Menu

Ratings: Ronaldo and Sancho combine to give Carrick his first victory as interim manager; United though to the knockout stages of the Champions League

23 November 2021 by

Manchester United beat Villarreal 2-0 in the Champions League, securing a round of 16 place in the competition this season, which is an improvement on last season. Michael Carrick will be happy with the victory and the clean sheet. Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 78th minute of the match, scoring his tenth goal of the season, his sixth in five Champions League matches and his 799th career goal. Jadon Sancho doubled United’s lead in the 90th minute of the match, scoring his first goal for the club since his arrival in the summer. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s work at the club is over but look at what he’s helped to build.

United started positively in their first match led by Michael Carrick following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Scott McTominay had a header on goal in the early stages but was it was into the side netting. David De Gea was up for the challenge with Villarreal having two chances on goal in the opening ten minutes of the match. Villarreal started to take charge of the game in the first half hour, having the Lion’s share of possession and getting another shot on goal, which De Gea has to make a diving save to deny. United were playing cautiously and so far had kept their heads, which was a positive sign.

During a positive period of play, Fred seemed to injure himself, which on the replay look like he twisted his foot with his boot rooted into the pitch. He immediately went down and required treatment. However, he did not look like he was in agony and managed to get to his feet and walk off before coming back onto the pitch. Seconds later. Victor Lindelof was down with an apparent knee injury after a collision with Arnaut Danjuma, but he was fine to continue. Donny van de Beek was booked for a foul, despite winning the ball, in the 41st minute with De Gea needing to weather a free-kick, which was no real threat on his goal.

There were no changes at the start of the second half for either team, which bodes well for Fred, who must not be feeling anything from the suspected injury in the first half of the match. Villarreal were trying to get ahead in this match, as with the head to head record, with United winning earlier in the season, it would be a positive for United in the final match of the group stage regarding qualifying for the knockout stages of the competition. The Spanish side were finding it hard to break United down. Likewise for United trying to get ahead but Villarreal were enjoying a large spell on the ball with United in their own half for much of the second half so far.

De Gea made another save in the 60th minute of the match, keeping United in the match. He also weathered the corner, because he sent the ball out of play, but Villarreal were still in possession of the ball and seeking to get ahead in this match. Carrick had a number of players warming up on the sidelines after the hour mark of the match, so the time for a change was coming. Danjuma had a strike on goal in the 63rd minute of the match but his attempt was well over the crossbar and into the crowd. In the 66th minute, Carrick made a double substitution with Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford replacing Donny van de Beek and Anthony Martial.

After the changes, United seemed a but more determined to get up into Villarreal’s half and threaten, which has not been the case for much of this match. Perhaps it was the right time for the changes. Jadon Sancho broke into the box in the 71st minute, but as soon as he unleashed his for the goalkeeper made the save and Villarreal were back in possession of the ball. It was the best United have done so far in the match, which is such a shame. Cristiano Ronaldo was in the Villarreal box controlling the ball with his chest, the referee suggested it was his arm and stopped play with Ronaldo unimpressed.

In the 78th minute of the match, Ronaldo found the lead for United with a sublime finish from range, scoring his tenth goal of the season so far, his sixth goal in five Champions League matches this season. It was a confidence builder for United and they will need to keep their heads and ensure it stays that way. Ronaldo almost scored his 800th career goal minutes later, hitting a diagonal ball across the face of the goal. Bruno Fernandes then had a chance on goal, which was not going to give United a two-goal cushion at this stage of the match. United got what they needed, which was the bare minimum.

Jadon Sancho got United’s second goal in the 90th minute with Bruno Fernandes getting the assist. It was a great finish from the winger, his first for the club which might take some pressure off him. Carrick made two further changes; Nemanja Matic on for Ronaldo and Juan Mata on for Sancho in added time. United will face Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon, which will be an important match for United to get right which could see them in a position to claw back some points and better their position in the league at this sage of the season. Come on United!

Manchester United

1 David De Gea

Managed to keep Villarreal out of his goal in the first half, which is a positive based on the attacks they had on United's goal. He's proved himself this evening with his saves and clean sheet. Onwards and upwards from here?

