Solskjaer must make brave call to gain reward

Decision to hold Ronaldo in reserve is the kind of big-game surprise that might pay off

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo. Photo: Martin Rickett/PA

Daniel Zeqiri

October 24 2021 02:30 AM

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United have lost two of six meetings against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, with their only home defeat coming at an empty Old Trafford towards the end of last season. Despite the gulf in quality and consistency between the clubs since Solskjaer’s 2019 appointment, the fixture has remained competitive.

In three of five Premier League games against them, Solskjaer has used “split strikers” to try to exploit the space behind Liverpool’s attacking full-backs, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Rather than a fixed centre-forward crashing up against Virgil van Dijk and his centre-back partner, the idea is to use two mobile forwards in the channels who can spring counter-attacks.

In Solskjaer’s first league match against Liverpool, a goalless draw in February 2019, he used a 4-4-2 diamond with Romelu Lukaku and Marcus Rashford breaking off into wider positions.

In October that year, a 1-1 draw, it was a 3-4-1-2 with Rashford and Dan James fulfilling these roles and combining to good effect for the opening goal – James exploiting the space behind Robertson and crossing for Rashford, who arrived on the blindside of Joel Matip – was textbook split-striker play.

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He reprised the tactic in the return fixture in January 2020, using James and Anthony Martial, but a 2-0 Liverpool win confirmed them as champions-in-waiting. Last season, Solskjaer opted for a more orthodox 4-2-3-1, which enables him to pick Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba as starters.

If Solskjaer is to return to the split-striker approach, it raises the question of how Cristiano Ronaldo fits in. After his Champions League winner against Atalanta it may seem unthinkable to start Ronaldo on the bench, but the only position he can play is central striker. The Ronaldo of a decade ago may have been the perfect player for the split-striker role left or right, but the capacity to repeat sprints across 90 minutes is no longer there.

Mason Greenwood and Rashford look ideally suited, but can Solskjaer really afford to start both either side of Ronaldo against a team of Liverpool’s calibre?

There are very few teams who can make three strikers – true strikers – work. United fans will recall Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez forming a devastating trio, but Rooney also had creative elements to his game and he and Tevez got through an immense amount of defensive work.

Some will say Liverpool have managed it with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah wide, but they are more technically secure, nimble and inventive than Rashford or Greenwood, having previously played as wingers. They also have a centre forward in Roberto Firmino who, in stark contrast to Ronaldo, operates like an extra midfielder. Plus, they are supported by an industrious midfield three, whereas Solskjaer is left trying to find room for Pogba and Fernandes.

It all adds up to what could be one big game of cat and mouse on the flanks today. Will Solskjaer roll the dice and leave three forwards up, hoping they can capitalise on Liverpool’s advanced full-backs?

One of the interesting things about football is that no matter how a coach deploys his 10 outfield players, there is always space to exploit. In Liverpool’s case it is the space down the sides of the centre-backs, but releasing players into these areas is still difficult. They put the ball under pressure higher up, reducing the quality of passes played downfield, and the likes of Van Dijk and Matip are comfortable defending in one-against-one situations out wide.

One thing is certain: Liverpool will not change. They will accept Solskjaer’s wager and back themselves to cause United more problems going forward through Robertson and Alexander-Arnold. Defending wide areas has been a problem for United in recent weeks, with Atalanta, Aston Villa and Leicester all using a back three and wing-backs to do damage. While Liverpool play with a back four, their full-backs play like wing-backs.

If Solskjaer wants Greenwood and Rashford to stay high, he needs to make a tactical compensation elsewhere. It would be a bold decision politically for an under-pressure manager to leave out Ronaldo, but it might be the kind of big-game surprise that pays off.