Ronaldo cannot cover for Ole: Neil Humphreys
United's 2-1 loss to Young Boys shows their biggest problem may be in the dugout
Maybe the wrong questions are being asked about Cristiano Ronaldo.
So far, the emphasis has been on his age, pace and ability to carry a younger, uncertain team to glory.
But Manchester United's 2-1 Champions League defeat at Young Boys yesterday morning (Singapore time) poses a more compelling question. Can Ronaldo carry an uncertain manager?
A 36-year-old forward's experience may prove more important than a 48-year-old manager's inexperience at winning pivotal contests.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has perfected the unwanted knack of looking like a callow, transitional manager still finding his way after almost three years in charge.
In the dugout during United's muddled loss against the Swiss side - the apparent lightweights of Group F - Solskjaer had the air of an incorrigible retiree failing yet another driving test.
Ole may be at the wheel. But he's still stuck with learner plates.
In his post-match interview, United's manager demanded an end to individual errors to avoid another premature Champions League exit. But there are mitigating circumstances for the two errors that defined the match.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka's red card was deserved for a reckless foot-stomp that came about after a leaden first touch - hardly a surprise.
Despite the fullback's hefty £45 million (S$83.6m) transfer fee, his hefty first touch endures. Until his control and distribution are improved on the training ground, there's always going to be something unsettled in the air - usually his studs.
DREADFUL BACK-PASS
Of course, there's no training drill to address Jesse Lingard's dreadful back-pass in the dying seconds.
But his presence on the pitch, his literal position in that moment and his thought process could be traced back to the dugout.
Earlier on, Solskjaer had acted on Wan-Bissaka's dismissal, but in his eagerness to address the numerical disadvantage, he effectively abandoned midfield and generously gifted the Swiss a free run at goal.
Replacing Donny van de Beek with Raphael Varane gave Solskjaer an extra body in defence, but removed any escape outlets in midfield. United's three centre-backs essentially played wall passes with themselves. Every clearance came straight back.
Solskjaer's innate caution was an open invitation for Young Boys to attack, giving too much respect to the Swiss and maybe not enough to his own squad.
The possession stats turned upside down, as expected, but United's lack of creative endeavour, of any kind, was more alarming.
Solskjaer's 5-3-1 neutered Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Ronaldo.
They were irrelevant. Even then, once it became clear that a deserted midfield offered no respite, the United manager passed on the opportunity to introduce Mason Greenwood.
Any speed or width might have bought the besieged Red Devils time. Instead, Solskjaer brought on Lingard for Ronaldo.
And in the dying seconds, when the midfielder looked up to find a colleague ahead of him, to relieve the pressure, there wasn't one.
There rarely was.
So he panicked and threw the game away.
Solskjaer's focus on individual errors cannot draw attention away from the uncomfortable reality that he rarely looks comfortable in this competition. The Swiss debacle was his seventh defeat in 11 Champions League games.
There may be criticism of the weaker line-up - Solskjaer did the same against Istanbul Basaksehir last season and lost by the same scoreline - but the underlying issue continues to gnaw away at United's psyche.
In a similar situation, does Thomas Tuchel or Juergen Klopp encourage such tactical pressure or do they seek to overcome it?
It's an entertaining theoretical question, but there's a real one that needs a swift answer. Why does Solskjaer lose more Champions League games than he wins?
Individual errors make for easy headlines, but their origin stories are more challenging reading. There's still no plan.
A discernible pattern or formula seems no clearer or closer for Solskjaer.
Ronaldo will always score goals. Whether he scores enough to overcome the uncertainty in the dugout remains to be seen.
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