12345

29 Aaron Wan-Bissaka

Lacking confidence and this match will probably help. His passing was not the best and his thinking needs to be quicker as he took a while to offload the ball getting caught at times. Perhaps a period on the bench would help him?

12345

2 Victor Lindelof

Had a positive first half which showed his determination to see United succeed, making five clearances and one block. Could it be his time to shine? Held his head high in the second half as United got two goals, keeping a clean sheet.

12345

5 Harry Maguire

Seems to have found some form, but it is a results game, isn't it? He defended well and did what was needed. He needs to keep this form. He's been terrible for over a month now.

12345

27 Alex Telles

Defensively, he seemed to be caught out at times. Better going forward but needs to focus on his passing as he overhit the ball a few times. Will be rusty having not played many minutes this season.

12345

17 Fred

Seemed up for the challenge. Raised his game a little, perhaps? Seemed to have hurt his ankle late in the first half but recovered. Provided a lot of work rate and seems to have done what was needed against Villarreal. Positivity perhaps?

12345

39 Scott McTominay

Got forward at times and could have had a goal in the opening minutes, but hit the side netting. It was a solid performance that he can build on. United needed that.

12345

25 Jadon Sancho

Got his first goal for the club in the last minute of the match. So pleased for him. Played brilliantly, seemingly playing further back that a right-wing position. Early days in that respect though. He will find much confidence from this performance.

12345

34 Donny van de Beek

A positive performance. Ran his ground and sought to break through on goal at times. He's a decent player that needs to remain at the club this winter. In the 66th minute of the match he was replaced by Fernandes.

12345

9 Anthony Martial

Needs to do so much more to regain his starting position. I don't think he showed much in the first half of this match. He will be rusty though. Offered little in the second half and was replaced by Rashford in the 66th minute.

12345

7 Cristiano Ronaldo

Scored his tenth goal of the season, his sixth in five Champions League matches, which shows what a player his still is at 36. There will be people moaning about United's reliance on him but who cares about them. You can see what scoring for United means to him. Replaced by Matic in the first minute of added time.

12345

Substitutes

18 Bruno Fernandes

Replaced Van de Beek 66'. Got an assist for Sancho's first goal for the club. Improved United's attack considerably.

12345

10 Marcus Rashford

Replaced Martial 66'. As soon as he came on, United sparked into like in an attacking sense. The first goal came 12 minutes later.

12345

31 Nemanja Matic

Replaced Ronaldo 90+1'. Came on with two minutes of added time left. Not enough time to make an impact.

12345

8 Juan Mata

Replaced Sancho 90+3'. Came on at the death. Not enough time to find much involvement.

12345

Goals: Cristiano Ronaldo 78′, Jadon Sancho 90′

Assists: Bruno Fernandes 90′

Manchester United: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles; Fred, McTominay; Sancho (Mata 90+3′), Van de Beek (Fernandes 66′), Martial (Rashford 66′); Ronaldo (Matic 90+1′)

Substitutes Not Used: Heaton, Henderson; Bailly, Dalot; Lingard; Amad

Bookings: Yeremi Pino 33′; Donny van de Beek 41′

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Reports, Opinion, Player Ratings Tagged With: , , , , ,

Confirmed XI: Donny van de Beek starts against Villarreal; Cristiano Ronaldo leads the line

23 November 2021 by

Manchester United will take on Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica in the UEFA Champions League this evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed his final match for the club as he was sacked following the 4-1 defeat to Watford which was a new low for the club. Michael Carrick will step into the shoes of Solskjaer for this match as the club looks to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, which suggests another change could happen during the summer. United will need to get three points in the bag in this match to secure their knockout stage participation in the Champions League this season.

