Manchester United fans would have been hoping that the club could find a way to win the FA Cup this season. Unfortunately, they did not come even close, as they were knocked out from the fourth round of the competition at the hands of Middlesbrough. The game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes and Anthony Elanga’s penalty shootout miss proved to be decisive on the night.
Unfortunately, it was a game that the Red Devils could have easily won if they had taken their chances. Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty kick in the first half while Bruno Fernandes failed to score into an almost empty net. There were several other opportunities that Ralf Rangnick’s side failed to convert as well.
In many matches before this, Manchester United had found a way to win despite being nowhere near the top of their game. This time around though, they could not although the performance was dominant.
Roy Keane has pointed out one problem that Manchester United have been facing under the management of Rangnick. As reported by Manchester Evening News, he told ITV Sport:
"“One of his [Rangnick’s] concerns will be over the last few home games they’ve only scored one goal and obviously just one tonight.“I was talking about Man United finding a way to win the game, but what they did was they found a way to lose the game and that’s not a good sign.”"
Keane points out major problem for Manchester United
The FA Cup appeared to be Manchester United’s best chance at silverware this season and now, it feels like they are heading towards their fifth straight trophyless campaign unless something unexpected happens.
There is still a lot to be played for this season though, with a Premier League top four spot up for grabs and teams like Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, West Ham United and Wolves involved in the race along with Manchester United.
It remains to be seen how that turns out and at the moment, that has to be Rangnick’s primary target at Old Trafford. If the club can finish in the top four, his run as the interim manager would be considered as a success.