United’s season risks chastening end after Solskjær’s promise of fresh start


Defeat to Barcelona highlighted glaring weaknesses and a Champions League return requires a swift upturn in fortunes

As a chastened Manchester United turn back to the Premier League, where their aim of securing a top-four finish will be tested by the visits of Manchester City and Chelsea, at least they can dispense with the nostalgia bordering on superstition that came with Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s mission to rejuvenate his old club.

Barcelona 2019 did not remotely resemble Barcelona 1999, except in that fact that United trailed for most of the game. The more exact parallel was with Barcelona 1994, where Alex Ferguson’s United were humbled 4-0 by the team of Hristo Stoichkov, Romário and a certain Josep Guardiola in a group game defeat that left the English champions unable to advance into the Champions League knockout stages.

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