Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has announced that Manchester United have changed the color scheme in the Old Trafford stands after players complained about not being able to see each other against a red background.
United face Granada in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday and are 2-0 up.
But they haven’t won their last three home games in Europe – in line with the poor form of the Old Trafford League, where they have already been beaten four times this season.
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And Solskjaer has stated that after consulting with the players, the club have chosen a different color scheme to help United players choose their teammates.
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“You will see a change now,” said Solskjaer. “You see the banners around the club, they are no longer red.
“We looked at that. There shouldn’t really be a reason, but some players have mentioned that you have to make a decision in a split second. You look over your shoulder to see if your teammate is there or not, and the red shirt is on a red background with the red seats.
“So we tried to change that.”
The new black color scheme also ties in with the anti-racism campaign launched earlier this month after social media abuse.
However, United’s decision echoes one of the most bizarre incidents in Premier League history, which took place in Southampton 25 years ago this week.
In 1996, then United manager Sir Alex Ferguson ordered United to change the gray away shirt and replace it with a blue one at halftime, believing that the players could not see their teammates in bright sunshine.
And Solskjaer announced yesterday that he has taken another sheet of paper from Ferguson’s book when it comes to the dark art of simulation.
United were at the end of a controversial decision over the weekend, the goal of which was ruled out after Tottenham’s son Heung-Min went down after minor contact from Scott McTominay.
Though United’s own Bruno Fernandes and Dan James have occasionally been criticized for similar antics this season, Solskjaer insists he hammer a message his players won’t tolerate while diving.
And he cited an example from his own career as a player when he was dismissed for a professional foul in bringing an opponent clean through the gate to illustrate the point.
“I think every manager has certain values and when I was sent off against Newcastle many moons ago I thought I had done the right thing for the team,” said Solskjaer.
“But Sir Alex scolded me after the game. He called me into his office and said, “We don’t win like that at Man United,” and I’ve lived by it ever since.
“We want to win the right way, no matter who we play against, we want to win if we play according to the book. I’m not saying anyone else won’t, I’m just saying that every manager wants to win in a fair way. “
Solskjaer also believed United were the victims of some “simple yellow cards” dealt in last week’s first leg – leading to the suspension of Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and McTominay tonight.
With Eric Bailly still in isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, it almost certainly marks a rare start for defender Axel Tuanzebe.
The 23-year-old was one of the most famous victims of racial abuse on social media, despite his manager claiming he was not affected by the ordeal.
“Axel has always been a very positive boy and has worked hard,” said Solskjaer.
“Winner [Lindelof] and Harry [Maguire] I played a very, very good partnership and Eric played really well when he played so Axel’s chances were limited.
“But he has trained well and is ready for this opportunity. I don’t think it influenced him back then, no, it happened. “
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