Manchester United will lock horns with Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow evening hoping to pick up a win away from home.
The Red Devils will be coming into the match on the back of an impressive 2-0 win over Granada in the UEFA Europa League, whereas Jose Mourinho’s men recorded a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last week.
Here, in this article, we look at the two things Solskjaer should do to ensure a much-needed victory against Tottenham Hotspur.
Target Tottenham’s Right Flank
None of Tottenham’s right-backs have been able to stabilise their defence all season – be it Matt Doherty, Serge Aurier, or Japhet Tanganga. Serge Aurier looked helpless at times in Tottenham’s 3-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb, whereas Tanganga’s misplaced pass led to Newcastle United’s opening goal last week. Moreover, the majority of the build-up to goals that Spurs have conceded lately has taken place down the right flank.
Flipping over to the visitors, Marcus Rashford and Luke Shaw have been two of United’s best players this term. The English duo would be expected to use their pace and directness to breeze past the Spurs defence. With Mourinho still trying to figure out a solution to the right-back crisis, it’s arguably one of the weaknesses Solskjaer can target if he wishes to pick up a positive result on Sunday.
Make A Strong Start To The Game
Jose Mourinho prefers sitting deep to invite pressure in the early stages of a big match – and that’s when they are the most vulnerable. The recent North London derby where Arsenal were in complete control of the first half in tactical terms perfectly supports this claim. Mourinho’s men jogged up and down, left and right, but didn’t have any motivation in trying to initiate an attack.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should impart a clear tactical aim in his players so that they can start exerting enough pressure to break down Tottenham’s low-block defence from the very first minute itself. The proverbial phrase ‘attack is the best form of defence‘ perfectly indicates what the Red Devils need to do if they wish to extract revenge for their 6-1 defeat in October.
