Evaluation suggests that the Manchester United manager was outwitted by his colleague.
Last season’s Europa League final is probably a chapter in the past for Manchester United and the club’s supporters. The English club lost the final in a penalty shootout against Spanish Villarreal.
However, a report prepared by the European Football Association (UEFA) now reveals how so-called observers experienced the final match in Gdansk.
People like Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira and England boss Gareth Southgate were in the stands to contribute to an official report from the match. These are used, among other things, to evaluate trends, tactics and the manager’s contribution in such matches.
ALSO READ: Schmeichel strikes back at those who want Solskjær fired
Ifølge The Mirror Villarreal’s Unai Emery comes out far better in this report than Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
– Solskjær’s tactical dispositions come under the microscope once again – this time in a Uefa report. Some of the most hard-hitting comments are that Solskjær was outwitted by his Spanish colleague Unai Emery, the newspaper writes.
Made few swaps
Among other things, the Norwegian is criticized for making few substitutions in the match, while the Spaniards used all five of their substitutions. The observers have concluded that this largely contributed to changing the battle scene in the final.
ALSO READ: Conte believes Haaland is one of the few in the world who can match the super striker
Solskjær did not make a single change during regular time in the match, although he had several options on the bench that could have been important contributors.
– If you look at the way Unai led Villarreal in this match, you see that using five substitutions changes the match. It gives the team an enormous number of new opportunities, Frans Hoek points out in the report. He was a so-called “technical observer” in the final.
– The final was a fantastic example of how substitutes can influence matches. Although the match was eventually decided on penalties, Emery’s choice to use five substitutes in regular time – and a sixth in the extra innings – ensured that his team made a far better impression through the extra innings, the report states.
Lost control
It was only in the extra innings that Solskjær made his substitutions. He pushed in Alex Telles, Axel Tuanzebe, Fred, Daniel James and Juan Mata. Several of these were put in late in the overtime, mostly with a view to the penalty shootout.
ALSO READ: Reveals text message from Ronaldo after the drama
– Ball possession statistics confirm the change in the match picture. In the first 90 minutes, United had the ball the most (around 60 percent and up to 70 percent in the last 15 minutes), but Villarreal had the ball much more in the extra innings. In the second extra round, they had it up to 60 percent, the report says.
The match that was played in Polish Gdansk ended with 1-1 after regular time and extra innings. Gerardo Moreno and Edinson Cavani scored the goals.
The penalty kick competition was of the very exciting kind. Both teams scored on their first ten penalties, before David De Gea missed for Manchester United. Thus, Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli was able to decide the match with his penalty kick.
Tough period
As recently as Wednesday this week, Solskjær got another chance against Emery and Villarreal and it ended with a narrow victory at home against the Spaniards.
However, it was not a convincing victory on the part of the English team and United have struggled to make things sit as they should in recent games.
ALSO READ: The Manchester United profile’s reaction to Solskjær is attracting attention
Before the meeting with Villarreal, the club had lost three of the last four matches and after the loss to Aston Villa, Solskjær’s tactical dispositions also came into focus.
Manchester Evening News-journalisten Samuel Luckhurst wrote, among other things, a column in which he believed that the Norwegian made several tactical misjudgments in connection with that match.
Already on Saturday, new challenges await the Norwegian and his club. Then Rafael Benitez and Everton visit Old Trafford.
–