Whilst it is sad to see Solskjaer leave the job he loved, it was time for a change as it seemed clear that there were problems somewhere in the club at playing level, despite the fact there remains a problem with the ownership and the board of the club, who just don’t seem to want the club to achieve what the players and the supporters want the club to achieve. United need to continue building on the same plan that Solskjaer helped to define, returning the club to a position whereby they will be able to challenge for the big honours in domestic and European football. Thanks for everything, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United:

De Gea;

Wan-Bissaka, Lindelof, Maguire, Telles;

Fred, McTominay;

Sancho, Van de Beek, Martial;

Ronaldo

Substitutes:

Heaton, Henderson; Bailly, Dalot; Mata, Lingard, Fernandes, Matic; Rashford, Amad

Villarreal:

Rulli;

Foyth, Albiol, Torres, Estupinan;

Trigueros, Capoue, Parejo, Gomez;

Pino, Danjuma

Substitutes:

Asenjo, Alvarez, Gaspar, Alcacer, Iborra, Chukwueze, Dia, Raba, Moreno, Pena, Mandi, Pedraza

United and Villarreal have met a total of six times in the history of both clubs with United winning once – the last match between the two teams. There have been four draws and one defeat with the first four matches played in the Champions League group stages with the last match played in the Europa League final. United won 2-1 in the meeting earlier this season, the first goals scored against them in the Champions League. Before that, in the Europa League final last season, it was a 1-1 draw after extra time with Villarreal winning 11-10 on penalties. If United can get a good result in this match, they will have a good change of getting out the group.

There is not much history between United and Villarreal as far as players are concerned. Eric Bailly is the only current United player who came to the club from the Spanish club in the summer of 2016 for €30 million. Since the transfer, Bailly has made a total of 107 appearances, scoring one goal and one assist. United were apparently interested in signing Pau Torres during the summer. Guiseppe Rossi was sold to Villarreal in the 2007/08 season and Diego Forlan arrived at the Spanish club in the 2004/05 season. Both players did well in Spain with Rossi scoring 82 goals in 181 appearances and Forlan scoring 58 goals in 121 appearances.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, News, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Predicted XI: [4-3-3] Donny van de Beek is the player that can rejuvenate Manchester United’s midfield

22 November 2021 by

Manchester United will take on Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed his final match for the club as he was sacked following the 4-1 defeat to Watford which was a new low for the club. Michael Carrick will step into the shoes of Solskjaer for this match as the club looks to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, which suggests another change could happen during the summer. United will need to get three points in the bag in this match to secure their knockout stage participation in the Champions League this season.

Whilst it is sad to see Solskjaer leave the job he loved, it was time for a change as it seemed clear that there were problems somewhere in the club at playing level, despite the fact there remains a problem with the ownership and the board of the club, who just don’t seem to want the club to achieve what the players and the supporters want the club to achieve. United need to continue building on the same plan that Solskjaer helped to define, returning the club to a position whereby they will be able to challenge for the big honours in domestic and European football. Thanks for everything, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Previous meetings with Villarreal and their connections with Manchester United.

United and Villarreal have met a total of six times in the history of both clubs with United winning once – the last match between the two teams. There have been four draws and one defeat with the first four matches played in the Champions League group stages with the last match played in the Europa League final. United won 2-1 in the meeting earlier this season, the first goals scored against them in the Champions League. Before that, in the Europa League final last season, it was a 1-1 draw after extra time with Villarreal winning 11-10 on penalties. If United can get a good result in this match, they will have a good change of getting out the group.

There is not much history between United and Villarreal as far as players are concerned. Eric Bailly is the only current United player who came to the club from the Spanish club in the summer of 2016 for €30 million. Since the transfer, Bailly has made a total of 107 appearances, scoring one goal and one assist. United were apparently interested in signing Pau Torres during the summer. Guiseppe Rossi was sold to Villarreal in the 2007/08 season and Diego Forlan arrived at the Spanish club in the 2004/05 season. Both players did well in Spain with Rossi scoring 82 goals in 181 appearances and Forlan scoring 58 goals in 121 appearances.

Here is my predicted starting XI to face Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League at the Estadio de la Cerámica on Tuesday evening…

Goalkeeper: David De Gea

From my point of view, David De Gea has not had a poor season despite the number of goals conceded. He has shown some improvement in some areas, specifically saving penalties. The defeat to Watford could have been so much worse if he did not save that penalty. The Spanish goalkeeper does need to continue to improve though as he will be playing for his place in the team again, depending what happens with the vacant managerial position at the club, which will be immediately filled by Michael Carrick. That could change later this week because United take on Villarreal around 72 hours following the Watford match.

