They say that in football you either win or learn. But on Saturday night in Norwich, Manchester United managed to do both.
Not that United fans were particularly happy with their team’s performance, although Ole Gunnar Solskajer was generally phlegmatic after the final whistle and will accept that he has learned quite a bit about some of his marginal players.
Before the trip to Carrow Road you wondered how many changes Solskjaer would make, as his team had faced Sheffield United three days earlier and was now traveling to Brighton on Tuesday. Yet even under the circumstances, eight changes were more than expected because only Luke Shaw, Bruno Fernandes and the captain (and the hero who scored the goal) kept their place – all playing all 120 minutes needed to beat Norwich .
It was less than ideal, as Maguire admitted after dragging a dramatic winner deep into extra time. The additional half hour was particularly unwanted for a team that, up to 10 days ago, hadn’t played competitive football for more than three months.
“In the end we got there and please, please, to get to the semifinals, that’s all that really matters,” said a visibly tired Maguire.
“We wanted to win in 90 minutes, another 30 minutes in the legs, but we felt good and sharp here. Rest and recover, so we have a great game against Brighton and we have to get three points.”
If Solskjaer was using the FA Cup quarter-finals as evidence for many of his marginal players, then it was an experiment that failed in many cases. He spoke to Jesse Lingard before the game, suggesting that the abandoned English national team might be involved, and remained true to his word. But after a brilliant start when he led the Norwich defense, Lingard became peripheral and was inevitably replaced in the second half.
Juan Mata had an even less impact on the game, giving the ball on too many occasions. He will soon be 32 and his peak years may have passed, but Solskjaer would have hoped for more from the Spaniard.
Only really Odion Ighalo and Fred, of those who will enter the starting 11, can hold their heads high. Ighalo scored yet another poacher goal, his fifth in four United games, and remained a lively threat to the head for the entire 120 minutes. No wonder Solskjaer praised the Nigerian on loan after the game. It is a credible alternative to Anthony Martial in advance.
And while Fred may have been injured after being dropped for the Sheffield United game, he responded with a brave fight in midfield. He was United’s best passerby and Norwich would surely have seen him as the biggest nuisance in midfield, while the Brazilian buzzed and interrupted the rhythm of the hosts.
Scott McTominay hasn’t been at his best, but both he and Fred should remain in the mix as Solskjaer considers his midfield stronger, although Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic are on the spot right now.
Eric Bailly and Brandon Williams are also not too far from the first team, despite the fact that the former has been a bit wobbly in Norwich and that Williams has not even left. When the young man finally arrived, he was on the right back rather than his usual position on the opposite side. Regardless, it seemed like a more solid option than the man he replaced, Diogo Dalot, who did little to promote his cause for a smoother first-team football.
Taking into account that Sergio Romero has not had his best game and is very far from David de Gea in terms of challenge for the role of main goalkeeper, he leaves United with 17 viable players from the first team. Daniel James was not involved against Norwich, but is part of that group and those mentioned. De Gea, Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof are all in the first team and are expected to return to Brighton on Tuesday.
Solskjaer should now get to know his players on the front lines after a very mixed afternoon in Norwich. He learned a lot.
How United’s first team should look like:
David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Eric Bailly, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw, Brandon Williams, Fred, Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Daniel James, Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Odion Ighalo.
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