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The Champions League quarter-final tie that pits Manchester United against Barcelona is going to be one of the biggest tests that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have to face in his managerial career. As much as it doesn’t look like a match that will determine his career as Manchester United boss, this will be a game that Ole will take with great importance.
He will need to find a way around a compact and creative Barcelona side that has the talents of Leo Messi to back it all up. The team that Ole selects will have to put up a serious fight for them to stand a chance. The system that the Norwegian employs will also have to be reviewed thoroughly by his players and they’ll have to play it to perfection if they’re to stand a chance.
With that in mind, there are ways that Ole may use to claim victory over Barcelona at Old Trafford this Wednesday. If he can pull all of them together well, then the players and the fans may just come out of Old Trafford with smiles rather than frowns as everyone expects.
There have been some problems with some players' contract situations and others who look like they want moves but all in all, Ole will want all his charges to be professional and give it their all. Here are the ways that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may end up winning this tie against Barcelona.
Playing A False ‘9’
The deployment of a false nine at Manchester United under Solskjaer isn’t something new as the Norwegian has used it to great effect, especially against Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham in his early days at the club.
The player that has been playing in that position to great success has been Jesse Lingard. He has been Ole Gunnar’s secret weapon, especially against big clubs as he runs around and keeps things ticking between the lines.
He also splits the two centre backs so the channels can be worked and defenders pulled out of position. This has worked to great effect, and against Barcelona; this strategy should be used yet again.
Park The Proverbial 'Bus'
If there’s one strategy that teams have used to eliminate Barcelona in the Champions League it has to be parking the bus. Inter Milan under Jose Mourinho did it and eliminated Barcelona on their way to winning the cup. A few years later, Chelsea, under Roberto De Matteo did it as well and managed to eliminate Barcelona.
In both instances, those teams parked the bus to stifle out Barcelona’s creative players and shut out Lionel Messi. In fact, in the ties where teams have parked the bus and played behind the ball, Messi really struggled to have a foothold in those games.
If Ole and his charges are to stand a chance, they should consider using the same strategy. Though, some football pundits have defined the method as anti-football, trying to out-play Barcelona usually ends up in defeat for the opposition.
Ole Gunnar has the players that can implement this strategy well and with David de Gea, they know they have a strong last line of defence.
Hunting In Packs
How well can you defend against a team that will have the ball for large periods of the game? By hunting in packs, of course. If Manchester United is to stand a chance of walking away with something from this tie, they will have to hunt in packs.
Whenever a Barcelona player has the ball and they’re trying to play it out, the closest player to him should try and close him down. That will be with the help of Ander Herrera who is expected to be the one that hunts down every ball in this tie.
By using this strategy, they will make sure that they aren’t outnumbered, especially in the danger areas around their box. They’ll also have to keep this up throughout the whole game because if they switch off for just a second, then they’ll likely lose the tie there and then.
When Messi has the ball, they should always double up on him and mitigate his movement to a minimum. That, however, won’t be an easy task for the team as Messi is simply a menace.
Lukaku On The Right
The other strategy that Manchester United can use to win this tie is trying to exploit Barcelona’s weaknesses. One of the weaknesses that are quite obvious is their marauding full-backs.
Jordi Alba will want to push forward at every given opportunity and United should try and exploit that. The best player to use in this instance is Romelu Lukaku, who has the power and pace to try and get behind Alba when he’s on the attack.
Expect Lukaku to start out as the main striker and as the game wears on, he’ll push to the right. If Alba will be his usual marauding self, then Lukaku will have a field day against him.
This may just be one of the secret weapons that Ole may use to outsmart this, obviously superior Barcelona side. Also, with Lukaku on the right, Barcelona will have fewer numbers going forward as they’ll want to keep a close eye on him.
Herrera To Destroy
Herrera has been used to great effect to mark out the opposition's most dangerous players. And against Barcelona, he may be asked to do the dirty job once again and break up Barcelona's play.
This will be by no means a simple task for the rugged Spaniard, but it is something that has to be done if United are to stand any chance. Herrera’s main job will be shadowing and hustling the Barcelona midfield and make sure that not too many balls get to their forward line.
If Herrera can stop the forward's ball supply, then Manchester United may just end up walking away with something from this tie.
The Spaniard’s contract situation has been dragging out for a while now and it doesn’t look like it will be solved anytime soon, but his head should be in the game. If he’s looking for a move from Old Trafford during the close season, this is the game that will determine if the big teams will come for him.
Also, if he performs well, United will want to tie him down and give him the kind of wages he’s been demanding for.
Jesse Lingard Pinning Busquets
If there’s one reason that United have lost out to Barcelona in the past, it is their failure to put a man on Sergio Busquets. He’s been one of the players that dictates games for Barcelona and creates a lot of chances for his team.
He’s a deep-lying creative midfielder but with extra defensive responsibilities. And with Barcelona controlling most of their games, he usually has a field day against teams that don’t man-mark him. If United are to win this tie then they need to have someone on him full time.
That player should be none other than Jesse Lingard since he'll float infield as the game goes on. Busquets usually sits deep to control the game and Lingard will have to take the game to him and unsettle him any time he has the ball at his feet.
Lingard, will certainly not have it easy here, but he's a player that can do a job for the manager and work hard for the team.
