8 2GS Saturday August 15 2020 | the times
“We’ve worked a lot – Ole, the
coaches and the staff – in the back-
ground [on team spirit] and we’ve all
started to gel well together,” Solskjaer’s
assistant, Mike Phelan, said.
The quality of the team’s finishing
needs to improve — they scored two
fewer goals last season compared withThe Seville fans looked shocked as they
filed out of the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
stadium, trampling on the discarded
shells of the sunflower seeds they had
been nibbling on during the match as
they went.
They expected their team to receive a
stern test from Manchester United, but
they got the opposite. José Mourinho’s
team sat back, invited Seville on to
them and the result was one of the most
unadventurous performances from a
United team since Sir Alex Ferguson’s
retirement.
“Por qué no atacan?” (Why don’t
they attack?) one Seville fan asked a
journalist as he headed for the exit.
The first leg of United’s round-of-
Champions League tie against Seville
on February 21, 2018, ended goalless.
Seville recorded eight shots on target
compared with United’s one. Had it not
been for David De Gea’s athleticism,
Mourinho’s team would have lost.
That match was probably the begin-
ning of the end for Mourinho. The
Portuguese manager was fed up of
being attacked by Class of ’92 members
on TV and responded by lighting fires
of his own. He had run-ins with the
medical department, the communica-
tions team and many members of his
squad.
Mourinho’s relationship with Paul
Pogba was beyond repair. When he
read out the team for game in Seville in
Sport Europa League
Europa glory can be springboard
a conference room at the team hotel,
Pogba’s name was not on it, much to the
surprise of the squad. Scott McTomi-
nay, branded El desconocido (the un-
known) by a Spanish commentator
during the match, took his place. Then
21, McTominay ended up being the best
United outfield performer that night.
Worse was to come. United lost the
second leg 2-1 after Wissam Ben Yedder
bullied Eric Bailly and Chris Smalling.
Mourinho then ranted for 12 minutes
about “football heritage” at a press con-
ference. He pointed out that United had
only made it to the quarter-finals of the
Champions League once since 2012. He
was in effect saying that expectations
were wildly unrealistic. “In the four
consecutive seasons since United were
last champions [in 2013], United fin-
ished seventh, fourth, five and six,” he
said. “In the last seven years, the worst
position of Manchester City was fourth
and they were champions twice.”
The rant was unlikely to have gone
down well upstairs. Ed Woodward, the
executive vice-chairman, would later
tell colleagues that he was sick of Mour-
inho’s public rants. As United prepare to
face Seville tomorrow for the first time
since that European exit, the atmos-
phere at the club could not be more
different under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The players who survived last sum-
mer’s cull are fitter, the relationship
between board and management is
harmonious and the players are hun-
grier thanks to Solskjaer’s diplomatic
approach to man-management.Mourinho’s final year in charge — but it
is telling that United managed 38 more
shots on target. United’s forwards are
taking more risks. They are a slicker
attacking unit than they were under
Mourinho but United pride themselves
on lifting trophies, so Solskjaer needs to
chip in with one to keep his stock high.
The four signings that Solskjaer has
made have propelled United to within
two victories of another trophy, the
Europa League. It may not be as glam-
orous as the Champions League, but
winning it could prove to be a spring-
board for Solskjaer, especially if three
quality signings arrive at Old Trafford
before the start of next season.
United will need to improve on their
sluggish performance against Copen-
hagen in the last round if they are to
overcome Seville, who are unbeaten in
their past 19 games, in Cologne.
The 33C heat on Monday was
unbearable and Solskjaer’s squad have
played a lot of football this year. Yes, the
players had a three-month break
because of Covid but overall this season
has been long and draining. Harry
Maguire has played 5,412 minutes for
club and country this season. His oppo-
site number in the Seville defence,
Diego Carlos, has played 3,785 minutes.
Bruno Fernandes will be key. The
25-year-old is leading the race for the
golden boot after scoring seven times
for United and Sporting Lisbon.
“If it [the golden boot] came with the
Europa League trophy, it would be just
perfect,” he said.Route to the final
Cologne, Kick-off 8pm TV BT Sport 1
Radio talkSPORT, Referee F Brych (Germany)
Manchester United (probable; 4-2-3-1)Seville (probable; 4-3-3)S RomeroA Wan-Bissaka B WilliamsV Lindelof H MaguireN Matic P PogbaS Reguilón Diego CarlosJ Koundé J NavasB Fernandes M Rashford
A MartialY BounouM GreenwoodL Ocampos Y En-Nesyri SusoJ Jordán Fernando E BanegaSemi-finalsFriday,
Aug 21
CologneTomorrow Cologne
Man United v Seville
Monday Düsseldorf
Inter Milan v Shakhtar
DonetskPaul Hirst