K
Katherine Lucas
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Antony’s first league goal in over a year should have been something to celebrate. But for the second week in succession Manchester United could not separate themselves from an opponent way beneath them.
The point gained by Burnley, courtesy of a late VAR intervention, may or may not keep them in the Premier League next season yet it did serve to expose one of many failings in Erik ten Hag’s United. The inability to put the ball in the net is a curse Ten Hag has not come close to lifting since his arrival in the summer of 2022.
United’s goal tally is by some distance the lowest in the top six and of the teams in the top half of the table only Wolves have scored fewer.
The trend mirrors last season when United were the only team in the top six not to breach the 60-goal mark. United have managed only 52 in 36 games this season, which suggests they are on course to repeat the sub-60 total.
The one goal they did manage against Burnley came from the unlikely source of Antony, who jumped on a misplaced pass to steer the ball past the ‘keeper. It was a much-improved display from the Brazilian, who showed how threatening he can be when the game is stretched and he has space to attack.
George Simms
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Beyond that Bruno Fernandes came closest with a first-half shot against a post. Though United had plenty of the ball and gave the impression of being busy around the box, for the most part Burnley keeper Arijanet Muric was untested.
At the other end Andre Onana kept United in it with a string of high class saves. As ever with Onana, fallibility is never far away. It was his clumsy mistake from a corner, landing a blow on the head of an attacker, that led to Zeki Amdouni’s equaliser from the spot after VAR corrected the referee’s error in waving play on.
Just as Coventry City managed a week ago, and Sheffield United for 80 minutes on Wednesday, Burnley competed on equal terms. United remain a patched-up XI over-reliant on the capacity of skipper Fernandes to conjure match-winning moments.
Beyond Onana for 87 minutes, Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Harry Maguire, approaching his England best in a red shirt once more, it was another disappointing afternoon for a manager trying desperately to justify his retention by the new regime. “Shouldn’t happen,” said Ten Hag after seeing his team surrender yet another winning position. The supporters who booed United at the end would appear to agree.
And there was more bad news with the departure of Scott McTominay to injury after coming on as a substitute for Kobbie Mainoo. On the plus side, McTominay’s absence ought to bring Mason Mount, an unused substitute here, into the frame for the trip to Crystal Palace on Bank Holiday Monday.
Continue reading...
Antony’s first league goal in over a year should have been something to celebrate. But for the second week in succession Manchester United could not separate themselves from an opponent way beneath them.
The point gained by Burnley, courtesy of a late VAR intervention, may or may not keep them in the Premier League next season yet it did serve to expose one of many failings in Erik ten Hag’s United. The inability to put the ball in the net is a curse Ten Hag has not come close to lifting since his arrival in the summer of 2022.
United’s goal tally is by some distance the lowest in the top six and of the teams in the top half of the table only Wolves have scored fewer.
The trend mirrors last season when United were the only team in the top six not to breach the 60-goal mark. United have managed only 52 in 36 games this season, which suggests they are on course to repeat the sub-60 total.
The one goal they did manage against Burnley came from the unlikely source of Antony, who jumped on a misplaced pass to steer the ball past the ‘keeper. It was a much-improved display from the Brazilian, who showed how threatening he can be when the game is stretched and he has space to attack.
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Beyond that Bruno Fernandes came closest with a first-half shot against a post. Though United had plenty of the ball and gave the impression of being busy around the box, for the most part Burnley keeper Arijanet Muric was untested.
At the other end Andre Onana kept United in it with a string of high class saves. As ever with Onana, fallibility is never far away. It was his clumsy mistake from a corner, landing a blow on the head of an attacker, that led to Zeki Amdouni’s equaliser from the spot after VAR corrected the referee’s error in waving play on.
Just as Coventry City managed a week ago, and Sheffield United for 80 minutes on Wednesday, Burnley competed on equal terms. United remain a patched-up XI over-reliant on the capacity of skipper Fernandes to conjure match-winning moments.
Beyond Onana for 87 minutes, Fernandes, Alejandro Garnacho and Harry Maguire, approaching his England best in a red shirt once more, it was another disappointing afternoon for a manager trying desperately to justify his retention by the new regime. “Shouldn’t happen,” said Ten Hag after seeing his team surrender yet another winning position. The supporters who booed United at the end would appear to agree.
And there was more bad news with the departure of Scott McTominay to injury after coming on as a substitute for Kobbie Mainoo. On the plus side, McTominay’s absence ought to bring Mason Mount, an unused substitute here, into the frame for the trip to Crystal Palace on Bank Holiday Monday.
Continue reading...