Manchester United are a mess but that mess is through to the fourth round of the FA Cup. Aston Villa should really be the ones progressing to play Middlesbrough on the balance of play at Old Trafford last night, as Steven Gerrard’s side continue to quietly impress and gradually improve under a newly-appointed manager who is having a tangible, positive effect on his players. The same cannot yet be said of United and Ralf Rangnick.
But courtesy of Scott McTominay’s early header, United march on and Rangnick picked up a valuable win after a week in which his interim spell in charge has threatened to unravel. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s temporary successor is still moulding this big, bloated squad into his image; still waiting for a statement performance, and on this evidence, there is still a long way to go too, but at least he has a little more breathing room.
A response was needed after last week’s defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Villa will leave feeling that they played just as well as their neighbours in the west Midlands, only with nothing to show for their efforts. From the moment they went behind to McTominay’s header to the final whistle, they were the better side and fed off a febrile atmosphere, which was only heightened by Gerrard’s presence in the away dugout. Yet for all their opportunities and contentiously disallowed Danny Ings equaliser, they were eliminated. Follow all the reaction below as Man United beat Aston Villa:
