Manchester United's cup defeat reveals chasm to Manchester City
Manchester United's cup defeat reveals chasm to Manchester City
Manchester City took control of the Carabao Cup semi-final with a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Last Updated: 08/01/20 4:35pm
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Pep Guardiola are worlds apart in the same city
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer insists his team are making progress but there was little evidence of that as Manchester United were played off their own pitch in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City. Adam Bate reports from Old Trafford…
"We are still in our own heads the biggest club in the world," Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had said in the build-up to the Manchester derby. He would not be wrong if United are basing that on the club's wage bill. Back on the pitch, where it matters most, his players showed everyone that they are not even close to being the best team in their own city.
A 3-1 home defeat to rivals Manchester City might not sound so emphatic but the reality was rather different. Pep Guardiola had won on his three previous visits to Old Trafford in the Premier League but never like this. United conceded three goals in the first half for the first time here in 22 years. The gulf between the two teams was obvious to everyone.
Highlights of the game between Manchester United and Manchester City
There really is a chasm between them and the way that they can play this game and it made for a frustrating sight for the home support. They wanted to get behind their side but that is difficult when watching Phil Jones pass back to David de Gea for the fourteenth time that evening. It did not help that De Gea usually followed it up with an aimless punt.
There were some crumbs of comfort for United, although it is perhaps indicative of just how bad this was that the scoreline was chief among them. Beyond that, Brandon Williams coped well in trying circumstances and the comeback of sorts at least hints at a spirit within this Manchester United team that significantly outweighs the quality within the ranks.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted that United could not cope with City
Solskjaer, of course, maintained the now familiar refrain afterwards that this is a young side. "I have said it a few times but it is not going to change between every press conference," he said. "I am still in that phase. This is a young team and we are learning. It needs to stick and it will stick and the second half at least gives me something to believe in."
This is a journey but where is he leading them? It is a process that takes time to build but what exactly is he building? On this evidence, not an attack from the back, that is for sure.
As early as the third minute, the paucity of ideas became apparent as United knocked the ball around in defence, looking at constant risk of losing possession, before going back to De Gea and seeing him boot it up the field anyway. That happened again. And again. When it was over, De Gea had hit 13 long balls and found a team-mate with just one of them.
Manchester City's pressing was just too much for the centre-backs to cope with in the first half. The panic whenever the ball went near them was palpable and they lacked the skill to find a path through. But this was not just about their lack of quality or even the intensity of their opponents. Basic pattern-of-play work was lacking and that should be a major concern.
Early in the second half, Victor Lindelof threw his hands up in despair because nobody ahead of him was showing for a pass. Soon after, it was Williams wondering where his team-mates had gone. There seemed no certainty whatsoever about how to construct an attack.
Indeed, one would not have been entirely confident that United knew how they intended to progress the ball up the pitch even if the opposition were not there trying to stop them
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