Manchester United traveled to Craven Cottage to face a Fulham side who were languishing at the bottom of the table. United had a fantastic opportunity to move up to 4th in the table, as Chelsea were due to play Man City on Sunday. Fulham, on the other hand, were 19th in the table and were 7 points off safety. As such, this was building up to be a scrappy affair and Solskjaer knew that the home side would viciously try to hurt United in their bid to attain Premiership survival.
The Norwegian also had the huge midweek UEFA Champions League tie at the back of his mind and as such, he made 6 changes to the team from last weekend. De Gea started in goal, with Dalot, Smalling, Jones and Shaw making up a new look back four. Herrera, Pogba and Matic continued in the midfield, while up front, Lukaku started alongside Martial and Mata.
United were surprised at the start of the game as the home side came at them with everything. United were pegged back for the first 10 minutes as Fulham came very close to scoring twice. However, Pogba scored in the 14th minute to ease the nerves. In the 23rd minute, Martial made it 2-0 and that was the score at half time.
After the break, United were stronger off the ranks and were rewarded when United won a penalty in the 65th minute. Pogba scored his second of the night and the game ended with the score 3-0.
Solskjaer is now undefeated in his 11 games in charge and has won 10 of those games. Here are 5 ways how Solskjaer masterminded an efficient win for the Red Devils against Fulham.
#5 Team Selection
Solskjaer had a huge midweek European night to prepare for, as United were scheduled to host PSG at Old Trafford on Tuesday. As such, the Norwegian had to shuffle his team around, to keep his key players fresh.
Ashley Young was replaced by Diogo Dalot at right back, while Phil Jones and Chris Smalling came in place of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly. While the midfield remained intact, Juan Mata and Romelu Lukaku were drafted in place of Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford. Every replacement was employed as per their strengths and as such, United cruised throughout the game.
However, the men who were retained, also did their job. While the midfield was stellar, a moment of genius from Martial was the highlight of the game, while the Frenchman did also set Pogba up for the opening goal.
The Norwegian also used his substitutes well, preserving Pogba, Martial and Herrera, arguably some of his most important assets, for the midweek game. Solskjaer’s team selection, in the end, was the first step towards United earning all three points.
#4 Anticipating Fulham’s Physical Approach
The home team came at United with all their might right from the whistle. They piled men forward and tried to force United into submission. To make matters worse, Mitrovic tried to bully the United defense and used his physical attributes very well. The Serbian was a nuisance in the opening stages, troubling United with his strength and ability to hold the ball. However, Solskjaer seemed to have anticipated this, because apart from the odd occasions, Mitrovic rarely troubled the United defense.
The Norwegian used Jones and Smalling, two of his most experienced defenders, to nullify the physical presence of Fulham. Jones matched the Serbian for his strength, while Smalling was clever with his positioning. In the end, the two English defenders ensured that Mitrovic did not trouble United too much.
Solskjaer also kept his defense compact and defended narrow, denying the home team any room through the middle. In the end, it was enough to earn a valuable clean sheet.
#3 Winning the midfield battle early
Solskjaer’s trusted three-man midfield was expected to handle the threat of Fulham, but on the ground, they were in deep trouble in the opening stages. Fulham’s energy and optimism helped the home side overrun the midfield and the United midfield struggled to find their feet.
However, with time, Solskjaer’s trust in his midfielders bore fruit, as the three men in the middle slowly got their grip in the game. They adapted to the requirements of the day and took control. Pogba stayed on to help his midfield compatriots, while Matic and Herrera pushed a little further, to close the gaps in the middle of the park. Herrera and Pogba pressed on the two sides, while Matic held the middle and within minutes, United were back.
The trend continued, as Herrera pushed ahead time and again and Matic dropped his anchor at a higher position. Pogba was allowed his freedom, but did not shy away from his responsibilities. Once United were in control of the midfield, they took control of the game and never let go.
#2 Staying professional ahead of a big game
With a crucial European tie to look ahead to, Solskjaer had to ensure that none of his players were overworked. The game against Fulham, understandably, did not require too much tempo and as such, United played at their own comfortable pace throughout the afternoon.
While the first few minutes required a lot of concentration, once United were on the break, they always looked like they could score. However, Solskjaer ensured that his men were not overburdened, but also set his team out in such a way that United could strive for all three points.
Solskjaer was clever with his tactics, refusing to let the nerves of the big game ahead affect his team, ultimately ensuring that United came away with comfortable three points.
#1 Allowing Pogba full freedom
As always, Paul Pogba was given full freedom in Solskjaer’s eleven and the Frenchman responded in emphatic style. Pogba kept running and showed great attitude right from the start of the game. He fought for the ball and helped his team grind out the first 10 minutes. And when the time was right, he gave United the perfect start.
As Herrera won back the ball and passed it to Martial, Pogba managed to stay on side. He was found by his countryman and Pogba showed his impeccable finishing abilities next, scoring from an acute angle to give United the lead and easing the pressure off this team. As soon as Pogba scored, Fulham lost a bit of their teeth.
But Pogba did not slow down, neither did he stop. He kept pushing and he kept trying to break the home side down. And in the 65th minute, he was granted a chance to put the game to bed. When Mata was brought down in the box, United were awarded a penalty. Up stepped the Frenchman and put the final nail in Fulham’s coffin.
Solskjaer’s trust in his midfield maestro was what helped United win three vital away points.
