Man United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must be ruthless in the summer

The players were second best in every individual battle, the ones they bothered to compete in at least. Often enough Everton were allowed free rein to latch onto loose balls, coast into space and operate with ample time under no threat whatsoever.

Gylfi Sigurdsson’s long-range effort for the second goal revealed all. Following a United corner, the hosts broke quickly with the Icelandic midfielder running at an increasingly sluggish Nemanja Matic. He was always going to check back onto his right foot, but the Serbian offered no resistance. Of the three players jogging back to the edge of the box, not one made any attempt to close Sigurdsson down.

There’s a rot at United now and it’s evident that it’s festered beyond tactics and philosophy. United ran 8.03km less than Everton on Sunday, an appalling figure especially with possession split evenly.

One of the first things Solskjaer targeted when he took charge was the desire to work harder than any opposition. A 5-1 victory at Cardiff City in his opening match was the first time United had out-run their opponents this season. Unfortunately, that display proved an anomaly rather than a sign of things to come.

Performances steadily deteriorated but an attacking intent coupled with kind fixtures to begin with papered over the cracks. The reality is United have ran less than their opponents in 15 out of 17 games under Solskjaer and with their injury list growing as the fixtures came thick and fast, they were eventually exposed.

More than any defeat, the lack of intensity, desire and work rate is clearly something the United boss cannot stomach, nor should he. Engineering a well-conditioned unit capable of meeting standards worthy of a United team seems to be Solskjaer’s predominant focus moving forward.

It was convenient to hide behind Jose Mourinho and his attitude that quickly turned toxic. Even though he made legitimate points, the Portuguese’s inherently negative tendencies rendered him an easy target. Of course, producing a fit squad was his responsibility and he failed in that aspect but there were always too many players simply unfit to wear the shirt.

That’s another reason why Solskjaer looks longingly towards the summer. Old Trafford is in desperate need of a clear-out but targeting players with the right profile will be key. With the likes of Manchester City and Paris-Saint Germain walking the Financial Fairplay tightrope, United have the resources to be successful in the transfer market with or without Champions League football.

There’s every possibility to land household names like Gareth Bale, Mesut Ozil or James Rodriguez largely unopposed should they choose to but luxury players are not the need of the hour. This team requires hungry, determined and fierce competitors. This team needs fighters.

A top-four spot is slipping away from them and perhaps that’s for the best. Admitting you have a problem is the first step towards recovery and United must accept that they have no business being on the same pitch as Barcelona at the moment.

There is no quick-fix, you’d think after seven years of fumbling around in the dark United would’ve arrived that conclusion. At least Solskjaer seems to grasp the reality of situation.

“You can’t change your whole squad. One step at a time. I am going to be successful here and there are players who won’t be part of that successful team but many of these do have it.”

Summer is coming, and heads must roll. United need to be ruthless with players who clearly don’t meet expectations. If six, eight or even ten players are shown the door, so be it. Whether it’s Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba or even David De Gea, no player should be at Old Trafford next season unless he wants to be – that much is essential.

For now though, the priority should be to finish the season strongly. That may even mean getting the youngsters involved and using their enthusiasm to reignite the team’s desire.

The likes of Mason Greenwood, Tahith Chong, Angel Gomes and James Gardner will play a vital part in breathing new life into a stale squad next season. Solskjaer would do well to make a statement with their inclusions now.

There’s a monumental task that awaits the Norwegian this summer and how he tackles it may well define his reign at Old Trafford. Fortunately for United, he seems like an individual determined to focus on necessities the club have ignored for too long – the basics.