MANCHESTER UNITED FAILED to relieve the mounting pressure on manager Jose Mourinho with another insipid attacking display in a 0-0 draw at home to Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Already nine points adrift of Premier League leaders Manchester City and Liverpool after three defeats in seven league games, Mourinho was hoping for a reaction from Saturday’s dreadful display in losing 3-1 to West Ham United.
Instead, his side again looked devoid of ideas and invention to draw a blank and fall two points behind Group H leaders Juventus with two games against the Italian champions to come.
A point does at least consolidate United’s position three points ahead of Valencia in second place, with Swiss champions Young Boys looking like the whipping boys of the group after a second 3-0 defeat in two games, this time against Juventus earlier on Tuesday.
Kick-off was delayed by five minutes as United were held up by traffic that meant Mourinho’s men didn’t arrive at the stadium until less than 45 minutes ahead of the planned 8pm (1900GMT) start time.
However, it took far longer for the game to come alive after a drab first half that summed up both sides’ struggles so far this season.
Mourinho recalled Alexis Sanchez, who hadn’t even made the bench for Saturday’s defeat, among four changes from the weekend.
But it was Marcus Rashford on the opposite flank who was United’s biggest threat as the Chilean again disappointed before being replaced 15 minutes from time.
Rashford fired wide from the edge of the area and had another long-range effort comfortably handled by Neto early on.
In a recurring theme of United’s decline over the past few months, though, there seemed little cohesive attacking plan other than a series of long balls hurled towards Romelu Lukaku.
Valencia registered their first win of the Spanish season at the seventh attempt at Real Sociedad on Saturday, but the Spaniards’ struggles to score goals were also obvious despite enjoying plenty of possession.
Goncalo Guedes enjoyed most of Valencia’s openings, but the Portuguese has still yet to score since making his loan move from Paris Saint-Germain permanent in August.
Guedes fired off target when well-placed on the edge of the area either side of half-time as Valencia started the second half brightly.
That prompted chants of “attack, attack, attack” from a disgruntled home faithful.
United duly responded as Paul Pogba’s shot was deflected wide before a free-kick from the Frenchman finally forced Neto into his first serious save.
Valencia failed to take advantage of Cristiano Ronaldo’s early red card in losing 2-0 to Juventus on matchday one and could yet regret not cashing in with all three points against a misfiring United side.
Michy Batshuayi blasted the visitors’ best chance over from close range, before Guedes miscontrolled when clean through on goal.
At the other end Neto did well to turn a Lukaku effort behind before Sanchez’s lack of confidence was laid bare when he took a touch too many inside the Valencia box and was crowded out.
That was his last involvement as Mourinho’s decision to replace the former Arsenal forward with Anthony Martial was cheered by the United fans.
Rashford came closest to breaking the deadlock with a free-kick from a narrow angle that clipped the crossbar, but a winner would have been more than either side deserved.
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Can’t believe I watched the whole game. Both teams were shocking. Least I’m ready to sleep now though!
@Yorkie1892: Fair play to ya for lasting this long. Going by the atmosphere at OT, most of who turned up went to sleep after 10 minutes!
@Maureen: Alan and you tried to tell me your weren’t there ! We have a closet fan here guys
@Johnny Dumbo: Do you have sound on your tv? From the 2 mins I turned over to watch it, you’d get more atmosphere at a funeral home. You gotta feel for the delusional Mancs, getting worse by the day!
@Maureen: BTW Alan the attendance for tonight’s game was 73,569 out of 74,994! Not bad for a midweek match. Maybe the other 1400 or so couldn’t get the night off
@Maureen: Alan b you’re contradicting yourself again! You said that everybody in the crowd fell asleep after 10 mins how do you know that if you only tuned in for 2 mins
@Johnny Bravo: Hahaha more like 53000 with the amount of empty seats. Definitely pulling the City trick or else they are forcing season ticket holders to buy tickets but they’re not bothering to turn up and sit thru 90 minutes of that tripe.
@David Carino: oh Lord Dave. I turned over with 8-10 minutes on the clock and in that time they were nodding off. I think it’s past your bed time!
@Maureen: Name calling Alan is a real sign that your getting upset. Why are you so mad ? Is it tonight’s result ?
@Maureen: but but but Liverpool don’t even get that when they’re full . LMAO at YOU
@Johnny Bravo: oh the irony with you calling me Alan!
@powerfix: leave the poor lad alone he’s confused about who he supports, where he watched the game and for how long ….
@Maureen: My name is David I think you’ll find, and I also called you Alan, and a few others too
@powerfix: You do know there is a waiting list of over 50000 to get a season ticket? Anfield is guaranteed to be full for every game. Same can’t be said for the kip that was on show tonight. Soon they’ll be closing the upper tiers with the diehard ‘fans’ staying in London!
@powerfix: poor powerfix, have to bring Liverpool into everything.
@Maureen: but but but but …… concentrate on your own club …. lack of silverware….. no plan b etc … Alan ? Is it …
@Yorkie1892: like watching Stoke in 2009
@Yorkie1892: and the 42 comments after Man U games are getting as boring as Man U games. Read on below and sleep
@David A Roberts: Yep. Just Irish fans bickering over their most favourite British clubs. Really, really sad. Compare to the comments under the Guardian match report. There’s real humour there.
