Manchester United will look to arrest their slump of five defeats in seven games when they face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side suffered their highest margin of defeat over two legs in European competition with their 4-0 reverse against Barcelona, with Lionel Messi scoring twice in United's 3-0 defeat at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.
The Reds, sixth in the Premier League table, are two points adrift of fourth-placed Arsenal and have five games to bridge the gap in order to secure qualification to next season's edition of the Champions League.
United haven't lost five in seven since 2001, and Solskjaer is under no illusions as to what United must do to reach Barcelona's level. "There is work to be done," Solskjaer said. The next few years will be massive for us."
We'll bring you all the latest Manchester United news throughout the day.
Key Events
Ferdinand thinks Solskjaer has a big decision to make on Pogba
Pogba’s been linked with a move to Real Madrid, amongst others, and Ferdinand thinks United should be building the team around him.
I think there’s a big decision in the summer. I think it’s up to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,” the former United defender said on BT Sport.
“There’s been things in the media mooted that he might want to leave or he’s fancying a trip abroad but I think you build the team around a player of this calibre.
“He’s got 16 goals this season, albeit six of them penalties - but the output in terms of goals has shown a marked improvement since Ole’s come in. So that’s a thing I’m sure he’ll take into account.”
There's going to be another derby next season
Nice touch from City.
Another of United's fixtures could be moved
No confirmation on this yet.
Odds have been slashed on Solskjaer's future
Well this didn’t take long did it, OddsMonkey have slashed odds on Solskjaer leaving United before the end of the season.
Solskjaer to leave Man Utd before the end of the 2019/20 season – 11/8
Solskjaer to leave Man Utd before the end of 2019 – 6/1
Solskjaer to be the first Premier League manager sacked in the 2019/20 season – 16/1
Manchester United might have found their perfect transfer target
Plenty of Manchester United supporters are sounding rather remorseful about Jose Mourinho now, as if a football manager with premier pedigree was entitled to be affronted at being overruled by bean-counters.
There is maybe more retrospective appreciation for Mourinho’s tactics in the 2017 Europa League final, too. He was the last manager to beat Ajax whist preventing Ajax from playing like Ajax. “I think it was a boring game,” the then-Ajax coach Peter Bosz lamented in the Friends Stadium. What Real Madrid or Juventus would have given for boring games.
Remarkably, nine of the Ajax squad members in Stockholm two years ago lined up against Juve in Turin. Matthijs de Ligt was only 17 when he lined up against Marcus Rashford and had made his debut when he was 16 at the start of that campaign. He caught Mourinho’s eye during United’s analysis.
“In England I see only two or three, because I already know the opponent, but not in European competitions,” Mourinho explained at a lecture in Lisbon. “For me, the analysis of the opponent is very important, because I play against the opponent and I define the training in relation to that.”
United target De Ligt 'set for Barcelona transfer'
The Ajax defender has been linked with a move to United and after his impressive performances this season there are plenty of United fans who want him at the club.
But, the latest reports suggest Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to miss out as he’s heading to Barcelona.
ESPN report Barcelona are close to reaching an agreement to sign the defender. The report adds La Liga leaders have the situation “under control,” according to the sources, and not getting the deal over the line now would provide similar levels of disappointment to last summer when they were turned down by Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann at the last minute.
Gary Neville hoping for a City win on Saturday
City might be out of the Champions League but Neville’s still hoping they can beat Liverpool to the league.
De Gea was 'inconsolable after Barcelona defeat'
De Gea apologised to his teammates after his mistake against Barcelona, according to a report in The Sun.
The Spaniard was at fault for Barcelona’s second on Tuesday night as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were dumped out of the Champions League and the report claims he was inconsolable after allowing Messi shot to go under his body. De Gea said sorry at full-time in the dressing room and even claimed his team could have won the tie had it not been for his error, the report claims.
