Manchester United fans won’t be heartbroken by Wednesday night’s defeat to West Ham, as the Carabao Cup is far from a priority for the majority of supporters.
But Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s post-match comments might mean that these cup exits are going to be a regular occurrence as the season goes on.
Solskjaer’s post-match comments
The United boss said: “I thought when we were patient and ran and we tried to probe through the middle, we created some chances.
“We are not great when we play against a low-block and just sling crosses in because we are not that type of team, we didn’t have them types of players (sic). So we tried to play round them, through them, get in behind them but we did not create enough big chances.
“There were lots of shots from outside the box, blocked shots, but you know they gave it their all, tried and the attitude when they lost the ball, can’t fault any player out there.”
The standout quote there is the Manchester United manager, admitting that his team are “not great” playing against a style of football that over half of the teams he plays against this season will implement.
And if they don’t normally play a low-block, wouldn’t you do so after hearing a team’s manager explicitly say that his side finds it difficult to deal with?
Maybe he was referring to the exact style of play that his team went with specifically on the night, but this is a sight all too familiar to those who watch United regularly.
🕓 Days since PL clubs last lifted a trophy:
🔵 Chelsea – 118
🏆 Manchester City – 124
🦊 Leicester – 132
🔴 Arsenal – 419
🔴 Liverpool – 425
🔴 Manchester United – 1583 pic.twitter.com/ACbBnWJYKa— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 23, 2021
United have always struggled with breaking down teams who sit behind the ball under Solskjaer, but the signing of Bruno Fernandes definitely helped to solve that problem to an extent.
When Fernandes plays, teams are more afraid to sit off and just defend deep, as he has the ability to smash the ball into the top corner from distance, like he did against Newcastle just the other week.
With players like Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba, this really shouldn’t be an issue anymore. But it says it all that Solskjaer himself has come out to confirm it’s something he and his team struggle with.
United fans can expect to see a lot more of what West Ham did on Wednesday throughout the season, especially after these comments.
In a separate interview on the night, he said that it’s going to be a “long season“. You can say that again.