LONDON • After lording it over their "noisy neighbours" for decades, it remains a bitter pill to swallow for Manchester United to admit their cross-town rivals Manchester City are now "the best team in the country".
Following a chastening 2-0 Premier League home defeat by City on Wednesday, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that to "close that gap and overtake them", they must first acknowledge their deficiencies.
While City are closing in on retaining their title with a one-point lead over Liverpool (88 points) and three games left, United are left with a battle with Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal for two Champions League spots.
It will be a tough ask given that it is now seven losses in nine games for the Norwegian handler, with his 28 per cent win ratio the worst of any full-time United boss. Jack Robson held the previous record at 29.5 per cent from 1914 to 1921.
Solskjaer, looking ahead to the pre-season rebuilding job, said it is now "his job to see who wants to sacrifice enough to be here".
He added: "We got a reaction and, in the end, we were beaten by a better team... You can see the work rate, it wasn't good enough though.
"They (City) have set the standard. For the last couple of seasons, they have been the best team in the league. That's the challenge for us to get to and we're clearly not there now. That's for everyone to see.
"There is a difference in quality. That is why they are top and we are where we are. Living in Manchester, we cannot be happy with that."
His candid assessment of their malaise cut little ice with pundits.
The abject display, with only one shot on target, even created a clash between former teammates.
Roy Keane was angered by Gary Neville's insistence that the Red Devils had "given their all" before putting the result down to the "gulf in class" between the two teams.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
For the last couple of seasons, they (City) have been the best team in the league. That's the challenge for us to get to and we're clearly not there now.
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER, Man United manager, on the huge task he has on hand.
Keane, though, felt there was a basic lack of application from the players, telling Sky Sports: "If that's a player giving it their all, then Manchester United are in even more trouble than I think, and they're in huge trouble."
The former club captain, who before the match singled out Paul Pogba as a "big problem" in a "squad full of bluffers", added: "We spoke about leaders and characters and I just don't think they have enough of them. These young players need examples around the club and that's the big question mark.
"The honeymoon period is definitely over. It's probably a bigger job than what he (Solskjaer) thought. The club has to back Ole now and let him this summer bring in the players he wants to turn these problems around."
Fellow pundit Graeme Souness agreed as he blamed their haphazard transfer policy as the root cause of "where the mistakes happen".
Yet United will continue to swim against the tide if they fail to land Champions League football next term.
Solskjaer acknowledged that Sunday's home league game against fourth-placed Chelsea, who are three points ahead, was do-or-die.
He said: "We know we must deliver a good performance. If we win it, we have two games to get those points and goals we need."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
Football Federation Australia hailed the move as "an outcome that delivers on the gender equity principle of 'same base pay for same base work'." "This means that players in the Westfield W-League and Hyundai A-League will receive the same minimum remuneration hourly rate," said FFA Head of Leagues Greg O'Rourke.
Australian female players to earn same base pay as men
The girlfriend of Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich has dramatically apologised after being accused of racism by posing in a chair that resembled a bound and semi-naked black woman. Art expert and
Outrage over 'black woman chair' - news.com.au
2018/19 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Circuit will continue with its stops making a stop at Harrah's New Orleans running a series of exciting events from the 9th till 20th May, 2019.
Dustin Stewart Leads 8 in WSOPC Harrah's New Orleans Main
{"slug":"football","name":"Football","menu":[],"topics":[{"group_name":"South Africa","topics":[{"name":"Absa Premiership
Manchester United : Man City inflict more pain on Man Utd to
Juventus achieved objective, despite everything going wrong - Allegri even on a night where everything seemed to go wrong," Allegri told Rai Sport. "I haven't seen the disallowed goal
Goal achieved despite everything going wrong, Football News
West Ham are 58 places higher than AFC Wimbledon in the English football pyramid. AFC Wimbledon were formed by fans of former FA Cup winners Wimbledon who controversially uprooted from London to Milton Keynes in 2002 and became MK Dons.
FA Cup review: Millwall shock Everton, West Ham dumped out by
PSG have failed so far to develop a winning mentality in Europe. Home; News. Ligue 1 dominance cannot mask PSG's European failure. cannot soothe the pain felt by fans at seeing their
Marijuana and Pain | Marijuana As Medicine?: The Science
LEICESTER, England (REUTERS) - Crystal Palace piled further pressure on Leicester City manager Claude Puel on Saturday (Feb 23) with a comprehensive 4-1 Premier League win over his team, who have
Crystal Palace rout Leicester to step up pressure on Puel
Football: Man City still teenagers in adult world of Champions League, says Guardiola. Manchester City players training at the City Football Academy on March 11, 2019, ahead of their Champions
Man City still teenagers in adult world of Champions League
newsblenda.com/post/football/man-city-still-teenagers-in-adult-world-of-champions-league-pep-guardiola.html
City host Bundesliga strugglers Schalke on Tuesday with a 3-2 first leg lead in their last 16 tie hoping to avoid the pitfalls that did for Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid in Champions League shocks last week. Guardiola admitted even he was taken aback by Manchester United's stunning 3-1 win in Paris and holders Madrid's capitulation to a
Man City still teenagers in adult world of Champions League
Jun 01, 2019 · The Reds made a goal from Mohamed Salah in the second minuted stand up for the entire match en route to the win. In final test before Women's World Cup, U.S. flexes depth in 3-0 win over Mexico.
World Cup - Four Reds in Quarter Final
Step Up or Ship Out. Adam and Danielle struggle to keep up with the demands of the quintuplets while also making time for 4-year-old daughter, Blayke. Later, a
Solskjaer names the Man United duo who must 'step up' - Old
oldtraffordfaithful.com/solskjaer-names-the-man-united-duo-who-must-step-up/
The attacking area has been absolutely decimated with problems, although there are still two senior figures left standing. Solskjaer has now called upon these guys to 'step up' and prove that they deserve to wear the Red jersey. "The two of them are good mates and they link up well together." Solskjaer is quoted as saying by ManUtd.com.
Shape up or ship out - Idioms by The Free Dictionary
Are you looking for a good pair of pickleball shoes?. One of the great things about this sports is that you really don't need much equipment to get started - with just a pickleball paddle, a few pickleballs you can be on the court playing in no time, especially with courts popping up all over the place.
What Are The Rules of Shot Put? - Sports U
Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha has been given a one-match ban by the Football Association for improper conduct after sarcastically Palace's Zaha banned for referee sarcastic clap. Agence
0 comments:
Post a Comment