I would like to see De Gea change his game a little. Dean Henderson was a breath of fresh air last season with his different approach to goalkeeping but De Gea will not change his age as he has become who he is now. Henderson is inexperienced when it comes to playing for United but he could well be the new era in the goalkeeping position under a new manager. De Gea should command his back four like Henderson has, in particularly in a way that Peter Schmeichel did. United need some kind of leader at the back as the current captain has not been leading like the likes of Steve Bruce, Nemanja Matic and Gary Neville would have.

Defenders: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Alex Telles

United have conceded 29 goals in all competitions this season, and at this early stage of the season it is unacceptable. To blame that on Solskjaer would not be right. United are much better with Raphael Varane in the centre of the defence, but with him enduring his second injury spell at the club, United are left with Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly and Harry Maguire. Phil Jones is not eligible to feature in the Champions League having not been named in the squad this season – that could change in January if he does not leave the club. Bailly was good in one match ch and terrible in the next, so he’s a wildcard options as you never know what you will get.

Against Villarreal, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Alex Telles should feature in the fullback positions with the former keeping his place from Saturday’s defeat to Watford and needing a positive performance, or it could be the beginning of the end for him at United as he just does not seem to be improving. Telles should play ahead of Luke Shaw, who suffered his second injury in successive matches, so will probably need some time to recover, especially with Chelsea on the horizon. In the centre of the defence, Lindelof and Maguire will keep their places, with Maguire suspended for the Chelsea match. He owes United a brilliant performance after Saturday.

Midfield: Scott McTominay, Donny van de Beek, Bruno Fernandes

United’s midfield needs some surgery as it is not as good as it should be, especially in the defensive midfield area. Nemanja Matic has been great but having a player with youth on his side who can put some steel into the midfield is needed and neither Scott McTominay or Fred have done that, so one of them, preferably the latter should be pushed out of the club because it has not worked. That said, United will keep him, give him a new contract and we will have this conversation in a few more years, talking about the same thing. Against Villarreal, Scott McTominay should play in the defensive area of the midfield.

Donny van de Beek proved on Saturday that he needed to play more often as he was the best player on the pitch, which was great to see. He looked determined and possibly was one of Solskjaer’s biggest regrets of his time managing the club. If he had played more, it might have worked out well for him. Bruno Fernandes should also feature in the 4-3-3 formation, providing some addition attacking play but also fortifying the midfield when United are under attack. A 4-3-3 formation seems to be the best with United’s midfield and attack at this time, but it all depends on what vision Carrick has for this match.

Forward: Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford

Saturday’s performance was not the best but if Cristiano Ronaldo wants to achieve something at United this season, he will need to start getting into the swing of things. Granted, United should not be relying on him but he wants to achieve so is it really reliance? He has scored nine goals and two assists in his time back at the club with him scoring five goals in the last four matches in the Champions League, it feels like he could score again on Tuesday evening in Spain. United have a good squad, at least on paper at this time and it will be up to Carrick, then whoever to get the best out of them for the remainder of the season.

Ronaldo is a Champion League player and with Edinson Cavani still suffering from tendon issues an Anthony Martial well out of form, he might have to lead the line again, which is something that won’t faze him. Marcus Rashford should feature on the left of the forward three, where he has excelled over the last few seasons under Solskajer, although he was switched on Saturday, which should not happen here. Jadon Sancho should start on the right, which is his favoured position and the one he was bought in to feature in – he had a good performance at times against Watford and perhaps this could be the start of his finding his feet properly.

