Two crucial weeks to get back on track

If ever there's such a thing as an international break coming at the "right time", then it is now for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United.
 After Arsenal handed our interim manager his first defeat - albeit United were unlucky - there was no luck involved here. We were decisively and damningly outplayed both technically and tactically as United's hopes of a third successive trip to Wembley were deservedly dashed by Nuno Espiritio's brilliantly belligerent Wolves. Granted, Wolves are no mugs, they're in the midst of a superbly impressive season and are leading the way as the league's "best of the rest" but this defeat hurt.

Although third on the list of priorities for the club, this season's FA Cup is the most open it has been for years - and having knocked out both Arsenal and Chelsea in previous rounds - United's path to a 13th title looked favourable. It looked our best chance of stopping quadruple-chasing City in their tracks, instead United became another top six name to fall by the wayside. Remarkably, upon their first semi final in 21 years, the men from Molineux and United's vanquishers in the old Gold are the second highest ranked side left.

There's now a two week hiatus as domestic matters give way to the first international fixtures of 2019, and it comes at the perfect time after a bad week with two bumps in the road. The Reds can recharge batteries, take stock, words can be said and Solskjaer will throw himself into preventing this blip becoming a fully blown crisis.

Solskjaer and United have deservedly been showered in praise for their dramatic rejuvenation since Jose Mourinho was sacked in December, the highlight of which was the stunning Champions League turnaround against Paris St-Germain in France earlier this month.
This, though, was a performance that rolled back the months to the Mourinho era and was arguably worse than some of the displays turned in under the Portuguese. United were ponderous, laboured, did not look bothered and lost their heads - epitomised by Victor Lindelof's overzealous challenge on
second goalscorer Diogo Jota. Although his red card was later overturned on VAR and downgraded to a yellow, it summed everything up. As Wolves gradually took control and mauled a United side that looked lambs to the slaughter, Solskjaer did not respond. His bench options were admittedly limited, but he kept faith with a system that clearly wasn't working. Ole has barely put a foot wrong in his three months in the job, but he and the team failed to answer almost every question thrown at them by a Wolves side that simply wanted this cup tie more.

Paul Pogba was restored as captain as another Mourinho move was wiped away but he was poor - although he was not alone there. The excellent Sergio Romero aside, no United player covered himself in glory. Marcus Rashford has not been right since he bravely soldiered on through injury against Liverpool, and it appears as though that may have done him more harm than good. Nemanja Matic looked the pedestrian passenger that he was in the nadir of Mourinho's tenure, and Anthony Martial was anonymous. Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard - between them the influential heartbeat of Ole's Reds identikit - struggled.

United barely threatened Wolves keeper John Ruddy and, slowly but surely, their performance crumbled to almost shambolic levels in the second half as Wolves were all over us and ran us ragged.
Solskjaer will hope it is just a temporary slump but the fight is now right on for the top four and Champions League opponents Barcelona will not lose a wink of sleep after watching United here.

Match report: Wolves 2-1 Man Utd

Wolves produced an outstanding second half showing to overpower a strangely subdued Manchester United side at an atmospheric Molineux. United crashed out of the FA Cup in our worst performance under the interim tutelage Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Nuno Espirito Santo's tenacious and technically brilliant side reached the last four for the first time in 21 years.

United goalkeeper Sergio Romero, in for David de Gea, had kept United level with brilliant saves from Diogo Jota and Raul Jimenez either side of the interval, before the Mexican striker swivelled in the area to finally give Wolves the reward their domination merited with 20 minutes remaining.
Wolves were rampant and it was no surprise when the dangerous Jota doubled their lead six minutes later, shrugging off United's Luke Shaw on the break before shooting low past the exposed Romero.

United defender Victor Lindelof was shown a red card by referee Martin Atkinson for a touchline challenge on Jota, but it was downgraded it to yellow after a VAR review and, even though Marcus Rashford pulled one back very late on, Wolves - best of the rest in the Premier League - were worthy winners.

With Wembley on offer for the semi finalists, and having beaten Arsenal and Chelsea to get this far, the shot at FA Cup glory looked favourable and United had been tipped to go all the way as momentum built under Solskjaer. After this chastening defeat, fresh questions will be asked ahead of a two week domestic hiatus for the first international fixtures of 2019.

