Manchester United’s players have been inconsistent in the semifinals of major tournaments over the last year and a half.
They have played in four, and they have lost in four.
No. 5 is coming up on Thursday when Roma visits Old Trafford for the first leg of the Europa League semifinals, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reason to believe this time will be different.
“The players have had another year, they’re more experienced, and they’ve come through some difficult times,” the United manager said. “And with the motivation of having those disappointments, I’m confident we’ll get a good performance.”
The first loss came in the League Cup semifinals in January 2020, when crosstown rival Manchester City eliminated United over two legs. Then there were defeats against Chelsea and Sevilla in the FA Cup and Europa League semifinals, respectively, after soccer returned following the suspension caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
And it was a familiar story in January when United was beaten 2-0 by City in a League Cup semifinal rematch.
The opponents have been tough, but that hasn’t stopped United from collecting a reputation of choking on the big occasion under Solskjaer, who is still awaiting his first trophy since taking over as manager as the replacement for Jose Mourinho in December 2018.
Solskjaer has analyzed each of the losses in the semifinals and hasn’t spotted an apparent reason why United keeps falling short, except for the quality of the opposition.
Roma, which is seventh in Serie A, is probably the weakest team United has faced in this run of last-four meetings, and Solskjaer insisted Wednesday he meant no disrespect when he said about the Italian team after the win over Granada in the quarterfinals: “I’ve not seen too much of them.”plan to hatch a European Super League. That was quickly abandoned last week, but anti-Glazer sentiment has been reignited, and it was put to Solskjaer that the achievement of winning the Europa League would be devalued in a sense because United’s owners don’t appear to care about the competition.
“I’ve had a perfect relationship with the owners and the club. They’ve employed me as a manager; they listen to my views,” he said. “It’s my job to give my opinion and do the best for the club and them.
“I’ve had so many years at the club; I’m looking forward to trying to bring success to the team. That’s my focus. Bringing fans, players, and the club together.”
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
