Ole Gunnar Solskjaer comments on call to let Cristiano Ronaldo take over penalty duties

Manchester United fans upon witnessing Bruno Fernandes miss the chance to score the equaliser from the spot against Aston Villa, took social media by storm, calling for Cristiano Ronaldo to take penalties for the club in the future. United was awarded a penalty in the 3rd minute after regulation time against Villa, and Bruno Fernandes went ahead of Ronaldo to take the opportunity to shot from 12 yards out. Fernandes, however, much to the disbelief of the players and the fans, sent the ball way over the crossbar as Manchester United suffered a 0-1 defeat at Old Trafford. The Red Devils' boss Ole Gunnar Solsjaker indicated that Bruno could stay on penalty duty over Ronaldo despite the horrible miss from Bruno.

Speaking to the press after the game the United head coach said:

"You will be making all these assumptions now on the reaction of players. Bruno has been excellent, he’s such a good penalty taker. Today, you’d back him with your mortgage, I’d guess. As I said, Bruno has been excellent, and Cristiano is the one who has scored the most penalties in world football. We’ve got great takers here. It’s just a missed opportunity for us to get a point."

It is fair to note that prior to this miss, Bruno has taken the penalties for United and had an excellent record. However, on the other side is Cristiano Ronaldo who's penalty record is beyond exceptional. Ole will have to figure out a way in which he can find the perfect balance between both the set-piece specialists.

United well-prepared for match against Villareal

The Norwegian manager exuded confidence in his side and assured everyone that the team will be well prepared for their UEFA Champions League group fixture against Villareal on Wednesday. "Every time you are defeated, you have to stand up for yourself, stand up for your team, fight for your team and we will, the boys will and it's a big game, Champions League night and, we know we've started our group badly so we will be ready," he added.

After this loss, Manchester United now find themselves at fourth in the Premier League 2021/22 points table with four wins from six matches including a loss and a draw and 13 points to their tally. They are set to host the UEFA Europa League champions, Villarreal, in the UEFA Champions League group stage on Wednesday. Solskjaer's side would also be hoping for a revival in their Premier League fortunes when they lock horns with Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.

(Image: AP)