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The Norwegian coach made a mistake in his original tactic and was later unable to replace his Brazilian midfielder even though his eventual red card was unavoidable.
The fact that Manchester United came to Wednesday’s meeting with Paris Saint-Germain needing only one point to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League was largely due to the leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The much-maligned Norwegian coach had devised tactical plans both against PSG in France and at home to RB Leipzig in their first two European matches that outwitted German duo Thomas Tuchel and Julian Nagelsmann, respectively.
United got the most points from those meetings, leaving them at the top of a group many felt they would struggle to qualify from when the draw took place in September.
Now, however, after winning just one of their subsequent three matches, their future in the continent’s main cup competition is hanging by a thread heading into the final matchday.
Solskjaer must have his share of the blame for that being the case after a disastrous coaching display at Old Trafford that led to his team’s 3-1 loss.
If the striker who won the hat-trick had got his tactics right in the reverse game, then the 4-2-3-1 system he implemented here left a lot to be desired.
Despite having beaten the Parisians twice playing a three-man defense during his reign at United, Solskjaer turned the four back to find space for Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani later on.
Although they are a powerful foursome in the final third, there is not much defensive sense between them, and as such the Red Devils were overrun in midfield in the early stages, with Neymar taking advantage to give the visitors a lead in the sixth minute. .
Solskjaer has come to rely on Scott McTominay and Fred as his midfielder duo in United’s biggest games throughout the season, but here they struggled, with the latter putting on a memorable display for all the wrong reasons.
The Brazilian’s career battle with Leandro Paredes was the theme of the night, though it should only have lasted a quarter of the game after Fred inexplicably avoided a red card for a header on the Argentine midway through the first half.
Instead, he was shown a yellow card, and was lucky enough to avoid a second caution before halftime, after another that joined Paredes and actually saw the PSG man take his name.
It was clear Fred was walking a disciplinary tightrope, and with Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba warming up before the break, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the 27-year-old would retire, particularly given the five substitutions. that are available to coaches in the Champions League this season.
The fact that Fred even appeared on the field during the second half was Solskjaer’s biggest flaw of the night, and if United exit the competition on Tuesday, that decision will only be further scrutinized by those who continue to believe that the Red Devils boss is out of his depth at the highest level.
“There was no reason for his performance to take him out,” Solskjaer said after the match, despite Fred finally getting his marching orders in the second half when goals from Marquinhos and Neymar sealed the victory for the visitors.
“He was lucky to stay in the first half. Fred knows he shouldn’t put his head towards someone even if he doesn’t touch him.
“I thought Fred kept his head and calm very well in the second half and had no luck with the referee’s decision. In retrospect, you can say that having 11 men would have been better, but who can say.”
Not even Marcus Rashford’s now-mandatory goal against the Ligue 1 champions was enough this time for United, with the sight of the English striker limping through the tunnel midway through the second period a concern given the eight-game streak in the ensuing 27 days he faces the Solskjaer team.
That sequence includes Premier League clashes with Manchester City and Leicester City, a Carabao Cup quarter-final match against Everton and next week’s now-decisive visit to Leipzig.
United will still qualify if they avoid defeat against the Bundesliga side, but their 5-0 win in the first match should not hide the difficult task it promises to be.
It could have ended tonight. That it was not so much in Solskjaer as in Fred.
