It took solely seven minutes of the Manchester derby to be in little doubt in regards to the parlous state of United.
When Eric Bailly clumsily intercepted João Cancelo’s cross to divert the ball into his personal internet it was the beginning of one other agonizing Old Trafford encounter with a now far superior rival.
🗣”This workforce simply don’t have the need and battle.”
Roy Keane simply feels sorry for the Manchester United gamers pic.twitter.com/QcFzFDcKXU
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 6, 2021
The solely shock from Saturday’s derby was United escaping with a 2-0 loss to Manchester City after Bernardo Silva beat goalkeeper David De Gea at his close to publish in stoppage time.
Humiliation was averted, two weeks after being routed 5-0 by Liverpool right here, nevertheless it was one other encounter to strengthen simply how far United has slipped behind the Premier League’s elite.
City and United boast the world’s costliest soccer squads — every assembled for greater than $1 billion — however that wouldn’t be apparent watching within the lashing northern English rain.
On paper, six factors now separate defending champion City in second from United in fifth. The gulf in high quality, techniques and elegance look better, with City effortlessly cruising to victory.
It wasn’t Pep Guardiola’s title City followers have been singing at Old Trafford. They have been mercilessly mocking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“Ole’s at the wheel,” they serenaded the United supervisor, sarcastically adopting the United fan tune.
Solskjaer limps on within the job, with only one win from six league video games. The solely success got here final Saturday in opposition to Tottenham, which acted swiftly to resolve managerial change was required. And in firing Nuno Espirito Santo and hiring Antonio Conte, the north London membership snapped up a possible substitute for Solskjaer.
The Norwegian couldn’t depend on being bailed out once more by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose double salvaged a Champions League draw at Atalanta on Tuesday.
Instead Ronaldo minimize a annoyed determine as the dearth of depth and urgent left him remoted up entrance. Only as soon as did he come near scoring what would have been an equalizer within the twenty sixth minute, with a first-time volley from Ronaldo pushed vast by Ederson.
It electrified the gang with the kind of roar not heard once more till the hardly ever used Donny van der Beek was introduced on within the second half.
Boos, although, have been as soon as once more the soundtrack of the house crowd at Old Trafford.
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