Manchester United defence of divisive summer appointment is justified

The bar was set rather high when Manchester United boasted about the appointment of a 'set-piece' specialist last summer. So much so that then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer even addressed his arrival in a public interview, further amplifying the expectations placed on his shoulders.

“He’s a very highly rated coach who is going to be working with individuals and in charge of set-plays as well," the Norwegian stated of the 'innovative' appointment, with Eric Ramsay tasked to 'work one-on-one with individual players and also take ownership over training on the side's set-plays.' For many, the gut reaction was to suddenly think United would start playing like a Sam Allardyce or Tony Pulis side from attacking set-piece scenarios, with an emphasis on physical presence in the box and well-crafted routines.

Yet, with greater expectation comes greater height from which to fall. There is no denying the irony that after hiring a specialist, it took United 140 corners in the Premier League until they finally put one into the back of the net.

ALSO READ: How much it cost United to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Harry Maguire's headed goal from a Luke Shaw delivery at Elland Road was a long time in the making, but oddly enough, United had already scored from the exact same set-piece during pre-season.

It was in the final friendly match, at home to Everton, that Shaw swung a corner out towards the captain, who thumped a header beyond Jordan Pickford to double United's lead.

Solskjaer's side actually scored three times from set-pieces that day, with Bruno Fernandes also netting directly from a free-kick and Diogo Dalot scoring an improvised header after a short corner routine.

Since then, United's struggles with set-pieces have been well