Harry Maguire was reflecting on a sudden change of fortunes for Manchester United. “We didn’t see it coming,” the captain said.
Those sentiments might be echoed. Indeed, they could be voiced at two points this campaign.
It is safe to say few expected Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side to lose the battle of the Uniteds on Wednesday: not to their Sheffield namesakes, to a team previously on course to get the lowest points tally in Premier League history.
In a season of shock results, this was perhaps the most surprising. “The boys are so disappointed; we didn’t expect it. We came into the game confident,” Maguire added.
And yet when United lost to Arsenal in November, few saw their subsequent run coming. To go 13 league games undefeated, to take 33 points from a possible 39, catapulted United from 15th to first, from a club supposedly in crisis to, perhaps, the rank of title favourites. It was a transformative upturn.
But the defeat to Sheffield United revives old criticisms of Solskjaer’s United. Few veer so dramatically between feast and famine, or so unexpectedly.
When they were beaten by Arsenal at Old Trafford, they had a solitary point at home. They had suffered their joint heaviest defeat at Old Trafford since 1930. Unflattering comparisons could be drawn between Solskjaer and Frank Lampard, who was on a long unbeaten run.
Rewind to the start of Solskjaer’s reign and United followed 14 wins in 17 with eight defeats in 12 matches. There was no middle ground. Last season’s home defeat to relegation-threatened Burnley proved the prelude to a 19-game unbeaten run. None of which felt entirely logical.
Consistency has been the defining quality of recent champions. Solskjaer’s United have displayed a capacity to produce title-winning form over three months, but not nine. That matters less in a campaign when 90 points will not be required, let alone 100.
The trend of his reign, where one bad result can lead to another, offers a concern. Another run of 33 points from 39, in contrast, would go a long way to rendering United champions.
His mentor Sir Alex Ferguson suffered the occasional mishap to lesser lights but was a master in reacting brilliantly.
Solskjaer has seemed to surf waves in the good times but risk getting swept away from them in the bad spells. His United went six games without a win last season; later, they had a run of only two wins in seven. Repeat either and the picture at the top of the table would be radically different. An aberration cannot become the start of a slide.
________________________________________________________________________
Manchester United v Sheffield United ratings
________________________________________________________________________
Hence, perhaps, Maguire’s rallying cry. “We’ve got to pick ourselves up,” the defender said.
“It’s all good and easy when you’re winning and you’re playing well, but now it’s time to stand up and be counted. When you get kicked down, it’s how quickly you bounce back. Saturday’s a big one and we’ve got to get three points.”
There are lessons to be learned. United have conceded first in 10 league games and, while they have recovered to win seven of them, that hardly feels a failsafe formula.
Kean Bryan’s header was the eighth set-piece goal United have conceded, and only four teams have let in more. Solskjaer has shown a sure touch of late in perming from a large squad which offers strength in depth but his decision-making can vary from inspired to flawed and arguably he got it wrong against the Blades.
David de Gea will not be dropped but there is a growing case for Edinson Cavani to displace the out-of-sorts Anthony Martial in attack now.
United require a response, because Solskjaer’s reign teaches them good can become bad very quickly – and vice versa.
