Pogba’s penalty farce
Confusion as United midfielder overrules Rashford then has spot kick saved by Patricio
Wolves 1 Neves 55 Manchester United 1 Martial 27 Att: 31,314
The problem for Paul Pogba was not in taking the second-half penalty with which Manchester United should have won this match. It was insisting on taking it. In the end the kick was saved, a fine diving effort from goalkeeper Rui Patricio, and with it United dropped two precious points and reopened the debate over the lack of leadership in their side and Pogba’s role in it.
Having scored from the spot in the 4-0 rout of Chelsea in the previous game, it certainly looked like Marcus Rashford expected to retain penalty duties, even if he later denied that was the case as United circled the wagons in their unconvincing defence. Instead, after an unnecessary on-pitch discussion, the striker was overruled by Pogba, who has now missed four penalties in the Premier League in the past 11 months.
Once again, it meant that Pogba was the centre of attention, with the cameras inevitably panning to him at the final whistle and pundit Gary Neville venting his spleen. “This is a Manchester United penalty, this not a tombola, this is not under-fives on the school field,” he ranted. Pogba pulled his shirt over his head in frustration and tore the tape off around his wrists before throwing it to the ground.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the manager, was forced to defend himself as he even, bizarrely, talked about the “power point” slides which showed Pogba deserved the chance to take penalties.
“The two of them are designated penalty shooters and it’s up to them there and then to feel ‘it’s mine’,” he argued. But does that not show a lack of leadership? “Not at all. The two of them are confident penaltytakers. When there are two names there it’s the one who’s most confident. No problem with players walking up to say ‘it’s mine’.”
There is a problem, though, when that player misses, while it also begs the question as to how Rashford could be lacking in confidence given his own recent penalty record – scoring for club and country – and his desire to take this one?
This also takes place amid Pogba’s ongoing desire to leave United to join Real Madrid and the club’s continued determination to keep him for at least one more season.
Although Pogba missed the penalty, he did not play poorly, but that does not detract from the issue of Solskjaer’s apparent lack of decisiveness. In fact it seemed Pogba felt he deserved to take the penalty – always a dangerous thing – as he had earned it with his run and quick feet that provoked Wolves captain Conor Coady into clipping his left foot. Given Rashford had won the penalty from which he scored against Chelsea, surely this is not the criteria United are using?
The miss was costly, but Wolves deserved to take a point as they hauled back United, who had dominated the first half and gone ahead with Anthony Martial’s 50th goal for the club.
It was superbly crafted following a move initiated by Luke Shaw, with Scott Mctominay and Jesse Lingard joining in, before Rashford slid the ball for Martial to run on to and strike a powerful, rising left-foot shot beyond Patricio. Martial had the chance to score again when he collected a woeful back-pass by Ryan Bennett but, clear on goal, trod on the ball and then was challenged by Willy Boly.
The one change for United from the side who had defeated Chelsea was a first Premier League start for new signing Daniel James. The winger, with his extraordinary pace, was buffeted, although the 21-year-old was also booked for diving after he tumbled over under Joao Moutinho’s challenge.
But it was Wolves’ own flier, Adama Traore, who made the difference as he was introduced at half-time and ran at the United defence, as Nuno Espirito Santo demanded more from a side facing five games in 14 days, including the two legs of their Europa League qualifier against Torino.
It was after Harry Maguire bodychecked Traore that Moutinho delivered the free-kick from which Raul Jimenez glanced a header across goal and off the far post, with the ball then striking David de Gea on the shoulder.
From the corner, Moutinho played it short to Diogo Jota and took the return ball before cleverly sweeping it out to Ruben Neves. The midfielder took a touch, then another, before striking a superb, curling 25-yard shot that kissed the underside of the crossbar on its way in.
There was a video assistant referee check – was Moutinho offside? – which took an eternity before referee Jonathan Moss confirmed the goal. The delay, though, stalled Wolves’ momentum and it was United who should have struck back with Pogba’s penalty.
Given that United lost here twice last season, it was a respectable enough result for Solskjaer, even if there was something decidedly improper about the penalty incident.
Wolverhampton Wanderers (3-5-2) Patricio 8; Bennett 6, Coady 6, Boly 7; Doherty 5 (Traore 46), Dendoncker 6, Neves 7, Moutinho 7, Otto 6; Jimenez 7, (Cutrone 90), Jota 6 (Pedro Neto 86). Subs Gibbs-white, Ruddy (g), Saiss, Vinagre. Booked Neves, Bennett.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1) De Gea 6; Wan-bissaka 7, Lindelof 6, Maguire 7, Shaw 6; Pogba 6, Mctominay 6; James 7 (Greenwood 89), Lingard 6 (Mata 81), Rashford 6 (Pereira 89); Martial 7. Subs Romero (g), Young, Matic, Tuanzebe. Booked James, Wan-bissaka.
Referee Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire).