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Sheffield Utd vs Manchester Utd: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reveals dressing room anger after woeful first half

United took a point from remarkable game at Bramall Lane

Mark Critchley
Northern Football Correspondent
Sunday 24 November 2019 21:01 GMT
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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted he could have substituted any Manchester United player at half time after their dismal display in a 3-3 draw at Sheffield United.

Solskjaer’s side fell behind to a John Fleck goal in the first half and would go two down after the interval thanks to Lys Mousset.

United then produced a stunning seven-minute second-half comeback out of noewhere, going 3-2 up through goals from Brandon Williams, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford.

But Oli McBurnie’s 90th-minute equaliser ensured that the hosts would take the point their performance deserved and left United frustrated.

Phil Jones was the player sacrificed by Solskjaer at half time, but the Norwegian revealed it could easily have been any other player bar goalkeeper David de Gea.

“We had to go for it second half,” Solskjaer said. “We had to put another attacker on. I could’ve changed 11 players at half time.

“That’s so simple really, apart from the ‘keeper because David kept us in it. He would have saved the last one if not for a slight deflection off Harry’s thigh as well.

“That was a tactical thing, but today wasn’t about tactics it was about the desire we lacked in the first half and they had in the first half. Challenges. You’ve got to earn your right to win a game and we didn’t have any right to win a game after 70 minutes.”

Solskjaer said he was both angry and disappointed by United’s first half performance, but ended the afternoon enthused by their comeback.

“I don’t know what kind of emotions you want to say, but you had to wake them up. You had to do something about it. The way they’ve turned it round. It changes so much in players’ heads. In young players’ heads. Remember these boys are young.

“When they get the belief after the first goal. Dan James, it’s probably the first time he went past Stevens and he put a great cross in, fantastic finish by Brandon. Suddenly we’re on the front foot, we’re on the up and the boys are trying things that lead the fear away.”

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