Manchester United 2-0 Reading: 5 Tactics from Solskjaer that won the game

#4 Off the ball pressing

Manchester United v Reading - FA Cup Third Round

Solskjaer might like attractive attacking tactics, but he does not compromise on the essence of good football, which is built on pressing. As such, the Norwegian set his team to press and close down the opposition whenever they lost the ball. While the players at his disposal on the night were not all efficient in this regard, it was a tactics that kept United in the game even under intense opposition attacks.

Lukaku and Sanchez were very effective in the final third when without the ball. They both pressed and harrowed the defenders, giving them little time to build from the deep. In the middle, Fred, Pereira and McTominay continuously closed down the opposition, trying to force them into bad touches and wrong passes. Darmian regularly stepped up from the defense to continue the pressing and it was effective as Reading could not capitalize on their build-up play.

Solskjaer's decision to make his team press ensured that United ended a night with a win even after fielding a relatively weakened team.