Red Devils still a work in progress

What began as a night of heady Champions League celebration for Manchester United at a revived and passionate Old Trafford ended with a dose of reality, administered by PSG, that suggests although the club may appear healed under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the shortcomings of his team are still very much there.

After 11 games unbeaten there was a feeling of invincibility around the Theatre of Dreams before kick-off, whispers of challenging Liverpool and City in the league and even of European dreams that could still be achieved.

So how best to reflect on a defeat that brought everyone down to earth?

The positive side of the coin was that the night ‘felt’ like Manchester United at last. When fans on the Stretford End, in the darkest of days under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, dreamt dewey-eyed about ‘getting their United back’ this was how it looked and sounded in their heads — at least until half-time.

A full crowd at Old Trafford, the smell of history in the air, a sense of excitement tingling around you and noise rolling down from every stand at the famous old ground. Too loud to even think on a big European night that meant everything for that moment.

No need for chants of ‘attack, attack, attack’ because United’s players knew instinctively what was expected of them and their fans knew they would give it their all.

No need for snide sniping in the press from former players, either, because the real legends — Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Nicky Butt to name but three — were there in directors box to soak it all in.

Old songs on the tannoy, old players in the dug-out — people who understand what it all means on a night like this — and a passionate set of away fans to add to the atmosphere too; this was United as we remember them. Big, bold, full of drama and prestige. But, inevitably given their underlying shortcomings, without the victory to go with it.

Some things, perhaps, you can’t fix overnight. So, surely no need to question Solskjaer’s tenancy just yet?

Yes, perhaps Mourinho, had he still been in charge, would have managed this game better and more astutely. Perhaps United would be going to Paris with a goalless draw behind them and hope of reaching the quarter-finals. But nevertheless they wouldn’t be going there in better shape.

Everyone knows that whatever Solskjaer does with this particular 11, they won’t be matching the Treble team of 1999 or leaving the kind of legacy those guys looking down from the directors box managed to achieve. But what Old Trafford demanded from their heroes was passion, energy and attacking verve; and they at least got that even if, in the ultimate analysis, they were second best on the night.

The match simply fizzed along at a furious pace and it was hard not to think back to previous games in the group stage of the tournament this season when, under Mourinho, the atmosphere was very, very different.

A goalless draw against Valencia back in October was particularly painful at an almost silent Old Trafford. Then a 1-0 home defeat against Juventus in which United were outplayed despite the deceptively close scoreline.

It was only in away games, where United’s discipline and cautiousness earned better dividends, that the team were was able to shine, particularly so in Turin of course.

The transformation in some of Solskjear’s players since then has been remarkable. Paul Pogba, Nemanja Matic, Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and, although he didn’t shine here, Anthony Martial too. It’s just they were found wanting in the end.

Another former player, Phil Neville, was working as a radio pundit and was unequivocal in his belief Solskjear deserves to be named permanent manager despite the result, saying: “I think the United board room already know what they’re going to do and I would give it to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. It’s become impossible to let him go and the fans have fallen in love with him. It’s like watching the old Manchester United, whether they win or lose.”

That was the key for the thousands who packed Old Trafford against PSG and chanted “Ole, Ole, Ole” throughout the game. They have found a man who has given them back their club, the way they want it to be, and their reaction in adversity proved it.

Just think back to the dark days of Valencia. United were booed off by their own fans that night after making it four games without a win and they were described in the media as wretched, wooden and pedestrian.

This was the night, remember, when Mourinho’s side got stuck in traffic on the way to the game and never got going even when they arrived.

But here, even though Presnel Kimpembe put PSG ahead from a corner, and even though the irrepressible Mbappe made it 2-0, Old Trafford never went silent and never turned on their team.

The result shows, as we surely already knew, that United have a long way to go to be serious European contenders and will need serious investment this summer.