The first half was poor with the only noteworthy action an effort from distance by Rashford. Paul Pogba also tried his luck but Wolves, tentative up until then, began to grow into the tie. Joao Moutinho had a half chance, but Romero was then called into action for the first time as the Reds cup keeper saved superbly from the onrushing Jota when he came racing out to stifle the striker. Diogo Dalot appealed for a penalty after Jonny Otto appeared to handle, but referee Martin Atkinson instead gave a corner.

Romero's world class save from a Jimenez header underlined his status as the best stand in stopper in the English game. He came to United's rescue again moments later when he shovelled Moutinho's long-range strike over the top as Molineux sensed an imminent breakthrough.

As United struggled to find any rhythm, Nuno Espirito Santos’s side became increasingly confident. With the pressure increasing on the Reds, Jimenez came up with the opening goal. There were plenty of red shirts in the box but after initially blocking Jimenez, the striker was able to spin and squeeze in a finish on 70 minutes.
The Reds threw men forwards but, six minutes later, Wolves had moved further ahead to put the game beyond even  Solskjaer's United. Jota burst clear one-on-one and outpaced Luke Shaw who slipped, and the Portuguese slammed in under Romero.

The nightmare almost became worse for United in the 81st minute as Wolves threatened to race away for a third. Goalscorer Jota sped down the right flank and Victor Lindelof stormed across to cover but slid dangerously into the rescuing tackle and floored the Wolves man.

Referee Atkinson initially showed the Swede a red card but VAR overturned his decision, reducing the offence to a booking, and United remained with 10 men on the pitch, much to the fury of the Molineux crowd.
Juan Mata and Scott McTominay came on in a late bid by Solskjaer to find a late answer to the dire situation, adding to the earlier addition of Andreas Pereira.
United did snatch a consolation when Rashford turned to convert a cross by Shaw but a club noted for so many delirious and improbable comebacks had left it far too late to add to our catalogue of remarkable finales.

Overall team performance: 4/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Sergio Romero

Man Utd face another daunting hurdle in Champions League

Manchester United certainly can't be accused of having things the easy way this year. Arsenal, Chelsea and now Wolves in the FA Cup... Juventus (twice), PSG and now five time winners Barcelona in Europe. If we go on to win one or both of the cups, it would go down as the hardest earned in history.

The Reds 'reward' for getting past one of the favourites in such gloriously unexpected fashion is a meeting with a side forever synonymous with the beautiful game... five time European champions Barcelona. The draw in Nyon, Switzerland, pitted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side with Ernesto Valverde's La Liga leaders and 4/1 second favourites to go all the way to lift the famous jug eared trophy in the backyard of their heavyweight divisional rivals on June 1 - Wanda Metropolitano, home of Atletico. It's the most difficult tie we could have got, a daunting challenge, but it's these matches we live and breathe for as United fans. Bring them on!

 For those worried about the size of the task facing Ole and his team, though, remember how we were written off completely at the time of the draw with Paris Saint-Germain. Yes, Lionel Messi and co are firmly on course for another La Liga title - seven points clear at the top of the Spanish standings -  but some pundits feel they are not at the all-conquering level of the Pep Guardiola teams who defeated United in both the 2009 and 2011 finals. That Barcelona team will forever be widely regarded as the finest club side the world has ever seen - Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Dani Alves et al and of course the best of them all... Messi himself, to name but six. That wonderful team ran rings around Sir Alex's Red in Rome and two years on at Wembley, chastening setbacks that rank among the worst the Boss suffered in his long and glorious tenure at United. Having also won the trophy in 1992, 2006 and 2015 as part of a treble, Barcelona are firmly entrenched in the upper echelon of the game's elite.

 Throw in the stars-aligning notion of Ole returning to the Nou Camp 20 years on from his greateast triumph as our no.20, and the stage is set for a clash of two of the greatest clubs in the world who truly belong on the biggest stage. 

Originally drawn away from home first, United will instead face Barca at Old Trafford on Wednesday 10th April followed by the return in Catalonia a week later on the 16th. The switch is due to an agreement between both clubs, UEFA and the GMP that United and City cannot play at home on the same, or even consecutive, nights in the competition.

Elsewhere in the last eight, there will be an all-English tie between Tottenham and Guardiola's City, with the first leg to be played at Spurs' new stadium. Liverpool face Porto whilst

Cristiano Ronaldo and co. face Real Madrid's conquerors Ajax.

