MANCHESTER UNITED ARE once again looking into a different kind of future as they search for a new permanent manager/head coach/insert whatever title is bestowed upon the person by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe.
Regardless, life after Ruben Amorim begins with a familiar sense of frustration and a reminder of the deep-rooted frailties in this squad.
For six minutes in the second half United somehow found themselves in the top four of the Premier League. They ended the night back in seventh, two places below Keith Andrews’ Brentford in fifth and Newcastle in sixth.
This is a snakes and ladders campaign and for United a 2-2 draw away to a Burnley side heading back to the Championship bore all the characteristics of the inconsistency that has long blighted them, and will likely see them slip further rather than find any kind of fulfillment.
Scott Parker’s men were capable of showing up the vulnerabilities and concerns that overshadow some of the positives on display for United.
The towering Benjamin Sesko scoring two fine goals – illustrating intelligence and finesse – should infuse the 22-year-old striker with confidence at a time when he will likely have Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arriving as interim boss for the remainder of the season.
Where this campaign goes from here for United is anyone’s guess. In the statement that confirmed Amorim’s sacking on Monday the club stated that it was a decision taken to “give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.”
Performances like this will ensure little more than bobbing about in the cold, shallow waters of mid-table.
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Sloppy and casual to start with, United were punished when the home side took a 13th-minute lead in rather fortuitous circumstances after 19-year-old defender Ayden Heaven deflected a harmless cross into his own net.
Indeed, Burnley had one shot on target and scored two goals.
United slowly took command after that initial setback, they had two efforts cleared off the line in the first half and eventually drew level five minutes after the break when Sesko made the kind of run that demanded the through pass from Bruno Fernandes and led to him finishing low into the net.
Ten minutes after that the towering striker again showed his smarts to use the pace on a fine cross from Patrick Dorgu to simply open up his body and guide a side foot volley home.
United were in control and dominant. The game was there to be killed off but, instead, there was an almost immediate retreat. The way Lisandro Martinez backed off substitute Jaidon Anthony on the edge of the box and allowed him cut inside was indicative off the mentality shift.
The turn and strike from the Burnley attacker was brilliant but he should not have been given the space.
There would be no dramatic ending, although United academy graduate Shea Lacey was sent on by caretaker boss Darren Fletcher and struck the crossbar with one stunning long range shot before fizzing a second effort from a similar 30-yard distance just wide.
Life after Amorim will only really take shape once the middle management at Old Trafford are told by Ratcliffe who he thinks the new permanent man on the touchline dressed in Paul Smith’s finest gear should be.
That person won’t be the manager, of course, and if the fallout to Amorim’s departure over the last 36 hours has told us anything it’s that whoever does take the job better do exactly what Ratcliffe says is best to director of football Jason Wilcox.
Fletcher was in caretaker charge for this draw at Turf Moor against a side heading for relegation and who had not won a game since 28 October – that result being a 3-2 victory over a Wolves team who will also join them in the Championship next season.
That same weekend, just before Halloween, must feel like a very different time for United.
It was a month that began with the kind of mundane 2-0 win at home to Sunderland that they took for granted during decades of dominance. Indeed, it was also the last time Sesko had scored before last night.
The ramshackle, see-saw nature of this performance against Burnley shows how far they are from feeling comfortable going into any contest – even one against a beleaguered outfit who are in a battle for 18th position.
Anyway, back to last October, when United travelled to Anfield just after the Sunderland victory and produced the standout moment of their season so far – perhaps even the highlight of Amorim’s entire reign.
Harry Maguire’s 84th minute header pilfered a 2-1 win against Liverpool and when that was followed up at the end of the month with an impressive 4-2 victory at home to Brighton it genuinely felt like United were gathering momentum by any means necessary.
Their play fizzed with confidence at home and their display on Merseyside was dogged, although what has followed has been a stark continuation of mediocrity by dropping points against all of the teams currently in the bottom seven of the table.
So, while Sesko took flight with those two goals the frailties that will take some time to eradicate brought United back down to earth as they prepare to begin from scratch yet again.
