Full time: Leicester 0-3 Manchester United
Peep peep! For 82 minutes the match was uneventful, but a spurt of goals either side of half-time gave United a comfortable win. Henrikh Mkhitaryan was terrific. Leicester look broken mentally and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Claudio Ranieri lost his job in the next week or two. It would be utterly disgusting, but not surprising. Thanks for your company; bye!
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88 min Pogba’s low, long-range bullet is well held by Schmeichel, plunging to his right. Schmeichel has had a terrific game and is one of the few Leicester players who looks up for the fight, at least in the football sense. A couple of them look up for some old-fashioned bare-knuckle tomfoolery.
88 min De Gea is booked for perceived timewasting.
86 min Valencia tries to stud a bouncing ball, misses and catches Gray in the chest. He’s lucky not to be booked.
85 min I’m surprised Mkhitaryan doesn’t play more as a No10 for United. That means playing Pogba deeper and omitting Carrick or Herrera, so it’s not a straightforward decision, but Mkhitaryan is so good in that position and has been the best player on the pitch.
84 min Marcus Rashford is replaced by Ashley Young, which might also be interpreted as a stiff two fingers to Anthony Martial.
83 min Valencia’s cut-back is crashed over the bar from 15 yards by Mkhitaryan, who yells with frustration. It was a tricky first-time chance on the run, even for a player of his abundant class.
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81 min Pogba turns away from Ranieri, who slips over embarrassingly.
80 min Mkhitaryan takes Herrera’s pass in his stride and surges into the box, where Fuchs makes a brilliant last-man tackle to save a fourth goal. He has had a shocking game but that was superb. Mkhitaryan is so quick with the ball.
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79 min This win moves United to within a point of Liverpool and two of Arsenal. The title race may be a non-event because of Conte and Kante but this fascinating battle to finish in the top four is surely going the distance.
77 min Big Fella replaces Mata, who scored the third and put Jamie Vardy in an ejector seat in the first half.
76 min The final indignity for Leicester: Marouane Fellaini is coming on.
75 min Ibrahimovic makes a fool of the inept Ranieri on the right-hand side of the box before being tackled by Morgan.
73 min It’s been suggested that some Leicester players asked the chairman to sack Ranieri. If they do it again, the chairman should gently concur that it is time for a change, and then hand them a personalised P45. Utter gits.
72 min This is very good on referees, from Daniel Harris in the New Statesman.
71 min United don’t seem particularly fussed about scoring a fourth; Leicester are too mentally weary to try to score a first. The next 20 minutes should be great fun!
66 min “Granit Xhaha was given a straight red by Taylor for a tackle that was not as bad as a Mata’s,” says Colin Mackay. “Taylor also gave Xhaha a straight red for a tackle against Swansea earlier in the season. It was identical to one by Matic yesterday, for which he got a yellow (and the tackle was described as clever), while Janmaat did same for Burnley vs Arsenal and got no card at all. Is it really too much to ask that there is some consistency? If a two-footed tackle is an offence, make it a red card or a yellow card, not dependent on what side of bed the ref got out of on the day.”
Referees get things wrong, and always will – even with television replays. They usually make fewer mistakes than anyone else involved in a football match though.
64 min “I think Mkhitaryan would be able to pull off a Yosser Hughes-style ‘tache,” writes Conal Huetter. “Could also easily see Zlatan twirling a handlebar moustache in the manner of Snidely Whiplash or Dick Dastardly.”
62 min Mata misses a sitter. He ran through on goal again after yet more abysmal defending from Claudio Ranieri, who tried to play offside with no pressure on the ball. Mata instinctively decided the best way to beat Schmeichel from a few yards was to lob him; unsurprisingly he couldn’t get the elevation and Schmeichel saved.
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57 min Mahrez clips the free-kick through the wall and into the side netting at the near post. De Gea was unsighted, and then gave the wall a serve for splitting as they jumped.
