Telles needs to be more ‘streetwise’ insists Solskjaer
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer felt Alex Telles was not ‘streetwise’ enough in their Champions League defeat to RB Leipzig.
Leipzig took a 2-0 half-time lead through goals from City loanee Angelino and Amadou Haidara on Tuesday night, but the United boss felt Haidara’s 13th-minute goal could have been disallowed after a shove on Telles by Emil Forsberg.
The Reds defender did not go down under the contact, but it appeared the goal was checked by the Video Assistant Referee before it was allowed to stand.
New signing Telles was removed at half-time for Donny van de Beek in just his third Champions League start for United.
“We did everything we normally do in preparation,” Solskjaer explained after the 3-2 defeat saw them dumped out of the Champions League.
“With the video meetings, the training sessions, recovery with all the games we’ve got.
“We know that everyone wants to be up for a game like this, everyone’s ready for a game like this. The season we are playing and the demands on the players, sometimes it takes them 10 or 15 minutes to get going.
“Leipzig scored two good goals, maybe the referee should have done something for the second one when Alex gets pushed in the back, maybe we were not streetwise enough.
“Maybe he should have dropped
and fallen on the floor, because he gets pushed in the back.
“The first goal is something we prepared for and was not good enough.”
Solskjaer, however, had praise for his players, who almost staged what would have been a dramatic comeback as they scored twice in the last 10 minutes.
“I look back and look at this season and look at the players and actually admire them for being as ready as they are at times.
“It is a difficult season, there are difficult circumstances this year and we were up for it. And the character and effort I can’t fault.”
United will discover their opponents in the Europa League round-of-32 in Monday’s draw – two days after they host City in the derby.