Ronaldo’s winner fuels Solskjær myth but success seems as far away as ever | Jonathan Wilson

Manchester United’s Champions League win over Villarreal was ill-deserved – the team is too open and will be punished for it

How much time does love buy you? That Manchester United fans want Ole Gunnar Solskjær to succeed is understandable. It’s not just that he scored vital goals, it’s that he embodied a golden age. Who would not want a returning hero to restore the club to glory? But wishful thinking will not organise a midfield.

The win will part the clouds a little. Solskjær has survived another mini-crisis, but each one leaves him slightly weaker. And this one comes with Cristiano Ronaldo. It may not be fair, given Ronaldo is 36 and, for all his goalscoring ability, increasingly an anachronism, but his signing has increased the pressure on the manager. There is now an expectation of success and that seems as far away as ever.

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