UNITED IN CRISIS
After double blow, the heat’s on Jose as the boos ring out
MANCHESTER UNITED were booed off at Old Trafford last night after being held to a grim 0-0 draw by struggling Southampton, and Jose Mourinho later revealed a double injury blow.
Top scorer Romelu Lukaku had to be carried off on a stretcher just minutes into the tepid stalemate and Mourinho reckons his 14-goal marksman will miss at least two matches.
The United manager has also confirmed that Zlatan Ibrahimovic — Lukaku’s obvious replacement — will be out for another month after just returning from a careerthreatening knee injury. The gloomy injury bulletin added to the mood of unease at Old Trafford, as United were held to a third successive Premier League draw.
Mourinho refused to criticise his players after the shocker against the Saints, preferring instead to single out referee Craig Pawson for not giving a penalty for handball against Maya Yoshida.
‘I think it is a disappointing afternoon for Craig because he’s a fantastic referee, one of the best in Europe,’ said Mourinho. ‘We missed easy chances but I’m really unhappy with the penalty, not with Pawson’s performance. A clear penalty wasn’t given.’
THE fact that Manchester United have made considerable improvements from recent seasons is no longer a balm with which to soothe their wounded pride. The chorus of boos which rung out at the final whistle at Old Trafford told you as much.
Every sparkling performance across town and every superlative showered upon Pep Guardiola must dig deep into Jose Mourinho’s psyche and into Manchester United’s soul.
Last night they were not bad. They were simply not good enough. That is the story of their season and their status, for now at least, in a city they once swaggered around in with impunity, is as a support act to the main event.
A Christmas period of three points in three games preceded by that League Cup defeat by Bristol City has been as meek and mild as could be imagined. They last won on December 17, a 2-1 victory against West Brom.
Just as their noisy neighbours are turning up the volume, they have gone quiet. At Old Trafford they came up against a Southampton side chastened by a defeat against Tottenham on Tuesday and seemingly determined to ensure no repeat, with James Ward-Prowse relishing a return to the game. Manuel Pellegrino’s side were an impressive contributor to a match full of chances but lacking quality finishers.
United were not helped by losing Romelu Lukaku after just eight minutes with a head injury. By then, though, he had already missed one of the chances of the game. Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the bench, the responsibility fell on to Marcus Rashford.
But all round, United were neither sharp nor incisive. Chances that did come were scuffed or wasted. Final balls were a yard short or wide. And it all added up to an afternoon of frustration and further revelation of their limitations.
The first half was not lacking in incident, though. Just three minutes had passed when Paul Pogba found Juan Mata with a superb ball and the Spaniard made it to the byline and crossed perfectly for Lukaku. Rising above the Southampton defence, it looked the perfect moment to settle nerves — both his and the home crowd’s. Instead, he directed the header over the bar.
Southampton responded quickly, almost opening the scoring when Dusan Tadic found Sofiane Boufal in the eighth minute. He pulled the ball back to Ward-Prowse and, amidst chaos in the United area, David de Gea sprung to his left to touch the ball wide.
Within a minute of that episode, it was clear Lukaku would make no further contribution. Initially he had only seemed to brush heads with Wesley Hoedt in an aerial collision but the injury was clearly more serious. He lay on the ground for five minutes while treatment ensued before finally leaving on a stretcher to supportive applause.
Rashford came on but it was Ward-Prowse who was next to test a goalkeeper, his curling free-kick requiring De Gea to tip wide.
Alex McCarthy, in for the dropped Fraser Forster and making a Premier League debut for Southampton, made a sharp save with his feet from a Mata shot in the 26th minute and United felt they should have had a penalty six minutes later, when the ball bounced up and hit Maya Yoshida’s arm. Referee Craig Pawson disagreed and, while Yoshida might have endured a nervous moment, there appeared enough doubt about intent to justify that decision.
Yet though Pogba and Nemanja Matic were roaming midfield with intent, it was not a smooth performance from United. Rashford ran eagerly yet shot wastefully, while Jesse Lingard went close with a 43rd-minute header from a Henrikh Mkhitaryan cross. Yet there was little fluency or authority about United as Southampton threatened.
There was no doubting United’s effort, none more than Ashley Young, repeatedly marauding down the right flank to cause Southampton problems. But the precision of their final ball or finish was less impressive, Mkhitaryan skewing one second-half cross hopelessly wide. United looked to be a team both mentally and physically tired from the Christmas fixture list. And Southampton were a persistent irritant, coming close to scoring in the 51st minute when Ward-Prowse, charging down the right, crossed for Shane Long, whose shot was saved by swift reaction from De Gea’s feet.
United responded with a Mkhitaryan shot from the edge of the box which McCarthy saved but already Old Trafford was calling for Anthony Martial, who was sat on the bench. Certainly they needed an injection of quality.
Mourinho had seen enough in the 67th minute and Mkhitaryan gave way for Martial to a huge roar. He quickly won a free-kick within range and Young saw his strike deflected just wide by the defensive wall. Matic tried his luck from long range in the 69th minute but shot well over and the growing tension was indicated by Mourinho scrambling to act as ball boy to ensure a quick throw-in.
Southampton pressed on, sensing United’s vulnerabilities with Tadic heading just over Boufal’s cross in the 70th minute. Then Tadic again side-footed wide, while Rashford’s chance from close range in the 77th minute was blocked by a posse of Saints defenders.
There was a tantalising moment of excitement in the 82nd minute, though, when Young’s free-kick from wide fell to Matic, who turned and scuffed his shot. Still, it was enough to beat McCarthy through a crowded penalty area.
Sadly for United, Pogba ruined the moment. Standing in an offside position, he rushed to help the ball over the line and ensured it was disallowed. Had he left it, it may even have trickled in off the post. It was that sort of frustrating day.