Sitting next to fellow Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks horrified as his side suffer a setback against Coventry Credit” second division. : Alamy Live News/Mark Payne
Having just completed the London Marathon in 4 hours 30 minutes 52 seconds at the age of 71, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had every right to collapse in a heap. Instead, he watched Manchester United players do it for him. Never, as he enjoyed a restorative post-race ice bath at the Royal Automobile Club in Pall Mall, did Britain's richest man imagine that the most painful part of his Sunday was yet to come.
But that is exactly what his perpetually dysfunctional club did, where even in a barely deserved victory that threatened to scar Coventry City fans for life, they managed to plunge into new depths of ineptitude and chaos.< /p>< p>Ratcliffe's expression, seated next to a rarely seen Avram Glazer in the VIP seats, was one of either bewilderment or a quiet cry of despair that he would ever agree to custody of such a terrible show. Although he has been aware of deep internal fault lines at United for months, and although he has pleaded with his supporters for patience, the moment has come for his vaunted ruthlessness as a businessman to come to the fore.
United's season may continue for another five weeks until the FA Cup final against Manchester City, but for hapless manager Erik ten Hag there is no turning back.
Erik ten Hag looks like a dead man walking through Old Trafford
The Dutchman's position, long precarious, now became unconscionable. There should be no easing for United as their £200m annual wage bill is 20 times Coventry's annual wage bill, allowing them to contrive to throw away a 3-0 lead against a Championship side who have lost three of their previous four. Their humiliation would have been even more severe had it not been for the damned VAR who ruled out Coventry's winner in the 121st minute after Hadji Wright's fingernail was ruled offside.
No doubt this result would have been celebrated by many more people than the 36,000 sky-blue-robed supporters toasted as a triumph of perseverance and bribery over privilege and extravagance.
Remarkably, Ten Hag wanted to talk about United's “great achievement” of reaching the final for the second year in a row, ignoring the impression that he was a dead man walking. It was a match where the difference in status between the teams left the players with no choice but to win with determination and flair.
Here were all the men who would decide his future, from Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford, his chief guru, to Avram and Joel Glazer, the brothers who were watching United play in person for the first time since then. 2019. It felt like his last chance, which he failed miserably. After 71 minutes of relative control, he led pure chaos.
Yes, there were culprits on the field who deserved their share of the blame. Marcus Rashford was so rough with his strike that United fans booed him. In two months, Rasmus Hoylund demonstrated all the toothlessness of a striker who did not score a goal. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who missed a penalty and allowed Callum O'Hare to fire past him for Coventry's second, minimized the defensive malaise.
But the responsibility for this collapse of the entire system ultimately falls on Ten Hag. “Follow the process,” he liked to tell his critics, and United provided ironclad proof that there was no process at all.
“You'll be sacked in the morning,” he said. taunted the traveling Coventry party as he shouted at Wright's leveler for 3-3. In fact, Ratcliffe might be tempted to wait a little longer. United are 16 points off Champions League qualification and there is little appetite for a caretaker who will only last a month.
The looming prospect is that Ten Hag will be put out of his misery in the same way as his compatriot Louis van Gaal, who led United to success in the 2016 FA Cup final and found himself sacked 48 hours later. But where Van Gaal has often been criticized for his authoritarian leadership, Ten Hag's problem is that he rarely looks like any type of leader.
Take Antony as an example. In 2022, Ten Hag was desperate to get the Brazilian out of Ajax, praising the winger's “incredibly beautiful development.” United agreed to back their manager for £86 million despite concerns that Anthony had not scored double figures in either of his two Dutch Championship campaigns.Today we see all too clearly why such trepidation arose. It's not just that Anthony's return for United has been pathetic: he's scored two goals and provided two assists all season. The fact is that he is an example of such pathetic arrogance that after Hoylund's decisive penalty he had the nerve to turn to the Coventry end and taunt those shocked fans with his hands over his ears. After yet another poor substitute appearance, this was his most memorable performance of the day.
Never in a million years would a spendthrift like Anthony be allowed through the door under Sir Alex Ferguson. So what does it say about Ten Hag's judgment, his instincts about what is best for United, that he persuades his employers to pay a near-club record fee for one of their worst ever players?
