Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has called on Alexis Sanchez to “find himself” after his disappointing display in the 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
The Chile international was brought into the UEFA Champions League game from the bench on the stroke of half-time due to an injury suffered by Jesse Lingard. However, he failed to make an impact, with the Ligue 1 outfit taking total control of the contest following the injuries suffered by Lingard and Anthony Martial.
When asked about Sanchez after the game, Solskjaer said the onus is on the former Arsenal man to rediscover his form, per the MailOnline.
“I can’t do anything about Alexis Sanchez,” said the Red Devils boss. “When he plays he needs to find himself because we know there’s a quality player there.”
🗣️🎙️ "I think that is the level we need to aim for at this club."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke to the media after the defeat to @PSG_inside and also had his say on Alexis Sanchez. #mufc pic.twitter.com/QIbZZOUafo
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) February 13, 2019
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News picked up on some frustration from the United manager.
While United’s back-up forwards were ineffective on the night, PSG showcased the depth they possess in attack. Even without Neymar and Edinson Cavani they were bright in the final third, with Angel Di Maria setting up both Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe for their goals.
Like Sanchez, Di Maria arrived at United amid huge expectations; like Di Maria, so far Sanchez has struggled to show his best at Old Trafford. Duncan Alexander of Opta doesn’t think the former Red Devils forward was ever quite as poor as the current one is, though.
However, Sanchez failed to take his big chance on Tuesday. As these figures illustrate, in terms of their contribution on the ball neither he nor the man he replaced were able to make much of an impact.
United fans have been waiting a while for Sanchez’s United career to click into gear, and there have still been some slender hopes he would eventually reach the levels he found so consistently at Arsenal.
At the moment, it looks unlikely he will ever be that footballer again, and given he is on a reported £391,000-a-week salary, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the club seek to move him on at the end of the campaign.