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Troubled Newcastle provide port in a storm for fragile Man Utd
NEWCASTLE, United Kingdom, Oct 5, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
admits Manchester United are in for a bumpy ride as he tries to rebuild his
struggling team, but Sunday’s visit to Newcastle offers a golden opportunity
to finally end their dismal away record.
United’s limp goalless Europa League draw at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday left
them without an away win in their past 10 games.
They have not won on their travels since the dramatic Champions League
escape act against Paris Saint-Germain in March.
United last endured a longer streak of futility on the road when they
failed to win 11 away games between February and September 1989 — an era
that qualifies as among the bleakest in the club’s storied history.
Solskjaer’s side rarely threatened to end their barren run as they failed
to muster a single shot on target on the artificial turf against Alkmaar.
The former United striker has been unable to coax enough goals from his
forwards, while a lack of creativity in midfield is a major problem.
Add a defence that remains creaky despite the expensive signings of Harry
Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and it is easy to see why United are in such
disarray.
Even Solskjaer concedes United no longer strike fear into opponents in the
way they did during Alex Ferguson’s glittering 27-year reign.
“We’re not in the ’90s now so it’s a different era, a different group that
we’re building,” Solskjaer told reporters after the Alkmaar stalemate.
But having turned to a host of promising but raw youngsters including Mason
Greenwood and Axel Tuanzebe, Solskjaer is keen to present the impression that
patient faith in youth is United’s best path to recapturing the glory of the
Ferguson era.
– Self-preservation –
“We know there are going to be ups and downs. I’m ready to see these boys
blossom,” said Solskjaer, who could be without the injured Paul Pogba and
Jesse Lingard on Saturday.
“There’s not many clubs with our stature that play the young players that
we do. They’ll have a chance to come through and we’re sure that some of
these will be part of a successful team.”
While that approach reaped rich rewards with United’s famous Class of ’92,
Ferguson had already built solid foundations for David Beckham and company to
flourish on.
Solskjaer is working on much shakier ground and, with fans quietly seething
about the way United owners the Glazer family have allowed the club to spiral
into mediocrity, his status as an Old Trafford icon may not be enough to keep
the critics at bay for much longer.
Currently languishing in 10th place in the Premier League after winning
just two of their first seven games, United are in desperate need of a
morale-boosting victory at St James’s Park this weekend.
They have not scored more than one goal in any game since beating Chelsea
on the opening weekend of the season and if they cannot break that sequence
against crisis-torn Newcastle the alarm bells will be ringing louder than
ever.
Second-bottom Newcastle have won only once in eight games in all
competitions since Steve Bruce took over and last weekend’s 5-0 thrashing at
Leicester ranked as a low point even for a club of the Magpies’ chequered
recent history.
Former United defender Bruce, caught in the middle of a furious feud
between Newcastle fans and Magpies owner Mike Ashley, is without a win in 21
meetings with his old club.
And despite Solskjaer’s woes, it is self-preservation that will be on
Bruce’s mind when he goes head to head with his fellow United legend.
“I think I’ve got enough on my plate to worry about at the moment rather
than worry about what Ole’s got on his, but I wish him the best of luck,”
Bruce said.
BSS/AFP/GMR/0917 hrs