Manchester United's midfield failings and backline of pumpkins fall at Spurs | Barney Ronay


Phil Jones’s torrid first half will be the focus of attention but an unbalanced midfield was as much part of United’s problem

For Manchester United this was a bruising 2-0 defeat by better-balanced opponents and an occasion that seemed to float past in a series of occasionally bizarre snapshots. Marouane Fellaini gave a new twist to the idea of two-touch football, coming on after 62 minutes, having two touches, then leaving seven minutes later with a knee injury. If it is any consolation, he was still probably one of United’s better midfielders on the night.

Paul Pogba marauded weirdly for an hour, a free radical in what was supposed to be a rigid two-man central midfield. With 66 minutes gone he could be seen jogging off, pointedly uninjured, substituted for playing like Paul Pogba.

Related: Christian Eriksen’s lightning start for Tottenham blindsides Manchester United

Related: José Mourinho laments Manchester United’s ‘ridiculous’ errors

Continue reading...