The Times - UK (2020-07-27)

Martial’s movement posed Leicester
more concern as the second half
opened, even before he forced the
breakthrough. The Frenchman looked
destined to score, racing through, but
was denied by Justin’s magnificent
tackle. United’s rising danger was
obvious. Rodgers sent on Ayoze Pérez
for Kelechi Iheanacho and returned
to pacing the dugout. He applauded
as Youri Tielemans bent in a free kick
that Vardy read well, sprinting
towards the near post, flicking the ball
on and across on to the bar.
But Martial’s runs were proving too
much. With 20 minutes remaining,
Hamza Choudhury lost possession,
and Fernandes sent Martial through.
Jonny Evans, 32, and Wes Morgan,
36, converged on the flying Martial,
stretching out legs to try to prise the
ball away. Morgan caught Martial
first, his right foot clipping Martial’s
left foot, and Evans then arrived.
Martin Atkinson pointed to the spot
and decided to book Evans. VAR
confirmed Atkinson’s award of a
penalty was correct, bringing United
a record 14th Premier League penalty
of the season. Schmeichel leapt
around on his line, trying to rattle
Fernandes, but the Portuguese is so
calm, so assured in his technique, and
he did that trademark skip during his
run-up. Schmeichel dived left,
Fernandes stroked the ball the other
way, and the path to the Champions
League opened up fully for United.
Leicester needed two. But when
Evans dived in on Scott McTominay,
catching him on his ankle, the former
United defender was sent off and
United knew they were all but home.
Lingard made it 2-0 at the death,
pouncing on a mistake by Schmeichel
as Solskjaer could finally smile.

OLI SCARFF/NMC/POOL

the times | Monday July 27 2020 2GG 3

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CASCARINO

Weekend talking points

Manchester United may have

made the top four but I don’t

see why anyone would suggest they

can challenge for the title next

season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has

some big decisions to make before

the start of next season and the

most important is addressing the

David De Gea issue. I don’t believe

Sir Alex Ferguson would have

backed De Gea as long as Solskjaer

has this season, and if he does it

again next season and De Gea can’t

find a massive improvement in his

form, it will cost United in a big way.

I know people at Sheffield United

really rate Dean Henderson but I

haven’t yet seen much evidence that

United are ready to gamble on him

as their No 1 goalkeeper. Solskjaer

cannot just let this problem drift —

he has to make a call. He should

also be looking to buy a centre half

with more pace than the two he has

at the moment because at

Champions League level that lack of

speed will be exposed and punished.

He also needs to get into Paul

Pogba’s head and make a decision

on his future. If he would like to

stay then that is a great boost and

he will help United grow but if he is

keen to move on, United shouldn’t

keep him. There is such a big gap to

the top two in this year’s standings

and I don’t see United bridging it.

City lost nine games this season —

you won’t find anyone who thinks

they will do that next season — and

Liverpool will still be there. It’s a

coin toss who will win the title out

of those two. As for Leicester City,

they’ve won three games since New

Year’s Day — with that form, it’s a

surprise they got as close to the top

four as they did.

Rows in technical areas

are a growing problem

No glory until De Gea

problem gets resolved

The row between Frank

Lampard and Jürgen Klopp

over the Chelsea manager’s shouted

jibe at the Liverpool bench did not

surprise me because it’s part of a

trend. Technical areas were

designed to keep managers apart

but they have actually made them

behave more tribally, more like fans.

The fact there are so many more

people on benches than there used

to be has added to the problem.

I know some managers are sick

and tired of opposing managers

who spend all game winding up the

opposition and it is damaging the

bond that used to be there between

opponents. Earlier this season, one

top-flight manager told another

he’d join him for a glass of wine

after a game but then didn’t turn up

because he couldn’t handle how the

game had played out. Managers

should be above that.

Dyche ‘brand’ may stop

him getting a bigger job

Sean Dyche would love to

swap Burnley for a new club

but I think he may have a problem

because of the way he is viewed.

With the possible exception of José

Mourinho, big clubs just don’t want

managers who are seen as coaching

teams to play in a direct style, even

if they are good at it and get results.

It’s all about a club’s brand now and

Dyche may find that clubs don’t

think he fits their brand.

As a player, I was effective but I

knew the very best clubs would

never buy me because I would never

be the sort of technical player they

expect anyone that joins them to be.

I worry for Sean that he may have

that issue as a manager. I am sure

he would say he could coach teams

differently if he had the players. But

he is pretty well paid at Burnley —

rightly so — and may struggle to

find a better deal elsewhere.

Grealish should think

about moving abroad

Jack Grealish has a difficult

choice to make over his future.

If he is truly ambitious he should

try to move to a Champions League

club — and that is not going to be

Aston Villa any time soon. But

equally I’m not sure if there is room

for him at any of the top four or five

clubs in the Premier League,

because I don’t think he does the

defensive parts of the game the way

they want it done. So my advice to

him would be to consider a move

abroad if he gets a chance, because

he is good enough for the top level.

Palace desperately need

a long-term strategy

Crystal Palace are the weirdest

team in the Premier League —

I have absolutely no idea what their

long-term plan is. Sure, they’ve

stayed in the Premier League for

seven seasons but is that all they

exist to do? Surely you need to at

least aspire to something more?

Their players are the oldest in the

league, the manager has done well

but will be 73 next month. Where

are the players coming through to

challenge for places? Who is being

groomed to take over from Roy

Hodgson? They are an enigma.

Double trouble: Evans and Morgan De Gea has struggled for form

combine to bring down the elusive

Martial for the penalty that

Fernandes coolly slots home, inset,

to set United on their way back to

the Champions League

Brendan Rodgers questioned the

decision to award Manchester United

a penalty in the 2-0 defeat that ended

Leicester City’s Champions League

hopes.

United have been awarded 14

penalties in the Premier League this

season, a record for any team in the

competition. Their latest came when

the Leicester defenders Wes Morgan

and Jonny Evans combined to

bring down Anthony Martial in

the area.

“You lose the ball and all of a

sudden one pass takes him away,”

Rodgers said. “I would have

been interested to know if

we would have got the

penalty [if the situation

had been reversed].

Jonny has got a touch

on the ball, I know

there was contact,

but it could easily

have not been a

penalty.”

The Leicester

manager also

described his

striker, Jamie Vardy,

as the talisman of the

team after he became

the first Leicester player to win the

Premier League Golden Boot outright

with 23 goals, helping the Midlands

club to finish fifth, their second-

highest finish after their title triumph

in 2015-16.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United

manager, was delighted with his

team’s ability to prove his critics

wrong as they confirmed third place

in the table and Champions League

football next season after many

doubted whether they would achieve

European football at all this

campaign.

“It didn’t seem like you were

expecting that [to finish third],

because all the predictions were

about sixth or seventh,”

Solskjaer said. “I do it my

way and that is the only

way I can do it. I believe

in what I’m doing.

“I’ve always been

made that way. If I am

getting criticised that

just makes me stronger

and believe more in

what I’m doing.

“I didn’t know until a

few days ago, I was just

reading through them

[the predictions], me

and some of the staff

were discussing them.

Third with this team and

squad from where we have been

with the rebuild is a massive

achievement by everyone.”

Rodgers queries penalty

decision and hails Vardy

MOLLY HUDSON

Solskjaer is happy

to have proved the

doubters wrong