56 min Now Pogba is booked for a sliding foul on Ndidi. Another good decision from referee Anthony Taylor, who is living up to the billing we gave him in his preview essay.
55 min Herrera is booked for a take-one-for-the-team foul on Vardy.
55 min “Rooney would look great with a Merv Hughes,” says Bill Hargreaves.
54 min This could get really messy for Leicester, who have been playing in a daze since that third goal.
53 min “Referee based preview show?” weeps Hubert O’Hearn? “Oh no, it won’t stop there. We’ll soon enough have Calls of the Day in the evening. Tune in to see Mark Clattenburg and Howard Webb on the COTD couch! (I better not have given any broadcaster any ideas.)”
52 min Rashford sweeps a left-footed shot towards goal from a tight angle and Schmeichel gets down smartly to push it behind.
50 min There’s some talk that Mata should not be on the field after that first-half foul on Vardy. It was a really bad tackle but a yellow card was right. The player lucky not to be sent off was Vardy for that unseen kick at Bailly.
It was an easy goal for United. Ibrahimovic and Mkhitaryan combined well to find Mata on the right. He played a square pass to Mkhitaryan, who returned it behind the dithering Fuchs for Mata to sidefoot under Schmeichel.
GOAL! Leicester 0-3 Manchester United (Mata 49)
It’s over. Three goals in seven minutes for United.
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47 min “I note the limited reference to # in your comments (I’m using the hash sign to refer to the most expensive player in the world after his most noteworthy contribution to the recent game in Liverpool came via his domination of the advertising hoardings rather than the midfield),” says Niall Sheerin. “I live in France and most everyone I know is flabbergasted by the fee paid for him and Ibra-esque ego for a very ordinary player. Can you explain the omerta surrounding that shameless self-promotion? Whatever happened to “do your talking on the pitch”? What would Roy Keane have to say? Has he ever done anything in red that would suggest he’s fit to wear the jersey?”
Well, yes he has, clearly. But I do take your point. It sounds absurd given the fee but to some extent United bought potential.
46 min Peep peep! Both teams have made half-time substitutions. Leicester have brought on King and Gray for Musa and Okazaki, while Daley Blind is on for Marcos Rojo.
Half-time chit-chat
“Do you think Leicester’s alleged Premiership victory was based on the delivery of a Wigginsesque package that has since been restricted to midweek usage?” asks Ian Copestake.
At this juncture, I’m going with the Bobby Ewing narrative.
“That Benali footage made me think one thing: there’s not enough moustaches in modern day football is there,” says Benjamin Dalmont. “They do look silly, but it would be variation. Who would be your pick out of today’s 22 if you could make one moustachioed? I’d go Mata, don’t know why.”
Okazaki, mainly because he’s already got one so I’d have no work to do. I’m naturally lazy, can’t help it. It’s genetic! But Drinkwater would look good with the full Artur Jorge.
Half time: Leicester 0-2 Manchester United
Peep peep! United were the better side after a good tactical switch from Jose Mourinho, though their two quickfire goals came as a surprise. Leicester have a job on to save the match. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
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45 min Okazaki has a shot blocked by Pogba, and Ndidi’s beautifully struck long-range follow-up is well held by the falling De Gea.
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45 min That’s Ibrahimovic’s 20th goal of the season, the first time a United player has managed that post-Ferguson.
GOAL! Leicester 0-2 Manchester United (Ibrahimovic 44)
2-0! Valencia drags a low cross into the box, and Ibrahimovic reacts quickest to screw a shot through the legs of Morgan and into the net from 12 yards. The wrongfooted Schmeichel had no chance.
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It was a splendidly decisive goal. Smalling won a header in midfield and knocked it into the Leicester half. Huth thought he get the ball ahead of Mkhitaryan and lumbered towards it. He thought wrong. Mkhitaryan got there first and was away. He angled his run just enough to keep the covering Morgan out of the game and then, from just inside the box, clipped the ball into the net via the knee of Schmeichel.
