The 1999 Manchester United Tactic Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Is Looking To Recreate
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows a thing or two about strike partnerships. United won the treble in 1999 by playing two up front and it was the link-up between Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole that was key to the success of that season.
The understanding those two developed meant Solskjaer had to play second fiddle off the bench, but they scored 53 goals between them, with Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham more than adequate stand-ins, as they famously proved at the Nou Camp.
In the two decades since strike partnerships have almost disappeared from the highest level of the game. Very few teams now play two out-and-out centre forwards together. Barcelona went through a pretty successful spell of playing none.
Most teams fighting at the business end of the Champions League or competing for domestic titles are playing one striker, some with two wide players, some with a couple of men playing behind the striker.
But one of Solskjaer's biggest impacts at United so far has been on the form of two of the club's forwards. Before the Norwegian arrived it was one of Romelu Lukaku or Marcus Rashford who would lead the line, with the latter often moved out on wide.
In Solskjaer's early weeks in charge that remained the case, although this time it was often Lukaku moved to the wing to accommodate Rashford, in sensational goalscoring form, through the middle.
Recently Lukaku has given his caretaker manager a headache, however. He has taken his chance to play centrally and before the trip to Arsenal had six goals in his last three games.
A week ago, after Lukaku's double against Southampton, Solskjaer said the key to getting the best out of the Belgian was getting him in front of goal as often as possible. The suggestion was that might be a return to the wing for Rashford, but that's not been the case.
Instead Solskjaer has tried to accommodate them both as central strikers. Against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, when they both scored, and Arsenal, where they both missed good chances, Solskjaer has set his team up with the sole aim of unleashing Lukaku and Rashford through the middle.
It's an old school approach. There's a theory that 4-4-2 has had its day at the highest level, but it was that system which United used to down PSG in the Champions League and a kind of unbalanced 4-4-2, with Paul Pogba on the left, that began against Arsenal. Even when Solskjaer made a switch he kept his two figureheads together in a 3-5-2.
The game might have changed in the two decades since United swept all before them in that memorable campaign, but the best teams are still the ones capable of scoring goals.
By pairing Rashford and Lukaku together Solskjaer is giving opposition managers something to ponder. It's not a style many will come across these days. It might leave United vulnerable at times, but it will lead to goals as well.
Unfortunately for Solskjaer, while Yorke and Cole were deadly finishers, Rashford and Lukaku remain capable of off days. That is what cost United at the Emirates Stadium.
Lukaku thrashed an early effort against the bar and failed to beat Bernd Leno when twice through on goal, while Rashford fizzed a free-kick wide and planted a header straight at Arsenal's German goalkeeper.
But there were still reasons to be positive for Solskjaer when reflecting on the effectiveness of playing two up front. They linked up well, twice Lukaku sent dangerous first half crosses into Rashford which Arsenal just managed to clear, while it was Rashford's clever through ball that created a very good second half chance for his strike partner.
Ultimately United's finishing cost them against Arsenal. But with 16 goals between them since Solskajer took over both Rashford and Lukaku have shown they deserve to be playing through the middle.
Solskjaer's response has been to roll back the years. Now United have to show they can make a two-man attack work in the modern game.