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Before Leicester City’s visit to Old Trafford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was under tremendous pressure. The Norwegian’s record last season since taking over as the full-time voss was very poor, but that was brushed aside as the after-effects of Jose Mourinho’s team struggling to maintain Solskjaer’s momentum on the field. It was widely expected that, with a summer transfer window under the bag, United would start to get their act together. However, that has hardly been the case.
United had just one win from their first four games in the new season prior to the weekend’s game. To make matters worse, Solskjaer was also without Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial for the tie against Leicester City, which meant that he had to make a few drastic changes to his first eleven.
The Norwegian opted for David De Gea in goal, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Ashley Young making up the back four. In midfield, Nemanja Matic was stationed alongside Scott McTominay, while Juan Mata was selected for the No. 10 role. The front three consisted of Daniel James, Marcus Rashford and Andreas Pereira.
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United started the game well and took the lead through Marcus Rashford’s penalty. The home side was not too troubled in the first half and the game went into the break with the score 1-0. Leicester City threw the kitchen sink at the home team in the second half, but Manchester United held on for a narrow win. Here are five tactics from Solskjaer that won the game.
#5 Team selection
Solskjaer had his hands tied as he tried to select a first eleven capable enough to earn him three points. With the absence of Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, the Norwegian decided to put Matic in midfield to add steel alongside Scott McTominay and used Rashford as the No. 9. Andreas Pereira slotted in at right-wing position while Mata was selected for the No. 10 role. It was a situation of making hay while the sun shines and Solskjaer’s decision ultimately paid dividends.
The Norwegian also got his substitutions right. While Fred enabled United to regain control of the midfield, Tahith Chong stretched the Leicester City side with his speed and trickery.
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#4 Nullifying the threat of the Leicester City fullbacks
Leicester City has two of the best fullbacks in the league in Ben Chilwell and Ricardo Pereira and both are an integral part of Brendan Rodgers’ tactics. With a fox in the box like Jamie Vardy in the team and late runners from midfield, the fullbacks often dictate the terms in attack for Leicester City. Solskjaer did his homework well and realized that to stop the Foxes, he needed to stop the supply from the Leicester fullbacks.
The Norwegian pushed Ashley Young and Aaron Wan-Bissaka high in the opening stages but ensured that Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay covered for them at the back. Daniel James and Andreas Pereira were also tasked with piling up the pressure on the Leicester City fullbacks and tracking back whenever necessary. As a result, both Chilwell and Pereira had their hands full during the game.
In the periods were Leicester City pressed United for the equalizer, Young and Wan-Bissaka stayed compact and denied the Leicester City fullbacks any room to maneuver any chances. By nullifying the threat of the opposition fullbacks, Solskjaer won the game for United.
#3 Off the ball pressing
This was a special feature of United’s play that was integral to the win. The Red Devils started the game at a blistering pace, driving at the opposition and closing them down. There was controlled aggression in the team that unsettled the Leicester City side and helped United take the lead. Daniel James and Marcus Rashford closed down the opposition well, but it was Andreas Pereira who showed the way in the final third. The Brazilian roamed around like a man possessed and did not give an inch away without a fight.
In the middle of the park, it was Scott McTominay’s turn to implement similar tactics. The Scottish midfielder was brilliant with his closing down and turned up the heat in the midfield with his crunch tackles. Leicester had no answer to United’s tempo in the opening stages and it was only after United loosened up a bit that the away side found their footing in the game.
#2 Keeping James Maddison and Jamie Vardy at bay
Jamie Vardy is one of the most clinical strikers in the league and Solskjaer was aware that the Englishman could not be afforded an inch in the box. Similarly, James Maddison was another player who had the ability to open up the best of defenses and in order to keep Leicester City quiet, Solskjaer knew that he had to keep both players out of the game. And the Norwegian was largely able to do so.
Harry Maguire stayed close to Jamie Vardy and did not allow his former teammate any room in the final third. Vardy was not given the freedom to turn or run at the United defense and he had an unusually quiet game. James Maddison, on the other hand, was also denied room to operate, as Nemanja Matic was stationed a little deeper, in the area between the line of the midfield and the defense that the Englishman likes to float into. Apart from one mistake in the opening stages which allowed Maddison to have a shot on target, the Englishman was largely a spectator on the field. As a result, Vardy’s supply line was cut off.
By managing to keep two of Leicester City’s biggest threats at bay, Solskjaer masterminded United’s narrow win.
#1 Compact defending
Manchester United had taken the lead in each and every one of their games in the Premier League before the tie against Leicester City. However, apart from the Chelsea game, the Red Devils had failed to hold on to that lead. As such, when Rashford put them ahead in the 8th minute, there were fears that it could be a repeat of the same story once again. Thankfully though, Solskjaer had other ideas.
The Red Devils had a degree of tenacity about them at the back, which proved to be the difference between the two sides. United was put under tremendous pressure right until the final whistle, however, the home side managed to keep things compact at the back and had an answer for everything that Leicester City tried.
It was just the way Solskjaer had set his team up that helped seal the deal. The backline stayed narrow, while the midfielders dropped down to close any gaps at the back. The whole team worked as a well-drilled defensive unit and that helped Manchester United win the game.
