Manchester United returned to action with a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Here is a look at five things we learned from the clash at Old Trafford, which Boro won on penalties after 120 minutes…
Pogba back in from the start
Ralf Rangnick has managed many of Manchester United’s injury issues carefully and slowly so far but he put Paul Pogba straight back into the team here.
Pogba played in a 4-3-3 as one of the two number eights alongside Bruno Fernandes and won a penalty which should have opened the scoring on 18 minutes.
The Frenchman played his part with some strong forward runs when United popped the ball around, although he did pick up a booking for a tackle from the wrong side after losing the ball too easily in the centre of the pitch.
He tired noticeably – and understandably – in the second half before being replaced by Fred.
Ronaldo makes rare mistake from the spot
This week, reported United target Declan Rice said he would trust Ronaldo more than any player in world football to score a penalty.
Ronaldo stepped up to open the scoring for United but fired wide, making it a rare occasion he has failed to deliver from the spot.
That said, Ronaldo looked lively and determined to score throughout the game, going close with an early overhead kick and making some smart runs in behind.
But United’s failure to take their chances would come back to haunt them in the second half…
Sancho steps up
Ralf Rangnick fielded Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford on the ‘wrong’ wings; Sancho on the left and Rashford on the right.
The pair generally look more comfortable on the opposite sides, but they both performed well here.
Lee Dixon noted on commentary that the pair both made smart runs which were not often found, but Sancho did get on the end of a pass in behind on 25 minutes.
His first touch set the wheels in motion perfectly and he fired home – albeit with the help of a slight deflection – to break the game open.
It was a deserved reward for a strong performance on his return to the team.
United let Boro off the hook
The game should have been out of sight before Middlesbrough really got going, with Ronaldo and Rashford among those to miss chances to kill it.
Then, United were cut open by a counter-attack, which should have served as a warning sign before boyhood United fan Matt Crooks equalised.
Of course, the goal shouldn’t have stood because Duncan Watmore blatantly handballed it in the buildup but that does not detract from the fact that United should have put the game beyond the visitors long before it got to that point.
Before tonight, United’s best performances came at home to Leeds and Newcastle, but even in both of those games, they started well before getting pegged back to 1-1.
It was a similar story here as United again showed a lack of ruthlessness and were left too open to a counter-attack, not withstanding the officiating error.
United blow most realistic chance of silverware
United had this game in the palm of their hand but by full-time they had blown their most realistic chance of silverware for the season.
This was a huge opportunity missed and United only have an unlikely shot at European glory to go for in terms of trophies this season.
Failure to win silverware this season would make it five straight trophyless seasons at Old Trafford and that is nowhere near good enough.
This result punctures the momentum generated in recent weeks and even by the performance in the first hour here.
Rangnick has plenty of work to do to deal with the fallout of this result…
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- Who is Tynan Thompson? Exciting Spurs wonderkid linked with move to Man Utd
- Ruben Amorim’s biggest wonderkid success story is ending brutally as Man Utd pre-season begins
- Dan Gore will hope for better Man Utd pre-season outing vs Wrexham than he had in 2023
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