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GOAL! Leicester 0-1 Manchester United (Mkhitaryan 42)
Henrikh Mkhitaryan opens his legs and shows his class!
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37 min “Good morning Rob,” says Travis Giblin. “At least, it’s good morning from Canada. It may be an indication of my slow morning, what with my wife having taken my kids to their swimming lessons and left me home to fend for myself, but I’m rather looking forward to the match preview of Ref Anthony Taylor. So, when you have a chance…”
You jest. But I give it five years – tops – before referees have their own stats-based preview show every weekend.
35 min Fine save from Schmeichel! Pogba and Ibrahimovic combine well before Pogba plays a sharp pass to Rashford in the box. He controls it on the run and then cracks the bouncing ball towards the near post from 12 yards. Schmeichel, who may have been unsighted, does extremely well to get down to his right and push it round. The corner almost breaks to Pogba at the near post, but doesn’t, so there that goes.
32 min There’s been one shot on target all match, that long-range swirler from Rojo.
30 min United have been the better side since Mourinho’s tactical switch, though almost all of their play has been in front of the Leicester back four.
28 min Mata is booked for an abysmal tackle on Vardy, an unwitting homage to this moment of comic perfection.
23 min United’s first chance. Mata on the right finds Mkhitaryan, who clips the ball first time into a dangerous area near the penalty spot. Rashford runs onto the ball and sweeps a half-volley over the bar. He caught it sweetly but couldn’t control it.
22 min Vardy spins cleverly and plays a good pass to Musa, who is one against one with Bailly in the box. Bailly goes to ground riskily but manages to concede a corner.
20 min United, hitherto dismal in attack, have switched back to 4-2-3-1.
19 min A good free-kick routine from Leicester almost leads to a goal. Mahrez’s short inswinger is looped towards the far post by the head of Vardy, and Mahrez arrives late to head for goal. It hits Pogba and goes behind for a corner.
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18 min “It wasn’t me following that feed!” says John Beaven. “It was, er, a friend. Yes, definitely a friend. And not me. At all.”
It’s okay, mid-life crises are trending at the moment. Might as well cash in while you can.
16 min Michael Carrick is having a good game.
15 min Leicester’s house genius Mahrez enlivens the tedium with a nice run infield before screwing a low shot well wide of the far post.
14 min Bailly has a wrestle with Vardy, who has a little kick at him as they roll over by the touchline. The referee didn’t see it but had he done so it would have been a red card.
11 min “That Association Football has had its doors wide to hardcore capitalism for over two decades and there are still people out there who expect its leaders to show nobility is heartwarming,” says Mark Turner. “In a “capitalism still has plenty of people to rip off” sort of way.”
Ha, yes. Football is a despicable industry but I thought Leicester just might be an exception.
10 min Not much is happening. The referee is so bored that he’s called the captain Chris Smalling over to have a word with him about Ibrahimovic, who had a bit of a struggle with Drinkwater in midfield. Is Smalling his interpreter?
8 min “I found some video of the Arsenal defence at their most fearsome and co-ordinated...” says John Beaven.
Enough of that undeniable cuteness, John: why are you looking at a Twitter feed entitled ‘Bitch Problems’? Eh? There goes your knighthood.
6 min Ibrahimovic flicks the ball cleverly to Rojo, who swooshes a first-time shot towards goal from just outside the box. It’s well shot but comfortably saved by Schmeichel.
5 min United break from the Leicester corner through Mata, and Drinkwater takes a booking for the team.
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4 min It’s been a bright, aggressive start from Leicester, particularly without the ball. There’s a fine atmosphere too. Leicester’s home form has been very good this season and will surely keep them up. Anyway, Mahrez wanders to the left and plays a dangerous cross towards Huth at the far post. Rojo does very well to head behind for a corner.
3 min If you’re into the whole tactics thing, United have matched Leicester’s 4-4-2: Rashford is up front, Mata right, Mkhitaryan left.