Substitutes: Dean Henderson, Tom Heaton; Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw; Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Fred, Amad Diallo, Nemanja Matic; Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani

Five substitutes are able to be used in the Champions League, which will be beneficial for United ahead of the Chelsea match on Sunday and United will benefit from a few extra hours rest with Chelsea playing on Tuesday evening in the 8pm kick off. Not that it will give the much of an advantage with the form that top of the league Chelsea are in right now. I would expect to see both Dean Henderson and Tom Heaton on the bench in the goalkeeper positions with De Gea keeping his place in the starting XI. That may change if Carrick feels that one of those should have the chance to push for De Gea’s number one position.

In defence, Eric Bailly, Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw could be available should the defence need some switching, which you know will be the case. This team are not all of a sudden going to become a steel defensive side – that will take time. If it does happen, will anyone ask any questions of them? In the midfield, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard, Fred, Aad Diallo and Nemanja Matic should all be available. United will need a change in the midfield at some point in the match. In attack, Anthony Martial, who was not great when he came on against Watford and Edinson Cavani, if fit could be available. Maybe Anthony Elanga could fill in is Cavani is unavailable.

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Opinion, Starting XI Tagged With: , , , , ,

Preview: Manchester United need to beat Villarreal to continue rebuild post-Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

21 November 2021 by

Villarreal -v- Manchester United

UEFA Champions League

Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal, Spain

Tuesday 23 November 2021, KO 17:45 GMT

Referee: Felix Brych Assistants: Mark Borsch, Stefan Lupp

Fourth Official: Daniel Schlager

VAR: Marco Fritz Assistant VAR: Harm Osmers

Manchester United will take on Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday evening. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has managed his final match for the club as he was sacked following the 4-1 defeat to Watford which was a new low for the club. Michael Carrick will step into the shoes of Solskjaer for this match as the club looks to appoint an interim manager until the end of the season, which suggests another change could happen during the summer. United will need to get three points in the bag in this match to secure their knockout stage participation in the Champions League this season.

Whilst it is sad to see Solskjaer leave the job he loved, it was time for a change as it seemed clear that there were problems somewhere in the club at playing level, despite the fact there remains a problem with the ownership and the board of the club, who just don’t seem to want the club to achieve what the players and the supporters want the club to achieve. United need to continue building on the same plan that Solskjaer helped to define, returning the club to a position whereby they will be able to challenge for the big honours in domestic and European football. Thanks for everything, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: LLDWLW

Watford 4-1 L, Manchester City 2-0 L, Atalanta 2-2 D, Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 W, Liverpool 5-0 L, Atalanta 3-2 W

Goals: 9 – Cristiano Ronaldo, 4 – Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood, 3 – Marcus Rashford, 2 – Jesse Lingard, 1 – Edinson Cavani, Fred, Anthony Martial, Alex Telles, Donny van de Beek

Assists: 8 – Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, 2 – Victor Lindelof, Nemanja Matic, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luke Shaw, 1 – Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Raphael Varane

Villarreal – Recent Form, Goals Scored and Assists: DWWLDL

Celta Vigo 1-1 D, Getafe 1-0 W, Young Boys 2-0 W, Valencia 2-0 L, Cadiz 3-3 D, Athletic Bilbao 2-1 L

Goals: 7 – Arnaut Danjuma, 4 – Manu Trigueros, 3 – Alberto Moreno, 2 – Gerard Moreno, Yeremi Pino, 1 – Paco Alcácer, Etienne Capoue, Samuel Chukwueze, Francis Coquelin, Boulaye Dia, Pau Torres

Assists: 3 – Daniel Parejo, Yeremi Pino, 2 – Paco Alcácer, Arnaut Danjuma, Boulaye Dia, Gerard Moreno, Alfonso Pedraza, 1 – Serge Aurier, Etienne Capoue, Francis Coquelin, Moi Gómez

Previous meetings with Villarreal and their connections with Manchester United.

United and Villarreal have met a total of six times in the history of both clubs with United winning once – the last match between the two teams. There have been four draws and one defeat with the first four matches played in the Champions League group stages with the last match played in the Europa League final. United won 2-1 in the meeting earlier this season, the first goals scored against them in the Champions League. Before that, in the Europa League final last season, it was a 1-1 draw after extra time with Villarreal winning 11-10 on penalties. If United can get a good result in this match, they will have a good change of getting out the group.

