Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Reluctance to Use His Bench Is a Cry for Help to the Board
By Mitch Wilks
Manchester United fans were disappointed to see their side exit the Europa League on Sunday night after having the bulk of the chances against Sevilla, and it might not have happened with some smarter substitutions.
The team was tired, and were suffering at the hands of a gruelling schedule, and it showed as the side fell flat on their collective face after failing to go ahead following a bright start to the second half. After conceding in the 78th minute to Luuk de Jong, United looked finished.
A substitution or two might've given them a chance straight after the goal, potentially catching Sevilla sleeping, but no. Instead, it took Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until the 87th minute to make the changes, by which point the game had gone, even with six minutes of added time.
On the surface, the failure looked to be Solskjaer's, who had seemed too hesitant to risk changing anything. However, this has been a regular occurrence since the restart of play, and it actually unearths some hard hitting truths to those in charge above the Norwegian.
Solskjaer's decision not to change his starting XI in a European semi-final despite trailing the game was a direct plea to the board, and another way of him saying that he needs some signings in the summer. Yes, signing Jadon Sancho would no doubt improve United, but the real issue lies in their squad depth - or lack thereof.
It's not the first time the head coach has resorted to the laissez-faire approach of holding out and hoping the starting XI could do the job. In their FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, it took Solskjaer until the 79th minute to bring Odion Ighalo on for Marcus Rashford. The only subs he'd made before this involved bringing Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood on from the bench; two players who would normally start.
It's happened in the Premier League, too. In a disappointing draw against West Ham, Solskjaer made just two of his permitted five substitutions, and again brought Ighalo on with mere minutes to spare at the end. In another draw - this time against Southampton - his attacking substitutions once again came inside the final 10 minutes of play.
This pattern is by no means a coincidence. Instead, it shows how Solskjaer has grown frustrated with having little to no real game changing ability among his subs bench, and highlights the problem United have with depth. The Red Devils' first port of call seems to always be a more defensive swap in the hope that something will change from deeper, but this is always less likely to impact a game. While securing an extension to Ighalo's loan deal for the rest of 2020 was important, it's obvious that he was never Solskjaer's first choice, but is simply marginally better than nothing.
Many will criticise Solskjaer for this reluctance to make the best of what he has, and rightly so. The Norwegian is still learning on the job as head coach of United and he has to show more willingness to change the game and pattern of play, even if his options off the bench aren't the strongest. However, actively doing the opposite sends a strong message to the hierarchy of the club.
While defensive options could still be improved upon, the main focus must be in midfield and attack. The Red Devils have a solid foundation of 11 or 12 high quality players, who could perhaps be considered good enough to close the gap between themselves and Liverpool and Manchester City. The minute that they rotate or are dealt an injury blow, however, they go back to square one. Their rotated side being forced to extra time against Norwich in the FA Cup quarter-final is further proof of that.
United, as improved as they've been under Solskjaer during the 2019/20 season, cannot rest on their laurels. Failure to build on a strong transfer window in 2019, a third-placed Premier League finish and three cup semi-finals would be a monumental mistake, and it's up to the board to ensure that doesn't happen. Solskjaer has proven that he can now push United into a new level when given the support he needs, thus it's now time for Ed Woodward to continue putting his trust into the head coach.