'The baby-faced assassin must now be ruthless'

[DiaboliK.]

Manchester United's last trophy arrived with a routine Europa League final triumph over Ajax in Stockholm two years ago. Events in Barcelona and Turin on Tuesday showed how times have changed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's fifth defeat in eight matches saw United outclassed by Barcelona in the Nou Camp, while Ajax evoked the grandest traditions of the Amsterdam academy to beat Juventus on their own turf and deservedly reach the Champions League's last four. It was a stark reminder that United are now light years behind Europe's elite - even teams they would have regarded as inferiors not so long ago.

Better United teams than this average band have fallen victim to Lionel Messi and company down the years, but it still served as grim evidence of the club's poor transfer business and flawed strategy in recent years. And for all the euphoria that accompanied Solskjaer's arrival as interim - and later permanent - manager following Jose Mourinho's exit, now is the time for him to show what he is made of. Solskjaer has much to do and much to prove.

The smiles he exchanged with former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson before kick-off - at the ground where his goal won the 1999 Champions League final - were wiped off by half-time. Now, with the Champions League gone - Barcelona having been spared the unlikely comeback that stunned Paris St-Germain in the last round - Solskjaer must confront the battle to get United back into the tournament next season. Paris was a sporting miracle, but sporting miracles do not happen often and this cold correction of football logic showed that United - this United - do not belong in such exalted company.

This is a situation years in the making but now it is Solskjaer's to resolve. Ole, as the song always says, is at the wheel - and it may be a rocky road ahead. The baby-faced assassin must now prove that a streak of steely ruthlessness lies behind the smiling exterior because this team is not fit to challenge for the big prizes. United's line-up in Barcelona offered a vivid outline of just how momentum has been lost, how failure to rebuild and unstructured work in the markets have left them as also-rans.

Four of United's back five at the Nou Camp - David de Gea, Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling - were in the starting line-up when United lost in Basel in December 2011 - a result that meant they failed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in six seasons. Now Solskjaer and United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward - who must finally show he has a handle on footballing matters - face a period of serious reconstruction. This will be a crucial summer for Woodward in particular. There will be investment but there can be no more mistakes or missteps on the scale he has presided over so far. Solskjaer is still a gambler's appointment and Woodward must hope the dice rolls well for him and his manager.

Edited April 18, 2019 by - Dark
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