WAKE-UP FALL FOR UNITED
Defeat by Sevilla proved Solskjaer’s threadbare squad requires serious investment to convert semi-final defeats into trophies
MANCHESTER UNITED’S frustrating Europa League exit to Sevilla may ultimately end up working in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s favour.
The manner of the 2-1 defeat reinforced the message to the United hierarchy that significant additions need to be made to the squad this summer to challenge for the big prizes.
The fact it took Solskjaer until the 87th minute, with his team trailing, to use his substitutes, said everything about the lack of real depth and quality beyond his starting line-up. His reluctance to make changes earlier, and reliance on the same starting line-up for the past couple of months, showed why Solskjaer’s squad is in need of fresh personnel.
The manager fulfilled his remit by taking United back into the Champions League next season through some astute buys and the jettisoning of players who did not fit into his long-term vision. And despite losing three semi-finals – falling just short in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup as well – now the United board must continue to back him in this transfer window, to build on the progress made and give Solskjaer every chance of competing with Liverpool and Manchester City.
While their No1 target remains Borussia Dortmund’s £100million-rated forward Jadon Sancho, the Sevilla loss showed there are other key areas in United’s side that need addressing.
For all their progress in their debut seasons at United, full-backs Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams were partly culpable for both Sevilla goals and showed their lack of experience.
Had Luke Shaw been fit, he would have started at left-back ahead of Williams, 19, who remains a work in progress, while WanBissaka, 22, showed he, too, still has much to learn defensively.
On Sunday, Wan-Bissaka failed to track the run of Sergio Reguilon, who crossed for Sevilla’s first goal, and was static as he allowed Luuk de Jong to plunder the winner.
We’ve got to be 100 per cent sure when we make those deals
Despite his tackling prowess, he needs to improve his positioning and reading of the game, as does Williams, who allowed Suso in behind him for the opener.
Solskjaer wants to bring in a centre-back to partner United skipper Harry Maguire, a move underlined by Victor Lindelof’s failure to cut out the ball that led to Sevilla’s second goal.
Lindelof cannot be faulted in terms of commitment but lacks the quality and reliability United need alongside Maguire, which is why a new partner for the captain has become a priority. Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly is the ideal choice but with the Italian club demanding around £70m, he will be out of United’s price range, given their expected outlay on Sancho.
Lille’s Gabriel Magalhaes would be a cheaper option but, at 22, does not have the experience Solskjaer is looking for in a new centre-back to provide greater reliability. In midfield, Solskjaer wants to add more guile, with Aston Villa’s Jack Grealish and Ajax’s Donny van de Beek on the radar, to complement Paul Pogba, Fred, Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay.
In attack, the priority remains Sancho, to provide competition for Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood.
To facilitate the expected new arrivals, there will have to be departures, with Phil Jones, Diogo Dalot, Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling, Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard all set to leave.
“It’s going to be a strange summer,” said Solskjaer. “We’ve only got a couple of weeks away from each other before we get going again.
“We’re going to keep pushing and keep demanding more of the players we have, but still we’re looking to improve.
“The league starts very quickly, but the market is open for so long. We’ve got to be smart and clever.
“It’s a quick turnaround and we have got to be 100 per cent sure when we make those deals.”