Manchester United miss another turning point while toiling against rock-bottom Blades
On the day that football lost Sir Bobby Charlton, all that will be remembered about Manchester United’s performance is that they won. But they were poor. So poor…
“This has to be a turning point,” said Erik ten Hag a fortnight ago. It was not.
Beating Brentford with two goals in added-time was the spark the Manchester United manager hoped might prompt his side to kick on, and another 2-1 victory at Sheffield United means at least they have now won more Premier League games than they have lost. But another three-point haul is one of very few positives for Ten Hag to take on a solemn day for the Red Devils.
Inevitably, minds of the Manchester United fans trekking over the Pennines were on the loss of Sir Bobby Charlton and, in the context of the loss of one of the club’s greatest players and ambassadors, this performance will be forgotten before the visiting supporters have begun their return journey. Ten Hag, though, will surely stew on it for longer, especially with a huge week ahead.
On Tuesday, United have a must-win Champions League clash with Copenhagen following two defeats from their first two group games. Then, next Sunday, City come across Manchester for the derby. Without a swift and comprehensive improvement, of the like we doubt this United side is capable of, it could be a bleak week indeed.
Perhaps the international break came at the wrong time. Any momentum that might have been gained from the buzz of beating the Bees so late was lost when Ten Hag dispatched his players to various corners of the world for international duty. The early stages at Bramall Lane suggested many had run back to Manchester.
One of Ten Hag’s last instructions must have been to avoid giving the Blades, bereft of confidence after conceding eight the last time they played at home, any encouragement whatsoever. The Bramall Lane crowd was quiet at kick-off, but their visitors kindly made them feel more at home by standing off, territorially and in the duels.
Oli McBurnie should have scored inside two minutes after an assortment of mis-steps by the Red Devils and for half an hour, the hosts were the better team, enjoying more of the possession. Ten Hag was evidently frustrated at the passive performance unfolding in front of him.
The manager sought a tactical time-out, facilitated by Andre Onana, the only player who would not have to spend any time off the pitch after a consultation with the physio, having a sit down and a thigh rub. Whatever the message, it didn’t get through.
But, seemingly out of nowhere, United took an undeserved lead. Scott McTominay bundled the ball past the flat-footed Wes Foderingham. Might this be a platform to build upon?
Nope. Instead, as is their habit, they quickly tossed away their advantage. McTominay leaned into a speculative cross and McBurnie slotted home the penalty – the sixth time in the last nine games that United have conceded within six minutes of scoring.
This is a squad that has regularly before wilted in hostile atmospheres, but this was Bramall Lane on mute. Only McBurnie recognised that his opponents were a soft touch and United struggled to deal with his brute force. That, really, was all the Blades offered. So it was a lucky break when McBurnie felt something twang early in the second half.
From then, United asserted some dominance in terms of possession but they lacked the guile to break down the Blades. A triple substitution just after the hour mark made little difference. In the end, United had to rely on their right-back curling one in from 25 yards, which Foderingham ought to have saved, to crack the Premier League’s worst defence, which itself was missing regulars and taking an unfamiliar shape.
This win was another as a consequence of moments. Not because United asserted themselves or a discernible game plan on the opposition. Each individual seemed to look at another and wait for someone else to dig them out of a collective hole.
From back to front were sub-standard performances. Victor Lindelof was clumsy; Antony was no worse than usual but certainly no better; Marcus Rashford looked thoroughly miserable again; and even Bruno Fernandes seemed to be lost in a funk. When Fernandes is having an off-night, you know United will struggle to create.
The only player to emerge with much credit was one of their most maligned. Harry Maguire was the deserved recipient of the Man of the Match award, standing out in a very sparse field. Back on his old stomping ground, in a physical battle featuring plenty of aerial duels, Maguire looked at home. Good preparation for pocketing Erling Haaland, perhaps.
Ten Hag will take solace in the fact his side found a way to win, but the Red Devils will need more than infrequent flashes of inspiration in the coming week.