Sensational result for United to come away with a point
@Acedeuce: You’re very early lad. I thought Thursday was the time for you to come out.
@Acedeuce: Historic. A club headed in the right direction. Give Mourinho a new 10 year contract.
@Mark Jones: Sir alex was so right about mourinho.
If Lukaku had shot at Tupac, he would be 47 this year and still knocking out the albums
@Pixie McMullen: Is that the same Lukaku who is only 25 but has already scored 219 career goals? Or are you on about his brother who is a left-back?
@Stephen Lyons: did he score tonight??
@Pixie McMullen: No, he didn’t. Now it’s your turn. Can you name a player who scored in every game they ever played in?
@Stephen Lyons: Did he score last Saturday?
@Pixie McMullen: Nope. My question remains.
@Stephen Lyons: no player has scored in every game they ever played in,
did Lukaku score the week before last in the league?
@Pixie McMullen: Correct, you answered correctly! What a sad way to spend your night though. Good luck.
@Stephen Lyons: What are you talking about ye plum? you just did the exact same thing LOL
@Pixie McMullen: I spent my night watching a team I support and then coming on here to comment honestly on their performance. You spent your night coming on here to antagonize others with childish statements about one of the most prolific strikers in English football, all while using a fake alias. Go figure.
@Pixie McMullen: I really hope you’re not an adult with real responsibilities..
@Stephen Lyons: And i really hope you are not an adult who gets triggered so easily…..
Have a Snickers, you`re not yourself when you are hungry…..
@Pixie McMullen: snickers gag. How lame are you. Jesus
Sad times for Man United and their fans. An absolute shambles. Total clear out of manager and players needed.
Specialist in boring football
Frustrated for Luke Shaw. He was the only player that did a professional job tonight.
United will get royally spanked by Juventus Now hoping Ronnie doesn’t play :P.
@Gavin Mitchell: Shaw has been the best player by a country mile all season !
@Gavin Mitchell: Between himself and Fellaini they’re the only two showing a bit of heart, ironic in that they have been the two most ridiculed by fans in recent years.
@Stephen Lyons: Fellaini has surprised me somewhat too. That is indeed ironic. Now it’s everyone else’s turn to feel it.
@Stephen Lyons: Well David De Gea has been excellent as well but it says a lot when the goalkeeper has consistently been United’s best player for years now.
@James Clancy: Yeah sorry it’s easy to take big Dave for granted as he has been solid for years now. Sanchez hasn’t done a tap since pulling on the jersey. Even Matic has gone down a bit, hard to know if that’s down to age or whether the team just don’t want to put in the effort for Mourinho anymore. A change in management is needed as much as I hate to see a constant turnover in managers! Tonight channelled the performances of the Van Gaal era with the fans voicing their opinions to attack, the atmosphere is as volatile as ever.
Genuine question for United fans. Keep going with Jose or cut your loses now? That was abysmal football again.
@Gareth Keenan: Get rid, season over get a new manager in and rebuild for next season.
@Gareth Keenan: Turf him out. Absolutely no progress in 3 years. Still doesn’t know his best 11.
@Gareth Keenan: unless they have Zidane , conte, or deschamp lined up ready to go , then no , they should stick till end of season .
@conex: you couldn’t look at that for the rest of the season could ye? Get Zidane and tell him to bring his boots
@conex: wenger would do a better job until the end of the season, he will be gone by the weekend, no shape no clue, long ball, clueless.
@Gareth Keenan: as a lifelong UTD fan going way back I never wanted him….managers who lose dressing rooms win nothing and Jose has been toxic long before he was considered for this job. Not the first dressing room he lost either…. Much prefer to see him set aside now.
@Paul: a penny for sir alex fergusons thoughts ………… imagine he stepped back in till end of season !!!!
@conex: not after a stroke! But he could probably have managed the team from the hospital by phone and got better results to be fair. Everything with Jose is “the team must work harder”. I don’t see any sort of tactical plan or way of playing football with this Utd team. Carbon copy of what happened at Chelsea. Players don’t want to play for him anymore.
Matic and fellaini and pogba in united mid field slow the whole game down , I turned of the telly with half hour left in the game , throughly boring , from a team that’s rudderless ,Sanchez also has no idea what job he is supposed to do ! I think Jose is trying what worked for him for years , bluff and bluff , but now , nobody’s buying in .
didn’t deserve anything more.They are a terrible side to watch.Over paid prima donnas managed by a dinasour manager.They could win the Europa League though.
I will be very surprised if he sees the season out at United. I have always said Fergie did them no favours in ensuring his mate Moyes got the job. Nowhere near good enough to follow Fergie and Im a Liverpool fan!!
“Jose we haven’t got the defenders to play out from the back” you bought Lindeloff/bailly?? Half a billion and they make the crazy gang look like Barca!! Won’t see Xmas, moyes lvg got worse abuse without spending a fraction of what he did?
I think it’s hilarious
4 points from 2 games is better than what Man city got. If any other team scored those points they would be appladed.
@Paul O Connor: ya but there still rubbish
@Paul O Connor: What beating garbage Swiss side 3-0 and booed off the pitch in a paint dryin 0-0 v team 14 in la liga? Who played all the football? You did watch the game? Your only attacks were 60/70 yard hoofs to lukheskey and the lanky poodle!! All that for half a billion team!!