Manchester United 3 Burnley 1
How Manchester United needed this victory. It derived from one of their three games in hand and moves them to 31 points, four behind Arsenal in the final Champions League berth, and was as emphatic as any display so far under Ralf Rangnick.
This does not mean, however, all is tickety-boo with their play. The win came against a Burnley who, due to four matches being postponed because of Covid, last played on December 12th and whose sole victory, over Brentford, came on 30 October. Still absent is an overriding structure that can allow United to govern a game. Under Rangnick, they remain a side of moments: tonight it was enough to claim the three points but this lack of continuity will trouble their caretaker manager.
Rangnick’s record had stood at two wins (against Crystal Palace and Norwich) and two draws (Young Boys and Newcastle): hardly a searingly convincing start to an interim tenure that has to end in fourth place, at least, or he will have failed.
For this hosting of Burnley he assessed Monday’s dire 1-1 at Newcastle and made six changes. Bruno Fernandes was suspended, and out – for reasons of preference – went Raphaël Varane, Diogo Dalot, Alex Telles, Fred and Marcus Rashford. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly joined Harry Maguire in defence – the latter’s form making him lucky to survive – Nemanja Matic came into midfield, Jadon Sancho played at No 10 (one of Rangnick’s two) and Edinson Cavani partnered Cristiano Ronaldo in attack.
Burnley’s covid travails claimed Josh Brownhill, Nick Pope, Jay Rodriguez and Kevin Long as its latest victims, while Sean Dyche was also without the injured Ashley Barnes, Maxwel Cornet and Connor Roberts. This meant a first Premier League appearance since June 2020 for goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, while Aaron Lennon was starting for the first time since October 2nd.
Anything less than a home victory would therefore cause scrutiny of the Rangnick project, five matches in. But what the 63-year-old saw first concerned him. His team allowed Burnley to run along their left and, when Matthew Lowton crossed from the other flank, United were thankful Chris Wood’s header was wild.
Also off target was Ronaldo’s shot via a Luke Shaw through ball that saw the forward spoon over. But Ronaldo turned provider to open the scoring. Mason Greenwood cannoned the ball off a defender before pulling it back to Ronaldo whose touch was designed to allow him to let fly. Instead, Scott McTominay was there to fire in, to Hennessey’s left, for his first goal this season.
Joy mixed with relief followed. But the play was fractured, pell-mell. What United needed was control but Burnley were defiant. Dwight McNeil and Johann Gudmundsson were driving in from the flanks and causing Wan-Bissaka to make vital blocks. Shaw was more positive and one barnstorming run ending in his shot smacking the side-netting and drawing applause from Rangnick.
United were about to score again. Sancho veered in from the left and took aim, Ben Mee stuck out a toe and redirected the ball in for an own goal.
The hosts had become rampant. McTominay scattered defenders in a run that finished with a clever ball to Ronaldo. The No 7’s silky feet fashioned an effort but the shot was deflected. However by 35 minutes it was 3-0, the excellent McTominay blazing a shot at Hennessey, who tipped the ball on to his left post, only for Ronaldo to tap in.
This should have been contest over. But Maguire proved a liability, his passiveness allowing Lennon to run through the defence and unload past David de Gea and into the corner.
Dyche could use this as fuel for his interval chat. Burnley came out and tried hitting left-back Charlie Taylor along his corridor but Wan-Bissaka had his measure. Soon, the United right-back was running decoy, allowing Greenwood to serve the ball on to Ronaldo’s head, whose attempt was disappointing. A flowing sequence that featured another Shaw burst had Ronaldo dummying a pass, Cavani helping the ball on and Greenwood shooting. Hennessey repelled the effort.
This passage of play continued the pattern of the match. Burnley were existing off scraps, at best. United were doing what they should: dominating an inferior, severely depleted opponent. For confidence moving forward, though, another goal would be welcome. Yet their play meandered, De Gea’s 70-yard hack that went straight out of play illustrative of this.
Leadership was required from Maguire or one of the de facto captains – Ronaldo, Cavani, McTominay or Shaw – to gee up the troops and get them moving in high gear again. Instead, Lennon again drove forward, Bailly having to usher the ball out for a corner. United broke from this, Greenwood relaying to Sancho who played the ball to Ronaldo. His pass went back to McTominay who warmed Hennessey’s fingers again, the 20-yard shot being pushed on to the bar.
With the score at 3-1 Burnley retained a sniff but this was dependent on them suddenly developing a killer edge. It was not to be, though James Tarkowski had an added-time chance for a consolation. While Varane replaced the injured Bailly, there was scant alarm for a side who next host Wolves on Monday. Again, only victory is enough. – Guardian
