Manchester United captain Harry Maguire and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talked a good game ahead of flying to Leipzig for Tuesday’s key Champions League game.
The Europa League was dismissed and Maguire talked of their habit of getting a result when they really needed one, his example being holding their nerve and defeating his former club Leicester City to finish third in the Premier League last season and qualify for the Champions League.
Solskjaer and his players talk of the importance of starting well, yet their actions fail to match the words and United keep doing the opposite: his team have led at half time in only six of their 18 games so far this season.
The first half goal difference is actually negative: 14-16. The second half goal difference swings wildly in United’s favour to 26-11. So was there any surprise when United went into half time behind against RB and then played much stronger in the second half in Germany?
England’s biggest club had done exactly the same at West Ham only three days previously, but escaped because the difference was only a goal and Solskjaer could bring Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford off the bench. Both performed vital rescue roles, but there’s a worrying consistency to the inconsistency because it keeps happening.
United were a goal down against PSG last week. As with West Ham, they started playing after half time. Trailing by two at Southampton in the game before Paris, another world-class substitute Edinson Cavani was brought on and led a comeback.
United can come back against decent Premier League teams like Everton, Southampton or West Ham, they can even do it away from home and have won their last nine away league games, but not against some of the best teams in the world in the Champions League, especially with a couple of players missing.
The side who play Manchester City at the weekend would have a better chance if they stop handicapping themselves by conceding early goals.
On Tuesday, an unprepared United were 2-0 down in Germany after 13 minutes and, once again, started performing after the break and a tactical change since the three at the back which had worked so well in Paris was exploited by the fleet-heeled Germans and their on-loan Manchester City player Angelino.
Two became three and you don’t come back from 0-3 in a Champions League game with less than a third of the match to play. The crazy thing with this United team is that they nearly did and the game finished 2-3. Just as against PSG, United had chances. Fernandes, by a distance the club’s best player, hit the cross bar with a free kick. Mason Greenwood looked the liveliest.
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Player ratings: West Ham 1 Manchester United 3
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WEST HAM RATINGS: Lukas Fabianski - 7: Not huge amount to do in first half until saving well from Martial just before break. No chance with ruthless United finishes. EPA -
Fabian Balbuena - 6: Showed excellent anticipation to break up United attacks and carried the ball out from defence well in first half. Vital tackle deflected Rashford shot wide just before hour mark. Like rest of defence, struggled to cope with United’s attack in second half. Getty -
Angelo Ogbonna - 6: Part of Hammers backline that barely gave Cavani, Martial and Greenwood a kick in first half. But was easily beaten by Greenwood as United attacker set-up Pogba's crucial opening goal. Left for dead again three minutes later as same player produced sublime touch and finish to make it 2-1. EPA -
Aaron Cresswell - 7: Always a willing runner down the right with one lung-bursting 60-metre sprint in first half that Masuaku decided to ignore. Lovely free-kick late on well saved by Henderson. AFP -
Vladimir Coufal - 6: Flashed ball across box just after break, when he should really have went for goal himself, that Bowen couldn’t turn in on the stretch. Found Rashford's pace too hot to handle when United substitute came on. Getty -
Declan Rice - 7: Breaks down play and distributes so well in the centre of the park. Lovely flick-on header that was heading for the net until poached on line by Soucek. Fantastic determination to chase down and tackle Rashford in full-flow with 15 minutes to go. Long-range effort easily saved by Henderson as Hammers chased game. Reuters -
Tomas Soucek - 7: Could have earned early booking for crunching tackle on McTominay. Tapped home from a couple of centimetres after Rice header to open scoring for his second league goal of season. PA -
Arthur Masuaku - 6: Good cross from left into box after 15 minutes was wasted by Haller. Failed to take advantage of a couple of excellent Cresswell overlaps. Didn’t offer enough of a threat down left. AFP -
Jarrod Bowen - 8: Brilliant first half. Cut in from right in first couple of minutes and his deflected shot almost set-up Fornals with quickfire opener. Finished confidently after being put through a few minutes later but was rightly ruled offside. Scintillating wingplay down right to skin Telles followed by excellent ball into middle that Fornals could only head into side netting. Could, and probably should, have made it 2-0 just after half-time but couldn’t finish on the stretch. Ran out of steam in second 45. EPA -
