raoul wrote: ↑29 Jan 2019, 12:30
For now, I am enjoying seeing the attacking MU of old. Long may it continue......
Evoking the very best of the Fergie years, with the great man on the sidelines advising, has been a background theme to Ole's attempts to get back the style and the players' playing, so what better way to complete that than to bring back Fergie time. Snatching an unlikely point from certain defeat, two goals down with minutes left, will feel like a point gained rather than two lost, and a real reality check averted for now, those famed powers of recovery are back.
I suspect huge relief must have been the overriding emotion last night given how late they scored both goals, but in the cold light of day they may reflect on a disappointing loss of two points as being an unwelcome setback in their chase of the top four.
The exciting finale to this chaotic and enthralling game may mask questions about Solskjaer’s team selection, and principally the decision to drop Jesse Lingard and instead start Juan Mata on the right of the attack and move Marcus Rashford out to the left to accommodate Romelu Lukaku at centre-forward. Solskjaer had expressed hope that, with Anthony Martial missing through injury, Rashford and Lukaku would “hit it off”.
The big man was impressive exposing an inherent weakness on the Arsenal flank on Friday and possibly the hope was with confidence lifted he would welcome a chance in the centre again. Obviously Martial's absence enforced change but they look so much better to me with Lingard and Martial's pace out wide and Rashford in the middle. Rashford is far more mobile and the attacks more fluid. Mata for me hasn't the pace and for all his many attributes I've never really thought he was a great fit or suited United's traditional style.
The absolutely perfect start has had it's first slight hiccup and the sequence of eight wins interrupted, there's still a long way until April/May and getting back on track on Sunday away to Leicester has assumed a little more importance.