Faith among United's student population is dwindling. Even at the grim end to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign, they cheerfully chanted: “Ole is driving.” But there's nothing celebratory about seeing Ten Hag behind the wheel of the team's clown car.
The reaction after the penalty shoot-out was unmistakable: the majority of the fans in red, far from shouting, expressed only murmurs of relief, embarrassed that standards had fallen so low that they needed a VAR adjournment to squeeze past Coventry.
This is not a decline that Ratcliffe, with his reputation as a captain of industry, can survive. Once the stress of this marathon day has subsided, he should waste no time in determining that Ten Hag's run has taken place.
Anatomy of Manchester United's extraordinary collapse
Mike McGrath
< p>It was one of the most spectacular failures in FA Cup history. How did Manchester United go from being 3-0 up in the Championship to being forced into extra time at Wembley in less than half an hour?
Garnacho's substitution changes the tide
Everything seemed to be going in United's favor as Sir Jim Ratcliffe took his seat at Wembley. The United co-owner ran the London Marathon in four-and-a-half hours and arrived to watch his team score their third goal. But small moments can change the mood of a game, and that's exactly what happened when Alejandro Garnacho was sent off in the 66th minute.
The Argentina striker was clearly unhappy and trudged away at walking speed, shaking his head. His handshake with Erik ten Hag was superficial. Just a few days ago, he apologized for liking a social media post that said his manager had thrown him under the bus. It may have been only the smallest morale boost for Coventry, but it was a boost nonetheless.
Alejandro Garnacho came on with Manchester United leading 3-0. Photo: Getty Images/Ian Kington There is hope for Coventry
Ellis Simms was in good form heading into this semi-final, scoring 14 goals in 13 games, and his 3-1 result indicates a player brimming with confidence. He came so close to striking in the first half but was only stopped by a superb block from Diogo Dalota. To reduce the deficit, in the 71st minute he turned away Fabio Tavares' cross for the first time since the volley and fired home Andre Onana's near post. The game has begun? Maybe. If they managed to get another one, United could start to fall apart.
The outsiders will be in luck.
Any opposition analyst in the Premier League will have a statistic in their notebook: United take more shots per game than the other majors. Premier League teams some distance away. More chances increase the likelihood of a goal, so why not shoot straight away and hope for a rebound or rebound?
Callum O'Hara tried his luck just outside the penalty area and was rewarded with a goal, his shot hitting the back of Aaron Wan Bissaka and heading into the top corner. The expressions on the United players' faces showed that they realized that the situation had changed.
THEY HAVE ANOTHER 🤯@Coventry_City is back in action!#EmiratesFACup pic. twitter.com/9kHEph4IJO
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 21, 2024 Onana appears to have got United out of jail
The mountain might be too much for some teams to climb, but Coventry showed they were serious with another chance that could have easily leveled the scores. It was Victor Thorpe again, at the center of everything after coming off the bench, who volleyed home after United failed to clear a corner. It was an outstanding save from Andre Onana, who dived to his left and missed the top corner. But it meant United knew they were in for a tough final.
Høylund forgets to score
Still leading 3-2, United had a huge chance to seal the lead but Rasmus Hoylund was completely frozen at the crucial moment. It's hard to call it a miss, as the Danish striker never made a shot from just eight meters from goal.
After Bruno Fernandes' pass, Hoylund's first touch put him in the perfect position to finish, but the player, who has not scored since February, showed his lack of confidence in front of goal. He took a touch, then another, and that allowed Victor Thorpe to come back and win the ball.
A good and truly complete fall
United's capitulation was completed when Louis Binks reached to keep the ball in play and rolled away back to the ball. dangerous area. Wan Bissaka's arm was exposed and the ball hit it – a penalty awarded. Despite the momentum looming for Coventry, it was no surprise that Haji Wright kept his cool and scored the penalty. In less than half an hour, United had lost their lead.
WHAT. A. RETURN 🤯😳@Coventry_City after three goals dropped to level against @ManUtd 😱#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/CTPT8QnOAx
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) April 21, 2024
Recent Comments