sport news : Dwight Yorke, Wes Brown and Denis Irwin on their former club

sport news : Dwight Yorke, Wes Brown and Denis Irwin on their former club
sport news Manchester United: Dwight Yorke, Wes Brown and Denis Irwin on their former club

The electric ripples that pulsed around Old Trafford after Cristiano Ronaldo struck again to seal Manchester United's last-gasp victory over Villarreal may live long in the memory for some supporters, but beneath the surface lurked a demand for more.

To little surprise, the headlines the next day were all focused on Ronaldo throwing off his shirt and pulling that iconic superhero-like pose. That will have come a relief to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who will know his team, on the whole, struggled.

After all, this will quickly play out to be his most important season in charge. For better or worse, now is the time for results. Having assembled a team of titans, anything below winning trophies will be judged as a failure.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows there is more to come from his Manchester United team this year

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows there is more to come from his Manchester United team this year

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner against Villarreal but supporters are demanding more

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a late winner against Villarreal but supporters are demanding more

Of course, that is part of the job description at United. He will be under no illusions. In those hallowed corridors, and out on the pitch, the spotlight burns just that bit brighter - uncomfortably so, in fact. There can be no passengers.

It is perhaps understandable, then, for lovers of the club to want better displays, and to see free-flowing football bouncing around those magic boots of Ronaldo. Dwight Yorke, for one, has admitted he feels exactly this way.

He is positive about United and optimistic about what lies ahead, but has bemoaned the fact that, in some corners at least, his former side no longer strike fear into the heart of their opponents, like they did in their glory days.

Ronaldo (C) will be expecting to lead United to silverware this season despite their mixed form

Ronaldo (C) will be expecting to lead United to silverware this season despite their mixed form

A trio of United greats have spoken to Sportsmail and given their views on the state of the club

A trio of United greats have spoken to Sportsmail and given their views on the state of the club

'I find it frustrating, when you have that sort of talent going forward, that you can't push teams right back,' Yorke tells Sportsmail. 'They should be fearing us more than I think they are at the moment.

'It's just unbelievable. [Anthony] Martial can come on, [Marcus] Rashford still has to come back into the equation. We are a serious threat, this team going forward. 

'You've got Bruno [Fernandes], [Paul] Pogba is included in that. You've got Ronaldo. I mean, what more do you really need? 

'Unfortunately, everybody can't play at the same time. I think we have enough to send shockwaves around the Premier League, and certainly Europe as well.' 

Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Fernandes, Edinson Cavani - these are all players who have arrived in recent years at United as part of their quest to restore their DNA and the winning mentality lost after Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

Former United star Dwight Yorke believes teams should fear them more than they currently do

Former United star Dwight Yorke believes teams should fear them more than they currently do

Make no mistake, they can all single-handedly take games by the scruff of its neck and win them on their own. But several times, particularly under Solskjaer, they have promised much but fallen agonisingly short every time. 

No one will be more pained by this than the man in charge of it all. A prolific marksman in his playing days, Solskjaer clearly has the dressing room in the palm of his hand, and is able to both charm and unleash fury.

He also has support everywhere that matters, including from his former team-mates and United's greatest servants. 

Wes Brown, for example, wholeheartedly believes in Solskjaer's project. On his part, there is also excitement, and a dose of realism.

'He's obviously brought in good signings,' Brown, who played alongside Solskjaer for eight years, says. 'This summer, the signings are winners, which is going to help the team. This season is a big season for him. 

Wes Brown has hailed United's summer signings, including Ronaldo, and also feels optimistic

Wes Brown has hailed United's summer signings, including Ronaldo, and also feels optimistic

A former team-mate of Solskjaer, Brown (above) says the pressure is on to clinch silverware

A former team-mate of Solskjaer, Brown (above) says the pressure is on to clinch silverware

'But any manager at Manchester United will always be looked at to win trophies.

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