Manchester United paid tribute to club legend Bobby Charlton with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. The Red Devils took to the field just hours after the news of Charlton’s passing, and while they were far from their best, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ground out a victory to take home all three points.
Speaking after the game, Solskjaer said, “We had to pay tribute to Bobby Charlton, the players had to put in a shift and do our farewell and remember him. His achievements are great and we spoke about it before the game. Not only what he’s done on the pitch, but off the pitch as well. So we wanted to show some respect and honour him with a win, to keep his memory alive. I thought we did it with good grace.”
Asked whether the news of Charlton’s passing had affected the team’s focus, Solskjaer responded, “I’ve heard some players have been inspired by it, wanting to win for him, that’s definitely a motivation. We’re sad, we’re with his family, but it’s a mark of a legend, a giant who’s passed away, such a great achievement, global impact. You look at his achievements, it’s incredible, his accolades, trophies and contributions. I’ve never had the privilege of seeing him, but I’ve heard that despite winning so many trophies and games he was still a humble person. As a player, he’s a role model for all of us, for the whole of society.”
Despite winning the game in honour of Charlton, Manchester United were far from their best, particularly in the first half. Solskjaer acknowledged this, saying, “The first half wasn’t our game, we played too much to their strengths. We were too direct, we didn’t keep the ball and make them run. We played too direct and then lost control of the game. They shouldn’t have scored, especially after we scored, to give them the confidence. We made some adjustments at halftime, and I thought we showed a better side of ourselves in the second half.”
Solskjaer also singled out Harry Maguire, who was named man of the match, and his defensive partner Jonny Evans as key performers in the game. “I have to say to Harry and Jonny, especially Harry, he was playing the way we want him to play, being on the front foot, being in control of the game. He defended well, stepped into midfield when he had to, passed the ball well, I’m very pleased with his performance.”
Manchester United’s £73 million striker, Erling Haaland, who failed to score in the game despite a few good chances, has yet to find the net in the Premier League, although he has scored three goals in the Champions League. Solskjaer was quick to defend his young striker, saying, “Rasmus [Haaland] hasn’t scored in the Premier League yet, but that’s not a problem, he’s scored for Norway and in the Champions League for us, so he’ll definitely score in the Premier League too. Today he had two or three really good positions, and his time will come, he’ll score.”
Solskjaer also defended his decision to once again substitute Haaland early, citing concerns over the striker’s potential for stress fractures in his back. “You know he plays a lot of games, he starts a lot of games because of his physical condition, we have to manage his game time. Giving other players a chance is good for internal competition, but we have to manage his game time. We have a lot of games ahead of us, it’s only October, we have to keep everyone sharp, including Rasmus. There’s a lot of games coming up, we need to rotate, otherwise we’ll run out of legs. And also, bringing on subs is a tactical decision, it can bring something new to the game.”
Next up for Manchester United is a do-or-die Champions League clash with Copenhagen. Solskjaer said, “We have to keep going, but we have to hurry. I’m happy with the second half and the improvement we showed, but not with the first half. We have to take one game at a time, not look too far ahead, and now our focus is on Copenhagen.”