AP – Out of the FA Cup, now out of the Premier League’s top four.
Manchester United is going through a rough spell under Ralf Rangnick – and Cristiano Ronaldo currently isn’t in good enough scoring form to get the team out of it.
Ronaldo didn’t even start the 1-1 draw at last-place Burnley on Tuesday, only appearing as a second-half substitute and failing to score for a fifth straight game.
That’s his worst run without a goal at club level since 2010.
The problems run deeper than the scoring slump of one of the world’s great
strikers, though.
The way United dropped off in the second half was alarming, just like the team did in the second half of its FA Cup game at home to second-tier Middlesbrough last Friday. United lost a penalty shootout on that occasion.
Also alarming was the defending by England cente back Harry Maguire that allowed lanky striker Wout Weghorst, Burnley’s new signing, to turn him in the middle of the field and play in Jay Rodriguez for the equaliser in the 47th minute.
That cancelled out the 18th-minute opener by Paul Pogba, starting for the second game after a long injury layoff and probably United’s best player in the first half.
United actually scored three times before halftime but two were ruled out, first for an offside against Maguire – before he blocked off Rodriguez prior to Raphael Varane heading home – and then for an innocuous-looking foul by Pogba.
United fell to fifth place, a point behind West Ham, which was a 1-0 winner over Watford on Tuesday.
“A frustrating night for us because we should have won that game comfortably,” Rangnick said. “We scored three goals in the first half so I couldn’t blame the team for not having a killer instinct in the first half.
“In the end it was also a little question of luck. One point for a performance like this is just not enough.”
