We were too eager to entertain the fans: Solskjaer
United draw 1-1 with relegated Fulham in front of 10,000 returning supporters
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team's eagerness to entertain fans cost them in yesterday morning's (Singapore time) 1-1 English Premier League draw with Fulham - and the result is a wake-up call ahead of the Europa League final against Villarreal.
United went ahead after 15 minutes at Old Trafford through Edinson Cavani in front of 10,000 home fans, who returned for the first time in 14 months as the British government eased Covid-19 lockdown rules.
However, Joe Bryan equalised 14 minutes from time for the already relegated Fulham and spoiled the party for United and their supporters.
"We need to play better against Villarreal than what we have the last three games," he told reporters.
"It might be a wake-up call because we tried to do the fancy stuff, the flicks, extraordinary things, the things that pleased the fans. That's not what we're about."
Solskjaer pointed to the performance of Cavani, who this month signed a one-year contract extension, as an example of how his players can keep things simple.
He said: "Back tackles, runs, scores - there's no fluff. We can't have fluff in a game of football."
While Solskjaer was happy to see fans back in the stadium, he conceded his players may have been trying to put on a show.
He said: "The buzz, the energy, the atmosphere was magic, really. It was fantastic to have the fans back.
"Maybe that was part of the reason we played the way we did because we played too much to entertain at times. Too many difficult choices instead of a simple one."
United, who have failed to win their last three home games, travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday to wrap up their league campaign before facing Villarreal on Wednesday in the final of Europe's second-tier competition.
The Red Devils' day at Old Trafford could have been worse after Bruno Fernandes admitted he did not flick on the ball towards Cavani for his goal, which would mean the Uruguayan was offside when he lobbed Alphonse Areola from 40 metres.
He told the BBC: "Honestly I didn't feel the touch. The referee said I touched the ball. How it is, I don't care honestly."
However, Fulham manager Scott Parker was understandably less sanguine.
He told Sky Sports: "I don't understand how it's not offside. The fourth official said if Fernandes hasn't touched it, he's five yards offside.
"I've looked at it back. I can understand if we didn't have VAR, I get that that goal can be given due to human error, but when you can slow it down and look at the angles, you can see he's not touched it."
Meanwhile, Solskjaer defended Paul Pogba and Amad Diallo for holding up a Palestine flag after the match, saying they have a "right to have a different view". Leicester City's Hamza Choudhury and Wesley Fofana had also held up a Palestine flag after the FA Cup final.
The ongoing hostilities between Israel and Hamas, who govern Gaza, are the most serious in years and there have been no firm signs of a ceasefire. - AFP, REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now