Share Comments By Charlotte Duncker 06:00, 1 SEP 2019 Sport opinion Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been given food for thought during the international break. Get the biggest stories by email Subscribe We will use your email address only for the purpose of sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Lingard dropped
A little over 24 hours before Manchester United took on Southampton in the Premier League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer praised Jesse Lingard's 'fantastic' contribution to the team this season.
11.30am on Saturday and confirmation the England international had been dropped.
Juan Mata started as the No 10 in the position that Lingard has occupied in the opening three games of the season and vindicated his selection with a influential performance. In the first half the Spaniard was creating an attack every six minutes.
His clever runs off the ball created space and chances for United and he helped move the ball a lot faster in transition which is exactly what they have been missing in the last two games. Luckily for Lingard there's an international break for him to show why he should get his position back in the starting XI.
But based on Mata's display it would be unfair to drop him in favour of an out of form Lingard.
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Solskjaer has continued to talk about his commitment to youth and has shown it with the decisions he has made so far this season. But it was slightly surprising he didn't opt for a couple more youngsters in his squad for the St Mary's clash.
Many fans had called for left-back Brandon Williams to be given a chance with Luke Shaw out injured until after the international break but the teenager captained the under-23s at Old Trafford on Friday night and didn't make the trip.
Marcos Rojo was back in the squad after Solskjaer confirmed the Argentine wouldn't be going anywhere before the close of the European deadline on Monday but it would have been a bigger statement of intent to take Williams as back up to Young.
Young's been subjected to some unfair criticism since Shaw's injury and did little wrong against Palace or Southampton to suggest he shouldn't be the one to replace Shaw.
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Solskjaer's first summer signing is off to a flier and has already equalled Alexis Sanchez's Premier League goal tally for the 18 months he was at Old Trafford.
His powerful strike past Angus Gunn put United ahead was his third of the season already and he caused Southampton problems with his pace down the left for the whole half and he tested the Saints' goalkeeper again in the 21st minute with a decent attempt and again in the 73rd minute he stung the hands of the former City keeper.
After a couple of shaky performances in the previous league games it's promising he's not lost his confidence.
United vulnerable at the back
Before the game at St Mary's it was one clean sheet in the last 14 league games for United and when Victor Lindelof was caught napping allowing Jannik Vestergaard a free header in the second half that went up to 15.
Harry Maguire has been an improvement for United at the back but the problem for Solskjaer is that the usually solid and reliable Lindelof has looked below par since the start of the season.
So much has been focused on United playing a high press and fast attacking football but they still look vulnerable at the back and that's a big issue that Solskjaer is going to have to work on.
International break
United have two weeks until their next league game against Leicester and the performance at Southampton has given Solskjaer food for thought. Martial should be back for that game and would surely lead the line ahead of Rashford and then there's the decision as to who plays in the No 10 role.
The team is starting to pick itself, especially at the back with Shaw out injured, but No 10 position and who plays on the right wing are two decisions Solskjaer will have to mull over during the international break.
