Who will be Manchester United’s new manager?
Follow all the action as Manchester United travel to Villarreal in a crucial Champions League fixture tonight.
After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was finally sacked on Sunday, less than 24 hours after United’s dreadful 4-1 defeat at Watford, the club has been engulfed by uncertainty over who will take charge. Mauricio Pochettino continues to be linked with the permanent position, but it will be Michael Carrick who leads the team tonight as caretaker and, for all the disruption, United simply cannot afford another poor performance.
The club are currently tied with Villarreal at the top of Group F on seven points, and victory tonight will see Carrick’s interim reign begin with automatic qualification into the knockout stages. However, defeat could see Atalanta leapfrog United into second place with just one game remaining and heap yet more pressure on a beleaguered squad. “It’s like every game we go into,” Carrick said ahead of kick-off. “Whatever the recent form, whatever is happening around it, you’ve got to go into the game to try to win the game.” Follow all the action live below:
Villarreal vs Man Utd
Here come the teams. This is Manchester United’s biggest Champions League game of the season, win and they’re into the last-16, lose and they’re on the verge of getting kicked out of the competition.
Which Manchester United will turn up? Can they earn a first victory for interim boss Michael Carrick? Lets find out, kick off is next…
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:43
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Emery expecting a reaction from Man Utd
Villarreal head coach Unai Emery expects a reaction from the Manchester United players after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Emery told a news conference on Monday:
When there’s a coaching change, there’s a reaction one way or another,
“The focus will be more on the players than on the bench. The players know, even though they are professional and must always deliver, that they have to show their faces – for Manchester United, for the coach that left and the one that has arrived or will come.
“As a coach, you don’t welcome the news that a colleague has lost his job. I’ve faced Solskjaer several times and, above all, I value him as a great person.”
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:38
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mistake leaves them behind their rivals and back where they started
Still, nobody expected it to get as bad as that at Vicarage Road. Then again, that has been the story of the modern Manchester United, and particularly Solskjaer’s time. They have frequently been blindsided by developments, due to bad decisions.
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:35
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Villarreal unbeaten in three matches
Unai Emery’s Villarreal currently sit 12th in La Liga, but are unbeaten in their last three games. That defeat came on the 30th October when Valencia beat them 2-0 in the league.
They have drawn their previous two Champions League home games with Manchester United.
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:32
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Ronaldo rescues United’s Champions League campaign
Cristiano Ronaldo has been influential in Manchester United’s Champions League campaign this season scoring in every game including three late goals to rescue United from losing positions.
Ronaldo scored five minutes into added time to give United a 2-1 victory at home against Villarreal on 29th September. Paco Alcácer had put the visitors in front in the 53rd minute at Old Trafford, Alex Telles levelling seven minutes later.
Ronaldo also scored late goals home (3-2) and away (2-2) against Atalanta on Matchdays 3 and 4 as United recovered from their 2-1 opening defeat at Young Boys.
Villarreal, who were held 2-2 at home by Atalanta in their opening fixture, have since beaten Young Boys 4-1 in Switzerland and 2-0 in Spain.
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:28
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Man Utd struggling on the road
Manchester United have only won seven of their last 24 away Champions League matches with six draws and 11 defeats. They are winless in their last four on the road (one draw, three losses) since a 2-1 win at Paris St-Germain in October 2020.
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:24
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Maguire on Solskjaer’s sacking
Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was asked whether the players needed to take any responsibility for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking after their poor performances have seen United lose their last three games. He replied:
Of course, the players need to take responsibility for everything, on and off the football field. We are the ones that cross over the white line. We know it’s football, like I say we were in this together. We were a group, the management and the players.
“Ultimately the manager has paid the price and we’re all so disappointed for that but we take huge responsibility. We haven’t been good enough. We know that individually, collectively, as a team, as players.
“We spoke about that and now we’ve got to look forward and make sure we get this club back to where it was in the last two years. Obviously the last few months have been nowhere near good enough and like I said the players have huge responsibility for that as well.”
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:20
Villarreal vs Man Utd: PSG in contact with Zinedine Zidane as Manchester United consider Mauricio Pochettino
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:16
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Villarreal looking for first win vs English teams
Manchester United have failed to keep a clean sheet in the Champions League this season, shipping seven goals in their four games but Villarreal have never beaten an English club in the Champions League in 11 attempts with six draws and five defeats.
Will tonight be the night they get their first win?
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:13
Villarreal vs Man Utd: Emery talks United
Villarreal head coach Unai Emery says he expects a tough test from Manchester United despite their poor run of form and feels they will raise their standards in Europe. The former Arsenal boss said:
They will find an extra motivation as it’s the Champions League. We know they are a strong team,
“They need to win and I don’t think there will be many changes. Perhaps certain tactical ones will be made, but we must be prepared to play against Cristiano Ronaldo, [Harry] Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, [David] De Gea and all the other great players that United has.”
Michael Jones23 November 2021 17:10
