wicked.football

Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed two stars for their “special” moments against Wolves, while Paul Pogba shared a one-word joke about the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Man Utd snatched victory late on at Molineux when Mason Greenwood again showcased why he is one of English football’s brightest talents. The youngster powered a low strike between the body and arm of Jose Sa to ensure Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho’s full Premier League debuts were winning ones.

It was otherwise a struggle for much of the afternoon for the Red Devils, with Adama Traore in particular caushing havoc throughout.

The greatest chance of the game fell to Romain Saiss, but David de Gea pulled off a truly magnificent double save to deny the centre-back.

PLAYER RATINGS: Varane, Sancho at opposite ends of spectrum, maligned Man Utd star endures nightmare in tough victory

Speaking to the BBC after the match, Solskjaer said initially on De Gea’s double save: “The first one, he was in the right position, but the second one’s special, how he reacts and gets a strong hand to it.

“I have to say David has come back with a determination in his work and I’m delighted for him.”

On the potential foul by Pogba on Ruben Neves leading up to the goal, Solskjaer added: “Last week I was complaining because we didn’t get a foul – it’s the way of the game now. They want it flowing, they want more lenient refereeing.

“I don’t think it’s a foul, I think two of them go for the ball and it’s a good tackle by Paul [Pogba].

Greenwood puts Man U in the lead!

Watch #WOLMUN on Sky Sports PL or follow here: https://t.co/3d7bEKaYec pic.twitter.com/IRvUlqvBfd

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 29, 2021

“It has to be consistent, but it will take a few weeks to find that correct line. We were told before the game today that the referee would let the game flow. With the crowd, the passion, the game was all about passion in the crowd and on the pitch.”

On Mason Greenwood’s goal, the Norwegian concluded: “It’s special. To get the shot on target from that angle is good, of course the keeper maybe could have saved it but he hit it so quickly.

“The beauty of him is that he can go outside right foot and inside left foot, so it’s hard for a defender.”

Regarding Varane’s debut, Solskjaer said: “He was class. Composed, experienced, good on the ball, in the air. He’s got everything as a centre-back so I’m delighted with his performance.”

On whether Cristiano Ronaldo will make his second Man Utd debut against Newcastle after the intenrational break, Solskjaer said: “I hope he will. We’re working to get that done. He’s a special boy, or man now, he was a boy when I played with him. Of course we want to get that over the line.

“Of course the players are excited, some have played with him in their national team. You see the fans – they’re excited. That’s what he does, he’s a special player.”

On today’s win: “It’s been a good week, seven points on the board. We said last week after the draw, if we win the next one, it might not be a bad draw.”

Seven of the most dramatic deadline day moments from Odemwingie to a faulty fax machine

Pogba jokes about Ronaldo return

Speaking in a double interview after the match, De Gea and Pogba gave their thoughts on a variety of subjects.

On his spectuaclar double save, De Gea said: “It was so quick, the first one hit my body and then I made the double-save. It was good because the team, after the save, scored the goal, we won a massive three points.”

Speaking about the challenge with Neves that drew Wolves complaints before the goal, Pogba said: “I didn’t touch him. This is the Premier League, it was a 50-50, every weekend that is happening. We win the ball and we scored.”

When asked about the impending arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Pogba joked: “Who?”

De Gea: “It’s like a dream to have him back, it will be great – it’s already great, you can feel it in the atmosphere. Hopefully he can bring something special to make the team even better.”

Regarding the hard-fought victory, De Gea added: “It’s good to win, but now it’s time to play for titles. Records are okay, but you have to go for titles. We didn’t play so well, but it’s a massive win for us.”

Paul Pogba: “It was a hard game, it’s very difficult to play here. We did very well, we had chances, one offside. David was incredible as always. We got the win, we did it.”

READ MORE: Paper Talk: Trio of Man Utd stars up for sale to fund last-ditch deadline signing

The post Solskjaer lauds two Man Utd stars for ‘special’ moments; Pogba offers one-word joke about Ronaldo return appeared first on TEAMtalk.