2 min “Howdy from sunny San Francisco. (Actually foggy as Wenger’s visage after the Chelsea defeat but people EXPECT California to be sunny...)” says Jason Omahony. “Anyhoo, totally agree with you; Ranieri deserves the job for life. I doubt it was his decision to sell N’Golo Kanté. But just like Leeds getting rid of another Gallic icon in December ‘92, that sale to Chelsea tore the guts out of a team of Champions and gave a title-winning lift to the buying team.”
That’s interesting. Personally I think the impact of the sale of both Cantona and Kante is massively overplayed. The impact of the purchase of both, on the other hand, cannot possibly be overplayed. As for expectations of California, blame Sandy and Seth Cohen.
1 min Peep peep! Manchester United, in red, kick off from right to left. Leicester are in blue.
“So much bandwidth to Ranieri...” says Manoj Ramarao. “A word or two for the other manager tonight who’s had only a few cups more under his belt, may just be in order.”
Be patient. I’ve written individual match previews for both managers, the 22 players, the 14 subs, referee Anthony Taylor and a few of the commentators. I’m just spreading them throughout the build-up.
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“Afternoon Rob!” says Benjamin Dalmont. “I sort of agree with you that football should be more noble and faithful. But everybody (including your intro) makes it sound like it was Ranieri’s own private achievement. Not the players’, not the cryogenic-friendly medical staff’s, not that other madman-who-mentions-ostriches-that-was-there-before’ guy’s achievement for putting that team together and solidifying their team spirit. Really, he let the team that was there when he arrived (including previously identified transfer target Kanté) play to the strengths it was already using during the relegation battle. And in the summer, he let go the team’s best player, without whom their midfield is ghostlike. He was a perfect catalyst for these existing elements, but, come on. This British love of managers, making everything their own private victory or downfall, it’s romantic but a bit much non?”
In defence of, er, me, I did write “what Ranieri and the players achieved”. I agree that the cult of the manager is too great, which is precisely why Ranieri is in danger of the sack.
Preamble
And on the fifth day everyone said: “cheers God, appreciate everything you’ve done mate, but we’re a bit bored of you now, can you do one?”
Leicester City play Manchester United today, but enough of that. Let’s get something straight: Claudio Ranieri should have a job for life at Leicester. If he wants to manage them until the age of 102, all the way down to the 47th tier of English football amid a series of indefensibly eccentric decisions, he can do that. If he wants to line up today with ten men and his imaginary friend Cecil at left-back, that’s fine.
What Ranieri and the Leicester players achieved last season transcends short-termism and entitlement and money. If Leicester are relegated this season, so what? Wouldn’t change a thing, wouldn’t tarnish the memory of the greatest achievement in modern football history. But sacking Ranieri less than a year later would. It would be the final, definitive proof that football is beyond redemption.
Kick off is at 4pm.
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Team news
Leicester (4-4-2) Schmeichel; Simpson, Morgan, Huth, Fuchs; Mahrez, Drinkwater, Ndidi, Musa; Vardy, Okazaki.
Substitutes: Zieler, Chilwell, Benalouane, King, Albrighton, Gray, Kapustka.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Valencia, Bailly, Smalling, Rojo; Herrera, Pogba; Mkhitaryan, Mata, Rashford; Ibrahimovic.
Substitutes: Romero, Blind, Lingard, Fellaini, Young, Carrick, Martial.
Referee Anthony Taylor.
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Rob will be here shortly. In the meantime, why not have a read of Daniel Taylor’s column on Leicester’s case of Cityitis?
How, after all, do you make sense of a team who stayed up after six months in the relegation zone two seasons ago, won the league by 10 points the following year and now find themselves back in the quicksands?
Who could have possibly imagined, even in the absurd world of football, that Claudio Ranieri could be named as Fifa’s world coach of the year, with all that talk of another statue being commissioned to go with the ones in Leicester’s city centre honouring Gandhi, Richard III and Thomas Cook, and that within a few weeks he would be the bookmakers’ favourite as the next manager to be sent to the guillotine?
