Manchester United’s history offers emphatic, immortal proof of the impact two substitutes can make in a knockout game. Eighteen years after Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came on to transform an Uefa Champions League final, their pursuit of another treble gathered pace courtesy of two more replacements.
If their interventions are unlikely to be remembered for as long, they were arguably still more distinguished deputies. Demoted for a day, the world’s most expensive footballer and one of the great goalscorers of his generation came on. Jose Mourinho invoked his insurance policy and it paid off as they combined in a way that was cruel for a Blackburn team fighting to stay in the Championship, but who had been defiantly holding off United.
__________________________________
FA Cup quarter-final line-up
■ Chelsea v Manchester United
■ Middlesbrough v Huddersfield / Manchester City
■ Arsenal / Sutton v Lincoln City
■ Tottenham Hotspur v Millwall
__________________________________
Then, deep in his own half, Paul Pogba showed precision and ambition with a pass, finding Zlatan Ibrahimovic advancing beyond the Blackburn defence. The Swede swivelled, shot and found the far corner of Blackburn’s net.
“I knew he would be a very important player for us,” Mourinho said.
So it has proved.
Ibrahimovic’s 18th goal in 20 games secured United a quarter-final berth and means a marathon season could stretch to 67 games if they win the League Cup, the FA Cup and the Europa League.
“It is possible to win three, two, one or nil,” Mourinho said.
With United away at Chelsea in the last eight, a clean sweep would be some feat.
“I have so many things to think about,” Mourinho added. “Chelsea can only think about that because they are champions and they have nothing else to fight for.”
Fighting on four fronts, United’s was far from an outstanding performance but it did feature two outstanding goals. Over 90 minutes, as over a season, they merit credit for showing persistence and purpose.
They required both qualities. Blackburn belied their lowly status to lead. They showed organisation and penetration. Marvin Emnes tested Sergio Romero with a swerving shot. It was the first hint of the Dutchman’s capabilities.
Another soon followed. Emnes turned to escape Marcos Rojo. He supplied an inviting through ball. Danny Graham ran off Chris Smalling and angled a shot into the roof of the net. It was the first goal United had conceded in six games.
They only trailed for 10 minutes. Jason Steele repelled an Ander Herrera drive but was isolated by a gorgeous ball from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, weighted perfectly, delivered with pinpoint precision and earning extra points for artistic merit because he used the outside of his right foot. The Armenian carved Blackburn open. Marcus Rashford ran on to his pass, skipped past goalkeeper Steele and placed a shot into the empty net.
The hour before Ibrahimovic’s arrival represented a rare opportunity to play as a striker for Rashford. He grasped it with a reminder of his precocious talent.
“Any one of their players can produce something magical at the right end of the pitch,” Blackburn manager Owen Coyle said.
In different ways, four United players did. The pass from Mkhitaryan indicated why Wayne Rooney is no longer United’s first-choice No 10, and not just because he is injured and may miss the League Cup final. But when the game descended into stalemate, Mourinho made his move.
Coyle responded.
“They brought on Ibrahimovic and Pogba. I put in two kids from the academy,” he said.
He also summoned Anthony Stokes. The substitute found the United net after Sergio Romero denied first him and then Emnes but, by the time the third chance materialised, Stokes was offside.
A replay, Mourinho said, would have been “a disaster”.
Pogba and Ibrahimovic spared United the disaster of a draw. They march on.
__________________________________
Read more:
■ Greg Lea: It takes two Harrys for Tottenham to thrash Fulham
■ Richard Jolly: City lack usual invention, held by Huddersfield
__________________________________
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport