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Solskjaer tears up rule book against Foxes

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Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has carried out his threat to field a weakened team tonight against Leicester.

It’s his furious response to the Premier League’s scheduling of Manchester United’s three games and he has warned he could field a completely different side in one of the fixtures.

Rule L19, which requires all clubs to field a full-strength team in every league match to ensure fairness to all clubs.

His wholesale change tonight could give Leicester  an advantage over West Ham in securing a fourth place for the final  Champions League spot.

It remains to be seen if West Ham or David Moyes could challenge the Premier League to take action if the Foxes win but as it appears to be against the spirit of the game and certainly brings further scrutiny on one of the big six greedy clubs.

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Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!"

Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

25 comments

  • james says:

    LOL – they didn’t even get fined for trying to leave the Premier league. They’re not going to get finned for this! Don’t be silly LMAO.

    Look if we don’t make champions league we only have ourselves to blame for throwing a 3-0 lead to arsenal, and losing to Newcastle. It was our own fault, not the fault of another team not winning to help us out.

    End of the day the chances for champions league has more than likely has now passed us. However we still have everyone to play for! We can still make top six which would be an amazing achievement! Just win the last three games and it will be such an amazing way to finish a great season.

  • Iron77 says:

    We all know Man Utd played a weakend team but there will be no punishment because the rule is ridiculous. Who can say what is their best team. The protest by Man utd fans has had a huge impact and shows where football is headed. We can’t complain because we have lost 3 of our last 4. Two of which were against a poor Newcastle team and an out of form Everton side. We knew we would run out of steam but the season has shown if we can get 3 or 4 quality additions in we are heading in the right direction

  • Dave says:

    What’s the point of having a squad of 25 named if you can’t play them.
    Van de been cost £45m more expensive than any of our 1st team, so they could argue we play a weakened team every week!
    Bottom line, we have lost too many games for top 4.
    How many points have we got against Man City, Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool = 0
    Results vs teams around us are very poor, that’s why we are struggling to get to the top.
    No disgrace, what we do if we had a European final around the corner.
    Live with it .
    Hopefully we win the next 3 and get 5th. I would have taken 5th from bottom after the 1st game!

  • John De Palma says:

    Todays footballers cannot cope with ‘too many games’. When we finished 3rd in 1985/86 we played 9 games in 25 days. Squad sizes were no where near the numbers they have now. In April/May the pitches were bone dry, footballs weighed a ton and players were allowed to tackle.
    The issue is the top 6 have still not been punished for trying to form the new league. They need to have points deducted now or before the new season starts…

    • mojen says:

      Agree. Everyone still waiting for the punishment for the so called top six. Just a thought wonder what their combined debt is ?

  • Chris says:

    Sorry but this is ridiculous to claim they are breaking any type of rule by changing up their squad. They have 4 games in 7 days! Do you really expect them to start those same players when they can get injured?? They have a huge game on Thursday against Liverpool and then another on the weekend.

    • aol says:

      I take your point, but I’m not sure why the game v Liverpool (6th) is more important than tonight’s game v Leicester (3rd).

      • Lok says:

        It isn’t. Solskjær would have needed to rotate either way. Doing so against Leicester and not Liverpool maximize restitution toward EL finals…

  • Saul says:

    Let’s not clutch at straws. As frustrating as it is, we’ve lost 3 of the last 4 and that’s down to us, not weakened teams or cancelled games. It’s still not impossible, we always needed to win our last 3 and I still fancy Leicester not to pick up another point. Let’s just hope Liverpool lose Thursday

    • ljd1980 says:

      Totally agree. It was still in our own hands with seven games to go. Man Utd have rotated their squad – which they have right to do, and what squads are for – tonight.

    • mojen says:

      Whilst i absolutely agree with you that is not the point, Manure fielded a weakened team which cost not just West Ham but also Liverpool probably the chance of champions league.That must be punished. We have been punished when we stepped out of line as have others So they must be.Or else what is the point ? competition is worthless as will be football,

    • Childish says:

      Yep …exactly down to us totally…and our tjin squad, imoi

  • John says:

    It’s a total farce and you have to blame those that are making the decisions at the top to help the top 6, Man Utd made 10 changes and ended up I shot on goal..something has to be done….Everyone else who played Utd this year have not had that team to confront…makes it a joke of a competition.

  • Childish says:

    Got a horrible feeling we are going to drop away now…..

  • John Tyler says:

    Well, after we apparently broke the rules and Sheff. Utd sued us for millions and won, can’t we sue Man. Utd. too, but for about £50 million as that is what they could be taking from us
    and add in Lingard for free

  • Chunk says:

    Its man u so we all know what is going to happen… absolutely nothing. Remember a good few years back when they threw the book at Ian Holloway and Blackpool i believe at the time for doing the same thing. One rule for one and a different for the so called big 6. This was proven recently in regards to the super league. But if your allowed a 25 man squad then you should be able to select any 11 from the 25 as you see fit

  • Phillyboyclaret says:

    Disgraceful! Moaning about fixture schedule when it was their own fans who caused the problem by getting their match with Liverpool postponed. They should at least pay compensation like we had to with Sheffield Utd!

    • Hollywood Hammer says:

      This could be the reason we don’t qualify for Champions League,if we go on to winning our remaining games and Leicester lose maybe 2 more.They should be forced to repay the game again.There was too much at stake for the other teams hovering around 5th,6th and 7th.

  • MOJEN says:

    Just seen the team. They mist be deducted points to ensure they are not in next years Champions league. Win Lose or Draw. it is not in the spirit of the game and breaks all rules re fielding first team.

  • Chris says:

    It’s hardly a poor side they put out; De Gea (EPL, Europa League, FA Cup winner), Eric Bailly (full Ivory Coast international), Alex Telles (full Brazil international), Nemanja Matic (EPL, FA Cup Winner, retired full Serbian international), Donny van de Beek (full Dutch international), Juan Mata (won everything there is to win, full Spanish international), Mason Greenwood (full England international at the age of 19)…only Tuanzebe, Williams, Amad and Elanga aren’t full internationals in that line-up, and they’re all highly rated prospects.

    • blimey! says:

      Well Chris, it may contain some high quality reserves, but it’s still a full team of reserves….

      It’s seems like a bit of F*** U to the Premiership and other clubs including West Ham

    • DJHammer says:

      Had that collective of Mn U players ever competed against any other opponent?
      Probably not even in a pre season friendly.
      Two debutants and a teenage prodigy up front started in a Premier League game!
      Why not start with the strongest team and sub off stalwarts thereafter.
      So much for PL rule L19.

  • MOJEN says:

    Deduct them points to ensure they are out of next years champions and all comers league.

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