Richard Buxton: United still not finished article
Solskjaer must get his charges to put in consistent performances and embark on another winning run
Partying like it's 1999 was always going to carry a hangover for Manchester United.
They had been footloose and fancy-free for almost three months, but knew it couldn't last.
Hedonism inevitably comes at a price and the Red Devils were confronted by all the trappings of a sobering comedown in a 2-0 defeatby Arsenal yesterday morning (Singapore time).
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mourned the lowest point of an Old Trafford tenure that is very much in its infancy.
Unless the genial Norwegian suddenly takes leave of his senses, a first EPL reversal in 13 matches is unlikely to undermine his case for residing in the United hot seat permanently.
He is, however, still learning on the job and those expecting a man who toiled with both Cardiff City and Molde to become an overnight reincarnation of Sir Alex Ferguson were given a stark reality check.
The last two games have underlined why Solskjaer remains the obvious choice to steer United back to the promised land, but he is far from the messiah that some claim.
Swift changes in personnel turned a Champions League knock-out tie against Paris Saint-Germain from a potential humiliation into a historic triumph.
A shift in philosophy became the order of business at the Emirates as his side were initially overwhelmed by their hosts.
Adjusting to a 3-4-3 formation may have restored a degree of parity to English football's most anticipated clash in the modern era, but their initial lethargy proved impossible to reconcile.
Solskjaer argued that United did not deserve to lose against the Gunners. Equally, they never appeared likely to take maximum points in a game where they were highly disjointed.
Romelu Lukaku's Midas touch finally eluded him as a run of six goals in his previous three games gave way to an all-too-familiar strand of profligacy. Like the Belgium international, Marcus Rashford was both jaded and peripheral following his own midweek exploits.
The pair's inconsistent travails are a reminder that, like their current employers, the finished article is still some way off. Solskjaer may have allowed United to rediscover their human touch by removing the shackles of Jose Mourinho's machinations, but that has its own pitfalls.
In a top-four battle which threatens to be the most competitive for a considerable time, they are more liable to faltering than their closest challengers.
Clashes with Chelsea and current champions-elect Manchester City leave United facing among the least favourable of run-ins.
The Londoners' game in hand will make the task all the more difficult while only Tottenham Hotspur, who travel to the Etihad Stadium and Liverpool in the space of four weeks, have a more daunting challenge in the battle for the final two Champions League places than United.
Solskjaer has never shied away from the reality of his side eventually losing games. How they responded, he believed, would be a truer test of their current standing.
Last month's first-leg defeat to PSG coincided with United recording a five-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
A repeat performance will be required to ensure that Old Trafford is once again dining at Europe's top table next season, whether as Champions League holders or top-four entrants.
Nostalgia and feel-good quirks may have endeared Solskjaer to the United faithful, but those residing higher up at the Theatre of Dreams will still require a greater burden of proof.
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