Ole's United end a solid year with another win


Three more points

By Chris O'Brien
December 30 2020

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United will finish 2020 in second spot in the Premier League after Marcus Rashford fired home a deflected stoppage time winner to edge out a resolute and dogged Wolverhampton Wanderers side on Tuesday evening.

United's rich vein of domestic form continued, but they left it late to bag a vital home win against the Midlands outfit.

In a tense and often frustrating game, broadcast on Amazon Prime, Nuno Espírito Santo's men defended superbly with United rarely given the space to create chances.

Bruno Fernandes had United's best first-half chance but he fired a stylish Mason Greenwood chip straight at Rui Patrício. 

David de Gea, too, often readily criticised in 2020 had to be at his best to deny Wolves on a handful of occasions - as the visitors sought to take their chance after frustrating the hosts for long periods with a disciplined backline display.

Elsewhere for United, Edinson Cavani had a goal ruled out for offside, and substitute Anthony Martial had a chance - but the game looked to be heading for a stalemate, before England frontman Rashford surged into the box and clattered home a left-footed effort thanks heavily to a deflection off the otherwise faultless Romain Saiss.

The scrutiny on Solskjaer is ridiculous - and while this wasn't a vintage performance, the same critics would undoubtedly claim a Liverpool victory in the same manner was the "sign of Champions". United were up against a Wolves side who defended brilliantly and still found a way to win - with a trademark late goal in what we can now call Ole time. 

United are unbeaten in six matches since a premature Champions League exit, and haven't lost domestically in some two months. The defence looked far more assured - with Eric Bailly a contender for man of the match, and United should end 2020 full of optimism and the fans should be full of support for the manager who has suddenly got the media suggesting an unexpected title push is possible.

2020 has seen United return to the Premier League's top four and elite European competition, play in three Cup semi-finals and reach next year's League Cup semi-final. Ole's men have played 56 games during the calendar year - winning 34, drawing ten and losing 12 - the equivalent, if all were league matches, of two points per game. It's been a very solid year - with the team developing its own culture, style and, at times, it's been wonderful. Let's hope 2021 is the year that all fans can properly back the manager's project.
 
Happy new year.

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Ole's United end a solid year with another win
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