What to make of Manchester United?
After an impressive performance against Spurs over the weekend, many hoped that the team had turned a corner after the recent woeful form. However, many of the same problems plagued the team despite rescuing a late 2-2 draw at Atalanta this evening.
United's two goals may have been brilliant ones, but it was a familiar issue at the back that led to yet another questionable display Solskjaer's side.
They were so poor at the back, with Atalanta's second goal summing up their issues. The defensive line was absolutely woeful.
What was Man United's back-line doing?! 😬
After a lengthy VAR check, Zapata's goal is ruled on-side and Atalanta lead again 🇮🇹#ATAMUN #UCL pic.twitter.com/1qgJx0pBVJ— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) November 2, 2021
The Norwegian will be thanking his lucky stars for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 36-year old produced a moment of brilliance late on to rescue a point for the visitors.
𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐎𝐎 🇵🇹⚽️
Another crucial late goal this season for Man United in the #UCL #ATAMUN pic.twitter.com/aaXe6tDrrK— Watch the UCL on LiveScore 🇮🇪 (@LiveScoreIE) November 2, 2021
It could turn out to be a valuable point for Manchester United in their pursuit of a place in the knockout stages, but has Ronaldo papered over the cracks yet again with another late goal in European competition?
They may have ten points from their first four games, but all three positive results came as a a result of the Portuguese superstar scoring late in the day. Is that a formula for success over the course of a long season?
Speaking RTÉ after the game, Liam Brady and Richie Sadlier shared a similar opinion about Solskjaer's lack of impact on this team.
Liam Brady says Cristiano Ronaldo did a "real rescue job" tonight as #ManchesterUnited were "really poor" in their 2-2 draw at Atalanta. He thinks they are a team with no identity.#ChampionsLeague #ATAMUN pic.twitter.com/Qv4zMYW3Dp
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) November 2, 2021
Brady: There is no identity from this United side, you don't know how they're going to line up or play. When Klopp went into Liverpool, it was 4-3-3 and everybody knew what their job was. United is not like that.
When Tuchel went into Chelsea, he gave them structure and organisation. Ole has been there three years and you don't know what you're going to get from United.
He played Pogba from the start and I thought that was a terrible decision, it nearly let them down. It was a rescue job from Ronaldo again...
Sadlier: I don't know what's in the mind of the United hierarchy. I don't know what they have to see from this team or this manager or how long they have to leave it before they get the view that maybe Solskjaer isn't going to get this team to where they want to go.
So far there has been no change. We are probably going to hear Solskjaer hit all the usual talking points: United DNA, we never give up, we keep going to the end, we always believed. Then it rolls on to next weekend and we'll see how they get on.
But there's no sense of who they are or what they're about. There is no identity or plan, the formations change and they stumble from one idea to the next and declare that they have 'turned a corner'.
We keep using phrases like 'papering over the cracks', which is what they did again tonight...
Brady: With all of the performances (in this year's Champions League) they could have ended up with zero points if it wasn't for Ronaldo.
It was a decent result for United tonight, but they face another day of reckoning when they take on Manchester City on Saturday.
Can Solskjaer depend on Ronaldo to paper over the cracks yet again?
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