Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is regularly looking for a ‘spark’ from his Manchester United players, and in the absence of any flicker he releases fireworks against Brighton.
United trailed at Old Trafford for the fourth time this season and lost on the previous three occasions. With ‘progress’ being the buzzword at United, as they try to improve on last season’s third place, and Brighton were a progressive move.
Not that it felt that way. Brighton were one of the best sides against United before the win at the weekend, and will be puzzled as to how they ended endlessly after two impressive performances against them six months apart.
United were not as happy as they were at the Amex in September, and Mason Greenwood’s maturity continued with his poor winner. Greenwood was perhaps the only one who did not turn on the ‘hair dryer’ in the meantime.
Solskjaer was so audibly angry that he had been pointless at Luke Shaw for the past few months. The bruise Bruno Fernandes had a few words of choice for his manager.
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In his interview with the broadcasters, Solskjaer said: “Sometimes it takes time after international interruptions, and then the fireworks have to be lit at half time.”
During his Zoom debrief after the match, Solskjaer added: “Hair dryer? Sometimes you just have to raise your voice, sometimes you stay calm and composed, it does not really matter what I did today, what is important is that we have the half got- time to talk things through.
“Sometimes it’s louder than other times. Sometimes you can convey your message and speak slowly and not so loudly. It doesn’t matter what I did today.”
‘We’ve done it a few times this season. We get used to it, you do not really want to be 1-0 behind.
‘It was a sloppy mistake in midfield [for Brighton’s goal] and then we do not stop the cross, we do not defend the cross, and therefore we give ourselves work to do, and I think we have done it so many times this season that the team does not panic.
“We need to build momentum, we need to move the ball faster, move more together and the two goals we scored were good goals and we deserved to win the game in the end, I think.”