Manchester United’s flailing season continues to leave a lot to be desired after turning in yet another dismal performance against Leicester on Saturday.
Though they managed to pick up a point with a 1-1 draw, they once again displayed all the deficiencies that have dogged them throughout the season. In truth, they were fortunate not to lose at Old Trafford, with Leicester threatening to inflict yet another defeat on them.
It does United few favours, with their hunt for a top-four finish threatening to fizzle out with eight games still remaining in the season. Here’s what the national media made of their 1-1 draw with the Foxes at Old Trafford.
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‘Campaign’s end is misfiring’ – The Guardian
Three points were required and only one was claimed by Manchester United, whose prospects of Champions League qualification are distant. Ralf Rangnick’s side are sixth, a win behind Arsenal, who have played two games fewer.
It could have been worse. With 10 minutes left Raphaël Varane got himself into a pickle, Kelechi Iheanacho burgled him and passed to James Maddison who made it 2-1. But Andre Marriner, on a VAR touchline review, deemed Iheanacho impeded Varane and it was chalked off. Yet though United rallied from here – Jadon Sancho missed a golden late chance – their campaign’s end is misfiring – just as their season before has.
Rangnick wanted the last two and a half weeks since United’s previous action – being dumped out of the Champions League by Atlético Madrid - to be a “reset” for the term’s final nine games. With this missed opportunity, the German has eight left to try to somehow finish in the top four and, also, reach 64 points – 13 are needed – which would be United’s lowest ever tally in the Premier League era.
‘A team without a theme’ – The Telegraph
A team without a theme in the Theatre of Dreams, Manchester United’s pursuit of fourth place in the Premier League has become the chase that never quite gets out of second gear.
This was just as numbing as many of the recent performances, including the previous outing against Atletico Madrid, and Ralf Rangnick’s side would have lost the game – were it not for the intervention of Var for what looked like a winner from James Maddison on 80 minutes. Andre Marriner disallowed the goal on review and Brendan Rodgers put his face in his hands, knowing that there would seldom have been a better chance to win at Old Trafford.
Rangnick was without Cristiano Ronaldo, judged too unwell to be part of the squad having missed training on Friday with what was described as flu-like symptoms, and it was little better without their glowering No 7. The first half performance was particularly dire with Rangnick opting for the unlikely strikeforce of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, which he tried unsuccessfully against Manchester City and was obliged to dismantle at half-time on this occasion.
The bigger picture with eight games left is that United are now two [three] points behind Arsenal in fourth who have played two fewer games. Unfortunately for Rangnick, there is no momentum in this team unless one discounts the frantic attacking United did in time added on at the end when they were gripped by a fresh urgency. Can they make the Champions League places? “We are not,” Rangnick said, “the favourites for No 4.”
United ‘even worse’ without Ronaldo – Daily Mail
For all the fuss about Cristiano Ronaldo being past his best, the truth is Manchester United are even worse without him.
Ronaldo missed Saturday's fortuitous draw through illness. It's the sixth Premier League he hasn't started since he returned to Old Trafford and his team-mates are still yet to win any of them.
No Ronaldo meant no focal point in attack with the experiment of using Bruno Fernandes as a false nine failing badly. Ralf Rangnick then turned to the out-of-form Marcus Rashford to come off the bench to play centre-forward but things didn't improve.
If Ronaldo is too old at 37 to be the long-term solution, his absence left youngsters Anthony Elanga and Sancho looking for guidance. Fernandes must be paid by the word the amount of whingeing he does on the pitch. Rashford can't even get a start when Ronaldo is unavailable.
There is a pressing need for United to identify their next permanent manager quickly rather than sifting through various candidates without seeming to have a clear idea of what they want.
In the circumstances, Rangnick's interim reign is like sticking a small plaster on a big wound. The German is doing the best he can – but it's not cutting the mustard.
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