Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants referees to punish tactical fouling

Solskjaer wants protection for quick players like James

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called for referees to give greater protection to Daniel James and punish tactical fouling after a bruising start to life for the winger at Manchester United.

Only four Premier League players have won more fouls than James’s 45 this season, with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish, Crystal Palace’s Wilfred Zaha and Leicester’s James Maddison topping the charts.

United prepare to meet Manchester City in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final tie on Tuesday night and Solskjaer has previously complained that the holders tactically foul their opponents under Pep Guardiola.

James appeared to be cynically brought down by Fernandinho in the 27th minute of the league derby at the Etihad last month, only for referee Anthony Taylor to play advantage. Fernandinho was not cautioned.

Solskjaer was reluctant to discuss any alleged tactical fouling on Monday given Football Association rules on influencing match officials but the United manager claimed his side found a way around City’s tactics last month.

“We got past their press last time and if you count the numbers of fouls I don’t think there were too many. That’s a big thing,” he said.

“And sometimes I look at the referees and I look at our games, and even if they are just little fouls there have been teams who have stopped us with those little fouls, and that has stopped us showing how good we are when we can quickly attack. But I didn’t raise it this time, you did!”

When the example of Fernandinho’s tackle on James was put to him, Solskjaer suggested that referees should generally clamp down on cynical challenges which have no realistic chance of winning the ball.

“There have been a few fouls on Dan James and I am probably better off not talking about it but the referees have got to look at when players with his pace, even if they just knock the ball past them and they just stop them in their tracks, of course it’s yellow cards,” he said.

Solskjaer also rowed back on recent comments which appeared to describe City’s style of play as “tippy-tappy football”.

After the Boxing Day win over Newcastle, the United manager said that his players had to “make it hard to play against us”, adding: “We can’t play tippy-tappy football and can’t, at this moment in time, play like City – only City can do that.”

Solskjaer clarified those remarks on Monday, insisting: “I never said they do, I said we can’t play tippy-tappy football.

“We have our own style and we need to play with pace and power. Traditionally at Man United we are a team who attack quickly. We play forward and run forward but you also like to have the mix between dominating teams more but still having that penetration.

“I noticed that tippy-tappy comment. It was not aimed at [City] but at my players. I don’t want them playing that sort of football. I want them playing proper football.”