This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
Manchester United clawed their way back to 3-3 draw against Sheffield United but despite being second best for the majority of the game, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn’t too disappointed with his team’s performance.
What did he say?
But for a ten-minute spell in which the Red Devils scored all three goals, Solskjaer would have been facing a difficult situation with his players underperforming in an away match once again.
A point at Brammall Lane will be viewed as a good one considering the flow of the match, though it would have been all three but for Oli McBurnie’s last-minute equaliser.
As a result, it was a difficult game to assess, and that is reflected in Solskjaer’s post-match reaction. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:
“Mixed emotions. We cannot be happy, we have not performed for the majority of the game, but we turned it around and we showed what we could be capable of. We have to do it now for a whole game.
“We know we can, we just have to show it. When you are 2-0 down you have to go for it, play with less fear and just go for it.
More worrying was his explanation for the first-half display, with several Manchester United players being out-fought on the ball leaving the Blades in the ascendency.
“It’s not something you can put your finger on here and now, but they looked like they wanted it more than us,” said Solskjaer, as reported by Fox Sports.
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Wrong mindset
The fact United don’t seem to be learning from past mistakes and poor performances is a concern.
This term alone they have failed to win away matches at Southampton, Bournemouth and West Ham to name a few, with insipid performances demonstrating a lack of effort and perhaps a lack of belief that exists in the squad.
That is not the Manchester United team that became so famous and allowed them to win so often, and it is up to the manager and more senior players in the squad to put it right.
At times in the first-half Harry Maguire was visibly angry with his teammates – Dan James and Fred bearing the brunt of his criticism due to continued sloppy mistakes in giving away possession.
The comeback displayed a strong spirit but if Manchester United want to progress they cannot rely on teenagers like Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood to claw their way out of trouble.
They failed to put their stamp on the game throughout and if that style continues away from home then it is unlikely results will pick up any time soon.
