It was a dull and boring stalemate between Premier League sides, Manchester United and Chelsea on Saturday.
Though Chelsea had majority of the possession in the game, they failed to make anything of it. On the other hand, Manchester United had seven shots and couldn’t convert any of them.
The controversial VAR decisions made life more difficult for both the managers at the end of 90 minutes. Soon after the game, the pundits jumped to criticize Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Patrice Evra being more vocal than others.
Solskjaer started the game with the trio of Bruno Fernandes, Fred Rodrigues, and Scott McTominay. The consistent and high work-rate of Fred and Scott McTominay against Newcastle United and Paris St Germain affirmed their start ahead of Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic in the midfield on Saturday past.
Pogba was brought on as a substitute alongside Edinson Cavani, replacing Juan Mata and Daniel James just after the hour mark. The question arose regarding Ole’s third substitution which saw Mason Greenwood coming on for Scott McTominay.
Few opined Donny van de Beek should have got the nod ahead of others in the midfield. Patrice Evra even went on to question the signing of Donny van de Beek.
Talking on Sky Sports, he said:
"We’re talking about Van de Beek… why did we buy him? I have nothing against the kid, but why did we buy Van de Beek? ‘He’s watching the game from the stands every game because we don’t need him. That’s the truth, but people will not say it loud."
It is not the first time Patrice Evra has voiced his opinion regarding the club or a player in the Manchester squad.
After the 6-1 thrashing against Tottenham Hotspur, Evra went onto say:
"No one, no one deserves to be playing for this team right now."
"I really would like to end my contract with Sky - I know you have to have some filter when you talk on TV." 😳
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 4, 2020
Patrice Evra's emotional post-match thoughts following #MUFC's 6-1 defeat to Spurs is a *MUST WATCH*! 😮🟥 pic.twitter.com/dEy4w5GJgD
Although it was a catastrophic performance, there will always be an off-day for the United players. Even the greatest manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson faced a 6-1 defeat to Manchester City in 2011.
Evra was part of the side that endured this embarrassing defeat. Instead of supporting his old club and providing mental support to the players, he’d rather criticize them which is a poor move.
Talking about the signing of Donny van de Beek.
When we take a look at clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, or even the title-winning Manchester United side, the bench strength was key to their success.
The bench strength imposed a sense of fear in the opposition. It is the same in the case of van de Beek who is a great addition to the side who can change the game coming off from the bench.
The Old Trafford boys have to play four games within a few days from each other each week and as the season progresses towards the festive season, they could get busier.
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The club is still in domestic and European competitions like the Carabao Cup, FA Cup, and Champions League, which would make it difficult for the manager to keep his stars fresh.
The presence of players like Donny, Edinson Cavani, and Dean Henderson will not only keep the first-team players fresh but also can provide competition for out-of-form players like Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba.
No fan would deny that van de Beek is a better substitute over the out-of-form Jesse Lingard or Daniel James.
People should be questioning why James is starting when he is not showing the necessary quality to pull on a Manchester sweater.
There is no doubt that Manchester United fans have huge respect for their legendary players.
We cannot deny the love for all of United’s old boys who came, saw, and conquered Europe.
However, that doesn’t mean they should go on ranting regarding everything about Ole’s game, tactics, and players.
It unsettles the players and manager and would do no good for any of them trying to get out of a slump.
When Pogba underwent tough times and was being harshly criticized, former Manchester United player Zlatan came in support of the Frenchman.
The great Zlatan said:
"They are not there anymore. They are on TV and complaining all the time because they are not active in the club. If you want to work in the club, go and search for work in the club."
If the club has to achieve great heights, there is no doubt that the manager and board require the ardent fans to criticize and take a part in their ups and downs.
One should trust the process and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who did a tremendous job in the previous season should get a bit more respect.
Also, it is a no-brainer that the new signings require time to settle. Donny might need some more time to integrate himself alongside his new teammates.
Considering his performance at Ajax, the versatile midfielder will be one of the great players to wear the Manchester United jersey.
“In Ole, we trust”