This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Manchester United drew with Sheffield United on Sunday and it could have been a lot worse but for the contribution of their young players.
On the chalkboard
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sought to deal with the Blades’ threat by matching their 3-5-2 formation, but his side were outfought and dominated for far too long, a point Marcus Rashford admitted post-match.
In many ways it was a typical away performance from the Red Devils this season. They have won one match from seven on the road in the Premier League, and though they dominated possession and were leading up until the last minute, victory would not have been deserved.
Though the team were without some first-team players, the fact they went 2-0 down wasn’t just a result of a lack of quality, but because the intensity, desire and attitude of their opponents bettered United in each department.
That is a poor reflection on the manager, but also the senior players in the team, particuarly as it was youngsters Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood whose goals got them out of trouble.
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Hope in youth
Since coming to the club in December 2018 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has looked to give young players a chance at every opportunity.
It seems that Williams and Greenwood are the latest breakthroughs, joining the likes of Scott McTominay, Alex Tuanzebe, Andreas Pereira and Dan James as young players to be given game time.
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Part of the Norweigan’s approach has been to get rid of underperforming players. Senior players whose performances have declined have seen their game time diminish – like Nemanja Matic – or ended up leaving, such as Marouane Fellaini, and the match on Sunday proved it was the right step to make.
However, the team’s overall performance should trouble their manager, with just two shots on target other than the goals suggesting there was a lack of leadership and spark aside from the young players – Dan James being relied on as the main source of creativity once again as he assisted the first and third goals.
Solskjaer can at least take comfort in the fact that Williams justified his decision to start him once again, and with Greenwood making the desired contribution from the bench in a matter of minutes there are positives to be taken.
The pair showed they can deal with the pressure of playing for the club and with more minutes under their belt they could become more important in the manager’s plans, and United’s chances of success.
Their strong showing is further evidence that Solskjaer was right to place faith in young players, as it is not only helping him now but should serve the club long-term, particuarly as they can also use negative experiences to their benefit.