If the Reds progress to the last four, we will take on the winners of that quarter-final tie between Liverpool and FC Porto. 

The first leg would be played on Tuesday 30 April or Wednesday 1 May, a few days after our Premier League match at home to Chelsea.

Like in the quarter-finals, the second leg will be played in the following week on Tuesday 7 or Wednesday 8 May, between our weekend league games against Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City.

Match preview: Wolves v Man Utd

United visit Molineux for the first time since 2012

United's penchant for difficult cup draws continues as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side must beware of the Wolves in the FA Cup quarter-finals.
Off the back of a first domestic defeat under the Norwegian, the Reds face Nuno Espirito Santo's marvellous men from Molineux with a place at Wembley in the last four at stake. It is one of two all Premier League quarter finals at this stage

Top seven of the Premier League, last eight of the FA Cup - it's not the sort of season that sides coming up into the top flight generally experience.
In-form Wolves, though, aren't your normal newly-promoted club, and those on the inside are presumably merely enjoying 'progress as planned'.
Nuno Espirito Santo will have a plan to beat Manchester United too, having been unlucky not to get the better of his old boss Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in September - the Reds know all about the nasty bite this Wolves team can possess.
From Mourinho to the surprise of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United's season has been anything but 'as planned' and yet could end incredibly well. The spectre of Pep Guardiola's quadruple-chasing City aisde, this is the trickiest tie we could have got - away to a top six league team for the third consecutive round. Santo's side have impressively staked a claim to be regarded as the best promoted club the Premier League has ever seen.

They began their cup run with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool in the third round, before being taken to a replay by League One strugglers Shrewsbury in round four, which they eventually won 3-2 at Molineux. A single goal from Ivan Cavaleiro in the fifth round saw them beat Bristol City 1-0 to make it through to the quarter-finals.

One for all to enjoy, Jose included, then.

Solskjaer said: "Last season you were impressed with them to go through the Championship as they did convincingly.
"They had a clear plan - didn't get Championship players in, [but] players above the Championship level - and you can see that now, in seventh, they trust their own way of playing.
"They defended fantastically well against Chelsea but at home they take the game to the opponent with the great passing ability in the team."

Wolves centre-back Ryan Bennett is available, despite currently serving a two-match Premier League ban, and could replace Romain Saiss.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has no fresh injury concerns.
 United's in-form forward Romelu Lukaku is a doubt because of a sore foot.
Ashley Young is suspended but Phil Jones is fit after illness, while Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera have returned to training and could be involved. Diogo Dalot is likely to come in for the suspended Young and Anthony Martial is also in line to feature.

Form guide: Wolves D W D L W D Man Utd W D W W W L
Match odds: Wolves 9/4 Draw 11/5 Man Utd 5/4 (Bet365)
Referee: Martin Atkinson

Match report: Arsenal 2-0 Man Utd

Unai Emery's Arsenal won a ninth successive home game, inflicted Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first league defeat and leapfrogged United in the table.
 Before this setback, Solskjaer boasted an incredible record of 14 wins from his first 17 matches, going unbeaten in the league. After it, the Reds sit fifth on 58 points, two adrift of Arsenal and three of third placed Tottenham, in a thrillingly congested battle for the Champions League that looks set to go down to the wire.

Following the miracle of Paris in midweek, this was a case of after the Lord Mayor's Show, with a physically and emotionally drained United struggling to get into their stride for much of the contest.
The Gunners took the lead after twelve minutes as they profited from an uncharacteristic error of judgement from David de Gea. It came from an unlikely source as Granit Xhaka collected the ball, and let fly.  His low shot from outside the area wrong-footed De Gea who took a step to his left, the ball swerving wickedly to the right and past him.

Before this defeat, Solskjaer boasted an incredible record of 14 wins from his first 17 matches, going unbeaten in the league. But with a number of players still out injured - including Jesse Lingard and Ander Herrera, who both started in the 3-1 Emirates FA Cup victory in January - and a physically and emotionally draining performance against PSG still fresh in the memory if not in the legs, United initially struggled to get going on a cold and blustery day in north London.

