Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took his side to Bramall Lane knowing fully well that Sheffield United will make things tough for them since Chris Wilder is not a man to hold back.
And that is exactly what Manchester United got with the Blades taking a comfortable 2-0 lead within just the 52nd minute of the match.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did praise his side for showing passion and determination especially towards the end of the second half but the Norwegian manager clearly pointed out that it was Sheffield United who had the hunger and determination for the most part of the match.
“It’s mixed emotions,” Solskjaer said, as reported.
“You can’t be happy, we’ve not performed for the majority of the game but the attitude and the way they’ve turned things round, we’ve shown what we’re capable of and we’ve shown ourselves what we’re capable of.
“We should win games like this but you’ve got to learn from that disappointment of the first 70 minutes.
“It’s football, sometimes it’s beyond tactics, the passion, the drive, the supporters first half, the energy of their team was so much different to ours, and then our energy and belief come back in.”
“It’s not something you can put your finger on [why we were below par] here and now, but Sheffield United looked like they wanted it more than us and believed more in what they did than us.
“Sometimes it’s little margins here and there, but we never had a shot on target, or maybe had one, in the first half but that’s not acceptable and not good enough. But the response after they went 2-0 up was fantastic.”
Man United looked a far more superior side when they chose to throw the kitchen sink at Sheffield United during the final quarter and perhaps this is the major problem with the team this season.
On days when the players do decide to turn up, they can rip apart any side whether it be a bottom-placed side or Chelsea. But most often than not, the players do not have the intent or energy which is why teams are constantly getting the better of him.
So now the first thing that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should do is to teach his players how to be ruthless and relentless from the very first minute.
