Manchester United no longer even have the certainty of sixth position and qualification for the Conference League, more than in doubt due to their own performance, due to a 1-1 against the penultimate in the table, Burnley, with a reckless penalty to last minute committed by Andre Onana and converted by Amdouni and saved by a save by his goalkeeper on Odobert’s last chance.
United have only one point more than Newcastle, seventh, but there is still a duel between the two in the four games they have left until the end. And that clash has a decisive appearance in the future of the ‘Red Devils’, who felt like winners with Antony’s 1-0 in the 79th minute, but threw everything overboard moments later, with a draw that keeps the team alive. Burnley, two points away from relegation.
Even in its current moment, so far from its history, so distant from its initial objectives, focused on protecting its sixth position to play in a competition as minor throughout its existence as the Conference League, Manchester United is more of a team than the Burnley, even though their irregularity is already a constant in every game of the course, even though there were several examples throughout the match that allow for a very intense debate.
Not even the scare at 20 seconds, when David Fofana launched a centered shot, after winning the fight against Casemiro, an improvised center among the plague of casualties in that area suffered by the group led by Erik Ten Hag, changed a sensation that spread for fewer sections of the match than expected, many times on the verge, once again, of falling.
Because the ‘Red Devils’ are an unpredictable team. Any prediction is an uncertain adventure when it comes to a match in any competition in this failed campaign. Against Burnley, he initially directed the game with consistency to the opposite field, around the visitor’s area. He lacked skill in the last few meters. In the pass and the shot.
Eriksen felt it. Garnacho demonstrated it, much more apparent than effective. It was confirmed by the post, which violently repelled Bruno Fernandes’ tremendous volley. Mainoo repeated it, with a shot outside the area. In his succession of occasions, in which many of the ‘greats’ of Europe would have already counted more than one goal, he was left to zero, between the survival of Burnley and between the problems that United also suffers in its defense.
It was a while. Nothing else. Erratic in finishing in attack, United also did not show any security at the back, in doubt when Burnley responded beyond their midfield. Odobert tested Onana, who got out of trouble with a clearance for a corner. An advert. The second. The third was O’Shea’s high shot, after an improper clearance by Bruno.
The final warning, at half an hour, was from Foster, frustrated by a great save from Onana, who was already the best on his team, suddenly, when he was the supporter of the disturbing 0-0, again against Foster, whom He won an individual duel, in which he once again saved the 0-1 for United, already completely blurred when the game went into halftime, with a number of spaces granted to his rival that did not correspond to his apparent level. It is not only the responsibility of the defense, but of the entire structure. Their midfield fails.
An overwhelming play by Garnacho gave Antony the opportunity to score a goal and United’s reaction at the beginning of the second half. He missed the shot again. But the game was another story. The opportunity revived the team led by Erik Ten Hag, more intense, deeper, faster… Garnacho forgave again. He misdefined the action.
The Argentine winger seemed more than he was throughout the duel, although when he hit a good shot afterwards Muric, Burnley’s goalkeeper, showed off and claimed a penalty, amid the disorder of the match, the quick transitions and a 0-0 that It was the strangest thing of all, among the opportunities that both teams had already provided.
And Antony appeared to take advantage of the umpteenth mistake of the match, back in the 79th minute, a horizontal pass from Berge that left him alone against Muric. The Brazilian crossed his left foot, while he was falling, to give a partial and comforting victory to Manchester United, which in the end was not such due to the penalty committed by Onana and scored by Amdouni. In the final moments, McTominay retired injured. Another setback for United.
#United #doesnt #play
