Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that Manchester United did not have “enough as a team” against Leicester City in the FA Cup.
It was Leicester who struck first as they took the lead in the 24th minute. Fred was sloppy in possession as his pass back to Dean Henderson was short. Kelechi Iheanacho was quick to capitalise as he rounded the ‘keeper before tapping home.
Their lead only lasted 14 minutes, though. With their first real attack, Paul Pogba advanced down the left-hand side. He pulled it back for Donny van de Beek, but he dummied it for Mason Greenwood who finished clinically past Kasper Schmeichel.
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Leicester deservedly retook the lead just after the break. Youri Tielemans was allowed to advance into the area before he superbly fired the ball into the bottom corner.
The game was put beyond doubt in the 78th minute. Marc Albrighton curled his free-kick towards the back post and Iheanacho was there to head it in for his second of the game.
With Man United now out of the FA Cup, the only trophy they are able to win this year is the Europa League. Solskjaer told BBC Sport that United’s recent schedule caught up with them against Leicester:
“We didn’t have the spark tonight – but it’s understandable. This team have been fantastic in the last three or four months. We played every three days and been on a great run. It just caught up with us, all the games and travels. Thursday night in Milan was a big night and took a lot of out of us physically. We didn’t have the extra zip, authority and confidence today.
“We tried to get on the front foot and start well. Sometimes you can get that adrenaline boost and confidence if you get a goal and that can carry you over the line. We’ve got too many players that have played too many games and too many that haven’t really had much football. Anthony Martial, Donny van de Beek, Paul Pogba and others are trying to get in who haven’t had enough football. We didn’t have enough against a tough team.
Solskjaer the changes: “I would’ve done the same again, the changes were necessary to do. We knew Paul [Pogba] wouldn’t last more than an hour and I don’t think I would do anything differently. What goes on behind the scenes isn’t always known.”
On conceding the first goal: “We want to build from the back and want the players to be confident – sometimes it doesn’t work and that’s one time it didn’t.
“When we win, we win together and when we lose, we lose together. We’re not pointing fingers and blaming – the second one is a good goal by the boy but maybe with a zip of energy we could’ve got to him and wouldn’t have been done as easily in the middle. That’s been one of our strengths, keeping clean sheets and been dogged but we didn’t have the opportunity.”
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