Manchester United travelled to the eastern part of Manchester to take on Manchester City today at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League. I was apprehensive about this matchup, as City are arguably the best team in England and United have been inconsistent in the Prem this season. To make matters worse, United were without Cristiano Ronaldo (injury), Edinson Cavani (injury), Luke Shaw, and Raphael Varane (both positive for Covid-19). On another day, all four of those players would be starting a big match such as this one. City needed a win to maintain their grip on first place, while United needed a win to move back into 4th place having been leapfrogged by Arsenal earlier in the day.
Neither half was good for United, but the first was definitely better than the second. City were attacking United down their left hand side and finding a lot of success. The entire back four had a crappy game, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire were particularly poor. City’s all-world attacking players were running rings around them for most of the match. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne got City’s first after a cross from the left along the ground fell to him. It was only 5 minutes in that he scored and I knew it was going to be a long day after that. Picked apart after a scant 5 minutes of play is exceedingly poor.
United did get an equalizer though, and it was thanks to their best passing move of the match. The ball broke for Jadon Sancho in a forward position, and he did very well to create some space for a shot that he buried into the opposite corner from the left hand side of the 18 yard box. Several good passes leading up to the goal, and United were level at 1-1. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one. It gave me a glimmer of hope that United might be able to take something from this.
United were behind again just before halftime, and it was again De Bruyne on the spot to put it away. United were again torn open on the left hand side, and they lost the ball in their own half in a very dangerous position after a failed clearanced. Attacking midfield/forward Phil Foden then showed why he is one of England’s brightest prospects. His touch and control in the box took Victor Lindelof out of the play altogether, and although his shot came back off the post and the follow-up was blocked, the ball eventually fell to De Bruyne who buried a shot from close range. No chance for United keeper David De Gea. Some excellent play and passing by City, with United’s defense unable to cope. 2-1 at halftime wasn’t a great score line, but I did try to console myself with the fact that it could have been much worse.
Whatever semblance of strategy United were playing with in the first half, it was completely gone about 5 minutes into the second half. City were on the ball a lot more, and it was near impossible to get it off them. When United did have the ball, they looked lost and couldn’t figure out where to play it. Some awful passing the final third usually led to a City counter-attack, which United would have to get back quickly to defend. If another goal was to come, you’d put your money on City bagging it. Manager Ralf Rangnick tried to inject some more pace into the attack by bringing on Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard, but they didn’t really do much to help relieve any of the pressure United were under.
The third City goal was a fairly poor one to concede. A cross from a corner was played over the top by De Bruyne, with the ball not being touched until it fell to the feet of winger Riyad Mahrez. He stepped forward and swept the ball towards goal with his left foot, and the ball curled around the men in front of him and into the left hand corner of De Gea’s net. Good skill from De Bruyne and Mahrez to be sure, but where was the defending? Why was Mahrez virtually on his own in that position? The entire move was two kicks and the ball was in the net! Horrendous.
That’s when the wheels fell off. United stopped trying. Plain and simple. They capitulated completely and it was a miracle that City only got one more goal. Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan brought the ball forward after a poor clearance from De Gea, and he found Mahrez on a neat diagonal run in behind the United defense. There was a hint of offside to the goal perhaps, but a crisp finish from Mahrez put City up 4-1. If it wasn’t over before, it certainly was at that point.
It’ one thing to lose to the best team, but it’s another thing to lose in the manner that United lost. It was just complete and total surrender! Rashford and Lingard were useless substitutes. Bruno Fernandes misplaced passes left and right. Wan-Bissaka and Maguire were at sixes and sevens the entire match. It was even unclear what our tactics were in the second half, thanks to some incredibly poor execution. City were toying with us for the final 30 minutes or so. Utterly disgusting.
This match is the perfect metaphor for the season – so much promise but in the end regression and disappointment. I’m numb to it at this point. A result like this would have shattered me a few years ago, but today I don’t even really feel anything. This was supposed to be the season we made a legitimate title charge, but it’s all gone pear-shaped. Does this club need a sports psychologist? An exorcist? I don’t even know anymore. From ownership down, this club needs to be revamped completely. I almost don’t want us to qualify for European play next season because then we would get a little bit of a re-set. I expect at least 6-7 of these current players to go in the summer. It’s true that Rangnick did not have the best game as manager, but this result is 90% on the players. The tactical plan doesn’t matter if they players stop trying 2/3rds of the way through the match.
I don’t even care who or when we play next. We need a miracle to place in the top-4 now.
4-4-2 