Johnny Edward
28 May 2021
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Former Super Eagles captain and coach Sunday Oliseh believes Villarreal were ‘tactically’ better to emerge as champions of the Europa League, following their impressive display in the final against Manchester United on Wednesday, The PUNCH reports.
The Red Devils’ four-year wait for a trophy continued after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were beaten 11-10 on penalties in the Europa League final following a 1-1 stalemate in Gdansk.
And Oliseh, on Twitter, gave his verdict on what was a difficult night for Solskjaer and his team after a disappointing show in Gdansk.
“Felt like a David vs Goliath scenario to some. But as those who have watched Villarreal regularly in La Liga and the Europa League will tell you, they were programmed to win this trophy.
“Tactically and physically, Villarreal were well rounded with a very limited budget comparably. Guess we love underdogs,” Oliseh wrote on Twitter.
Former Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke wondered if Solskjaer was the right man for the United job.
“I feel like from a tactical point of view this is where we were let down,” Yorke told The BBC.
“But Ole has his way and as a manager you’ve got to stick with what your beliefs are.
“With four semi-finals and then not getting over the line in this final, he has to be careful he doesn’t get the ‘nearly man’ reputation as a manager.
“It’s hard to say if Ole is the man to take the club forward. Before this game he was in a strong position with finishing second in the Premier League and having this cup final to look forward to. Had he have won it I think he would have been in a much stronger position.’