The 1-6 scoreline was flattering to Manchester United. It is rare to feel any relief after such a defeat, but somewhere deep within, United’s coaches and players would know they got off easier than their performance warranted. In his post-match interview for the host broadcaster, Jose Mourinho’s characteristic smirk was milder than usual, possibly betraying disbelief at what he had just seen.
Similar disbelief was writ large on Solskjaer’s face too, but it was flanked by despondency and hurt. He was attentive to the interviewers for every question, looking straight at them with a raised left eyebrow, but as soon as the mic was pointed at him, his face pivoted downwards. You felt sorry that he had to explain a performance more suited to sketch comedy than football.
What could he say about Pogba’s tackle for the final penalty, or Maguire’s takedown of Luke Shaw for the first goal, that could sound like a plausible explanation? Sir Alex Ferguson once spoke about how Solskjaer used to take notes while sitting on the substitution bench. You would trust Solskjaer to have noted the number of different ways Spurs could have scored those six goals, and how many more chances they let go.