Pablo Fornals - 7: Denied by Henderson with first chance of game. If he’d found Bowen with through ball after 20 minutes, teammate would have been one-on-one with Henderson. Could only head into side netting after great Bowen cross on half-hour mark then prodded shot against post minutes later. PA -
Sebastien Haller - 6: His pass on the stretch set up Fornals for chance that Spaniard hit against post in first half. Lovely touch followed by cross from left to Bowen on other side of penalty area. Deserved a goal when he rounded Henderson, cut back onto his right foot only to lose his footing and fall over. Disappeared in second half. Reuters -
Said Benrahma - (On for Fornals 75’) 7: Looked sharp when he came on and curled one delicate chip just over bar with 10 minutes left. AFP -
Manuel Lanzini - (On for Bowen 76’) N/A. AFP -
Ben Johnson - (On for Coufal 85’) N/A -
Dean Henderson - 7: First Premier League start and a ropey first half where United struggled to defend corners. Fine, if controversial, pass down the line led to Pogba’s equaliser. Getty -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - 6: Smart pass in United’s first proper attack after 18 minutes. Superb recovery tackle in second half where he showed pace not seen in the stadium since Usain Bolt won gold. Still needs to cross better. Getty -
Victor Lindelof - 6: Struggled like the rest in first half as West Ham surged forward on the counter attack, but far better in the second in another confusing, captivating performance. EPA -
Harry Maguire - 6: As slow as the rest in the first half. With his forwards not doing it, desperately tried for an equaliser. It would come from those forwards in the end. PA -
Alex Telles - 5: Poor awareness, outclassed by Bowen and his worse game so far in a United shirt. More involved as team surged forward. Getty -
Donny van de Beek - 4: Struggled to compete with Rice. Club felt he’d take time to settled physically in Premier League. That was clear at West Ham. Subbed at half time – though any of the outfield players could’ve been. Reuters -
Scott McTominay - 6: Poor first half in a midfield three which hadn’t played together before. Shot wide after positive move in second and better with Bruno. Weren’t they all? Getty -
Paul Pogba - 6: First start in over a month, except he didn't start playing until his 66th minute goal – a curling world class finish. Loose in possession and as anonymous as the rest until he scored. Different player afterwards. AFP -
Mason Greenwood - 6: Limited contribution but then outstanding first touch and powerful finish to put United ahead – and get his first PL goal of the season. Youngest player to reach 20 United goals since Norman Whiteside. Wasted a late chance. He can be forgiven. EPA -
Anthony Martial - 4: Shot before half time United’s best moment of first half. But did nothing on his 25th birthday and went off injured. Getty -
Edinson Cavani - 5: Better movement than the other players, but no service to find him. Taken off at half time with an injury. PA -
SUBS: Marcus Rashford - (On for Cavani 46’) 8: Struck post when he should have made it 3-1, but then dinked in a lovely 77th minute third. Four shots on target, constantly running at West Ham. Made a huge difference. Getty -
Bruno Fernandes - (On for Van de Beek 46’) 8: The team’s best player, he made a huge impact with his presence, passing and vision. Set up Pogba to put United ahead. AFP -
Juan Mata - (On for Martial 62’) 6: Neat interplay, played his part and more effective than the man he replaced. Perfect pass for Rashford goal. Getty
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But United still went out. It's not unfair to judge Solskjaer's team across six Champions League games and they failed to get out of a tough group. And it is a failure amid the progress he is making of the team taking more Premier League points than any other bar Liverpool since January, one especially disappointing since United won their opening two games against Champions League finalists PSG away and then put five past semi-final RB Leipzig at home.
The defeat in Istanbul – again when the team went behind before they started playing – cost the team a place in the knock out stages.
Elimination to the Europa League stings at a club built for Champions League football and he responsibility isn’t just on the players for these slipping starts. The manager also must stop this otherwise he will lose too much support among fans – although he’ll still find he has it when they’re back inside stadiums, hopefully this month.
Champions League elimination to Wolfsburg in December 2015 was the beginning of the end for Louis van Gaal as United manager, just as defeat to Sevilla was in 2018 for Jose Mourinho. And defeat under David Moyes to Olympiakos in 2014 was a major low point, though United won through in the second leg.
United maintain they have a long-term plan to build the right squad with the right culture, Solskjaer needs a trophy or tangible evidence of progress.
The Norwegian had a habit of getting a result when he really needed one. But not in Leipzig, when his team needed to avoid defeat but lost their most important game of the season so far.
