MADD FOR IT
Man Utd 1 Leicester 1: Red Devils drop MORE points in top four race but escape with draw after Maddison goal ruled out
NEVER mind Harry Maguire – this time they were spoilt for choice over who to boo.
And in fairness you couldn’t blame the fans if virtually every man with a United badge on his shirt copped it.
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Forget that they finally showed a bit of character in clawing their way back and salvaging a point courtesy of that renowned goal machine Fred.
United are in danger of seeing their top four hopes blown away by Easter after this. And after yet another toothless and tepid display, it is no more than they deserved.
Centre back Maguire, remember, had copped it off his own England supporters at Wembley in midweek for his recent dismal form.
Well against Leicester he was actually one of the more solid ones in red. Just about the only one, in fact. The rest of them were shocking and shameful.
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They escaped with a point, didn’t really even deserve that, and looked every inch what they are – a club in chaos.
If only they gave points and prizes for heavy touches and misplaced passes, United would be a mile clear. It is hard to recall any time when the club was in such disarray.
Certainly not since the 1974 relegation year – and that’s both on AND off the pitch, not merely that desperate, despairing scramble for a fourth-placed finish.
Unhappy players, others admitting the atmosphere in the camp is poor, no sign of a new manager.
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Oh, and against Leicester no Cristiano Ronaldo either, apparently – so the official reason went- because of a “flu-like illness.” Maybe it was flu then, eh?
To be honest Ronaldo was one of the lucky ones in missing this. For large chunks of this season, the Theatre of Dreams has never been more apt a name for this arena.
Nothing to do with the reasons Sir Bobby Charlton intended when he first came up with it, mind. More that it usually only takes half-an-hour or so to put the crowd to sleep these days.
It kicked off as sixth versus tenth and despite the flurry of second half excitement, that was what we got. Mid-table team against another one fast heading there.
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And when Leicester did find a way to goal, it was hard to deny they, not United had done more to merit it given they had played what bits of decent football we saw.
Harvey Barnes should have done better when getting in front of Diogo Dalot to meet at James Maddison cross just crying out to be volleyed in.
The sparkling, flowing move – yes, you did read that correctly – merited far more than being whipped a foot over the bar by Kelechi Iheanacho.
And David De Gea showed why he is the one United player for whom this season hasn’t been a total disaster with a jaw-dropping save to flick away a Wesley Fofana header.
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Even United’s one pulse-quickening moment – prior to Fred’s goal, that is –arrived gift wrapped courtesy of their opponents.
Fofana’s ball from the back was woeful and Fred pounced to send Bruno Fernandes scooting clear.
Fernandes took deliberate aim…and the fact Kasper Schmeichel would have been annoyed had he not blocked his effort with his feet said everything about how tame it was.
Scott McTominay’s lunging challenge on Maddison certainly wasn’t, and on another day, with another referee but Andre Marriner, his yellow could easily have been a red.
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It was just about the only way United found to silence Maddison, whose laser-guided deliveries were the highlight of the evening.
So how fitting that another, this time with his “wrong” left foot, picked out Iheanacho for the opener, despite the despairing efforts of De Gea.
Although the ref should have checked that with VAR too, because someone clearly sneaked rocks into Rafa Varane’s boots. That has to be the reason he didn’t even jump.
When Iheanacho buried that, he looked certain to have done the same to United’s season.
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Fair play to them, then, for finally showing they are not devoid of ALL fighting spirit.
Because three minutes later they were level, courtesy of an equaliser that had Brendan Rodgers tearing his hair out, given the number of chances they blew to clear it.
Finally it fell to Fernandes, and when Schmeichel could only bat away his low shot, Fred showed a clinical eye for goal in drilling home the rebound.
Yet if that was supposed to spark an up and at ‘em United onslaught, instead they were left thanking technology for even leaving with a point.
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When Varane lost out and Maddison finished at the near post, he looked to have won it – only for replays to show Iheanacho had hooked the Frenchman’s foot from under him.
It was the right decision, but probably led to the wrong result. If one team had indeed done enough to take all three points, it certainly wasn’t United.
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