RALF HAS POT SHOT

Wasteful side must wise up

V MAN UTD 8PM, BT SPORT

RALF RANGNICK says his players must find their killer touch in front of goal again or risk losing their hold on a top-four place.

Manchester United are seeking to put their FA Cup exit at the hands of Middlesbrough behind them against Burnley tonight.

The interim manager said it was important to their hopes of a Champions League spot that his forwards start turning chances into goals, having scored only once against Boro last Friday before losing on penalties.

Rangnick said: “Football is about getting results, being clinical and killing a game off and being ruthless in our own interest. This is what we didn’t do.

“If you have a game at home against a Championship team like Middlesbrough and you have 30 to six shots on goal and 22 to three inside the box you have to win. But we were just not clinical enough with the chances we had after conceding the equaliser.

“We didn’t give away that many chances and overall the team has developed and taken the next steps but in the end it doesn’t help.”

Despite boasting attacking talents such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani and, until recently, Mason Greenwood, United have scored more than once just three times in 11 games under Rangnick. That was in the 2-2 draw against Aston Villa and 3-1 wins over Brentford and tonight’s opposition Burnley. With the Champions League the only realistic piece of silverware available to United this term, Rangnick admitted that fourth place might be the best to hope for.

“Right now we are fourth in the league and everybody on the inside of the club including myself would be happy if we finish fourth at the end of the season,” he said.

“With the team that we have it is about getting the best out of this season. It is the only thing we can do and we can achieve that. But we would be more likely to achieve that if we improve our performances.” BURNLEY (probable): Pope; Roberts, Tarkowski, Mee, Pieters; Lennon, Stephens, Westwood, McNeil; Cornet, Weghorst.

MAN UNITED (probable): De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Maguire, Shaw; McTominay, Pogba; Rashford, Fernandes, Sancho; Ronaldo.