Manchester United's deep-rooted issues brutally exposed once again in derby humiliation


Richard Jolly
  • English
  • Arabic

For Manchester United, the scoreline had unfortunate symmetry. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign ended with a 4-1 defeat. Ralf Rangnick had cited defensive improvement among his achievements. Then United lost 4-1 on Sunday and if it was against superior opposition – Manchester City rather than Watford – another injury-time goal was also a picture of a shambles. Rather than a straight line, United’s offside trap was a triangle when Riyad Mahrez raced away to score.

There could have been a second common denominator. Harry Maguire was sent off a Vicarage Road. A hideously late lunge at a flying Kevin de Bruyne only drew a yellow card at the Etihad Stadium but provided an image of a player way off the pace.

Maguire’s derby could be encapsulated in the goals: nutmegged for the first and just before the second, the third deflected off him. He can look hapless, a haunted figure weighed down by the twin burdens of the United captaincy and his £80 million ($105.4m) transfer fee.

Maguire can be the personification of a problem, but it is not confined to him. United have conceded more goals than Burnley. As David de Gea has made the most saves in the Premier League, that tally could be considerably higher than 38. City had 24 shots on Sunday, but Leicester had 22 and Watford 20 in scoring four against United.

A sense forged against lesser opponents that Rangnick had brought more solidity looked an illusion when City were rampant. Perhaps the most effective sticking plaster is not the interim manager but a summer signing: United have only conceded twice in one match that Raphael Varane has completed. Sadly for them, the Frenchman is injury prone.

In his place, Phil Foden left Victor Lindelof looking “like a fire engine racing to the wrong fire,” to borrow Geoffrey Green’s immortal description of Billy Wright, when fooled by Ferenc Puskas. Perhaps, given Maguire’s lamentable season, Varane and the limited Lindelof should be the first-choice pair. Certainly the captain can seem afforded preferential treatment, just as Alex Telles is entitled to think he could have been preferred to an out-of-form Luke Shaw at times.

Individuals are underachieving but the issue is also systemic. Rangnick clearly felt United were too passive and defensive in losing to City in November but Sunday’s high-pressing approach left then too open. And, as Ralph Hasenhuttl pointed out after Southampton’s draw at Old Trafford: “It is not a secret that when they lose the ball that the reverse gears are not the best from United.” Rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, they could have done with signing a high-class defensive midfielder to help cut out counter-attacks.

Manchester derby player ratings

But a £130m duo highlighted one of the failings of the modern United: players get worse there. Maguire’s towering performance for England against Germany last summer is a reminder he can be a high-class stopper. He normally excels for Gareth Southgate. He was wanted by Pep Guardiola in 2019, though City would not pay a world-record fee for a centre-back and, in Ruben Dias, bought a better player for less a year later. It is easy to imagine him flourishing in a Thomas Tuchel team, rather than floundering amid a rabble at Old Trafford.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka was isolated and exposed as City ganged up on him on Sunday. Rangnick’s lack of faith in the £50m right-back was shown when he preferred Diogo Dalot and even an out-of-position Lindelof. Wan-Bissaka’s limitations on the ball have long been recognised by teammates who were reluctant to pass to him but he arrived with a reputation as an excellent defensive right-back. That, too, is being lost amid defensive disarray that reflects United’s lack of joined-up thinking.

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

FIGHT%20CARD
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Illegal%20shipments%20intercepted%20in%20Gulf%20region
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Key recommendations
  • Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
  • Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
  • Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
  • More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Kill%20
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RESULTS

5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (Turf) 2,200m
Winner: M'A Yaromoon, Jesus Rosales (jockey), Khalifa Al Neydai (trainer)

5.30pm: Khor Al Baghal – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: No Riesgo Al Maury, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami

6pm: Khor Faridah – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Royston Ffrench, Irfan Ellahi

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: Mahmouda, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi

7pm: Abu Dhabi Colts Classic – Prestige (PA) Dh110,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner: AS Jezan, George Buckell, Ahmed Al Mehairbi

7.30pm: Khor Laffam – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m
Winner: Dolman, Antonio Fresu, Bhupath Seemar

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201.8-litre%204-cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E190hp%20at%205%2C200rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%20from%201%2C800-5%2C000rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20dual-clutch%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.7L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20From%20Dh111%2C195%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Stats at a glance:

Cost: 1.05 billion pounds (Dh 4.8 billion)

Number in service: 6

Complement 191 (space for up to 285)

Top speed: over 32 knots

Range: Over 7,000 nautical miles

Length 152.4 m

Displacement: 8,700 tonnes

Beam:   21.2 m

Draught: 7.4 m

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DUBAI WORLD CUP CARNIVAL CARD

6.30pm Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 2,410m

7.05pm UAE 1000 Guineas Listed $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.40pm Dubai Dash Listed $175,000 (T) 1,000m

8.15pm Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions $100,000 (D) 1.900m

8.50pm Al Fahidi Fort Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,400m

9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (D) 2,000m

 

The National selections

6.30pm: Gifts Of Gold

7.05pm Final Song

7.40pm Equilateral

8.15pm Dark Of Night

8.50pm Mythical Magic

9.25pm Franz Kafka

MATCH INFO

Wales 1 (Bale 45 3')

Croatia 1 (Vlasic 09')

Super Saturday race card

4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m

While you're here
The specs

Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 640hp

Torque: 760nm

On sale: 2026

Price: Not announced yet

THE SPECS

Engine: 3-litre V6

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 424hp

Torque: 580 Nm

Price: From Dh399,000

On sale: Now

Meg%202%3A%20The%20Trench
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBen%20Wheatley%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJason%20Statham%2C%20Jing%20Wu%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Page%20Kennedy%2C%20Cliff%20Curtis%2C%20Melissanthi%20Mahut%20and%20Shuya%20Sophia%20Cai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Listen to Extra Time
Copa del Rey

Barcelona v Real Madrid
Semi-final, first leg
Wednesday (midnight UAE)

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

Women’s World T20, Asia Qualifier

UAE results
Beat China by 16 runs
Lost to Thailand by 10 wickets
Beat Nepal by five runs
Beat Hong Kong by eight wickets
Beat Malaysia by 34 runs

Standings (P, W, l, NR, points)

1. Thailand 5 4 0 1 9
2. UAE 5 4 1 0 8
3. Nepal 5 2 1 2 6
4. Hong Kong 5 2 2 1 5
5. Malaysia 5 1 4 0 2
6. China 5 0 5 0 0

Final
Thailand v UAE, Monday, 7am

GOODBYE%20JULIA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohamed%20Kordofani%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESiran%20Riak%2C%20Eiman%20Yousif%2C%20Nazar%20Goma%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Updated: March 07, 2022, 12:38 PM`