Danny Blind is extremely surprised that he made the news in England last week. The assistant national coach of the Dutch national team showed himself in an interview with the Daily Mirror extremely critical of Manchester United’s approach to play and doubted whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was the right person to turn the tide. Blind insured Saturday at Ziggo Sports that he has not spoken to any journalist in England.
“I read it on a Dutch website, but I haven’t spoken to anyone in the English press. I have spoken here,” said Blind in conversation with presenter Wytse van der Goot. “I did my job as an analyst on the Manchester United vs Everton game. I think as an analyst I am someone who stays close to the facts and to what I see. I said that at the time, but it was absolutely not an attack on Solskjaer.”
Say Danny, have you spoken to anyone from the Daily Mail? ?? The English tabloid headlined this week that Blind would have lashed out at Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, but he directly debunks these reports ????#ZiggoSport #PremierLeague #WATLIV pic.twitter.com/4NaXNuNbLL
— Ziggo Sport Football (@ZS_Voetbal) October 16, 2021
So it seems that the Daily Mirror has published Blind’s analysis of the Old Trafford duel as its own interview. “In fact, I said that Manchester United chose Solskjaer and that they should give him time,” the former’s father emphasized. Mancunian Dale Blind. “But in that game not everything went well, that has to be mentioned.”
“What is the identity of this squad?” Blind wondered in the alleged interview, then turned to Solskjaer. “What is his plan? That’s exactly what it lacks with Solskjaer. There is no tactical plan. His team is incapable of putting pressure on opponents like Manchester City does. You don’t always have to clap it wholeheartedly, but we don’t see it at all. Everything at Manchester United is based on the qualities of individual players. They have qualities and can often secure a result for the team. But it’s never a team result.”
“Manchester United struggle to play dominant football, that’s the problem. After they took the lead against Everton, they waited for the opponent in their own half. They wanted to score on the counter, but that’s not good enough for a club like Manchester United,” Blind was quoted as saying. “After the equaliser, they couldn’t turn the game around. They created virtually no chances. The results were disappointing. They lost to Young Boys, to West Ham United in the EFL Cup, to Aston Villa, and they were lucky against Villarreal in the Champions League because of Ronaldo’s qualities. Another draw against Everton followed. It has to be better and it can be better.”
The so-called interview was shared by various English media. The Daily Mirror spiral last week from a savage attack by Blind, while the Manchester Evening News noted that Manchester United’s tactics have been ‘brutally mocked’ by Louis van Gaal’s right-hand man.