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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Samuel Luckhurst

Solskjaer makes Manchester United crossing admission

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer concedes Manchester United are not a crossing team after they continued to flag with their aerial deliveries in the win over West Ham.

Opta statistics list United as fourth worst for crossing and corner deliveries in the Premier League and the Champions League this season and Ashley Young failed to find a teammate from 11 deliveries against Barcelona last week.

Jose Mourinho coveted natural wingers Ivan Perisic and Willian but United refused to meet Internazionale's £50million valuation of Perisic nearly two years ago and the club's recruitment department vetoed a move for Willian. United signed Alexis Sanchez 15 months ago to reinforce their left flank but the Chilean has floundered.

Solskjaer has used United figurehead Romelu Lukaku in a more fluid role in recent months but the Belgian was crossing for the more diminutive attacking trio of Anthony Martial, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard against West Ham. Solskjaer admits United lack a specialist crosser in their attacking department.

Three Manchester United players to return vs FC Barcelona 

"Of course we are working on crossing and finishing, every week," Solskjaer said. "And some of those balls were actually really good, it was just the movement of the strikers.

"It’s more to do with the cohesion there. We are not a crossing team, we don’t really have a Teddy Sheringham in there or a Peter Crouch, it’s about other ways of creating chances but I think with our physicality we can get more in both."

Solskjaer rested Scott McTominay for the West Ham win and only introduced Marcus Rashford off the bench after Felipe Anderson equalised early in second-half. Victor Lindelof was also an unused substitute and is expected to be recalled for the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Barcelona on Tuesday.

Solskjaer sends Manchester United player Fred a message ahead of FC Barcelona 

United's fortuitous win over West Ham and certain sub-standard individual performances have not given Solskjaer any selection dilemmas for the Camp Nou encounter.

"No, it doesn't really give me too many headaches," Solskjaer said of the West Ham performance. "I rested a few here to be ready for Tuesday, but we have a decent plan, I hope. I hope it’s decent. It's a plan anyway!"

Possible United XI vs Barcelona:

De Gea, Dalot, Smalling, Lindelof, Young, McTominay, Fred, Pogba, Lingard, Rashford, Lukaku

Manchester United manager hints at two changes vs Barcelona

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might have found a new Manchester United partnership 

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