The Gunners took the lead 12 minutes in, having dominated the early possession. Alexandre Lacazette and Aubameyang had opportunities to give the hosts the lead inside the opening ten minutes, the latter trying his luck from distance as well as attempting an overhead kick; both shots went high and wide. Sead Kolasinac was a constant threat on Arsenal’s left wing too, his first cross of the match after two minutes evading everyone and luckily also going just wide of De Gea’s post.

The breakthrough goal came from an unlikely source in Xhaka. The Swiss international, urged to shoot by the home fans, did just that. His low shot from outside the area wrong-footed De Gea who took a step to his left, the ball swerving wickedly to the right and past him.

 

Moments earlier, Romelu Lukaku had United’s first real chance of the game, getting on the end of Luke Shaw’s cross. His close-range effort hit the bar, Paul Pogba retrieved possession but couldn’t find anyone in the box with his cross and Diogo Dalot’s follow-up effort was blocked.

 

Pierre Emerick - Aubameyang flashed a shot wide and strike partner Alexandre Lacazette also went close before wing-back Sead Kolasinac saw his cross evade everyone and drift wide.

Dalot - in for Eric Bailly as one of three changes to the side that won in Paris on Wednesday night - took up an advanced role on the right as he did against Crystal Palace. He was involved just before half-time; a lightning counter-attack initiated by a signature Pogba long-ball taken down brilliantly by Lukaku just outside the area. Dalot, played in on the overlap, pulled a pass back in the direction of Marcus Rashford but goalscorer Xhaka got to it just before the striker.

Bernd Leno saved well from Lukaku and Fred struck a post from distance, but Arsenal capitalised and moved 2-0 ahead with 20 minutes to play. The award of the spot-kick looked soft, when Lacazette went down under minimal contact from Fred, but referee Jon Moss pointed for a penalty.
Aubameyang had missed in the north London derby but made no mistake this time, and he slotted the ball down the middle for his 20th goal of the season.

 Mason Greenwood came on to make his Premier League debut with ten minutes remaining, replacing Nemanja Matic, but his chances to make a dramatic impact were limited.

Overall team performance: 6/10
United Faithful Man of the Match: Luke Shaw.

Match preview: Arsenal v Man Utd

Manchester United look to end this historic week with a 15th win in 18 remarkable games under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Peter Pan of football has taken the club from looking like lost boys to a magical land of endless possibility. To be in the last eight of the Champions League is a terrific achievement. Now we need to make sure we're in the competition again next season. Having done what seemed impossible by snatching a late, late away goals victory against all odds at the Parc des Princes, United - still technically unbeaten under Solskjaer - locks horns with the Gunners for the 231st time. A storied, historical and at times fierce rivalry played out in front of the watching world once again.

There is a joy and togetherness in United's football. In contrast, Arsenal remain inconsistent as they lurch from the brilliant to the bizarre. This looks a hugely significant tussle in the three-way battle for the Champions League places. United currently sit in the coveted fourth spot but would move joint third and level on points with a Tottenham side faltering fast. Such is the congested, thrilling battle for the top four, Solskjaer's side could drop to sixth should Arsenal inflict his first league defeat and Chelsea prevail over Wolves. You could throw the proverbial blanket over the four teams with the race set to go all the way to the wire.

Prior to Thursday's 3-1 first-leg defeat at Rennes in the Europa League, the Gunners were showing signs of recovery from an indifferent winter period. They have brought themselves back into top-four contention after taking ten points from the last twelve on offer, only dropping two in last weekend's entertaining North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. After that 1-1 draw at Wembley and the Reds' subsequent win over Southampton, Unai Emery’s men are fifth in the table and one point behind United. We're on a club record high of nine successive away wins whilst Arsenal have notched up eight consecutive victories at the Emirates. Something has to give here.

Arsenal's Lucas Torreira begins a three-game ban after losing an appeal against his dismissal in the north London derby.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette returns after missing Thursday's Europa League defeat in Rennes through suspension. Hector Bellerin, Rob Holding (both knee) and ex Red Danny Welbeck (ankle) are long term absentees for Emery's team.  Stephan Lichtsteiner is back in full training and could return. 
Speaking of which, Anthony Martial is available after a groin injury for  United, who were without ten players against Paris St-Germain in midweek. Eric Bailly has recovered from a heavy challenge in that game, while Nemanja Matic (ankle) and Ander Herrera (hamstring) could be fit.
Paul Pogba is available and will play having served a European suspension.

