Manchester United surrendered a goal lead to share the spoils with Chelsea, as the Premier League’s most-drawn fixture added another outing to its list.
Ruud van Nistelrooy’s second game as interim manager offered a sterner challenge than his midweek mauling of Leicester, with the sides negating one another in a 1-1 exchange.
In truth, this was a frustrating game of football, with both sets of players struggling to impose their footprints on a heavyweight outing.
The result keeps the Blues above Arsenal in fourth place, while United sit in a miserable 13th position, six points off the Champions League pace.
Here are our five talking points from a forgettable Old Trafford outing.
Another questionable day from the officials
With the advancement of technology and the sophistication of the modern game, the referee should play an unseen role in 2024.
However, we regularly discuss the man with the whistle or VAR in bewildering detail.
Robert Jones had been busy heading to Old Trafford, dishing out two red cards and two penalties in his previous three games.
Once more, the refereeing team left little to applaud.
Whether through an inability to control the fixture or regularly breaking the play with questionable calls, I was again critical of the officiating team – an opinion shared by colleagues in the box.
A decision to halt a Rasmus Hojlund effort to call the game back for a United free-kick typified the unnecessary use of the whistle yesterday evening.
Bruno scores again
By his high standards, Bruno Fernandes has had a season to forget thus far.
The Portuguese playmaker, regularly lethal in front of goal, had failed to deliver the killer touch and been on the end of many supporter’s frustrations.
However, his calmly executed spot-kick made it three goals in two outings, with his undeniable swagger returning to his play.
A fit and firing Bruno can only benefit the side and play a pivotal role during the integration of Ruben Amorim.
The endless assault on a young Dutchman
At the best of times, social media is a cesspit for cruel, unnecessary comments about players, coaches and managers.
One man who has endured a fair share of this attention is Joshua Zirkzee. The Dutchman entered the fray with six minutes of regulation time remaining and received ample criticism for his inability to affect the game.
I’m not against criticism, but the nature of the abuse the 23-year-old is receiving is mind-boggling. For those unfamiliar with the Italian game, this is the reigning young player of the season – that is no mean feat!
As with anything Manchester United-related, he is not permitted time to acclimatise to his surroundings – a new country, climate, language, football style and media narrative.
Zirkzee has only made 15 appearances across all competitions, averaging 46 minutes per fixture. There is a clear advancement in quality from what he is used to, but that does not mean he is incapable.
Support the player and his integration into the Old Trafford melting pot. He is going to receive enough abuse from everybody outside of the club.
No longer the second coming
The above is not only applicable to Zirkzee. Alejandro Garnacho – the one-time starboy of the Theatre of Dreams – is now a liability and has become the focal point of a social smear campaign.
As I said after the final whistle, I have been involved in football since I was five. I have played while capable and moved on to earn my coaching badges.
Throughout my football education, it has always been a case of encouraging extravagance in players. Like you, Alejandro Garnacho frustrates the hell out of me sometimes. But the boy is only 20!
The foundations of Manchester United are built on the policies of embracing youth and disregarding experience for talent. You can not generate greatness without embracing the frustrations of development in younger players.
Contrary to YouTube montages about a young Cristiano Ronaldo in the North West, it was not all glitz and glamour – he was beyond frustrating. But you support the growth and reap the benefits afterwards.
A commendable point
All things considered, this was a good point for the home side.
While United looked disjointed at times, there were moments of inspiring play – offering hope for a brighter run in the coming months.
The Blues are one of the most proficient sides for goalscoring (20), only behind Manchester City (21) and Spurs (22).
Keeping the impressive Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson relatively quiet can be seen as a job well done for the defensive organisation.
How do you feel about Manchester United following another draw with Chelsea, and the points we have collected above?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
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