SOLSKJAER: STOP BEING SLOPPY

OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER warned that Manchester United must learn from their mistakes in Europe if they are to avoid another early Champions League exit. Last night’s shock defeat at Young Boys echoed a 2-1 loss to Basaksehir in Istanbul last November, which was the beginning of the end of United’s group campaign before they dropped into the Europa League. Solskjaer’s side still have plenty of time to recover in their remaining five group games, but the manager wants better discipline after seeing United punished for Aaron WanBissaka’s red card and Jesse Lingard’s late mistake. ‘Discipline is a huge part of the game, not just the Champions League,’ said Solskjaer (right). ‘A lack of concentration, you make a mistake and you get done. ‘We did that last year, conceding two sloppy counterattacks against Basaksehir and lost that game in the last seconds today. So we know we’ve given ourselves a more difficult task. We did last year when everyone thought we were through after two games. ‘You need 10 or 12 points: win your home games and one away from home. We’ve lost the opportunity to get three points, but we’ve got two home games next and have to focus on those two.’ On the red card, Solskjaer said: ‘I can understand why he gives it. Aaron is normally a very astute tackler, one of the best in the world, but he takes a touch that goes too far. It’s never a dangerous tackle because he hits him in the front of his foot. ‘It was never reckless or malicious. And it makes it different after that with 10 men.’ On Lingard’s awful back-pass, which let in Jordan Siebatcheu for Young Boys’ late winner, the United boss said: ‘Jesse wants to play it safe and misplaces the pass. That happens in football. Harry hindsight is a very good player. If Jesse gets that chance again he turns, swivels and boots the ball the other way.’ However, Solskjaer felt that 32-year-old French referee Francois Letexier backed away from giving a penalty for Mohamed Ali Camara’s challenge on Cristiano Ronaldo in the second half because he would have had to show a red card as well. ‘He shoves him with his arm and he’s one-on-one with the keeper. But he probably didn’t do it as he would have had to send him off and that’s sometimes what you get with young refs,’ said Solskjaer, who put a consoling arm around Ronaldo when he surprisingly took off United’s goalscorer in the 72nd minute. ‘He’s exceptional but we have to look after him and it felt like the right moment to take him off.’