Abhranil Roy
Last night was an embarrassing reminder of how far Manchester United have fallen as they lost 2-1 to a team which was formed in 1999, the same year in which the Reds won their treble. Memphis Depay gave us the lead, but Sisoto and Ochua struck back as the Danish champions went on to script an unforgettable win at their home ground MCH Arena, much to the distress of the away fans who had to pay £71 to book a seat. Here are 3 things we learnt from the game:
1. Something has to change at Old Trafford
United had 11 shots, 57% possession and created 15 chances but we could only net in a single goal. Van Gaal was poor last night but his players were worse, and some high authority at the club has to accept this. Maybe we are going through the phase Chelsea did with Mourinho last year, but it’s obvious that something is very wrong in the dressing room and in all probability, it is the manager. Even if he is not at complete fault, he must take partial responsibility because losing to a club which hasn’t played competitive football for two months and was hammered 9-1 by Napoli in the group stages is simply not acceptable.
2. We need some help from Lady Luck too
Wayne Rooney and David de Gea both got injured before the game, with the United captain set to miss a couple of months of football atleast. They both join a lengthy list of players suffering injuries, one which includes Bastian Schweinsteiger, Ashley Young, Marcus Rojo, Luke Shaw, Phil Jones and Antonio Valencia. Their absence in crucial ties means young players are under excessive pressure to perform, and this affects their performance a lot.
3. The Midfield seems to be the root of all problems
Juan Mata and Ander Herrera, both have a lot of fans at the club, but it is time to examine the performances these two have put in since their arrivals. They have been consistently inconsistent, and last night was a prime example of how slow they are in picking up forward passes. Even Michael Carrick, United’s ever-reliable pass master looked rusty in the game as he passed sideways and backwards more than ever. If the midfield issue is not solved immediately, United will continue to suffer.
