they’ve faced so far under Solskjaer. He has instilled the sort of self-belief that defined United during his years at the club. PSG of course are very, very good team, but the Red Devils are no longer the meek, defense-first team they were under Jose Mourinho.
They looked dangerous in the first leg, before injuries to Lingard and Martial hampered their counter-attack. There’s no reason to think they can’t cause the French champions similar problems in Paris. If they pull it off, it will rival some of the great comebacks of Solskjaer’s playing days. Well, except for one.