Solskjaer surrenders! Gloomy Ole writes off Manchester United title hopes as his team drops crucial points against Everton after injury drama at Old Trafford
- Manchester United’s hopes for the title took a hit after the dramatic draw with Everton
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team was on track to align with City
- But Dominic Calvert-Lewin was deep in stoppage time for some of the loot
- Solskjaer effectively wrote off United’s title after the late equalizer
Harry Maguire checked with referee Jon Moss to confirm that Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s tying run would hold on the last second, and indeed there was no time left on the clock before he roared a showdown in the cold night air. Manchester United kicked off again and Moss blew the final whistle.
Maguire’s sentiment will have been shared by everyone affiliated with United. This was a painful draw that felt like a defeat.
But was it a fatal blow to United’s hopes of winning the Premier League? Not yet. Curtains for a club that fought so many title fights to the last? Barely.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wrote off Manchester United’s title chances after their draw with Everton
So it was strange to hear that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer effectively wrote off his team’s chances shortly afterwards.
The United manager has been trying to manage expectations around Old Trafford for the past few weeks and that is perhaps understandable. But this was completely bleak.
“We’re not talking about winning titles,” said Solskjaer. “We have come a long way with this team and we should not have been considered title contenders.”
Why not? Manchester City are clearly the favorites, but United are their biggest challenge in this strangest season that has opened up so many possibilities.
Harry Maguire continued to appeal in vain after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s dramatic late equalizer
We are only in February and no one is winning the title now, as Solskjaer has said. If United had held on for a few more seconds, they would have gone on top together and City would have played two more games.
The manager has been in charge for more than two years and has appointed a match squad against Everton that cost nearly £ 600 million. If United aren’t title contenders now, maybe they should be.
They are clearly making progress under Solskjaer and if there is still the slightest hope of challenging the title a little sooner than he expected, why not take it? There are no guarantees that City will be weaker next season and Liverpool certainly will not be.
United were on track to tie City before Calvert-Lewin saw them drop two points
Roy Keane has already suggested that his old club is ‘afraid’ of a title challenge, and Sportsmail pundit Jamie Redknapp also thinks United should have more conviction.
“You can’t get a better chance,” Redknapp said. This United team should believe. This is the year when anything is possible. They are not children, are they? They are full of experience. He should say to this team, believe you can. City is by far the best team, but they may have another ultrasound. ‘
United have an attack that rivals any in the Premier League and were stellar forward on the 63rd anniversary of the Munich air disaster.
United has an attack that rivals everyone in the league and progressed well against Everton
Marcus Rashford provided a beautiful cross for Edinson Cavani to open the scoring and Bruno Fernandes delivered an even better shot to make it 2-0.
But they were sad on the defensive and Abdoulaye Doucoure and James Rodriguez struck twice in the space four minutes after half time. Scott McTominay headed United back forward, but Calvert-Lewin equalized in the 95th minute.
It came from a free kick by United substitute Axel Tuanzebe, who revealed that he had been the victim of racial abuse for the second time in recent weeks.
The spotlight is back on David de Gea after being criticized for his role on two Everton goals
David de Gea was criticized for making a weak attempt to block Calvert-Lewin after pushing the ball straight to Doucoure for Everton’s first.
Dean Henderson is likely in target for Tuesday night’s FA Cup game against West Ham and, not for the first time, Solskjaer was asked about De Gea’s position and replied: ‘Every player has to earn their place. We are a team with competition and that applies to everyone in the team. ‘
Everton faced Tottenham in the cup in Goodison Park on Wednesday and Carlo Ancelotti was far from home pleased with another excellent result. ‘Wow! What a game, unbelievable! Fantastic emotion, ” said the Italian, who received a bear hug from his cheering assistant Duncan Ferguson after the dramatic late equalizer.
