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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is quick to remind people that it is traditional for Manchester United to make things difficult. The problem is that sooner or later it reaches you. In Leipzig, on Tuesday night, he ended United’s Champions League season.
Needing only a draw to advance to the knockout stages, Solskjaer’s team was down two in the first quarter of an hour and conceded a third after the break. The usual comeback was dramatic but in vain. A 3-2 loss means the Europa League is turning heads.
It is four times in a row in all competitions that United have conceded the first goal. Five of his six Premier League victories have come that way, including those notable comebacks against Southampton and West Ham in recent weeks.
The spirit can be applauded, the talent to ignite it can marvel. But it is not a long-term solution. It is not a strategy. It’s not something to build on, the progress of which Solskjaer often talks about. Not when the team returns to its lethargic form in the next game.
Angelino set the Leipzig score in motion on a difficult night for United
The feeling with United is that it’s individual moments of brilliance that bring them out. That was the concern that Patrice Evra had expressed before the game against Leipzig.
“I just don’t want them to trust their individuality because that’s what they’re doing recently, always having to come back after falling,” he said. Sky sports. “Let’s focus on the team. If you want to be in the top four and get through the group stage, then you need a team performance. Individuality will save you for a few games, but don’t rely on it too much.” In other words, this defeat was completely predictable.
It was certainly those concerns about recent performances that led Solskjaer to change tactics for this game. He could have opted for the diamond midfield that helped United beat these same Bundesliga opponents 5-0 at Old Trafford in October.
Instead, it was the return of the bottom three, unseen since the win over Paris Saint-Germain earlier that month. It has been the go-to formation for some of Solskjaer’s biggest games, including, without success, in the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea in the summer.
Was that a factor in the slow start?
“We changed form after we were down 2-0 and we looked more comfortable, but I don’t want to make excuses,” said Harry Maguire.
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Paul Merson says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘was terribly wrong’ against Leipzig
Some will point to the Paul Pogba controversy on the eve of the game. His agent Mino Raiola’s comments calling for a withdrawal were not the ideal preparation for a match of this magnitude and perhaps the consequences behind the scenes are compounded by defeat.
But Pogba was not guilty here. In fact, just like against West Ham at the weekend, he played an active role in the comeback, this time scoring second after coming off the bench.
Individuals are not the problem. It is more fundamental. It is a lack of cohesion, the absence of an idea. There is no consistency, but how can there be when everything is changing?
There were double changes at halftime against Southampton and West Ham, another was made here. In fact, the only game in the last four in which United did not make any changes at halftime was against PSG when they definitely should have, but instead allowed Fred to sleepwalking to the red card.
It is a sign of one side always fighting.
United continues to seek that rhythm. Reacting. It is encouraging that the players continue to want to react. It is alarming that they cannot impose their own patterns of play.
Saturday, December 12 5:00 pm
Start 5:30 pm
Such are the extraordinary demands of the schedule that there is little time to tackle these problems in training camp, much less to wallow in disappointment. Manchester City are visitors to Old Trafford on Saturday and the mood could be darkened with another defeat.
It will have to be another repair job, another fix and repair. Find a tactic to suppress and hope to conjure up another great result to persuade supporters that a better way is coming.
Sometimes it works and everyone can laugh. This is Manchester United. We do things the hard way. And sometimes it doesn’t work. And you wonder if it really has to be that difficult.
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