'Very pleased' Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slams referee as dull Manchester United labour to Europa League draw
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declared himself ‘very pleased’ as Manchester United stumbled to a 0-0 draw at AZ Alkmaar.
A much-changed side from the one who drew with Arsenal on Monday night failed to muster a single shot on target and made it ten away games in all competitions without a victory.
Michael Owen labelled it the ‘worst’ Manchester United side in decades in the BT Sport studio, but Solskaer was adamant that he leaves Holland happy with his side.
"It's a good point away from home against a good opponent," Solskjaer said. "A difficult opponent, very difficult surface. They beat Feyenoord 3-0 away from home just now, we made many changes and I'm very pleased.”
Solskjaer’s main anguish was focussed at the referee, who failed to give a penalty when Marcus Rashford looked to have been brought down by Stijn Wuytens.
The referee was unmoved and, in truth, it would been harsh on the hosts who created chances and kept David de Gea busy.
"Of course, it should've been a win. I'm fed up of talking about penalties we should have had, Arsenal on Monday and now. That's a penalty 100 times out of 100, you cannot get that decision wrong in football,” Solskjaer said, perhaps trying to deflect focus away from another lacklustre display.
"Handball is always a discussion but if you look at the Arsenal one we should have had on Monday, that's not even a discussion because you have so much time to move your hand out of the way.
"And the linesman today can look straight at the tackle on Marcus and he just wipes his foot off the floor, so that's a bad decision. Unfortunately for us, we didn't get it so there's no point me complaining, which I don't like doing.
"But there will come a point where these decisions will turn our way. That's my always positive belief."
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