There is not much history between United and Villarreal as far as players are concerned. Eric Bailly is the only current United player who came to the club from the Spanish club in the summer of 2016 for €30 million. Since the transfer, Bailly has made a total of 107 appearances, scoring one goal and one assist. United were apparently interested in signing Pau Torres during the summer. Guiseppe Rossi was sold to Villarreal in the 2007/08 season and Diego Forlan arrived at the Spanish club in the 2004/05 season. Both players did well in Spain with Rossi scoring 82 goals in 181 appearances and Forlan scoring 58 goals in 121 appearances.

Team News: Varane, Pogba and Greenwood ruled out of Villarreal match; Cavani and Shaw both doubts whilst Maguire will be available – Moreno is the only injured player for Villarreal at this time.

Raphael Varane (Thigh), Paul Pogba (Thigh) and Mason Greenwood (COVID) will all be out of the clash with Villarreal on Tuesday evening. Edinson Cavani (Tendon) has a 25% chance of being available for the journey to Spain with Luke Shaw (Head) having a 50% chance of featuring for United. Harry Maguire will be available for the match despite his sending off in the defeat to Watford, but will miss the Chelsea match at the weekend. United will be seeking to overcome the defeat to Watford, ending a turbulent period and ensuring they take their chances to get out of this Champions League group and into the knockout stages of the competition.

Gerard Moreno (Torn Muscle) is the only absentee for Villarreal ahead of he clash with United. They will be upset with the manner of the 2-1 defeat earlier in the season and be seeking to avenge that in their home stadium. The current form is not the best, but neither is United’s so it could be an even match. Villarreal are currently second in the group with the same number of points as United, but the head to head record is in United’s favour at this time. That will all be different with another defeat at this stage of the season, which is not what United will want, even if some of the players have given up performing – that says more about them.

Predicted Starting XI: Donny van de Beek must start against Villarreal; Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to lead the attack in the Champions Legue.

Following Solskjaer’s departure of the club, Carrick will step into his shoes and pick the team, formation and tactics for this match. It is expected that more of the same will be provided and the players who were supposedly the favourites of Solskjaer’s will continue to feature. However, now is the time for change and the stagnant way in which United have been playing for more than two months. United are back in an uncertain period and many of these players will be playing for their own futures at the club as nothing is guaranteed until there is a permanent manager at the helm – even then they cannot take anything for granted.

David De Gea will most likely keep his place in goal, unless there is going to be an upset coming with Dean Henderson stepping in, but I don’t think that is the case. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Alex Telles could form the back four with Luke Shaw likely to be out after having to come off injured in his last two matches. Scott McTominay could play in the defensive midfield position in a 4-3-3 with Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek in the advanced areas – the Dutchman needs to start as he was the best player against Watford. Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo should lead the attack.

Match Prediction: United and Villarreal have a five match history in European competition with four draws, one defeat (on penalties) and one victory. That needs to become two on Tuesday evening.

United’s history with Villarreal has not been all that impressive. Four matches in the Champions League before this season were goalless. The Europa League final was a 1-1 draw with United losing 11-10 on penalties. Earlier this season, Ronaldo scored the winner with Alex Telles also scoring his first goal for the club to come from behind. Of course, nothing is guaranteed in football and United are not guaranteed success Hard work could bring that but that is not a certain. United need to get back to basics, find a way to use their attacking talent and kick their opposition into touch to get an important three points in the bag.

This will be a hard match for United. Villarreal don’t have an impressive record either, so it will be tough for them too. Not everything that happened at the club was down to Solskjaer but there will be some so-called supporters who will hold everything that happened against him. The Glazer’s, Ed Woodward, Matt Judge and Richard Arnold all have a combined responsibility for what is happening at United and they will continue to do what keeps them all in a job with the money coming in. The players on the pitch will need to dig deep, rise above the challenge and ensure they can bring in the results as they are responsible for this too.

Villarreal 1-3 Manchester United

Written by John Walker

Filed Under: Feature, First Team, Managers, Match Previews, News, Opinion Tagged With: , , , , ,

copyright: JW