Even this masterful tactical switch couldn’t stop the tide of Messi and co.
Manchester United suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona, more specifically Lionel Messi on Tuesday night to send them out of the Champions League. Despite their best efforts, there was only so much they could do with Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling in defence.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made tactical tweaks in a bid to claw back some control. Alas, those tweaks were in vain, partly because the note that contained the instructions on it was picked up by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
In the second half, Solskjaer passed a tactical note to Marcus Rashford, which we now know instructed the players to change formation and go 4-4-2, with Pogba moving to the left of a midfield four.
TV cameras caught Barça keeper taking a look at the note, in an admirable act of shithousery. Why the fuck not?
As seen in the video below, Rashford dropped the note in the Barcelona penalty area, giving the German keeper the perfect chance to see what United were changing on the field.
https://youtu.be/keL_StBH_LM
While Paul Ince might think he could have had the same impact at Manchester United that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had at when he was first hired, it’s safe to say Solskjaer’s tactical notes are of more use to his players.
United have now lost five of their last seven matches, with only a top four spot left to play for. With every passing week, United’s decision to hand Solskjaer a permanent contract, rather than waiting until the end of the season looks increasingly insane. Still, spirit of 1999 and all that.
