Ronaldo's Late Show Cannot Conceal United Weaknesses

Manchester United struggle in build-up play. They cannot defend transitions. There is no consistent structure to their attacks. They rely too much on individuals. They do not have a recognised, first-choice holding midfielder.

- Mark Critchley

They do not have much of a midfield at all, for that matter. They are an expensively assembled team that often looks far less than the sum of its expensively acquired parts.

But worst of all, usually at some point during the closing stages of an especially disappointing performance, they will often deliver a match-winning moment which leaves some of us in the Old Trafford press seats asking: does any of that actually matter?

It should. Those sorts of deficiencies seem to make or break plenty of other sides and many other managers. But despite the same old criticisms being made consistently for nearly three years now, and although scepticism has gradually grown among a supportive but realistic match-going fanbase, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer still has this strange knack of getting a result when he most needs one.

A knack of never needing these kinds of wins in the first place would be preferable, of course. This is the fifth or sixth time that Solskjaer has found himself in this position since his permanent appointment but still United persist. Sometimes, the pressure has been relieved by a great all-round performance – think the pair of wins against Tottenham and Manchester City in the winter of 2019. Sometimes, all the usual problems are still there for all to see, but individuals take turns to drag the rest of their teammates over the line.