Paul Parker: Manchester United are holding out for a hero, but true leaders are a dying breed
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Updated 11/04/2019 at 14:34 GMT
Manchester United are not unique in struggling to find a player the club's fans can rally behind in matches like their Champions League joust with Barcelona, writes Paul Parker.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the head coach / manager of Manchester United during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match.
Image credit: Eurosport
Manchester United will come away with their share of the plaudits from the 1-0 defeat to Barcelona on Wednesday because of how poor the visiting side were.
But United didn’t have a shot on target. The major stats are scoring goals, and also working the opposition goalkeeper which United didn't do. No wonder the Barca coach Ernesto Valverde was quite content.
How do you assess the game? The best two stats are goals and shots on targets.
United haven’t got one player like Lionel Messi. He struggled last night, but still did enough to win his side the game.
Now you are asking United to go and win a game at a venue where Barcelona have lost only one game this season against Real Betis in November.
United have never won a game against Barcelona in the Camp Nou. The spirit of the 1999 final and their success in the Champions League against Bayern Munich doesn’t come into it.
The mentally strong players that were there in 1999 don’t really exist these days. Not just at United, but across football.
MCTOMINAY AND FRED STOOD UP TO TEST
Fred has produced better form in Europe than he has been offering in England. Scott McTominay has excelled against Paris Saint-Germain and Barca, and was more confident on the ball than most United players, but they were up against a Barcelona team that was way off.
United have a lot more squad players than players that can be trusted to play regularly in the first team, and that is an issue that will take time to change.
United have done some unbelievable things in Europe, including the win at PSG in the last 16, but this would be the best ever because the players United have got in this current climate.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer went all-out attack, and United lost 3-0 or 4-0 he would have been slaughtered.
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Lionel Messi is tackled by Scott McTominay of Manchester United during the match between Manchester United and FC Barcelona.
Image credit: Eurosport
There is still a chance to get a result in the second leg. The problem is everyone thinks they know tactics better than the manager.
Before it was an armchair fan, today we have tablet/laptop/mobile phone supporters, who don’t really watch the game before making an assumption.
Solskjaer in certain ways got a decent enough performance from United against a lacklustre Barcelona side.
All sides look to prevent goals these days. That is the kind of business football is. Managers know they’ve got to go through torment for the next five day if they lose a match.
There are only or two managers who can end the season happy: one tends to win the league, and the other just avoids relegation.
LACK OF LEADERSHIP REFLECTS SOCIETY
Too many people read too many opinions these days, and get themselves muddled up.
Even when you qualify for the Europa League, people say you are c**p because you then have to play on Thursday nights.
The new age football fan has never been around when football was real. When it was about working class men playing football to survive rather than playing to become millionaires.
They don’t really understand the concept of football. They think that if your team is not winning trophies, you are rubbish.
Life is a bit more complicated than that because when you are in the real world, guys are out knocking in their pan to make a living.
Does that make them a failure because they aren’t millionaires? No they are successful because they are putting food on the table for their families and looking after their kids.
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Manchester United captain Roy Keane (L) and Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel lift the FA Cup after beating Newcastle United at Wembley (Reuters)
Image credit: Reuters
When I was growing up I was taught: "sticks and stones may break your bones, but words can never hurt you".
Now we believe words can hurt you. Words are getting into people’s heads these days. Parents now are bringing kids up to believe that word means something when you should be dialling down the negativity as background noise.
A parent will blame a teacher for criticising kids, and start saying how good their kids are rather than seeing what the issue is.
People keep saying they want a leader on the pitch in football, but not many of those exist anymore because of the way they are being brought up.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, nothing else matters. Guys like Roy Keane at United were pushed out there, and you learn to fend for yourself. That is the difference, people are being brought up too soft and don’t have the skillset necessary to lead men.
So when you are looking for a hero or a leader on a Champions League night, you are being nostalgic. Not many are around any more because not many exist.
CITY DON'T DO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WELL
City do struggle in the Champions League when it comes to pressure games such as Liverpool last year at this stage. Everybody was expecting City to put themselves in the driving seat after the first leg at Spurs.
But didn’t look anywhere near a threat. Raheem Sterling didn’t get going, but if they had put the same side out in the Premier League they’d have won comfortably.
For some reason, the task in Europe seems to frighten them. They can’t get themselves into a flow when they come up against Premier League sides in Europe.
They need to reverse that. If Tottenham reach the Champions League last four, that will be a brilliant season.
Spurs have been the best away side in the country over the past two seasons when you consider their record at Wembley.
CRISTIANO RONALDO COULD WIN IT FOR JUVENTUS
If Liverpool come up against Barcelona playing like they did at Old Trafford, Liverpool will beat Barca. Their front three would have dominated that Barca side.
The same could be said about Tottenham. I think there is a gap between Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham when you compare them to United in the Champions League.
I fancy Barcelona, Liverpool, City and Juventus to make up the final four.
I’ve always thought Juve would win it. They were lacking a striker who could win them matches, but have got a striker in Ronaldo who can win them the Champions League like Lionel Messi does at Barca. Liverpool have an electric front three who are a real threat at this level.
You look at Manchester United, and they have only got a great goalkeeper in David de Gea. Which kind of sums up what they need to progress.
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