Solskjaer has a new approach to solve the Alexis Sanchez problem at Manchester United
If the carrot doesn’t work, then maybe the stick is worth a go? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer doesn’t appear to have much in common with Jose Mourinho but United managers past and present could sympathise with each other when it comes to Alexis Sanchez.
The Chilean’s form confounded Mourinho and he’s now causing Solskjaer to change his approach with him a matter of months into the job. It wasn’t supposed to be like this when United beat City to his signing just 15 months ago.
Sanchez’s arrival at Old Trafford was heralded as a milestone moment. A proven performer adding bite to United’s attack, 127 goals in 307 games for Barcelona and Arsenal spoke for his pedigree.
Yet almost overnight Sanchez’s game collapsed. His intensity vanished on arrival in Manchester and a return of five goals in 42 appearances for the club makes a mockery of his astronomical pay packet.
United’s decision to hand him a four-and-a-half year deal means they’re probably locked into this relationship, however. At 30 and on the best part of £400,000 a week there isn’t likely to be a queue of suitors looking to take him on this summer.
Marcus Rashford 'stalling over new contract'
Marcus Rashford is stalling over a new contract according to a report in the Daily Mail.
United have no interest in selling the England forward but have been linked with a number of big European clubs including Barcelona.
Barcelona’s interest is reportedly genuine but the La Liga side accept it will be very hard to prise the 21-year-old striker away from Old Trafford.
The club have started talks with Rashford’s camp over a new deal but the report claims his representatives are in no rush to commit as they are in such a strong bargaining position.
What Solskjaer told the players in the dressing room after Barcelona defeat
Solskjaer said it to the reporters in his post match press conference and a report from ESPN claim Solskjaer also told the players in the dressing room they would one day reach the level of Barcelona.
“We know there’s work to be done, I’ve said all along this isn’t gonna change overnight and the next few years are gonna be massive for us to get to the level of Barcelona and other teams are at the moment,” Solskjaer said after the game.
Dean Henderson found the funny side of City's defeat last night
City lost in very dramatic fashion last night and United’s on-loan goalkeeper found the funny side.
De Gea sent his best wishes to the women's team
They secured promotion to the super league last night. If they win on Saturday they’ll win the league.
Manchester United handed further David de Gea contract complication
Manchester United have still to agree a new contract with David de Gea and the goalkeeper will be eligible to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of next season if the club fail to make a breakthrough in negotiations.
The 28-year-old is understood to want parity with top-earner Alexis Sanchez at Old Trafford in order to extend his eight-year stay at the club, though MEN Sport understands uncertainty surrounding United’s qualification for next season’s Champions League remains a key consideration.
De Gea has won everything available to him at United but Europe’s premier competition has eluded him, with United suffering their highest margin of defeat in European competition with Tuesday night’s 3-0 defeat against Barcelona inflicting a 4-0 aggregate loss on the Reds.
Lionel Messi’s second goal at the Camp Nou was the product of De Gea’s misjudgement, with the Argentine’s tame strike trickling under De Gea’s body to put the tie beyond United.
Alexis Sanchez identifies Manchester United mistake against FC Barcelona
Alexis Sanchez blamed Manchester United’s Champions League exit on poor finishing in the Nou Camp.
United were beaten 3-0 in Barcelona to exit the competition 4-0 on aggregate at the quarter-final stage.
But they had their chances on the night, with Marcus Rashford hitting the bar inside 30 seconds as United squandered early opportunities on the break.
Sanchez also came close to scoring when he came off the bench with just over 10 minutes to go, forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a wonderful one-handed save to keep out his stooping header.
It was the early stages that cost United dearly however, with Barcelona ruthlessly punishing their profligacy in front of goal.
“They played very well. We had very clear chances, but this is football, this is the Champions League, if you get something wrong or fail then the other team gets on top of you. That’s what Barcelona do,” Sanchez said.
Good morning!
Welcome to our daily Manchester United blog.
Let’s kick things off with a look at what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to say about Alexis Sanchez after the Chilean came on as a late substitute at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.
