Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had enjoyed the gentlest possible introduction to life at Old Trafford. Four games in the Premier League against modest opposition, along with an FA Cup tie versus Championship side Reading, meant that the Norwegian was able to generate a run of wins and allow the feel-good factor to return to the club.
Sundays game against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley was his first test against a top side. The game had an added layer of intrigue due to Mauricio Pochettinos links to the job at Old Trafford as well. It was billed as an audition for the permanent managers role at Manchester United, and a chance for Solskjaer to show the world that he wasnt just a motivator, but that there was tactical nous behind that baby-faced smile.
Line-ups
Lingard catches Spurs off-guard
Jesse Lingard has risen in prominence under the new manager. The Englishmans movement, positional awareness and skill on the ball have been perfectly suited for the high-tempo brand of football that Solskjaer is trying to instil at United. While previously deployed on the right flank, he was part of a tactical surprise by the Norwegian at Wembley. Lingard started centrally, almost like a false nine of sorts, while Martial and Rashford played as split strikers ahead of him.
This completely caught Spurs and Pochettino by surprise. Lingard dropped deep to link up with the likes of Pogba and Herrera, while Rashford and Martial stayed high and wide. This meant that the two Spurs centre-backs, Vertonghen and Alderweireld, always had a direct opponent, which is a rare occurrence in modern football, where the two centre-backs usually deal with one striker.
Lingards positioning also negated Harry Winks influence, at least in the first half. The United man dropped onto Winks when out of possession, shutting down passing lanes to him and thus disrupting Spurs build-up.
