Updated January 16th, 2020 at 14:53 IST

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer speaks on the note he handed to Juan Mata during win against Wolves

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opened up on the note that he passed on to Juan Mata during United's win against Wolves in FA Cup replay.

Reported by: Minaam Ansari
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Manchester United defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers in the replay of the third round of the FA Cup. Juan Mata scored the only goal of the match to ensure United’s progress in the fourth round of the competition. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now revealed the note that he passed on to Juan Mata.

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Juan Mata scored Manchester United's only goal against Wolves

Juan Mata scored in the 67th minute of the game against Wolves to secure a much-needed victory for Manchester United. However, Solskjaer was seen handing a note to Mata during the first half of the match. Solskjaer has now revealed his instructions saying that the team had lost their shape and structure.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke on his tactical decisions during the game

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also instructed Daniel James to switch wings just like Wolves had done with Adama Traore. Solskjaer, while speaking in the post-match press conference, explained the contents of his note to Juan Mata. He said that it was a spell where the team struggled a little bit and players were playing more off the cuff than they should be doing. When Wolves swapped Traore over, he swapped James over for a little while and it worked.

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On switching Daniel James’ position, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer asserted that James was straight through on goal two seconds after the switch. It’s not quite often that a team creates as many clear opportunities as they did with James. Solskjaer also lauded Juan Mata and described his goal as an absolute beauty. He also applauded the great timing on his run.

United forward Marcus Rashford was also injured after the clash as he lasted only 15 minutes on the field. Solskjaer admitted that his decision to introduce Rashford as a second-half substitute backfired. It is now believed that Marcus Rashford is likely to miss out United’s next match against Liverpool.

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Manchester United will next play against Liverpool in the Premier League

Juan Mata was also quizzed by BT Sport on the contents of the note. However, the player was not willing to open up. He stated that it was a grocery shopping list which also included bread and milk. The victory marks United’s progress in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Red Devils will next play against Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday, January 19, 2020.

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Published January 16th, 2020 at 14:53 IST