TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Solskjaer slams Manchester United defending after defeat at Basaksehir

United went behind after 12 minutes in Turkey when Edin Visca's pass found Demba Ba in space at the halfway line and the striker ran forward before finishing past Dean Henderson.

  (Reuters)
Manchester, United Kingdom
Thu, November 5, 2020

Share This Article

Change Size

Solskjaer slams Manchester United defending after defeat at Basaksehir Manchester United's Norwegian caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gestures on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Burnley at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on January 29, 2019. (AFP/Paul Ellis)

M

anchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team's defending in the first half of Wednesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat by Istanbul Basaksehir was "unforgivable".

United went behind after 12 minutes in Turkey when Edin Visca's pass found Demba Ba in space at the halfway line and the striker ran forward before finishing past Dean Henderson.

Basaksehir doubled their lead before the break when Juan Mata lost possession and Ba turned provider for Visca to score.

"The first one is that we play a short corner and forget about the man up top. That's unforgivable ... We've not done our roles, it's my responsibility," Solskjaer told reporters.

"You don't see goals like that at this level. You shouldn't concede easy goals like that. When you do, it makes winning matches a lot harder."

Former United midfielder Paul Scholes said their defending was "embarrassing".

"It's completely down to organisation. It's like under-10s football. What the defence were doing I have no idea," Scholes told BT Sport.

"The goal is comical, laughable."

The defeat came on the heels of Sunday's 1-0 Premier League loss to Arsenal and while the results have prompted speculation Solskjaer's job could be on the line the Norwegian said it was not the time to panic.

"It's early on. Opinions are there all the time. We have to stay strong," Solskjaer added.

United travel to Everton in the league on Saturday.

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.