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Sesko takes flight but Manchester United brought back down to earth as frailties laid bare
MANCHESTER UNITED ARE once again looking into a different kind of future as they search for a new permanent manager/head coach/insert whatever title is bestowed upon the person by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe.
Regardless, life after Ruben Amorim begins with a familiar sense of frustration and a reminder of the deep-rooted frailties in this squad.
For six minutes in the second half United somehow found themselves in the top four of the Premier League. They ended the night back in seventh, two places below Keith Andrews’ Brentford in fifth and Newcastle in sixth.
This is a snakes and ladders campaign and for United a 2-2 draw away to a Burnley side heading back to the Championship bore all the characteristics of the inconsistency that has long blighted them, and will likely see them slip further rather than find any kind of fulfillment.
Scott Parker’s men were capable of showing up the vulnerabilities and concerns that overshadow some of the positives on display for United.
The towering Benjamin Sesko scoring two fine goals – illustrating intelligence and finesse – should infuse the 22-year-old striker with confidence at a time when he will likely have Ole Gunnar Solskjaer arriving as interim boss for the remainder of the season.
Where this campaign goes from here for United is anyone’s guess. In the statement that confirmed Amorim’s sacking on Monday the club stated that it was a decision taken to “give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish.”
Performances like this will ensure little more than bobbing about in the cold, shallow waters of mid-table.
Sloppy and casual to start with, United were punished when the home side took a 13th-minute lead in rather fortuitous circumstances after 19-year-old defender Ayden Heaven deflected a harmless cross into his own net.
Indeed, Burnley had one shot on target and scored two goals.
United slowly took command after that initial setback, they had two efforts cleared off the line in the first half and eventually drew level five minutes after the break when Sesko made the kind of run that demanded the through pass from Bruno Fernandes and led to him finishing low into the net.
Ten minutes after that the towering striker again showed his smarts to use the pace on a fine cross from Patrick Dorgu to simply open up his body and guide a side foot volley home.
United were in control and dominant. The game was there to be killed off but, instead, there was an almost immediate retreat. The way Lisandro Martinez backed off substitute Jaidon Anthony on the edge of the box and allowed him cut inside was indicative off the mentality shift.
The turn and strike from the Burnley attacker was brilliant but he should not have been given the space.
There would be no dramatic ending, although United academy graduate Shea Lacey was sent on by caretaker boss Darren Fletcher and struck the crossbar with one stunning long range shot before fizzing a second effort from a similar 30-yard distance just wide.
Life after Amorim will only really take shape once the middle management at Old Trafford are told by Ratcliffe who he thinks the new permanent man on the touchline dressed in Paul Smith’s finest gear should be.
That person won’t be the manager, of course, and if the fallout to Amorim’s departure over the last 36 hours has told us anything it’s that whoever does take the job better do exactly what Ratcliffe says is best to director of football Jason Wilcox.
Fletcher was in caretaker charge for this draw at Turf Moor against a side heading for relegation and who had not won a game since 28 October – that result being a 3-2 victory over a Wolves team who will also join them in the Championship next season.
That same weekend, just before Halloween, must feel like a very different time for United.
It was a month that began with the kind of mundane 2-0 win at home to Sunderland that they took for granted during decades of dominance. Indeed, it was also the last time Sesko had scored before last night.
The ramshackle, see-saw nature of this performance against Burnley shows how far they are from feeling comfortable going into any contest – even one against a beleaguered outfit who are in a battle for 18th position.
Anyway, back to last October, when United travelled to Anfield just after the Sunderland victory and produced the standout moment of their season so far – perhaps even the highlight of Amorim’s entire reign.
Harry Maguire’s 84th minute header pilfered a 2-1 win against Liverpool and when that was followed up at the end of the month with an impressive 4-2 victory at home to Brighton it genuinely felt like United were gathering momentum by any means necessary.
Their play fizzed with confidence at home and their display on Merseyside was dogged, although what has followed has been a stark continuation of mediocrity by dropping points against all of the teams currently in the bottom seven of the table.
So, while Sesko took flight with those two goals the frailties that will take some time to eradicate brought United back down to earth as they prepare to begin from scratch yet again.
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Love/Hate Manchester United Premier League Soccer