Manchester United suffered another setback on Saturday, losing 4-2 at the King Power Stadium in Leicester.
Cristiano Ronaldo had a difficult day on an individual level as well, barely making an impact in the match. The attacker reportedly headed for the tunnel after the final whistle, but his coach, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, pushed him to applaud the fans.
Mason Greenwood had put Leicester ahead with a magnificent shot, but Youri Tielemans equalized before Caglar Soyuncu put them ahead late in the game. Marcus Rashford appeared to have saved the game, but Jamie Vardy quickly recovered the lead, and Patson Daka sealed the win in stoppage time.
It was no more than Brendan Rodgers’ team deserved, as they played the more aggressive football throughout to break a four-game losing streak. The loss puts Ole Gunnar Solskjaer under even more scrutiny, as United’s winless streak now stands at three games, and the team continues to seem less than the sum of its pricey components.
The 36-year-old did something similar after the 1-1 home draw with Everton earlier this month, and the Norwegian wanted to make it clear to Ronaldo that, regardless of the outcome, respect for the fans is paramount.
According to the Express, with Cristiano Ronaldo headed directly to the tunnel following the 4-2 defeat, Solskjaer persuaded the Portuguese to thank the away fans.
Brendan Rodgers: “I thought we started well, then we came back into the game and showed a great mentality. In the second half, it was about reinforcing that aggression in our game, that is when we are at our best. We were excellent at creating opportunities going forward and we could have had more.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: “We didn’t deserve a point today. I wouldn’t say it was maturity, it was the focus in the key moments. Two set-pieces, one goal 10 seconds after we equalize, are goals that should not happen. We weren’t good enough at second balls and 50-50s, the sort of things you need to do to win football matches. The best player was David and he conceded four goals.”
United have a difficult run of matchups ahead of them that will have a significant impact on their season, but it looks that their issues aren’t limited to the pitch, with Solskjaer and Ronaldo’s relationship in severe doubt.
