November 03, (THEWILL) – Manchester United, without a doubt, has some outstanding players. However, as the statistics demonstrate, they are not a particularly good squad. In all competitions, they have only won three of their last nine games.
The fact of their dismal performances was once again demonstrated in their UEFA Champions League 2-2 draw against Atalanta at Gewiss Stadium on Tuesday.
But without Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities, the storey for the Red Devils could have been quite different. After scoring late comeback victories against Villarreal and Atalanta earlier this season, the Portugal forward was up to his old tricks again on Tuesday night in Bergamo, securing United a crucial point.
As THEWILL reported, in a dramatic 2-2 draw in the Champions League on Tuesday, Ronaldo volleyed home a 91st-minute equaliser to deny Atalanta three points. After Josip Ilicic’s 12th-minute opener and Duvan Zapata’s 56th-minute score, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner levelled the game twice late in either half.
The triumph puts United ahead of Villarreal in Group F on a head-to-head basis, with both teams on seven points, while Atalanta is third with five points as the final two matchdays approach. Despite how repetitious it may sound, this is a side without a philosophy or direction.
It showed up in various areas of Solskjaer’s team, and it was a sad indictment on Man United’s season thus far, and why the manager is under so much pressure. While Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes were impressive, Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba, United’s midfield combo, were anything but, dropping the ball frequently and failing to help the team advance the ball.
Solskjaer has a responsibility to provide direction or a philosophy to the expensively assembled squad that the board has put together. In his three years as manager, Solskjaer has never demonstrated an ability to build a team capable of contending with Europe’s best.
If he is unable to do so, it is the board’s responsibility to appoint someone who can. Failure to do so is a breach of duty. Ronaldo’s brace may have propelled them into the knockout stages, but it does not change the fact that United are poor in the larger scheme of things.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
