Today was probably a new low for post Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United. Yes, this has been said before, many times, but getting drubbed 4-0 at Everton, in a match that was an absolute must-win, a new nadir was ushered in.
After Easter Sunday’s shambolic embarrassment, an effort even worse than the 4-0 scoreline would indicate, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 1.) profusely apologized to everyone involved with the football club and 2.) openly questioned the basic desire of his own players.
“From the start of the whistle everything went wrong,” Solskjaer said after his team dropped their sixth match in the last eight.
“I want to apologize for the fans because they are the only one that can say they were Manchester United.”
United have not scored from open play in the last 437 minutes and not kept a clean sheet in the past 11 outings. Goalkeeper David de Gea has just looked average as of late, and the centre backs in front of him (a spot that’s been a real issues for several years) have never looked worse. United are set to smash the club record for most goals conceded in the Premier League era.
Two of United’s best and most talented players, Frenchmen Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial, looked as bad or worse than anyone on the pitch at Goodison Park.
“There are so many things that we need to do better,” Solskjaer continued.
“Talent has never been enough. We just didn’t perform…We will all hold are hands up and apologize to everyone associated with the club. The perfect chance for everyone to show is Wednesday. It’s a massive game not just for us, but the league.”
It’s hard to know where to go from here as the questions, let alone even the answers, are difficult to discern. MUFC keeps changing the managers and yet the results don’t improve. You can’t get rid of and replace all the players all at the same time.
Even Solskjaer himself said that a major overhaul won’t be coming this summer. This despite his warning on Friday that some on his squad need a “reality check.”
Asked after the massive drubbing today whether or not he believed his players cared enough right now, he answered: “I don’t know, you’ve got to ask them. I’ve asked them, you’re not going get the answer from me, but if you want to play at this club it has to mean more.”
“We can’t change the whole squad. One step at a time.”
“I’m going to be successful here and there are players that won’t be part of that.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.