Solskjaer should partner Lindelof and Bailly at Manchester United
By Tim Opera
United’s light burned out after a gruelling conflict at the helm between former boss Jose Mourinho and a crop of his players, which led to the sack of the Portuguese boss, according to Goal.
First, it was his condescending statement that rolled out of his mouth during his time in Russia, against World Cup winner Paul Pogba that drew the battle line.
Pogba, on the other end, was steaming over his manager’s stinging words and remarked he couldn’t, and wouldn’t give him 100 percent on the field, if Mou didn’t trust him to produce the goods at United.
The Frenchman wasn’t the only one to take several painful hits from the Portuguese. Ivorian Eric Bailly was suddenly cropped out of Mourinho’s starting XI, despite his brilliant showoff last season. It is understood the Portuguese had lost trust in the sturdy defender and wouldn’t play him at the back.
Bailly was linked with a move away from Manchester United in the summer, with several English clubs including Arsenal and Liverpool backed by most reliable betting sites in the UK, as his most probable destination.
Despite managing to weave things back to normal with Pogba, there was still a faint taste of contention, rife and disrespect whenever both of them were in the same room.
The manager led us to believe he had sown his relationship with Pogba, since he handed him the vice-captaincy band to act as the club’s skipper during Antonio Valencia’s absence.
But Pogba’s reign in the job didn’t last long with Mourinho giving him the sack, and immediately sparking a full-fledged war.
It got messier, not just with Pogba but the rest of the squad. His backline leaked immensely, but the Portuguese blamed it on not getting the right targets for the role.
With the manager out, United feel there’s is a fresh sign of hope afterall when the club announced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will take over the helm on interim basis.
There’re huge expectations over his appointment, following plenty of talks from pundits and former Red Devils applauding and approving his appointment.
United want to reestablish their old way of football, and fans expect Solskjaer to deliver the goods. However, they expect him to start from the root–their defence.
Mourinho never could get it right despite playing Chris Smalling and Lindelof. Fans would rather he gave the Ivorian a chance, paring him with the Swede. It could be their best bet in stringing a tighter backline ahead of the matches that will be coming thick and fast next campaign.
Lindelof and Bailly’s partnership could shake up things in the United’s backfield and perhaps be the springboard for their success this term. If Solskjaer gets it right, Ed Woodward, perhaps may not have to splurge on their backline afterall.
United tested the waters with Solskjaer’s first game and the Red Devils ran rally against Cardiff in a thrilling 5-1 game.
