Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Manchester United Must 'Learn to Be More Clinical'

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said his Manchester United side "needs to learn to be more clinical" after they let a 1-0 lead slip again in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Monday.

Scott McTominay opened the scoring for the Red Devils on the stroke of half-time:

But the hosts had to settle for a point in the end after the video assistant referee ruled Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was onside when he netted a deft equaliser just before the hour mark.

It was United's fifth 1-1 draw in their last 10 Premier League matches across this season and last, and on every occasion they have given away their lead after going ahead.

In 2019-20, the Manchester giants have given up leads against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton and now Arsenal, and Solskjaer said after Monday's game his side need to start putting games out of sight when they take the lead, per Adam Bath of ManUtd.com:  

"Now we've got to learn to make these 1-0s into 2-0s, 3-0s, 4-0s even, we need a second goal. We can't just put the brake on, like we did in the second half and let the other team come in. Southampton, Wolverhampton, now, we're getting the first goal and we need the next one.

"We got 1-0 up and we didn't get the second goal that we wanted to get. That's what this team needs to learn: to be more clinical at both ends of the pitch. So many games, we have been 1-0 up, but we'll learn, definitely. I think today was a steep learning curve for a few, because it was a bad goal to give away, but then again, sometimes, you make those passes and we play out and it looks good and, today, maybe it's time that we learnt from it.

”You thought it was going to be one of those nights. Under the lights, you thought the Stretford End would suck that ball in, we'd get that win. It didn't happen, but the attitude and desire is there and the signs are there for us as coaches to see. That's a team with loads of belief and we just need to learn finish games off in a better manner when we're winning 1-0."

The draw means United sit 10th after seven games of the new season with nine points, their worst start to a campaign in 30 years:

The positive atmosphere that surrounded the club when Solskjaer first arrived as Jose Mourinho's successor last December has well and truly disappeared.

The Norwegian oversaw a remarkable run of 14 wins in his first 17 games in charge.

His subsequent 21 competitive encounters at the helm have returned just five victories, as well as a penalty-shootout win over Rochdale in the Carabao Cup.

Ominously for Solskjaer, United's current form is worse than it was under Mourinho when he departed the club at the end of last year:

If he is to keep his job, Solskjaer must reverse United's fortunes fast, and it is particularly crucial he finds a way to get his goal-shy side scoring.

Since opening the new Premier League campaign with a 4-0 victory over Chelsea, the Red Devils have netted five times in six matches, and the decision to sell Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan in the summer without replacing him looks increasingly misguided.

Per Bath, despite United's current predicament, Solskjaer said there were "many things that give me loads of confidence" from Monday's draw, and he added his side have put in "good performances" in six out of seven league games this season, the 2-0 defeat to West Ham United being the exception. 

However, if results do not turn around, the 46-year-old will not be long for the Old Trafford dugout.

United have two winnable games in the next week before the international break, with a trip to AZ Alkmaar on Thursday in the UEFA Europa League preceding Sunday's Premier League clash at struggling Newcastle United. 

The Red Devils then host old rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on October 20, which could be a chastening experience for United given the respective form of both sides.