Manchester United scraped past Villarreal in the Champions League by the skin of their teeth last night.
If it wasn’t for a moment of magic from Alex Telles and a late Cristiano Ronaldo strike, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have been up for the gallows if some supporters and sections of the media had their way.
As it transpired, United avoided a third successive defeat – but only just.
Disconcerting Dalot display
Although they just managed to prize the points from Villarreal, the manner of United’s win left a lot to be desired.
David de Gea’s heroics kept the scoreline within reach, helped by some wayward finishing by the away side.
The goalkeeper certainly wasn’t helped by those tasked with protecting his area. Raphael Varane had a particularly shaky moment when he allowed the ball to slip through to allow Paco Alcacer a clear run at goal.
That passage of play – which ended in Alcacer lashing his effort wide – stemmed from poor distribution by Diogo Dalot.
Deputising for the suspended Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Dalot knew he was under the spotlight from the get-go.
However, it appeared the Old Trafford beams were too bright for the young Portugal international.
He was tormented by Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma throughout the first half and into the second.
“Wow, Villarreal have been really good, particularly down this left side. Dalot has had a bit of a nightmare, (I’m) not sure how he’s going to work this one out, Danjuma has been electrifying,” Michael Owen said in the BT Sport studios at half-time.
Former Bournemouth man Danjuma’s domination of Dalot eased a little after the break yet still left a burn mark on the United defender’s soul.
Trippier time
The match was a timely reminder to Solskjaer that full-back isn’t the strongest point in his team’s armoury.
That concern could have been cleared up had the Red Devils persisted further with trying to sign Kieran Trippier in the summer.
United had the Atletico Madrid right-back on their radar for the majority of the transfer window.
However, the Premier League side was unwilling to meet Trippier’s £20 million (BBC) valuation, the same figure Atletico paid to prize him from Tottenham Hotspur.
The 31-year-old remained in Spain and went on to have a successful Euro 2020 campaign with England.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer’s employers invested in Ronaldo, Varane and Jadon Sancho instead.
All mighty recruits – but not ones who were going to solve United’s full-back issue.
Perhaps football director John Murtough will be less hesitant to splash the cash on Trippier if the problem fails to disappear.
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