Three times in the space of a week Manchester United have had their noses in front, three times they failed to close out the win — though the kids who played in Astana should be excused from any criticism.



The latest game United failed to win was against newly-promoted Aston Villa on Sunday, a week after they had also failed to beat newly-promoted Sheffield United. Despite Ole Gunnar Solskjaer asking for leaders and characters to step forward, his team started the two games appallingly. In both, they went behind, drew level, then got into a winning position. But each time, they couldn’t hold onto their leads.



Solskjaer wants his team to finish opponents off yet they can’t even hold onto what they have. His players look nervy and error-prone, his substitutions unconvincing. United have kept two clean sheets in the last 25 Premier League games — an atrocious statistic for a club with the top flight’s highest wage bill.



Four wins...