It's really a painful thing to see United lose the UEL trophy to Villarreal. Even as a fan I really couldn't contain my emotions that night but then, it's penalty shootout and anything can always happen from that very perspective.
After the match, I read so many comments on social media, seeing so many ill comments on how De Gea and Rashford made United lost the match and how Ole Gunnar should be sacked. I find it painful that United lost but I still find it hard to blame anyone for that loss. The match was more like Villarreal having a huge luck, I watch the match and it would be an accurate thing to say Villarreal played United with the respect that they were actually the better team.
United didn't play below expectations if I am to be sincere, and Ole didn't make any mistake with his line up but the play pattern was not good enough considering the fact that Villarreal qualified against Arsenal with the same tactics should have prompted Ole to make some changes and take more risks.
For a team like Villarreal that love to create walls and seek counter attacks, I expected Ole to play double attacks such as Cavani and Rashford upfront and have heavy 4 in the midfield just like on the defense line. If it had been a 4-4-2 formation and not 4-3-3 whereby the team was trying to play from the flank, there would have been more pull outs from the midfield, with Bruno, Pogba, McTominay, and Fred in the midfield, shots on targets would have been more even if Rashford and Cavani do not get to see more of the ball, and some how a goal could have come in through a deflection or from just a beautiful strike but it was all about the flanks that night and unfortunately for Ole it didn't work out!
If at all I'll be blaming anyone for the loss, it would be the whole team and mostly the formation Ole used. If only United had played more attacks and not care about keeping the ball to themselves, the first half could have been a draw and then create more pressure for a winning goal in the second half but then, there was much of just keeping the possessions that doesn't win the match.
Fans and football lovers just sounded that night like De Gea was actually a goal scorer who lost a free net and some even went to the extent of causing and insulting him via DMs on social media and I couldn't but feel pity for him because he doesn't deserve all the heat at all but maybe Ole does deserve some and funny enough how I personally feel happy that Ole didn't get sacked but rather was given another long-term contract.
One thing I have come to understand about Ole is that, he isn't a bad coach but at the same time, just like Pep of Manchester City, he isn't a manager with or for tactical play pattern but he's rather a manager that wants top notch players or ready made players that he can always assign roles too and United doesn't have much of this kind of players. This particular trait I feel Ole wants can be found in just Bruno, Pogba, and Cavani. There are just the few players United have that I think can play just their roles for a manager and not play the manager's formation or play pattern.
I can boldly say Pep would equally fail at United with the current set of players available but it is also possible that a manager wins even the EPL title with the same set of players United currently have but it all depends on the Manager's personal approach to football, and based on how I understood Ole to be, he would win trophies for United if he has access to more ready made players.
OLE'S HUNTING!
Just like I expected him to, after the defeat in the UEL final, Ole made it clear that he has to sign at least 3 new players which must appear in his first eleven for next season and this notes nothing but the fact that these are definitely going to be some big signings.
Ole has personally reopened the Jordan Sancho's page again, he has appear on United's priority list again this season and this time, it seems like it's going to be a do or die affair as Ole has made it clear that he must sign a new Right Attacker, a Defensive Midfielder, and a Centre Back and all are to make his first eleven immediately. That only makes me feel Sancho is definitely coming down to United and United is also likely to make the deal run fast since they might not be paying up to the £108 Dortmund requested for last summer due to the pandemic and the current status of Sancho's contract.
It has been also confirmed that United is also interested in Harry Kane of Tottenham but then, I personally don't feel it would be possible since Ole prioritize Sancho more, it is likely that United get to sign either Kane or Sancho considering the fact that United won't be able to secure a big defensive midfielder and and big centre back if they'll be signing both Kane and Sancho.
Anyhow it goes, one thing is certain.......
United is definitely making big signings this summer!
It's been 3 years or more now, and United still lives without a trophy and it only appears that they must win at least one next season, how is that going to happen? It's definitely going to start by making some big signings!
All pictures are screenshots from some videos I streamed online.
