Manchester United: Bore draw with Leeds won’t derail season run-in, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

United’s winning run came to an end with rather a whimper in a low-key affair at Elland Road

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched his Manchester United side put in a flat display to end a five-game winning run in all competitions, as they drew 0-0 at Leeds United.

With the Red Devils looking to end the campaign on a high, finishing second in the Premier League and heading into the Europa League semi-finals in midweek, the drop-off in performance level hasn’t come at an ideal moment.

But Solskjaer isn’t concerned that it will have a lasting effect on his team, suggesting that United did well to stop Leeds overpowering the game after the break as they have done recently.

“When two teams meet you create problems, solve problems. We put a really big shift down and second half we’ve seen Leeds run over teams - it was the opposite for us,” Solskjaer told Sky Sports.

“They are good at it [man marking]. It’s a chance for every player to go one against one; up until the 18 yards, that’s where it stopped the quality or the decision let us down.

“You’re disappointed you don’t get three points but the boys put a shift down, we have a lot of respect for the way Leeds play. This is not going to be something we look back and [it] derails our season.”

With English football as a whole, including Premier League clubs, set to boycott social media in the coming weeks to try to enforce change regarding online abuse, Solskjaer was asked his view on the approach.

He insisted reform was required and hoped the move would force the companies involved to make tangible changes to prevent the type of comments which have been aimed at players and those working in the wider game on an increasingly regular basis of late.

“There’s no doubt it’s needed. Action must be taken and that it stops. We want to play our part and hopefully this will be the end of it. We’ve been working with this for years so hopefully we can get an end to it.”

United are 10 points off leaders Man City with five games to play, while holding an eight-point advantage over third-place Leicester, who have a game in hand.