19 September,2021 07:05 AM IST | Manchester | AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United's shock Champions League defeat to Swiss champions Young Boys has already ratcheted up the pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer despite an impressive start to the Premier League season.
A star-studded side including Cristiano Ronaldo plus 100 million-worth pounds of new signings in Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho slipped to an embarrassing 2-1 loss in Bern. United took the lead in Tuesday's encounter in Switzerland but plans went awry after the dismissal of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, with Jesse Lingard's errant back-pass gifting the hosts a winner in time added on.
Despite individual errors, Solskjaer left in the firing line, with his in-game management once more coming under the microscope. United begin the weekend on top of the EPL with 10 points from their opening four games, with a potentially tricky trip to West Ham on Sunday.
Solskjaer has the unenviable task of striking a balance between defence and attack while keeping all his star names happy. Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani are yet to feature this season due to injury, but will soon be competing for places with Ronaldo and Sancho. Behind them, Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba have started the season in fine form, but their compatibility in a midfield three against stronger opposition is still up for debate.
"We've got goals, I know that, it's about striking a balance in the rest of the set-up," said Solskjaer. His attempts to find that balance in Switzerland were made tougher by Wan-Bissaka's dismissal but he drew criticism over his use of substitutes and tactics. Solskjaer faced questions afterwards over why he took Ronaldo off showing how difficult it will be to keep everybody happy. The only way to quieten the noise is by getting back to winning ways, starting on Sunday.
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