 United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on his future: "I love managing these boys, I love working here. As I said so many times, I am just doing the best I can every single day, and if and when... if it comes to a decision to be made, we've got to think about that.
"I am not here to get excited or carried away, I am here to do my job. I am contracted to Man United until the end of June. After that, we can sit down together with the board and have the discussions. Until then, I will keep working hard - I am enjoying every minute of this job."

Form guide: Arsenal L W W W D L Man Utd L W D W W W
Match odds: Arsenal 13/10 Draw 5/2 Man Utd 12/4
Referee: Jonathan Moss (Yorkshire)

Solskjaer channels the spirit of 99' on best night for years

Not since we last won the thing have Manchester United seen anything like this. Certainly not in Europe, and certainly not since Sir Alex Ferguson called it quits in 2013.

Moscow in 2008 will forever be remembered as a night when United delivered a third European Cup triumph in dramatic style as we vanquished Chelsea in a ding dong drama that rolled into the early hours of a sodden Moscow morning. In the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the Munich tragedy, there seemed a sense of fate and destiny as United paid tribute to those we lost in the most fitting manner of all. I've been fortunate enough to see the club I love win titles, trophies and glittering honours aplenty that many can only dream of.  But this will go down in the annals as one of the greatest nights of all. No matter that it was 'only' a last 16 tie and not a final - United had no right to go to Paris and do what we did last night. Especially not with a team with an average age of 24 and with five teenagers on the bench. It was history in the very making, with a legendary player turned caretaker manager returning to a competition in which both us - and he - enjoyed our greatest triumph. Ole's at the wheel and he's leading this club back to the glory days. Even if we had gone out, the sense that something special is building is inescapable. Ole is clearing every hurdle, climbing every mountain and throwing down every gauntlet.

PSG were 2-0 up after the away leg. No side had ever lost a Champions League tie from that position before. They were playing a United without 10 players, with a bench full of teenagers. As second legs in European ties go, it should have been as easy as it comes. Sit back, wait and use Angel Di María and Kylian Mbappé’s ability and pace on the break, as they had at Old Trafford. Yet still the French side were beaten as United confounded hubris and defied the odds.

In part, it’s true, that’s down to the frankly inexplicable magic of Solskjær, Dorian Gray as the Milky Bar Kid, living his eternal 1999. But it’s also down to the fact that PSG are the opposite of what Ole represents. He is romance and fun and loyalty and doing your job even if it frustrates you; open them up and where the heart should be you’ll find a fetid roll of banknotes. When it comes to the crunch, doing it to enhance the reputation of a faraway state seems not to stir the loins. We’ve seen this before, of course, most notably when a 4-0 lead was squandered two years ago. PSG, just as much as Solskjær, will always have Barcelona.

More than a decade on, the sight of Ferguson sitting next to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, sitting high up in the Parc des Prince posh seats as the seismic events unfolded below was, perhaps, the most significant sign a club that has struggled so badly to find its identity over the past six years has reconnected with its glorious past.

Solskjaer has restored the team ethic and speaks positively about the club and its challenges, both immediate and long-term. In allowing Ferguson and Eric Cantona into the dressing room, Solskjaer was reinforcing the pillars on which the club used to stand. In his own understated way he is forcing them back into position.

With three time defending champions Real Madrid and now Thomas Tuchel's Parisian heavyweights having bitten the dust, the tournament has arguably never been more open. Why can't we win it - I'm not saying we definitely will - but last night showed that nothing is impossible.  When you get as far as the quarter finals it's anyone's game. If you can beat Juventus and PSG away from home in Europe, you can beat anyone, One thing's for certain, Europe's biggest clubs will not fancy the prospect of a last eight tie with Solskjaer's Manchester United team.

When Solskjaer answered Woodward's SOS, we felt his responsibilities extended no further than putting smiles back on faces and addressing a toxic situation before the summer, when Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino could come in and be the next man to have a stab at returning United to the top.
Yes, if he somehow got United into the top four, or won something, or beat Paris St-Germain in the Champions League, he would become a contender. But those scenarios were so far-fetched they weren't worth thinking about. It was merely a pipe dream that has somehow now become a reality.
That is not even three months ago. Now, the only scenario to be considered is the timing.

And Solskjaer has won it!!