Players must show they are worthy Reds
UNITED players have noticed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a habit of promising them something one day only to change his mind the next. In Leipzig, it happened within a matter of seconds.
“As a footballer, you can’t feel sorry for yourself,” the Reds boss advised. “You’ve just got to go... feel sorry for yourself for a few minutes.”
Solskjaer’s post-match debrief did not make for as uncomfortable viewing as the amateur hour prior to the start of the second half in Germany on Tuesday night as the Reds were dumped out of the Champions League.
For a club that enhanced their squad depth over the summer, they looked thin in key areas. Defenders Axel Tuanzebe and Timothy FosuMensah were introduced in the 77th minute ahead of attackers Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Daniel James and Odion Ighalo with United 3-0 down.
That evoked memories of Solskjaer’s hesitancy in the dying embers of the Europa League semi-final defeat to Sevilla, when Fosu-Mensah was the first off the bench with United 2-1 down.
The irony was the arrivals of the defenders indirectly triggered a goal glut that threatened a remarkable recovery.
Four of United’s back five made way in Germany. Luke Shaw, who has been out for 31 days through injury, was recalled ahead of Tuanzebe - who was outstanding in a back three against PSG - and Shaw’s leftback competitor Alex Telles was taken off at halftime.
United first clapped eyes on Telles at Galatasaray in 2014, he was scouted extensively over the last two years and reports suggested he was the best left-back in Portugal. He turns 28 next week, yet was accused of not being ‘streetwise enough’ by Solskjaer for Amadou Haidara’s strike which made it 2-0 to Leipzig.
At least there is competition at left-back. On the other flank, Angelino eluded Aaron WanBissaka on a regular basis.
Wan-Bissaka’s defending used to be nigh-on faultless yet he has appeared increasingly vulnerable this season and Leipzig was not the first fixture he was culpable for a goal.
Unless the right-footed Brandon Williams switches, the Reds are without a credible competitor for Wan-Bissaka. Fosu-Mensah has started four Reds games in three-and-a-half years and it is unclear if he is still an auxiliary right-back or has been completely converted. Solskjaer values Fosu-Mensah, 22, and United have offered him a new contract as he approaches the last six months of his existing deal. They need the 19-yearold Ethan Laird to regain his momentum that was halted by his August injury and resume training with the first team. Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire’s partnership is barely Champions League standard. Time and again they watched the ball and not the man as they were pulled from left to right and right to left. Tuanzebe’s athleticism has to be utilised sooner rather than later. Maguire is never going to hit the world-class heights United need from an £80m centre-half.
Solskjaer’s loyalty to De Gea has been unwavering but he is not the best keeper at the club any more Samuel Luckhurst
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David De Gea used to belong in the world-class pantheon, though that was close to two years ago. He shrivelled when Justin Kluivert seized on Maguire’s mishap to score Leipzig’s third and Reds legend Paul Scholes could not have been the only one who thought his former team-mate had ‘bottled it’.
Some United players believe Dean Henderson is overdue a regular run in the side and the 23-year-old was amazed not to have played in either of the home games against Istanbul Basaksehir and West Brom.
Henderson has appeared in the last two Premier League games, albeit as a replacement for De Gea at Southampton and his start at West Ham was not exactly on merit.
De Gea, 30, has been out of form for the best part of two years and already been dropped by his previously loyal Spain coach Luis Enrique. Solskjaer’s loyalty to him has been unwavering but he is not the best goalkeeper at the club anymore and his semi-final recalls in the FA Cup and Europa League partly denied United silverware last season.
The inclusion of Nemanja Matic was comparable to Sir Alex Ferguson turning to Ji-sung Park for the Etihad derby in April 2012.
United’s formation and most of the personnel were logical in Leipzig but one player can change the perception of a side and Matic’s inclusion contradicted Solskjaer’s pre-match intention that they wanted ‘to go out there and win a game’.