There was much mocking When Manchester United\u2019s team sheet for their Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur was first made known, there was disbelief as it included two frontmen with a combined age of 70.<\/p>\n
However, that mocking soon faded once both the elder statesmen of the United XI team, Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo, fired Ole Gunnar Solskjaer\u2019s side to a much-needed n critical 3-0 away win.<\/p>\n
36-year-old Ronaldo once again managed to raise the bar a notch and proved his worth with a brilliantly-executed volley for his opener, and followed this up with an assist for United\u2019s second goal via Cavani at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The latter\u2019s performance was notably eye-catching in his deployment as one-half of a front duo in a 3-5-2 formation as the Uruguayan dynamo\u2019s presence was felt all over the pitch.<\/p>\n
Cavani was clearly the solution to Manchester United\u2019s recent problems after the catastrophic 5-0 dismantling at the hands of Liverpool which brought into clear focus United\u2019s easily crumbled defenses. Jurgen Klopp\u2019s hard-pressing invaders found it a cinch to cut through their rivals as Solskjaer\u2019s frontline four attackers were positioned high up the pitch without any cohesion.<\/p>\n
However, against Tottenham, the difference was stark, fortunately for United. Barely a week after the Liverpool humbling, there was obviously insufficient time for Solskjaers boys to become a well-coached team overnight. Fortunately it was sufficient time for the United boss to take a gamble with some switches in his team selection. Hence the totally unexpected pairing of Ronaldo and Cavani.<\/p>\n
Evidently, Cavani\u2019s presence in the team and the 34-year-old\u2019s work rate made him a most effective one-man press, especially with the width provided by the wing backs. The frontal assault trio of Cavani, Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes working as a central attacking hub, suddenly rival attackers found it not so easy to play through United\u2019s defenses, as the Tottenham frontline soon discovered.<\/p>\n
The positive signs are that Cavani and Ronaldo can work together, as demonstrated by the way they linked up for Manchester United\u2019s second goal. With much ado having been made of the latter\u2019s role at Old Trafford since returning to the club in August, it now appears that the Uruguayan could be the likely one to help him succeed in his returning stint as a United player.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth of them have been really really good,\u201d Solskjaer said about Cavani and Ronaldo\u2019s display against Spurs.<\/p>\n
\u201cTuesday morning’s training session by Edinson Cavani is the best I’ve seen by an individual since I came here. He led the line as a good example for everyone, how to go about changing the mood, changing the performance. The two were told early on they would play up front as a two and they have been like two peas in a pod. It worked today, two excellent goals.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cavani was penetrating in his runs at the back, creating space for his teammates, and even tracked back to help out with tackles and the easily neglected defensive work inside his own half. Keeping this up consistently within this new team shape and approach would make the Uruguayan arguably the most important player in the United squad. Which would then beg the question of what would happen then when it\u2019s time for him to return to South America when his contract runs out at the end of the season?<\/p>\n
For now, at least, Solskjaer can stop treading water to keep afloat and continue to effectively exploit and prioritise the strategic advantages of using Cavani. No longer should his significance to Manchester United continue to be understated as it has been over the early part of the season if the United boss is not keen on continuing with living match-to-match under intense pressure and scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Cavani gives him a better chance of survival and could most likely save his job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"