Reaction, Highlights and Player Ratings : Manchester United 3-2 Atalanta 20/10/21

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Manchester United needed a win against Atalanta in tonight’s Champions League group stage game. They also needed a strong performance.

They got both – but only after a nightmare start that is likely to give fuel for the critics of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, following a 2-0 deficit at the break.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored another late winner and there was a jubilant mood around Old Trafford, but the result has a lingering feeling of a similar victory over Newcastle in Jose Mourinho’s final weeks in charge – a performance that broke from the norm.

When he reflects, Solskjaer knows that neither the side that started the game, nor the caution to the wind attitude that ended it (though this was certainly in-keeping with the club’s philosophy) are sustainable takeaways to build upon.

Prior to kick off, the singing section in Old Trafford engaged in an ‘Ole’s at the wheel’ chant that now feels more in the sort of defiance against the toxicity within the supporter base than it carries genuine belief in the literal message.

It wasn’t exactly a rousing start from United but it was promising and anxious in equal measure – the forwards looked lively, but Fernandes was too sloppy or eager to put through the killer pass when he was in possession.

In the fifteenth minute, Atalanta clipped a ball over the top, pulling Lindelof out of position way over to the left. Seizing the space, Zappacosta stormed forward and crossed into Pasalic, who made hay in the area that McTominay was desperately trying to cover. 0-1- a nightmare start, with more players than just Lindelof culpable for the mess.

Ronaldo did well to fashion the first real chance for his team. His cross found Fred, but the Brazilian’s effort was tipped over. With nothing happening, Ronaldo then took on a shot himself six minutes later, but it was just tamely on target.

This Italian side have made no great strides in becoming less porous than the team that has shipped goals to other English sides. But on the half hour they’d made it two – Demiral rising highest to dominate in a meek box and head home from a corner.

Cameras focused on Ronaldo, who looked more than just a little fed up – the competition’s greatest player dealing with the reality of being in arguably the worst United side he’s played in. United are no strangers to difficult European starts at Old Trafford – it’s arguably as big a part of their tradition as playing in the competition – but there was a different feel about this. For a moment it felt like a wake.

Six minutes before half-time McTominay surrendered possession with a stabbed pass into nobody in the middle of the park – a quick survey of the field showed that the midfield were fully forty yards away from their attack, completely detached, this team sinking into its own compartments, none doing their job. The reaction from the Old Trafford crowd was one of despair.

But United’s response was strong – and their pride was clearly stung to give a response before instructed to by their manager.

It needed a long punt by Fernandes to create an opening – but Rashford, when through, hesitated and was cleaned out by the imperious Demiral. Just before the break, Fred showed the sort of footwork associated with his days in Ukraine, and opened up a chance – but, instead of laying it off for the better placed Ronaldo, screwed wide with his right foot.

In the last seconds of the first half, another Fernandes long pass again found Rashford in space. This time, no defender was near him, but the England striker’s shot was wild, going for power rather than precision – the only emphatic statement being that this was shaping up to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s worst night as United manager.

The vocal support at kick-off had transformed into groans and concerns by the break.

Three minutes into the second half Fernandes had created another chance – this time Ronaldo was in a very advantageous position, but his effort was well saved, though the goalkeeper didn’t have to move to stop it, just hold a strong chest. Ronaldo, who had spent the first half looking frustrated at what was happening around him, now looked in disbelief as though he had been infected by the malaise.

In the 53rd minute, Fernandes finally had the assist he deserved – his clever penetrative ball pierced the defence and Rashford beat the offside trap to slide it across goal.

United were alive – Ronaldo fired a free-kick wide, and then McTominay connected with his shin on a Greenwood cross, but hit the post. Ronaldo then shot across goal but it was saved.

When the momentum of the fightback began to fall away, Cavani and Pogba were brought on (and Sancho shortly followed), but the visitors then had a double chance that De Gea had to be alert to turn away.

Sancho won a corner – Fernandes’ cross was met by a Maguire header, straight at the goalkeeper. A minute later United had another corner – Fernandes tried to take it quick, but it was cleared and came back to him. This time he found Maguire again – and the captain drilled in a shot from 10 yards to level things up with 15 minutes left.

Fernandes had a chance that was well saved – but then came the big moment.

Shaw and Fernandes tried to fashion a cross from a corner, but it needed the second phase of play. Shaw’s cross was magnificent. Ronaldo – lingering in the middle – had a thumping header to match. It flew into the corner, giving his team a lead with less than ten minutes left.

The timing of the goal invited nerves and anxiety for the conclusion of the game; the last United touch was a clearance from Ronaldo in his own box, as he stamped his mark all over an important night.

A sigh of relief for United and Solskjaer – who will be left under no illusion that this time there really will need to be a reaction in the coming weeks.

Tactics

United have been stuck in a cycle since the retirement of Sir Alex and it’s difficult to ignore the signs that we’re in another difficult moment with inevitable consequences. But sooner or later, something has to change, something has to give to break the cycle.

Most right-minded fans would want that cycle to be over, and most are willing Solskjaer to succeed because that means success for the club. But there can be no question these are trying times and all eyes were on the selection after an early leak suggested Ronaldo would be dropped and there would be a three-man defence. Not so.

It was the 4-2-3-1, with the trusted McTominay and Fred midfield and Rashford in for Pogba, who was outspoken again at the weekend. It was an indication that in times of trouble, Solskjaer is going to lean on the players he has counted on mostly, instead of making any drastic changes. Sometimes taking no risk is the greatest risk of all.

There is little point criticising Lindelof for being out of position for the first goal, because these are the typical errors seen in the last three years. The responsibility has to be on the manager for picking him, and for selecting a midfield that sits too deep not doing the job it was picked to do, and in sitting too deep is an abyss away from the talent in front, often leaving Bruno Fernandes to pop up in deep positions to try and stitch it together. But, when he tries, he often finds the chasm too big. Tonight he tried and tried again, and finally was rewarded – make no doubt, Ronaldo will get the headlines, but Fernandes was the heartbeat of this fightback.

He, like Ronaldo, has found himself a victim of success – they did so well that other players appear to believe they’ll be pulled out of their hole. Maybe the manager believes it too.

Even in making changes to chase the game, there is always the feeling that Solskjaer is making those decisions in the heat of the moment and not with a view of thinking that it’s not working so he needs to address it from the start.

He is, put simply, paying the consequence of investing faith in players not up to it, most of them ironically players he inherited from Mourinho’s reign, although his own signings did not appear to be much better tonight until they stepped up in the second half.

It was a response the manager needed but it will be needed in much greater quantity over the next few weeks to convince a growing worried majority. Solskjaer will have a lot of thinking to do over the next few days, but ‘same again’ isn’t likely to be a successful strategy.

Ratings

De Gea 7

Wan-Bissaka 6

Lindelof 6

Maguire 7

Shaw 7

McTominay 5

Fred 5

Greenwood 5

Fernandes 9

Rashford 7

Ronaldo 8

Subs

Cavani

Pogba

Sancho

Wayne is a writer and producer. His numerous books on Manchester United include the family-authorised biography of Jimmy Murphy. He wrote and produced the BT Sport films 'Too Good To Go Down' in 2018, and 'True Genius', in 2021, both adapted from his books of the same name. In 2015 he was described by the Independent as the 'leading writer on Manchester United' and former club chairman Martin Edwards has described him as 'the pre-eminent writer on the club'.

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